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Bryan Danielson is one of the most respected wrestlers in the industry today. The 42-year-old recently announced that he might retire sometime in the next 12 months.
Dutch Mantell recently reacted to the news and reportedly dismissed his statements.
Danielson might be best known for his WWE run as Daniel Bryan, but the veteran has competed in numerous different promotions over the years. He has probably reached a point where he feels he's achieved all that he ever set out to.
During a recent episode of his Storytime with Dutch Mantell podcast, the veteran compared Bryan Danielson's planned retirement to the many "retirements" of Terry Funk:
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"You don’t quit wrestling. You just don’t. I mean, Terry Funk, he was like The Eagles. And they retired for 20 years. Terry Funk was like the same thing. You don’t really quit wrestling. Wrestling can quit you, but you can’t quit wrestling."
Jon Moxley recently praised Bryan Danielson and urged fans to enjoy the star's performances while they can. Moxley even went as far as comparing The American Dragon to Michael Jordan, and reminded fans of how it felt like when the NBA legend retired.
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Dutch Mantell believes Bryan Danielson's planned retirement will lead to a major AEW role
Danielson was highly praised for his stint as an onscreen authority figure in WWE, when he acted as SmackDown General Manager in 2016. If the veteran does opt to retire, could a similar role in AEW await?
Continuing in the same episode, Dutch Mantell added fuel to the speculations of Danielson taking over from Tony Khan:
"And if he retires? Great. And if he wants to go home for nine months and not wrestle – but I don’t think he’s going to do that, I think what he will do, but if there comes a point where [Khan] is just burnt out on it, he was going to hand it to Bryan."
Mantell also noted that if this does come to pass, Bryan Danielson could likely reshape AEW.
What would the promotion look like if this materialized? Sound off in the comments section.
