Bryan Danielson on Owen Hart: ‘I Want to Embody the Way He Put His Family First’

Danielson’s Owen Hart Cup victory puts him on track to challenge AEW world champion Swerve Strickland next month at All In

Bryan Danielson is a perfect choice to represent Owen Hart as this year’s Owen Hart Cup winner.

Just like Hart, Danielson is an extremely versatile pro wrestler. Initially believed to be too small, both helped change the professional wrestling industry, embedding a new element into the main event.

Similar to what wrestling fans witnessed from Hart throughout his career, Danielson is also able to incorporate a blend of humor in his work, captivate audiences with his promos, and show an entirely different side of intensity when the time calls for it.

Bryan Danielson with the missile dropkick on Hangman Page / AEW

Above all, Danielson and Hart are strikingly alike when it comes to their families.

“When I was a teenager, Owen Hart was one of my favorites, which makes this really special,” said Danielson. “I love hearing about how much he loved his family. Those guys were on the road so much, something like 300 days a year. So when I hear the stories about how he’d find one extra day to be at home, that means a lot.

“Was he an incredible professional wrestler? Of course. Was he hilarious? Everyone says he was. You can see it in his promos. But I want to embody the way he put his family first.”

Danielson defeated “Hangman” Adam Page last Wednesday on Dynamite to win the Owen Hart Cup. The victory puts Danielson in the world title match at All In next month, which has quickly become the company’s signature show.

For the second year in a row, it takes place at Wembley Stadium. Unlike last year, when an injury forced Danielson out of the ring all summer, he is planning on wrestling this year at Wembley.

“I was really bummed out last year when I couldn’t do All In,” said Danielson. “I sat at home watching, seeing more than 80,000 people there. Especially with this being my last year as a full-time wrestler, this really feels like a capstone to the whole thing.”

The reigning AEW world champion is Swerve Strickland, a rising star who Danielson has only faced once before. They now have the chance to create a memorable story, building to their match at Wembley.

“Swerve’s been an incredible champion,” said Danielson. “I can’t get over the match he had with Ospreay. How do you even compete with those guys? It was that amazing.”

A 25-year pro, Danielson is able to make magic in the ring like few others. That was on display in the Owen Cup finals, where he and Hangman Page wrestled a gripping and intense 25-minute match where the finish was constantly in doubt.

“Wrestling for me is a blessing,” said Danielson. “Since I came back from my retirement [in 2018], I’ve been so lucky to do this. That’s the blessing of it. With that being said, with matches as physical as that, I’m excited to be done.”

Danielson and Page met in the finals of the 2024 Owen Hart Cup / AEW

Danielson then shared a hearty laugh, but his point remained. Wrestling is a joy for Danielson, albeit one where he only knows one speed: full throttle.

The match marked Danielson’s fourth singles match with Hangman. All of those have occurred on Dynamite, and each one has been outstanding.

Their series of matches was never planned, but rather the organic result of their chemistry and competitiveness. Danielson did, in fact, envision a set of matches like this, but he always thought it would be against Kenny Omega.

“Me and Kenny, unfortunately, we’ve only had the one match,” said Danielson. “When I came to AEW, I envisioned having these series of matches with Kenny. Instead, it’s been Hangman, and I’ve learned firsthand how incredible he is.

“Hangman’s the man. That dude’s awesome. When AEW started, he was the one everyone was pointing to as the future, as the guy who was going to lead the company forward. The personality he brings, the intensity–I think that’s where we find our chemistry. We both love these intense matches. There’s not a lot of pulled punches, right? And maybe that’s what makes the two of us so good together.”

Danielson and Page have had four spectacular matches against one another / AEW

Danielson has accumulated a stack of wrestling accolades throughout his illustrious career. The newest is the Owen Hart Cup championship, which he holds dearly for what it signifies beyond the ring.

“I’m honored to be part of the Owen Hart Memorial Foundation Tournament,” said Danielson. “It’s really inspiring to me what Martha Hart has done with this tragedy, and how she’s helped so many people–and raised her children. She got her doctorate. She raised two wonderful children, and she’s an incredible parent. That’s something I aspire to be, too.”