Bryan Danielson Reached Levels in Professional Wrestling He Never Imagined

AEW star Bryan Danielson admitted he never expected his professional wrestling career to reach such incredible heights.

Starting out in the early 2000s, Danielson wrestled across various independent promotions. He rose to prominence in Ring of Honor, where he became a standout performer and held the ROH World Championship. He also competed in NJPW and Pro Wrestling NOAH.

In 2009, Danielson joined WWE under the name Daniel Bryan. He quickly became one of the company’s most beloved stars. His top moment came in the company at WrestleMania 30, where he captured the WWE World Heavyweight Championship.

After a brief retirement due to injury, he returned to action and remained a top-tier competitor. In 2021, Bryan Danielson signed with AEW, reverting to his real name and becoming one of the top performers in Tony Khan’s promotion.

With an iconic career spanning multiple major promotions, in an interview with Kiro News Radio, Bryan Danielson admitted he never envisioned the level of success he ultimately achieved in professional wrestling.

“No. I had wanted to be a professional wrestler ever since I was in first grade, but I never expected to reach the heights that I did. My first 10 years of my career, I was at the independent level, and it was mostly wrestling in front of anywhere from 100 to 1,000 people. I’d go internationally, but I just figured that would be my whole career. I mean, I’m five feet, eight inches tall, 190 pounds. I’m not your standard professional wrestler.” [H/T: Fightful]

Bryan Danielson provides update on his in-ring future

Bryan Danielson was last seen in action at AEW WrestleDream, where he lost the AEW World Championship to Jon Moxley. This match marked the end of Danielson’s full-time wrestling career. In an interview Daly Migs, he addressed the possibility of returning to the ring. He revealed that he currently isn’t medically cleared to wrestle.

“I don’t know, but right now, I’m not cleared to wrestle,” Bryan Danielson said. “Even if I wanted to, if I said, ‘Hey, I’m going to be there.’ I will be there in Kent. I will be there live in front of the people, but probably not on television. It’ll just be for the people there live.”