Bryan Danielson Begged Will Ospreay Not to Jump Off the Cage But He Did It Anyway

Bryan Danielson has been through hell and back when it comes to neck injuries—and he’s trying to stop others from going down that same path.

During a recent interview with the Kairouz Bros, Danielson revealed he gave Will Ospreay a personal warning ahead of AEW x NJPW Forbidden Door, where Ospreay was set to face off in a brutal cage match.

Before the match, Danielson said he pulled Ospreay aside and made a heartfelt plea.

“Will, I’m begging you, please don’t do anything stupid.”

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But anyone familiar with Ospreay’s style could probably guess what happened next. “And then he jumped off the cage.”

Ospreay’s leap off the steel cage was a huge moment in the match—but not one Danielson was happy to see. The AEW star made it clear that he wasn’t just giving empty veteran advice. He was speaking from the painful experience of someone who’s had his career nearly ended due to neck trauma. Danielson explained that while it’s tempting to do every crowd-pleasing move, there’s a smarter way to work—one that preserves your future.

“He doesn’t need to do all of the amazing things. He can pick the amazing things that don’t hurt his neck.”

He compared Ospreay’s mindset to his own during the height of his run in WWE—sacrificing his body every night without realizing the long-term cost. It’s the kind of hard-earned wisdom that can only come from someone who was medically forced into retirement, only to claw his way back to the ring years later.

“The big thing is to prevent it before it starts getting bad. Realize which moves are doing the most harm and scale those back.”

Danielson didn’t deny that Ospreay is one of the best in the world. In fact, he praised his talent—but that’s exactly why he wants him to be smart about how he performs. With a career that’s just getting started on the international stage, Danielson sees massive potential in Ospreay—as long as he doesn’t burn himself out before he hits his peak.

As Danielson continues to wind down his own in-ring career, he’s clearly hoping to leave more than just matches behind—he’s trying to leave wisdom, too.

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