Former AEW World Champion claims Bryan Danielson lied about an injury
Bryan Danielson finished up his full-time wrestling career in a loss to Jon Moxley at last year's AEW WrestleDream pay-per-view. By that point, the 43-year-old had several physical issues to address, most notably neck problems. However, Swerve Strickland thinks The American Dragon lied about his neck being hurt.
Danielson faced Strickland at All In 2024 for the latter's AEW World Championship. Although the champion threw everything he had at Danielson, he couldn't put the legend away and ultimately lost his title.
Swerve Strickland still seems bitter about Danielson ending his first World Championship reign. In a recent tweet, he shared a clip of The American Dragon kicking out of a pin after taking his Big Pressure slam. It was one of the most impactful moments of the bout, but Swerve thinks Danielson lied about his neck being weak, since he was able to kick out. You can check out Strickland's tweet here.
"He lied about his weak neck 😡," he wrote.
Dutch Mantell thinks Bryan Danielson is misleading AEW fans about his injuries
Bryan Danielson knew his full-time wrestling career was drawing to a close last year, and he kept fans updated on his health as he prepared for one final run on top. His biggest problem was his neck, although fans have been worried about the legend ever since his original retirement in 2016 due to concussion issues.
Danielson has provided updates since he stepped away from the ring, but Dutch Mantell believes he might be working the fans. Speaking on Story Time with Dutch Mantell, the veteran claimed that Bryan Danielson might not be as hurt as he lets on:
"I think he's not as hurt as much as he says he is. I think he wants the fans to think he's sacrificing it all for them, he could get hurt, and he could. But I think if he is that simple-minded that he thinks he could get hurt in a wrestling match, I think he's fooling himself," said Mantell.
The American Dragon has not revealed when he might return to the ring, although he said there's still a chance he'll wrestle again. Whether he makes his comeback in AEW this year remains to be seen.