Report: Daniel Bryan needs Tommy John Surgery

[OnTheBrink]

Well, Daniel Bryan is getting bad news after bad news. Now, it's being reported by David Shoemaker, aka the Masked Man, that Daniel Bryan will need Tommy John surgery. Normally, Tommy John surgery is performed to repair the Ulnar Collateral Ligament in elbows of major league and minor league pitchers, which for them it requires a year's worth of rest and rehab. I'm not exactly sure if 3 months is right, as I would imagine that the graft they are using would need more time to heal before he got back in the ring.


David Shoemaker @AKATheMaskedMan
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I'm hearing Daniel Bryan needs Tommy John surgery and will be out at least 3 more months.

David Shoemaker @AKATheMaskedMan · 3h
I'm assuming it's a quicker recovery than usual because he's not slinging fastballs for a living.

Sources: https://twitter.com/AKATheMaskedMan/status/502234851417026562

https://twitter.com/AKATheMaskedMan/status/502235089578000384

https://twitter.com/AKATheMaskedMan/status/502236320409083904

 

[louchratis]

I think the key words in Shoemaker's statement are "at least." The reality is no one really knows how long this will take Bryan to recover from. Six months? A year? More? It's definitely not career-threatening and has become a fairly commonplace procedure in Major League Baseball. However, it's also not a procedure that's particularly commonplace among pro wrestlers. Hopefully upon his return, Bryan isn't pushed too far down the totem poll. However, I'm sure Vince has noted that business hasn't skipped a beat since Bryan went down.

 

[WarroBODFan]

Man, the bad news just keeps coming for DB. I'm sure this particular surgery he can recover fully from, but these previous surgeries on his neck are the more concerning ones in my eyes. We've not heard any word of whether he's been able to regain full functionality in his arm that he's been struggling with post-surgery.

 

[JJ15776]

Before this gets too out of hand, I want to clear up some misconceptions about Tommy John surgery. When people hear "Tommy John surgery" they think of baseball pitchers who miss a year or more, then take another year before they're back to their old form. It is very important to note that this time frame is NOT applicable to non-pitchers. Pitchers and their throwing elbows are very unique, and it takes a long time for them to essentially learn how to pitch again. And while it is still a major operation, for position players the recovery time is half that of pitchers. For athletes who don't have to throw the ball, like professional wrestlers? Well, it's very odd that one would need Tommy John surgery in the first place, but it definitely wouldn't take them as long to rehab it. All he has to do is get the strength back, there's no skill he has to build back up.

It's also important to note that not all Tommy John surgeries are the same. It's highly unlikely that Daniel Bryan needs a complete UCL reconstruction, which is obviously the most severe.

When you combine the relative minor nature if his injury with the fact that recovery from Tommy John surgery is going to be relatively easy for wrestlers, it's not impossible off imagine he can come back in 3 months...but, with Royal Rumble and the road to WrestleMania just around the corner at that point, they may just play it safe and give him an extra month or two.

 

[shafe_41]

I'm afraid I've got some BAD NEWS!!!

I'll admit here, I'm part of the crowd. I love DB. He was something fresh. He was getting better on the stick. But I loved the crowd getting behind him so much. He's an easy guy to love. The guy rode the ultimate high into Mania and had the best overall Wrestlemania showing anyone has ever had and got married shortly after. Then the guys world just comes crashing down on him. His father passes away. His little buddy Connor from Pittsburgh passes away. Then he's forced to forfeit the title to go get surgery in what seems like every part of his body. I don't think anybody truly knows how long Bryan will be out. Originally it was around the Rumble I think. Now does this mean at least three more months from the Rumble? I wouldn't count on Bryan to be at Mania in a wrestling capacity at this point. I wouldn't be surprised if it's next summer until we see Bryan in the ring again. He's been out this long, might as well make sure he's had enough time to heal properly and not rush him back. We don't NEED him right now.

 

[Terry Gyimah]

Bryan if he misses WrestleMania 31 then that will be very unfortunate but for Bryan wasn't he originally set to return in January? If he was then the Royal Rumble would have been perfect for Daniel Bryan to make a shocking return as a surprise entrant in the Royal Rumble Match and then go on to win it in his return to catapult him back into the main event of WrestleMania but if he misses WrestleMania 31 then perhaps Bryan with this latest Tommy John surgery he will probably be out until SummerSlam 2015 NY/NJ

 

[MCMG]

The target should be 2015 and the next Wrestlemania. This is, of course, bad news but Bryan has hardly been blessed recently. Bryan has lost some of his momentum but the fans are still behind him. There are plenty of options for him when he returns and even if is limited in what he can physically do, Bryan is now a top guy.

 

[Terry Gyimah]

Yes that he is but WrestleMania 31 I can't see Daniel Bryan coming back in time and if best they should keep him off TV for a whole year in the sense that it will not only keep Bryan fresh but the people will be even more behind him when he makes his eventual comeback which realistically should be SummerSlam 2015 in NY/NJ and then from there Daniel Bryan can get back to where he was before his injuries

 

[closet_fan]

Before this gets too out of hand, I want to clear up some misconceptions about Tommy John surgery. When people hear "Tommy John surgery" they think of baseball pitchers who miss a year or more, then take another year before they're back to their old form. It is very important to note that this time frame is NOT applicable to non-pitchers. Pitchers and their throwing elbows are very unique, and it takes a long time for them to essentially learn how to pitch again. And while it is still a major operation, for position players the recovery time is half that of pitchers. For athletes who don't have to throw the ball, like professional wrestlers? Well, it's very odd that one would need Tommy John surgery in the first place, but it definitely wouldn't take them as long to rehab it. All he has to do is get the strength back, there's no skill he has to build back up.

It's also important to note that not all Tommy John surgeries are the same. It's highly unlikely that Daniel Bryan needs a complete UCL reconstruction, which is obviously the most severe.

When you combine the relative minor nature if his injury with the fact that recovery from Tommy John surgery is going to be relatively easy for wrestlers, it's not impossible off imagine he can come back in 3 months...but, with Royal Rumble and the road to WrestleMania just around the corner at that point, they may just play it safe and give him an extra month or two.

I'd like to add to this: Carson Palmer played through the pain of a partially torn ligament and tendon that are repaired during the surgery. He even elected not to go through with the procedure, opting to rest and let it heal on it's own, which it did. He was 100% by March of the following year.

If Bryan gets the surgery ASAP, I can't see him missing all the PPVs of the 2015 Road to Wrestlemania.

 

[Terry Gyimah]

But at the same time Bryan with his Tommy John surgery, he could be out a while considering Tommy John surgeries are pretty serious and they could potentially take out someone for a very long period of time

 

[OYDK]

From strictly a business perspective, Daniel Bryan's injury may be a blessing in disguise for WWE in the long run. That may sound a bit harsh and unfair to Daniel Bryan, but here me out.

Daniel Bryan's story is very similar to Stone Cold Steve Austin's. Both men were really, just beginning their run as the the top guy when they suffered serious neck inuries, the fans were behind them like we hadn't seen in a very long time, and both were the focal points of their respected shows. When Stone Cold had to leave in 1999 to have surgery done on his neck, WWE was forced to push and build around other stars. Enter The Rock HHH, and Mick Foley... I would say 1999 was the breakout year for these three performers. With SC gone, Rock, H, and Mick were able to prove that they had what it takes to be top-level performers and could seriosuly hang with the likes of Undertaker and Stone Cold. Who knows if these three would have gotten the pushes they truly deserved if WWE had Stone Cold to fall back on that year?

Similarly, with Daniel Bryan out, WWE is being forced to push three new guys by the names of Dean Ambrose, Seth Rollins, and Roman Reigns to the top level and it is working out beautifully. Now I understand that Stone Cold was a bigger star than DB at the time and Rock, HHH, and Foley were much more polished and ready than Ambrose, Rollins, and Reigns but the concept is the same. Who knows if the Shield would have broken up had Bryan not gotten injured?

Point is when Daniel Bryan eventually comes back, he will have a plethora of new main event talent to work with, and for WWE, this is best for business in the long run.

 

[Terry Gyimah]

Now that I think about it you are definitely right that Bryan's injury may be a blessing in disguise for WWE but at the same time if and when Bryan does ever get back from his Tommy John surgery then yes he will have other new main event talent to work with but if Bryan hadn't gotten injured then who knows where he would be as WWE World Heavyweight Champion, perhaps Bryan would have been champion heading into SummerSlam and he would have been the one to face Brock instead of Cena

 

[Mudlup50]

Can I just say Bryan v Lesnar scares me...I get why everybody wants it but doesn't Lesnar wrestle stiff a lot? And Bryan sells moves pretty well anyway. And his neck was injured...so if he hadn't been taken out because of the surgery he might have damaged it a hell of a lot more by being F5ed 2-3 times by Lesnar...just a thought.

And I don't quite agree, all 3 of the Shield guys were gonna get the exact same push even if Bryan was/wasn't injured. I see where you're coming from and I like the idea but face it what would be different? SummerSlam Bryan v Lesnar. And we still have all 3 of the Shield guy in their respective matches. The only true difference might be how over Reigns is

 

[Terry Gyimah]

Yes if Bryan hadn't gotten injured then who knows where Reigns would be? He certainly would not be in the spot he is in right now that's for sure especially if Bryan were still here and not injured but Reigns would be right there very much on the cusp but not quite in the main event

 

[OYDK]

.

And I don't quite agree, all 3 of the Shield guys were gonna get the exact same push even if Bryan was/wasn't injured. I see where you're coming from and I like the idea but face it what would be different? SummerSlam Bryan v Lesnar. And we still have all 3 of the Shield guy in their respective matches. The only true difference might be how over Reigns is

I respectfully disagree with this. As I mentioned in my earlier post this is similar to the SCSA situation. Do you truly believe HHH, The Rock, and Mick Foley, all would have been pushed as strong as they were had Stone Cold not been gone? Would they have gotten all the promo time they did? Would HHH have won that first WWE title and main evented that whole year with Stone Cold still there? How about Mick Foley... Would he be wrestling for the WWE title and main eventing Wrestlemania? I doubt it.

I think the WWE broke the Shield up because they needed strong faces AFTER Daniel Bryan's injury. Had Bryan not gotten hurt, I doubt WWE would be looking at Reigns vs Lesnar at Wrestlemania and I doubt Dean Ambrose and Seth Rollins would be the main feature on RAW each week. That's just my opinion however.

 

[CrucifiedRaven]

I respectfully disagree with this. As I mentioned in my earlier post this is similar to the SCSA situation. Do you truly believe HHH, The Rock, and Mick Foley, all would have been pushed as strong as they were had Stone Cold not been gone? Would they have gotten all the promo time they did? Would HHH have won that first WWE title and main evented that whole year with Stone Cold still there? How about Mick Foley... Would he be wrestling for the WWE title and main eventing Wrestlemania? I doubt it.

I think the WWE broke the Shield up because they needed strong faces AFTER Daniel Bryan's injury. Had Bryan not gotten hurt, I doubt WWE would be looking at Reigns vs Lesnar at Wrestlemania and I doubt Dean Ambrose and Seth Rollins would be the main feature on RAW each week. That's just my opinion however.

Foley was already a main eventer even with Austin around. The Mankind/Rock feud is what put Foley on the map and happened in early 1999, 11 months before Austin was written off of TV. I'd argue this period of Foley's career far out shadows the feud he had with Triple H in early 2000. Triple H/Rock were going to get pushed regardless, but yes Austin not being there definitely allowed them to shine.

I think they could have done the exact same storylines and breakup of the Shield, while pushing all three guys the same way if Bryan didn't get injured.

Extreme Rules
Bryan 'C' vs Kane - Extreme Rules Match
Shield vs Evolution
Cena vs Wyatt - Cage Match

Payback
Bryan 'C' vs Kane - Buried Alive Match
Shield vs Evolution - No Holds Barred Elimination Match
Cena vs Wyatt - Last Man Standing Match

Money In The Bank
Bryan 'C' vs Orton
Cena vs Kane vs Reigns vs Ambrose vs Rollins vs Del Rio vs Sheamus vs Wyatt - Money In The Bank Match

Battleground
Bryan 'C' vs Orton vs Cena vs Reigns - Fatal 4-Way Match
Rollins vs Ambrose
Wyatt vs Jericho

SummerSlam
Bryan 'C' vs Lesnar
Reigns vs Orton vs Cena - #1 Contenders Match
Rollins vs Ambrose - Lumberjack Match
Wyatt vs Jericho - Harper/Rowan banned from ringside

Night of Champions
Lesnar 'C' vs Cena
Reigns vs Orton
Wyatt vs Jericho
Ambrose/Bryan vs Kane/Rollins