Brian Danielson: The unseen force behind AEW’s growth
Known as the “American Dragon” to wrestling fans worldwide, Bryan Danielson has been the revolutionary presence of All Elite Wrestling (AEW) since joining the promotion in September 2021. While fans were surprised by his in For the -ring skill, the Danielson effect extends far Beyond the squared circle. He has quietly taken on a key behind-the-scenes role that truly defines the fabric of AEW, playing a key role in the company’s creative direction and discipline
In a candid interview with The Gorilla Position, Danielson shared a rare story about his responsibilities backstage. While his contributions to AEW’s creative process are significant, Danielson discounts the idea of having a formal title or role within the company. Instead, his involvement is more organic, based on trust and cooperation with AEW president Tony Khan.
“How it looks now is I help with creative a little bit,” Danielson shared. “What that usually looks like is it’s not necessarily a formal creative meeting or anything like that. Tony will call me and run some ideas past me or he’ll say like, ‘Hey, I was thinking of this. Do you have any ideas for this or something like that?’ But that’s haphazard. It could happen three times in a week. It could not happen at all for three weeks.”
These informal but influential contributions have made Danielson an invaluable behind-the-scenes asset. While his wealth of experience in wrestling, as well as his deep understanding of history and identity, can provide insights that few others can, Danielson remains humble thanks for his performance and continues to work with A.E.W.
As Danielson’s in-ring career slows, speculation rises as to how his influence off the stage might continue. The wrestling world was buzzing with anticipation when it was announced that Danielson would challenge Swerve Strickland for the AEW World Title in the highly anticipated All In match. The match carries a lot of weight, as Danielson has said he will retire from in-ring competition—the title he is known for—if he fails to win the title—a title that has famously eluded him throughout his illustrious career.
Despite the gravity of the upcoming match and the potential end of his wrestling career, Danielson remains uncertain about what retirement will mean for his future role in AEW. He acknowledges that the transition will be complex, with many factors influencing how much he will continue to contribute backstage.
“I don’t really know what that part of [my AEW work] will look like [after retirement],” Danielson admitted. “I think it’s just going to kind of have to evolve naturally and with whatever my comfort level is and their comfort level is. Honestly, I don’t want to travel very much, so that’s another piece of the wrestling puzzle as far as physically.”
The opportunity of Danielson stepping far from the road and focusing more on his behind the scenes duties could have far-reaching implications for AEW. His strategic thoughts and passion for the enterprise have already left an enduring imprint on the business enterprise, and a extra everlasting backstage function may want to only extend that impact. However, Danielson’s reluctance to commit to tremendous tour increases questions about how involved he can be able to stay in AEW’s daily operations.
Danielson’s adventure to AEW become not with out its challenges. After a a hit tenure in WWE, where he became one of the most liked and revered wrestlers of his technology, Danielson made the ambitious choice to join AEW. His pass got here at a time whilst WWE was undergoing tremendous modifications, mainly below the management of Triple H, who has made strides in improving the organisation’s product. Despite those enhancements, Danielson has no regrets approximately his choice to go away WWE.
During the interview, Danielson meditated on his preference, emphasizing that it changed into the proper flow for him at that stage of his profession. His time in AEW has allowed him to discover new innovative opportunities and to paintings in an environment that aligns extra intently along with his non-public values and expert dreams.
As All In procedures, the wrestling world watches with bated breath to see if Bryan Danielson’s storied career will culminate inside the crowning fulfillment of triumphing the AEW World Title, or if it’ll mark the end of an technology. Regardless of the final results, Danielson’s legacy in wrestling is stable, both as one of the finest in-ring performers of all time and as a in the back of-the-scenes pressure shaping the destiny of AEW.
H/t to Wrestling Inc
