Bryan Danielson Knew About Shane McMahon's AEW Meeting Before Tony Khan Told Him

Shane met with Khan to discuss "possibilities moving forward."

By Liam Crowley

All Elite Wrestling could employ a McMahon at some point in the future. Earlier this summer, WWE Hall of Famer and AEW commentator Jim Ross sparked a conversation about Shane McMahon appearing in AEW, noting the idea was not as crazy as fans would think. The rumor snowballed from there, as rumblings about Shane speaking with unnamed AEW talent began to make the rounds on social media. Rumors turned into legitimate reports shortly after, as AEW TBS Champion Mercedes Moné revealed that she ran into Shane at an airport and had a brief conversation with him. Weeks later, AEW President Tony Khan held an official meeting with Shane where the two reportedly discussed "possibilities moving forward."

Bryan Danielson Addresses Shane McMahon x AEW Rumors

SHANE-MCMAHON-AEW-BRYAN-DANIELSON-WWE
(Photo: WWE, AEW)

The American Dragon is open to reuniting with his former fellow WWE SmackDown executive in AEW.

Speaking to The Gorilla Position, Bryan Danielson clarified his knowledge of the Shane McMahon x AEW situation, noting he knows nothing but is "open" to it.

"One, if I knew, I would not tell you. Two, I don't know [laughs]," Danielson said. "I'm open to working with anybody. I don't have beef with anybody. 100 percent."

Danielson's three-year AEW wrestling contract recently expired, and as of this writing, he appears to be competing on a handshake deal for the foreseeable future. That said, Danielson's backstage contract remains active, as he has a second AEW deal tied to his behind-the-scenes responsibilities. He largely works with AEW President Tony Khan in a consultant capacity, helping Khan piece together storylines and matches. Khan and Danielson work extremely closely, as Khan has said that he would call on Danielson to run AEW should he need to ever step away.

Khan spoke with Danielson about his meeting with Shane, but Danielson revealed he was already well aware due to a photo of the two that circulated on social media.

"It was interesting because Tony mentioned to me after the photo came out, 'I didn't want to tell you this before, but I met with Shane McMahon,'" Danielson continued. "I didn't say this, but I was like, 'Yeah, I know. The picture is everywhere.' To be fair, I'm not aware of a lot of things because I don't go on Twitter or social media."

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Danielson has an extensive relationship with Shane. Back in 2016, the two worked together as WWE SmackDown executives, with Danielson being the brand's general manager while Shane served as commissioner. Two years after that, Danielson received medical clearance to return to the ring, and his first match back was a tag bout alongside Shane against Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn at WWE WrestleMania 34.

Danielson challenges Swerve Strickland for the AEW World Title on Sunday, August 25th at AEW ALL IN: London.

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