Bryan Danielson

[10.0] "If wrestling was all about _______, Bryan Danielson would be a 10 on that factor alone. There's not much you can put into that blank that wouldn't fit, and they're pretty much all aesthetic concerns. Unbelievable charm, technical ability, athleticism, stamina, psychology, promo. If I bother to average his last 100 singles matches and weigh the more popular ones more heavily, he averages an 8.3. That's not news. He's one of the greatest. I hope he has a long and happy retirement, even if I crave one last match. Still can't believe the first match of his I watched he was squashed by Sheamus in <20 seconds. 10/10."

[10.0] "Bryan Danielson belongs in that upper echelon of greatest technical workers of all time. He has a resume of really fantastic matches through a few different eras, leagues, and styles. His run in ROH is legendary and he wrestled there during their hottest period, with multiple matches with all the key guys in that promotion. His WWE run represented a breakthrough of the 2000's indie style to the mainstream. He had undeniable charisma and it came through in WWE, where mic work is more important than the in-ring. So he wasn't just a talented technical wrestler, he could talk and connect to an audience, too. His AEW run was the perfect thing for the end of his career, a place where he could showcase what he did best with the other great technicians of the time period. He just has so many good matches, with so many different guys, it's impossible not to be impressed. Not the greatest promo, but it really didn't matter because he had that it factor and eventually got to be pretty good on the mic during his heel run in WWE. I'd give him an A+ for in ring, A for promos/charisma, and a B for overall gimmick/look. He really was an enduring and revolutionary performer that got to the highest peaks you can get to in the business. Terrible in the announce booth though. Revising my rating from 2022 from a 9 to a 10 now that he has retired and we can look back at his career."

[10.0] "Self-sacrificing to a fault. Saw WWE's big-man preference & fought against the iron-clad will of THE big wrestling mega-corporation to become one of the most loved heavyweight champions of all time. Puts his all into every match with fiery passion, intense selling, & such aptitude for the sport that most anyone will quickly realize that he's forgotten more about wrestling than many wrestlers will ever learn. Does a great job on AEW commentary & unfortunately, has been absent as sadly understandably his career had taken it's physical toll. I would love to have him back to commentate alongside Wight."

[10.0] "One of one. He's the guy that you'd think of first when you're talking about the ideal wrestler. Got the skill and the credentials to call himself the best in the world. If it's truly over for him, he left behind a legacy that can't imagine ANYONE matching for generations to come."

[10.0] "Danielson is like objectively the greatest wrestler of all time. Nobody has had more consistent passion for the game and has been as many places as him. He was a WWE mainstay for many years and his late career AEW run was amazing. He has more good matches than probably anyone ever especially at a time in WWE that was really dismal he continued to wrestle excellently. I owe a lot of my best childhood memories to this man and watching his AEW run as an adult has deepened my appreciation for the GOAT."

[9.0] "My love for ROH-era Bryan is undying even though I think his instincts have led to some of his later work being far from great, but still awesome when he doesn't fall into those trappings."

[10.0] "A living legend. The innovator. The best wrestler on the planet. IT'S FUCKING BRIAN DANIELSON. Absolutely everything is perfect in it, from the quality of matches, to segments and promos. This man literally has a gift for making something good and cool out of everything. Danielson's list of fucking great matches is endless, but everyone brings something special and unique. The match with Will Osprey literally reinterpreted wrestling. The match with Omega was simply a masterpiece and I regret that I won't be able to see another match between these two. The legendary rivalry with Nigel McGuiness. It's all in Brian's biography, and you can't take it away. He can be perceived as a first-class underdog or as a formidable heel. Brian is the only one like that, and it's time to admit that the Wrestling world can never do anything like him."

[7.0] "I don't usually like Daniel Bryan very much. I was a stupid kid once too, yelling "Yes! " in front of the TV, but in retrospect, he's not all that great. He's funny, good in the ring, but definitely overrated. I liked his run against The Authority, his alliance with Kane (Team Hell No), and that's about it. Although I didn't particularly like his run at WrestleMania 30 either, because I can't stand underdogs, and Bryan was the ultimate underdog. He was never in a credible position in his own feud, and that says a lot (what a shame, Daniel took his 40th beating, but he still got up thanks to the fans' support). If he had retired in 2015, the rating would have been a 9, but I just don't like his work from 2018 onward that much. His heel reign is only remembered for his return and Kofimania."

[10.0] "You don't get an award for technical wrestling named after you for nothing. Arguably the best technical wrestler of all time, no question he's top 2. His in ring work alone is justification for a 10/10 and that's not even counting his character work. He's able to play both a vicious heel and an underdog babyface. Most people can do one or other, but doing both to such a high level is genuinely staggering. He has been the key part of 3 of the best babyface world title wins ever, 2 as the face and once as the heel. I genuinely can't think of a single flaw he has."

[7.0] "My problem with Daniel Bryan is his character, most of the time was just a boring technical good boy in ROH and beginning in WWE, then I hated the Yes Movement shi. His best effort was the post retirement and second world title run as a heel. In overall, Daniel is a black hole of charisma and mic skills with great subimissions in his moveset."

[10.0] "How can you rate him below 10 He is the greatest in ring performer with one of the highest in ring IQ"

[8.0] "The in ring speaks for it self. He probably could go for another decade at a high level if he wanted to."

[10.0] "If you can't put Bryan in your top 10 of all time. You have problems. Simply one of the greatest of all time. Wrestlemania 30 will forever be legendary All In 2024 will forever be legendary for someone who was there that night at Wembley. All In 2021 is my favourite ever AEW PPV when him and Adam Cole debuted on the same night. What an incredible wrestler. Can face anyone whether it's a cruiserweight or super heavyweight. He'll put on a banger"

[10.0] "What a blessing it is to live in a time with so many amazing wrestlers and matches. But especially to witness Bryan putting on some of the best matches with top stars around the world. Bryan understands every facet of what he does and has a motive behind every movement. I hope we get to see him again."

[10.0] "The definitive greateat wrestler of all time. Three perfect runs between RoH, WWE, and then AEW. His first match with Okada may be my favorite ring work of all-time. His rivalries in RoH, my favorite, all time. His WWE title run, my favorite, all-time. I could go on and on and for once, I'm gonna stop myself. Bryan is the beat ever, period amen. That's all that must be said."

[10.0] "The greatest North American wrestler of all time, possibly the greatest of all time. For starters Bryan is an awesome professional, never had problems, was always honest with his peers, and always put the industry first. A very humble man, who reminds us that in the term professional wrestler, being a good professional comes before being a good wrestler. In Bryan's case he is exceptional in both ways. Bryan was never a flashy wrestler, he said it himself, he was never going to wow you with power moves like a Lesnar or flips like an Ospreay, his focus was always the basics of professional wrestling, and he just happened to do the basics better than anybody. A technician at heart, and the heart of a champion. Everywhere Bryan went, he was the best, he was a world champion. Arguably the face of Ring of Honour and definitely on their Mount Rushmore, his early classics with the likes of Mcguiness, Joe, Kenta, Strong, and the list goes on put the American Dragon on the map, and got him into WWE. Where Bryan who was listed at 5'8 and nowhere near your typical WWE main eventer won the world title 5 times. His work peaked at the end of his career when he went to AEW and just simply did not have a bad match. Arguably the greatest matches and moments of his career came at the end, with highlights being his world title win from Swerve at All In, his unreal match with Will at Dynasty, his 60 minute barnburner with MJF and his matches with Zack Sabre Jr in AEW and NJPW. In-ring one of the greatest ever, his matches are legendary, and he also has some of the greatest promos of all time. Additionally, it didn't matter what character you gave him, comedy heel, obnoxious heel, dark/devious planet saving heel, prideful babyface, underdog babyface, he made EVERY SINGLE CHARACTER work. A master at re-inventing himself, a master in the ring, and extremly adequate on the microphone, Bryan is the definition of a perfect wrestler. 10/10"

[9.0] "Bryan Danielson was an undeniably talented worker but he was a performer that I always kept a certain emotional distance from. This is purely - but not unfairly - down to him reminding me too much of Chris Benoit. In short, I worried too much about the guy; so much so that I outright began to hate him as a human being for continuing to risk his health after returning from his first retirement. Now that he's seemingly out of the ring for good I've found that I can enjoy rewatching his stuff. I would place him just outside of the all-timer discussion. It's fair to say he's one of the top fifty American pro-wrestlers of all-time, for sure. UPDATE: Just watched him carry Kamala the Ugandan Giant to a passible ROH World title match in 2006. Upping him to a nine."

[10.0] "Bryan Danielson or Daniel Bryan is one of the greatest wrestlers of all time. He never looked very physically imposing but was still able to make a name for himself as world champion in three different promotions and possibly one of the most over wrestlers in WWE history. His technical wrestling ability was outstanding and was his main skill, but he really had no wrestling weaknesses. He is also incredibly charismatic, and has been beloved by fans throughout his career."

[10.0] "In my opinion, the greatest professional wrestler of all time. And it bums me the fuck out that I didn't appreciate him while he was still wrestling."

[10.0] "My favorite wrestler of all time. Wasn't a natural on the mic at all but still had some great promos and catchphrases. In ring he was amazing, able to do almost anything. He had amazing matches over a span of almost 25 years and was rarely boring, even getting something out of mediocre competitors. Great heel, great face. His comeback from a seeming career ending injury in 2018 was amazing. His ROH, WWE, and AEW runs are all great. I can't say enough good things about him."

[10.0] "One of the easiest 10 ratings on this site. He could do it all and very rarely had a bad match for the duration of his career. His promos in ROH and later in AEW were some of his better work. Then we had the memorable rise of Daniel Bryan in late 2013 into early 2014. One of the best stories WWE has ever done. He was hampered by injuries some of which were severe because of his hard hitting style. He put his body on the line for the fans and for his love of pro wrestling."

[10.0] "One of the Greatest wrestlers of all time.I hope that there is still a chance that he can return for a couple of matches"

[10.0] "9/10 from me, Accomplishments - 9.5, Charisma/Character Work -9, Cultural Significance - 9.5, In-Ring Skills - 10, Longevity - 10 and Move-Set - 9.5 = 9.5 rounded up to 10."

[8.0] "Bryan was a fantastic in-ring performer who not only got over in the biggest promotion in the world, but was in major angles and won world titles despite being under six foot and under two hundred pounds. I'm a big fan of his technical, British wrestling style and his heel work, although his work as a sympathetic babyface was also great."

[10.0] "The greatest. Simply untouchable in the ring, delivered everywhere he went, climbed to the top of every promotion he worked for, nobody can deny his talent, his success, and by all accounts is a great guy too."

[10.0] "Who am I to criticize a great wrestler like Bryan Danielson. Man he is good in every style you can imagine. High-flyer, brawler, and he is perfect in strong style, submission grappling and technical wrestling overall. Give him a wooden board and he will give you at least 4 star match"

[10.0] "Debatably the greatest of all time. This dude has had so many 5 star/great matches it is genuinely ridiculous. Has turned nothing into gold plenty of times, is great at getting the crowd behind him, and is solid on the mic too. GOAT status for sure."

[10.0] "One of the best of all time. A technical genius and overall just a great striker and storyteller who is able to get the people with almost everything he does. His in ring skills are already obviously and well known to be well, amazing, but I think his storytelling is really underrated. I think a lot of people need to look at his Eco-Friendly gimmick in WWE for example, you can tell and see his passion and honestly top tier mic work too when it comes to pulling off a character that not many will be able to pull off. People know BD for his overall never say die energy, his striking and his insane technical prowess and I mean thats stating the obvious but I mean I have genuinely not seen a wrestler that Danielson looked bad with. He worked with everyone, every style, every match type, he was able to work with legit anything and give his full energy towards it. Even in his last years, he was hurt and damaged and was still able to pull off some of the best in ring work I have ever seen. He is prepared to get the shit beat out of him, but his opponent also gets beaten to an absolute pulp and everytime it works with me. He was SO good that he was able to make a company who HATED him forced to make him a world champion because of how much the crowd loved his stuff. He was always leaving an impact even when he was injured and "retired" he fought and forced the business to let him wrestle again, and he came back like he never left. One of the greatest to ever do it, and will be that forever."

[7.0] "I'm sorry for the fans, but I don't understand the hype without questionning for Bryan, of course he's a good technician, of course he has a long and rich career, and successful runs in WWE, AEW with major titles, and an experience in the indies. But if we speak about technicians and cruiserweights who are not 6 feet and over, why is he above AJ Styles or Bret and Owen ? I don't understand this GOAT like level rating more than 9.5/10, and yet I assure I don't dislike him, I just don't understand this "God" position here. If we considers a wrestler with the 5 attributes shared recently by AJ Styles (who are mine too), what do we have for Bryan : 1) Athletic abilities ? Yes, even he's not impressive, but it's okay, 2) Wrestling level ? Yes of course, 3) Determination ? Absolutely. But... 4) Mic Skills ? No, 5) And Charisma ? Never. In terms of physical presence, charisma, Bryan, with all my respect for the athlete and the career, is a wrestler and performer flat and smooth as a landscape in North Dakota. I would like to add a sixth attribute to be the wrestler with the perfect package : the ability to conveying emotions, it is subjective on my part and we do not all have the same affect, but Bryan has never conveyed emotions to me, not even during the famous Yes Movement, I do not see him as the ultimate underdog."

[10.0] "Bryan Danielson is one of the best wrestlers ever, flat out. From ROH and the indies to WWE, he proved over and over that he's on a completely different level in the ring. His technical ability, intensity, and ability to make everything feel real is elite. He can have a great match with literally anyone. What makes his career even better is how he broke through in WWE when the odds were completely against him. He didn't have the size and he wasn't supposed to be "the guy, " but he got so over that they had no choice. That 2013-14 run is one of the best organic rises ever in wrestling. His AEW run left a lot to be desired for me though. It feels like he was almost too selfless for his own good. He should've had a world title run much sooner, but instead he spent a lot of time in the Blackpool Combat Club where he was completely wasted. Tony Khan never really booked him well and it seems like Danielson was too willing to go along with it all instead of putting himself in better position. Even with that, his body of work is undeniable. One of the greatest technical wrestlers ever and one of the most complete performers of his generation."

[6.0] "Not my type of wrestling, even though I know it all comes from amateur wrestling. The very slow style doesn't allow me to really get invested in the match, even if this man, thanks to his gimmick, managed to get everyone behind him. YES MOVEMENT."

[9.0] "one of those truly stellar wrestlers all around that you cant help but marvel at. from his roh run to yesslemania to his fantastic (possibly last) run in aew. he manages to bring life to everything he touches"

[10.0] "When I was a little jit, and was a full mark, my favorite wrestler was Daniel Brian, because little mark me wanted to become just like him, be the best despite people looking down on you. Being the greatest bell-to-bell wrestler even if you are small. There's a reason why I love pro-wrestling so much, and thats because Daniel Brian kept on saying Yes-Yes-YES!"

[10.0] "The greatest of all time, he can do everything - wrestle better than anyone on the planet, cut a memorable promo, tell a story in the ring and maybe most importantly he knows how to connect with the crowd better than nearly anyone."

[10.0] "In my opinion the greatest of all time. He had everything a wrestler needs down to perfection, additionally he managed to be the top star in every company he went to whilst not having the 'traditional look' of a top star."

[10.0] "One of the greatest performers in pro wrestling history. For about almost 20 years, he remained consistent putting on MOTYC's every single year. His rise to the top in WWe is one of the most organic and feel good moments in modern day pro wrestling. He can have a good match with just about anyone and is also a very underrated promo. There's a review from a user called "Raditz Flair" saying that the only bad thing about him was that he got injured, but even then it's hard to blame him because he put so much effort into his work, and I think that's the perfect way to describe it. I can't recall a time where I didn't see him trying his absolute best in a match."

[9.0] "Bryan Danielson is probably one of the bets wrestlers in the world. Every time he steps in the ring, you know you're in for something incredible. He's also quite possibly the greatest technical wrestlers in the world."

[10.0] "Fantastic technical wrestler. Easily my favorite of the modern generation. He can work a great match with just about anyone, but also has an uncanny charisma that is hard to define. Seems like a genuine dude on TV and is easy to root for. Is a natural face, but has been a fantastic heel at different points. Reminds me of Kurt Angle alot in his flexibility as a character to be a goofy personality or super serious and still be over with the people."

[10.0] "Arguably the best technical wrestler ever. I could find myself watching him switching holds on the mat for hours, and still I wouldn't call him boring. That's how good he is. He was the best in the world in ROH, then became a once in a lifetime superstar in WWE, and finally a legend in AEW, with a PERFECT last run. Very few wrestlers were able to wrestle a bad match with Danielson involved, while he always tried his best to make mediocre wrestlers look good. He wrestled in two of the greatest WrestleMania main events of the 21st century. He worked great both as an underdog babyface, and as a vicious, psycho heel. If you ask me, he's in the GOAT argument."

[10.0] "Danielson might be the greatest wrestler ever. A legit childhood hero of mine. Great babyface, great heel, all time technical wrestler. What more can you say about him?"

[10.0] "Uno de los mejores de todos los tiempos en el ring, en el micrófono y con un gran carisma, grandísimas luchas tanto en ROH, como en AEW , como en WWE, mis favoritas desde luego son vs kenny omega, vs nigel y vs mjf en el mejor iron man match de todos los tiempos Una lastima que no pudiera haber alargado su carrera unos pocos años mas."

[10.0] "Easily one of the best wrestlers of all time. Bryan Danielson/Daniel Bryan for me show what you should do and execute as a pro wrestler, you need to know your weakness and your strenghs. Bryan never had a great physic and kinda lacked when we expected some great powerhouse moves, so he trained to be arguably the best technical wrestling ever. He KNOWS what he need to do and how he should, that for me is the best attribute I could expect from a wrestler. Great in promo, had a gimmick that started an revolution in professional wrestling. Now, the fans can argue and protest for their favorites and that will be accepted. See the examples of Kofi, Cody and Jey Uso, for example. Anyways, injuries suck, took 3 and a half years of his career but he got back, doing some of the best wrestling matches he ever did now in a new promotion with some wrestlers I never thought about seeing him face. He is not fully retired, so I still dream about seeing Bryan face Jay White, Darby Allin, Orange Cassidy and some of those great folks."

"I think peak for peak I could compare the skill and quality of Bryan Danielson to any other great wrestler of any era. He was the type of worker that in any arena, he would get over. Whether it was feeding the hunger of the jaded fans of the 2000s ROH crowds, whether it was grabbing the heart of fans by being one of the greatest babyfaces that the WWE audience had ever seen, and having one last run as the dragon in AEW, being able to give back to the same sport he fell in love with. While never giving minimal effort in ring. He's one of the most convincing and immersive wrestlers this side of Terry Funk, and a wrestler who trail blazed until his Final Countdown. My favorite wrestler ever."

"The greatest professional wrestler of all time. Easily my favourite one too. He's been everywhere and done everything with almost everyone at this point. Wonderful at structuring his matches, incredible executor and depending on his gimmick Dragon is god-tier level underdog or fascinating heel."

[10.0] "Best of all time man, possibly the best babyface ever and also a sensational heel. No wrestler gets me consistently out of my seat like the american dragon"

[10.0] "Arguably the greatest wrestler to ever live, up there with the likes of Kobashi & Kong very easily. The only things I can possibly take points off for is him having a pretty dull moveset & look in his ROH days, but that's made-up for by the fact his strikes, holds, & psychology were off the charts. And for being in the WWE for so long, that one I can't forgive him for because the things I would've done for a '13-'19 Bryan Danielson NJPW run would be disgusting. Also, he's an amazing commentator and adds so much to storylines, progressing them even better than actual promos or matches at times."

[10.0] "Maybe the best worker of the last decade and a half, Bryan Danielson has had the greatest matches of all time across multiple companies which is a rarity. Whether it was WWE, Ring of Honor, AEW, etc. Danielson is the last of a dying breed of the best technical wrestlers."

[9.0] "Perhaps one of the best to ever lace boots, technical masterclass, has the intensity, promo, psychology and work. However, there's something that stops me from rating him a 10, whether it's his recklessness or his rather injury-prone career, i don't know"

[10.0] "The best to ever lace up the boots, and the wrestler that single handedly brought back my passion for the sport. His run to Mania 30 and subsequent win will never leave my mind. Technically brilliant, excellent heel or face, strikes hard and wants to be hit hard. Ill forever want another match, but if I dont get it, all I can say, is Thank you Bryan."

[10.0] "Arguably the best to ever do it. No matter the company, Bryan Danielson has absolutely thrived and put on some of the greatest matches in wrestling history. It's crazy that you can watch a match from 2004 and a match from 2024 and he's still just as consistently great 20 years apart. He also evolved into a fantastic talker over the years, though I always found him to be a great trash talker, going back to his mid-2000s ROH days."