Why Bully Ray Believes AEW's Bryan Danielson Will Eventually Return To WWE

Bryan Danielson has been a part of the AEW roster since his now legendary debut at the end of the All Out pay-per-view in September 2021, and in the time he's been part of AEW, his full-time wrestling career has come to an end. Danielson is now a part of the AEW commentary team, albeit sporadically as his neck problems have prevented him from traveling, but the question of how long he stays in AEW was brought up on a recent episode of "Busted Open Radio" by WWE Hall of Famer Bully Ray.

"How long do you think it is before Danielson comes back to WWE?" Bully asked after discussing Brie Bella's recent return to WWE, who is Danielson's wife, something that Bully believes will eventually lead to the "American Dragon" making a WWE comeback at some point. "He's definitely coming back to finish out his career with his wife in the WWE." It was rumored that Danielson's ties to AEW prevented his wife from making a return to WWE, a topic that was brought up a lot when Nikki Bella made her own return to the company as a full-time roster member in 2025, but now that The Bella Twins have been reunited, Danielson being part of AEW doesn't look to be much of an issue.

Outside of commentary, the "American Dragon" serves as a creative consultant in AEW, both in person at shows and remotely when he can't travel. AEW also has made a conscious effort to set up things and plant seeds for a potential retirement match for Danielson if he ever decides to get back in the ring, but that likely won't happen due to Danielson still needing neck surgery, something that he has been trying to avoid for just under two years.

Please credit "Busted Open Radio" when using quotes from this article, and give a H/T to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.