WWE News: Doctor who cleared Daniel Bryan releases statement
What's the story?
In a week of incredible and unbelievable news for Daniel Bryan, the good stuff just keeps on coming.
One of the doctors who eventually cleared Daniel Bryan has released a statement on the SmackDown General Manager's current condition - and it sounds really good.
In case you didn't know...
WWE cleared Daniel Bryan to return to in-ring competition on Tuesday, hours before SmackDown Live. When the news came in, it was noted that WWE’s Medical Director Dr. Joseph Maroon had given Daniel Bryan the all-clear - as well as leading neurosurgeons, neurologists, and concussion experts Dr. Robert Cantu, Dr. Javier Cardenas, and Dr. Jeffrey Kutcher.
Dr Robert Cantu is also one of the foremost experts in chronic traumatic encephalopathy, otherwise known as CTE, which is a brain disease that has been found in athletes and army veterans who are at risk of repeat head trauma.
While the most definitive diagnosis of CTE is during an autopsy of the brain after death, symptoms of CTE can be diagnosed in the living, including depression, aggressive behavior, and dementia.
In 2007, Dr. Cantu was one of three neurological experts who diagnosed what now known as the first ever case of CTE in professional wrestling, which was Chris Benoit.
The heart of the matter
As per Newsweek, Dr Robert Cantu, a neurosurgeon and one of the medical experts who cleared Bryan, stated that the former WWE Champion shows no sign of previous brain injury.
Dr Robert Cantu told Newsweek's Tufayel Ahmed
I evaluated Bryan for a neurological opinion on return to WWE on February 26, 2018. Included in his medical records were multiple evaluations by renowned concussion clinicians.
The neurosurgeon went on to say that Daniel Bryan shows no symptoms of brain injury, neither current nor from the past.
I determined that Bryan is currently asymptomatic, has a normal detailed neurological and cognitive neuropsychological examination, normal EEG, and an MRI that showed no definite evidence of a prior brain injury.
And finally, one statement which will make everyone happy.
It is my medical opinion that there is no absolute contraindication to his return to in-ring action in WWE.
What's next?
Well, this week's SmackDown saw Daniel Bryan fire Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn, and subsequently, take his first bump in a WWE ring in two years.
Will we see Daniel Bryan next week, and will he return at WrestleMania for his first match since 2015?
Author's take
Well, this is incredible news. I can't wait to see Bryan competing again - especially after Tuesday. He looked like he hadn't missed a step!