Bryan Danielson Set For AEW Dynamite & Forbidden Door — But In A New Role

The “American Dragon” is coming back to AEW TV — but don’t expect to see him lacing up the boots this week.

Bryan Danielson, one of AEW’s most decorated competitors and a fan favorite across the globe, will make his return on the August 20 edition of AEW Dynamite in Glasgow, Scotland, followed by an appearance at the highly anticipated Forbidden Door pay-per-view in London. This time, however, Danielson’s role won’t be inside the ring — it’ll be behind the microphone.

AEW has confirmed that Danielson will join the commentary desk in Glasgow alongside Excalibur, and Tony Schiavone. At Forbidden Door, he’ll be part of the Zero Hour pre-show panel with Renee Paquette, RJ City, and Jeff Jarrett, helping set the stage for one of AEW’s biggest international events of the year.

The United Kingdom has become a pivotal chapter in Danielson’s AEW career. Nearly one year ago at Wembley Stadium during All In London 2024, Danielson dethroned Swerve Strickland to capture the AEW World Championship. That crowning achievement was followed by a dramatic retirement from full-time in-ring competition after his brutal war with Jon Moxley.

Since then, Danielson’s appearances have been rare. His last AEW moment came at All In Texas in July, where he backed Hangman Page against Moxley and the Death Riders, sparking plenty of speculation about whether he’d cross paths with them again. With both the Death Riders and The Young Bucks slated for action at Forbidden Door, fans will be watching closely for even the slightest hint of an “American Dragon” cameo.

Forbidden Door also carries added weight for Danielson. He famously main-evented the 2023 edition against Kazuchika Okada, fighting through a broken arm to secure one of the gutsiest victories of his career. In 2024, his win over Shingo Takagi at the same event marked the start of his path to the AEW World Championship. And while he was originally scheduled to debut at the first Forbidden Door in 2022, an injury postponed his showdown with Zack Sabre Jr. until WrestleDream 2023.

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Danielson’s return in a non-wrestling capacity speaks volumes about how AEW values his presence, even without active competition. His voice carries credibility, his storytelling enhances the broadcast, and his history with Forbidden Door gives the event extra gravitas. Don’t rule out a surprise stare-down or subtle interaction — AEW knows the crowd would erupt at even the smallest tease of Danielson getting involved.

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