Real Reason Behind Bryan Danielson’s AEW Dynamite Absence Revealed

Bryan Danielson’s health may have just hit another breaking point—and now there’s confirmation of why fans didn’t see him on AEW Dynamite this week.

According to Dave Meltzer in the January 23, 2026 Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Danielson “wasn’t at AEW TV” because his neck issues have worsened due to frequent travel. The report states that it’s not in-ring action that’s causing him trouble—it’s the toll of flying every week to appear on commentary.

"Bryan Danielson wasn’t at AEW TV. He’s been having a lot of neck issues from traveling every week."

This comes right after Danielson himself revealed how serious things have gotten. In a previous interview with Chris Van Vliet, the AEW star revealed he’s suffering from extensive neck degeneration and is “on the cusp of needing surgery.” Danielson confessed he had hopes of wrestling occasionally, but now realizes that might be over.

“I was actually doing really well until I started traveling more for commentary, and now it’s really gone downhill,” he admitted. I had these delusions of, ‘Okay, maybe I can get back and do a little bit of wrestling.’ Now I see that they really are delusions… this is not a good idea.”

He was noticeably absent from the January 21 episode of AEW Dynamite, with Taz stepping in to replace him on commentary after his own surgery recovery.

This new update from Meltzer all but confirms what many feared: Danielson’s physical state is worse than previously thought, and even traveling to shows may no longer be viable. For fans holding onto the hope of one more match, the reality is setting in—Danielson may be done in the ring, and now even his commentary role could be in jeopardy.

What do you think AEW should do next with Bryan Danielson? Should he step away entirely, or find a new way to stay involved without the travel? Drop your thoughts and feedback below.