Bryan Danielson Reveals Loss of Leg Strength During AEW Dynamite Match with Kazuchika Okada

Bryan Danielson and Kazuchika Okada went head-to-head in an epic Title vs. Title match for the fifth anniversary of AEW Dynamite on October 2nd, 2024. In a hard-fought battle, Danielson successfully retained his AEW World Title, but didn’t walk away with Okada’s AEW Continental Title, as it was only up for grabs during the first 20 minutes of the match.

While the victory was a big win for Danielson, the legendary wrestler revealed that the bout came with some personal challenges. Speaking to Anthony Sulla-Heffinger of The Uncrowned, Danielson opened up about his physical struggles during the match.

“Midway through the match, I started losing strength in my legs. There’s a point later in the match where I’m trying to kick him, and I can’t turn over my kicks. That’s something that I have the body mechanics to do because I have been doing it for so long, but here I am and I can’t turn my hip over for this kick.”

After the match, Danielson immediately sought treatment from the trainers, who worked on him for about 30 minutes. According to him, the issue stemmed from ongoing neck problems, something that’s been affecting him more as time goes on.

“Physically, we’re seeing the signs. I haven’t been sleeping well because I have been having this shooting pain down my arm,” Danielson admitted, offering a glimpse into the toll that wrestling at this level is taking on his body.

Danielson has made it clear that his full-time wrestling career will come to an end when he loses the AEW World Title, which puts even more pressure on his upcoming title defenses. The next major challenge for Danielson comes at AEW WrestleDream, where he is set to defend the AEW World Title against Jon Moxley. With his body showing signs of wear and tear, fans are left wondering how long Danielson can continue to fight at this level before hanging up his boots for good.