Daniel Bryan Reportedly Signs With AEW, Debut Date Set

Much has been written about Daniel Bryan in recent months. The quiet nature of his WWE departure had everybody scratching their heads. Now, according to reports on Bodyslam.net, Bryan is locked into a deal with AEW.

This news comes just days after PWInsider reported that WWE was not factoring Daniel Bryan into the merchandise and licensing plans for 2021-2022.

Bodyslam has since updated that current plans call for Daniel Bryan to debut for AEW at the September 22nd Grand Slam event from New York City’s Arthur Ashe stadium. AEW put great care into planning their events, often running quite far in advance. Having a star like Bryan debut at a big event such as that would make great sense. It would also allow for existing plans to reach their head at All Out on September 5th.

Daniel Bryan’s AEW deal is said to be for similar money as he was making in WWE, but he’ll be required to work far fewer dates. Moreover, his deal reportedly allows him the opportunity to work in Japan. This is another country close to his wrestling heart, and something he could never have done while working at WWE.

The news of Daniel Bryan agreeing a deal with AEW is something many saw coming the minute he disappeared from WWE. However, with recent news of CM Punk being cleared for a wrestling return, and AEW having a sold-out show coming up in Chicago, AEW fans could have a lot to cheer about very soon.

A lot has been made of WWE wrestlers signing for AEW. However, wrestling is a relatively small world. Yes, there are lots of indie promotions, but as you look at larger promotions, you would be hard pushed to find many stars who have not competed for a combination of IMPACT, ROH, WWE, or AEW. Daniel Bryan has had a long wrestling career. He’s wrestled for promotions all over the world. When it comes down to it, AEW is the destination that makes the most sense.

While nothing has been reported, it is believed that Daniel Bryan will revert to fighting under his real name of Brian Danielson.