Bryan Danielson Says He Went ‘Deep Off The Rails’ During Mental Illness Battle

Bryan Danielson is one of the finest wrestlers of the current generation. The Former WWE Superstar has had a lot of ups and downs in his life, with him at one point retiring from wrestling. Numerous concussions and the resulting seizures had forced Danielson to retire from wrestling. He was able to return, but there was a period of time when things were very dark for him personally.

Coming out of retirement, Bryan Danielson had a great run in WWE, becoming the WWE Champion once again, where he made people boo the idea of recycling. However, he left the company in 2021 and didn’t wish to sign a new one. Apparently, Bryan Danielson wanted a lighter schedule and had a desire to bleed in his wrestling bouts. This made Danielson to depart from the WWE.

The road to his current status was a tough one for him as well as his family. During a recent appearance on “Unconsciously Coupled” podcast, Bryan Danielson shared about his struggles with depression during the time he was retired. He pointed out the moments that he now regrets not to have been a part off due to him fighting his demons at the time.

“Brie ended up coming back and doing more wrestling, but what we thought was going to be her last match, I’d gone off the rails. Like, deep, deep off the rails, So I wasn’t there for what, in theory, could have been her last match. So deep, deep guilt for that. For her mom and Johnny’s [Laurinaitis] wedding, I wasn’t there for that because I’d had a really bad episode. There are those kind of things. Then there’s the everyday – I don’t want to say everyday guilt, but for example, guilt with the kids, more so, where it’s like I can’t, you know, I play with them, but I’m really just on the floor.”

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Bryan Danielson has been vocal about his struggle with depression in the past. Bryan has stated that one struggling with depression should try their best to beat it, not only for oneself but also for their families. Soon after his defeat by MJF, Danielson released an emotional promo, wherein he stated that everything he does is for his family and indicated that it is probably time for him to hang his boots.

Bryan Danielson, who is currently enjoying his time at the AEW, had his most recent match against MJF for the AEW World Championship. The match was critically acclaimed by fans and critics, with Wrestling Newsletter Observer awarding it 5.75 star rating. The match has been regarded as one of the best Iron Man matches in recent years. Danielson was also very banged up after that match.

What’s your take on the AEW’s current product? Do you even watch anymore? Sound off in the comments!