The past two years have been an excruciating exercise in frustration for one of the most talented wrestlers in the world. Daniel Bryan was riding high after WrestleMania XXX as WWE World Heavyweight Champion, but a neck injury forced him to relinquish the title two months after the show. As subsequent months passed and he made no physical progress, fans began to wonder when he would return to the ring. Surprisingly, an alternative treatment fixed Bryan's issues and he came back to action in January of 2015. His return, unfortunately, was short-lived. Bryan captured the Intercontinental Championship at WrestleMania XXXI, but in May, he was once again put on the shelf and forced to vacate his title. This time, his issues were concussion-related, and many began to speculate that his career as an active wrestler was over. Still, Bryan has been insistent that he is ready to return to the ring. WWE's doctors have refused to clear him for competition, but his personal doctor has given him the go-ahead. Reportedly, a consultation with a third doctor is upcoming, and that might be the tipping point in the champion's favor. At this point, a return for Bryan seems likely, and while he probably won't be winning any titles, the popular superstar will be an important part of television.
Scott Fried is a Slammy Award-winning* writer living and working in New York City. He has been following/writing about professional wrestling for many years and is a graduate of Lance Storm's Storm Wrestling Academy. Follow him on Twitter at https://twitter.com/scottfried.
*Best Crowd of the Year, 2013
