Bryan Danielson has opened up about the factors that led him to leave WWE for AEW in 2021. During a recent appearance on the Insight podcast with Chris Van Vliet, The American Dragon explained that the decision came down to family needs and a desire to test himself physically.
Danielson noted that WWE’s demanding schedule was no longer feasible after having two children. AEW’s lighter schedule at the time, which consisted primarily of Wednesday tapings, was a major draw.
“I didn’t know if WWE was going to start doing the live events and stuff again, because at that point we had two kids, and I was like, I don’t want to do that schedule anymore. At AEW, it’s just Wednesdays. At the time, it was just Wednesdays. And I was like, that was a very appealing schedule to me, for my family,” Danielson said.
He also admitted that he wanted to see if he could still perform at a high level in a more athletic environment.
“Also, the idea of wanting to try something new, I always kind of wanted to push myself. I knew it was probably the last wrestling contract I’d ever sign… The style that I gravitate towards is a more athletic, sports-based style, so I wanted to see that. And then I also wanted to see if my body could still do some of these things. Some of it could, and some of it couldn’t. You learn that the hard way.”
Danielson currently serves as a commentator for AEW, a role he transitioned into following his full-time in-ring retirement earlier this year.