Bryan Danielson opens up about his comments about how the next year could be his last as a full-time wrestler.
On the September 9 episode of AEW Collision, Bryan Danielson noted that he promised his daughter he would start finishing his career once she turned seven. Justin Barrasso of Sports Illustrated then reported that Danielson will be stepping away from full-time wrestling in the next year.
Speaking on BJ & Migs, Bryan Danielson reflected on the promo and described how it was rooted in reality and his true feelings. (H/t Jeremy Lambert of Fightful for the transcription)
“It is a real thing. Also, I’m not a great actor,” Bryan Danielson said. “I have no interest in acting whatsoever. It’s one of those things where, if I don’t feel something to be true, I can’t go out there and do it. Not that I can’t go out there and do it, I will go out there and do it, but I need to have some sort of connection to something before I go out there and do it. This is a very real thing. For me, this is my last full-time year of wrestling. What my life looks like outside of wrestling after the year, we don’t exactly know. I don’t know, I would kind of like to disappear. I don’t think my temperament is good for the public eye, I don’t like being recognized, that sort of thing.
People are great, wrestling fans are great, they are always so nice when they say hi, but what really made it happen was being in the WWE machine and you’re in the spotlight so much, and I always loved wrestling and I loved the idea that I could wrestle in front of 500 people at an independent show and they’d be like, ‘you’re the best,’ and I go to the airport and nobody knows who I am.”
Bryan Danielson Wants To Make His Last Full Year Special
After highlighting the toll that wrestling and traveling takes on him, Danielson also emphasized that he wants to be there for his kids as best he can. He noted that he’s getting to the point where he has to consider his long-term health. “The American Dragon” also emphasized that he wants to make every match in this last year of full-time wrestling meaningful.
“One of the things is, mentally, for me, making this last full-time year of wrestling, making every match mean more,” Bryan Danielson said. “Not to other people, but to myself. I have a limited time frame to do this at the scale that I’m doing it. That means don’t take it for granted. Doing this job is a blessing, and I’m lucky to be able to do it.”
Danielson also emphasized that he still loves wrestling and teased that he could call up the promoter of DEFY Wrestling, work for them, and wrestle in a full-body suit so nobody would know it was him.
Bryan Danielson will face Zack Sabre Jr. at AEW WrestleDream. WrestleZone will have coverage of the show as it airs.
