AEW star Bryan Danielson recently offered insight into the competitive dynamic between All Elite Wrestling and WWE, speaking during an interview with TalkSport. The multi-time world champion discussed AEW’s approach to the wrestling landscape and contrasted it with perceptions of WWE’s strategy.
Danielson emphasized that AEW doesn’t view the relationship as antagonistic from their side. “We as a company don’t approach other companies in a warlike fashion, right? We don’t feel like we’re in a war with anybody,” he began, adding a crucial distinction: “But that’s not the same as the other side.”
This difference, Danielson explained, often puts AEW in a reactive posture. “We’re constantly kind of on the defense in that. I don’t know the right strategy, but I like the way Tony Khan handles things because, in my mind, it makes us the good guys,” he stated. Despite appreciating Khan’s approach, Danielson acknowledged external suggestions and internal questions about whether a change in tactics is needed: “But I don’t know if at some point we need to go more on the offensive. I’ve had friends bring that up to me like, ‘Oh, you guys should attack.’”
However, Danielson personally resists the idea of AEW adopting a more aggressive stance, citing the core personalities involved. “I’m like, wait a second. One, that’s not my personality. Two, that’s not Tony Khan’s personality. And I think that’s one of the things that drew me to AEW,” he revealed, noting this approach appealed to him even before he joined the company: “When I was in WWE, I was watching the way AEW did things.”
