Bryan Danielson’s full-time wrestling career came to an end this past October, as Jon Moxley defeated his former ally at AEW WrestleDream, becoming the new AEW World Champion in the process. During a recent conversation with TVInsider, Moxley looked back on his win over Danielson, referring to the process very matter-of-factly.
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“He had to be taken off the board,” Moxley said. “He was a thing on a checklist. I don’t have time to feel sad about it. To me, it was a beautiful funeral.”
Moxley acknowledged that Danielson was one of his best friends and someone he spent countless hours traveling with over the years, but in the end, Danielson stood in the way of his goals. He then recalled one of the most vicious moments of the match as if it was nothing more than a fond memory.
“His mom was in the front row,” Moxley continued. “I was squeezing his neck as his mom screamed that she loved him, and he screamed it back to her. I’m not sure if that was caught on camera, but that was quite a powerful moment to see up close.”
Despite the brutality of the match, or perhaps even because of it, Moxley has great respect for Danielson. The AEW World Champion stated that Danielson was very banged up by the end of this last run, and Moxley spoke about the match as if he was doing Danielson a favor.
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“I don’t think people knew how much he was suffering,” Moxley said. “You would never know it by looking at him. I was there and saw and understood what he went through. I felt like Bryan was at peace.”
Now, Moxley is ready to move on. His first AEW World Championship defense is set to take place this Saturday, against Orange Cassidy, in the main event of AEW Full Gear.
If you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit TVInsider with a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.
