A mature response from the former world champion.
Bryan Danielson is largely regarded as one of the best technical wrestlers on the planet. In an interview with Justin Barrasso of Sports Illustrated, Danielson described how, rather than aiming to be the best, he strives to be the best he can be while aiming to carry out his vision.
“I don’t worry about being the best,” said Danielson. “I try to be the best wrestler I can be, and I try to fulfill the vision of what I would like wrestling to be. This is a joy. I gauge matches on whether I enjoyed them, whether I was in the moment or felt how much fun it was to wrestle in front of thousands of people. A day or two later, that’s when I watch the match and pick it apart and see where I need to improve—but also to be proud of what I did well,”
“The idea of being the best, it’s so subjective. To me, that’s focusing on the wrong thing. Wrestling is a mirror to improve yourself. It allows you to get better at public speaking, for example. William Regal talks about a quarter-turn in a headlock. That little tweak makes the headlock infinitely better. I think I could work a 15-minute match exclusively using a hammerlock. That’s a mental challenge, the kind that makes me go deeper with every single thing I do. I love being a lifelong learner, and that makes me enjoy this even more,”
Bryan Danielson to Sports Illustrated
Danielson moved on to the finals of AEW’s tournament of champions to crown a new AEW World Champion. He will face fellow Blackpool Combat Club member Jon Moxley in the finals next week at AEW Grand Slam.
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