Bryan Danielson is enjoying his new role as an AEW commentator, but the job has come with significant physical challenges due to his ongoing neck issues. Danielson discussed the transition from full-time wrestler to broadcaster during a new interview on Insight with Chris Van Vliet.
Travel Issues Complicate Neck Injury
Danielson joined the Dynamite broadcast team full-time in September following a guest spot at Forbidden Door earlier in the year. He stated that while the job itself is fun, the travel requirements have exacerbated his neck problems.
“It’s been interesting, because I wasn’t anticipating being a commentator. I was at home and then they asked me to come in because Taz was getting shoulder surgery and to come in to help out a little bit,” Danielson said. “So the travel has been difficult for me. That’s one of the things I didn’t expect. Because I’ve traveled my entire adult life, right? It’s no big deal, but with my neck as bad as it is, all of a sudden, you take that, it was almost, gosh, it was like eight or nine months where I was only traveling maybe once a month. I’d go to the pay-per-views and all that kind of stuff. But yeah, the weekly travel has been a lot, and it’s just made sleeping hard and that sort of thing.”
Danielson Describes Numbness And Sleeping Adjustments
The “American Dragon” explained that sitting on planes and handling luggage has become difficult. He revealed that he now travels with a cervical pillow to manage the pain, but the cross-country flights from the West Coast still pose a major issue.
“I have a cervical pillow now that I travel with me, just because — and for a while I was just sleeping with one of those hand towels underneath my neck, just so it’s not being pushed up or anything like that, but it’s impossible,” Danielson said. “I live on the West Coast, you know? And then I also live like an hour and a half to two hours from the airport. So it’s impossible for all these cross-country flights to stay in good posture the whole time and all that kind of stuff. And then heaven forbid I fall asleep, and I do this, and then I wake up, and I’m like, oh no, I can’t feel my hand.”
Learning A New Skill From Taz And Excalibur
Danielson mentioned that he treats commentary as a new skill that must be learned. He credited his broadcast partners, Taz, Excalibur, and Tony Schiavone, for helping him adjust to the role, which requires a broader understanding of the show compared to just focusing on his own matches.
“It’s been good and fun,” Danielson said. “Commentary is a skill. It’s something that you have to learn. I’ve been really lucky and grateful to have Taz and Excalibur and then Tony [Schiavone]. You know, I asked Tony Schiavone to, when he’s not busy backstage — and he’s super busy — if he listens to it and, ‘Can you give me some tips?’ and this sort of thing, because, you know, it’s not something that I’m naturally good at.”
Danielson On The Cusp Of Surgery
Danielson admitted that he is currently on the cusp of needing neck surgery, though he hopes to avoid it. He stated that physically, he was doing well until the travel schedule increased. Regarding his in-ring future, Danielson told Van Vliet that while he hates the word “retired,” the wrestler he used to be no longer exists.
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.
