Daniel Bryan Has Reportedly Signed A Contract With AEW
Currently chanting 'Ho-ly shit! Ho-ly shit! Ho-ly shit!' alone in my Ninja Turtles pajama pants.
Are you kidding me?! In the span of 24 hours we find out that CM Punk is (allegedly) in talks with AEW to return to the ring for the first time in like 7 years AND Daniel Bryan - or should I say Bryan Danielson - is (allegedly) on his way there as well?!
This report came initially via Cassidy Haynes of Bodyslam.net but has since been verified by Dave Meltzer, who noted that AEW's partnership with New Japan Pro Wrestling was a key factor in Bryan signing, which means we ain't only getting The American Dragon on Dynamite….we'll likely be seein him clash with the best of the best in the Far East too!
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Imagine Daniel Bryan versus Kota Ibushi…or Tetsuya Naito…or Hiroshi Tanahashi…or Kazuchika Okada…or Ishii…or KENTA - in 2021?! Imagine Daniel Bryan in the G1 Climax?! I'll show ya a climax!
Obviously, his matchup possibilities in AEW alone are endless, too - Kenny Omega, Adam Page, MJF, Darby Allen, Jungle Boy, Penta El Zero M, Eddie Kingston, Andrade El Idolo, ORANGE CASSIDY, etc - so in a world where maybe feuding with THIS again (and having little to no creative control over it) was the alternative…..
…..I completely understand why Bryan (allegedly) signed with AEW, and as arguably his biggest fan, couldn't be more excited for his future in the ring.
Plus, the selfish side of me thinks it's kinda cool that I conducted Bryan's final interview in the WWE….
Imagine the lights drop at the upcoming Arthur Ashe Stadium show, and then all of a sudden 'The Final Countdown' starts blaring over the loudspeakers?! That may generate a pop loud enough to branch our reality out into a multiverse - seriously!
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If this really IS true and AEW has locked up both Bryan Danielson and CM Punk now - we've got a REAL war on our hands, folks.
As massive as the WWE brand is, they have been putting on some truly unwatchable episodes of television for a while now, driving away their fanbase more and more (with things like the Peacock deal), struggling greatly in ratings/live event ticket sales, and those who get over always feel like they're getting over in SPITE of Vince - not because of him. They've gotta turn the ship around fast.
AEW sure as shit feels like a unified front providing the perfect alternative to the stale WWE product right now tho, and they're doing a LOT of things correctly. From organically building new stars, to capitalizing on their big moments, to keeping the weekly TV product fresh, to signing big names and using them right - they've got serious momentum, and these signings could put them over the edge.
I can't wait to see how this all unfolds.