We’ve known his contract was expiring imminently. Anyone can do the math based on when Bryan Danielson arrived in AEW , and how long the typical deal was cut for. Plus, the American Dragon has been very up front about one unique circumstance. While plenty of talent have deals expire and they get to pick from staying in one promotion or moving on, Danielson effectively closed that door in multiple interviews since landing in AEW.
Specifically, the former WWE Superstar has said that he had conversations with his family and promised them-especially his daughter-that his AEW deal would be his last wrestling contract. Sure, you could argue that the verbiage is intentional, but it leaves him little wiggle room. I mean, he told his family and he’s told the world. Many wrestlers have said one thing and done another (like Ric Flair or Terry Funk and their countless retirements), but for Danielson, this one seems concrete.
Big Stakes
Credit: wwe
So on this week’s Dynamite, the #1 contende r to Swerve Strickland’s AEW Championship put it all out there. Specifically, his AEW deal expired August 1st . Meaning, by the time you read this, he has no current AEW contract. And, considering he has said he won’t ink a new wrestling contract, it doesn’t leave much room for change. But here’s the catch. Bryan is scheduled to wrestle Swerve Strickland at All In on August 25 in London’s Wembley Stadium. Without a new deal being signed, it makes things interesting.
What takes it a step further is, as Danielson laid that out on TV, he and Strickland decided to up the stakes of their championship bout. At All In in a few weeks, it will be title versus career. If Danielson loses, he will not wrestle again. So what do we make of it? On one hand, as accomplished as he is, Danielson never held the AEW title. But he’s one of those veteran stars who never seemed to “need” the titles. That said, winning it would be the cherry on top for what seems like the end of his career in the ring. Or, he can do what many before him have done, and go out looking up at the lights.
I can see things going either way. But, considering the “no more wrestling contracts” comment, what would happen if he wins the title? Would he celebrate and then do what we’ve seen him do in WWE: surrender the title? And if that’s what the plan is, does it lead to some tournament to crown a new champion? One thing is for sure, given Danielson’s appeal to wrestling fans, All In just got a wee bit more interesting. Bryan Danielson has had a great career. Will his career expire on August 25th?
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