Daniel Bryan might be out for good.

[DC 536]

Credit: Uproxx

 

Daniel Bryan’s Facing Another Career-Threatening Surgery And It Might Be Time To Get Worried

BY BRANDON STROUD

07.09.14

 

When do we start chanting ‘no?’

 

Two weeks ago, former WWE World Heavyweight Champion Daniel Bryan announced on the Money in the Bank pre-show that the neck injury that put him on the shelf and caused him to vacate the championship was more serious than previously thought, and he’d be going in for another surgery. He didn’t know when he’d be back, but he promised that he would, and that when he came back he’d be better than ever.

 

It might be time to start getting worried about that.

 

According to Dave Meltzer at the Wrestling Observer, Bryan’s not only undergoing multiple surgeries on his neck … he’s also considering surgery on his SHOULDER. All those compounded surgeries and sad, matter-of-fact statements about him not having any strength in his arms adds up to Bryan being out indefinitely.

 

The update on Bryan is that he may now also require shoulder surgery, as a full exam has revealed a lot of different shoulder and neck issues. At this point, because of uncertainty as to whether he’ll need surgery and what surgery it could be, he’s out of plans and there is no estimate on when he’ll return. The plan seemed to be the Roman Reigns ascension to being the top guy at WrestleMania 31 whether Bryan was hurt or not, but now the TV is built around Reigns as the major badass.

 

I’ve picked on Bryan a lot in Best and Worst of Raw columns since his injury, but here’s the truth: I’m doing that to deflect the heavy, heavy sadness of my favorite pro wrestler of all time being on the shelf forever. What happens if Bryan never comes back? What does it mean if the man worked for over a decade to achieve his dreams, only to burn out at his brightest? I know that objectively it doesn’t mean much — WWE’s a business, after all, and the wheel keeps turning — but holy shit is it depressing.

 

Everyone here at With Spandex wishes the guy the speediest imaginable recovery, and God, if he never recovers, we wish him a life without wincing in pain every time he moves.

[dsrchris 190]

If he's gonna be out for a while with the neck injury, then he may as well get his shoulder done too and see what happens when it comes to rehab time. I'd be sad to see him go if he does leave, but Danielson/Bryan/whatever you want to call him has provided me with years of entertainment and constantly put his body on the line doing it. I'd much rather he calls a day now and doesn't risk any permanent injury, than have him push on through it and do himself some real damage.

[Guest Edgehead]

I'd be sad to see his career be over but at least he'll always be able to say he won the big one in the main event of WM, he got that one in just in the nick of! :lol

[dsrchris 190]

WrestleMania 30 no less. That's a pretty huge claim to fame.

[etz 78]

He'll be missed if he can't come back, but he really needs to put his health first. There's nothing in the business that's worth permanent serious injury, so best to leave while you're whole.

[Maxximus 353]

The only think he could till do in the wwe that would interest me is a full blown championship feud with Cesaro. I would actually watch that.

[Guest John Hancock]

He should go all the way with the Diego Sanchez entrance and come out with the vampire-hunter cross and everything. I'd watch that.

 

http://cdn.bleacherreport.net/images_root/slides/photos/002/788/286/diego_sanchez_cross-610x341_display_image.jpg?1354200564

 

That's about it though. I'm pretty tired of Bryan's entire point of existence being that he makes people chant a word. That's a hot gimmick, remember when The Rock made everyone chant one word over and over every time he did anything, and then did a stupid dance, and then did literally nothing else? Yawn.

[Guest Gomi]

My favourite Daniel Bryan moment was on Smack down when the Shield were finally defeated. Incredible build of momentum.

 

I kind of feel that from then on, as good as his run was, he got stuck into the repetitive moves of doom. But that's a by product of popularity and crowd pops, the negative of getting too over.

 

I also think WWE handled the last phase of his run wrong. They should of admitted he was an A+ player as he goes off the radar with injury instead of using it to justify him being a B+.

 

Triple H blew a quad annually, stone cold walked away with the neck. Think about it guys.

[TPIB 62]

If Daniel Bryan is forced to retire from wrestling, his regrets have to be far and few between. Not to be cliche, but Daniel Bryan has had a storybook career in terms of what a wrestler wants to achieve. He made himself into a legend on the independent circuit and then he came into WWE and became the World Champion. With that said, it's a shame that this injury had to happen to Daniel Bryan at the peak of his WWE career.

[Guest John Hancock]

I think he'll have plenty to regret, or at least to be annoyed to have missed out on. He was being talked about the next face of the company, the next number one guys, post-Cena, were supposed to be Reigns and Bryan, that was the next Rock and Austin if things went to plan. Now, in ten years, outside of RoH fans, he's going to be 'Hey, remember that guy who shouted "Yes!" all the time, whatever happened to him?'. I don't there's anyway he'd be happy retiring now in terms of his legacy.

[Evil Gringo 279]

He could well go down as an Edge or such. He'll end up in the HoF, people will pop when he appears and chant YES! but really, in the scheme of things he won't be remember as the best ever should it end for him now.

 

Kind of like Angle when his neck and personal problems got too much and he ended up wasting what should have been in his prime in TNA and eating pain pills - these were guys who were up at the top and could have been pushed on as stars remembered forever (not Hogan, Austin or Rock levels, but the level below, like Piper etc) but they and Bryan, should he end it now, will fade off and be remembered forever in terms of what could have been, not what they actually achieved.

 

After all wrestling is a business and his earning potential, both personally and what he can earn for the company, had only started to take off so while it is impressive what he did in NOAH, RoH, PWG and NJPW and then transferring it over to the WWE, it will just be remembered fondly now and again when someone does a high knee or a crossface seen as we can't mention the other neck injury suffering user of that move.

[Guest Ciaran The King]

It's a sad twist in the Bryan/WWE story but even if he was to return in 6 - 12 months stars like Reigns/Ambrose/Rollins/Bray have or are already replacing him and taking his spot