Daniel Bryan, the pint-sized underdog hero of WWE, hasn’t wrestled since April 15, has announced he is retiring from wrestling due to myriad medical issues.

Bryan, the former WWE heavyweight champion, had neck and elbow surgery in 2014, but returned for a short run in which he won the WWE Intercontinental title, before relinquishing it due to concussion-related injuries. There has been dispute about Bryan’s ability to continue wrestling; he has been cleared by his own doctors, but not WWE’s.

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“The whole problem with this process is getting cleared by the doctors. I’ve been cleared by one doctor in Phoenix, but the WWE doctor is hesitant to clear me. It’s a very complicated situation, that I guess they don’t really want me talking about,” Bryan told the Cheap Heat podcast (via WrestleZone.com).

And that dispute may be the real reason wrestling fans will not get to see him fight again.

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WWE insider Dave Meltzer has reported on WrestlingClassics.com that the company “froze” Daniel Bryan’s contract while he was injured, and denied his right to give notice of resignation. Bryan has reportedly been offered jobs within WWE, but he believes he can still wrestle, and wants to do so even if it means leaving WWE. But, contractually, that is a decision that’s WWE’s to make, and they don’t have an interest in letting Bryan compete with them. Bryan would have to either sue his way out of his contract, or be fired by Vince McMahon.

Bryan will appear on Monday Night Raw to provide his fans with more information.

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