Bryan Danielson Comments On AEW All In 2025 Return, Whether He'll Be Back In The Ring

After dropping the AEW World Championship to Jon Moxley last fall and wrapping up his full-time career, Bryan Danielson took a long break from anything associated with wrestling. But as spring turned to summer in 2025, "The American Dragon" began dipping his toe back in, making appearances at ACTION Wrestling's DEAN~!!!2, Ring of Honor Global Wars: Mexico City, and even wrestled a quick dark match following "AEW Collision." It all led to AEW All In, where Danielson made his on camera AEW return, fighting off the Death Riders to assist "Hangman" Adam Page in defeating Moxley to win back the AEW World Title.

Speaking with the "Kairouz Brothers," Danielson described what his All In return was like, from his doctor's reaction to him doing spots to the Blue Panther mask he wore as a disguise. Danielson did have to admit that, while he enjoyed the moment, he felt it the next day.

"It felt good while I was doing it," Danielson said. "And then the next day I didn't feel so good. I was a bit sore...He [the doctor] just shook his head. He's just like 'Bryan, you're an idiot.' And then I go out there in the Blue Panther mask. It was really funny because my wife was like 'Why did you wear the Blue Panther mask? And then you start 'Yesing!' right when you get in.' 

"And I said 'Well, originally the Blue Panther mask was not to hide my identity once I get to the ring. It was to get through the crowd without somebody noticing me, right? But then, when I tried to hop the rail, I couldn't get it off! So I also had this hoodie. So I had the hoodie, I got the hoodie off, but then I just had the Blue Panther mask on."

Since then, Danielson has become even more involved with AEW, including joining the "AEW Dynamite" commentary desk full-time this past Wednesday. That has led to some wondering if Danielson could be making a return to the ring, albeit in a part-time capacity, sometime soon. Danielson didn't entirely throw cold water on the idea of wrestling again, but admitted it may still be awhile, and that he didn't know whether he could measure up to AEW's in-ring standard after a long layoff.

"So I don't know how much you'll see of me in the ring," Danielson said. "But maybe doing some more commentary stuff. I did commentary for Forbidden Door. I'm backstage at AEW sometimes. So some of that kind of stuff. It's like, actually, from a wrestling perspective, it seems to me more fun to go do an indie show in front of 200 people or something like that. A

"And that doesn't say anything about AEW, it's just that the expectations for me would be so much less in that sense of like 'Okay, I don't feel like my body can do what I would be expected to do in AEW.' And that's one of the great things about going to AEW shows, it's action packed, it's hard hitting, it's great. But I don't feel confident that I'm able to perform at that level anymore."

If you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit "Kairouz Brothers" and provide a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription