Bryan Danielson has explained why he doesn’t want to be a champion in AEW.
The American Dragon is one of the biggest stars pro wrestling has produced since the Attitude Era. When AEW signed him in 2021, fans believed that Bryan would be at the front and center of the company’s biggest storylines for the next decade to come.
While Danielson has had some main event spots, he has largely steered clear of any big responsibilities. The former WWE Champion, surprisingly has not held a single title in Tony Khan’s promotion in the three years he has been there.
Now that Bryan Danielson has announced 2024 as his last full-time year in pro wrestling, the prospects of him ever winning the AEW world title are very dim. During a recent interview with Sports Illustrated, the former champion discussed his determination to not win the AEW championship, and claimed that it’s not his position anymore:
“I don’t want to be in that [world champion] position–I don’t feel like that’s my position anymore. The quality of wrestling in AEW is so high, it’s really hard to main-event pay-per-views. That’s not something my body can really do anymore.”
Bryan acknowledged that fans want to see him win the world title before he goes part-time, but he also claimed that he has no hand in his own booking:
“I know there are a percentage of fans who would like that, but I don’t think it’s my place. And here’s the truth: I don’t want anything to do creatively with my own stuff. I also don’t know where people get the notion that I do. It’s very hard in wrestling to be objective about yourself, so I leave that in the hands of other people.”
The AEW star also talked about his time working in the SmackDown creative before his WWE departure and he revealed that he never talked to writers about what he wanted to do.
