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Bryan Danielson on Classic Encounter with Will Ospreay & The Young Bucks Attacking Tony Khan

Danielson also previews his newest opportunity to share the ring with Kazuchika Okada

Justin Barrasso

Relaxing in the comfort of his home, Bryan Danielson suddenly tensed up.

This was the evening of April 24, and Danielson was watching Dynamite. He was looking forward to watching Jack Perry make his return to the AEW flagship show, with curiosity getting the better of him on how Perry would seize the moment.

Perry, of course, attacked AEW owner Tony Khan. A punch to the gut was followed up by the Young Bucks arriving and taking Khan for a ride on the aptly named Tony Khan Driver.

An expert on neck injuries, Danielson watched closely as the sequence unfolded.

“When they got him up for the spike tombstone piledriver, I was just hoping Tony was OK,” said Danielson. “I was hoping he would protect his head.”

Danielson wasn’t focused on the storyline or the potential that existed for Khan to sell the injury during the ensuing NFL Draft. At that moment, his sole area of interest was whether Khan took the move correctly.

“More and more people are using piledrivers, and there’s more and more head drops, so we train specifically in the BCC for how to escape those unscathed,” said Danielson. “Tony doesn’t have any of that training. He’s not a wrestler. My first concern was Tony’s health.”

Only a month removed from his own frightening moment, Danielson is healthy and wrestling in the Double or Nothing pay-per-view’s Anarchy at the Arena match, teaming with FTR and Darby Allin against Jack Perry, the Young Bucks, and Kazuchika Okada. His neck has improved considerably after a move went awry at Dynasty in his match against Will Ospreay, where he fell directly on his head.

“All the risky things were safe,” said Danielson, who took the incredibly dangerous Storm Driver. “One of the things I wasn’t worried about at all ended up hurting my neck the most. That was when I gave Will a Frankensteiner off the top and he landed on his feet. Luckily, no one was paying attention to me because what Will had done was spectacular. I went straight down on my head.

“I have a history of neck issues. Even just taking a shoulder tackle or body slam is hard on your neck. Then you add more complex moves, like the Storm Driver to finish the match, and if you hurt your neck early in the match, it doesn’t bode well for you.”

Bryan Danielson this past Wednesday on Dynamite
Bryan Danielson this past Wednesday on Dynamite / AEW

Despite the serious nature of the fall, Danielson finished the match. It evolved into a masterpiece, lasting over 32 minutes and keeping the crowd fully invested for every single second. Ospreay got one of the most significant victories of his career by defeating Danielson. Yet the real winners were everyone who was fortunate enough to watch the match, especially those in-person–the fan base at Chaifetz Arena in St. Louis was electric from the moment the bell rang to start the bout.

Danielson soaked up the moment. Those watching closely saw him close his eyes and savor the magic of the moment, which is becoming a trademark of his more recent matches.

“The second I walked out, I knew that the crowd was there in a way you don’t get in many matches,” said Danielson. ‘Regularly throughout that match, I just closed my eyes to take in the sensation of what that felt like. It’s a beautiful thing to experience, and to experience it like that, it was a sensation across my whole body. I don’t know if I will ever wrestle in front of a crowd like that again.”

This fall, Danielson anticipates stepping away from full-time wrestling and spending more time at home with his family. The reaction from the crowd at Dynasty provided him with a memory he won’t soon forget, the type he will reminisce about when he can no longer perform.

“It’s my own internal reaction to what is going on,” said Danielson. ‘It doesn’t feel quite real. William Regal just said something recently that was from a book he’s reading about a British comedian, about how you can’t teach comedy–but you can learn comedy. You could have the best instructor teach you wrestling, but even if you work as hard as you can, it doesn’t necessarily mean you’re going to be good at wrestling.

“And if you’re good at wrestling, it doesn’t mean you’re getting to this level. And if you get to this level, it doesn’t mean you’ll have a moment like that–in a match with Will in front of a crowd so excited to see it. It almost felt surreal. What I’m trying to lock in is how it feels, so I can access it when I’m not doing this anymore.”

As to whether a rematch against Ospreay could be looming, Danielson did not shut down the possibility.

“Chapters can be completed,” said Danielson. “There are always new chapters to be written–if that’s the desire of everybody involved.”

Danielson’s focus is now on defending the company from The Elite, who have tormented Khan ever since the attack last month. During the BCC-Elite feud, Danielson had plenty of opportunities to lock up with the Young Bucks. But with Kazuchika Okada effectively replacing Kenny Omega in the group, Danielson now gets to resume his rivalry with Okada.

Kazuchika Okada and Bryan Danielson
Kazuchika Okada and Bryan Danielson / AEW

Altogether, Danielson and Okada have wrestled each other on four different occasions. Two of those–last year’s Forbidden Door and this past January at Wrestle Kingdom–were singles bouts. They now have the chance to wrestle under very unique circumstances in an Anarchy in the Arena match.

“The wildness and anarchy in this match, it’s really awesome,” said Danielson, who has wrestled in the Anarchy in the Arena match the past two years at Double or Nothing. “You can be fighting out in the crowd with a world-class professional wrestler, like Okada. For as great as he is, we really don’t know what he’s like as a brawler. I kind of know what FTR will bring to the match, and I know what the Young Bucks will bring to the match. I’m not sure what Jack Perry will bring to the match. Honestly, I’m a little scared of what Darby is going to bring to the match. How about that flamethrower on Dynamite?

Darby Allin
Darby Allin / AEW

“I get really excited by not knowing how someone will react to a certain situation, and I’m really excited to see how Okada will react to this.”

More uncharted territory will take place when Jack Perry makes his debut in the Anarchy in the Arena match. Only 26, there are high hopes for Perry to become the company’s next breakout star.

In addition to the potential, there is also plenty of controversy surrounding Perry ever since his backstage altercation with CM Punk last summer.

“We’re all put in weird positions, some of our own making and some that have nothing to do with us,” said Danielson. “It’s all about how you react to it. When I got fired [by WWE in 2010] for choking Justin Roberts and spitting in [John] Cena’s face, it turned out really well for me. But even in the moment, when you lose a steady paying job, I knew I’d land on my feet. I haven’t spoken with Jack. Is he mad about it? The name ‘Scapegoat’ implies he is. I don’t know his mindset, at least not yet.”

The pay-per-view match is a proving ground for Perry. Danielson has never wrestled him before, and he expressed his eagerness to learn more about Perry when they both step into the pressure-cooker that comes attached to performing under the bright lights.

“I haven’t been around Jack enough to know how he’s going to react,” said Danielson. “I don’t know him well enough. That’s going to change once I step in the ring with him.”

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Justin Barrasso
JUSTIN BARRASSO

Justin Barrasso has been writing for Sports Illustrated since 2014. While his primary focus is pro wrestling and MMA, he has also covered MLB, NBA, and the NFL. He can be reached at JBarrasso@gmail.com and followed on Twitter @JustinBarrasso.

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