Bryan Danielson has revealed that watching the ACTION DEAN~!! 2 event earlier this year briefly reignited his desire to return to professional wrestling. The former AEW World Champion opened up about the experience while speaking with Wrestle Radio Australia, explaining that the energy of the show made him feel something he hadn’t felt in years.
A Tribute Show That Rekindled His Passion
The ACTION DEAN~!! 2 event was a co-promoted show between ACTION Wrestling and AEW held back in May, paying tribute to the late Dean Rasmussen — a beloved figure within the wrestling community who wrote extensively about the industry on the influential Death Valley Driver website.
Danielson attended the show live and found himself swept up in the spirit of the event, which celebrated independent wrestling’s creativity and passion.
“There was a show we did before Double or Nothing, DEAN~!!! in tribute to Dean Rasmussen,” Danielson said. “I watched that show, I was there live watching it. Not much has made me want to come back to wrestling because I was in so much pain the last six months of my in-ring career, but I was there at that show and was like, ‘I kinda want to come back.’ [Laughs]. What do I have to do to wrestle Mad Dog Connelly in a chain match?”
Danielson’s Final Months in the Ring
Danielson has been open about how the physical toll of his final six months as an active competitor played a major role in his decision to retire from in-ring competition. The pain and wear-and-tear became so intense that even the thought of wrestling again had largely vanished — until ACTION DEAN~!! 2 momentarily reignited that spark.
A New Role Behind the Desk
While the show may have briefly tempted him to lace up his boots again, Danielson has not returned to active competition. Instead, he has embraced a new role in AEW as part of the commentary team, providing insight and analysis from ringside.
It marks a major transition for one of wrestling’s most celebrated performers, who continues to influence the industry from outside the ropes even as his in-ring days appear to be behind him.