Here’s Why Bryan Danielson Chose To Sign With AEW Over WWE

A comparison between contracts Bryan Danielson was offered by WWE and AEW earlier this year has emerged in a recent report.

Bryan Danielson’s last WWE deal expired following his Universal Championship match on the April 30 episode of SmackDown. Prior to this date, Danielson has vocalised a desire to wrestle outside of WWE.

According to Dave Meltzer on the latest episode of Wrestling Observer Radio, the offers from both AEW and WWE would’ve allowed Danielson to work with NJPW.

Noting that Danielson made his decision with the entire wrestling industry in mind, Meltzer said:

“Both offers (from WWE and AEW) were money wise similar and both would have allowed him to do New Japan. WWE was going to allow him to do New Japan and he was trying to open the door for other people in WWE that wanted to go to New Japan to be able to do that but that seems to be a dead issue right now from a WWE standpoint. I haven’t heard anything about WWE guys going to New Japan.

“One of the things that he was talking about making his decision about was what would be the best thing for the industry as a whole as opposed what would be the best thing for him…perhaps, probably in looking at the picture, he may have felt like Mick Foley did many many years ago when he went to TNA, that the best thing for the industry is competition at a high level and Mick Foley went to TNA years ago for that reason.

“At the end of the day, I am sure that he probably got along really good with Tony Khan but he is a big Vince McMahon fan, more than people really understand. He’s a big fan of Vince McMahon as a person, so it was not an easy decision. His wife and his sister-in-law are probably gonna be back in WWE. They have said that.

“They are not going to AEW as far as I know. ..It was (John Laurinaitis’) job to make sure that Bryan signed and did not go so that’s a tricky thing there but at the end of the day, he made the decision to go.”

Danielson debuted for AEW in the closing moments of All Out. After the show, Danielson explained that he would love to wrestle in NJPW, but feels it would be unsafe for him to travel internationally right now due the pandemic.

Transcription via WrestlingNews.co.

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• Bryan Danielson
• NJPW
• AEW
• wwe

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