WWE SmackDown Live General Manager Daniel Bryan was recently interviewed by The Associated Press during an appearance at the Philadelphia Phillies game on Monday noted an commented on the potential of an in-ring return.

When asked about whether he hopes to be able to make an in-ring return, Bryan responded with the following saying, “I honestly do. All the real concussion specialists who deal with concussions every day, all of them think I am fine”, with the article noting that those include UCLA concussion specialists.

Bryan said that he understands why the company will not clear him to make an in-ring return saying, “You can see it from their point of view. If something happens to me, and then they let me back in the ring, and something happens to me, even if these other doctors say that I’m cleared, they’re not the ones who the media will blame because concussions are such a hot-topic issue and everyone is afraid of that sort of thing, that’s one of the reasons why I wasn’t cleared.”

Bryan said that there are days that he gets worked up and wants to ask for a release, but given that he and his wife are trying to start a family, it is not the smartest idea and noted that he didn’t have a choice on the SmackDown Live General Manager role, given that he is under contract and when he is told to be somewhere, he has to go. Bryan also stated that after the recent back and forth with The Miz on an episode of Talking Smack, he was not happy with the company putting up a poll online asking who fans would like to see him compete against if he was able to return to the ring, because nothing has changed on their end and the company will not allow him back in the ring.

WWE meanwhile issued a statement to the Associated Press after Dr. Joseph Maroon deferred a request for comment over to them by stating, “WWE determined it is not in the best interest of Bryan Danielson (aka Daniel Bryan) to continue as an in-ring performer.”

The entire article is available in full at this link.