Bryan Danielson has been involved in some great feuds over the course of the last two years in AEW. From his dream match against Kenny Omega to the brutal All Out outing against Ricky Starks, the American Dragon has competed against some of the best names Tony Khan’s promotion has to offer.
With that said, there are many names vying for the career-alerting opportunity to feud with one of the best wrestlers on the planet. Danielson probably feels the same as well, given the stacked roster he’s been a part of since he first walked into an AEW ring at All Out 2021.
The list of dream matches Bryan Danielson could have in AEW is virtually endless. He kicked off his post-WWE career in spectacular fashion against Kenny Omega.
These five names could make for some great challenges to the American Dragon after he finishes up his feud with Ricky Starks.
Samoa Joe has a history with Bryan Danielson
We’re kicking off our list of Bryan Danielson’s five potential opponents in AEW with a familiar name. This is a man who’s known the bearded GOAT for a long time. They can probably tell each other’s next move inside the ring just by looking at each other.
A feud between Samoa Joe and Bryan Danielson needs to happen in AEW, especially after the tremendous job the promotion did with Joe versus Punk. The Samoan Submission Machine and the Second City Saint had an all-time opener at All In. The match featured many callbacks to their career-making exchanges in ROH.
With Danielson reportedly (currently) hands-on involved with Collision, fans just might get the epic feud between him and Joe.
Rush
Rush’s current booking has been nothing short of intimidating. The former ROH World Champion is looking to reclaim the main event spot in AEW and he won’t stop at nothing till he and the rest of the La Faccion Ingobernable get what they want.
Those who’ve faced Rush inside the squared circle know he’s no talk and all action. His matches are extremely physical; something Bryan Danielson likes to test in his bouts as well. The two stars could bring their factions into a potential feud against each other on Collision.
Malakai Black
Malakai Black may just be one of the most creative minds on the AEW roster. The former Aleister Black loves to bring psychological warfare into his matches. Plus, he’s the big bad Brodie Lee and the extremely agile yet intense Buddy Matthews in his corner.
Fans who’ve been Danielson and Black since their indie days might recall the singles match they had against each other in Westside Xtreme Wrestling in 2010. Danielson showed he was more than just a technical maestro as more than held his own against the former Tommy End in their shoot-style outing.
AEW needs to put the two in the ring against each other before Danielson decides to hang up his boots.
Jay White
Bryan Danielson’s current run as a tweener may not be the perfect contrast to the heel invader gimmick of Jay White. That said, a feud between the two stars could be solid given their impeccable storytelling ability and in-ring acumen.
AEW doesn’t take the WWE route when it comes to pitting pure heels against pure babyfaces. Factions despite their shared tendencies for violence or control have gone to war against each other in the past. The Inner Circle versus the Pinnacle is one such feud that pitted two heel factions against each other though Chris Jericho and his stable mates mostly toyed along the lines of heels and babyfaces.
Bryan Danielson’s BCC and Jay White’s Bullet Club Gold could confront each other, with both leaders potentially vying for brand supremacy before they set their sights on the AEW World Championship.
Nigel McGuinness is perhaps Bryan Danielson’s greatest rival
Nigel McGuinness is probably the greatest rival of Bryan Danielson’s storied career. The two men fought wars in Ring of Honor. Their matches over the Pure Championship are some of the most legendary matches in the promotion’s history.
McGuinness has teased a return to the squared circle and he could get his highly-anticipated comeback in the form of a feud against Bryan Danielson. The former ROH Pure Champion had pretty stiff words for Danielson during his match against Ricky Starks at All Out.
Which of these men would you like to see have a feud against Bryan Danielson, or do you have someone else in mind? Let us know in the comments section below!
Also read: Bryan Danielson’s 5 Best AEW Matches
