‘It touched something in me’ – Bryan Danielson pinpoints AEW moment that paved way for WWE exit
Bryan Danielson has revealed that a desire to work with the ‘good guys’ was a major factor in his decision to sign with All Elite Wrestling. The legendary pro-wrestler, who spent over a decade with WWE before his surprise departure in 2021, ended his full-time career with AEW in October last year after an impressive run. Danielson was AEW World Champion before ending his full-time careerGetty His final chapter came at WrestleDream, where he dropped the world championship to Jon Moxley in a near-30 minute main event match at the Tacoma Dome in Washington. Danielson has not been seen in the ring since, but he is still involved with AEW behind-the-scenes and has been promoting August’s Forbidden Door event, which will air live from The O2 Arena in London. While he remains tight-lipped on what the future holds, Danielson has recalled what it was that initially drew him across to AEW from WWE four years ago. He also opened up on the alleged ‘war’ between the two promotions during an exclusive interview with talkSPORT. “We as a company don’t approach other companies in a warlike fashion, right? We don’t feel like we’re in a war with anybody,” Danielson, formally known as Daniel Bryan, began. “But that’s not the same as the other side. “We’re constantly kind of on the defense in that. I don’t know the right strategy, but I like the way Tony Khan handles things because that it in my mind, it makes us the good guys. “But I don’t know if at some point we need to go more on the offensive. I’ve had friends bring that up to me like, ‘Oh, you guys should attack.’ “I’m like, wait a second. Like one, that’s not my personality. Two, that’s not Tony Khan’s personality. And I think that’s one of the things that drew me to AEW. “When I was in WWE, I was watching the way AEW did things.” Bryan had a very successful run in WWE before departing for AEW in 201WWE He has since stepped back from in-ring action, but is involved creatively with AEWGetty Danielson went on to reveal that the company’s tribute show for the late Brodie Lee, who passed away in 2020, factored into his decision to join AEW. He continued: “We had a wrestler, Brodie Lee, who had passed away. “They did this incredible tribute show. At that point, I was still with WWE. And the way that they did that show — Brodie was my friend — it touched something in me and in my mind. “I was thinking like, ‘Oh, these are the good guys of professional wrestling’. “There’s going to be times where we make wrong, or bad decisions, that happens everywhere. “But one of the things that I like to think about AEW is that we try — and we don’t market ourselves as this — to be good. Danielson believes AEW are the ‘good guys’ of professional wrestling He cited AEW’s tribute to Lee as a decision to sign from WWEAEW “Tony Khan never says it. He never says, ‘We’re the good guys in professional wrestling.’ “But that’s one of the things that I thought of when I was in WWE. “I was like, ‘Oh, the people behind this, who are running this thing, they care about the wrestlers. They care about the fans, too.’ “The one thing that I love about Tony is that he is a wrestling fan and he wants to produce a show for wrestling fans, or that wrestling fans will enjoy.” Danielson has taken on what he describes as a ‘consulting’ role in AEW since his last match in October 2024, and while he has not ruled out returning to the ring, he is ‘very comfortable’ with stepping back from the industry. “The last six months of my career, I was in a lot of pain with my neck, I could notice it in my wrestling,” he admitted. “Also the flying, the traveling, all that kind of stuff was so hard that by the time October came around, I was ready. “I don’t want to put the word like retirement out there, but I’m honestly very comfortable where I’m at now. Bryanson is ‘very comfortable’ with his decision to step back from in-ring competitionGetty “The reality is, I’ve given 25 years of my body to to wrestling. I think now it’s OK for me to step back. And honestly, I don’t crave the spotlight or anything like that. “I enjoy being a homebody. I enjoy being with my kids.”
Bryan Danielson has revealed that a desire to work with the ‘good guys’ was a major factor in his decision to sign with All Elite Wrestling.
The legendary pro-wrestler, who spent over a decade with WWE before his surprise departure in 2021, ended his full-time career with AEW in October last year after an impressive run.
His final chapter came at WrestleDream, where he dropped the world championship to Jon Moxley in a near-30 minute main event match at the Tacoma Dome in Washington.
Danielson has not been seen in the ring since, but he is still involved with AEW behind-the-scenes and has been promoting August’s Forbidden Door event, which will air live from The O2 Arena in London.
While he remains tight-lipped on what the future holds, Danielson has recalled what it was that initially drew him across to AEW from WWE four years ago.
He also opened up on the alleged ‘war’ between the two promotions during an exclusive interview with talkSPORT.
“We as a company don’t approach other companies in a warlike fashion, right? We don’t feel like we’re in a war with anybody,” Danielson, formally known as Daniel Bryan, began.
“But that’s not the same as the other side.
“We’re constantly kind of on the defense in that. I don’t know the right strategy, but I like the way Tony Khan handles things because that it in my mind, it makes us the good guys.
“But I don’t know if at some point we need to go more on the offensive. I’ve had friends bring that up to me like, ‘Oh, you guys should attack.’
“I’m like, wait a second. Like one, that’s not my personality. Two, that’s not Tony Khan’s personality. And I think that’s one of the things that drew me to AEW.
“When I was in WWE, I was watching the way AEW did things.”
Danielson went on to reveal that the company’s tribute show for the late Brodie Lee, who passed away in 2020, factored into his decision to join AEW.
He continued: “We had a wrestler, Brodie Lee, who had passed away.
“They did this incredible tribute show. At that point, I was still with WWE. And the way that they did that show — Brodie was my friend — it touched something in me and in my mind.
“I was thinking like, ‘Oh, these are the good guys of professional wrestling’.
“There’s going to be times where we make wrong, or bad decisions, that happens everywhere.
“But one of the things that I like to think about AEW is that we try — and we don’t market ourselves as this — to be good.
“Tony Khan never says it. He never says, ‘We’re the good guys in professional wrestling.’
“But that’s one of the things that I thought of when I was in WWE.
“I was like, ‘Oh, the people behind this, who are running this thing, they care about the wrestlers. They care about the fans, too.’
“The one thing that I love about Tony is that he is a wrestling fan and he wants to produce a show for wrestling fans, or that wrestling fans will enjoy.”
Danielson has taken on what he describes as a ‘consulting’ role in AEW since his last match in October 2024, and while he has not ruled out returning to the ring, he is ‘very comfortable’ with stepping back from the industry.
“The last six months of my career, I was in a lot of pain with my neck, I could notice it in my wrestling,” he admitted.
“Also the flying, the traveling, all that kind of stuff was so hard that by the time October came around, I was ready.
“I don’t want to put the word like retirement out there, but I’m honestly very comfortable where I’m at now.
“The reality is, I’ve given 25 years of my body to to wrestling. I think now it’s OK for me to step back. And honestly, I don’t crave the spotlight or anything like that.
“I enjoy being a homebody. I enjoy being with my kids.”
