Backstage Update on Bryan Danielson’s Full-Time Wrestling Career Ending at AEW WrestleDream 2024

As noted before, Saturday’s AEW WrestleDream 2024 event at the Tacoma Dome in Tacoma, Washington featured Jon Moxley defeating Bryan Danielson to become the new AEW World Champion and Danielson’s full-time wrestling career ending in the process.

Fightful Select reported that their sources stated that Danielson had specifically wanted Moxley to be the person to end his farewell title run.

Danielson reportedly went into his match against Moxley with a series of legitimate injuries which him to second-guess his decision to work the prior three matches leading into WrestleDream. These matches were the non-title match with Nigel McGuinness, the title vs. title match with Kazuchika Okada, and the tag team match with Wheeler Yuta against Claudio Castagnoli & PAC.

It was reported that Danielson had legitimately been working without a contract for the past few months and is technically currently a free agent. AEW officials reportedly are currently hopeful that Danielson will stay in the company and wrestle periodically and resume his other duties when he is ready to do so following his treatment and likely surgery for his neck issues.

In regards to AEW’s plans for Danielson leading to WrestleDream, it was reported that AEW officials had planned earlier in the year for Danielson to win the AEW World title from Strickland and that had remained the plan following Strickland’s victory over Samoa Joe to win the title at this past April’s Dynasty event. It was reported that Strickland had insisted on wanting to tap out to Danielson instead of passing out or something similar to it for their match to kick-start Danielson’s run as AEW World Champion.