Daniel Bryan, also known as Bryan Danielson, is a semi-retired American professional wrestler. Bryan made his official WWE debut on the first season of NXT. He was initially fired from the company because of an unplanned segment, where he strangled announcer Justin Roberts with a tie during the Nexus invasion. However, he was rehired and made his return at the 2010 SummerSlam.
One of the biggest moments in his career happened when he was in the comedy tag team Team Hell No with Kane. During this, Bryan’s “Yes” chant completely took the WWE universe, which quickly established him as one of the most famous wrestlers in the company. Initially, the WWE management wanted Bryan to be just a mid-card wrestler; however, the WWE universe hijacked shows until he was added to the main event of WrestleMania 30.
In 2016, Bryan suffered chronic neck injuries and concussions, which forced him to retire early. However, in 2018, he was cleared by the doctors to once again wrestle. In his second run in the WWE, he officially turned heel and played the character of “Planet’s Champion”. He wrestled his last match in the WWE on April 30, 2021, where he was defeated by Roman Reigns in a Title vs Career match.
After leaving the WWE, Bryan officially made his AEW debut in 2021 as Bryan Danielson. During his time at AEW, he formed the BCC with Jon Moxley, Claudio Castagnoli, and Wheeler Yuta. He won the AEW World Championship on August 25, 2024, at All In London by defeating Swerve Strickland. Bryan wrestled his last match as a full-time wrestler at 2024 WrestleDream, where Bryan lost the AEW World Championship to Jon Moxley. As of 2025, he currently serves as a Special Consultant and Color Commentator for AEW.
List of Daniel Bryan’s World Championship Wins
Daniel Bryan has won 5 World Championships in his entire WWE career. He won his first-ever World Championship at the 2011 TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs, where he defeated the Big Show to win the World Heavyweight Championship.
His most famous World Championship win happened at WrestleMania 30. WWE did not have any plan to put Bryan in the Main Event of WrestleMania 30, but fans kept chanting his name during every segment. Eventually, WWE placed Bryan in a match at WrestleMania 30 against Triple H, with the stipulation that if Bryan defeated Triple H, he would be added to the main event match. Bryan defeated Triple H and then wrestled his second match at WrestleMania, where he defeated Randy Orton and Batista in the main event to win the WWE World Heavyweight Championship.
His most recent World Championship win in the WWE happened after he came back from retirement. He faced AJ Styles on an episode of SmackDown Live, where, towards the match, he officially turned heel and delivered a low blow to Styles to win the WWE Championship.
Here is a detailed table summarizing Daniel Bryan’s WWE World Championships:
| Title | Date | Opponent | Event |
| World Heavyweight Championship | Dec 18, 2011 | Big Show | TLC |
| WWE Championship | Aug 18, 2013 | John Cena | SummerSlam |
| WWE Championship | Sept 15, 2013 | Randy Orton | Night of Champions |
| WWE World Heavyweight Championship | April 6, 2014 | Randy Orton & Batista | WrestleMania 30 |
| WWE Championship | Nov 13, 2018 | AJ Styles | SmackDown Live |
FAQs
Q. Is Daniel Bryan still wrestling?
A. Bryan is no longer an active full-time wrestler; he is now a semi-retired professional wrestler.
Q. Are Daniel Bryan and Bryan Danielson the same person?
A. Bryan Danielson is the name that Bryan uses in AEW.
Q. Why did Daniel Bryan leave WWE?
A. Bryan did not leave WWE because he was unhappy; he has stated multiple times that he loves WWE, but he left the company because he wanted creative freedom.
Q. Is Daniel Bryan married?
A. Bryan is married to a WWE Hall of Famer, Brie Bella.
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