Bryan Danielson Reveals The Moment That Pushed Him to Leave WWE for AEW

Bryan Danielson just opened up about the exact moment that made him walk away from WWE—and it had nothing to do with titles or TV time.

In a new interview with TalkSport.com, Danielson revealed that AEW’s emotional tribute show for Brodie Lee in 2020 was what truly made him see the difference between the two companies. And that moment changed everything.

“We had a wrestler, Brodie Lee, who had passed away. They [AEW] did this incredible tribute show. At that point, I was still with WWE. And the way that they did that show—Brodie was my friend—it touched something in me and in my mind. I was thinking like, ‘Oh, these are the good guys of professional wrestling,’” he said.

That tribute, which many fans still call one of the most heartfelt moments in modern wrestling, left a permanent impression on Danielson. It wasn’t just about honoring Brodie—it was about how the company treated its talent. That’s what ultimately led Danielson to leave WWE and debut in AEW at All Out in September 2021, after more than a decade with WWE and countless accolades under the “Daniel Bryan” name.

Danielson also explained that AEW just felt different behind the scenes. “There’s going to be times where we make wrong, or bad decisions, that happens everywhere. But one of the things that I like to think about AEW is that we try—and we don’t market ourselves as this—to be good,” he said.

“Tony Khan never says it. He never says, ‘We’re the good guys in professional wrestling.’ But that’s one of the things that I thought of when I was in WWE. I was like, ‘Oh, the people behind this, who are running this thing, they care about the wrestlers. They care about the fans, too.’”

Danielson spent nearly three years in AEW as one of its top names, putting on dream matches and leading the Blackpool Combat Club. In early 2024, he announced he would be stepping away from full-time in-ring competition—but he’s still actively involved in AEW and committed to helping grow the brand.