WWE Raw: Daniel Bryan stripped of WWE World Heavyweight Title due to neck injury

Daniel Bryan has been stripped of the WWE World Heavyweight Championship.

The submission specialist was informed by medical personnel that he will be unable to defend his title at Money in the Bank following a slower-than-hoped recovery from neck surgery.

That news prompted Stephanie McMahon to relieve Bryan of the belt on Monday Night Raw and announce that a new champion would be crowned via the Money in the Bank Ladder Match.

A briefcase containing a contract for a guaranteed title opportunity usually hovers above the ring in the match, but this year it will be the WWE World Heavyweight Championship, the strap Bryan won by forcing Batista to submit at WrestleMania XXX.

Alberto Del Rio secured his spot in the contest on the previous edition of Raw with victory over Dolph Ziggler and three more Superstars booked their berths when the red brand hit Minneapolis.

Randy Orton was automatically placed into the encounter by WWE Chief Operating Officer Triple H, while Sheamus and Cesaro qualified with respective victories over Bad News Barrett and Rob Van Dam.

Forces

Dean Ambrose and Roman Reigns – the remaining members of the Shield – were also in action, but took time to verbally blast Seth Rollins before they banded with John Cena to defeat The Wyatt Family.

Rollins stunned the WWE Universe last week when he pummelled Ambrose and Reigns, the men he had teamed with since November 2012, with a steel chair and joined forces with Triple H and Orton.

The high-flyer’s one-time allies let rip on The Architect on Monday evening, vowing to punish him as well as The Game and The Viper, and then took out their anger on Bray Wyatt’s brood, with Reigns’ spear on Luke Harper settling the match.

Rollins, though, shared some words of his own, revealing in a sit-down interview with Michael Cole that he deserted the Hounds of Justice because their bond was purely a “business relationship” and that he had received a better offer from Triple H.

Lana, too, opted to express her discontent with someone – criticising US President Barack Obama and insisting he was not as strong a leader as Russia’s Vladimir Putin – and then revelled in Rusev dismantling proud American Zack Ryder.

Elsewhere, The Usos overcame the bizarre tandem of Damien Sandow and Fandango, while The Bizarre One, Goldust, slipped up against RybAxel as he teamed with R-Truth.

Bo Dallas, meanwhile, urged fans to “Bo-lieve” once again in the wake of his triumph over Xavier Woods – a win that took the grappler's tally to 6-0 since arriving on the main roster – and Jack Swagger squashed Santino Marella.

Plus, there was drama aplenty in the Divas division, with Alicia Fox attacking Aksana following her loss to Paige, and Summer Rae covering Layla in milk backstage whilst the Brit was having make-up applied.

Money in the Bank booking details

WWE Money in the Bank will be shown on Sky Sports Box Office (channel 743) and Sky Sports HD Box Office (channel 752) at 1am on Sunday, June 29 (Monday morning).

WWE Money in the Bank will be repeated on Sky Sports Box Office (channel 743) BUT NOT Sky Sports HD Box Office (channel 752) between 9am, Monday, June 30 and 9pm, Saturday, July 5.

Repeats showing will last for three hours, with the final showing BEGINNING at 9pm on Saturday, July 5.

The event is priced at £14.95 for UK customers, €21.95 for customers in the Republic of Ireland.

Viewers can call 08442 410 888 from Tuesday, June 17 to book WWE Money in the Bank. (There may be an additional charge for telephone bookings).

You can book WWE Money in the Bank online from Tuesday, June 17  by visiting this link: https://my.sky.com/orderboxoffice/

You will be able to order WWE Money in the Bank at a later date by pressing the Box Office button on your remote. Select 'sports & events' and follow the on-screen instructions.

Cable customers should contact their local cable operator.