Former WWE Champion addresses shocking end to career: "It's not ideal"

A multi-time WWE Champion saw the end of his full-time career in AEW in 2024. Months after a classic match, the star addressed the shocking end to that in-ring showdown, which was his last one so far.

The star in question is Bryan Danielson. He was the AEW World Champion then and defended his title against Jon Moxley at the WrestleDream event. It was an instant classic that saw Moxley dethroning Bryan, ending his run as a full-time competitor.

As the fans witnessed, Jon Moxley used a plastic bag to lock in the sleeper hold on Bryan. During a recent interview with Fightful's Sean Ross Sapp, The American Dragon made a shocking revelation that he, indeed, was choked out by Moxley.

The former WWE superstar also stated that while he would have wanted to go out differently, that would have been his lasting image as a full-time wrestler.

"I mean yeah ... it's not ideal ... it's not the way you want to go, but yeah it was ... it happened and ... you just have to exist with what happens." [0:50 - 1:07]

What is former WWE Champion Bryan Danielson's current status with AEW?

Bryan Danielson has not appeared in or competed in AEW since his match against Jon Moxley at WrestleDream. Moreover, the multi-time WWE Champion has not officially signed a contract with Tony Khan's company.

In the same interview, Bryan discussed his current status and his appearance at the All-In 2025 ticket sale event in Arlington, Texas. The former WWE Champion stated that he came to Texas after Tony Khan asked him if he could make it.

“No, just Tony and I were talking on Friday, and he said, ‘We’ve got this All-In on sale event.’ I said, ‘Oh, do you want me to come? I’d love to.’ He goes, ‘Yeah, I’d love to see you.’ So here I am.”

While Bryan Danielson is not working on a contract with AEW, he still maintains good relations with the company. So, it remains to be seen if he can return to the promotion in a different capacity in the future.