Below are a couple of top AEW news stories of the day, featuring Bobby Lashley and Bryan Danielson.
• Bobby Lashley has signed with AEW and many were expecting him to debut at WrestleDream, but that didn’t happen.
During WrestleDream, Swerve Strickland returned and confronted MVP and Shelton Benjamin, recognizing MVP’s role in opening doors for Black wrestlers. Despite this, Swerve rejected MVP’s offer, causing tension with Benjamin, which led to a heated exchange.
According to WrestlePurists, AEW postponed Lashley’s debut to ensure it stands out, believing they had enough major storylines at WrestleDream and didn’t want Lashley’s introduction to be overshadowed:
“The Bobby Lashley debut angle was delayed to allow for it to stand out, as AEW felt they had enough big angles at WrestleDream and didn’t want it to be lost in the shuffle.”
WATCH: Kristal Marshall (Bobby Lashley’s Ex-Wife) Strips:
• Bryan Danielson lost the AEW World Championship to Jon Moxley in the main event of the WrestleDream 2024 PPV last night.
After the match, Moxley gave Claudio Castagnoli the World Title and he put it in a bag. Moxley then took out a plastic bag, but Darby Allin and Wheeler Yuta made the save. Yuta then turned heel and took out Allin. Moxley gave Yuta the plastic bag and he put it over Bryan’s face to choke him.
Private Party and Jeff Jarrett came out to make the save, but Blackpool Combat Club took them out. BCC put a chair around Bryan’s neck and Claudio kicked it. More wrestlers came to save Bryan and BCC left.
Bryan Danielson’s full-time wrestling career is “effectively over,” according to Fightful Select. AEW hopes Danielson will still compete periodically when he feels ready and take on other responsibilities within the company.
While there was speculation that his health comments were part of a storyline, sources confirm they were genuine. By the time of his match with Moxley, Danielson felt he may have pushed himself too hard in the matches leading up to WrestleDream.
Regarding his contract, Danielson has been working without an official AEW deal for several months, making him a free agent without commitments to the company. A return to WWE is unlikely, as Danielson “doesn’t envision” going back. Before anything else, Danielson plans to address his neck issues through surgery.
