The WWE that Bryan Danielson left three years ago is a far cry from the WWE that exists today. The former Daniel Bryan ended his WWE tenure in April 2021, taking his talents to the newly-launched All Elite Wrestling that August. Upon making his official debut in September 2021, Danielson showcased himself as an amalgamation of both his WWE persona as well as the independent “American Dragon” spirit that had preceded his televised wrestling career. As Danielson was helping grow AEW, WWE was undergoing substantial changes. Longtime chairman Vince McMahon stepped down in June 2022 and was officially removed from the company following sex trafficking allegations in January 2024. WWE Chief Content Officer Paul “Triple H” Levesque has since taken the day-to-day operation reins while WWE President Nick Khan fronts much of WWE’s business operations.
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Bryan Danielson Speaks On WWE’s Changes
The American Dragon prefers what All Elite Wrestling provides.
Speaking to The Gorilla Position, Bryan Danielson emphasized that he has had no second thoughts about leaving WWE despite the company’s power shift during his absence.
“No, not at all,” Danielson said. “I think how I view it is, obviously things have changed for the better there, substantially. How I view it is, one, I’ve had an incredible time doing what I’m doing. There are a lot of people who, and I think I’m one of these people, who prefer the style in AEW. That’s more wrestling focused as opposed to the drama focus. I like the idea that there is an alternative.”
Over the past three years, Danielson’s matches and rivalries have been centered around in-ring competition. This is a bit of a shift from his WWE programs, as his storylines with the late Bray Wyatt and The Miz tapped into elements of supernatural and soap opera, respectively.
“When I put thought into what I wanted to do as far as leaving WWE, I was never somebody who disliked WWE. I’ve tried not say anything bad about WWE because I really enjoyed my time there and I enjoyed the people that I worked with,” Danielson continued. “People that are there are still my friends. One of the things that I really wanted was to participate in this thing that makes the wrestling industry better for everybody involved. Just the fact that AEW exists is much better for all of us. I’m also preferential to the style. I like the style a little bit more.”
Danielson challenges Swerve Strickland for the AEW World Championship at AEW ALL IN: London on Sunday, August 25th.
