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Bryan Danielson Details His Future

“Terry Funk is someone I always admired. He retired a million times, but he loved it so much he couldn’t help but keep doing it.”

Justin Barrasso

Bryan Danielson Details His Future
Bryan Danielson Details His Future /

Bryan Danielson on wrestling with a broken arm: “I think I had more fun because of it”

Bryan Danielson returned to AEW last week, wrestling Ricky Starks in a strap match at the All Out pay-per-view that was bloody, physical, and extremely compelling. Away from action since June, Danielson was recovering from a fractured forearm, which he suffered at Forbidden Door against Kazuchika Okada in another tremendous bout.

Contents

  1. The (Online) Week in Wrestling
  2. Jey Uso and Finn Bálor interaction a highlight of Raw
  3. Tweet of the Week

Most professional athletes would stop competing under such circumstances. Yet that is the painful allure of Danielson, who relished the opportunity to work his craft under duress.

“Hindsight? I think I had more fun because of it,” said Danielson. “During the match, I turned to the referee and said, ‘I think I fractured my arm.’ I’m in the ring with someone whose English isn’t his first language, and we didn’t even know for sure what it was to communicate. Even after the match when I was in the press conference, I didn’t realize how bad the break was.

“This is where you look at what is really satisfaction. Satisfaction and pleasure are not the same thing. Satisfaction comes from doing something hard and accomplishing it. So the satisfaction came from doing the hard thing and seeing it through to completion.”

Courtesy AEW
Courtesy AEW

Danielson’s work of art did not come without consequences. The injury prevented him from cherished routines at home with his wife and two children, which caused more pain than any broken bone.

“Although I talk about the satisfaction of completing the match against Okada with the broken arm, it’s actually the singular worst injury I’ve had,” admitted Danielson. “My neck injury was worse, but that was the result of years of abuse on my neck. It’s the same with the concussions. No single concussion was worse than the break of my arm. And because of that, it put me at a point where I couldn’t be there for my kids the way I wanted.”

Increased age and mounting injuries, along with the burning desire to spend as much time as possible at home with his family, have put Danielson in an unexpected predicament. He still wants to wrestle until he is physically unable, but the terms of that agreement have changed since becoming a husband and father.

This past Saturday on Collision, Danielson made a stunning announcement about his future. The clock is about to strike midnight on his epic adventure as a full-time pro wrestler. While that does not mean he will never wrestle again, it will be a stark change from the current incarnation.

“I don’t think I’ll ever reach a point where I declare I’m absolutely done,” said Danielson. “I want the ability to show up when I want to show up. Terry Funk is someone I always admired. He retired a million times, but he loved it so much he couldn’t help but keep doing it. And he did it when he wanted. For me, it might be a couple times a year, or it might be years between matches.”

When Danielson spoke on Collision about his future, he shared a promise made to his daughter that he would begin to step away from the ring when she turns seven. Now that she is six, his promise will soon become reality.

“In my mind, it’s around August of next year,” said Danielson. “My daughter will say, ‘Daddy, are you going to be done wrestling when I turn seven?’ And I’ll respond, ‘Well, not exactly when you turn seven, but I’ll be on the home stretch.’

“I didn’t get a chance to do All In this year. I would like that chance next year. We have a show, WrestleDream, this October 1 in Seattle where I’m wrestling Zack Sabre Jr. If we have another next year in Seattle? Maybe it will be then. My daughter turns seven in May, so it’s a good time to close down the shop.”

Danielson’s contract expires shortly after his daughter’s seventh birthday, which is perhaps another signal from the universe that it is time to close this particular chapter of his career. But that is especially difficult. Pro wrestling evokes a spirit and joy from Danielson, which accounts for why he will never be able to fully step away.

If the universe is speaking to Danielson, then it is also sending plenty more signals. Over the past six months, Danielson has only wrestled in three singles matches, and four altogether when including the Anarchy in the Arena match at Double or Nothing in May. He was injured after the extraordinary 65-minute Iron Man match against MJF in March, then went back on the disabled list following his bout in June against Okada.

“There is the realization that over the past year, I’m getting hurt after every big match I have,” said Danielson. “That’s a sign. I love wrestling, but I do not want to wrestle at the expense of my long-term health. I did the Iron Man match with Max, and then I didn’t wrestle again until Anarchy in the Arena, and even that was a lot of smoke and mirrors. Then I wrestle Okada and I break my arm. The injuries are starting to pile up. At what point is that worth the risk? Especially when my kids want and need me at home.”

Courtesy AEW
Courtesy AEW

The notion of pro wrestling without Bryan Danielson seems downright sorrowful. Thankfully, wrestling fans dealing with that agonizing proposition can breathe more peacefully knowing that he will still be active for as long as humanely possible.

“I always thought I’d wrestle until the day I die,” said Danielson. “But it’s not going to be this regular, weekly wrestling. I don’t even know if it’s going to be wrestling at big shows. I’ve always wanted to wrestle for DEFY in Seattle. How easy would it be for me to call the promoter and pop in some weekend? They wouldn’t even need to promote me. I could come in, surprise people, and do my thing.”

As you process the potential of a surprise appearance from Danielson at a weekly indie show, he also addressed how CM Punk’s departure from AEW can potentially affect the roster.

“In any job, when you lose somebody who’s very important, or you lose somebody you really like working with, that’s hard,” said Danielson. “But everyone keeps doing the job. And any time there is loss or controversy or struggle inside an organization, it’s a chance to bring people closer. It’s also a chance to divide people. So you have this thing where you can use struggle to make your life worse, or you can use struggle to make your life better. When I lost my father, I came out on the backside. I was worse. Struggling with my depression, I’ve come out of it better. So how you approach something and how you learn from something, that’s what makes the difference.”

Ricky Starks flourished in his program with Punk, and he is now showing even more levels to his greatness in his ongoing program with Danielson. Their strap match at All Out was sensational, another indication that AEW will soon belong to Starks.

“He’s been on the cusp for so long,” said Danielson. “I think why he hasn’t crossed over that barrier is because he needs the opportunities where he can cross that line to go from upper mid-card to the main event. He’s had opportunities, but we haven’t been great with the follow-through. In his promos, you can see the frustration, and it’s a very real frustration. I can understand that frustration, I’ve been there. He lets his heart bleed out on the screen, which is really important. He’s great at that, too.

“Look at what Ricky did in that strap match. I loved the physicality. That’s one of the things that draws me to pro wrestling, the idea that it’s physical. I like being in physical matches. I wasn’t sure if he would enjoy being in that physical of a match. But that’s one of the interesting things about being in the ring with somebody. Although it’s entertainment, there’s a lot you don’t know. A lot of the interactions and the fire-ups, those are very real. It was really fun for me to see his reactions to some of the things I was doing, and he was able to see my reactions, too. Those were visceral reactions, and I was very pleased with it.”

Courtesy AEW
Courtesy AEW

Danielson has also had the opportunity to work closely with AEW owner/booker Tony Khan. Kindred spirits, their shared love for pro wrestling–and an ability to connect a pro wrestling outlook to whatever is taking place around them in life–has led to a very meaningful rapport.

“Even if I never wrestled in AEW again, I feel like me and Tony will still talk,” said Danielson, who is one of Khan’s most trusted advisers. “We get along so well. Both of us relate to the world through wrestling. We’ll be talking about something in the world, then he’ll bring up a reference that so few people know, but I’ll know. I enjoy being around him, I enjoy his company. To me, that’s friendship.

“We’ve connected and we’ve developed loyalty. He’s someone who has been there for me in hard times, and I want to be there for him, too. That’s a friendship outside the lens of making a wrestling show.”

Courtesy AEW
Courtesy AEW

On the subject of friends, Danielson is eager to get a close look at Blackpool Combat Club brethren Jon Moxley’s match against Big Bill tonight on Dynamite. Danielson’s affinity for Moxley is no secret, but he is also a strong advocate for Big Bill, who was formerly known as Big Cass in WWE. Before his departure from the company, he wrestled a superb match against Danielson at Money in the Bank in 2018 that ranks among his best work.

“I was very proud of the work we did together in 2018, and he’s only got better since,” said Danielson. “I’m really impressed with him. His wrestling has gotten really, really great since 2018, but there are also steps he’s made in his personal life. Seeing him as the human he is now, I’m so proud of him. He’s done great work in life. I’m excited to see him and Mox on Dynamite.”

Courtesy AEW
Courtesy AEW

Danielson makes a convincing argument as one of the greatest to ever step in the ring. In wrestling, however, such arguments are too subjective to ever determine an objective clear-cut choice. But there will never, ever be another quite like Danielson, and that is a point that can never be argued.

With the sand in his hourglass continuing to fall, Danielson was asked if he will unveil a list of opponents he wants to wrestle before stepping away from full-time competition. A deep thinker, Danielson paused before answering, revealing that his list is ever evolving.

“There are definitely people I have in mind,” said Danielson. “Some of them are people I wrestled years ago. Some are people I’ve never wrestled before.

“So I don’t have a list, but I have a mental checklist of people I’d like to get in the ring with at least one more time.”

The (Online) Week in Wrestling

  • The program between Gunther and Chad Gable is one of the most compelling in all of the industry. Their interaction this week, with Gunther insulting Gable for bringing his children ringside for last week’s match, was especially gripping. 
  • Becky Lynch is the new NXT champion. She is helping make Tiffany Stratton better, and adding star power to NXT, but I can’t help but feel Lynch would be better served fighting Rhea Ripley for the women’s world championship on Raw.
  • Without the benefit of the world title, Toni Storm has still become an undeniable star in AEW. 
  • Jade Cargill returned to AEW last week, where she will continue her feud with Kris Statlander. 
  • Speaking of returns, Nia Jax returned to close out Raw this past Monday, where she is the newest challenger for Rhea Ripley. 
  • Here is a look back at Eric Bischoff’s ruthlessness during the beginning of the Nitro-Raw battles, at a time when he beat Vince McMahon at his own game. 
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  • Drew McIntyre’s new edge adds a whole new dimension to his work. 

Jey Uso and Finn Bálor interaction a highlight of Raw

So far, Jey Uso’s move to Raw has been perfectly executed.

Positioned as a main event star since his arrival to Raw two weeks ago, Uso has dealt with the overwhelming majority of the roster distrusting him. That is an extremely believable detail, as The Bloodline wreaked havoc for the vast amount of those wrestlers.

One exception to those giving Uso the cold shoulder is Judgment Day. Finn Bálor is openly recruiting Uso, which led to a phenomenal backstage interaction this past Monday.

Try as he may, Bálor simply could not seize Uso’s attention. But that changed the moment Bálor mentioned that Rhea Ripley is a fan of Uso, which caused an immediate reaction.

Not only did the moment highlight Ripley, who has the potential to be one of the industry’s defining stars, it allowed Bálor and Uso a chance to showcase their personalities. Interactions like this make Raw a fun watch, which is exactly what should be happening.

Tweet of the Week

Vince McMahon is stepping into new territory.

Published
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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