People in AEW believe former WWE Champion has not yet retired

Multiple WWE legends have made their way to AEW over the last few years, with some even choosing the company as their final home before riding off into the sunset. The latest to hang up his boots is former WWE Champion Bryan Danielson—or so it seemed.

Bryan Danielson experienced a career resurgence after joining Tony Khan's promotion in September 2021. The 43-year-old received acclaim for his matches, headlined multiple pay-per-views, and even won the AEW World Championship. His last match, which saw him lose the title to Jon Moxley at WrestleDream 2024, was seemingly his swan song. However, Fightful's Sean Ross Sapp has heard that he might not be finished just yet.

In a recent Q&A on Fightful Select, Sapp revealed that Danielson had told him he felt "terrible" back in December 2024. The American Dragon had been dealing with neck issues and had already claimed that his World Championship run was to be the finale of his full-time career.

However, the report notes that some within AEW believe The American Dragon has not wrestled his last match. It was also reiterated that he still works for the promotion and is occasionally seen backstage.

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Bryan Danielson gives health update amid AEW hiatus

While fans are hopeful that Bryan Danielson will return to the ring at least one more time, many are simply happy to hear that he's still involved with AEW in one way or another. The 43-year-old recently gave an update on his status.

Speaking with JNMEDIA's Jamal Niaz at a recent boxing event, The American Dragon revealed that his neck was "wrecked," but he couldn't confirm that he'd never step into the ring again:

"Yeah, but my neck is wrecked. So, it’s not no chance, but it’s risk versus reward at this point, right? So I want to be able to live comfortably with my wife and kids. One of the things our society has a real problem with is realizing when enough is enough, and I’m very satisfied with my career, and I think enough is enough," said Danielson.

If Bryan Danielson never wrestles for AEW again, many would say he's done more than enough and deserves his peaceful retirement. However, with the legend still being involved in the company's creative direction, there's hope that he may show up on television again in the near future.

About the author

Jacob is an AEW contributor and editor at Sportskeeda Wrestling. He has edited and published over 8,000 articles for Sportskeeda Wrestling in just over two years, and subsequently donned the hat of a contributor, demonstrating his commitment to continuous learning. His experience goes beyond wrestling, with five years as an editor for several independent publishing houses and three years as a captioning specialist.

Jacob's first memory of pro wrestling dates back to Sting vs. Ric Flair for the World Heavyweight Championship at Great American Bash 1990. He later began writing for a newsletter and blog at the University of North Texas, and his love of wrestling naturally led him to seek opportunities in the media.

His favorite wrestler is The Icon, as he feels Sting has evolved throughout his career on a parallel path with his own growth as a person. He was Jacob's childhood hero and teenage idol, and now he makes him less afraid of getting older.

Jacob ensures relevance and accuracy in his articles by working hard to maintain his ideals and objectivity without sacrificing his unique voice, inspiring other writers in the section to follow suit.

Jacob’s non-wrestling interests include Anime, video games, and fantasy novels.

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Edited by Sayantan Niyogi

People in AEW believe former WWE Champion has not yet retired - Reports

Bryan Danielson gives health update amid AEW hiatus