Bryan Danielson Health Issues Caused AEW Creative Changes

AEW has had to make some changes due to Bryan Danielson’s injury struggles.

At All In at Wembley Stadium, Bryan Danielson will challenge Swerve Strickland for the AEW World Championship — a title Danielson has famously never won. Furthermore, if Danielson fails to win, he’s promised to retire.

The star has even leaned into real-life concerns about his neck, telling the world that he’ll need to undergo surgery in the coming months.

A new report from Fightful Select has now given an update on Danielson’s status as he prepares for what could be his final match. Fightful notes that Danielson’s road to All In has been in place since at least the Spring, but there have been some bumps in the road. This included doctors refusing to clear the star to participate in Blood & Guts, although he was passed fit enough to wrestle Jeff Jarrett.

In addition, even if he does wrestle beyond All In, he could well compete in fewer matches than previously thought.

Following confirmation that Danielson is working without a contract, sources expect “renewed efforts for some sort of working agreement whenever his current run concludes.” The report reiterates that Danielson has repeatedly lobbied against winning the World Championship, and regularly asks to lose the majority of his matches.

With regard to WWE, sources claim there’s been no contact with the American Dragon, but he remains widely loved within the company.

Bryan Danielson Says Neck Is “Trashed”

In an interview just days ahead of All In, Bryan Danielson claimed his neck is “trashed” but he continues to feel invincible. The star explained that he’s “good at experiencing pain” so the problem is not really impacting his day-to-day life.

Danielson claimed his neck is “manageable” but reiterated that he’ll likely need surgery before the end of 2024.

Despite the problems with injury, Danielson has wrestled 31 times to date in 2024.