Bryan Danielson shifts to AEW commentary with limited in-ring plans

Bryan Danielson, the former AEW World Champion who vowed to retire from fulltime competition after losing the title, has shifted into a broadcasting role and says his in-ring future, if any, will be limited and closely shaped by family priorities. Danielson has not wrestled since his defeat at WrestleDream 2024 and has joined the AEW Dynamite commentary team, where he is serving as a regular analyst while also signaling he does not feel able to perform at the level expected of the company’s top in-ring stars.

Danielson kept his retirement promise after losing the championship and has appeared on-screen in nonwrestling roles, including a return at All In where he helped Hangman Adam Page in a pivotal moment. He told interviewers that he considered ending his career on the Wembley Stadium stage at All In but ultimately viewed his exit after WrestleDream as fitting, noting the desire to celebrate his career with family. He said that returning to the kind of high-impact matches he had in his final AEW year does not appeal to him and that his body may no longer allow it. "My body physically can't do some of those things anymore," Danielson said, adding that any future matches would...