5 Reasons making Bryan Danielson AEW World Champion is a bad idea
Bryan Danielson, formerly known as Daniel Bryan, will look to add the AEW World Championship to his title collection when he battles Swerve Strickland at the All In 2024 Pay-Per-View. The American Dragon defeated names such as Shingo Takagi, PAC, and "Hangman" Adam Page in the annual Owen Hart Foundation Tournament to secure himself a title shot at the upcoming event in London, United Kingdom.
Fans are quite vocal about their desire to see Danielson as the next AEW World Champion. While the audience still likes Swerve Strickland to a great extent, they are desperately rooting for Bryan to leave Wembley Stadium with the AEW World Title.
A victory over The Killshot at All In 2024 will ensure that Bryan Danielson ends his full-time wrestling career on a high. However, certain factors indicate that the coronation of The American Dragon as the next World Champion would be a step in the backward direction. In this article, let's look at five reasons why Bryan Danielson's title victory at All In would be a bad idea.
#5. Bryan Danielson has no vision for his AEW World Championship reign
Bryan Danielson has admitted in many interviews that he was not in favor of becoming the AEW World Champion at this stage of his career. The 43-year-old believes that he can no longer carry the huge responsibility and wants to keep his focus on consistently delivering high-quality matches in the ring.
The American Dragon is known to fully commit himself to everything he does. As he is seemingly not interested in a World Title reign, his championship run is unlikely to be as good as it could be. The last time Danielson held a world championship was in 2019 when he was at the peak of his second WWE run as "The Planet's Champion."
The gimmick led to one of the greatest title reigns of the modern era, courtesy of Danielson's creative inputs. The 43-year-old impressively built his title reign over the months, which led to many memorable moments on television.
As the former WWE Champion has no vision for a run with the AEW World Championship, it would be better to not hand him the title at All In 2024. Even if Danielson wins the prestigious title, his reign is highly likely to be a lackluster one, which will further affect AEW on the ratings front.
#4. Swerve Strickland needs this victory more
Swerve Strickland has emerged as one of the most entertaining AEW World Champions in recent memory. The Killshot has progressed impressively in the last 12 months, going from a decent mid-carder to a reliable main-event talent.
Despite defeating names such as Christian Cage and Will Ospreay, many people still question Swerve's legitimacy, believing he only stands in the top spot to pass the title to a bigger star. A victory over Bryan Danielson at All In 2024 could allow Strickland to silence such critics, helping him bury the "transitional champion" claims.
The 33-year-old star would love to cement his title reign by defeating Bryan Danielson, who has previously beaten The Killshot in All Elite Wrestling. With Danielson unwilling to hold the AEW World Championship, it would be better if Tony Khan keeps the title on Swerve Strickland for a little longer.
#3. Bryan Danielson may not be able to accomplish much during his short-lived title reign
AEW has done a great job in booking its World Champions during its five-year-long existence. Apart from CM Punk, the rest of the seven AEW World Champions have delivered impressive performances during their title reigns.
While his victory at All In 2024 will surely generate great buzz, it is unlikely that Bryan Danielson will remain the AEW World Champion for too long. The match against Swerve Strickland is supposedly Danielson's last match as a full-time performer, following which The American Dragon will transition to a much lighter schedule. If the former WWE Superstar goes on to have a short title reign, it will affect the prestige of the AEW World Championship.
As All Elite Wrestling continues to struggle on the ratings front, they should refrain from taking any risks at the moment. The Jacksonville-based promotion should not cut short Swerve's entertaining run just to book a brief World Title reign for The American Dragon. As Danielson is unlikely to accomplish much as a less active World Champion, it would be better to keep the title on Strickland, who could achieve much bigger things at the top of the card.
As Bryan cannot commit to a full-time schedule any longer, Tony Khan should refrain from booking Danielson's title victory at the expense of Swerve's momentum.
#2. A part-time wrestler cannot be a fighting champion
Bryan Danielson's run in AEW has been defined by his willingness to fight different kinds of opponents from all across the globe. Unless he is injured, Danielson always makes sure to consistently wrestle every week. After setting the kind of standards he has, it would be a huge letdown if The American Dragon only makes limited appearances after winning the AEW World Championship.
Since Bryan is set to be a part-timer after All In 2024, Tony Khan would not be able to capitalize on what could have been a legendary title reign if Danielson was still a full-time performer. Fans love The American Dragon for his ability to churn out classics in the ring. If Danielson did not defend his title as frequently, fans will surely feel unfulfilled by his reign at the top.
For someone who promised to be a fighting champion, it would be disappointing to see Danielson not put his title on the line regularly. Considering the work ethic of the previous AEW World Champions, it will be a bit underwhelming if the 43-year-old star does not put the same efforts into his title defenses.
As Bryan Danielson has decided to perform part-time after All In, it would be better if he allows someone else to take the title off Swerve Strickland in that case. The moment may have passed for The American Dragon, and it is time that he accepts that fact.
#1. Swerve Strickland should only lose his title against "Hangman" Adam Page
The long-standing rivalry between Swerve Strickland and "Hangman" Adam Page has emerged as one of the greatest feuds in AEW history. What started as a battle for supremacy soon turned into a heated feud, as the two stars tried to tear each other apart on numerous occasions. The two individuals have undergone a role reversal in recent months, as Swerve is now the beloved babyface while Page is a vicious heel who wants revenge.
As great as it would be to witness Bryan Danielson's coronation, Swerve's loss at All In 2024 will lower the stakes for his next match against The Cowboy. After a trilogy of fantastic matches, the fourth encounter between Swerve and Hangman must have a title on the line. Unlike The American Dragon, Page is the future of All Elite Wrestling, and a World Title victory will greatly benefit his heel character.
After a dominant reign as the face of AEW, it would be fitting if The Killshot drops his title against his arch-nemesis. "Hangman" Adam Page could avenge his previous losses by dethroning Swerve Strickland at AEW All Out 2024. The victory will not only help him get even with The Killshot but also allow him to redeem himself from his disastrous title reign in 2022.