During a heartfelt appearance on The Nikki & Brie Show, Bryan Danielson and Brie Bella offered fans a glimpse into their life as parents and the surprising wrestling talent developing in their young son, Buddy.
Brie kicked off the conversation by noting Buddy’s deepening love for wrestling. “He loves to watch it, he loves to wrestle, and he’s a little natural at his movements and his moves,” she said. Danielson admitted he has mixed feelings about it. “Sometimes it’s so much fun, and then other times it’s really hard, because he jumps on my neck,” Bryan shared, referencing the toll that physical play can take on him after years in the ring. “No matter how many times we tell him, ‘Hey, Daddy’s got a bad neck,’ he just jumps on my neck—or her neck.”
Despite the wear and tear, Danielson finds joy in sharing the wrestling experience with Buddy. “It really brings me joy to see what he’s drawn to in life,” he said. Watching AEW together has become a bonding ritual. Buddy’s favorite wrestler? “Bryan Keith, the Bad Apple,” Danielson revealed. “When the Bad Apple comes on screen, he’s like, ‘Ooh, daddy, the Bad Apple.’ It’s actually one of my favorite things right now.” He added that Buddy often asks who’s going to win each match, and he loves observing his son’s reactions.
Brie also noted Buddy’s inclusive fandom. “He loves watching the women too,” she said, with Bryan echoing, “Yeah, he loves women’s wrestling. He does.”
The conversation took a thoughtful turn when Brie asked what Bryan hopes his legacy might mean for Buddy should he pursue wrestling one day. Danielson was quick to address the complicated dynamic of being a second-generation star. “It opens doors, right?” he acknowledged. “But that also creates expectation.” Drawing from his experience and that of fellow second-generation wrestlers, Danielson said, “There’s a lot of pressure right off the bat.”
More than anything, Danielson wants his son to follow wrestling only if it’s his true passion. “If he wants to wrestle, I want it to be because he wants to wrestle,” he said. “Not because, ‘Oh, hey, I can make some cash being who my parents are.’” Reflecting on his own humble beginnings—leaving home immediately after high school to train under Shawn Michaels—Danielson emphasized the value of struggle and discovery. “That journey is what made it incredible,” he said, noting that he wouldn’t want to deny Buddy that growth.
He praised wrestlers like Charlie Dempsey, son of William Regal, for forging their paths quietly and independently. “People didn’t even know his son was his son until relatively recently,” he said.
Ultimately, Danielson’s parental instincts prevail. “If he really wanted to do it, I just want to protect him. Especially in those first stages of wrestling—protect him from the expectations of other people.” Brie concluded the discussion with grounded optimism: “I kind of look at him and I’m like, I feel like it’s his calling. But, you know, that might just be a wild four-and-a-half-year-old.”
Their candid conversation highlighted not only a budding wrestling fan in young Buddy but also the thoughtful, intentional approach his parents are taking—balancing legacy, love for the business, and the desire to shield their child from its harshest pressures.
