Bryan Danielson seeking one final goal at WrestleDream
”Among all this chaos, I want to find peace”
Bryan Danielson is living in the moment.
That is largely because of how much he loves professional wrestling. It also has a lot to do with the unknown. A life without boots, knee pads, and tights (though the kinesio tape can go) awaits, but Danielson is wrestling with how much time he has left in the ring.
In spite of unrelenting neck pain, Danielson headlines tonight’s WrestleDream pay-per-view, defending the AEW world title against former Blackpool Combat Club partner Jon Moxley.
The match is bound to include Claudio Castagnoli and PAC–both on Moxley’s side–and Wheeler Yuta in Danielson’s corner. It will be the next, and potentially final, chapter for the BCC. If Danielson loses, it is also bound to be his last match before undergoing surgery for his neck that is causing a litany of problems across his body.
“I’m trying to treasure every moment,” said Danielson. “I’m really happy with where we’re at right now. Fighting Mox, with the BCC all involved, it feels like we’re all where we need to be.”
Tonight’s match takes place, fittingly, at the Tacoma Dome in Tacoma, Washington, not far from where Danielson grew up in Aberdeen. That makes WrestleDream a homecoming of sorts as Danielson returns to where he saw his first live wrestling show.
“The main event was Ultimate Warrior versus Rick Rude, and my dad talked about it ‘til the day he died,” said Danielson, lighting up at the memory of it. “They did the sunset flip where Rick Rude wouldn’t go down and the Warrior pulled Rude’s pants down.
“Rick Rude’s butt cheeks were directly facing us. If I was nine, my sister was 10 or 11, and I think it was the first adult male butt cheeks she had ever seen. She turned bright, bright red. My dad wasn’t a wrestling fan, but he always laughed about it and remembered it. That was a forever memory, a joyous moment, and he always remembered it.”
Over the past two-plus decades, Danielson has transitioned from a fan in the stands to a legend in the ring. His body of work will never be duplicated. A modern star who first built his name on the indies, Danielson reached the highest point in WWE–even when he wasn’t supposed to–and he has helped carry a new promotion in AEW.
“I was in love with this from an early age, ever since I was introduced to it from a friend of a friend,” said Danielson. “My best friend had this friend, they came over my house, and he showed me wrestling magazines. The stories in the wrestling magazines just took hold of my mind. I lived in a small town, and I never even knew this existed. It captivated me. Ever since then, I’ve been hooked.”
Tonight, Danielson will see family members in the crowd, including his mother, as well as childhood friends. Pro wrestling was built on the idea that anything can happen, but this feels like the prelude to a farewell.
“The reality is, no matter what happens at WrestleDream, I don’t have much time left,” said Danielson. “October 4, 1999 was my first-ever wrestling match. In relation to those 25 years, I have a reality short amount of time left. And any match can be your last at any given time. When I was forced to retire due to concussions, I didn’t think my last match was going to be tagging with John Cena against Claudio and TJ Wilson. That ended up being my last match for three years. So any match can be your last match. And whether this is my last match as a full-time wrestler or not, I know that time is coming soon.”
Earlier in the week, Danielson revealed that his ongoing neck issues caused him to lose strength in his legs during a match on Dynamite two weeks ago against Kazuchika Okada. There are many fans who care about Danielson more as a person than as a performer. Undoubtedly, they are asking the same question that Danielson fielded in this interview:
Is he healthy enough to perform tonight?
“Is our trainer worried about it?” said Danielson. “To an extent, yes. Am I worried about it? To an extent, yes. Is my wife concerned about it? Very much so. But there’s been times in my career I’ve been more concerned.
“My overall health for the long-term is the biggest thing. Right now, everything is fixable. In the short term, it’s all about whether I can perform at the level I want to perform at. I know I can. I’m exactly where I want to be, fighting someone I want to fight–I know the answer is yes.”
As he returns to the building where his love affair with pro wrestling ignited, Danielson is ready for a war with Moxley. Unlike his title victory this summer at Wembley Stadium, Danielson and his wife are not bringing their two children to WrestleDream.
Danielson fully intends for this to be an aggressive, violent match. That approach is also why he is in this current predicament. Danielson knows no off-switch. His style is one that is all-out, ferocious, and incredibly captivating. It has led to all sorts of injuries–yet it is also responsible for a long and distinguished list of breathtaking performances.
As he approaches the end of his full-time career in wrestling, Danielson isn’t quite ready to wave farewell.
Earlier this week, Danielson shared, he became very emotional about leaving pro wrestling. For the longest time, it is how Danielson has identified himself: as a pro wrestler. Even if the rest of the world didn’t know it, he was going to redefine the industry. Then–he did. Now he is carrying it from the top, bringing a perspective and touch that no one else can replicate.
Danielson no longer solely describes himself as a pro wrestler. He is a devoted husband and proud father. Perhaps this is the right time to leave wrestling. Besides, his health is providing few other options, and Danielson is genuinely excited to be home with his family.
Yet that does not make the process any less difficult.
Later tonight will be a bloody, gory encounter with Moxley that is destined to be more violent than it needs to be. Again, that is the Danielson way–and it was the modus operandi catapulting him to wrestling glory. But something altogether different is at stake tonight.
Danielson is seeking to attain something that is rarely found, especially for those leaving the bright glare of the spotlight. He is on a quest to find a feeling deep in his soul, a serenity that will put his mind, body, and soul at ease.
“Finding peace from a story perspective with the BCC, finding peace from coming full circle with where wrestling is in my life, that’s my goal,” said Danielson. “From seeing my first show at Tacoma Dome to defending the title here with such high stakes against Mox. That’s my goal.”
In search of what he’s looking for, Danielson returns to the only place it can be found: the wrestling ring.
“This thing I love is coming to an end,” said Danielson. “Among all this chaos, I want to find peace.”