Daniel Bryan Should Remain a Midcard Talent Upon Return from Injury

The Yes Movement, as personified by Daniel Bryan and his improbable journey to the top of WWE, is dead.

Okay, maybe not dead. No storyline or character ever really dies at WWE. But the days of Bryan as a potential main event WWE Superstar are well behind him.

I noted on this week's PodNasty Wrestling Podcast that in hindsight, WWE officials were justified in their  resistance to the Yes Movement. Following back-to-back debilitating injuries post-WrestleMania, Bryan simply cannot be a top star at this point in his career.

After his early elimination from the 2015 Royal Rumble, fans freaked out to nearly biblical levels for the modern era, according to David Stout of TIME. A loud uprising of passionate Bryan supporters wondered why WWE "wasn't listening" to them. They demanded to see him in a WrestleMania main event for a second consecutive year.

The truth is, WWE did listen to fans in 2014. The result? The WWE world heavyweight champion forced upon the company by the people was soon forced to forfeit the title.

Many wanted to move past Bryan's injury and see the decorated star get another shot. But the injury was more than the unlucky break it initially seemed to be; it was the precursor to a downfall.

Bryan's current ailment is largely unknown but was serious enough to rule him out of Extreme Rules. If WWE once again surrendered to the noise that crowned Bryan as king of the underground, they would have risked being in the exact same position in 2015.

Bryan isn't the first WWE Superstar to lose his main event spot due to injury. "Stone Cold" Steve Austin, John Cena, Edge and Batista all suffered serious injuries as main eventers. In some cases, the injuries resulted in the forfeiture of a world championship.

The difference between those stars and Bryan is that they weren't forced on WWE. WWE planned to develop them into main eventers through landmark wins at the Royal Rumble, King of the Ring and Money in the Bank, to name a few. As a result, each received multiple opportunities despite their injury histories.

Bryan, on the other hand, had no room for error as a top star, because it wasn't supposed to happen. At WWE, art often imitates life. In reality, life isn't fair.

Bryan's days as a WWE Superstar are clearly numbered. There's no guarantee he'll be able to return to in-ring action, and if he does, it's pertinent for him to tone down the frenetic style that helped make him a major star.

A potentially watered-down version of Bryan has no chance as a perennial main eventer. His journey was difficult enough when healthy.

A delicate injury history at the back end of a very physical career will doom the 16-year veteran to a gatekeeper role at best. Bryan adds more value to WWE in this role than as a world champion. The appeal of Bryan was never his ability to carry a company but rather the idea of the underdog beating the odds. The more he lost, the more popular he became.

By continuing to overcome difficulties, Bryan will maintain his popularity. As the hard-luck underdog, his feuds against young midcard heels will elevate WWE's transitional roster.

Bryan's role as a full-time wrestler must be reduced to preserve his health. To demand anything else is just as foolish as it is selfish.

 Alfred Konuwa is a Featured Columnist and on-air host for Bleacher Report. Follow him on Twitter @ThisIsNasty and listen to his weekly wrestling podcast.