Daniel Bryan will return to WWE in-ring wrestling with a main event berth on the new Thursday Night Smackdown. He will then take part in a series of house show dates and presumably resume weekly matches on Raw and Smackdown. All of this is following eight months on the sidelines with a neck and elbow injury. His return to the ring will be a nice warm up for his role in the 30 man Royal Rumble. He's expected to be a favourite to win that match on January 25th, and could then go on to the main event of WrestleMania 31. Despite main eventing Mania 30 and becoming WWE Champion last year, his potential was largely unrealised due to the immediacy of his injury. Perhaps WWE and Bryan will correct that in 2015, making this the year of the Yes Movement. However, there has to be huge concerns over Bryan's return. The company, his family, and he himself must be pondering if an in-ring return is a mistake. This is a man who was facing career retirement just three months ago. His initial neck surgery left him without strength in his right side, and a further surgery was being discussed. That second surgery was viewed as a potential career ender, as it would've shelved the 33 year old for another year. Thankfully, rehab and determination means Bryan has dodged the prospect of more surgery. He finally got cleared for action in December, after an unnamed doctor in Denver was able to fix the problem. Happy days, but for how long? The concerns over Daniel Bryan will loom large as he finally makes his WWE in-ring return.
