Speaking in his home state of Washington, Bryan addressed the stadium of screaming fans, as well as the millions of WWE fanatics watching from home. His mantra of choice? “I am grateful.”
“The truth is, I’ve been wrestling since I was 18 years old, and within the first five months of my wrestling career, I’d already had three concussions. For years after that, I would get a concussion here and there … and then it gets to the point when you’ve been wrestling for 16 years, that adds up to a lot of concussions. It gets to a point where they tell you that you can’t wrestle anymore. For a long time, I fought that, because I’d gotten EEGs and brain MRIs and neuropsychological evaluations, and all of them said this: I was fine, and I could come back and wrestle.
A week and a half ago, I took a test that said maybe my brain isn’t as OK as I thought it was. I have a family to think about; my wife [WWE Diva Brie Bella] and I want to start having kids soon.
It is with a heavy heart and the utmost sadness that I officially announce my retirement. I’ve gone through all these complex emotions in this last little bit. I’ve been angry, I’ve been sad, I’ve been frustrated … but today, when I woke up this morning, I felt nothing but gratitude. I have gotten to do what I love for nearly 16 years."