Bryan Danielson compared with WWE legends as he comes out of retirement: "Have got that in their blood" (Exclusive)

After being away for months, former AEW World Champion, Bryan Danielson returned to the promotion at last month's Grand Slam Mexico. The following week, Danielson even wrestled in his first match in over eight months after the tapings for AEW Collision had concluded.

Former SmackDown General Manager and WWE Hall of Famer, Teddy Long, heaped praise on The American Dragon following his return to the ring, comparing him to current AEW co-star Cope, fka Edge, who also returned from retirement following a neck injury of his own, as well as Kurt Angle. Bryan Danielson competed in a squash match against former AEW Tag Team Champion Max Caster, making him tap out in less than 10 seconds.

Teddy Long spoke on The Wrestling Time Machine on Sportskeeda WrestleBinge about how some wrestlers return from serious injuries, even with the odds against them.

"Guys can say they're injured, they'll never return, I'm done, You ain't got to worry about me coming back, and six months down the road, there they are again. Same thing with Edge. You know, he was told not to get back. Look at him, he's right back in there. Same thing with Kurt Angle, another guy that was told, but he went on and got back in too. So, you know, these guys have got that in their blood. They're like me, they've done this all their life. And it's just, you know, if you can still continue to be a part of it and help the company, then I think that's what they want to do,'' Long said. [From 2:56 onwards]

It remains to be seen whether this return match will transpire into a full-time return to the ring for Bryan Danielson. Meanwhile, AEW is gearing up for All In: Texas, their first-ever pay-per-view in the Lone Star State, scheduled for next Saturday, July 12, 2025.

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About the author

Faiz is a WWE writer at Sportskeeda Wrestling. He is a BBA graduate who is passionate about sports and wants to make a career in that field. This passion led to a postgraduate degree in Journalism, which helped him pivot into becoming a sports writer. When writing, he puts the utmost importance on accuracy and thorough research.

Faiz has six years of work experience across four companies. He started his career with Zomato and then moved to Amazon. He shifted to becoming a football writer at TV9 Digital and is now with Sportskeeda. He covered the Wrestling Xtreme Mania event in Gurgaon in 2025, where he had the opportunity to interview Raj The Maharaja, fka Jinder Mahal. At the same event, he also got quick interviews with former WWE Superstar Dijak and Japanese Joshi legend Emi Sakura.

When it comes to his favourite wrestlers, Faiz has two names in mind. He loved to watch Triple H before the current WWE CCO retired, and he is a huge fan of Roman Reigns. Being a loyal fan since the Tribal Chief's SHIELD days, Faiz credits Roman's mic skills and unmatched in-ring storytelling for his mega success. When he was young, one in-ring story left a lasting impression on his mind and eventually got him hooked on WWE. That match was Shawn Michaels vs. Ric Flair at WrestleMania 24. Apart from that, he is also a fan of RAW.

When Faiz is not writing for Sportskeeda, he loves to keep up with other sports. He is an avid cricket and football fan, a huge gamer, and loves playing some RPGs on the PlayStation.

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Edited by Arsh Das