In a bit of very sour news, the latest reports state that strict physical therapy isn’t going to be enough for Daniel Bryan to heal his arm and shoulder problems. The original prognosis seemed optimistic that Bryan, who had no intention of having a second surgery, would not need one. News of the Yes Man needing ‘Tommy John surgery to repair his ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) ended up being untrue a few months back, but with the failure of hard work and beating up of would-be robbers as a proper healing method, back under the knife he goes.
WWE creative is currently working under the impression that Bryan is not set to be back for quite a while, as UCL surgery can have a recovery time of six months to a year. It could be another instance of our chains being pulled, like when John Cena was supposed to be out from the end of 2007 into mid-or-later 2008, but then showed up to win the Royal Rumble in a huge shocker, almost half a year before he was expected to return.
That is a very optimistic take on what is becoming a more and more troubling tale. One surgery is bad enough, but a pair of them, especially when the second comes after fighting against it, is just frightening. Many people are beginning to think that this could become career-threatening, and others are saying that although he may very well be able to return at 100 percent, the injury and long time off could ruin his chance at ever getting a chance to carry the company again. He already had to fight tooth and nail to get where he got, and it was going to be an uphill battle to have the spotlight even though he was the sole World Champion.
A match against a game Batista could have been an outstanding affair. A rematch with Cena was begging to happen. If Bryan didn’t get hurt, we may have seen Cesaro get his push so he could get a sniff at the gold, even in a loss to Bryan as they continued building him up as a guy who can put away men much larger only to finally lose the belt to Brock Lesnar at SummerSlam.
On a closing note, just because I’ve been thinking about it for no reason that I can think of, is it possible that Bryan has a chance to ever be a heel again?
Nicholas A. Marsico is a pro wrestling writer for Rant Sports. Follow him on Twitter and Like him on Facebook!
Cesaro is a true talent, but he has been wasted for the vast majority of his stay in WWE. Will he make it through the year? Find out here. Read More
The first NXT episode of the new year provided some exciting action, including a tag team rematch from Takeover: R Evolution. The biggest story, though, was a major upset in the divas division. Read More
Paige burst onto the scene in the divas division and had a memorable year. Her immediate impact, combined with her abilities in the ring, make her the 2014 Diva of the Year. Read More
After an impressive run as part of The Shield, Seth Rollins broke off into singles competition and his career soared to new heights. As a result, he must be considered the WWE Superstar of the Year. Read More
Seth Rollins pulled off the performance of a lifetime last week on RAW, and it will open up doors for him to walk right on through on his continued path to becoming the top guy. Read More
Daniel Bryan is finally set to return from his injury later this month at the Royal Rumble PPV. Is this going to lead to a long term stay, or are we witnessing the beginning of the end of his career? Read More
WrestleMania is always known as the "Showcase of Immortals." However, there have been plenty of other pay-per-views that have shined. Here are the top 10 pay-per-view events in WWE history. Read More
The WWE has crowned plenty of champions in its history. From Hulk Hogan to John Cena and everyone in between, here are the 10 greatest in the WWE's history. Read More
The 2014 year was a tremendous year for NXT, but what surprises will 2015 bring? Here are five bold predictions for NXT. Read More
During an incredible year for NXT, several superstars and divas rose to prominence while others fell in the pecking order. Here are five NXT competitors whose stock changed throughout 2014. Read More
There's been plenty of good and plenty of bad in the WWE this year. How about some things nobody saw coming that turned out to be awesome? Read More
Every year WWE does some spring cleaning. That time is approaching again, and these 5 superstars may be set to be former superstars in the near future. Read More