Bryan Danielson Claims WWE Wants AEW to Go Out of Business

AEW’s Bryan Danielson is never afraid to speak his mind, and his latest comments about WWE show just how real he’s willing to get.

During an appearance on the Ned & Josh podcast, Danielson pulled back the curtain on the state of the wrestling industry—and he didn’t sugarcoat a thing. When asked whether WWE and AEW could ever work together, Danielson was blunt.

“You never say never. In the current climate, my answer would kind of have to be no. It almost seems—and this is just my perception and I don’t want to put this on anybody because I’ve never talked to anybody about this—it almost seems like they would like us to go out of business.”

Rather than going off on a tirade, Danielson explained his mindset and how he copes with the business-side tension between the two promotions.

“That’s not my game. That’s not what I worry about… You know the saying, ‘grant me the serenity to change the things I can, accept the things I can’t, and the wisdom to know the difference’? That’s how I look at it. They’ve operated this way since 1984. They see a competitor, and no matter what, they want them gone.”

Danielson clarified that this wasn’t about calling people out. He made it clear that WWE has some great people behind the scenes, and his issue isn’t with individuals—it’s with how the system operates.

“I know people in WWE—good people. I don’t even like framing this in a good vs bad way. What’s the decision-making process there? Why do they want AEW not to exist?”

Despite the harsh reality, Danielson drove home one key point—AEW existing helps everyone in wrestling, including WWE talent.

“Wrestlers in WWE want AEW to keep existing because it’s good for them. It gives them leverage, it gives them creative options. Two companies means more opportunities, not just for fans, but for the wrestlers, production people, and everyone in the business.”

Danielson isn’t trying to ignite a war—he’s trying to keep the wrestling world honest. With decades of experience and a reputation for calling it straight, his words carry weight.

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