Despite Triple H's on-air role, Vince McMahon is still in charge of the WWE. According to reports from sources within the WWE, McMahon's doctors are now the only obstacles stopping Daniel Bryan from returning to the ring, and McMahon has previously been indecisive on whether to allow Bryan back regardless of his clearance. With Seth Rollins' injury, Bryan would have been a great entry in the Survivor Series WWE World Heavyweight Championship Tournament.
Some sources claim McMahon wants to keep him away from the ring while the company puts the title on Roman Reigns, who is the favorite to win the WWE World Heavyweight Championship at Survivor Series. A Bryan return would immediately make Reigns a public enemy, as proven by the chorus of boo's Reigns received at the Royal Rumble in January.
The WWE has continuously been trying to put the top prize on Reigns, even getting Reigns' cousin, Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, to try and get Reigns over with the crowd, which did not work.
This would go against comments made in August by Bryan himself, who claimed that the WWE was still not sure he was past his concussion issues, despite what he called a respectable doctor clearing him of any symptoms. With former WWE and NFL stars continuously being diagnosed with Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy, or CTE, concussions are an issue that McMahon wants to squash. The fact that concussions are considered a major reason that former superstar Chris Benoit committed the murder-suicide that rocked the wrestling world only adds fuel to that rumor.
Whether it be because of Reigns' or concussions, it seems that McMahon will not allow Bryan back into a WWE ring. For a superstar that was so over with the WWE crowd, it seems strange that the man making the money from the sale of his merchandise would be the one keeping him down. While we don't know exactly why, it seems that McMahon is the one saying no to Bryan returning if the medical report is clear.
