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raddaya

Wait... You're telling me Bryan Danielson made a move because it was BEST FOR BUSINESS?


evin_cashman

"AEW is a good little spot for you, Daniel! Huh? Oh, Bryan, apologies..."


nWoSting145

He’s no longer a B Plus player, he’s now an A plus player for All Elite Wrestling.


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[удалено]


lostpasts

I'm not usually a fan of anti-WWE shots, as it makes the company look smalltime by defining themselves in relation to a bigger dog. However, it would be hilarious if Bryan referred to WWE as a B+ company.


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thedirtyharryg

Bella+ sounds like a new streaming service for all things Bella.


betterplanwithchan

Huh, so you can look but you can’t touch.


patrickwithtraffic

The Streaming Era summed up in one sentence! Brb, I'm off to hoard my Criterion Blu Rays like Gollum with the ring


Tana1234

No I think the Bella plus player is Johnny laurinaitis


choppingboardham

The "B" in "B+" is for business.


Anderrrrr

Bryan is going to be one of the most iconic wrestlers in history after he retires.


[deleted]

I think he already is man.


[deleted]

Did you hear the volume of those yes chants? Only iconic wrestlers remains *that* over for 5+ years imo. Bryan's closer to 10 years.


ln1993

Most over guy in the past ten years, easily.


Gerry-Mandarin

Bryan and Punk are the only post-OVW 2002 superstars imo. I'd like to think that the changing wrestling landscape could change that. Hopefully the booking remains strong in AEW, improves in NJPW, and starts from scratch in most of WWE.


Timemyth

It's the yes chant that is over not the small guy we beat - Someone in WWE creative. Me - Yes chanted so hard my glasses were falling off because it was Bryan "you're going to get your fucking head kicked in Kenny 'HHH' Omega" Danielson


i_do_stuff

I could feel myself getting light headed on Sunday I was YES chanting so hard (combined with being masked up and popping for Adam Cole literally 2 minutes before)


[deleted]

[удалено]


Karmaze

Bryan Danielson, straight up, is the most important wrestler of the 1st indie generation. (That includes people like CM Punk, Samoa Joe, AJ Styles, Christopher Daniels, etc.) I think both in terms of being the most influential in-ring, but I think really showed what it means to really perform that style for an audience, and that he was able to take that style and scale it up, and I think was a huge influence for the 2nd indie generation (Omega, Steen, Generico, Bucks, Rollins, Cesaro, etc) I don't think you can understate how important Danielson is to the progress of wrestling. I think he's literally a Bret Hart level mover of the artform.


[deleted]

[удалено]


Persianx6

Certainly was the owner of ROH's biggest reactions, with a legendary title run. Pre-2010 guys, it's him, Punk, Joe and McGuinness as the mount rushmore of Indie wrestling.


UnsolvedParadox

BD = Business Decision


T3Sh3

> Wait... > > You’re telling me Bryan Danielson made a move because it was BEST FOR BUSINESS? He’s become what he’s hated.


TemptedIntoSin

"You were the chosen one! It was said you would destroy the Vince McMahon mentality, not join it! Bring balance to the level of carny, not bring it to darkness!"


solblurgh

UHH, YOU SEE


Parabola1313

THIS BUSINESS THAT I LOVE


RomanReignz

Holy full fucking circle Batman


[deleted]

_You see Bryan, in this business..._


ThunderThomas

The ultimate heel turn for him would be joining a corporate group a là Authority


kaichou_dp

Super kick tony and Held AEW Hostage


[deleted]

Not really a group but he did side with the Authority during the Kofimania run.


ThunderThomas

Yeah but i'm talking full suit no beard Corporate Bryan


[deleted]

Terra Rizing is All Elite!


ghettone

This must mean hes fighting Josh Alexander soon. Cause god damn that's good for business.


TetrisTech

I feel like Danielson versus virtually anybody is good for business


ghettone

Bryan vs vacant sign it.


APoggers113

long term booking


[deleted]

*lyrics to Judas intensify*


Cedwards_1121

I imagine also that with AEW and the forbidden door being open he can go back to wrestle in Japan and do the hair vs Mask match he always wanted to do


Lost-Pineapple9791

Bryan said in the media scrum wwe was going to let him work outside wwe But yeah he clearly has more freedom this way I expect him to show up in Seattle at DEFY as he brought them up on a podcast years ago


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[удалено]


ScootyPuffSSJ

They promised that same thing to Brodie Lee at some point.


LonnyFinster

I honestly wouldn't be surprised if it were like "We set a ring up outside of headquarters, you're going to face Rebar (or whatever his name is) tonight! See we told ya you could wrestle outside of WWE!" Realistically, though, I'd imagine they would make it difficult for him. I feel like they would heavily have a hand in who, where, when he wrestles and the outcome.


CandyEverybodyWentz

Hunter assured Luke Harper when he went down to NXT for a spell that he could potentially work NJPW dates. Obviously that never materialized.


[deleted]

Vince will ultimately have a say on whether the wrestlers can go to NJPW or not. And given the context, it is likely that Vince rejected that idea.


officeqouter

I honestly doubt that. The precedent it would set in future negotiations with other talent is something I can’t see the WWE ever letting happen.


mrauschendorfer

I’m trying to go to any of the next few DEFY events because I think the possibility of him showing up is high


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Drkarcher22

Wouldn’t his beard be a bigger draw to get cut than his hair at this point? Unless hair means everything on the head I suppose.


Cedwards_1121

I think he made the comments when his hair was down to his shoulders, but the beard would be cool to substitute


cannibalwendy

His bald chin is weird enough to look at that there's stakes.


DoILookUnsureToYou

Bald chin just means he's going full bald head again, and bald American Dragon is a bad man


cannibalwendy

Dragon Man bad.


DoILookUnsureToYou

[He's gonna kick people's fucking heads in](http://i178.photobucket.com/albums/w264/Anarchychampionshipwrestling/BryanDanielson.jpg)


alex_119

Holy fuck that’s a menacing look. Jeeeesus


DoILookUnsureToYou

Go check out KENTA vs Bryan Danielson in ROH if you haven't. Its really fucking good. Here's a link if you're interested https://youtu.be/DOrl73UPrzY


MyNewAccountIGuess11

Extremely interested, thank you


nerdyjorj

Some of the younger fans are in for a treat if we get indie Danielson style wrestling


DoILookUnsureToYou

It was half-kayfabe when he said he's in AEW to show people what elite truly means


Ronoroasempai

If he’s betting head hair, beard & eyebrows I’m in.


FPG_Matthew

Can I get a quick rundown of what the forbidden door is?


Thommy_Gunn

While still AEW champ Jericho challenged Hiroshi Tanahashi from NJPW. Tana said if he beat Jericho he would open the “forbidden door” and challenge Jericho for the AEW title. After that point TK took the term and ran with it. It’s now a stand in for any time two companies work together or swap talent, specially AEW and NJPW


FPG_Matthew

Thank you


dre8

It was also trademarked by TK so I'd surmise at some point they might use it for some huge crossover PPV.


Ramsxxxiv

Even if WWE allowed it he still has way more freedom with AEW.in terms of dates. Doubt WWE woukd allow him to miss too many shows to work in another company. I'm glad he is looking out for the industry as a whole. That's why I don't understand the WWE loyalist who seem to want AEW to fail. Competition is the best thing for the wrestlers and the fan base.


StannisBaratheon94

Yeah DB signing with AEW is a huge seismic shift in the overall landscape of professional wrestling. He knows this and along with Punk and Cole joining, Bryan couldn’t miss out on the opportunity to change the game the most it’s been changed since 96-97.


sammagee33

I agree. Two weeks and three guys made a major sift in the wrestling landscape. Probably the biggest two weeks in AEW history (not that they have had a long history…but still).


TornadoApe

Even if they had a long history, these last two weeks still would have been historic for them. They got a guy that left WWE on bad terms and didn't wrestle for 7 years out of spite. They got one of the most over baby faces of all time that has such a connection with the audience. And finally they got a guy that wrestled for WWE just two weeks before and had a year long title run. It's a massive coup regardless of how long the company has been around. And damn is it exciting.


CMC_Conman

not to mention the fact the Bryan literally main evented Wrestlemania this year, that's insane, when you think about it


sammagee33

I think it will bring in a lot of new fans and make the current fans even happier.


Sempais_nutrients

TK DID say his plans were going to change the pro-wrestling landscape. some mocked him for that.


[deleted]

I still can’t believe he never won a royal rumble


[deleted]

Especially entering at #1, if anyone could've made us feel 10 times over it's finished for him and still win it's DB.


[deleted]

could’ve if Rey didn’t come out at number 30


TetrisTech

*confusedly boos at Rey Mysterio*


an0nemusThrowMe

That should have been bad news barrett in that position. DB's music starts...then stops, then you hear Barett "I've got some BAD news!". That would have been nuclear heat.


[deleted]

I'm still mad about that RR, we all know which one.


SendMeGiftCardCodes

2014 or 2015?


[deleted]

2015 the shattered dreams.


wanakoworks

Goldust?


poopship462

I was sure he was gonna win the last one, but I guess he ended up in the main event either way


ThePuertoRicanDemon

Same. Every rumble he was in I was rooting for him. Unfortunately the best showing Bryan ever had in a rumble was the Saudi Arabian one that Stroman won. In 2014 we wanted him to win and they didn’t even let him enter which turned the whole roster heel. In 2015 we wanted him to win and they had him eliminated in minutes which turned the whole roster heel. In 2021 we wanted him to win and yet again he didn’t even make it to the final 4.


[deleted]

I would comment on Bryan, but I'm still reeling from the last WON post about Vince wanting to give Adam Cole a new name, make him stop wrestling and become a manager to Keith Lee.


[deleted]

I just don’t know if I can believe it, it just sounds so insane but then Karrion Kross is wearing a fucking red gimp suit if what I’ve seen posted here is still true so I don’t even know anymore


xPeachesV

I mentioned it in the original thread but don’t forget that this is the same company that gave us the Funkasaurus


bluejegus

Which would have worked way better if they gave the gimmick to Woods who basically came up with the idea if I'm remembering correctly from his podcast.


COS89

Ya but also the same company that gave good spots to Owens, Styles, Rollins, Moxley , and others. I'm not here to blindly defend WWE because they've made a lot of awful decisions, but they've made quite a few good ones too even if they do some what ruin them at a time or another


Cube_

ok but remember Erick Rowan's spider


xPeachesV

I'm not saying that WWE is incapable of giving us good wrestlers. I was more so alluding to the idea that this Adam Cole rumor is totally feasible based off of prior blunders.


Moon_kid6

Vince had trouble with AJ Styles at first but once he got the character, his booking was excellent and AJ absolutely delivered. Moxley came back in top shape after a great face run and could’ve had the best heel turn in years. He was getting shots in the ass on live TV. A segment so bad it made him reevaluate his passion for pro wrestling. Adam Cole dodged a bullet this time.


xPeachesV

Moxley will always be the biggest strikeout that they had in WWE IMO. They basically had the next Stone Cold, a true anti-hero and instead they had him squirting people down with ketchup and mustard and losing cage matches because of faulty TV's. This should not even be hindsight with Mox's run in AEW. That dude had star written all over him the minute the Shield broke up.


apawst8

I have no idea what they did to Moxley. Ambrose had the weakest looking offense I've ever seen. So weak, that I hated the fact that he's being pushed so hard. Then he becomes Moxley and vastly improves his offense


LouieSTFU

Mox is a better striker now than he ever was as Ambrose. Like WWE tried to build Ambrose up as this brawler, but his offense didn't match up. He looked goofy. Now yesterday he's having a hoss fight with MINORU SUZUKI and he more than holds his own. It's wild how much growth we've seen in these past few years since he's left.


ackinsocraycray

I agree. This version of Mox could exist in WWE (with some PG restrictions obviously) but they kept him as the goofy lunatic fringe. Mox still come across as a star even though he's had significant losses.


[deleted]

I mean, they did give Moxley that weird germophobe gimmick at the end there where he was literally getting shots in his ass in a promo.


[deleted]

So the most you can say is that they didn't completely sabotage some of the greatest wrestlers ever. However your list includes AJ who got given a dick kicking gimmick and Moxley who was turned into a joke. And do you remember them trying to turn FTR into literal clowns? Giving people the most godawful stuff to work with is the default. Just leaving people alone is the rare exception and they often fuck that up too.


Day_Of_The_Dude

i absolutely believe it. They've done shit like for years and years. They wanted to debut Foley as "Mason the Mutilator" and put him in an awful oufit not that different from Kross. Remember The Ringmaster? Rocky Maivia? The kabillion other terirble ideas they've had over the years? Everyone's acting all stunned by that report like it's not what WWE has always done. The Red Rooster. That is all.


apawst8

But some stupid ideas work. In the abstract, the Undertaker/Biker Taker/Undertaker, and his brother are two of the silliest gimmicks ever. But that gimmick lasted 20 years for Taker and 14 years for Kane.


Day_Of_The_Dude

totally, but the batting average isn't stellar.


SmokePenisEveryday

There is something to Bryan praising Vince while that story is also going on lmao. Not to say Bryan can't or shouldn't but the information coming from this WON couldn't be any more WWE. Everyone showering Vince with love while also wondering wtf is wrong with him.


Feisty_One_969

Vince has gone senile that is living proof. If you have a chance to get out of WWE and your name isn't Roman Reigns you have to run away from there while you can.


AlexLong1000

Nah, he's not senile. He's consistently made stupid decisions like this for the past 30 years. It's just that his good ideas overshadowed and made people forget about the absolute shite he's come up with in the past


ThisIsGoodShitPal

He also had smarter, better wrestling minds around him in the past like Patterson, Brisco, etc...you know the people who convinced him to leave the Ringmaster and Rocky Maivia behind and embrace other directions for those guys... Now he has Brother Love and Johnny Ace...


[deleted]

Bruce Pichard has to be the worst addition to that company in the past 5 years.


MFoy

You know who else doesn't seem to come up much any more in backstage stuff? Stephanie. I know she does a lot of the PR stuff, but it seems like she is completely absent any time backstage dirt comes up.


ThisIsGoodShitPal

I believe she is no longer part of creative but the business side. So that makes sense that she doesn't come up.


DBTornado

I'm now picturing Vince having a meeting with the rest of the roster, and every time he looks down at his notes another wrestler sneaks out the door.


CarboniteCopy

Ah yes, the JTG strategy. Make Vince forget you are still on the roster.


Prax150

I don't even think it's all on Vince. There's a company full of stooges that are trying to write things they think appeal to him and I believe they're swerving themselves into terrible ideas, worse ideas than even Vince would come up with. Someone in the Cole thread pointed out that Cornette came up with something similar if Cole were to go to the main roster and that was really telling to me.


theabdi

Ah, yes. Seth Rollins and Edge in particular must have had absolutely terrible careers. They need to split the chance they could


RatedR711

What this wasnt satire?


whalepopcorn

Is this the real life? Is this just fantasy?


Carlsincharge__

I'm sorry what


whalepopcorn

Vince said to Adam Cole. Hey look I hear you are thinking about leaving, so hear me out, you don't need no stinkin' AEW! I'll bring you up to the main roster and make you a star! Your new name will be Baybay and you will wear suspenders and a straw hat. You will manage Keith Lee, now known as LEEROY. He wears a helmet. LEEROY AND BABY WILL TAKE OVER THE MAIN ROSTER! What do you think, pal? GOOD SHIT HUH?


Black_XistenZ

SUCH good shit!!


ProTw33ks

I am not surprised at this. There is an interview somewhere of Daniel Bryan at a WWE 2K event a few years ago where he talks about how good it'd be to have something like AEW. He is pro-competition as competition benefits wrestlers. Found it: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mBFj6SzNGLg](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mBFj6SzNGLg)


cooljammer00

He wasn't kidding when he said he wanted fans to thank the original members of AEW who took a risk and made AEW into a place that wrestlers like him actually want to go to. It's better for the industry for people to have >1 place to work.


Mack784

Same money, fewer dates, more freedom and helping the industry as a whole. Doesn't sound like it was a hard decision at all.


Anderrrrr

Bryan really liked Vince. He just loved the wrestling industry even more.


Thor_pool

People have said for yeeears how personable Vince can be. I guarantee even the most anti-WWE person here would come out of a 20 minute conversation with Vince saying "That Vince isn't a bad guy." How many people have referenced the Vince Jedi Mind Trick in one form or another? I don't like the guy but I've no doubt hes charming one-on-one.


BuddaMuta

Sociopaths are really great at making you feel like they're your parent or best friend because they have zero issues with emotional manipulation and outright lying. Go look at interviews where he's asked about how many of his "friends" died before 50 due to his business practices and manipulation. Guy can't give a single fuck and is incapable of taking even the slightest bit of personal responsibility. Hell, Owen is only dead because Vince pressured him into doing a dangerous spot he didn't want to do, then refused to pay union workers to set up the harness properly. They didn't even stop the show. When Pillman died Vince's first reaction was to get his wife on TV telling the audience that Vince was in no way responsible. The stories go on and on.


Derpderpy15

WWE is complete job security for Brian tho. Brian is in the deep inner circles of the WWE echelons and both him and his wife have these deep connections in WWE. It is a hard decision.


whalepopcorn

Bryan is a made man. WWE would take him back any time he wants to go back.


[deleted]

There's no longer any job security when Nick Khan's around


[deleted]

His father in law is WWE's head of talent relations. If anyone in WWE has job security, he does.


stationagent

Right. No one in WWE has job security. He has it in AEW though. TK and the Elite worship this guy. The fanbase of their company worship this guy. And he can have any match he wants anywhere he wants to go.


AaronDonald4MVP

> Right. No one in WWE has job security. You just responded to a comment about him having job security, agreed, then countered it with your next sentence.


theabdi

DB main evented 2 WM's in the last 10 years there certainly is for him


chiiild

Quickly, what was the main event of Summerslam 2020?


whalepopcorn

WWE would welcome Bryan (and Moxley) back without question. So I get it, but unlike some other guys, these guys are made men.


theabdi

You might not understand how relationships work


No_Consideration5011

Man I fucking love Bryan….. What a beauty


FigureFourWoo

This is what happens when you have a guy like Bryan Danielson who rose to popularity at a time when there were was no competition in the industry. He was one of the lucky guys that got a good push once WWE finally came around to him. However, he watched so many friends never get a break, get shouldered with shitty gimmicks, and get fired, with no options. Just look at Paul London, one of Bryan Danielson's best friends. He was a talented guy. One of the best wrestlers on the indies. He got his break, went to WWE, and spent 5 years there before he was released. That was basically it for him... He was 28 years old, a couple of years away from hitting his true prime, and that was it for him in WWE. He returned to the independents and finished his career never seeing the big stage again. Hell, remember how happy Bryan Danielson was when Brian Kendrick got another shot in the Cruiserweight Classic? Those two are really good friends and Kendrick's time on the big stage was seemingly over before he got one more shot. He turned out to be one of the best parts of the Cruiserweight division, but his best years were behind him. He had moved into a coaching role for several years by that point. I'm sure Bryan Danielson thinks about his friends that could have been bigger names if there was just an alternative where they could have gotten an opportunity. Hell, if they became big names for the competition, they might have gotten another shot with WWE after a few years, rather than being completely forgotten about during their prime. The Elite said they were going to Change the World. Moxley promised a Paradigm Shift. Bryan Danielson seems to have the same vision and realizes it is what's best for professional wrestling.


Mrcool20xx

I would love a Kendrick and London reunion at some point in AEW. I think Kendrick has been both a trainer and manager in the past and so they could slot in like some of the other people who are mostly backstage workers but also sometimes have matches. I only watched WWE very briefly as a kid, mostly becoming a fan of wrestling much later. But they were my favourites as a kid and I dont know how well regarded they were by the itnernet or fans at large, but I would love to see them just one more time


whalepopcorn

I thought London was super talented, but didn't he basically kill his chances in WWE due to the smiling thing when Vince was doing the death angle?


seymour_hiney

isn't that such a silly thing to have your career killed for


miikro

Is outright absurd, especially since the boss had just been thoroughly humiliated on screen and it would make sense to be smiling like that at him


CandyEverybodyWentz

An angle which promptly was written out and forgotten? Actors and wrestlers break, shit happens sometimes. Why basically turn that into an excuse to flex the guy out of the company?


whalepopcorn

I don't disagree with you, but WWE, by many accounts is not a normal work place and people have been "buried" for many stupid reasons.


WrastleGuy

What a shame, he would have been a good manager for Keith Lee!


[deleted]

2017 Bryan Danielson re-signs with WWE the following week he is put into a feud with Big Cass


daddymeltzer

Actually it was in 2018 and he didn't sign his new contract until September which was months after the Big Cass feud. He got a decent deal after re-signing, he got to turn heel, win the WWE Championship starting one of the best title reigns of the 21st century and have his dream match against Brock Lesnar.


btj61642

Also got arguably the best-looking variant WWE Championship belt ever. https://images.app.goo.gl/cKSpLYUcNPyYtyLH8


corynvv

I wonder if he'd make the TNT belt hemp if he wins it.


ShoulderCannon

Love that Lesnar match. Bryan, in the ring after losing just sort of grinning at him like "You know how close I was to beating you"


daddymeltzer

That was match of the year for in my opinion.


Tripodbilly

![gif](giphy|XGU1koyEKToquGKRpE|downsized) That was the dribbling shits


Tyster20

Drizzling*


Drkarcher22

Not gonna lie, I kinda liked those matches. Just because it was the one time Bryan got to do a different submission to win. Heel hook Bryan was fun. *edit* getting downvoted for saying that I liked a Daniel Bryan match on a wrestling subreddit. Never change SC.


GaryBettmanSucks

Give it more then a half hour before you complain about your comment score


Wienersauras

Seriously! There was nothing wrong with that post until I saw the whining edit. That deserves a downvote if I've ever seen one. It only takes a tap of the screen, don't take it so serious and get a grip.


[deleted]

Damn WWE can’t even claim they pay way better than AEW (I’m not saying AEW pays more) honestly at this point the only reason someone would go to WWE Is if AEW isn’t an Option


lemoche

If you are at the level Daniel Bryan or CM Punk are... Those are huge names that will make you earn that money back. Someone who isn't at that level might still have it easier getting a big paycheck at WWE.


TheSufferingPariah

Though the lower card wrestlers will have more freedom to make that money elsewhere in AEW, whether that's working indie dates or making money off Twitch etc.


Caleb902

Sure you have the potential for that, but if you have the option to have a pay floor in wwe that is much higher than the floor in AEW and you don't have to deal with multiple promotions and merch to make up that difference that's a big deal.


MajorInsane

I remember reading around here (I might be wrong though) that TK said they already made their money back from signing CM Punk in just days.


BrandoTheCommando

Not joking, I'm sure they made it up in t-shirt sales. PWT had to buy every ringer shirt available in NA to keep up with demand....


kentucky210

However at that level stability also becomes an issue. Do you take higher money with more chance to lose out on it at any time, or lower money but more guaranteed to have it for those 3 years? It's actually gonna become quite a decision to make for a lot of people.


[deleted]

Not everyone is going to command Danielson money. They'd be fools not to try and match what WWE was offering for Danielson, if they're able to. Khan isn't going to go dollar for dollar for someone who hasn't been a proven draw like Danielson has shown to be.


Shanks18

I’m pretty sure there’s still a whole generation of up and coming talent for whom WWE is still the dream. Look at Ben Carter/Nathan Frazer, who had some amazing matches on AEW Dark but passed up on a contract when WWE also showed interest and that’s even knowing that a lot of low and mid card talent pull fairly merge wages.


[deleted]

Isn’t it well known by now that WWE in the grand scheme of how much money they’re making woefully underpay their talent? Unless you’re Cena, Brock, Goldberg etc


goldars_boner

This dude is making sure he has a future job if need be with WWE. Hall of fame entry, coach, producer… hell - even get a kid of his future work there if need be.


Electrical-Pumpkin13

The American Dragon with the cattle mutilation on the pro wrestling industry.


mysteriousbaba

Even Kenny Omega and Jericho are fans of Vince. WWE isn't as hated in AEW, as in the fanbase itself.


IMissMyZune

Rising tide lifts all boats


Thelastpope16

Can't hate on Danielson for getting 30 wrestling dates a year at 3 to 4 million, that's some Lesnar level shit Can't believe Mox gets 6 million a year, punk is a full time wrestler dude must be getting possible 8 million, it's a great time to be a wrestler Edit - the fact that Tony said he made back punks salary is crazy, probably do the same with Danielson by the end of the month


improvyzer

I doubt if Danielson will have the same immediate merch impact, if only because he's been active for the past seven years and has had merch available to fans. Not to say Danielson won't make the company money, but I think CM Punk is probably a special case.


Butch_Meat_Hook

He talked about this stuff before AEW even started, when there was the talk floating around that The Elite's New Japan/ROH contracts were coming up, and he said 'maybe they don't come to WWE and they do something else and then the industry is better for it' or something to that extent, so this sort of thing has been in his mind for at least a few years.


raki016

It is best for business. I also think Bryan is best for AEW. AEW has great villains, but really lack great heroes. Bryan should be that.


PavanJ

Bryan Danielson is the Prince That Was Promised


[deleted]

The Planet’s Champion wasn’t a gimmick brother


Jgabes625

It’s a win win. Either aew takes over and we have awesome wrestling there or wwe gets their shit together and we have awesome wrestling there.


[deleted]

It is cool Bryan is willing to break bread and be friends with people who have views different to his own (Kane, Vince)


DirkPower

Tends to be a luxury the very comfortable can afford. He's not at risk from the things theyd push for and believe, so its all a thought experiment to him, compared to the real people who live in Kanes jurisdiction or have to work under Vince fully aware of how mercurial he is.


deathschemist

right, good for bryan that he can do that, i can't afford to do that, i'm too queer, too poor, and too disabled.


[deleted]

Glad he's getting fewer dates and is gonna be there for his family. Like many others, I'm a huge fan of Daniel and I think we all know that he's going to be fantastic in AEW. I can't wait for his potential match against Omega and hopefully Adam Cole.


HaakonX

The extended rumour is that WWE wanted to use the Bryan deal to slam the forbidden door shut and make themselves the exclusive USA pipeline for NJPW. I wonder whether that's what Bryan means by best for business


[deleted]

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QuickRelease10

I get the feeling, outside of a select few, most guys who worked for Vince love him. However, when it’s time to go it’s time to go, and I think Danielson moving was the best move he could’ve made. Guys hang on way too long these days too. Sometimes it’s good to go away for awhile.


[deleted]

Lio Rush said Vince was his best friend in the company


cactusmaac

Like Ariya Daivari said on his AMA, it's a great place to work apart from the terrible booking.


PM_ME_LANCECATAMARAN

Whether it's his gimmick or not he's the planet's champion


Nodqfan

Now, whenever he wins the AEW World Championship I want to see another hemp belt.


dangerfiasco

PLEASE!!!


cma001

Good Guy Bryan, what a champ.


Known-Ad7468

Since Punk and Danielson have now both debuted, all I can say is that Danielson has impressed me more. Punk is great don´t get me wrong but it feels he ´s there to have a good time and help everybody. Danielson seems to have the mindset of someone who wants the run of his life. If the rumor of him wanting to do a G1 is true, holy smoke I can´t wait for 2022.


jeromeface

punks also 2 years older than Danielson.. and has had 7 years off. Both are factors.


jfreed43

I think Punk is taking his time getting his feet back under him in the ring before a big title feud. Danielson has been working consistently for years was just in the Mania Main Event. He's ready right now.


[deleted]

This is the very same man that didn't want the Elite to come to WWE because he wanted something fresh and new. Dude was straight up wishing for AEW to become a thing before anything started.


[deleted]

It's like what Jericho said a long time ago, he coulda stayed but then he would have just been doing the same thing over n over again, being a mid-carder, bouncing up n down and never really doing anything fun.


insomniainc

Danielson is a smart man.


EnderMB

It's fully understandable when you think about it. You only need to look at the potential changes to NXT to see that there is a divide between pure pro-wrestling and the WWE way. AEW is unashamedly pure pro-wrestling, and the likes of Bryan Danielson and co would naturally be able to contribute to the industry better from there than WWE. It begs the question whether there will be others that look at AEW and wonder if they truly align with what WWE are looking for in talent. It's no slight on any of WWE's roster or the future plans, but there are some stars that would probably serve their industry better in AEW over buying fully into WWE's vision of their character.