WWE World Heavyweight Champion Daniel Bryan is slated to miss part of the next few months after undergoing minor neck surgery while WWE Diva A.J. Lee's status for a return to action remains unclear.
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According to Wrestlingheadlines.com, the reports of Bryan having a minor broken neck are untrue and he actually suffered from a nerve issue that required a minimally invasive procedure called a cervical foraminotomy to decompress the nerve root.
It was reported that Bryan would likely be out 2-3 months and wouldn't be back until SummerSlam in August, however reports Thursday indicated that mid-August was the worst-case scenario for a return while there was some optimism that Bryan could be back at Money in the Bank June 29 or even Battleground on July 20.
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While it is unknown exactly when Bryan will be ready to return, he had to undergo neck surgery to repair neck problems that have bothered him for years and had gotten worse over the last few months. His neck has worsened so he was forced to have the surgery.
Bryan was slated to face Kane in a Buried Alive match at Payback on June 1 in Chicago, however the neck injury has forced the WWE to change its plans and left the status of the title up in the air. Stephanie McMahon-Helmsley didn't strip Bryan of the gold on Monday's RAW from London but she wants Bryan to forfeit the strap on this week's RAW in Tennessee in a storyline that's expected to drag out.
Bryan won the gold at WrestleMania XXX on April 6 in New Orleans, and it remains to be seen what the WWE does with the belt now that he is sidelined until sometime between June-August.
Lee, the former WWE Divas Champion, dropped the title to Paige on April 7 after she asked for some time off as she planned to move into Chicago with fiancé CM Punk, who quit the company in January.
It was originally expected that Lee would return before June, however Punk announced that he and Lee will wed next month, and Lee isn't expected back until after that. Lee is currently slated to return to the squared circle by Money in the Bank or SummerSlam.
With Bryan out with an injury and Lee missing time due to her personal life, they will both likely be back in July or August.
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