Tony Khan is making a big mistake with Bryan Danielson ahead of imminent retirement
Bryan Danielson was supposedly set to retire after this year's All In, but he became the AEW World Champion instead. The reigning champion has stated that he will hang up his wrestling boots once he drops his title.
Currently, The American Dragon is involved in a feud with Jon Moxley. The two are set to lock horns for the title at WrestleDream 2024. The beef took shape at All Out 2024 when The Purveyor of Violence turned on his former Blackpool Combat Club stablemate.
Bryan's ongoing storyline might be his last, as he might drop the title to The Deathrider at WrestleDream, which will take place at the Tacoma Dome in Tacoma, Washington, on October 12.
The plot is getting more interesting with each passing week. However, Tony Khan might have made a terrible mistake by booking the erstwhile Daniel Bryan against Continental Champion Kazuchika Okada in a Title vs. Title Match for Dynamite this week.
AEW is ruining Bryan Danielson's ongoing storyline with Jon Moxley
This week's edition of Wednesday Night Dynamite will mark the fifth anniversary of AEW's flagship show. Ahead of the show, Bryan Danielson called out Kazuchika Okada and challenged The Rainmaker to a match. Later, the company confirmed the match on social media. However, Okada's title will only be on the line for the first 20 minutes of the 60-minute bout.
As mentioned, Danielson is currently involved in an interesting storyline with Jon Moxley. Therefore, his match with Okada doesn't make any sense. Many people would probably consider it a waste of time and energy.
There are better opponents for The American Dragon for Dynamite this week
AEW is portraying Bryan Danielson as a fighting champion. The veteran defended his title against Jack Perry at All Out last month. Later, he didn't back down from a fight against former rival Nigel McGuinness at Dynamite: Grand Slam 2024 in a non-title match.
But Kazuchika Okada may not be best suited to face The American Dragon amidst the latter's rivalry with the erstwhile Dean Ambrose. Perhaps Claudio Castagnoli or PAC would have been a better choice for his opponent because they both are Moxley's allies. This would have allowed the Tony Khan-led creative team to add spice and drama to the feud.
Tony Khan is overusing the AEW World Champion on TV
Bryan Danielson decided to retire from full-time wrestling not only because he wanted to spend more time with his family but also because of his recurring injuries. In an interview with Fightful in August 2024, the former WWE Superstar revealed that he required neck surgery.
The reigning AEW World Champion is already dealing with health issues, and Tony Khan booking him regularly for television matches doesn't seem like a good idea. There is a fair possibility that Bryan could get injured ahead of his upcoming title defense against Jon Moxley.