AEW’s All Out 2021 is remembered as one of the most historic nights in modern wrestling, closing with the shocking back-to-back debuts of Adam Cole and Bryan Danielson.
Now, Danielson has revealed just how close he came to not being part of that legendary moment, including a last-minute phone call from Vince McMahon only days before the event.
Speaking with Nick Stav, Danielson explained that his AEW debut wasn’t planned months in advance as many fans assumed. In fact, he didn’t officially sign his AEW contract until only two or three days before the pay-per-view.
He also noted that Adam Cole’s deal may not have been finalized until the very day of the show. “I hadn’t actually signed my contract until two or three days before that,” Danielson said. “‘Always the plan,’ was Tony (Khan) thinking it? Did he have it in the back of his mind? I want to say Adam Cole didn’t sign until that day. Maybe he agreed to come, but you never know what’s going to happen. When WWE found out I hadn’t signed yet, they said, ‘Is there anything we can do?’”
That uncertainty led to a final conversation with WWE’s then-Chairman, Vince McMahon. Danielson recounted how McMahon tried to make one last pitch to keep him in WWE, but ultimately respected Danielson’s decision to keep his word to Tony Khan.
“I called Vince (McMahon) in early August because I was going back and forth. I called Vince in early August and let him know, ‘I made my decision. I’m going to do this.’ He called me one time in the meantime and said, ‘What if we offered you this instead?’ I hadn’t signed my contract yet, it was maybe five days before the pay-per-view, and he called me,” Danielson recalled. “I told him, ‘Sir, I already agreed to this thing. If I were to go back on this, I feel you have a decent amount of respect for me. One of the things you respect me for is that I honor my word.’ It was a great conversation. He said, ‘Damnit, you’re right.’”
Danielson honored his word and made his shocking AEW debut on September 5, 2021, closing out All Out in Chicago and cementing one of the most memorable nights in company history. His run in AEW included critically acclaimed matches and a reign as AEW World Champion before retiring from full-time competition at WrestleDream 2024.
Now, Danielson is set to begin the next chapter of his career as a full-time commentator for AEW Dynamite, starting this Wednesday.
