Bryan Danielson is a fan of the way AEW operates — especially when it comes to how the company handles its relationship with WWE.
In a new interview with Talksport, Danielson shared his appreciation for AEW’s more laid-back approach to competition. While he admits he doesn’t know the perfect strategy, he prefers that AEW doesn’t treat other promotions like enemies — a style that fits his own mindset.
“We don’t, at least it seems like to me, we as a company don’t approach other companies in a warlike fashion, right? We don’t feel like we’re in a war with anybody,” Danielson said. “But that’s not the same as the other side. So we have to — we’re constantly kind of on the defense in that. I don’t know the right strategy. I like the way Tony Khan handles things, because that in my mind, it makes us the good guys, right?
“But I don’t know if at some point we need to go more on the offensive. I’ve had friends bring that up to me like, ‘Oh, you guys should attack.’ I’m like, wait a second. Like one, that’s not my personality. Two, that’s not Tony Khan’s personality. And I think that’s one of the things that drew me to AEW.”
Danielson said one of the key moments that really opened his eyes to AEW’s values came in 2020, while he was still signed with WWE. He was moved by AEW’s tribute show for Brodie Lee and how the company handled such a difficult moment.
“It touched something in me and in my mind I was thinking like, ‘Oh, these are the good guys of professional wrestling.’ There’s going to be times where we make wrong, [or] bad decisions, that happens everywhere,” Danielson said. “But one of the things that I like to think about AEW is that we try — and we don’t market ourselves as this — to be good.”
Looking ahead, Danielson is optimistic about the future of AEW, especially given the evolving media landscape and the potential for growth.
“I think, obviously we can’t tell the future, but I think there’s going to be a lot of growth for AEW,” he said. “I think there’s a tremendous opportunity right now in the media landscape to put a wrestling product out that is the kind of focus that Tony likes to put into AEW. So if I were to guess, I would say that we’re going to grow, but it’s impossible to tell.”
Danielson is currently doing media rounds to promote the upcoming AEW x NJPW: Forbidden Door pay-per-view, which takes place in London this August. But while he’s still closely connected to the wrestling world, he doesn’t feel the itch to get back in the ring just yet.
(H/T and transcribed by F4Wonline)
