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Newly-retired beardy ace will not lace up his boots to step into a WWE ring again - but his pure wrestling excellence will live forever.

How Much Do You Know About Daniel Bryan And His WWE Career?

Regal considers having a hand in Bryan's training as the "proudest" highlight of his career.   
The pair had a series of occasional, thumpingly unrelenting mat mini-classics over the years... and even teamed up for some bizarre comedy hijinks on the JBL & Cole show on YouTube.

The exceedingly high regard is mutual

Which British-born wrestling legend does Butlins veteran and World of Sport connoisseur Bryan - seen here tangling with technical wizard Johnny Saint, 67 at the time, in a pre-WWE match - hail as the most influential person in his career?

The easygoing man outside of the ring who won over WWE crowds with this kind of intensity inside the ring revealed a company personality test showed he was in the bottom percentile among his peers when it comes to ambition.

Modest to a fault

Having been talked up by his trainer Shawn Michaels, how did Bryan describe himself to WWE supremo Vince McMahon in their first face-to-face meeting?

Bryan's first ever WWE tryout match went down before a SmackDown taping in February 2000. Who did he - as the American Dragon - tag with to take on a pairing of two other of Michael's wrestling students?

Before settling on ‘Daniel Bryan’, several others ring names were under consideration for TAFKA Bryan Danielson. But which of the below was not in the running?

"I don't usually drink carbonated beverages," explained the man who had thrilled crowds around the globe with his dazzling grappling skills before coming back to WWE.

Gulp it down

Signed to WWE again in October 2009, Bryan was soon called up from developmental to be part of ‘rookie’ challenge show NXT. What wacky test did he undertake that took up a whole minute of less-than-riveting TV time?

Which Nexus team member did Bryan NOT tap out in his surprise return to WWE at SummerSlam 2010 as he teamed with John Cena, Chris Jericho, Edge, R-Truth, John Morrison and Bret Hart in the elimination match main event?

... that angle did bless us with Daniel's dancing. And brought him and Brianna closer together IRL.

Still...

In late 2010, Bryan was pursued by both Nikki and Brie Bella - who mistakenly thought he was a virgin, rather than a vegan. How did this storyline end?

... because his character was positioned as the ultimate underdog.   
And sure, even his most memorable reigns - the first and last - didn't last all that long.   
Still, though - four-time champ.

Bryan's title wins are always underplayed...

How many World title singles championships - whether World Heavyweight, WWE, or WWE World Heavyweight - did Bryan win in WWE?

Before the final decision was made to have Bryan win the SmackDown Money in the Bank briefcase in 2012, which other of the match’s participants has he revealed was also in the running to get the nod?

Bryan recalled in his autobiography: "... even though Santino was predominantly a comedic character, people actually believed he could win the title. When he hit me with his signature move, the Cobra, a hilarious faux-ninja move where he pokes you with his hand closed outward like a duck, people went crazy and thought he was going to win it. If Daniel Bryan could do it, why couldn't Santino Marella?"

YES, really

What does Bryan describe in his autobiography as the favourite part of his 2011/2012 World Heavyweight championship run?

According to the official WWE timekeeper, how swiftly did Sheamus despatch Bryan for the title at Wrestlemania 28?

WWE pair made more than a decent (spinning back) fist of things with this clever homage.

Bryan and Punk take gold, not Silva

Who were the UFC stars Bryan and Punk paid tribute to by replicating their MMA match’s final sequence on an episode of RAW in July 2012?

The Rock and the Goat Face had a memorable RAW confrontation during the summer of 2012 - but which insult did 'The Great One' NOT hurl at Bryan?

Who was pencilled in to face Bryan at SummerSlam 2012 before plans fell through?

What was Bryan's preferred name for his excellent and hilarious Team Hell No tag partnership with Kane?

But Randy Orton once found himself the filling in a Team Hell No sandwich.

It didn't happen

What feat was Vince McMahon apparently eager to wager a few grand on Bryan not being able to manage in front of an April 2013 RAW crowd in London?

Bryan blasted Cena with a walloping running knee for the clean win.

Their main event wasn't lacking in artistry though

To build steam for their good guy vs good guy title tussle at SummerSlam 2013, what did Bryan call out John Cena for?

Infamously, Bryan did not take part in the 2014 Royal Rumble, despite being the heavy favourite with the crowd. But who did he face earlier on the bill?

Batista tapped in the triple threat main event - and Triple H ate a flying knee on Bryan's way to the top of the WWE mountain.

The Authority were thoroughly foiled

With which move did Bryan capture the WWE World Heavyweight championship at Wrestlemania 30, bookending the show with scintillating victories in front of 75,000 fans?

Connor, an eight-year-old fan who battled cancer of the spine and brain from the age of three, was guest of honour at ringside - and Bryan made a beeline for him.   
In 2015, Bryan inducted Connor - who passed away a month after Wrestlemania 30 - into the WWE Hall of Fame.

True champ

Who was the first person Bryan celebrated his exhilarating win with?

... But was this axe-handling double date ever really explained? Bryan was far more proficient when it came to the chops you apply to an opponent's chest.

The couple honeymooned in Hawaii...

Where did Bryan propose to Brie IRL, as the Total Divas cameras were rolling?

#ThankYouDanielBryan

Daniel Bryan wrestled his last WWE match in London last April. Teaming with Cena, who were his opponents?

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How Much Do You Know About Daniel Bryan And His WWE Career?

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