Bryan Danielson Admits Body Is Broken And He’s Ready To Retire
The injuries have taken their toll on Bryan Danielson.
Bryan Danielson is no stranger to retirement, but unlike in 2016, this time he’s determined to go out on his own terms.
At All In, the American Dragon will challenge Swerve Strickland for the AEW World Championship. Danielson has famously never been AEW World Champion and has pledged to retire from in-ring competition if he’s unsuccessful.
The veteran has made no secret of his plans to wind down his career to spend more time with his family, but the ending could come quicker than some anticipated.
During an appearance on the The Nikki & Brie show, Danielson said he’s come to terms with hanging up his boots.
“So I’ve been in AEW now for three years and I’ve never won a championship. The story is, I’m wrestling this match, it’s career vs title. If I lose, I’m forced to retire. It’s something I’m ready for, I’m kind of ready to be done.”
On the subject of family, the star added that he doesn’t want to miss out on being at home when his children need him.
“I’d rather be at home. I don’t wanna miss out. There’s this small portion of our kids lives where they actually want us there, right? I see it with my friends and my sister and all of that kind of stuff. All of the sudden, Birdie, she’s seven now, she’s going to turn into a teenager and she’s gonna have other things. Now, she wants daddy there all the time and so it’s like, I wanna be there for that.”
“Turns Out I’m Not So Invincible” – Bryan Danielson
During a recent segment on AEW Collision, Bryan Danielson said he’s expecting to undergo neck surgery before the end of the year. While it’s been reported that AEW has placed heavy restrictions on the star to ensure he makes it to All In in as good condition as possible.
As Danielson’s reflection continued, he admitted his body is broken down, before laying out the injuries he’s faced in 2024.
“Also it’s like, my body is broken down. The odds are I’m probably going to have to have neck surgery before the end of the year. I’ve got all of those kind of things. This pro wrestling thing, it’s been incredible and it’s hard to imagine my life without it for the past twenty five years but it’s a lot easier to imagine my life going forward without me wrestling.
It’s hard for me to imagine me keeping doing this, especially with the last year. I’ve had herniated discs in my back, tore the labrum in my shoulder, then I broke my arm which required nine screws, then I had two fractures in my orbital bone. I just recently hurt my neck really bad and that was in April, so it’s all of these things.
When I started AEW, I was like, I’m invincible! Then it turns out maybe I’m not so invincible. It does but I’m not saying to feel bad for me. This is a blessed life, it really is. It’s fun and I still love it 25 years in, it’s just now I have things that are more important to me.”
When Danielson does finally bring the curtain down on his career, he’ll do so as one of the most highly acclaimed, and most beloved wrestlers of the modern era.
H/t to Fightful