EVERYTHING IS SAD AND AWFUL!!!



The respect I have for you is unmeasurable. You were good to Generico and I when you didn’t have to be…#BestInTheWorld #ThankYouDanielBryan — Kevin Owens (@FightOwensFight) February 8, 2016



It will take years before history realizes how much @WWEDanielBryan changed the criteria for @WWE recruiting talent.#ThankYouDanielBryan — Joey Styles (@JoeyStyles) February 8, 2016

So, as of this past weekend, there wasn't all that much to write about for the Wrap. I figured RAW would be more Ambrose/Reigns/Lesnar stuff and more humdrum Fastlane set-up. Little did we know that, on Monday afternoon, Daniel Bryan would tweet out his full retirement from active competition.Was this a real thing? Were we all getting worked? Was there an angle at play here? These were some of the initial thoughts that ran through our devastated minds. Because why now? Why do this before Fastlane, during 'Mania season? When the 'Mania card as a whole is still all very much up the air? Could it be that Bryan was going to go in for a 'Mania match? Even if it was to be - say - his final match?Well, those delusions quickly fell to the wayside. Fellow Superstars began tweeting out their support and sympathies. Meltzer reported that it was all real and that Bryan had even tried to give his notice (presumedly so he could go wrestle somewhere non-WWE) and he been denied his release. Plus, all forms of mainstream press started running the story. There was no going back on this. WWE would have looked like a giant jackass if it was to be a work and that's, basically, their worst fear as a corporation.ALSO, we knew the Bryan situation wasn't good. Deep down. Yes, the WWE's Dr. Gatekeeper seemed to be the only one not clearing Daniel for a return, and perhaps the reasoning was mostly due to future fears and not present conditions, but it was what it was. And all the uncertainty wasn't good for anyone. Not the fans and not Bryan himself. Edge's retirement was sudden and shocking, but AT LEAST he was told that if he wrestled one more match, one more instance, he could find himself paralyzed. It was definitive and set. No more. This far, no further. And because this wasn't the case for Bryan, it's been a lot harder to let go.So basically we've all had to watch Daniel Bryan try to come to terms with this in real time. Just weeks ago he was training hard for a possible return. Itching to get in the ring with Zayn, Balor, Styles, and Nakamura. And this came on top of the fact that we were all assuming that the WWE is desperate now for talent given their enormous high-profile injured list. Like, they're contacting Batista, Goldberg - all sorts of big names. So setting Bryan free would have been best for business. It was something we could imagine them doing in a pinch.Oh - AND Total Divas just returned and it featured a huge storyline about Bryan not being able to let go of his dream of returning to the ring. And getting a bit bitter at Brie when she tried to steer him toward something else. Man, I hope Bryan's fully accepted this. For his own well-being. Because this is a tough one. We're resentful and so is he. I really hope he heads home, puts a baby in Brie, watches the Seahawks, and enjoys his nice-ass haircut. And then - very quickly - finds something else he's super passionate about that he can be successful in.Daniel Bryan's run from SummerSlam 2013 to his big 'Mania 30 win was one of my favorite times to be a wrestling fan. And yes, I know, and YOU KNOW, how much I complained during that whole period. When it solidly seemed like they were undervaluing him and the fans' love and support. Yes, he was in the main event picture all through that fall and that's no joke. He'd come up short in his quest to take that world title, but it was a still a nice spot to be in. The sting came when the Rumble came around and the WWE tried to go with Batista instead of Bryan. And at that point, we changed things.Well, we changed things and CM Punk leaving changed things. A one-two combo. Because not only did they not run with Bryan vs. Sheamus like their originally planned, but they gave Bryan Punk's match with Triple H. And then they re-worked the story so that winning that match would place him in the main event. A match that would have flat out sucked had he not been in it. It was a glorious arc that will forever remain unequalled. And I'm so proud and pleased Bryan got to have it.At first, with regards to Monday's RAW, I was upset that the show didn't open with Bryan. But considering that they gave the guy 20 minutes to say farewell at the end - with no interruptions or hi-jinx - it was definitely the right call. And it allowed the show itself to become a tribute to the man (well, his WWE accomplishments anyhow) all the way through. And the announcers had to worship the guy all night long too. So it was a big, deserved love-fest. A nice book-end to all the times the storyline dictated that Bryan be insulted for his size and look.Some even wondered if the WWE would announce, in that very night, Bryan's induction into the Hall of Fame. Which I thought would be a cool idea. A super hasty induction that would've beat Edge's one-year window, but I don't think anyone would've minded. But then, after Bryan tremendous heartfelt speech, I realized that this was his HoF speech essentially. And that a two month window wouldn't probably work. For us or him. He needs some time. Give him a year like Edge. So he can process all of this. Don't yank the rug out all at once (and I mean that in the kindest way).So his speech was damn great. I never thought I'd be a strong advocate for a fourth hour of RAW. And through all the tears and the gratitude, Bryan even managed to awkwardly slip in a "That's What She Said" sex joke about Brie. What a spectacular dork. God, I'll miss him.I guess I should talk about RAW a bit. It's kind of an afterthought right now, but it's still a thing. And Fastlane's coming up. Sasha and Becky are teaming up to take on Naomi and Tamina. It's the NXT gals who have the luxury/fortune of having last names vs. the two women Sasha got saddled with during her "Divas Revolution" purgatory. Meanwhile, Ambrose, like only The Undertaker before him, discovered that Brock's only soft spots are his Jimmy Johns.Granted, it still seems like Ambrose's plan is to take so many F-5s that he eventually develops an immunity to them. One a day, at least. Like the Dread Pirate Westley and Iocane Powder.

More from RAW, plus Smackdown, Lucha Underground, and more on Page 2...