Bryan Danielson has opened up about the serious health issues that have led many to believe his in-ring career has come to an end. Speaking to the Daily Star, Danielson was candid about the physical toll wrestling has taken on his body after a 25-year career.
“I don’t want to 100% say I’ve called it a day… but you know it’s mostly calling it a day.”
Danielson hasn’t wrestled since October’s WrestleDream event, but his history of health issues goes back much further than that. The former World Champion revealed that a severe neck injury sustained in his match against Will Ospreay at AEW’s Dynasty pay-per-view made his final six months of competition especially challenging.
“I wouldn’t say good health in the sense of like… I can’t work out the way that I used to work out… my therapist literally won’t allow me to… I can’t hold heavy dumbbells just down.”
Despite stepping away from competition, seemingly for good, Danielson remains involved with AEW. The American Dragon holds multiple roles behind the scenes and is pleased that his position on the disciplinary committee is one he only rarely has to fulfill.
“I’m just kind of a consultant for AEW now… I’m part of the disciplinary committee… it’s very little of it.”
Wembley Memories
The pinnacle of Danielson’s AEW tenure came at All In: London 2024 where he captured the AEW World Title from Swerve Strickland. In the interview, Danielson reflected warmly on his Wembley Stadium appearance as a career highlight, particularly having his family present.
“It was incredible… seeing my kids there, my wife there, them getting to be part of it was just incredible.”
Today, it remains uncertain whether Danielson’s family, or wrestling fans worldwide, will see him compete in the ring again. Nevertheless, the legacy Danielson has crafted in professional wrestling is undeniable and extraordinary.
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