"I spoke with him" - AEW star requested to face Bryan Danielson before retirement

AEW WrestleDream marked the official end of Bryan Danielson's full-time career. The veteran star dropped the World Championship to Jon Moxley, and as a result, he is no longer a full-time wrestler. Danielson's retirement was no secret, and now one top AEW star is revealing what led to their first-time-ever match.

The American Dragon wrestled fifty matches in the one-year lead-up to WrestleDream. This included several matches in All Elite Wrestling's inaugural Continental Classic tournament. After wins over Eddie Kingston and Daniel Garcia, plus a loss to Andrade, Danielson faced Brody King on the Winter Is Coming edition of Collision on December 16, 2023, in Garland, TX. The former WWE star won the 15-minute main event, then had a draw with Claudio Castagnoli, but lost the League Finals to overall winner Kingston.

King recently spoke with WrestleMobs and revealed how the match with Danielson came to be. He recalled simply approaching the former WWE Champion with the idea, adding that this match was a personal milestone.

"When Bryan said that it was going to be his last year as a full-time wrestler, I spoke with him and I said, 'Hey, I would love to be somehow part of your final year. So, having that match with him in the Continental Classic was... huge, for me personally," Brody King said. [H/T to WrestlingInc]

King was the only House of Black member to face Bryan Danielson in AEW, but Buddy Murphy did defeat him on SmackDown in August 2019. Brody noted that his pro wrestling career has been modeled on the work of stars like Danielson, adding that Bryan's ROH rivals Samoa Joe and CM Punk were also significant inspirations.

The House of Black secured another AEW TV squash

The House of Black continues their march back to the All Elite Wrestling's World Trios Championship. The group held the titles for 175 days in 2023, but the Blackpool Combat Club currently holds the titles.

Wednesday's AEW Dynamite saw Malakai Black, Brody King, and Buddy Matthews defeat three enhancement talents: Kevin Koa, Pirata De La Muerte, and Jaden Monroe. The match ended just two minutes after they squashed three other enhancement talents on Collision last weekend.

The House of Black will be present on Wednesday's Fright Night Dynamite as Matthews faces Adam Cole. This will be another first-time-ever match and Cole's first since All Out 2023.