It has been widely speculated that Brock Lesnar would battle Daniel Bryan for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship at SummerSlam on Aug. 17 in Los Angeles, and despite the current WWE storylines, it still appears that a match between the two for the gold is the plan going forward.
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Bryan had to forfeit the title after a legitimate neck injury caused him to undergo surgery. Bryan was slated to face Kane in a Stretcher Match at Money in the Bank on June 29 at the TD Garden in Boston, but after receiving bad news about how the rehabilitation on his surgically-repaired neck was going, the WWE had to cancel the match.
The title will now be vacated and up for grabs in a Ladder Match at Money in the Bank where a new champion will be crowned, but Wrestlingheadlines.com reports that the plans for SummerSlam should remain intact despite the fact that Bryan had to forfeit the gold.
The Ladder Match currently consists of Alberto Del Rio, Randy Orton, Sheamus, Cesaro and Bray Wyatt, and John Cena is expected to be added to the contest as well. While the winner will win the title, they may not be a long-term champion.
According to the report, despite the fact that there was a lot of concern about Bryan coming out of this week's Monday Night RAW, the WWE is currently grooming him for a match against Lesnar at the second biggest pay-per-view of the year.
There had been a working plan to build up Bryan as a strong champion over the course of the summer leading to Lesnar returning fresh off of ending The Streak of The Undertaker at WrestleMania XXX for a title clash at SummerSlam in a feud that is expected to extend to September's Night of Champions event.
Reports indicate that the feeling backstage is that "the long-term destination is still what the old destination was" meaning that despite the injury, the WWE is still planning on doing Lesnar vs. Bryan at SummerSlam.
Whoever wins the Money in the Bank Ladder Match is seen as just a "detour" and likely won't be champion long-term. There are plans for Bryan to win the title and have a legitimate run with it upon his return or sometime later this year.
August has always been the "worst-case scenario" for Bryan to return, but after the current news there is likely some fear that the timetable on the neck recovery could be longer than previously imagined, but it remains to be seen.
While a lot can change between now and SummerSlam, the WWE is hopeful that a Bryan vs. Lesnar match for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship will headline the landmark summer pay-per-view.
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