The speculation surrounding Daniel Brya, or Bryan Danielson, being the next major signing for AEW has been rife for months. But now it seems as though his debut for the company is imminent. On the recent edition of Rampage CM Punk all but confirmed the arrival of the American Dragon. As the fans chanted “YES!” he told them they will have to be a little more patient to do that.
The signing of the former WWE Champion would be another game-changing coup for AEW. The promotion would not only be getting one of the best wrestlers in the industry, but also one of the most popular. In WWE as Daniel Bryan, Danielson accomplished everything a wrestler could ever wish for. He is a multi-time champion, two-time WrestleMania headliner and loved and respected by fans and peers alike.
Daniel Bryan Dream Opponents
As a WWE employee for eleven years, many fans have always envisioned him going against stars from other companies. Danielson himself listed a few AEW stars that he would like to face when speaking to Bleacher Report in March. Now that dream is on the verge of becoming a reality, so here are 5 dream opponents for Bryan Danielson in AEW.
5. Kenny Omega
There is just no way that we could write a dream opponents list from AEW and not include Kenny Omega. So we’ll start with a match never thought possible only a few months ago.
A match between the American Dragon and the Best Bout Machine is the stuff of wrestling dreams. Danielson and Omega are two of the most technically gifted, influential, and highly-esteemed wrestlers of our generation.
The two have met before in PWG way back in 2009. But the match was more of a comedy routine than the fight everyone expected. Known as the ‘John Jacob Jingleheimer Schmidt’ match, both competitors sing and dance to the American nursery rhyme. However, the bout picks up the intensity with a thumb war before delivering an intense finale.
They met again in a more serious encounter that involved Seth Rollins, then Tyler Black. All three tore it up in this excellent outing and only goes to further prove that the world needs to see Bryan Danielson and Kenny Omega go at it once again.
Since that meeting, both have gone onto accomplish some of the greatest achievements in professional wrestling. Multiple championships, monumental main events, and legendary status have followed. Therefore for these two dynamic performers to clash on the AEW stage is a must-see for any wrestling fan.
4. MJF
MJF is an old-school heel with an old-school in-ring style and is the perfect adversary for Bryan Danielson both in and out of the ring. The leader of the Pinnacle is one of the best bad guys in the business while Danielson is universally loved. The back-and-forth between the future megastar and the veteran has all the ingredients to be a world-class rivalry.
The mild-mannered Daniel Bryan is the perfect target for the arrogant bully MJF. However, no one brings the in-ring intensity quite like the American Dragon and one of MJF’s scything promos would unleash that side of Danielson to great effect.
At the age of just 26, MJF has cemented himself as the best heel in AEW and a feud with Danielson would do wonders for his already momentous wrestling career.
3. Jungle Boy
Jungle Boy is quickly becoming a regular on the dream match lists. He is a fantastic talent and at such a young age has risen to be one of the most promising wrestlers in the world.
As part of Jurassic Express, Jungle Boy is a great tag team wrestler but is also establishing himself as a formidable singles star. He is the first wrestler in AEW to reach fifty wins and held his own against Chris Jericho, Darby Allin, Cody Rhodes and Kenny Omega. As his star continues to rise, AEW will want to put him in front of legends such as Danielson. An outing between the two would not only be a spectacle for the fans but an invaluable experience for Jungle Boy.
Similar to Bryan Danielson, Jungle Boy is highly skilled, athletic, genuinely likeable and naturally charismatic. Because of these comparable attributes, it would be a sheer pleasure to watch these two in the ring.
2. Darby Allin
The enigmatic Allin has taken the wrestling world by storm since joining AEW. His unique look and carefree style made him one of the promotion’s top up-and-coming stars.
His daredevil offence is not unlike Danielson’s approach to wrestling in his early career. Anyone who has seen his Ring of Honor matches with Samoa Joe, Nigel McGuiness and Takeshi Morishima can attest to that. The storyline that could be implemented has the potential to rival the action in the ring. Danielson’s devil-may-care attitude caught up with him and forced him to retire in 2016. Fortunately, he was able to return but the cautionary tale element is perfect for a feud with Allin.
As two exceptional and emotional wrestlers, the ring would witness a battle of youth vs experience, and caution vs recklessness. The result would be an enthralling story of passion, intensity and beautiful violence.
1. CM Punk
Wrestlers like Bryan Danielson and CM Punk were not supposed to make it in a company like WWE. But, they did and become two of the most popular and successful performers in the promotion’s history.
No strangers to each other in the ring, they have met several times in the past. Firstly they tore the house down in a first-time dream match in Ring of Honor way back in 2004. When they both got to WWE they rekindled their rivalry and stole the show every time they crossed paths. They clashed in memorable outings most notably for the WWE Heavyweight Championship at Over The Limit and Money In The Bank in 2012.
CM Punk and Daniel Bryan are the indie darlings that against the odds made it to the big time. Their presence in WWE and ability to get to the top of the mountain changed the way the company operated and opened the door for “smaller” wrestlers such as Finn Balor, Seth Rollins, and Kevin Owens to follow suit.
The fact that another match between Punk and Danielson in another major promotion could happen in 2021 is amazing. It is astounding that nearly twenty years ago they revolutionised the wrestling business on the independent scene and now they’re about to do it all over again.