Jon Moxley defeated Bryan Danielson to capture the AEW World Championship for the fourth time last month at WrestleDream.
All Elite Wrestling‘s Jon Moxley recently spoke with Scott Fishman of TV Insider. When asked about retiring his longtime friend Bryan Danielson last month at WrestleDream, Moxley said Danielson needed to be taken off the board as part of a bigger picture.
“It’s easy to get emotionally attached to a match with Bryan Danielson. One of my best friends and training partners and a guy I’ve been down the literal and proverbial roads with all around the world for years. There was an objective that needed to be completed. He had to be taken off the board as part of the big picture.
WrestleDream was a “beautiful funeral” for Bryan Danielson
“He was a thing on a checklist. There was no way I was walking out of the building without getting the job done. I don’t have time to feel sad about it. To me, it was a beautiful funeral. His mom was in the front row as I was squeezing his neck as his mom screamed that she loved him, and he screamed it back to her. I’m not sure if that was caught on camera, but that was quite a powerful moment to see up close.
“A lot of guys’ careers will end in the hospital or their phones will stop ringing. It won’t be on their terms. Bryan was able to do very much to end this stage of his career on his terms. He did not verbally submit or tap out, but I felt the spirit of the “American Dragon” leave his body and feel that he can now rest.”
Moxley will defend the AEW World Championship later this month against Orange Cassidy at AEW Full Gear.
READ MORE: Jon Moxley: ‘Hard Reset And Complete Restart’ Of AEW Has Begun
What do you make of Jon Moxley’s overall comments? Are you anticipating a Bryan Danielson return to the ring at some point in 2025? Let us know your overall thoughts by sounding off in the comments section below.
