Bryan Danielson’s recent comment on Cody Rhodes kick-started a massive debate online.
All Elite Wrestling made a major impact upon its arrival in 2019, quickly establishing itself as legitimate competition to World Wrestling Entertainment. However, in recent times, we have seen stars jump ship from both promotions. According to Danielson, this has helped elevate many prominent wrestlers’ careers.
Speaking on a recent episode of the Kairouz Bros’ Trash Talk Podcast, Danielson discussed how AEW helped make Cody Rhodes a megastar, which in turn helped him go straight to the top when he returned to WWE. In addition, the American Dragon stated that CM Punk probably would not have returned to wrestling or the Stamford-based promotion if it weren’t for All Elite Wrestling:
“Like, okay, if AEW wouldn’t have started, would Cody Rhodes be where he is right now? [Very true.] No, they have a mega star because AEW exists, right? Would CM Punk ever have come back? [Probably not.] Yeah.”
You can hear Bryan Danielson’s comments in the video below:
Bryan Danielson’s Comments Spark Debate Among Fans Online
While Danielson shared his personal view, the comment was picked up by fans and online publications. One of the more heated threads was sparked by X/Twitter user @DrainBamage’s post on the matter.
A few fans agreed with Danielson, arguing that he was stating something factual:
However, many others disagreed, claiming that Rhodes always intended to return to the Stamford-based promotion and that CM Punk would have returned once Vince McMahon left WWE. One user wrote:
“I respect Danielson, I understand where he’s trying to come from, but I completely disagree. I think once everything was revealed about VKM, and once he was out, that was would’ve led to Punk being open to a WWE return; I think getting back to WWE was always Cody‘s goal, and I think even without AEW, he eventually would’ve gotten back.”
Other comments shared the same sentiment, while some fans chose to remain neutral.
Currently, none of the wrestlers involved in this debate has publicly commented or replied to the statement.