Several years before Bryan Danielson departed in 2021, he was a top-tier professional in WWE. Following his exit, he decided to ink a deal with All Elite Wrestling (AEW), also known as The American Dragon.
In the recent broadcast of “The Gorilla Position” podcast, Danielson opened up about whether he harbors any regrets about decamping to AEW prior to Triple H taking over the creative reins from Vince McMahon in WWE during the summer of 2022.
Unmoved, Danielson stated, “No, not in the slightest. My perspective towards this is simple; while things have clearly improved at their end, I view my decision as twofold. Firstly, I truly relish my current experience. And secondly, there are others, including myself, who favor the wrestling-centric style of AEW as opposed to a focus on dramatic arcs. The concept of a viable alternative appeals to me.”
Further elaborating, he said, “In considering my decision to leave WWE, I want to clarify that I’ve never harbored any dislike towards it. I’ve always spoken positively about them primarily because I cherished my stint there and I’m friends with the people I used to work with who still remain there. But one thing I truly desired was to contribute to something bigger; to make the wrestling industry a better place for all involved. I genuinely believe that the emergence of AEW is a positive development for all of us.”
Danielson’s upcoming challenge is an AEW World Championship match against Swerve Strickland slated later this month at AEW All In: London 2024.