Wrestling On FanNation

Bryan Danielson Lost Strength In His Legs During Recent Match Due To Injury

AEW World Champion Bryan Danielson has been experiencing physical 'ups and downs' since suffering a neck injury in the spring.
Rick Ucchino|
Has Bryan Danielson wrestled his last match on AEW Dynamite?
Has Bryan Danielson wrestled his last match on AEW Dynamite? | Lee South - All Elite Wrestling

It's no secret at this point. Bryan Danielson is nearing the end of his professional wrestling career. It could just be a matter of days away as he prepares to defend his AEW World Championship against Jon Moxley Saturday night at AEW WrestleDream.

Danielson has stated that when he loses the title, he will be done as a full-time competitor.

While fans of the American Dragon may not be ready to see him go, Bryan spoke to Anthony Sulla-Heffinger of Yahoo Sports this week, and clearly indicated that he is both mentally and physically prepared to walk away.

“It would have been really hard to be done wrestling if I felt great, right?” Danielson said. “I love it so much, I still love it so much. I get out there and it’s a rush, when I’m out there I don’t feel pain."

Danielson suffered a really bad neck injury in his match with Will Ospreay back in April and will soon have to undergo corrective surgery.

Bryan told Yahoo Sports that he's been dealing with physical "ups and downs" ever since then. He was able to compete against Nigel McGuinness just fine, but it was a different story against Kazuchika Okada the following week.

“Midway through the match, I started losing strength in my legs,”Danielson admitted.“There’s a point later in the match where I’m trying to kick him and I can’t turn over my kicks. That’s something that I have the body mechanics to do because I have been doing it for so long, but here I am and I can’t turn my hip over for this kick."

The match with Okada lasted for over a half hour. As soon as it ended, Danielson immediately went to the back to seek treatment.

"I went to the trainer right away and they worked on me for like 30 minutes. They said it was stemming from the neck stuff. It’s getting to a point where, physically, we’re seeing the signs. I haven’t been sleeping well because I have been having this shooting pain down my arm.”

In true Bryan Danielson fashion, he continues to give AEW fans everything he has left in the tank. He competed less than a week after the Okada match in a tag team bout on Title Tuesday. It's extremely possible, however, that the final countdown clock strikes zero this weekend at AEW WrestleDream.

—Your one-stop shop for all things professional wrestling—

AEW WrestleDream Predictions: Is This the End of the Line for Bryan Danielson?

Tony Khan Talks Daniel Garcia Contract Negotiations With AEW; Confirms New Deal

10 Best AEW Dynamite Matches Of All Time

Published
Rick Ucchino
RICK UCCHINO

Rick Ucchino is the Assistant Editor & Content Coordinator for The Takedown on SI. He also works full-time for 700WLW Radio in Cincinnati, Ohio as a local news and sports anchor, in addition to his time covering the Cincinnati Bengals for Sirius XM. Rick has been on the professional wrestling beat since 2019, having provided coverage for a number of outlets, including Fightful, SB Nation’s Cageside Seats and the Bleav Podcast Network. With an educational background in theater, creative writing and journalism, Rick focuses primarily on the storytelling aspect of pro wrestling, but he’s no stranger to the squared circle himself. He had the privilege of training with former WWE & WCW cruiserweight Jimmy Wang Yang for nearly two years and retired early due to back issues with a perfect 1-0 record in singles competition. Rick is a married father of two incredibly adorable children, who are budding pro wrestling fans themselves. Much to the chagrin of their mother. You can reach Rick at rwucchino@gmail.com

Home/AEW