Former WWE Writer Reveals Bryan Danielson Recruited Him to AEW

The professional wrestling industry is cyclical with its talent, and that goes beyond in-ring competitors. This is especially evident in All Elite Wrestling, as Tony Khan’s young wrestling company assembled a crew full of talent with experience in multiple other promotions. WWE legends like Billy Gunn and Dean Malenko were brought in as producers. Pro Wrestling Guerrilla founder Excalibur heads up AEW’s broadcast booth. Former WWE production heir Mike Mansury inked with AEW to become the company’s leading television executive producer. This wealth of knowledge and experience continues on AEW’s creative team, one that includes everyone from former indie standouts to longtime fans turned contributors.

Among that creative team is Jimmy Jacobs. Jacobs made a name for himself in Ring of Honor, spending 12 years in the promotion before putting his in-ring career on pause to join WWE as a writer. He would depart WWE in 2017 and join Impact Wrestling, serving as both an in-ring competitor and a backstage producer. That run with Impact ran until last summer, as Jacobs ultimately exited in favor of joining AEW.

“It was time. My time at IMPACT, I had done what I was going to do there,” Jacobs told Developmentally Speaking. “I knew my time there was over before I was going to AEW. I knew, intuitively, this is done. I’ve done what I can do. It’s been five and a half years. I felt creatively burnt out, and they need new creative blood in the company to get it propelled. The dynamic with the guys on the creative team, it had become what it was going to become. I had done what I can do with the company.”

While Jacobs was feeling that burnout, he got a phone call from one American Dragon.

“At the very same time, Bryan Danielson called me,” Jacobs continued. “‘This is how reality works, this is how the universe works.’ I’m done here, the door is going to open here. Okay, let’s walk through.”

Jacobs has been on AEW’s books since June 2023.

“Mostly what I do is I format the show and organize information and communicate information. It was never supposed to be a creative role,” Jacobs detailed. I was burnt out at Impact. I was burnt out writing wrestling television every week and I really didn’t want to do it anymore. My job at AEW really doesn’t involve me writing wrestling television. It’s far more admin.”