Bryan Danielson would be fine working with Shane McMahon should the ‘Prodigal Son‘ of WWE soon find a home in All Elite Wrestling. Speaking with the Gorilla Position podcast, Danielson addressed those rumors about McMahon.
“I’m open to working with anybody. I don’t have beef with anybody. 100%.”
The American Dragon added that Tony Khan told him of the meeting with McMahon though by the time he did, Danielson, like everyone else in wrestling, was well aware.
“Tony mentioned to me after the photo came out, ‘I didn’t want to tell you this before, but I met with Shane McMahon.’ I didn’t say this, but I was like, ‘Yeah, I know. The picture is everywhere.'”
McMahon and Danielson have a history in WWE and were allies on-screen from 2016 to 2018. After a series of injuries forced Danielson to retire from in-ring competition, he was appointed SmackDown’s GM in 2016 by McMahon, who served as the brand’s commissioner. Danielson left the role as General Manager upon being cleared to wrestle again in 2018 and teamed with Shane to defeat Kevin Owens & Sami Zayn at WrestleMania 34.
Shane McMahon in AEW
McMahon met with Tony Khan last month and it’s been reported that the pair discussed “possibilities moving forward.” In a statement shared with Busted Open Radio, McMahon said he and Khan discussed a shared love of the business and the rewards and challenges of working with family.
The meeting of the WWE staple and AEW President has left many speculating on whether a McMahon family member could soon be All Elite. This meeting comes after it was claimed by Conrad Thompson earlier this year that McMahon had spoken to some in AEW about the possibility of joining Tony Khan’s first promotion. It was later clarified that Shane was not making a formal pitch to join AEW and was simply stating that it would be an interesting moment in wrestling.Â
Tony Khan has said he has a lot of respect for Shane and appreciates his work as both an in-ring performer and an executive. McMahon hasn’t been seen on WWE TV since WrestleMania 39 where he made a surprise appearance for an impromptu match against The Miz. While McMahon has reportedly made efforts to return to WWE since then, these are said to have been rebuffed by higher-ups. Shane was fired the previous year for reportedly causing backstage chaos at the 2022 Royal Rumble and it’s said there’s still a lot of negativity within WWE against 54-year-old.
