Daniel Makabe Retires From Professional Wrestling, Will Only Return For One AEW Star

By Sam Palmer
Daniel Makabe Daniel Makabe/Instagram

The wrestling business has bid farewell to one of independent wrestling's most celebrated performers, as Daniel Makabe has officially retired from the ring. The 40-year old Canadian native wrestled his final match on July 12 at the annual Scenic City Invitational tournament in Red Bank, Tennessee against Violence Is Forever's Kevin Ku, with the match being marketed as a special attraction match away from the tournament bouts that occupied the rest of the card. After a violent and bloody affair, it was Makabe who picked up the victory, ending his career on a high note ... or has he? After the match, Makabe took to the microphone to thank everyone for making his career so memorable, and promised that he would never step back in the ring for the rest of his life. That is unless one person accepts his challenge for one more match, and that person is AEW star Bryan Danielson.

Makabe noted that he will not lace up his boots for anyone other than the "American Dragon," something he made very clear in a recent interview with Joseph Montecillo, stating "There's an asterisk we're all aware of, it's Bryan Danielson. Bryan Danielson is the asterisk, if he comes calling, I will come back for one match with Bryan Danielson. Barring that, July 12 will be my last professional wrestling match ever."

Known for wearing his trademark soccer jerseys during his bouts, Makabe finishes his career with a variety of accomplishments on the independent scene. He won the Scenic City Tournament in 2019, as well as the AMBITION tournament in wXw in 2020. He also was a staple of the 3-2-1 BATTLE! promotion throughout the 2010s, where he had a critically acclaimed trilogy of matches with Timothy Thatcher, which was capped off at the ACTION Wrestling "DEAN!!!" event in April 2024.

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