Bryan Danielson Reportedly Not Factored Into AEW’s Future Plans After Dynamite Return

There are currently no plans to bring Bryan Danielson back for on-screen work.

As of writing, it’s been almost a week since AEW’s incredibly emotional tribute to PAC across the September 30 episode of Dynamite. Not only did it honour “The Bastard” through strong in-ring wrestling, such as the match between Will Ospreay and Ricochet in which “The Aerial Assassin” hit the Black Arrow, but it also had incredible emotional testimonials about the fallen wrestler. To cap it off, though, the Don Callis Family took on the Death Riders in a 10-man tag, and, to viewers’ shock, Bryan Danielson made his return to stand alongside the group that ended his career in 2024. However, despite fan speculation, this doesn’t mean he’s back full time.

According to a new report from Fightful Select, it’s believed Bryan Danielson isn’t factored into on-screen plans following Dynamite.

“We’ve not heard of Bryan Danielson being factored in to on-screen AEW plans following this week’s Dynamite.”

-Fightful Select

While fans were understandably excited Bryan Danielson returned to the ring, the news he won’t be back more regularly shouldn’t come as a surprise, particularly after he retired from competition to protect his health. Still, the former AEW World Champion put retirement on hold for one night and put on a performance that rolled back the years, including taking offence for the first time in almost exactly two years.

If nothing else, it highlights Bryan Danielson’s love for PAC, not wanting to miss the opportunity to be part of his tribute show. While last week’s Dynamite wasn’t removed from the shows that had come before, it allowed its stars the opportunity to grieve together, including hosting the reunion of Jon Moxley and Bryan Danielson, while Will Ospreay and Ricochet were both overcome with emotion before, during, and after their match together.

Speaking of Ospreay vs. Ricochet, the current AEW World Champion recently discussed how his Dynamite match was one of the hardest of his life. You can read more about that here.

As always, we’ll aim to provide any further updates on Bryan Danielson as soon as we hear more.