Bryan Danielson has achieved a remarkable milestone by becoming the fourth individual to win a World Championship in both AEW and WWE after his victory over Swerve Strickland at All In 2024.
In a recent interview with Justin Barrasso for “Undisputed,” Danielson shared his thoughts on the differences and similarities between the two championship wins.
Reflecting on his experiences, he noted, “It’s interesting to see all the differences and similarities between winning the belt now in AEW to winning the belt 10 years ago at WrestleMania 30.”
He mentioned an unexpected commonality regarding his neck issues, recalling how he was informed in December 2013 that he would need neck surgery right before WrestleMania 30.
At that time, he described using the pain he felt as a gauge to assess how far along he was in the recovery process.
Danielson also recounted a particularly challenging moment just before he had to defend his WWE Championship in a Falls Count Anywhere match. On that occasion, his arm finally gave out, preventing him from even turning the key to his car.
“The very next day, I did a diving headbutt off a forklift, which was me being an idiot,” he confessed. Now, as the AEW World Champion, Danielson acknowledges that his neck problems mirror those from 2013 and that he will soon need surgery.
Comparing both championship moments, he described them as “super cool,” but highlighted that his wife, Brie Garcia, was not allowed to be ringside at WrestleMania.
“This one at Wembley, I was overflowing with joy and gratitude,” he expressed. Additionally, he mentioned having a special moment planned with his son, but the excitement of his four-year-old made it difficult for him to sit still.