This past week, we found out that WWE Superstar Daniel Bryan would be undergoing yet another surgery. The surgery that has been rumored is the dreaded Tommy John Surgery. Tommy John Surgery is a surgical procedure on the Ulnar Collateral Ligament (UCL) in the arm. The surgery is done typically on baseball pitchers, as they pretty much tear up their arms over periods of time, and the UCL is damaged often in them.
Usually when we hear it in sports, we know full well that a pitcher is out for an entire year. The surgery takes time to heal, but in five to six months, you are able to start rehab. Within nine, you can begin throwing. The reason we hear that a pitcher is out for a year is because number one, they have to use the hurt arm massively to pitch, and two, baseball comes in seasons. So they will not miss a full calendar year, but an entire season. The average MLB season is about seven to eight months. So there is another four to five months that a pitcher can heal up.
Tommy John Surgery might suck, only because it is a guaranteed year away from the game, but the surgery is considered terrific, and one that makes the arm even better than before. It’s essentially a brand new UCL, and that is a big deal. The surgery has made it possible for pitchers to come back better than before. So why is this surgery considered a career ender for Bryan again?
Bryan originally had a very “invasive” neck procedure to repair some issues he was having this past summer. The surgery was not one WWE originally worried about. In fact, it was said to only keep him away from WWE for about two to three months. This was why WWE was not willing to take the WWE World Heavyweight Championship away from Bryan knowing he was having surgery. They figured he’d be back. However, Bryan was healing from the neck trouble slowly, but healing none the less. The real problem was with his arm. Strength was going and things weren’t right.
Doctors wanted to try rehab to avoid surgery. It seemed Bryan responded to the rehabilitation well, but he was not able to recover well enough. That is the only reason doctors opted for the surgery this time around.
Many within WWE have been sort of sketchy on Bryan. Many wonder if he will ever return to the ring, especially now that he has to have yet another surgery. We can assume many wonder this due to the fact that he has been away for so long. Another surgery makes people wonder if this is the last. While there is no timetable for his return, Bryan’s career is far from over.
Once the repair is made in his arm, Bryan will have solved the problem plaguing him. As far as we know, it has only been the arm that has been the issue. He has not told anyone of any issue with his neck or another body part.
If he has Tommy John Surgery , sure, he’ll be out a while. We won’t expect Bryan back until the summer of next year most likely. However, he will return, and there are still many in WWE confident about that. Of course, there are some skeptics who think that he could get hurt yet again.
The full year away will do a lot of good for Bryan though. He will rest and recover from his nagging injuries. He will have repaired all problems that he had an issue with over the years that all seemed to come to a head this year. He will then be able to return without any problems.
If a baseball pitcher can go out and pitch using the arm he had surgery on, can we really expect Bryan to not come back as a wrestler? Think about it. Bryan is still young enough to have a big career in WWE, as he is only 33. Edge missed a full year after a neck surgery near 30 himself. We’re talking a major surgery, not an invasive surgery. Edge then came back and won 11 WWE World Championships. If he can do it, why can Bryan not after a recover from elbow surgery and invasive neck procedure?
While many may wonder if Bryan can stay healthy , we can assume he will. Obviously, any freak accident could happen, they have before and will again one day. However, barring this, we shouldn’t worry about Bryan. His body has held up for four years in WWE, and 10 years before. He was seemingly never hurt before this. That being said, the fact that he only had to have an invasive neck surgery and now an elbow surgery is a miracle. It could be much worse for a former Independent performer.
WWE may have to deal without Bryan for another nine months to a year, but I wouldn’t be surprised if we see Bryan sooner than that. WWE is known for shocking returns, so it wouldn’t be crazy for them to get Bryan to appear on TV well before he is able to physically compete. CM Punk once did this, and it turned out quite well. If Bryan is willing to do it, why not? Of course, you never know what WWE and Bryan will do. What we do know for a fact is that the bearded warrior is currently killing at N0-Shave November, as far as his return date to WWE, that is uncertain currently.
[IMG Credits: WWE.com, Armorypitching.com, Fansided.com]