Smackdown Discussion Thread

[WyattSheepMask]

If WWE's doctor isn't going to clear him, why would they send to other doctors?

[TildeGuy~!]

55 minutes ago, NoUseforaUsername said:

Daniel Bryan hopes to be announced as Shane's partner at Wrestlemania.

Nothing new. According to him, he's been cleared by every doctor WWE send him to but he still hasn't been given the all clear by the ones who matter.

He’s been cleared by Doctors who he has gone out of his way to see (or so he claims) No WWE doctors have cleared him and they haven’t sent him to others either.

There is no confirmation that Shane will wrestle as of yet and if so even in a Tag Match, you’re talking out of your arse. 

[d-d-d-dAz]

No. In his most recent interview he explicitly states that WWE have sent him to doctors all over the country who have all cleared him, but that the WWE’s head physician still won’t sign off on that.

WWE don’t do all the medical tests themselves, from what I understand, they have teams of trusted professionals who work with the talent and then it’s collated and reviewed by the WWE doctor(s).

According to Bryan he’s been given benchmarks he needs to achieve, which he’s done, and been asked to get cleared by various concussion specialists, which he has, but they still won’t sign him off.

I personally think they just don’t fancy the risk in case something goes wrong, as in the current climate that’d be a PR disaster but there’s a lot of idiots saying it’s because they don’t want the ‘Yes Movemet’ to start up again and ruin shows.

Fuck sake.

[Callum1993]

Surely though if they’ll clear Angle to wrestle with all his health issues they could clear Bryan? 

[d-d-d-dAz]

But it's not general health issues they're concerned with, it's concussions and CTE. As insane as it might seem, if Angle passes the concussion stress tests he's golden.

As fine as Bryan is, it's worth remembering he's said himself that he would have seizures and fits of vomiting because of his brain injuries. It's a tough business, and the bar is probably quite low to pass, but for whatever reason Bryan's brain checked out early.

[Snitsky's back acne]

He mentioned in the aforementioned interview that there was one route to take if he was cleared and another if he was not.

Ostensibly, I think that is his way of saying that if he's cleared he will stay with WWE and if he's not he will leave and wrestle elsewhere.

I guess it's down to WWE. As has been said, if they can clear a wreck like Angle it must frustrate the shit out of Bryan that he can't get cleared.
Either that of the WWE doctor believes he is way worse and more of a risk than anybody else.

I guess we shall see. 

[HarmonicGenerator]

I think part of it must be WWE knowing if they ever cleared Bryan, he’d get in there and would in no way adapt his style. He’d still go in there flinging himself into drop kicks where he crumbles on impact, diving through the ropes and doing top rope headbutts. If they had confidence he would tone it down and calm his style he might have a chance but there’s no way if you put him in front of the crowd that he wouldn’t go full Dynamite and damage himself more.

At least with Angle they know he’s not going to be bumping around like a madman anymore because he physically can’t.

[d-d-d-dAz]

It’s also worth pointing out that there’s no real CTE tests you can do on living subjects and that it can only be truly identified via autopsy. You can only really look for warning signs and take preemptive action, which is what WWE is trying to do on Bryan’s behalf as he won’t voluntarily back off (unlike the number of young NFL players, say, who choose to retire early).

[TheBurningRed]

Bryan must’ve loved taken that beating. Anything to be involved again. Was worried when he did those running dropkicks the way he lands on his head/neck. Hasn’t toned it down much has he

[Supremo]

That was incredible. Everything involving Bryan was just spectacular. What a bizarre turn of events where, three weeks out from Wrestlemania, a match we had no idea was even happening is now the hottest and most anticipated.

The opening promo was amazing. I nearly cried watching it. Daniel Bryan is one of the greatest babyfaces of all time. It's impossible to not root for him. He always comes across as super genuine and super likable. Compare this with Roman and it's night and day. Bryan is the guy. It's not even close. People fucking LOVE him.

The closing angle was awesome too. The heat on Sami and Kevin was unreal. It had that weird Shawn-Michaels-at-SummerSlam-2002 vibe too, where even though you know he's been cleared it still feels uncomfortable to watch him taking bumps. It's going to be so great when he challenges them to the tag match next week or the week after. What a turn around. After months of feeling like this storyline was a boring, meandering mess, it's now instantly become the best thing going in the company.

Fuck me though. Imagine if they hadn't announced he was cleared and they did that closing angle out of nowhere? The heat would've been even bigger and the reveal would've been even sweeter! A small complaint though because this show absolutely RULED.

[tiger_rick]

What a pussy ending up on a stretcher, eh?

Loved the heat for Sami and KO at the end. Whatever Vince wants, Bryan is and always has been a proper babyface. No half cheers here. Touch Bryan and you're a real heel. Vince will be busy working out how to get him on Raw on Monday to take a beating off Brock Lesnar.

[ColinBollocks]

Aye. I was thinking that while watching the ending, Rick. What a difference between the fans when it comes to those two angles.

Supremo's post is exactly how I felt about it. The opening is one of the best promos in ages and I thought it was an incredible moment when all the fans pointed to the Wrestlemania sign - about the only time it's ever felt spontaneous.

Fantastic ending too. It's exactly what it needed to be.

[d-d-d-dAz]

Please keep Bryan away from Lesnar for a bit.

Great show. Great use of Bryan. Could have done without the ‘you still got it’ chants at the end.

Who knew that the KO/Sami/Shane shitfest would become the best thing in the company?

I’m excited for the AJ/Shinsuke match, but the build is doing less than nothing for me. I think he’s brilliant, but not sure Shinsuke has translated very well to the main roster at all.

[I Bent My Wookie]

It wasn't a you still got it chant was it? I thought it was Zayn and KO getting chanted they still got fired? 

[Onyx2]

1 hour ago, d-d-d-dAz said:

Could have done without the ‘you still got it’ chants at the end.

Think it was "you're still fired". Fucking nuclear heat though. 

Edit: all 8 minutes of the Daniel Bryan promo here. If you don't well up when they simultaneously point at the WrestleMania sign, you have a flinty piece of coal in place of your beating heart.