5-time WWE Champion gives heartbreaking update; says he's not returning to wrestling

A former WWE star recently confirmed that he will not continue wrestling. Bryan Danielson has been one of the most beloved stars in pro wrestling. However, his neck issues forced him to retire as a full-time wrestler last year. He has been making occasional appearances in AEW since June and was most physically involved at All In: Texas.

The former WWE Champion helped Hangman Page win at All In and defeat Jon Moxley. He even hit some finishing moves, sparking speculation among fans about a potential comeback. Recently, Bryan Danielson revealed that he did more moves than he was cleared to do. He also provided more insight into what his appearance at All In: Texas meant in terms of his future return.

While speaking on the Nikki and Brie show, the former AEW World Champion revealed that he will not be returning to the squared circle.

“No, I’m not back," he said. [H/T - TJR Wrestling]

Ex-WWE star Bryan Danielson discusses his current role in AEW

Rumors were circulating that the former WWE Champion is heavily involved in the company's creative process.

While speaking with Tony Schiavone at Starrcast 2025, Bryan Danielson revealed that he works as a consultant. The American Dragon also praised the wrestlers and those in charge for producing shows.

“Yeah. I am officially a consultant. But I mean I don’t—I honestly don’t do much consulting. I haven’t had much of anything to do with creative in AEW for a while. But I think the AEW shows for the last several months have just been incredible. You know, I watch the product every week at home—both shows—and I just think that the people that are…the wrestlers, the people involved in the creative, everybody’s doing just such a great job,” he said.

It remains to be seen if Bryan will ever make a return to the squared circle in the future.

About the author

Tejas has been an AEW writer at Sportskeeda Wrestling since 2021. Possessing a degree in Food Processing Technology, it was his brother who introduced him to Sportskeeda, and he has never looked back since.

Tejas’ writing style is analytical and descriptive style, mostly sticking to statistics. He believes in thoroughly checking all statistics and information before using them in his articles to ensure his readers get nothing but the best and most accurate stories. He also does not indulge much in speculation in his content.

His all-time favorite wrestler is Roman Reigns for his journey from being one of the most unlikable babyfaces at the start of his career to one of the greatest modern WWE superstars. If Tejas ever got the chance to go back to the Attitude Era and manage a superstar, it would choose high-flying, risk-taking diminutive entertainer Spike Dudley. Tejas would assure him that he would be involved in long-term storylines, something that he wasn’t part of during his time.

In his free time, Tejas enjoys singing and learning new things.

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Edited by Neda Ali