4 Wrestling rumors we hope are true and 3 we hope aren't: WWE's "unbelievable" offer to Bryan Danielson disclosed, Vince McMahon's bizarre idea for AEW star revealed
Welcome to this week's edition of WWE/wrestling rumors we hope are true and those we hope aren't. It's been another incredible week of wrestling on the WWE and AEW front, with other promotions possibly gaining momentum as well.
This week's edition covers Vince McMahon's company's stunning offer to Bryan Danielson, Brock Lesnar potentially losing to a 21-year old newcomer, Braun Strowman's next wrestling destination, another SmackDown star's contract expiring, and so much more. Let's get right into it:
#4. Hope is true: WWE's unbelievable offer to Bryan Danielson
Daniel Bryan is no more. He's back to being Bryan Danielson full-time as he signed with AEW and will go under his real name - as he did before joining WWE over a decade ago.
Danielson in another promotion feels surreal. It was 12 years ago when he signed with the global juggernaut and in that time, he headlined two WrestleManias, won five World Championships, and is a Grand Slam Champion.
He achieved nearly everything there was too and he was treated well by the company too. It wasn't him leaving WWE because of issues with the promotion, nor was he underutilized by any means.
After losing to Roman Reigns on SmackDown and getting banished from the Blue brand, Bryan Danielson's contract with WWE quietly expired. He was expected to reach a new agreement, potentially transitioning into a part-time status as well as having the creative freedom that few superstars have the privilege of.
However, in a situation considerably different from other superstars, Danielson decided to jump ship to All Elite Wrestling, keeping the company's incredible momentum alive.
Not only this, but he is already feuding with AEW World Champion Kenny Omega and is expected to wrestle in New Japan Pro Wrestling down the line. Dave Meltzer revealed that Danielson was offered a "ground-breaking" deal by Vince McMahon's promotion that would have allowed him to go and compete in NJPW:
“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," said Dave Meltzer. (H/T WrestlingNews)
We hope this is true because it's good for a WWE Superstar to be in a position of power over the company, unlike most of the people working for them. It gave him the freedom and option, with the promotion even going out of their way to have an unexpected collaboration for Bryan Danielson's sake.