Daniel Bryan

Bryan Danielson (born May 22, 1981) is an American professional wrestler. As of 2023, he worked for All Elite Wrestling (AEW). He is best known by his WWE ring name, Daniel Bryan. He is also known by his nickname, the American Dragon.
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. 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.
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
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"
"Goat"
"The King of Beards"
"The "No!" Man!
"Mr. Small Package"
"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)
"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 Pro Wrestling
APW Worldwide Internet Championship (1 time)
King of the Indies (2001)
All Star Wrestling
ASW World Heavy Middleweight Championship (1 time)
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
1981 births
American professional wrestlers
Living people
People from Aberdeen, Washington
Sportspeople from Washington (state)
AEW wrestlers
Former WWE wrestlers