While speaking at an SXSW 2024 panel, Bryan Danielson noted that he’s not looking for an AEW Title run as he’s focused on putting over younger stars.
Danielson is a little over a month away from a one-on-one match with Will Ospreay at AEW Dynasty on April 21st. He said,
“I don’t use the ‘r-word’. I already had to do that once and I don’t wanna do it again. I wanna leave it open to be able to wrestle when I’m 75 if I so choose. When I came to AEW, CM Punk had just debuted several weeks before and he had talked about wanting to help the younger talent, all that kind of stuff and I watched his interview and I was like, ‘That’s what I was gonna say.’ So then, when they asked me about it, ‘What’s your goals here in AEW?’ I was like, ‘Ah, I’m gonna come in here and kick everybody’s heads in. I don’t care about pushing younger guys to the top, all that kind of stuff. I’m just gonna stomp them in the face and show them that I’m the best.’ But that’s actually not the reality as somebody who’s 42 years old and who has two kids. One of the things that I loved about AEW and just the idea of it is just that it made the pro wrestling industry healthier and so when I look at that, how do I make this industry that I’ve loved since I was a child — how do I make it healthier? And the idea is to pass on the stardom that I’ve been given to try to pass that on to the younger wrestlers… I’ve had some people ask me or say things to me like, ‘Oh Bryan, you should be champion or you should’ve been champion’ or you should’ve this or you should’ve that and the reality is to me, no, the champions that we’ve had have been great. Hangman (Adam Page) was a great champion, MJF was a great champion and it elevated these younger people to where now these people are stars and you put Hangman on TV now and he draws a rating. You put MJF on TV, he draws a rating. It would be easy to just take stars of the past and make them your champion and make them your top guy. That’s the easy way. It’s much harder to take somebody like MJF who hadn’t been on national television and turn him into a star that draws ratings… That was my bigger goal is to transfer stardom from one generation to another.”
Bryan Danielson, also known as Daniel Bryan, recently spoke at an SXSW 2024 panel where he discussed his goals in All Elite Wrestling (AEW). The former WWE superstar revealed that he is not seeking a title run in AEW and instead wants to focus on putting over younger talent.
Danielson is set to have a highly anticipated one-on-one match with Will Ospreay at AEW Dynasty on April 21st. When asked about his goals in AEW, Danielson expressed his desire to avoid using the “r-word” (retirement) and keep his options open for wrestling well into the future. He mentioned that he wants to be able to wrestle even at the age of 75 if he chooses to do so.
The 42-year-old wrestler acknowledged the influence of CM Punk, who had recently debuted in AEW and expressed his intention to help younger talent. Danielson shared that he had a similar mindset and wanted to contribute to making the pro wrestling industry healthier. He believes that passing on the stardom he has achieved to younger wrestlers is a way to achieve this goal.
Danielson admitted that initially, he had a different perspective when he joined AEW. He had planned to come in and dominate the competition without focusing on pushing younger talent. However, after witnessing the positive impact AEW had on the industry, he realized the importance of elevating younger stars.
The wrestler praised previous AEW champions such as Hangman Adam Page and MJF, stating that they were great champions who helped elevate younger talent. He emphasized that it would be easy to rely on past stars and make them champions, but the true challenge lies in turning relatively unknown wrestlers into stars who can draw ratings.
Danielson’s ultimate goal in AEW is to transfer stardom from one generation to another. He wants to use his own experience and success to help younger wrestlers reach new heights and become the future stars of the industry. By doing so, he believes he can contribute to making the pro wrestling industry healthier and more sustainable.
In conclusion, Bryan Danielson’s focus in AEW is not on winning championships but on putting over younger talent. He aims to pass on the stardom he has achieved to the next generation of wrestlers, contributing to the growth and success of the pro wrestling industry.