Backstage News On Bryan Danielson's Injury
Bryan Danielson addressed concerns over his health on Wednesday's episode of "AEW Dynamite," but left people with more questions than answers.
Originally planned to face Zack Sabre Jr. at Sunday's Forbidden Door event, Danielson has been off TV since AEW Double or Nothing, when he suffered an undisclosed injury that caused him to miss a meet and greet, as well as a flight.
The latest edition of the Wrestling Observer newsletter shines a little bit of light on the situation. According to Dave Meltzer, there is still no confirmed injury for Danielson, but that it is believed to have been a concussion suffered during the chaotic Anarchy In The Arena Match. Meltzer says that AEW followed the example of WWE, who usually are open about injuries unless they involve "the two C's (COVID & Concussions)." The Observer states that a concussion could be troubling news, as Danielson has a history with head injuries (at one point having briefly retired from wrestling due to concussion concerns), and if he's still not passing concussion protocol a month out from the injury, it could be serious.
On Wednesday, Danielson announced that a replacement — and Blackpool Combat Club debutante — would wrestle Sabre in his stead, as well as in the upcoming Blood & Guts match in which the BCC is set to participate on next week's "Dynamite." Danielson did not explain his injuries further, merely stating that he's not going to be at Forbidden Door or Blood & Guts. As the Observer notes, Danielson appeared to be doing well during the announcement, with no slurred speech or confusion.
There's currently no word on Sabre's replacement, but The Observer suggested that AEW likely have someone in mind and are just holding off on announcing his replacement in the name of PPV curiosity. According to the publication, the replacement will need to be up to the standard of the highly-anticipated original match, or else fans will start to chafe against AEW's penchant for surprises — former WWE stars Cesaro and Johnny Gargano have both been the subjects of speculation in the wake of Danielson's announcement.