AEW’s Internal Reaction After Bryan Danielson’s All In World Title Win

AEW All In 2024 will be remembered for the big main event match where Bryan Danielson put his career on the line against Swerve Strickland. That was full of drama, but it appears that they knew Danielson wasn’t leaving.

Bryan Danielson is now the AEW World Champion, a title he had long been reluctant to pursue. Still, he is now AEW World Champion, even though he made it clear that he doesn’t know what is next for him. He will be at AEW Dynamite next week in Illinois.

Despite his reservations, Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful Select reports that Danielson ultimately accepted the championship, largely due to AEW founder Tony Khan’s insistence. Khan was determined to see Danielson crowned as champion, and he envisioned Danielson celebrating in the closing moments of AEW All In.

Sources the outlet spoke with shortly after the event indicated that the decision for Bryan Danielson to face Swerve Strickland in the main event of All In was made well before the show, likely by April. Contrary to some speculation, a match between Swerve and Will Ospreay was never in the cards for this event. One insider reportedly mentioned that Ospreay would have future opportunities to headline major events at Wembley.

Backstage, there were reportedly light-hearted remarks about a “reverse Montreal screwjob” to ensure Bryan Danielson’s victory. Recently, Danielson’s in-ring challenges became more evident, as he worked through significant injuries leading up to AEW All In.

We will have to see what is next for Bryan Danielson. He has pointed toward his in-ring retirement several times, even stating that he needs neck surgery soon. If anything, he will have to put that retirement off while he’s AEW World Champion.

What’s your take on Bryan Danielson’s big win at AEW All In 2024? Do you think he will hold the title until the end of the year? Let us know what you think in the comments section!