Bryan Danielson is undoubtedly one of the most talented performers of his generation and had the courage to leave WWE when he was at the height of his career to land in All Elite Wrestling, accepting Tony Khan's offer and becoming one of the symbolic faces of this company.
Despite the serious injuries that have characterized his journey in professional wrestling, the former world champion has never given up and has shown fans that limits are often just an illusion. Unlike other legends of this business such as Cody Rhodes and CM Punk – who both returned to WWE after their experience in AEW – Bryan never intended to return to the Stamford’s federation and considers that chapter of his career now closed.
Bryan Danielson explains his choice
Most fans and analysts have never quite understood what prompted Danielson to say goodbye to WWE to move to All Elite Wrestling, a federation that does not have the same prestige and that did not guarantee him the same salary.
Although he no longer performs full-time due to his precarious physical condition, Bryan is still one of the most symbolic faces of AEW and the last three years have been important for the growth of his character and his legacy.
In a long interview with 'Talk Sport', he finally broke silence on the reason that led him to move from WWE to AEW: “We had a wrestler, Brodie Lee, who had passed away. They [AEW] did this incredible tribute show. At that point, I was still with WWE. And the way that they did that show—Brodie was my friend—it touched something in me and in my mind. I was thinking like, ‘Oh, these are the good guys of professional wrestling.”
Wrestling fans surely remember that Bryan had practically announced his retirement in February 2016 due to multiple concussions. However – a couple of years later – he was declared fit to return to the ring by WWE doctors. An example of resilience and the ability to overcome limits.