Greatest Of All Time: Bryan Danielson

Bryan Danielson, otherwise known as Daniel Bryan in WWE, the American Dragon in NJPW, or Infinito when under a luchador mask in AEW, will be the first to downplay the immense talent he possesses.

To start, Danielson is a former WWE Champion, AEW World Champion, PWG World Champion, wXw World Heavyweight Champion, and ROH World Champion, among several other major and minor titles in the sport.

However, his championship record doesn't even begin to communicate the level of performer he was, the walls he had to break down, and the standard he set for others in the industry of pretentious fighting.

Many will dismiss Danielson in the "Greatest Of All Time" debate for his physical stature, perceived drawing power, and a litany of other factors; namely, the fact that he wasn't even close to being the most successful wrestler in WWE. Many would say John Cena, Ric Flair, Hulk Hogan, Shawn Michaels, Steve Austin, or even The Undertaker before even considering Danielson.

But wrestling is a global product, not defined by three mere letters. There are many a different style of wrestling, whether that be lucha libre, puroresu, catch-as-catch-can, Greco-Roman, or the myriad of others found in each corner of the world. And it is so rare to find someone who, like Danielson, excelled in each facet.

This writer would posit that he is the greatest of all time, and thankfully this is the opportunity to try and rationalize that belief. So read on for what it is about Danielson that makes him the GOAT of professional wrestling, or at the very least why he should be a part of that discussion.

Danielson started wrestling in 1999 after graduating high school, training under Shawn Michaels and Rudy Gonzalez at the Texas Wrestling Academy in San Antonio. He toured Japan with FMW before winning his first title alongside Brian Kendrick (known at the time as Spanky) to become a TWA Tag Team Champion.

By 2001, he was signed to WWE for the first time under a developmental deal, assigned to Memphis Championship Wrestling, where he picked up reigns with the MCW Light Heavyweight Championship and another Tag Championship with Kendrick. But despite being touted for the Royal Rumble debut, he had yet to truly make his mark on the company.

Danielson, now the American Dragon, continued to appear with WWE as enhancement talent before returning to Japan with NJPW in 2004. But he had also signed with ROH in 2002, going on to become one of the proverbial founding fathers of the industry-defining promotion.

For seven years, ROH served as the US home for Danielson, where he won the inaugural Survival of the Fittest tournament, the Pure Championship, and the World Championship, among other independent circuit accolades. Finally, in 2009, the internationally-acclaimed Danielson was once again picked up by the so-called Premier League of Professional Wrestling: WWE.

Once again, it was hardly an easy journey to begin with. Danielson debuted as part of the "WWE NXT" reality competition show and eventually joined The Nexus, getting fired a year later for choking Justin Roberts with his tie in the faction's debuting attack. 

Sure enough, Danielson had proven himself to the fans enough for them to campaign for his return. And it wouldn't be the first time WWE reneged in the face of that support, bringing him back later that year. 

Danielson's early WWE success included winning the United States Championship, Money in the Bank, and subsequently the World Heavyweight Championship. But his first reign as World Champion in WWE saw him drop the title at WrestleMania 28 in just 18 seconds.

That loss only served to galvanize the support behind him, however. Danielson soon began another reign, this time with the WWE Tag Team Championship alongside Kane as part of the immensely popular Team Hell No. By the time they had dropped the titles, entire venues were chanting to the tune of Danielson, and he was surely due for another go at the world title.

That opportunity came as John Cena stood in the middle of the ring to announce his opponent for WWE SummerSlam 2013, uttering the words, "I choose Daniel Bryan," to the roar of the crowd. And when the event rolled around, Cena was the one staring at the lights to put Danielson over as the clean inheritor of the WWE Championship. However, WWE had yet to see what the fans had already picked up on: Danielson was a massive star. Instead of Danielson holding onto the title that night, Randy Orton cashed in his Money in the Bank contract to leave with the belt. 

Danielson later picked up a win over Orton at WWE Night of Champions to regain the title, but he was stripped of the championship the following night on "WWE Raw." Orton went on to win the vacant title, with WWE committing to the idea of Danielson chasing his big win.

With many fans under the impression WWE saw Danielson as nothing more than a "B+ player," calls for the company to elevate the former ROH star continued to rise.

For a time, it looked as though Danielson had been moved out of the picture. Orton beat Cena to unify the WWE and World Heavyweight titles, and then was positioned opposite the returning Batista, who had won the 2014 Royal Rumble. Still, there was too much fan support for Danielson to be ignored. 

Batista had been intended to be a returning babyface, a movie star headed back to his old stomping ground to prove he still had it. But Danielson's popularity marked Batista as an antagonist, an obstacle to the fans getting what they wanted. 

Triple H and the Authority would come out every week, tell the fans that Danielson was not going to main event WrestleMania 30, and they were showered with boos. Batista and Orton were hated for occupying the main event in lieu of Danielson. And sure enough WWE reneged yet again, providing him a way into the main event if he could beat the man that had been known as "The Golden Shovel" for years at the beginning of WrestleMania. 

What a statement it was when he did beat Triple H, going into the main event and beating both Orton and Batista to finally reign as WWE World Heavyweight Champion to close the "Show of Shows." 

Alas, it would be a short-lived run, as Danielson was forced to vacate the title after an accumulation of injuries. And after a brief return in 2015 to become Intercontinental Champion, completing his Grand Slam, those injuries had forced him into retirement. 

Three years later, Danielson was back in action at the "Show of Shows" to mark a miraculous return to the ring, a second lease of life serving only to deepen the mythology of the American Dragon. Especially when that second lease of life saw a third reign as WWE Champion come to fruition. 

In three years of returning to the ring, he had won the title and paid back to the company where it all started, putting over Kofi Kingston to drop it at WrestleMania in 2019, and ultimately putting over Universal Champion Roman Reigns in his penultimate WWE outing in the main event of WrestleMania in 2021 – alongside Edge. 

Danielson left WWE in 2021, putting Reigns over in singles action on "WWE SmackDown" before going to AEW as one of three huge signings that year. 

His run with AEW saw one final title run, a litany of dream matches, and a return to the Tokyo Dome for NJPW Wrestle Kingdom, before finally saying goodbye (for now) to the squared circle. He even laid the groundwork for the Death Riders, founding the Blackpool Combat Club with Jon Moxley and William Regal in 2022. 

When all was said and done, he had accomplished pretty much all there was to be accomplished for a worldly wrestler. 

Danielson's style blended submission wrestling, striking, endurance, and storytelling to adapt to virtually any opponent of wrestling style. His matches captured a rare sense of intensity, realism, and emotional connection with the fans no matter who it was stood across from him.

He was a true student of the game, taking the USA, Japan, Europe, and Mexico by storm and absorbing the very essence of those wrestling hotbeds.

Whether it was Nigel McGuinness, Swerve Strickland, CM Punk, Kazuchika Okada, Takeshi Morishima, MJF, Kenny Omega, Will Ospreay, Zack Sabre Jr., Brock Lesnar, Triple H, Roman Reigns, John Cena, Kane or AJ Styles – just to name a handful – there wasn't a single wrestler with their own style that didn't find themselves complemented by Danielson. 

He truly was the MSG of wrestling, elevating and enhancing with his mere presence.

The very fact that so many up-and-coming wrestlers cite him as their inspiration puts him in the class of Shawn Michaels, Bret Hart, or Ric Flair. And the fact that he has managed to do all of that while remaining one of the most adored people behind the scenes should speak to why he is one of if not the Greatest of All Time.

That just leaves the question, if not Danielson, then who would you say is the GOAT of professional wrestling?