Last week, AEW announced that Bryan Danielson will be participating as a full-time color commentator for future Dynamite broadcasts. No longer a full-time wrestler since losing the AEW World Championship at 2024’s WrestleDream pay-per-view, Danielson’s future in wrestling has remained a constant point of speculation.
He has remained in purview of the public eye, making sporadic appearances for the company such as an AEW press event in December 2024 (h/t Sports Illustrated). His last match to date is an eight-second dark match against Max Caster following a June Collision taping and returned to Ring of Honor for their Global Wars Mexico crossover with CMLL.
His most high-profile appearance since dropping the belt was at July’s All In: Texas event where he, along with others, fended off the Death Riders to help Hangman Page win the World Championship.
With his commentary position returning him to a weekly active role for AEW broadcasts, one must ask the question: Where Does Bryan Danielson Go From Here?
A Humble Commentator
Bryan’s no stranger to commentary, donning the headset for various promotions in a guest role to further angles. When he’s not cleared to wrestle, putting Bryan on commentary allows him to get airtime without needing to take a bump.
In an appearance for the Battleground podcast, Tony Khan cited Bryan’s encyclopedic knowledge of wrestling and his recent performance during Forbidden Door as reasons for his appointment (h/t Fightful).
During his first retirement, Bryan shared the commentator’s booth with renowned combat sports personality Mauro Ranallo for WWE’s Cruiserweight Classic in the summer of 2016. Filmed from the NXT Arena in Full Sail University, the tournament showcased wrestlers legitimately under 205 pounds whether they be native signed talent or independent stars.
As one of the most successful independent junior heavyweights of his generation, Bryan offered a window into the mindset of the competitors with insight and shared experience. He was a familiar voice for viewers at home, able to fit a sports-esque tone or lean into his character work when needed.
It’s worth noting his eternal rivalry with fellow ROH alum and commentator Nigel McGuinness. These two have already faced one another in an AEW ring and although they’re committed to different shows, there’s a chance they could share the commentary booth to the chagrin of one another.
An Upper-card Gatekeeper
In an April interview with Jamal Niaz, Bryan discussed feeling “very satisfied” with his career and seeking a comfortable family life without compromising his health (h/t Sports Illustrated). Tony Khan, along with Danielson’s colleagues, have echoed hopes for his return to the ring.
Last December, Bryan said the chances of an in-ring return are “50/50” (h/t Sports Illustrated). Retirement is fickle in wrestling, even Bryan is guilty of this, and his physical involvement has indicated he’s been cleared in some capacity.
How Bryan’s wrestling style would be interesting to see, given he’s currently 44 with almost 2000 matches under his belt. His hard-hitting, smash-mouth style has rendered his body vulnerable to injury with time and wear. Concussions, retina damage, various neck issues, and other medical problems have sent the American Dragon on the shelf and even into retirement but he still has found ways to condition his body and perform at a top-level in-spite of that. During his ongoing time away from the ring, Danielson has implored he's seeking alternatives to going under the knife to heal his ailing neck.
One can look to past legends who had to work around their crumbling bodies despite being over with the audience. After his 1997 spinal injury and career-long damage suffered to his knees, Steve Austin adjusted his ring style to fit the brash redneck persona that the cultural zeitgeist would embrace in the following years. The Great Muta/Keiji Muto shaved his head, grew a goatee, and adopted the Shining Wizard as his finisher in 2001 as a result of knee injuries and a receding hairline.
Danielson is a known aficionado of BritWres, having spent much of his early career wrestling before uninterested crowds at Butlin’s resorts on tours in the UK (h/t The Sun Sport). In a 2018 interview with the WWE, Danielson reflected on facing a then-67 year old Johnny Saint saying that the British technical wrestling is “a different style that’s kind of been lost,” due to lack of mentorship. The British style, which Bryan noted could be worked “five to ten matches a week,” was the result of wrestlers seeking to preserve their bodies for laborious day jobs.
Bryan’s no stranger to experimenting, so it would be interesting to see how his mannerisms and movesets evolve into his elder statesman role.
Corporate Role
In a September interview with The Amin Show, Bryan described “very fulfilled” with his career-life balance where he gets to be part of the wrestling business and mentor younger talent through studying old wrestling tapes. Although he was presented as a top attraction and won the world championship in a major international stadium show, Bryan described being in significant pain. This, on top of his responsibilities as a parent and husband, offered a challenge unseen in his first retirement.
Towards the end of his time in the WWE, Bryan sat in on Zoom meetings with the creative team (h/t Fightful). This offered a chance for Bryan to remain engaged without risking his health or that of his pregnant wife’s amidst a global pandemic.
Bryan has worked as a consultant for the company, though he claims to do very little of what his title indicates (h/t Sportskeeda). He was also part of the disciplinary committee who ultimately decided to fire CM Punk in 2023 (h/t Infinity Sports Network).
Whichever role he takes, Khan has described Bryan as “a big part of my office,” and his reputation paired with an extensive knowledge for the business makes him valuable anywhere. (h/t Sports Illustrated).
The Possibility of Departure
Rarely does a wrestler stay loyal to a single promotion, there’s always bound to be a roadblock in the form of money or personal satisfaction. Across several outlets, Danielson has given multiple reasons for why he left WWE in 2021 but ultimately it boils down to wanting to participate in a new environment and explore new ventures with a lighter schedule (h/t Bleacher Report).
The ongoing arms race between AEW and WWE has raised the quality of life for wrestlers across the board with greater contracts and signing benefits. Bryan has indicated nearly half of AEW’s revenue goes to talent payouts (h/t Kairouz Bros). Money has become no object to these promotions, seeking to retain talent or for familiar faces to reel in older fans.
Last week, AJ Lee returned to the WWE after a decade-long absence to a roaring hometown crowd in Chicago. AEW original Chris Jericho is reportedly wrapping up his time in Jacksonville and has expressed interest in returning to the WWE in what is likely his sunset contract (h/t VICE). Bryan’s current contract status isn’t publicly known, with his last deal expiring in August 2024 heading into his All In (h/t Fightful).
In a post-Dynamite promo, Bryan described leaving a “lifelong job,” with the WWE to be with “the best wrestling company in the world,” (h/t AEW). Should he return to WWE, he’d likely be embraced by the new regime with open arms, plenty of merchandise, and a viral return clip.
Riding Off Into the Sunset
At the end of the day, fans may need to swallow the bitter pill that Bryan Danielson could never wrestle again. It’s his personal choice whether or not to do so, not only for the sake of his own well being but for his friends and family.
Bryan has expressed doubts of whether he could even perform to the standards AEW fans would expect of him, believing he’d be more fit for a small indie show (h/t Fightful). Some AEW-contracted personnel such as QT Marshall may work in a backstage setting with scarce on-screen appearances but wrestle for other organizations.
Whatever choice Bryan Danielson makes for his future in wrestling will be made in pursuit of his own personal fulfillment- his desire to act out a lifelong passion he's given his body for along with his duties as a father and husband. Fans will eagerly await what comes next for the American Dragon, whether he's motivating the next generation of stars or gracing the mat for a final run.