The Problem With Daniel Bryan That No One Wants To Talk About

Daniel Bryan wants to work with New Japan Pro Wrestling and New Japan Pro Wrestling almost certainly want to work with Daniel Bryan.

Dave Meltzer wrote the following in the 26 July 2021 edition of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter:-

"But that was always the key, the ability at this stage to work New Japan and other dates, similar to what Moxley has where he can work selected independent dates of his choosing although the dates do have to be approved by AEW. My belief is that if it was not for the pandemic, Danielson would have already been wrestling in New Japan by now unless a deal was made with WWE or AEW where he promised them the first appearance and match back since the AEW or WWE money offers would be so much higher and thus it was a virtual lock he was ending up in one place or the other."

If he has signed with AEW, the company's existing working relationship with NJPW was critical. Wrestlers travel through the Forbidden Door almost every week and when the COVID-19 pandemic eases off and international travel becomes less of a hindrance, it's reasonable to assume that things will get even busier.

Bryan, Meltzer wrote, will likely enjoy a similar level of freedom as Jon Moxley. We don't currently know what that means, though, as 17 months of COVID restrictions have prevented Mox from leaving the country. What his combined AEW/NJPW schedule will end up looking like is a mystery.

This is speculative, but the NJPW deal being critical to where Bryan signed after leaving WWE gives the impression that he would have gone back to the market leaders had Nick Khan not failed in his negotiations to strike a working relationship. And if New Japan is where Bryan's heart really lies, what does this mean for AEW?

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