Bryan Danielson has opened up about the harsh reality of his physical condition, admitting that his previous hopes of returning to the ring may have been unrealistic. The “American Dragon” ended his full-time wrestling career in October 2024 and has since transitioned to the Dynamite commentary team, but the travel required for the new role is taking a toll.
Danielson Discusses His Resistance To The Word ‘Retired’
Speaking on a new episode of Insight with Chris Van Vliet, Danielson explained why he refuses to use the word “retired” to describe his current status. He referenced his forced retirement in 2016 as the primary reason he dislikes the term, even though he acknowledges his physical limitations are severe.
“I hate the [retired] word because I was forced to retire before [in 2016],” Danielson said. “So I never consider myself fully retired. Like — this is how I think and this is how a lot of wrestlers think, ‘Well, I think I could do this in this situation if needed or called upon or whatever it is.’ But yeah, you know, effectively for the Bryan Danielson that I used to be, yeah, that guy doesn’t exist anymore.”
Travel Issues Have Crushed Hopes Of A Return
Danielson revealed that he had been holding onto the idea that he could eventually return for sporadic wrestling appearances. However, the physical pain of the weekly travel for his commentary duties has led him to realize those thoughts were likely misguided.
“I’d like to never get neck surgery,” Danielson said. “I was actually doing really well until I started traveling more, and then it’s really gone downhill. I had these weird, they’re not even weird, I wouldn’t even say it’s weird. I had these delusions about like, ‘Okay, maybe I could get back and do a little bit of wrestling or whatever it is.’ Now I see that they were delusions. This traveling is like, ‘Okay, yeah, that would not be a good idea.'”
Danielson On The Type Of Matches He Could Still Wrestle
When asked if he would still like to wrestle if he cannot perform at his previous elite level, Danielson suggested he would enjoy lighter, “fun” matches similar to those he had early in his career at Butlin’s camps in the UK. However, he does not believe that is what the AEW audience wants to see from him.
“I would love to, not on TV, right?” Danielson stated. “I think I could go have fun matches and have fun doing the fun matches. But then I don’t think that that’s the TV — that’s not the kind of wrestling fans would want to pay to see Bryan Danielson do.”
Current Status On Neck Surgery
Danielson is currently on the cusp of needing neck surgery but remains hopeful that he can avoid the procedure. He noted that his condition was stable before the increased travel demands of the commentary role caused it to deteriorate.
If you use any portion of the quotes from this article please credit Insight with Chris Van Vliet with a h/t to WrestlingNews.co for the transcription. You can subscribe to the Chris Van Vliet YouTube channel for more interviews.
