Watch Daniel Bryan's Emotional Retirement from WWE

"I woke up this morning feeling nothing but grateful."

That's the prevailing message from wrestler Daniel Bryan (Real name Bryan Danielson) as he delivered his emotional retirement speech in-ring at WWE Monday Night Raw last night. The athlete has been a pro-wrestler for 16 years, and announced he was leaving the ring due to ongoing issues with concussions, hinting that there has already been lasting damage he tested positive for "about a week and a half ago."

"Maybe my brain wasn't as okay as I thought it was," he said specifically. That sounds like the sports entertainment superstar has some CTE symptoms already, and that he is truly making the right decision for himself and his family.

Bryan also mentioned his wife, fellow WWE Superstar Brie Bella, who he met at the company, when talking about his gratitude.

Bryan beat the odds at WWE, a relatively small wrestler who worked his way through the ranks to become tops in the business despite everything the company threw at him. While he got quite the send-off from the company last night, it wasn't always that way. The WWE fans essentially forced WWE into making him champion after years of the company holding him back, thinking he didn't have what it took. His forcible climb up the ranks, along with a simple chant of "YES" endeared him to fans.

There hasn't been an announcement yet whether Bryan will stay with the WWE in some capacity, or move on completely.