Bryan Danielson has advanced in the Owen Hart Tournament after defeating Shingo Takagi at the AEW Forbidden Door 2024 PPV event.

It was a fantastic back and forth match between both competitors, with the winner set to face PAC ahead of All In at Wembley Stadium in August.

It was confirmed that PAC vs Danielson will be taking place this week on the special AEW Dynamite Beach Break themed event.

Read More – AEW News: Dueling CM Punk chants break out at Forbidden Door

Bryan Danielson vs Shingo Takagi at AEW Forbidden Door 2024

Speaking ahead of the match with Justin Barasso of Sports Illustrated, Takagi revealed that he saw the match as a dream match for the fans.

“If the fans are happy, then I’m happy. I think this is the result and a recognition of all that Bryan has accomplished in his career, and all I’ve done in my career. I like that this will be on display worldwide. The whole world will see true ‘Made in Japan’ spirit. It’s a real dream match, a real dream situation for the fans worldwide. This is something that will send shockwaves through the wrestling world.”

It is not currently known if Danielson is planned to go all the way in the tournament, as a rumored match with Nigel McGuinness has apparently been on the cards for some time and it was expected to have taken place at All In last year before Danielson was injured.

Danielson is winding down his in-ring career this year, so the prospect of getting another match between he and his hated ROH rival one more time at the biggest venue possible in London, England could be too good to pass up for Tony Khan and co.

Read More – Eric Bischoff mocks The Young Bucks during AEW Forbidden Door

Bryan Danielson celebrated his birthday in a unique style.

‘The American Dragon,’ who turned 43, marked the occasion on May 22 in a different fashion. It seems his birthday wish was to test himself ahead of the chaotic Anarchy In The Arena match at AEW Double Or Nothing PPV. He told Justin Barrasso of Sports Illustrated that he was fasting for a day before going for a five-mile hike. He revealed: 

“I was fasting for over 24 hours. Meanwhile, I drove from Bakersfield [California] to Las Vegas, got in at midnight, and was up by 5:30 for a five-mile hike.”

Danielson’s birthday was last Wednesday and he competed against 7-foot giant Satnam Singh in the main event of AEW Dynamite. The veteran wrestler won via DQ after he was attacked by Jay Lethal and Sonjay Dutt. Eventually, The Elite also took him out until Darby Allin made the save.

• Bryan Danielson: ‘I’m Fighting The Elite Because I Love AEW’

Bryan Danielson competed in Anarchy In The Arena

The Elite (The Young Bucks, AEW Continental Champion Kazuchika Okada, and Jack Perry) emerged victorious over the team of FTR, Darby Allin, and Bryan Danielson after a chaotic Anarchy In The Arena match at Double Or Nothing pay-per-view. Fans at MGM Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada were ecstatic throughout the gruesome battle. Bryan Danielson’s ROH theme song ‘The Final Countdown’ was also played in the background during the match which thrilled the fans even more. 

There could not be a more appropriate song as Anarchy unfolds here at the @MGMGrand!

Order #AEWDoN on PPV right now!
💻: https://t.co/MpmTCyHt8n
🔗: https://t.co/GTkwK7GBIn@youngbucks | @rainmakerxokada@bryandanielson | @daxftr | @cashwheelerftr pic.twitter.com/Zw05vB4p6S

— All Elite Wrestling (@AEW) May 27, 2024

The final moments of the match saw The Elite taking out Bryan Danielson with their finishing moves. Jack Perry then secured the victory by pinning Danielson – one of the biggest moments in Perry’s career. AEW Double or Nothing went off the air as The Elite stood tall with Perry on their shoulders. 

Bryan Danielson received a huge ovation from the crowd after tonight’s chaotic Double or Nothing main event ended and the show went off air.

AEW delivered everything they had promised and more for the Anarchy In The Arena match between Young Bucks, Kazuchika Okada, Jack Perry & FTR, Darby Allin and Danielson. This included Darby Allin getting hit by another bus and Jack Perry being set on fire by a flamethrower.

Toward the end of the bout, The Young Bucks hanged Darby Allin upside down from a cable in the middle of the ring. The former TNT Champion’s teammates tried to make the save for him but all their efforts proved to be useless.

Bryan was the last man standing for his team and had the upper hand over the Bucks. He delivered the Busaiku Knee to Nicholas Jackson through a chair and went for the pin. Okada however, broke the pin and delivered the Rainmaker to the former WWE star.

The AEW EVPs followed it up with the EVP trigger. Danielson still tried to help Allin but Perry finally landed a running knee and the Scapegoat pinned the wrestling veteran to pick up the victory for his team. The show ended with The New Elite celebrating their victory.

After the show went off air, Bryan Danielson remained in the ring as the crowd gave him a standing ovation. The former World Champion soaked in the moment before removing the AEW shirt he was wearing. Bryan then came out of the ring and accepted the ovation from the fans while standing at the ringside railing:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NrI2g1z1SQI

Bryan Danielson’s AEW Future

Danielson is in his final year as a full-time performer and he revealed recently that his current AEW contract actually expires before the upcoming All In 2024 event from Wembley Stadium on 25 August.

Though Tony Khan has said that he would like the wrestling legend to stay with his promotion forever in whatever role Bryan chooses for himself after his current deal.

Elsewhere in the Double or Nothing PPV we also saw a big title change and a much-anticipated return of a former AEW Champion. You can check out all about it here.

The final countdown is on for Bryan Danielson’s full-time wrestling career. The All Elite Wrestling superstar plans to work as a part-time talent later this year to spend more time with his family. Although he is committed to finishing his run as a full-time wrestler, fans are curious if he’ll stick around with AEW when the deal is up for renewal. However, it seems AEW President Tony Khan fully intends to re-sign Danielson to keep him with the company. 

In an interview with CBS Sports, Khan shared that he wants to keep ‘The American Dragon’ in the company forever. 

CBS Sport’ Shakiel Mahjouri transcribed the following quotes. 

“I would like Bryan to stay, in a perfect world, forever here in whatever capacity he’d stay with us in,” Khan said. He continued, “I’d hope that Bryan would finish his wrestling career here. I would do anything to make that happen. I want Bryan to stay with us wrestling as long as possible. I know that he’s talked about an exit from full-time wrestling, which is what he’s been doing this year whenever he’s been healthy.” 

The AEW President continued the interview by praising Danielson’s career in the company and sharing his commitment to keeping him long-term. 

“…I think Bryan Danielson fits on AEW like a glove. As long as he will consider wrestling with us, that door is always open. I would bend over backwards for him and do anything for Bryan Danielson.”

Khan’s public declaration of wanting to re-sign Danielson should reassure AEW fans, as the beloved superstar’s contract is set to expire soon. 

 When Does Bryan Danielson Contract Expire? 

Danielson has shared openly that his current deal will end ahead of AEW All In on August 25. Despite his contract expiring beforehand, ‘The American Dragon’ wants to compete at the event and AEW WrestleDream on October 12. 

Although a new agreement hasn’t been signed, Khan hopes Danielson will stay with AEW.

“…I don’t know whether he’ll be wrestling full-time after that, but I really hope Bryan will stay with me here in the office forever… I talk to Bryan pretty much every day whenever I can. So I hope that will continue for the rest of our lives,” said Khan

It’s unclear if Danielson will consider testing free agency after he finishes his commitment. For now, he is focused on making the most out of the current AEW run and wrestling matches that fans won’t forget. 

Bryan Danielson has compared the troubles of Jack Perry to his own WWE firing back in 2010 due to his actions during Nexus’ debut.

The former World Champion spoke to Sports Illustrated recently to discuss this Sunday’s Double or Nothing PPV from MGM Grand Garden Arena.

Bryan is set to team up with FTR and Darby Allin to face The Young Bucks, Kazuchika Okada and Jack Perry in an Anarchy In The Arena match at the upcoming event.

Speaking about his teammates and opponents, Bryan noted that he knows what FTR and The Young Bucks will be bringing to the table for this bout. He explained that they don’t know how Okada would fair in a chaotic match like that and the two young stars will be wild cards in the fight:

“I’m not sure what Jack Perry will bring to the match. Honestly, I’m a little scared of what Darby is going to bring to the match. How about that flamethrower on Dynamite?”

• AEW Touts Triple Main Event For Double Or Nothing

It’s All About How You React: Bryan Danielson

The Anarchy in The Arena match will be Perry’s first bout in AEW since his return to the company. Prior this, he wrestled for the promotion during the All In London event in August 2023 which led to his backstage altercation with CM Punk and subsequent absence that lasted almost 8 months.

Speaking about the troubles Perry has had to face in the past few months due to his scuffle with Punk, Bryan Danielson said that we’re all put into weird situations from time to time. He recalled one such situation he experienced firsthand when he briefly got fired from WWE in 2010:

“We’re all put in weird positions, some of our own making and some that have nothing to do with us, It’s all about how you react to it. When I got fired [by WWE in 2010] for choking Justin Roberts and spitting in [John] Cena’s face, it turned out really well for me. But even in the moment, when you lose a steady paying job, I knew I’d land on my feet. I haven’t spoken with Jack. Is he mad about it? The name ‘Scapegoat’ implies he is. I don’t know his mindset, at least not yet.”

The former World Champion noted that he hasn’t been around Jack Perry long enough to know how he will react to a match like Anarchy In The Arena. This is going to change when he steps in the ring with the 26-year-old this Sunday.

Bryan Danielson made his WWE main roster debut when Nexus attacked John Cena and destroyed everything at the ringside during the main event of the June 7, 2010 episode of Raw.

The 43-year-old was fired from the company for being too violent during the segment. Though he was re-hired by the officials not too long after. He made his return during the August 15 episode of Raw.

Bryan Danielson’s full-time wrestling career is slowly ending this year. He shared in 2023 that he plans to take a step back from wrestling more to spend time with his family. While he is still expected to continue his wrestling career, it’s unclear if he’ll make sporadically appear for AEW moving forward. 

Ahead of his upcoming match at AEW Double or Nothing on May 25, legendary commentator Tony Schiavone praised Danielson’s run with the company. On his podcast What Happened When, Schiavone spoke highly of Danielson and explained why he is one of AEW President Tony Khan’s best hires in the company’s history. 

“…Bryan Danielson was one of Tony Khan’s best hires as far as a talent is concerned for a number of reasons. Number one because of his performance and number two because he just has great ideas and he is a great leader and he also knows talent, said Schiavone.

He continued, “…He can pick out out talent. He can pick out guys that he thinks, ‘Hey, we need to use them a lot more, and so he is so valuable to this company for everything.”

What’s Next For Bryan Danielson?

‘The American Dragon’ will team with Darby Allin and FTR (Cash Wheeler & Dax Harwood) to take on The Elite (Jack Perry, Kazuchika Okada, Matthew Jackson & Nicholas Jackson) in an Anarchy In The Arena match. Danielson hopes to gain a victory for the ‘Babyface’ group as they try to humble The Elite. 

Although Danielson’s focus is on AEW Double Or Nothing, fans are monitoring the countdown to the end of his current run with the company. He has shared that his contract with AEW will expire before All In on August 25.

Danielson hopes to compete at the Wembley Stadium event and AEW WrestleDream on October 12. It’s possible Danielson can reach a new deal or an extension before shifting to being a part-time performer.  Regardless of what will come in August, all eyes will be on Danielson this weekend as he prepares to bring chaos against The Elite.

• Bryan Danielson: ‘I’m Fighting The Elite Because I Love AEW’

Bryan Danielson’s love for AEW has led the American Dragon into a war with the company’s EVPs The Elite that will culminate with Anarchy in the Arena. 

Danielson will join FTR and the recently returned Darby Allin to face the Tag Team Champions The Young Bucks, Jack Perry and Continental Champion Kazuchika Okada. Speaking after this week’s AEW Collision, Danielson shared his reasoning for aligning with ‘Team AEW.’ 

“I’m watching Dynamite, and I see the Young Bucks and the Elite piledrive Tony Khan. A guy who started this company. The guy who if he wasn’t here, this company wouldn’t even exist. And I watched that and I was angry, mad as hell.

“And then I watch the next week, as they took out Kenny Omega and hospitalized him. When he’s already sick, when he’s already hurt! You were supposed to change the world together. And that’s how I know, you guys say you’re good Christian boys but you guys are evil. Because who turns their back on their best friend like that?

“And that’s when I realized, I can’t stay at home anymore. I can’t rehab anymore. I have to come back and I have to fight! I have to fight for AEW because I love this place! You guys say you want to change the world! You won’t even show up on a Saturday!”

EXCLUSIVE: Bryan Danielson will FIGHT with all of the strength that he has left with Team AEW to take out The Elite at Anarchy in the Arena at #AEWDoN NEXT SUNDAY!@BryanDanielson pic.twitter.com/x2INeVymZQ

— All Elite Wrestling (@AEW) May 19, 2024

Danielson has been a part of AEW since 2021 after a highly successful run in WWE as Daniel Bryan. The upcoming Anarchy in the Arena match will be Danielson’s second time competing in such a match after the BCC beat The Elite last year. 

For the use of quotes, please give an H/T to SE Scoops.

Bryan Danielson’s contract with AEW is due to expire within a matter of months, but the American Dragon is confident he’ll be competing for a long time to come. 

The popular wrestler is in the midst of what he intends to be his final year as a full-time wrestler. This has stemmed from a promise Danielson made to be ‘there’ more for his children. During an appearance on Casual Conversations with The Wrestling Classic, Danielson discussed his status with AEW.

“The big one is Wembley [host of AEW All In.] I wanna make it to Wembley. My contract actually expires before Wembley, but I wanna make it to Wembley. I’m not sure if I’ll make it, but one thing that would be a nice way to kind of close everything out for me is to do my last match as a full-time wrestler at WrestleDream at the Tacoma Dome because that’s the first wrestling show I ever saw.”

It’s hardly a surprise that Danielson hopes to compete at AEW All In 2024. Not only will the show be AEW’s largest event of the year but Bryan missed out on competing at last year’s event due to an injury. He returned to action days later at the following AEW All Out 2023 pay-per-view. 

AEW would be wise to keep Bryan on board with a new contract. Not only is he considered one of the best wrestlers in the world, but the Blackpool Combat Club member has proven to be useful behind the scenes. Danielson also oversees reprimands for any AEW talent who crosses lines on social media. 

Danielson’s next match will come on tonight’s episode of AEW Collision. He and Claudio Castagnoli will team to face off against Top Flight. 

The nation of Canada is home to countless talented pro-wrestlers, but Kenny Omega stands above the rest as far as Bryan Danielson is concerned. 

All Elite Wrestling has hosted its most recent events north of the border with Omega making a return during the May 1, show at the Canada Life Centre in Winnipeg. When speaking to Hockey Night in Canada, Danielson was asked for his favorite Canadian wrestler. 

Gosh! I would have to say, this is going to be controversial. Kenny Omega. When you watch him, he’s hurt right now, he’s one of the most fantastic wrestlers you’ll ever see. 

When it was brought up that many will feel Bret Hart is more deserving of the accolade, Bryan was quick to share his respect for the Hit Man. 

“It’s going to be controversial. I mean I’m a huge Bret Hart fan. But when you watch Kenny Omega… Love Bret Hart, love the Hart Family… but when you look at Kenny Omega, his best stuff is just incredible.”

Danielson’s appreciation for Omega is hardly a secret. When the former WWE World Champion joined AEW, he wasted no time in selecting Omega as his first opponent. The duo faced off at AEW Grand Slam 2021 to a time-limit draw. The pair have traded wins in multi-man matches since then at AEW Dynamite’s second-anniversary show in 2021 and Double or Nothing 2023. 

It remains to be seen if fans will see Danielson face Omega one more time. The American Dragon is currently in his final year as a full-time talent but intends to continue resting after 2024. Omega is currently out of action with diverticulitis and there’s no word on when he’ll be back in the ring. 

There’s an update regarding Bryan Danielson’s condition following an injury scare after his all-out war against Will Ospreay at Sunday’s at AEW Dynasty pay-per-view. Danielson lost to Will Ospreay in an ‘instant classic’ that saw Ospreay put him away with the devastating Tiger Driver 91. Danielson appeared to take the move on his neck and was tended to after the match by AEW’s medical team. 

Bryan Danielson seems to be in real pain. Hoping it's nothing too badpic.twitter.com/uQ7Y4mN7pi

— Anutosh Bajpai || SEScoops || Wrestling News (@AuthorAnutosh) April 22, 2024

Danielson appeared to be in very rough shape after the match, but the ‘American Dragon’ did not sustain any serious injuries. According to Fightful, everything ‘went as planned’ as much things can, and Danielson was just selling the effects of the match and the Tiger Driver. 

Will Ospreay was concerned for Danielson after the match which will likely play into the ongoing storyline between himself and the rest of the Don Callis Family. For some time, there have been tensions in the faction with Ospreay showing too much respect for his opponents to be aligned with the group. On commentary during the match, Callis insinuated that Ospreay was a liar and stupid in another sign of growing tensions.  

It’s certainly good news that Danielson wasn’t legitimately injured in the match, especially given his history of neck issues. It was in 2014 that Bryan was stripped of the WWE World Heavyweight Championship due to a neck injury and his Intercontinental Championship reign the following year was also cut short due to neck issues. In 2016, Bryan would retire from the ring due to these setbacks and wouldn’t wrestle again until two years later. 

What’s to Come? 

It’s unclear when we’ll next see Bryan Danielson back in the ring but the American Dragon is currently in the midst of his final year as a full-time wrestler. This decision stems from a promise Danielson made to step away from the ring as a full-time talent in time for his daughter Birdie’s seventh birthday. While Danielson won’t be wrestling full-time, fans should expect to see him in the ring. He’s stated in interviews that he doesn’t plan to ever retire and will wrestle in front of small audiences if he has to until he physically can’t do it anymore.

Danielson has certainly earned a more relaxed schedule in the ring but plans to stay active even as a part-time competitor. Thankfully, Danielson won’t have to miss time due to what transpired at Dynasty, despite what the events after his match may have made fans believe. 

Will Ospreay has confirmed that he will be retiring the Tiger Driver 91 after the scary spot with Bryan Danielson in their match at tonight’s AEW Dynasty PPV.

The high-flying star had talked about the dangers of the move at the post-Revolution media scrum last month after he used it to pin Konosuke Takeshita at the PPV event.

Bryan Danielson seems to be in real pain. Hoping it's nothing too badpic.twitter.com/uQ7Y4mN7pi

— Anutosh Bajpai || SEScoops || Wrestling News (@AuthorAnutosh) April 22, 2024

During the Dynasty Media scrum, the AEW star spoke about the incident with Bryan on the PPV and revealed that he didn’t see the referee call for the medics:

I’m super glad that everybody enjoyed the match. A little bit of a dampener on how it’s all kind of [turned out] the dust has settled now. I’ve reviewed the footage myself. It seems Bryan got hurt on the storm driver and I didn’t see the doctor call, the referee called for the doctor and I just didn’t see it.

So I want to apologize on that. Obviously like within the confines of wrestling I do go like I said in the ring it is more or less it’s your life vs mine until you kind of see it staring at your face sort of the way it did.”

Will Ospreay Says He Feels Awful

Will Ospreay said that he feels awful about the spot. He apologized to Danielson for continuing the match after that and confirmed that he will be retiring the Tiger Driver 91, also known as Storm Driver 93:

“Honestly I feel awful about this. So even though 90% of the time that move has been absolutely fine. Seeing the damage that it has kind of done, I am gonna retire using the Storm Driver 91. I don’t think it’s right for me to continue using it after seeing what it did to Bryan. Someone that I’ve got huge amounts of respect for.

This was kind of my dream match. This is something I’ve wanted since I was a kid. So to see the outcome although I’m happy everyone enjoyed the match, I’m kind of disappointed in myself. So I apologize to Bryan. I apologize to AEW medics, I apologize to Tony.”

Ospreay defeated Bryan in what many are already calling the match of the year during the latest AEW PPV. The ending of this match, however, left a lot of people concerned. 

The finish of the bout saw Ospreay hitting the Tiger Driver 91 and the referee called for the medics as Danielson appeared to be hurt from the spot. Ospreay however, missed the referee’s call and he hit the former WWE star with an elbow to the back for the pin.

The quotes in the article have been edited for clarity

All Elite Wrestling returns on pay-per-view for their first Dynasty event tonight. The event will occur at the Chaifetz Arena in St. Louis, Missouri. AEW has been building towards the card for weeks, and the PPV is set to have 12 matches.

In the main event, AEW World Champion Samoa Joe will defend his title against Swerve Strickland. The challenger earned an opportunity after defeating  Konosuke Takeshita to become the number one contender on the March 27 episode of AEW Dynamite. Strickland enters the matchup motivated to dethrone Joe and become the first black AEW World Champion. However, he won’t have an easy task, as Joe has yet to lose in over six months. 

Elsewhere on the card, Will Ospreay will face Bryan Danielson in a highly anticipated match. Since officially joining the roster at AEW Revolution last month, Ospreay has quickly become a threat in the men’s division. He has won five matchups in the company to join the conversation of being a potential AEW world title contender. That said, Danielson stands in his way and will try to humble the former IWGP World Heavyweight Champion. 

Start Time & How To Watch

AEW Dynasty will kick off their event with a pre-show at 6:30 PM ET/3:30 PM PT. The pre-show will have three matches and be streamed live on AEW’s YouTube channel for free. 

After the pre-show, the event will move toward pay-per-view at 8 PM ET/5 PM PT. AEW fans must pay $49.99 to watch on Bleacher Report, AEW’s YouTube channel, or Triller TV. The PPV portion will consist of nine matches, including the AEW World Championship main event. 

AEW Dynasty Full Match Card

(Match Card Is Subject To Change)

Pre-Show Card:

• Matt Sydal vs. Trent Beretta
• Katsuyori Shibata & Orange Cassidy vs. Shane Taylor Promotions (Lee Moriarty & Shane Taylor)
• (C) Billy Gunn & The Acclaimed (Anthony Bowens & Max Caster) vs. (C) Bullet Club Gold (Austin Gunn, Colten Gunn & Jay White)-AEW World Trios / ROH World Six Man Tag Team Championship Match

PPV Card:

• (C) Hook vs. Chris Jericho-FTW Championship Match
• (C) Roderick Strong vs. Kyle O’Reilly-AEW International Championship Match
• (C) Kazuchika Okada vs. PAC-AEW Continental Championship Match
• (C) Toni Storm with Luther & Mariah May vs. Thunder Rosa-AEW Women’s World Championship Match
• Adam Copeland, Eddie Kingston & Mark Briscoe vs. House Of Black (Brody King, Buddy Matthews & Malakai Black)-Six Man Tag Team Match
• The Young Bucks (Matthew Jackson & Nicholas Jackson) vs. FTR (Cash Wheeler & Dax Harwood)-Vacant AEW World Tag Team Championship Tournament Final Ladder Match
• (C) Julia Hart vs. Willow Nightingale with Stokely Hathaway-AEW TBS Championship House Rules Match
• Bryan Danielson vs. Will Ospreay
• (C) Samoa Joe vs. Swerve Strickland with Prince Nana-AEW World Championship Match

The Blackpool Combat Club may be as tough as they come in the ring, but backstage the group likes few things more than settling in with a good book. 

Since coming together in 2022, the BCC has forged a path of excellence in AEW which has resulted in several high-profile feuds and many championship wins. Speaking to Justin Barrasso of Sports Illustrated though, Bryan Danielson explained the faction’s other kind of club. 

“There is a BCC book club. We recommend books to each other. Reading is fantastic. Once you open the door to the world of books, there is so much to learn.”

Danielson added that the BCC book club helps the group stay “connected” and that they share the belief that reading can enhance your life. The American Dragon also revealed what he’s currently reading. 

“I typically read three books at a time. I’ve been encouraging a lot of Mary Oliver’s Devotions, from a poetry perspective, it’s the best introduction to poetry.”

A New Book Coming?

In 2016, Danielson (then Daniel Bryan) penned Yes: My Improbable Journey to the Main Event of WrestleMania. The book documents Bryan’s unlikely rise in WWE as well as the highs and lows of his time on the independent scene. In the interview, Danielson teased a new book could be coming as he’s been getting back into writing. 

“The last year-and-a-half, I’ve really been getting better at writing. I’m doing it as a way to clarify my own thoughts. In this world, where we’re told what our morality is.”

Reading is a great way to relax, boost concentration and memory skills, and increase your imagination and knowledge. If you’ve been inspired to pick up a book then ‘The Man, Not Your Average, Average Girl‘ by Becky Lynch may be for you. 

Welcome the Daily Drop, your daily roundup of wrestling news and rumors for Sunday, March 31. We are officially less than one week away from WrestleMania 40. Let’s get right into today’s Daily Drop!

First off, we’d like to wish everyone a Happy Easter. There are a lot of Easter eggs to find all over SEScoops, just full of pro wrestling information, all year long. So, let’s get right to it!

Days Until WrestleMania 40: 6

WWE:

– Cody’s Contract: Cody Rhodes confirmed that he just inked a new multi-year contract with WWE that will see him with the company past his 40th birthday.

– Olympic Debut: US Gold Olympic Medalist Tamyra Mensah-Stock made her in-ring debut at an NXT house show last night.

– WrestleMania 40 Set: A photo of the WrestleMania XL set construction leaked. You can check it out here.

– No More IC Title: Kevin Owens has stated his reason for never wanting to hold the IC Title again.

– Jade Cargill’s Entrance: It took a lot of work to get Jade Cargill’s SmackDown entrance just right.

– Surgery for The King: Jerry Lawler recently underwent knee replacement surgery. We’re wishing him a speedy recovery.

AEW:

– Cardona on Collision: Matt Cardona surprised fans as he took on Adam Copeland for the TNT Title on AEW Collision as part of the Cope Open Challenge.

– Audible Called: AEW changed up the result of the tag team tournament in the middle of the match on Collision this week.

– Ricky Starks Health Update: Starks updated fans about his health status after a scary spot on AEW Collision this week.

– Bryan Danielson Dream Match: CMLL announced that Danielson will take on Blue Panther on April 5, 2024, in Arena México for their Wrestling Spectacular. This is a dream for Bryan Danielson that has been over 10 years in the making for the match, but he’s wanted to face Blue Panther for decades. It all started with this video, where Bryan received a signed Blue Panther mask and a video message while he was still in WWE.

Upcoming Major Pro Wrestling Events

Looking ahead, here are some of the major upcoming shows that we have in the pipeline:

April 6: NXT Stand & Deliver and WrestleMania XL Saturday from Philadelphia, PA.

April 7: WrestleMania XL Sunday from Philadelphia, PA.

April 21: All Elite Wrestling presents AEW Dynasty live on pay-per-view from St. Louis, Missouri at the Chaifetz Arena.

May 4: WWE Backlash France from Décines-Charpieu, France at the LDLC Arena.

Bryan Danielson will continue to check items off his bucket list WrestleMania weekend, but it won’t be anywhere near Philadelphia.

CMLL announced that Danielson will indeed take on the legendary Blue Panther on April 5, 2024 in Arena México for their Wrestling Spectacular. It was just this last Friday where Danielson stood across the ring from Blue Panther as he teamed with Jon Moxley, Claudio Castignoli and Matt Sydal to battle the legend, Volador Jr., Ultimo Guerrero, and MLW World Middleweight Champion Mistico. After the battle, Danielson challenged Blue Dragon to a singles match.

Danielson shared in his excitement for the four-man tag on 3/28 and taking a moment to note that Blue Panther holds a special place in his pro wrestling hiearchy.

“The BCC will be standing across the ring from 4 incredible wrestlers, one of whom, Blue Panther, is my FAVORITE LUCHADOR OF ALL TIME!!! What a life!”

https://twitter.com/bryandanielson/status/1773429497074978941

Who Is Blue Panther?

Blue Panther actually started his wrestling career in the late 1970s and is an absolute legend in Mexico. He has won a bevvy of championships under the CMLL banner and really established himself with in a memorable feud with Art Barr in the early 1990s. 

Pro Wrestling Illustrated listed him as #58 in the 1998 edition of the PWI 500 and Panther was just inducted into the Wrestling Observer Hall Of Fame in 2023.

Maybe #AEW 's Bryan Danielson was able to connect his "Front knee" to Blue Panther but he wasn't expecting the speed from the master at #CMLL #2LeyendasCMLLhttps://t.co/Nu6FCNcrcU

— ERD Wrestling (@ERD_Wrestling) March 30, 2024

Putting Blue Panther on Danielson’s list of opponents is giving ‘The American Dragon’ a heck of a resume for 2024. He’s faced Shibata weeks ago on AEW Collision and then will tie up with Will Ospreay on April 21 for AEW Dynasty.

Bryan Danielson is pleased with how AEW has presented Kazuchika Okada thus far, as the Raimaker is coming across as the “star” that he is. 

Okada made his debut as an All-Elite talent on the March 6, episode of AEW Dynamite and instantly established himself as a heel by aligning with the Young Bucks. There was no hesitation regarding Okada being a heel which was a creative idea that came from Tony Khan.

Danielson on Okada

Speaking with Justin Barrasso of Sports Illustrated, Danielson had high praise for his recent match with the Rainmaker and is excited about what’s next. 

“I loved my match against Okada… I love what I’m doing, and I’m excited about what’s to come.”

Danielson added that Okada is a “great fit” for AEW and has been right at home since aligning with the Young Bucks. The American Dragon chalked this sense of belonging to the efforts of AEW President Tony Khan. 

“That’s the way Tony presents stars in AEW,” said Danielson. “It’s not about starting over in AEW. So he was brought in as a star and introduced as a star.”

Bryan Danielson Vs. Kazuchika Okada

Danielson and Okada have shared the ring four times, with their first encounter being at the inaugural AEWxNJPW: Forbidden Door show in June 2023. That match saw Danielson get the win though he also suffered a fractured forearm. 

On the October 25, AEW Dynamite, Danielson and Claudio Castagnoli defeated Okada and Orange Cassidy. At NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 18, Okada defeated Danielson. The pair would be on the same side of an eight-person tag match the next night.

What’s to Come? 

Danielson is currently embarking on his final year as a full-time active wrestler. On April 5, the American Dragon will compete against CMLL’s Blue Panther. This is a dream match for Danielson who recently called Panther his favorite luchador of all time. 

As for Okada, he will continue to defend the AEW Continental Championship. He is also expected to feud with Kenny Omega as the Rainmaker has replaced Omega in the Elite. With that said, there’s no word on when fans can expect Omega back from his ongoing fight with diverticulitis. 

Bryan Danielson may no longer be a WWE Superstar, but that didn’t stop him from using an old WWE catchphrase of his at a recent event for CMLL. 

At the event, Danielson was part of Team AEW (Bryan, Jon Moxley, Claudio Castagnoli, & Matt Sydal) and came up short against Team CMLL (Blue Panther, Ultimo Guerrero, Mistico, & Volador Jr.) During one spot, Danielson and Mistico (aka WWE’s Sin Cara) shared dueling chants reminiscent of Bryan’s time as a Superstar. 

Bryan Danielson and Místico breaking out a SÍ/NO battle. Hahaha.

Danielson really brought back his 2012 gimmick. ?pic.twitter.com/1aYnmJYXep

— Drainmaker ?? ? (@DrainBamager) March 30, 2024

What’s Next? 

After the match, Danielson issued a challenge to Blue Panther for next Friday night’s Arena Mexico show on April 5, which Panther accepted. This has been a match that Danielson has called a dream match in the past. He recently called Pather his favorite luchador of all time. 

https://twitter.com/bryandanielson/status/1773429497074978941

Yes! No!

Bryan began using the Yes chant following his 2011 WWE World Heavyweight Championship victory. Not long after winning the title, Bryan’s ego would grow, causing him to yell “YES!” and celebrate even the smallest of victories in over-the-top fashion. 

After his 18-second World Heavyweight Championship loss to Sheamus at WrestleMania 28, a dejected Bryan changed his tune. Bryan blamed the fans (and AJ Lee) for his loss and in response to the crowd being on board with the yes chant, would chant “NO!” in response. 

Bringing Back the Chant

This isn’t the first time that Bryan has embraced his WWE catchphrases. Following a December 2023 edition of AEW Collision, the crowd chanted “YES” for Bryan, who admitted he’s not allowed to do that anymore. Thinking better of it, Danielson decided to join in with the YES! chant and sarcastically told fans to definitely not record the moment in question. 

A few years back, Bryan Danielson vs Will Ospreay seemed impossible. Well, thanks to AEW, the dream match is taking place next month. Fans are getting hyped up for the hard hitting affair, and ‘The American Dragon’ is as excited as they are.

Danielson and Ospreay, two of the most talented wrestlers in the industry will lock horns for the first time at AEW Dynasty on April 21 in St. Louis. They both recently showcased remarkable performances against their respective opponents. 

Ospreay put up an instant classic with Konosuke Takeshita earlier this month on March 3 at AEW Revolution. On the other hand Danielson squared off against Katsuyori Shibata at March 16 Collision, which was another match that had little chance to materialize a few years ago.

Bryan Danielson feels none can replicate Will Ospreay

Speaking with Sports Illustrated, Danielson expressed his interest in knowing what are the opinions of the younger talents on pro wrestling. He further showered praise on his opponent and revealed which aspect makes the upcoming match exciting. Here is what he said:

“I’m not married to the idea that my take on professional wrestling is the best. I’m really interested in what the younger generation thinks about professional wrestling and what inspires them. Will Ospreay is the evolution of professional wrestling.

If Will Ospreay wanted to do a Bryan Danielson match, he could. If I wanted to do what Will Ospreay does in a match, I couldn’t. I don’t think there is anybody else in the world who can. That makes me super excited for this match.”

Bryan Danielson vs Will Ospreay is not the main event

Bryan Danielson also revealed that his match against ‘The Aerial Assassin’ will not headline the show and teased the fans that some thrilling plans are in the pipeline. He said:

“Me and Will Ospreay won’t be the main event at Dynasty. That tells you what type of show it will be. I have an inkling of some of the things that are lined up, and I think people are going to be really excited.”

He added:

“We have a chance to really stamp Dynasty as the newest brand in the AEW pay-per-view system. I’m really excited to be wrestling Will, especially in a historic wrestling city like St. Louis.”

While Danielson boasts his technical prowess in the ring, Ospreay has aerial offense and lighting-fast strikes up his sleeves. This contrast of fighting styles makes the affair more interesting to witness. The fans will certainly have a treat watching them share the ring at AEW Dynasty next month. 

Vince McMahon was well aware that Tony Khan opened up AEW, even though he didn’t want to give them any added attention. He did want to know if they were doing anything special that WWE wasn’t.

Bryan Danielson revealed that he received a phone call from Vince McMahon late one night while he was still with WWE. McMahon had a very interesting question to ask about AEW vs WWE programming, and that caused Bryan to investigate.

McMahon’s Request of Bryan Danielson

While speaking at SXSW, Bryan Danielson opened up a bit about WWE’s creative situation with Vince McMahon. He revealed that The Chairman of the Board called him one night, and he asked a very interesting question about AEW.

It seems that Vince wanted to know what AEW is doing that WWE isn’t doing. After watching a lot of television, Bryan Danielson had a number of things to report back to Mr. McMahon.

“Vince McMahon actually called me one night, I was part of WWE creative, and he called me one night and said, ‘What is AEW doing that we’re not doing?’ I went back and watched eight straight weeks of TV within the span of six days and was like, ‘there is a whole list of things.’”

Bryan Danielson is a treasured member of the AEW roster now. Not only is he one of the top in-ring names that the company has, but he also plays a very important role backstage.

“Vince McMahon actually called me one night, I was part of WWE creative, and he called me one night and said, 'What is AEW doing that we're not doing?'

I went back and watched eight straight weeks of TV within the span of six days and was like, 'there is a whole list of… pic.twitter.com/QeNxk6HJm3

— WrestlePurists (@WrestlePurists) March 12, 2024

What’s Next

Danielson is one of three people reportedly in AEW’s disciplinary committee. It is apparently only Bryan and two other unnamed attorneys. Those are the people responsible for handing down any punishments, suspensions, or terminations. Obviously, AEW has provided Danielson with an amazing opportunity outside the ring.

Vince McMahon is no longer calling the shots in WWE, as he was ousted following Janel Grant’s lawsuit. Now, we will have to wait and see what is next for him, but odds are he won’t be making any more late-night calls to Bryan Danielson.

SEScoops will have more on this story, and so much more, in the pro wrestling world. Please keep checking back for constant updates

AEW is adding another pay-per-view to their schedule this year, and April 21st will see a big show in St Louis. Dynasty is coming at fans, and now there is a massive match scheduled for the show.

Bryan Danielson stood up to Will Ospreay during the conclusion of AEW Dynamite this week. It was expected that the two will throw down, and now we know that April 21st is the date in St Louis.

AEW Dynasty Match Gets Booked

Bryan Danielson and Will Ospreay are set to clash in the ring for the first time. During Saturday’s Collision, Ospreay officially issued a challenge to Danielson for a match at AEW Dynasty on April 21 in St. Louis. Danielson promptly accepted, and AEW swiftly confirmed the match.

Danielson secured victory against Shane Taylor in the opening match of Collision when Ospreay made his presence known. Ospreay mentioned that he anticipated Danielson had something to discuss with him after Danielson entered the ring during the conclusion of Dynamite. 

Danielson then informed Ospreay that he’s heard of him being hailed as the best in the world and wants to afford him the opportunity to validate that claim. The legend of Ospreay obviously traveled around the world. Now, he will lock up in St Louis.

Will Ospreay in AEW

Ospreay made his AEW debut at Revolution last weekend, triumphing over Konosuke Takeshita. He followed this with another victory against Kyle Fletcher on AEW Dynamite. Following the latter match, Danielson confronted Ospreay in the ring, setting the stage for their impending clash.

Ospreay turned down WWE interest in order to lock down a deal with AEW. He recently commented that he was a big banged up after his first tour with Tony Khan’s company, but he went home for a little rest.

Like Ospreay, Bryan Danielson also competed at Revolution, where he suffered a defeat to Eddie Kingston. In accordance with the match’s stipulations, Danielson extended his hand to Kingston in a display of sportsmanship following his loss. We will have to see how Danielson vs Ospreay pans out at Dynasty.

SEScoops will have more on this story and many more from all over the pro wrestling word. Keep checking back for more information.

This week’s episode of AEW Collision was an action-packed show as the promotion continued forward following this week’s season premiere of Dynamite. 

AEW Collision was taped following the most recent episode of Dynamite, which served as the season premiere of AEW programming. This marked the debut of a new stage (which marked the return of the tunnels) as well as a new color scheme.

Dynamite saw the debut of Kazuchika Okada who established himself as a heel by attacking Eddie Kingston and aligning himself with the Young Bucks. It had been reported for some time that Okada was going to debut on the show, with Tony Khan promising something huge in the days leading up to Dynamite. 

AEW Collision Spoilers [4/9/2024]

Here are the spoiler results for this week’s AEW Collision:

• The House of Black defeated Mark Briscoe & Jay Lethal & Jeff Jarrett in a Street Fight

• Mistico defeated Angelico

• Bryan Danielson defeated Shane Taylor. After the match, Will Ospreay came out to confront Danielson. The American Dragon challenged Ospreay to a match at AEW Dynasty to which Ospreay agreed. 

• The Young Bucks and Kazuchika Okada defeated Jon Cruz & Liam Gray & Adrian Alonis. Eddie Kingston tried to attack the Bucks and Okada but was overpowered. Penta and then PAC hit the ring, setting up a six-man tag for Big Business on March 13. 

• Mariah May defeated Trish Adora. Toni Storm came out and awarded May a “Toni Award” but Deonna Purrazzo attacked Storm. May made the save.

• Nick Wayne defeated Adam Priest. Christian Cage ripped up a masked fan’s sign. The fan attacked Cage and unmasked as Adam Copeland. 

• Tony Schiavone interviewed FTR in the ring about the tournament to crown the AEW Tag Team Champions. FTR said they want to be the first-ever three-time AEW World Tag Team Champions. The Infantry came out and said they want to be champions before everyone shook hands. 

• Lionheart Chris Jericho defeated CMLL’s Titan with the Walls of Jericho. The Gates of Agony attacked Jericho but Hook made the save with a Singapore Cane.

As the new IWGP Global Heavyweight Championship, Nic Nemeth is looking to make a significant mark in New Japan Pro-Wrestling. Once he fulfills that quest, though, Nemeth is keen on rekindling a rivalry with one of his former WWE colleagues, who is now a prominent player in AEW.

In a recent interview with Monopoly Events, the former “The Most Wanted Man” expressed his desire to wrestle “The American Dragon” Bryan Danielson for the first time outside of the WWE setting. Nemeth and Danielson — who were previously known as Dolph Ziggler and Daniel Bryan, respectively — shared the ring on over six-dozen occasions while under the WWE umbrella. 

Wanted Man Wants The American Dragon

Due to the creative constraints placed on them at the time, though, Nemeth isn’t sure if their matches ever lived up to their true potential. 

“I’d like to be back in [the ring] with Daniel Bryan too, without WWE saying he has to win and protecting him,” Nemeth said. “I want to go one-on-one with a guy that everybody treats as one of the best of all time and in the world and I go ‘You’re not better than me, not by a long shot.’ So I want to fight him one-on-one while everybody watches and goes ‘Oh right, I guess Nic’s pretty good too.’ No, I’m freaking great at this.”

“I would absolutely love that. I have a long list of some Japanese legends that I want to get into because I want to test myself, but man, when I come out on the other side of that, I’m looking for Daniel Bryan. I’m going headbutt him right in the head, knock him down, choke him out, tap him out. You name it, I can’t wait.”

Since departing from WWE in September 2023, Nemeth is now one of wrestling’s hottest free agents. Aside from his work in NJPW, Nemeth has also landed opportunities in TNA Wrestling, Game Changer Wrestling, and the World Wrestling Council. 

Given that NJPW and AEW have a well-established partnership, it is possible that Nemeth could also find himself in the territory of AEW and compete in his first non-WWE match against Danielson. 

Sunday’s match between Eddie Kingston and Bryan Danielson may have been contested for a trio of championships on paper, but in reality, it meant much more.

Danielson challenged Kingston for the Continental Crown Championship (ROH World, NJPW STRONG Openweight, and AEW Continental Championships) at Revolution 2024. The contest stipulated that if Danielson lost, he’d have to shake Kingston’s hand out of respect. In the weeks leading up to this face-off, ‘The American Dragon’ demonstrated repeated signs of disrespect toward Kingston, such as spitting in his face and flipping him off.

Danielson later revealed that his disregard stemmed from his belief that Kingston had fallen into several bad habits, and never lived up to his true potential. After Kingston defeated him at Revolution, though, Danielson came to a pivotal realization.

“I thought it would hurt me more than anything to shake Eddie’s hand and say that I respect him.” Danielson said in a post-match promo. “But there was a moment in that match where I knew I f***ed up his wrist. I’m good at that. I’m good at f***ing people up. And I know exactly how hurt he was, and he fought through it. There was this just this internal moment, this internal click that me not respecting Eddie, it wasn’t Eddie.”

EXCLUSIVE: #AEW Continental Crown Champion Eddie Kingston and Bryan Danielson share what tonight's match at #AEWRevolution meant to them both pic.twitter.com/PEaZiJEN5s

— All Elite Wrestling (@AEW) March 4, 2024

Danielson Says The Underachiever Has Finally Realized His Potential

Though it may have taken longer than expected for Kingston to push past some of his struggles, Danielson is proud that he eventually did. In that same vein, Danielson is also proud of himself for seeing through his own “bull****” so he could give Kingston the nod that he well-deserved and earned.

 “All the things that we said about Eddie 20 years ago, about how much potential he had, about how he needed to work harder, about he needed to do this, and how he needed to do that, and how he needed to change his bad habits, and all of that. It took him a while, but he f***ing did it.

Here I was holding on to this petty bull****, and I realized it might have taken him longer, but the things that he’s battled through and the things that he’s struggled through, I should have given him my respect a long time ago.”

Eddie Kingston Is Grateful

For Eddie Kingston, the element of respect is all he ever wanted from his peers. 

While championships are great resume boosters, Kingston believes that one’s legacy is truly based on the amount of respect one garners from their cohorts. In his case, he was specifically aiming to impress the Blackpool Combat Club members — Bryan Danielson, Jon Moxley, and Claudio Castagonli.

“I don’t care about promoters. No offense to the Twitter fans or fans that came out there. I appreciate y’all, but what I care about is the respect from the boys, because at the end of the day, you guys are the ones that are going to be talking about me,” Kingston told Danielson.

“Whether I was good, whether I was bad, whether I was a waste or not. I don’t want to get too emotional, so I’m gonna get out of here. I just want to say thank you, Bryan. Dude, thank you for everything.”

Bryan Danielson has something to say to Elon Musk, and he isn’t too impressed with the Tesla founder’s mindset at this point. Never one to back down from anyone, Bryan Danielson has now challenged Elon Musk in notable fashion.

While co-hosting The Nikki & Brie Show with his wife, Brie Garcia, Bryan Danielson had quite a good time. He filled in due to Nikki Garcia’s absence. In the process, he stirred up some headlines.

During a segment where Brie promoted their show and the Garcia TikTok, Bryan directed his attention towards Twitter/X, where he expressed discontent with the platform. He remarked, “You know what’s more upsetting to me than TikTok? It’s actually Twitter.”

When Brie mentioned discussions about cleaning up Twitter, Bryan boldly announced his intention to challenge Elon Musk on the platform. This was a challenge that few saw coming.

Danielson asserted that Musk lacks the capability to destroy the moon and labeled him as “cosmically impotent.” Bryan emphatically stated, “Elon Musk, you’re cosmically impotent. You can’t blow up the moon.”

Now, the challenge awaits Musk’s response, although it remains uncertain whether Musk will engage in this cosmic debate. We will have to see if he actually has anything to say to the AEW star. At this point, you never know what kind of battle we will see waged next.

SEScoops will have continued coverage of this story, and many more, so keep checking back for more updates.

All Elite Wrestling superstar Ricky Starks thinks fondly of his highly praised No Disqualification Strap Match with Bryan Danielson at AEW All Out on September 3, 2022. Fans loved the match, and Wrestling Observer’s Dave Meltzer awarded him five stars.  

In an interview with Forbes, Starks gives his perspective on his brutal contest against ‘The American Dragon.’ Admittedly, the AEW Tag Team Champion didn’t expect the overwhelmingly positive reaction he received for his match. 

Forbes’ Blake Oestriecher transcribed the following quotes. 

“It was cool that people reacted the way they did. I was blown away by it because I didn’t expect that type of reaction,” said Starks. He continued,  “It was nice that someone thought highly enough to give it that rating. I thought that was pretty cool.”

While Starks took on Danielson at the event, the company was building towards CM Punk being his challenger. However, the company fired CM Punk due to a backstage incident ahead of the event, and they decided to pivot to Danielson as Stark’s opponent at AEW All Out. 

Starks shared in the interview that he felt unsure of himself ahead of the Danielson match and why his match at AEW All Out was important to him. 

“It was really a very therapeutic type of match for me,” said Starks. He explained, “My confidence had wavered up until that point just a little bit, and that really made me think, alright, this is where things start to pick up. Talk about putting the company on my shoulders and wanting to be the man, and I think I proved it.”

Ricky Starks On Being Praised By Bryan Danielson After Their Match

Although fans praised the match, the biggest compliment came from Danielson. After their match at AEW All Out, ‘The American Dragon’ credited Starks for his efforts and called him a star. The comments meant a lot to the AEW Tag Team Champion, and he was honored that Danielson thought highly of his performance. 

“…The best part about that was the high compliment that Bryan gave me in that press conference afterward,” said Starks. He added, “Him saying that I’m one of his favorite opponents, that really means a lot. The fact that he said that was a badge of honor. Like, I know I belong.”

Although Starks lost the No Disqualification Strap Match, he earned many fans and Danielson’s respect that night. The stars may currently be involved in different storylines, but it’s possible they will face off in the ring again in the future.