Bryan Danielson Details How “Unfortunate Incident” Got Him Back In The Ring

Bryan Danielson got back in the ring before he was ready.

At AEW x NJPW Forbidden Door 2023, Bryan Danielson suffered a broken arm in the main event against Kazuchika Okada. Despite the injury, the American Dragon continued to wrestle for several more minutes before finally grabbing the win.

As a result of the injury, Danielson was forced to miss All In at Wembley Stadium, but he made a surprise return to face Ricky Starks (Ricky Saints in WWE) in a Strap Match at All Out a week later. The match had originally been set to involve CM Punk, but he was fired after getting into a fight backstage with Jack Perry.

During an appearance at Starrcast (video via All Elite Hub), Danielson recalled the “unfortunate incident backstage” that got him back in the ring before he was supposed to return.

“And then, because I missed that (All In 2023), and then there was an unfortunate incident backstage, I got to have an incredible Strap match with Ricky Starks when I wasn’t even supposed to be wrestling (he laughed).

To be fair, my dumbass suggested it. He (Tony Khan) didn’t say it this way. This is the way I framed it in my mind. We’re kind of in a pickle here, and I said, ‘Oh, what could I do with my arm in the shape that it’s in right now? I can do a Strap match.”

Bryan Danielson Names Moment He Decided To Retire

During the same appearance, Bryan Danielson revealed the exact moment he knew he had to retire from in-ring action.

Danielson said that during his match at Dynasty 2024 against Will Ospreay, he “landed on his head,” and that started the downward spiral regarding his neck. He added that he had an MRI scan following a match against Shingo Takagi two months and the results were bad enough that he wondered whether his retirement run would even be possible.

He confirmed that from that point forward, he was unable to sleep for more than three hours at a time, and realised he needed to put his family first.

H/t to Fightful