Bryan Danielson, during his time in WWE, wrestled against some of the industry’s biggest names and came tantalizingly close to stepping into the ring with his mentor, Shawn Michaels.
In the WWE Hell In A Cell 2013 event, it was Michaels’ Sweet Chin Music which cost Danielson his WWE Championship match against Randy Orton.
Danielson recently sat down for an interview with the Daily Star, in which he divulged that there was potential for a bout between him and the legendary Michaels. He confessed,
“The one [match] I’ve always wanted is Shawn Michaels, because he helped train me. There was a moment, a brief period of time, in 2013-14 when I thought I was going to get it but I didn’t. So close.”
Michaels’ retirement from in-ring action came in March 2010, which coincidentally was a month after Bryan debuted as part of the novel format of WWE NXT’s inaugural season.
In the upcoming event, AEW All In: London 2024, Danielson is set to vie for the AEW World Championship. The stakes are high as a loss in this match would result in Danielson’s retirement from wrestling.