Daniel Bryan out 'indefinitely'

I don’t know how to soften this blow so I’ll just put it right out there – reports are that in addition to a second neck surgery, former WWE World Heavyweight Champion Daniel Bryan will also need to undergo shoulder surgery and the word is that he is out “indefinitely.”

And now, Michael Scott with my reaction to this news:

The story seems to be that after his initial neck surgery, the strength wasn’t returning to one of Bryan’s arms as quickly as doctors had hoped and it seems that another procedure will be required to alleviate his condition.

Being that this is pro wrestling, it’s hard to say if this situation which puts D-Bry out of action for the foreseeable future is a work or not. But considering the type of wrestler Bryan is, I can’t see him wanting to be out for longer unless it’s completely necessary.

I can’t help but feel for the guy. After years spent on the independent circuit and languishing in the mid-card of WWE, Bryan finally breaks through to the top tier, connects with the crowd more than any star has since The Rock or Stone Cold and as soon as it seems that Daniel Bryan is the next big thing in WWE, he suffers what could very well be a career-ending injury.

Many people online having been saying how much this situation reminds them of what happened to Edge, who had to give up the WWE Championship after successfully defending it at Wrestlemania 28 – much in the same way that Bryan had to give up his title shortly after winning it at Wrestlemania 30. Edge also had a history of neck injuries and doctors wouldn’t clear him to return to wrestling, for fear of him aggravating the injury which would possibly leave him paralyzed from the neck down.

Right now, Daniel Bryan’s situation doesn’t seem quite as dire as the position Edge was in. But professional wrestling is an incredibly physically taxing sport and if there’s any chance that Daniel Bryan’s injuries don’t heal exactly the way doctors want, it's hard to say when we could see him in the ring again. Or if we’ll ever get to see him compete again.
 

(Photo from WWE.com)