WWE 24: 'Thank You Daniel': Top Takeaways from Daniel Bryan Documentary

The opening image of WWE 24: Thank You Daniel showed Daniel Bryan closing his eyes before he began his farewell speech, the wrestler half-smiling as he soaked up the pulsating energy from the Seattle crowd. 

But the WWE Network special was most powerful when it aimed the spotlight away from the ring, to Bryan reflecting on his career, to his peers lamenting his exit. It deepens the audience's understanding of Bryan and the state his body was in when he chose to stop fighting retirement.

Fans already know that he's a low-key, likable guy. WWE 24: Thank You Daniel further showed off those traits.

Even moments before he was set to tell the world that he would no longer be a wrestler, he had a monk-like air to him backstage. He wore a wide, effervescent smile as he met with his fellow grapplers. The WWE Network special allowed us to see that side of him, and he was brought to the ground with emotion after his speech.

"I don't know what to feel right now," he told Brie Bella.

That seemed to be a sentiment shared by the rest of the WWE roster. Superstars displayed a spectrum of emotion in response to Bryan's early retirement, but one thing was constant—adoration for the former world champ.

A Backstage View of Bryan

Fans were clearly not the only ones whom Bryan won over. His WWE peers' respect and love for him buzzed on the screen throughout WWE 24: Thank You Daniel.

Seth Rollins called Bryan one of his heroes. Becky Lynch looked crestfallen when she heard the news of Bryan's retirement. 

The film revealed a strong bond between Bryan and Mark Henry. The big man believed in him early on, pushing for management to give him a shot. "He was always supportive of me," Bryan said of Henry.

And while there is this perception that Vince McMahon disliked and never fully backed Bryan, that didn't look to be the case at all from their interaction ahead of Bryan's big speech. Red-faced and tearful, McMahon embraced the wrestler and told him he had free reign with what he would say to the crowd. 

"Whatever you want," McMahon said, "You have an open mic." 

McMahon was one of many who hugged Bryan and offered kind words. Brie said, "Bryan was loved by everyone. And you could feel that backstage that night." She couldn't be more right.

As Bryan said his goodbyes to the fans in Seattle, cameras caught glimpses of Kane choking up, of tears filling Cody Rhodes' eyes and of The New Day somberly staring toward the floor.

One certainly assumed that Bryan was popular behind the scenes, but the network special provided lasting visual proof. Bryan had a special relationship with both the fans in the arena and the ones who worked alongside him.

Miracle on Bourbon Street

WWE 24: Thank You Daniel didn't focus on the climactic moment of WrestleMania XXX. It did, though, touch on it, allowing the audience to hear Bryan's thoughts on his triumph.

Jonathan Bachman/Associated Press

The wrestler talked about Connor Michalek, the young, terminally ill fan whom he befriended, being ringside at WrestleMania. He talked about how much of a whirlwind ride it was to go from marrying Brie to winning the world title to mourning the loss of his father. 

In a way, this was a mini version of his autobiography. 

The more revealing elements for those who have already read Yes! My Improbable Journey to WrestleMania, however, came when others discussed what Bryan accomplished in New Orleans in 2014.

Paul Heyman called it a "celebratory opera." John "Bradshaw" Layfield raved about how special it was. Michael Cole praised the explosive reaction:

These weren't just your typical talking-head sound bites. Everyone sounded genuinely moved by Bryan's accomplishments. It's clear that when something truly works in wrestling, it affects everyone watching, the pros included.

That's partly why it is so emotional to see him leave the business.

Fighting the Tide

For anyone still unclear about how serious Bryan's condition is, WWE 24: Thank You Daniel spelled it out. 

Bryan did everything he could to come back. He attacked the recovery process, going to physical therapy, trying acupuncture, undergoing homeopathic treatment. He was fatigued by it all. 

It didn't matter in the end. Concussions threatened to leave him irreparably damaged. His last one was so bad that Brie could tell from his eyes and his speech the next day that he had been concussed.

He denied it. He tried to shake it off. But Brie saw the tide rising.

"I knew this was probably it," she said.

Bryan revealed that he has experienced four post-concussion seizures. Still, when Dr. Joseph Maroon didn't clear him, he refused to quit trying to get back into the ring.

A group of specialists from UCLA cleared him. Bryan then tried to gather more experts on his side, to stack up evidence that Dr. Maroon couldn't ignore. Instead, a doctor discovered a lesion on his brain.

He knew it was time. His competitive fire was so strong that he wanted to keep battling even after seizures and Dr. Maroon warning him never to wrestle again.

As Triple H said on the special, "The thoroughbred will run itself into the ground. Someone has to pull the reins."

Luckily, WWE did pull those reins. Luckily, McMahon and Dr. Maroon stayed stubborn, even with fans howling for him to return, even with the roster wrecked by injuries.

Bryan is now free to write his next chapter. It's not what he wanted. It's always been clear, long before this special aired, that he loves pro wrestling with his whole heart.

Hearing him talk about his seizures and seeing that image of a lesion on his brain, and listening to him grow fearful of not being healthy enough to play with his future kids, leaves no doubt, though: Bryan made the only choice he could.