Bryan Danielson Questions WWE For Releasing Major Star

Bryan Danielson has some questions for WWE.

At All In, Bryan Danielson defeated Swerve Strickland to become the AEW World Champion. Going into the match Danielson had put his career on the line, but due to his win, he’s set to wrestle a little longer.

Just prior to the match it was confirmed that Swerve Strickland had signed a new big-money contract in large part thanks to the success of his World Title run. This spell represented the high point of Strickland’s career to date, coming less than three years after he was released by WWE.

In a new interview with Justin Barrasso, Danielson looked back on his Wembley triumph and heaped praise on Strickland. The new World Champion went on to question why WWE let him go when he’s so talented.

“Swerve was perfect at All In,” said Danielson. “I mean, he’s incredible. He just signed a new contract with AEW–and that is one of the benefits of having two mainstream wrestling companies in the United States. WWE didn’t see value in him, and they let him go. When Swerve came here, he said he was going to become AEW champion–and he did.

You watch him and ask, ‘Who would ever let go of this guy?’ He just wasn’t given the opportunity to be his best self. And that goes both ways–I don’t want it to sound like, ‘Oh, evil WWE, they don’t let their talent be their best selves.’ Some people will thrive there. Some people will thrive here.

There are people who will thrive in both places, there are people who will be underutilized. That’s the benefit of having two major companies in the United States. If someone doesn’t see value in you, you can try somewhere else.

And Swerve, he is the most professional of the professionals. Him, Claudio, [Samoa] Joe–anything you need them to do, they do it without hesitation. The way he’s been able to show everyone how skilled he is of a professional wrestler, I’m so impressed. I can’t say enough about him as a professional wrestler or a human being.”

Bryan Danielson Needs Surgery

During the same interview, Bryan Danielson confirmed he’s struggling with “very similar” neck issues to when he won the WWE Title in 2014. At the time, Danielson was told that he’d need surgery on his neck, but he was able to put it off until he lost strength in his arm.

Ahead of his match with Strickland at All In, Danielson repeatedly stated that he’ll need surgery when his current in-ring run is over.