5 reasons why Bryan Danielson is the perfect heel for AEW

#4 A vicious mean streak

AEW is starting to see a vicious side of Bryan Danielson. The American Dragon was known for his brutal, aggressive style of wrestling pre-WWE and it looks like he is bringing back this vicious streak in AEW.

This sets him up perfectly against Page, as he can then act as the dastardly veteran looking down on the young champion. Whether Danielson chooses to employ his wide array of torturous submissions or hard-hitting strikes, it will be interesting to see how Page matches up against the American Dragon.

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#3 Subtle changes to his AEW character

What makes Bryan Danielson's AEW heel turn even more remarkable is that he is essentially the same guy. He insists that he's not the bad guy and that his actions are warranted. In a recent interview with Busted Open Radio, Bryan explained:

“I don’t think anything I said was wrong or even mean to say, ‘Hey, congratulations Hangman Adam Page. You are the world champion, I’m a little disappointed it’s not Kenny Omega because that’s who I wanted to beat for the AEW Championship. And I’m a little disappointed that you’re not wrestling tonight and that you haven’t been wrestling that much and I’ve been wrestling every single week since I’ve come to AEW.’"

"I don’t think any of that is overtly mean [laughs]. I think because people boo me, and I’m not gonna lie I do enjoy being booed. There’s something just so fun about it [laughs]. So, I might lean into that a little bit more but there was nothing I said that was wrong or mean or anything like that. Now, because of that I’m gonna kick all of his friends’ heads in but I think I would be doing that anyway. I don’t consider it a heel turn. I’m just being me.”

By staying true to his principles, Bryan Danielson as a character remains authentic. This makes his heel turn feel natural even if it came suddenly.