Bryan Danielson has done it all in wrestling. He’s wrestled legends, won championships, and had moments fans still talk about today. But surprisingly, when asked about his favorite memories in the ring, his big WrestleMania 30 win didn’t even make the cut.
No Room For WrestleMania 30 in His Favorite Matches
In a chat with Sun Sport, Danielson opened up about the matches that actually meant something to him. And no, his famous 2014 WWE title win wasn’t one of them.
Instead, he talked about matches that fans might not expect. He said his match against Kazuchika Okada at Forbidden Door 2023 was the hardest he’s ever been in. His most underrated one, according to him, was against Zack Sabre Jr. in NJPW. And the match that really meant the most to him was his showdown with Swerve Strickland at AEW All In 2024.
WrestleMania Was Big, But Not To Him
While fans still look back at WrestleMania 30 as one of his biggest nights, Danielson sees it differently.
“I main evented WrestleMania 30, and honestly, it doesn’t mean that much to me. But I was about to marry my wife the following Friday and they wouldn’t let her come to the ring … And it wasn’t just that, I was going through a ton of neck pain, and all these other things, so these things that seem like cool moments to a viewer, there’s all this other stuff going on in a performer’s life that could make that moment not as valuable to them.”
That night in New Orleans, wrestling as Daniel Bryan, he beat Triple H earlier in the evening just to earn a spot in the main event. Then he defeated Randy Orton and Batista to win the WWE World Heavyweight title. The crowd was electric, but clearly for Danielson, the moment had a lot of things going on behind the scenes.
WWE Run Was Wild, But Not What He Cherishes Most
During 2013 and 2014, Daniel Bryan basically ruled WWE. He had huge feuds with stars like John Cena, Kane, Randy Orton and Bray Wyatt. He was the underdog fans couldn’t stop cheering for and led the “Yes Movement” that took over arenas everywhere.
Even with all that, Danielson doesn’t look at those years as his proudest. He seems to feel more connected to his AEW and NJPW work. The matches felt real to him. They meant more than just wins and losses.
Back In AEW, But What’s Next?
At All In 2025 in Texas, Danielson made a surprise return. He jumped into the ring and helped Adam Page take out The Death Riders, helping Page win the AEW World Championship in a wild moment.
Even though he got involved in the action, nobody knows when Danielson will actually return to full-time wrestling. He hasn’t announced anything and fans are left waiting. But knowing him, he’ll be back when the time feels right and the story really matters.
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