The Joy in Daniel Bryan's Retirement

Last night, live on WWE RAW, a wrestler named Daniel Bryan announced his retirement to the world.  To a huge percentage of the population, this is almost entirely irrelevant.  But to wrestling fans (and I count myself among them) it hit like a punch in the gut.  Bryan, a stellar ring technician who rose to the top of the WWE two years ago in a story-book coronation at Wrestlemania 30, was more than just a beloved wrestler; he was a symbol of something far greater.  He was the underdog that never quit, never gave up.  He was the guy who was too good to be ignored.  He was, simply, the best to ever step foot in the ring, at least in this era of professional wrestling.  I've been thinking about his retirement all day, and it's a complicated mix of emotions.   But I keep coming back to two photos.  Here's the first.

CM Punk (left) and Daniel Bryan (right): Two indie schmucks