10 Exact Moments When Ex-WWE Wrestlers Knew They'd Made The Right Decision

3. Bryan Danielson

Bryan Danielson AEW
AEW

Why He Left WWE: Bryan Danielson is a quite brilliant human being.

The former Daniel Bryan proved that yet again by thanking WWE for everything in a heartfelt social media letter. Since then, he's made it crystal clear that he didn't walk away from the E because he hated life there. Instead, he was turned on by the thought of wrestling fresh faces and satisfying himself bell-to-bell.

The Moment: AEW was what fans wanted for Bryan post-WWE, but one specific moment showed the sudden realisation that yeah, this was definitely the correct call for him personally. During Danielson's critically-acclaimed match with Omega at Grand Slam, he stood on the middle rope before attempting a hurricanrana spot and took it all in.

A sell out crowd raised up around him, and the place was alive with serious buzz over pure professional wrestling. Bryan's intense facial expression matched that hubbub. He'd wanted this so much, and now it was actually happening.

What a moment.

Contributor

Lifelong wrestling, video game, music and sports obsessive who has been writing about his passions since childhood. Jamie started writing for WhatCulture in 2013, and has contributed thousands of articles and YouTube videos since then. He cut his teeth penning published pieces for top UK and European wrestling read Fighting Spirit Magazine (FSM), and also has extensive experience working within the wrestling biz as a manager and commentator for promotions like ICW on WWE Network and WCPW/Defiant since 2010. Further, Jamie also hosted the old Ministry Of Slam podcast, and has interviewed everyone from Steve Austin and Shawn Michaels to Bret Hart and Trish Stratus.