AEW’s All Out pay-per-view in 2021 is remembered for its historic conclusion, which saw the back-to-back debuts of Adam Cole and Bryan Danielson. In a new interview, Danielson has pulled back the curtain on that legendary night, revealing just how close he came to not being there and detailing a final, last-minute phone call he received from Vince McMahon just days before the show.
Speaking with Nick Stav, Danielson was asked if the plan was always for him and Adam Cole to make their surprise debuts at the end of the show. He explained that from his perspective, it was far from a long-term plan, as he hadn’t even officially signed his contract until just days before the event. The situation was so fluid that he believes Adam Cole may not have signed his own deal until the day of the show.
“I hadn’t actually signed my contract until two or three days before that. ‘Always the plan,’ was Tony (Khan) thinking it? Did he have it in the back of his mind? I want to say Adam Cole didn’t sign until that day,” Danielson said. “Maybe he agreed to come, but you never know what’s going to happen. When WWE found out I hadn’t signed yet, they said, ‘Is there anything we can do?’”
This led to a final, direct phone call from the then-Chairman of WWE, Vince McMahon. Danielson recounted the conversation, explaining that he had already given his word to Tony Khan and felt he had to honor that commitment, a principle he believed McMahon would respect.
“I called Vince (McMahon) in early August because I was going back and forth. I called Vince in early August and let him know, ‘I made my decision. I’m going to do this.’ He called me one time in the meantime and said, ‘What if we offered you this instead?’ I hadn’t signed my contract yet, it was maybe five days before the pay-per-view, and he called me,” Danielson recalled. “I told him, ‘Sir, I already agreed to this thing. If I were to go back on this, I feel you have a decent amount of respect for me. One of the things you respect me for is that I honor my word.’ It was a great conversation. He said, ‘Damnit, you’re right.’”
Danielson, of course, did honor his word and made his shocking debut at All Out 2021, creating one of the most memorable moments in AEW history. He went on to have a successful run with the company, including a reign as AEW World Champion, before retiring from full-time competition at the WrestleDream pay-per-view in October 2024. He is now set to make his full-time debut as a member of the AEW Dynamite commentary team this coming Wednesday. You can hear his full interview on Nick Stav’s YouTube channel.
If you use any portion of the quotes from this article, please credit Nick Stav with an h/t to WrestlingNews.co for the transcription.
