AEW’s Secret Plans for Bryan Danielson’s World Title Run Unveiled

Bryan Danielson made a significant impact by defeating Swerve Strickland to capture the AEW World Championship at the All In pay-per-view. However, his reign was cut short at WrestleDream when he lost the title to Jon Moxley. It appears that AEW had alternative plans for Danielson’s title reign that weren’t widely known.

AEW WrestleDream 2024 delivered a night full of intense action, with the spotlight on the main event where Bryan Danielson defended his AEW World Championship against Jon Moxley. In a fierce contest, Moxley managed to secure the win by making Danielson submit, becoming the new champion.

Dave Meltzer noted in the Wrestling Observer Newsletter that those familiar with the situation reveal that, although there was talk of Allin being set up for a title opportunity this year after Danielson, the original secret plan had always been for Danielson to turn Jon Moxley heel. The storyline involving Swerve Strickland leading to Danielson and then Moxley was in the works before Moxley won the IWGP title, and only a few people, including Tony Khan, Moxley, Danielson, and Allin, were supposed to be aware of it.

Danielson initially didn’t want to win the title, but Khan convinced him that doing so would create the best moment for the climax of the biggest show of the year. Danielson also had a say in choosing Tacoma as the end date, as that date was flexible. The concept of Moxley turning heel was part of the plan, and the new version of the Blackpool Combat Club is also Moxley’s idea.

It has been previously reported that Bryan Danielson specifically asked Jon Moxley to be the one to defeat him at AEW WrestleDream. However, it remains unclear when Danielson will return to the ring to confront the Blackpool Combat Club, as he will be sidelined for a while due to his nagging neck issues. Fans will need to stay tuned to see how and when he plans to seek revenge against them.