Bryan Danielson Reveals Scary Neck Injury Caused His Legs To Give Out During Okada Match

Bryan Danielson may be known as one of the greatest technical wrestlers of all time, but even the American Dragon has his limits—and he’s not afraid to admit it.

During a recent interview with the Kairouz Bros, Danielson got brutally honest about his declining physical health and a terrifying moment when his legs started giving out mid-match.

It happened during his televised match against Kazuchika Okada, and it marked a clear shift in how Danielson views his own status in the ring. When asked if he still considers himself the best wrestler in the world, Danielson didn’t hesitate to shut that talk down.

“No. No. No. Not even close. Not anymore. No.”

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He revealed that even at the time of the promo declaring himself the best, his body was already betraying him due to his worsening neck condition. Then he detailed exactly what went wrong during that critical bout with Okada.

“Shortly before my last match with Jon Moxley, I wrestled Okada on TV. And I never get tired when I wrestle—ever, right? And my legs, because my neck was so bad, my legs started giving out.”

Danielson admitted the moment forced him to think fast while dealing with something he’d never experienced before—his own body refusing to cooperate in the middle of a match.

“I was like, ‘Oh no, what do I do now that my legs aren’t working?’ And it’s just like, okay, well, I’ll try to get through this.”

Making matters worse, the story of the match required him to set the pace early to sell the significance of the Continental Title being up for grabs during the first 20 minutes.

“I needed to be pushing the pace—but I couldn’t, because my legs weren’t working.”

Danielson wrapped the point by separating mind from body—saying his wrestling IQ is still elite, but his physical capabilities aren’t where they used to be.

“If my body was fully functional, I feel like my mind is as good for wrestling as ever—but my body’s not fully functional.”

This honest moment from Bryan Danielson is yet another reminder of how demanding professional wrestling is—even for a legend. While fans still chant his name, he knows the limitations he’s working with and isn’t pretending otherwise.