WWE Champion Daniel Bryan Injury Latest - When Might He Return?

The health of WWE World Heavyweight Champion Daniel Bryan continues to be a hot topic within WWE because there's no indication of when he might return. New details have emerged from Dave Meltzer's Wrestling Observer Newsletter with a look at what WWE management is contemplating regarding Bryan's status. Prior to Bryan's neck surgery last Thursday, the feeling was that Bryan would be able to return to action at the Money in the Bank PPV on June 29th. If that was the case then they would have likely kept the WWE Title on him with the feeling that he would have only missed one major PPV, Payback. Meltzer notes that the latest word within WWE is that Bryan may not be ready for June 29. If that's the case then they might have to think about other plans regarding the WWE World Heavyweight Championship. There is also some concern about Bryan's long term health. Having neck surgery in his early 30s could lead to problems down the road. Over a decade ago, guys like Steve Austin and Edge (along with several others) had neck surgeries that put them out of action for about a year. Austin retired years before he wanted to while Edge was forced to retire in 2011 before he would have liked too. As far as Bryan's return goes, SummerSlam on August 17 appears to be the worst case scenario. If that's when he does return to in-ring then that would mean he would be out of action for nearly three months. It might be in his best interests to save his return for SummerSlam because when it comes to neck injuries it's better to be careful. Something else that has been discussed regarding Bryan's health is his in-ring style. Three moves he does in particular put a lot of strain on the neck: the headbutt off the top rope, the missile dropkick and the dive outside the ring onto an opponent. Several wrestlers spoke to Meltzer about Bryan's style and even Bob Holly talked about it in a recent interview. Holly noted that when Bryan does his missile dropkick off the top rope he lands right on his upper back right by the neck. When you're leaping off the top rope and crashing hard on the mat it can lead to a whiplash effect. It would be in Bryan's best interests if he cut back on some of those moves and maybe only use them in PPV matches or other special occasions. The big question is what's next for the WWE Title assuming Bryan is stripped of the championship, which could happen this Monday. We'll continue to update on any news we receive and of course we will continue to provide the best commentary on the subject right here on WhatCulture.