Bryan Danielson Reveals How He Really Feels About His Announcing Skills

Bryan Danielson is no longer an active wrestler, but he's still supremely important to AEW on a week to week basis.

Danielson last wrestled for AEW at the WrestleDream PPV event in 2024. On that show, Danielson lost his AEW Men's World Championship to Jon Moxley. Danielson had won the championship from Swerve Strickland at that year's All In PPV inside Wembley Stadium.

Danielson is all but retired from active pro wrestling, having dealt with numerous concussions and neck injuries over the years, and has said he just isn't healthy enough to continue wrestling. He hasn't said whether he's officially retired, but there is no timeline for an in-ring return.

So, how is Danielson such a key part of the product without wrestling? He's a regular announcer on the flagship television show, AEW Dynamite, joining the commentary team on September 10.

Bryan Danielson says he's a rotten AEW announcer

In an interview with Justin Barrasso (subscription required), Danielson spoke openly about working as an announcer, saying that he thinks he's still not a great commentator, but that announcing is a lot like being a pro wrestler.

"I still think I’m rotten," Danielson said. "It’s hard to gauge the show in terms of what worked and what didn’t when I’m doing commentary. I do the show and then I watch it back. I get advice from a lot of talented people.”

Danielson continued and gave a unique reason why working as an announcer and as a pro wrestler are similar for him.

"Doing commentary, it is like wrestling. There is an exhilaration to it. I love whenever I get the chance to work with Excalibur, Taz, or Tony Schiavone. I enjoy the feeling of doing it. Then I go and rewatch and listen, which is similar to what I did as a wrestler. I’m not where I want to be. I’m also giving myself some grace. Almost everyone else in that position has been trained and I’m winging it.”
Bryan Danielson

Danielson has had a decorated in-ring wrestling career across multiple independent promotions, ROH, WWE, and AEW. He's a former world champion in each of those companies and wrestled in the main event of WrestleMania 30 in New Orleans.

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