As AEW faces yet another period of vacated and interim titles, the best future for the primary AEW World Championship would see it around the waist of Bryan Danielson. Following AEW All Out weekend, the World Champion CM Punk and the Trios Champions, Kenny Omega and the Young Bucks, were all stripped of their titles. With another tournament scheduled to crown CM Punk’s successor, the eyes of AEW should be falling to the American Dragon.
Bryan Danielson debuted in AEW on September 5th, 2021 at the end of that year’s edition of All Out. Danielson would challenge for the World Championship twice not long thereafter, facing the defending Adam Page in December and then January of 2022. Since then, while Bryan Danielson has evaded AEW bad blood and scandal, the former WWE athlete has yet to be featured in a big way.
Bryan Danielson is the only AEW competitor with enough star power and in-ring prowess to both carry the World Championship and distract live crowds from the conflicts currently surrounding CM Punk. While Jon Moxley might feel like an obvious pick among those names included in the tournament bracket, Jon is unfortunately still too connected to CM Punk. Moxley dropped the title to Punk on September 4th and handing the belt back to him so soon would keep Punk’s name in the conversation at a time when he should truly be distanced from the company. Besides, Jon Moxley has carried AEW on his back more than once already.
AEW Needs A Fresh Start To Move Forward
AEW viewers have yet to see Bryan Danielson as champion. Placing the American Dragon at the top of the AEW card offers new and compelling matchups that neither Jon Moxley nor Chris Jericho can provide. These new matchups and the fresh face of a first-time AEW World Champion will go a long way toward giving AEW the soft reboot that it so desperately needs. Crowds should not be concerned about the current backstage controversy or the investigations currently underway regarding the conflict between CM Punk and the Elite. Even if the tournament finale becomes Danielson versus another member of AEW’s Blackpool Combat Club, it would be better than watching Moxley or Jericho recycle old feuds.
Bryan Danielson was always a major AEW signing, second only to the acquisition of CM Punk himself. Danielson has seen the top of the wrestling world before with WWE, and has proven he can gain the investment of a live audience regardless of whether he’s positioned as a face or heel. Putting the former head of the Yes! Movement at the peak of AEW could invite some positive attention to the company, as those who always wanted to see Bryan succeed would certainly tune in for his first AEW championship run.
AEW is fortunate to have names like Bryan Danielson ready for the main event. Having the future of four of its top talents simultaneously become unclear would spell disaster for any professional wrestling company. This time, however, the crowded AEW roster might actually work in its favor.
