5 AEW wrestlers who successfully returned to old gimmicks
AEW is a place where talents young and old can reinvent themselves as they see fit. For wrestlers who rose through the indie ranks, there are opportunities to refine their characters of yesteryear and become top stars in the process. Veteran talents are similarly able to arrive under new gimmicks, or are free to return to their old ones.
For some grizzled veterans on AEW's roster, everything old is new again, as we've seen several successful returns to the former personas they once left behind.
A few All Elite wrestlers have resurrected their former indie personas, with some even reverting to past gimmicks fans loved seeing in Impact or, incredibly, WCW. Here are five wrestlers who managed to successfully dust off their old characters in AEW.
#5. "The American Dragon," Bryan Danielson
In the mid to late 2000s, Bryan Danielson was one of the finest independent athletes in the world. Wrestling in various promotions, he made a name for himself as the cursing, hard-hitting, head-stomping, going-to-kick-your-teeth-out American Dragon on the independent circuit. Upon arriving in WWE, Danielson would alter his character to become the more family-friendly Daniel Bryan.
As WWE's Bryan, Danielson managed to shine as a main-event player, earning unparalleled fan support with his "Yes" movement. Originally relegated to the midcard, Danielson's popularity eventually thrust him into the world title picture in a run that saw him win several championships in WWE. Of course, when Danielson left for AEW, he had to leave his trademark name behind. But where some might have struggled to return to their previous persona, Danielson stepped back into the role of the American Dragon almost effortlessly. Nowadays, it still feels nostalgic to hear him say "I'm going to kick your head in" on AEW television, harkening back to his early career.