Without Dean Ambrose, this man's absence from our television screens would have been an utter disaster, not that it hasn't been of course. After winning the WWE World Heavyweight Championship in the main event of WrestleMania 30, Bryan's career was at an all-time high. However, only a month later he announced that he was to undergo neck surgery, and was stripped of his title in June. There are conflicting reports regarding his return date. Some say he will be back in the ring for January's Royal Rumble and some have gone as far as to say he will never lace up a pair of boots again. Firstly, we'll deal with the positive news. 'The Inquisitr' are reporting Bryan could be back earlier than expected as a second surgery on his arm may not be needed. Conversely, other outlets are now reporting Bryan is now in need of major elbow surgery. He has said that he hopes to return by WrestleMania XXXI, but that is seemingly an unlikely assumption as 'Tommy John Surgery,' as it's known, could take several months to recover from, making it uncertain whether he will be able to wrestle again. Bryan has spoken out on the issue himself which has to cast his career into some doubt. These quotes were taken from an interview he did at the WrestleMania XXXI ticket sale festivities with Comcast Sports Net, he said: "Yeah, Im not actually sure. Nobody really knows when I will be back. Im hoping to be back in January, and be ready for WrestleMania here at Levi Stadium, but theres no way to know. Right now theres contemplation of doing a second surgery to my elbow, but we just dont really know. Were just doing the best to get me back and healthy. I had my (last)surgery on May 17, maybe 15th." According to the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, WWE has cut prices on all Daniel Bryan merchandise in order to clear it out of their inventory. 60% reductions have been seen at live events to get rid of it quicker, since there is no timetable for Bryans return to the company. This is another sign that no one knows when Bryan could comeback, but WWE is also doing the same price decreases with Rey Mysterio and Zack Ryder who are fully expected back in the ring. WWE need to clarify Bryan's situation as we have gone from one extreme to another in a few hundred words here. The sooner that's done the better.
