Bryan Danielson: My full-time career is over when I lose AEW World title
The future of AEW World Champion Bryan Danielson is now a bit clearer after proclaiming on Wednesday’s Dynamite that whenever he loses the title, his full-time in-ring career is done.
However, he doesn’t intend for that to be anytime soon.
Danielson closed the show with a promo where it was stated he would address his future. He said last Sunday at All In when he defeated Swerve Strickland for the title was the favorite moment of his entire career, citing his family being there and him winning the title that had eluded him in the past after trying and failing several times — all in front of more than 50,000 fans and his peers.
He referenced not having been under contract since August 1st, needing neck surgery sooner than later, and that his family is ready for him to come home. He also said AEW existing has made both pro wrestling and his life better.
He then revealed that after doing a lot of thinking, he had no intentions on retiring as champion and was going to instead be a fighting champion, but cautioned that whenever he was defeated for the title, he was done as a full-time performer.
Until then, he said it’s first come, first served for anyone in the locker room who was ready to take the title and end his run. Jack Perry answered the challenge and that match appears to be on for next month’s All Out pay-per-view from Chicago.
For quite some time, the 43-year-old Danielson has talked about having one final year as a full-time wrestler and recently revealed to Jim Ross in the lead-up to All In that he likely would have neck surgery by the end of the year.