Bryan Danielson

Bryan Danielson (born May 22, 1981) is an American professional wrestler. He is currently signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW) and competes for them on a part-time basis. He is also known for his time in the WWE where he wrestled under the ring name, Daniel Bryan. He is also known by his nickname, the American Dragon. He is well known for his energetic 'Yes! Yes!' chant, before executing his signature moves.

In wrestling, Danielson is a four -time WWE Champion, one-time World Heavyweight Champion. He has won the ROH World Championship in Ring of Honor (ROH) once. Also, Danielson has won the PWG World Championship in Pro Wrestling Guerrilla (PWG) twice, the FIP Heavyweight Championship once in Full Impact Pro and the GHC Junior Heavyweight Championship once in Pro Wrestling Noah. He was the last ROH Pure Champion. He combined the Pure title with the ROH World Title in 2006.Saks, Stu. Pro Wrestling Illustrated 2007 Almanac and Book of Facts. Blue Bell Publishing, 2007. He also won the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship in New Japan Pro Wrestling with Curry Man. In 2015, he won the WWE Intercontinental champion.

Until 2009, Danielson only wrestled on the indy scene. ROH was his home promotion, but he also worked in FIP, PWG, and the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA). He has also worked worldwide, most notably in Pro Wrestling Noah through ROH's involvement in the Global Professional Wrestling Alliance, a global team of wrestling promotions that allow their competitors to travel abroad to other companies. He also competed in a some matches in WWE before signing an actual contract with the company in 2009. In June 2010, shortly after the end of the first season of the WWE NXT show which Danielson was in, WWE announced that he had been released from his contract. But, at SummerSlam, he returned.

On October 12, 2024 at WrestleDream, Danielson lost the AEW World Championship to Jon Moxley and then retired from full in-ring competition.

 In wrestling 
 Finishing moves

 As American Dragon/Bryan Danielson
 Arms Across America/Cattle Mutilation (Bridging double chickenwing)
 Bridging dragon suplex
 Crossface chickenwing, sometimes with bodyscissors
 Crucifix position followed by multiple elbow strikes to the side of the opponent's head
 Double wristlock to a grounded opponent followed by multiple stomps to the opponent's chest, face and head
 LeBell Lock (Omoplata crossface) – 2010
 Regal-Plex (Bridging leg hook belly-to-back suplex) – adopted from William Regal
 Triangle choke, sometimes followed by multiple elbow strikes to the opponent's head
 As Daniel Bryan 
 Guillotine choke – 2011
 LeBell Lock/"No!" Lock/"Yes!" Lock (Omoplata crossface)
 Running single leg high knee – adopted from Kenta
 Signature moves

 Air Goat (Suicide dive)
 Ankle lock
 Arm trap seated abdominal stretch
 Backflip off the top rope over a standing opponent followed by a crooked arm lariat
 Cobra clutch to a facedown opponent
 Corner elbow smash
 Discus elbow smash
 Diving headbutt (Independent circuit) Flying Goat (WWE)
 Dragon screw
 Dragon sleeper
 Drop toe-hold into the turnbuckles, sometimes followed by kicking the second rope into the opponent's throat
 European uppercut
 Heel hook
 High knee from the apron to the outside of the ring
 Indian deathlock
 Jumping knee drop
 Multiple kick variations
 Corner drop
 Front missile drop
 Roundhouse
 Running big boot
 "Yes!" Kicks (Repeated shoot to the chest of a kneeling opponent followed by a roundhouse to the opponent's head, with theatrics) 
 Multiple suplex variations
 Belly-to-back, sometimes from the top rope
 Belly-to-belly
 Cravate
 Danielson Special (Double underhook floated over into a cross armbreaker) – innovated"Daniel Bryan". Wrestlingdata.com. Retrieved March 29, 2016.
 German
 Northern Lights
 Snap underhook
 Super
 Tiger
 Rolling fireman's carry slam
 Running leg lariat
 Single leg Boston crab
 Sleeper hold
 Small package
 Surfboard, sometimes while applying a dragon sleeper
 Managers
 AJ Lee
 Brie Bella
 Bray Wyatt
 Dave Prazak
 Gail Kim
 The Miz
 Nicknames
 As American Dragon/Bryan Danielson
 "The American Dolphin"
 "The American Dragon"
 "The Best Wrestler in the World"
 "John Jacob Jingleheimer Schmidt"
 "The Master of the Small Package"
 As Daniel Bryan
 "The American Dragon"
 "The Beard"
 "The Dazzler"DANIEL BRYAN TALKS ABOUT HIS BEARD-OFF AGAINST OAKLAND A'S OUTFIELDER JOSH REDDICK: WWE APP EXCLUSIVE  40 seconds into 1:10 video "You are not the Dazzler, and you are not the King of Beards! That belongs to one man, and one man only! The Dazzler! Daniel Bryan."
 "Goat"
 "The King of Beards"
 "The "No!" Man!
 "Mr. Small Package"WWE.com's Top 25 matches of 2013 | WWE  WWE.com's Top 25 matches of 2013: #5 Daniel Bryan vs. Antonio Cesaro (Raw; July 22)
 "The Submission Specialist"
 "The World's Toughest Vegan"
 "The Yes!" Man"
 Entrance themes
 "Self Esteem" by The Offspring (independent circuit)
 "Obsession" by Animotion (independent circuit)
 "The Final Countdown" by Europe (ROH/independent circuit)Castle, Al. "The Best in the World: Is this more than hype?" Pro Wrestling Illustrated February 2009. 50.
 "The Rage (WWE Edit)" by Hermann Langschwert, Wolfgang Killian (WWE; August 15, 2010 – September 13, 2010)
 "Ride of the Valkyries" by Richard Wagner (WWE; September 20, 2010 – July 29, 2011)
 "Big Epic Thing" by Jim Johnston (WWE; August 5, 2011 – November 4, 2011)
 "Flight of the Valkyries" by Jim Johnston (WWE; November 11, 2011–present)
 "Live in Fear" by Mark Crozer (December 30, 2013 – January 13, 2014; used as a part of The Wyatt Family)

 Wrestlers trained 

 Alex Payne
 Andrew Patterson
 Bobby Quance
 Cheerleader Melissa
 Coone
 Dan Marshall
 Farmer Joe
 Kafu
 Killer J Mathias
 Nikki Bella
 Reno
 Rhett Titus
 Robbie Ryder
 Simon Gotch
 Sara Del Rey
 Voltage
 Zodiac

Championships and accomplishments

 All Elite Wrestling
 AEW World Championship (1 time)
 AEW World Championship Eliminator Tournament (2021)
 Men’s Owen Hart Cup (2024)
 AEW Dynamite Awards (2 times)
 Biggest Beatdown (2022) – 
 Biggest Surprise (2022) – 

 All Pro Wrestling
 APW Worldwide Internet Championship (1 time)
 King of the Indies (2001)
 All Star Wrestling
 ASW World Heavy Middleweight Championship (1 time)
 CBS Sports
 Best Promo of the Year (2018) – 
 Comeback Wrestler of the Year (2018)
 East Coast Wrestling Association
 ECWA Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Low Ki
 Extreme Canadian Championship Wrestling
 NWA Canadian Junior Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
 Full Impact Pro
 FIP Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
 International Wrestling Association
 IWA Puerto Rico Heavyweight Championship (1 time, current)
 Memphis Championship Wrestling
 MCW Southern Light Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
 MCW Southern Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Spanky
 NWA Mid-South
 NWA Southern Junior Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
 New Japan Pro Wrestling
 IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Curry Man
 Best of the American Super Juniors (2004)
 Pro Wrestling Illustrated
 PWI ranked him #13 of the best 500 singles wrestlers in the PWI 500 in 2008
 Pro Wrestling Guerrilla
 PWG World Championship (2 times)
 Pro Wrestling Noah
 GHC Junior Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
 Pro Wrestling Report
 Independent Wrestler of the Year (2006)
 Ring of Honor
 ROH Pure Championship (1 time)
 ROH World Championship (1 time)
 Survival of the Fittest (2004)
 Texas Wrestling Alliance
 TWA Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Spanky
 Westside Xtreme Wrestling
 wXw World Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
 Ambition 1 (2010)
 World Series Wrestling
 WSW Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
 World Wrestling Entertainment/WWE
 World Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
 WWE Championship/WWE World Heavyweight Championship  (3 times)
 WWE Tag Team Championship (1 time) (with Kane)
 WWE United States Championship (1 time)
 Money in the Bank (SmackDown 2011)
 Slammy Award for Cole in Your Stocking (2010) ()
 Slammy Award for Shocker of the Year (2010) ()
 Slammy Award for Tweet of the Year (2012) ()
 Slammy Award for Facial Hair of the Year (2012)
 Slammy Award for Upset of the Year (2012) ()
 Slammy Award for Couple of the Year (2013) (with Brie Bella)
 Slammy Award for Catchphrase of the Year (2013) (YES! YES! YES!)
 Slammy Award for Beard of the Year (2013)
 Slammy Award for Superstar of the Year (2013)
 Slammy Award for Fan Participation of the Year (2013) (YES! YES! YES!)
 Wrestling Observer Newsletter
 Best Technical Wrestler (2005–2009)
 Match of the Year (2007) vs. Takeshi Morishima on August 25
 Most Outstanding Wrestler (2006–2009)

References

Other websites


Category:1981 births
Category:Living people
Category:All Elite Wrestling people
Category:American professional wrestlers
Category:Former WWE wrestlers
Category:People from Aberdeen, Washington
Category:Professional wrestling authority figures
Category:Sportspeople from Washington (state)