Poll: What should WWE do with the WWE World Heavyweight Championship in Daniel Bryan's absence?

Today is May 15, 2014. As I write this, WWE World Heavyweight Champion Daniel Bryan could very well be under the knife as doctors perform neck surgery to repair a break. That sound you just heard was the collective inhalation of millions of WWE fans' breath.

Above all else, our primary concern should be for Bryan's health. We love him as a performer, and many of us adore him as a human being, too. Major or minor, it's still neck surgery, so best wishes to Daniel Bryan for a speedy recovery, and here's hoping he comes back at 100% and gets to continue doing what he loves.

Unfortunately, past neck injuries to men like Stone Cold Steve Austin and Edge ended their careers, so it's scary to imagine that something like that could happen to Bryan. Edge, in particular, had some neck pain and came out of the doctor's office to find out he could never wrestle again. Hopefully, Bryan gets some good news after the highs of winning the title at WrestleMania 30 and marrying Brie Bella and the low of his father's passing.

While Bryan recovers, WWE presses onward. The company announced it would make a decision about the WWE World Heavyweight Championship on Monday Night Raw next week. Presumably, this will depend on how long Bryan will be out of action.

But we don't want to wait until Monday, so let's make lemonade out of lemons here and talk about what WWE can do with its top prize while its top dog is on the shelf.

1) Do nothing.

WWE doesn't have to strip Daniel Bryan of the title. There's plenty of action at the top of the card (Evolution vs. Shield, Cena vs. Wyatt) to occupy the next couple of months. Yes, the belt should be defended at every major show, but if Bryan is going to be out for only 6 or 8 weeks, WWE can take the hit.

2) Hold a tournament. 

In late 1998, WWE had no champion, so Vince McMahon turned Survivor Series into a tournament called Deadly Game to crown a new one. King of the Ring is a format fans have long wanted to return. The WWE just held a fun tournament to crown a No. 1 Contender for the Intercontinental Championship.

See where I'm going with this?

WWE could hold a tournament over the next several weeks, or even just do it on one night at Payback, to find a new champion. This could be a new official champion, or it could just be an interim champion (much like boxing or MMA) until Bryan returns, at which point the two would fight for the title of Undisputed Champion.

This format would also work because WWE could tie together all the different storylines in the company. Reigns vs. HHH. Orton vs. Ambrose. Cena vs. Wyatt. WWE wouldn't have to abandon its current storytelling; instead, it could weave it into a new plot.

3) Put the belt on Cena.

LOLCENAWINS.

4) Put the belt on Triple H.

This would generate more heat than the damn sun. Daniel Bryan overcomes the odds and goes through hell and back to win the title at Mania, holds it for a month and then Triple H just crowns himself without having to do anything. There's precedent for this, too. When the World Heavyweight Championship debuted on Raw back in 2002 during the brand split, they just gave the belt to Hunter. So why not do it again?

5) BARRRRRROOOCK! LLLLLLESNAR!

Paul Heyman's speeches about his client, Brock Lesnar (who, in case you haven't heard, conquered the Undertaker's streak at WrestleMania), are over the top as it is, so why not add one more item to the list of things he can yell about for 20 minutes?

This is probably a long shot, though, because Lesnar's dates are so few and precious that WWE wouldn't want to bring him in too early. Unless, of course, he's willing to take on more dates, but I doubt it.

6) Vince McMahon gets on a plane...

...flies to Chicago, drives to CM Punk's residence and stands outside his window holding the belts over his head like John Cusack in Say Anything.

Let me just get this out of the way: this is never going to happen. I truly believe CM Punk is done and I'll be genuinely shocked if he returns anytime this year, if at all. But if Vince were to make him the right promises, who knows what would happen?

And Payback is in Chicago on June 1. The place might collapse if the opening strings of "Cult of Personality" blare through the speakers.

What do you think, WWE fans? What should the company do with the WWE World Heavyweight Championship? Vote in our poll and let us know your thoughts in the comments below.