Jim Ross on the Intensity of Bryan Danielson’s Final Match

Jim Ross has chimed in on Bryan Danielson’s full-time wrestling career coming to an end at AEW WrestleDream 2024. During the latest edition of his “Grilling JR” podcast, Good Ol’ JR reflected on calling Danielson’s match at WrestleDream and discussed the future of the American Dragon.

He shared his experience after Danielson’s loss at WrestleDream: “I was silent, because I didn’t know what I needed to say to continue to sell the moment. And the fact that Bryan Danielson — by his own word, he said the day he loses the title is the day he’s done. And he obviously lost the title so I take him of any wrestler I’ve ever met at his word. So I didn’t know what to say… there was nothing I could add that made that would help it. The pictures and the natural sounds, in my opinion, told the story very well. So that’s why I laid out at the very end. You know, I know Excalibur got very emotional. He cried. I didn’t get that far into it, but I appreciate his passion.”

Ross went on to praise the match itself, stating, “It was a really good match. They told a great story. It was physical; it was intense. If Moxley could bring that much passion out of Bryan, then good for him. It’s not that Bryan is not passionate, but you kind of had to go to a different level. You had to go to a different place for this scenario. And like I said, I talked to Bryan before the show. Actually, he dressed in the same locker room that I was in. And I said, ‘What are you going to do if you lose?’ Because I didn’t want to know right then what the finish was going to be. I just didn’t need to know. I can see it on the monitor, and I’ll call it to my the best of my ability.”

He recalled Bryan’s response: “So he said, ‘Just like I said. When I lose the title, I’m done with full-time wrestling.’ Added that little caveat to it. So what that tells me, obviously. And that’s — you know, creepy-minded old wrestling fans — he’s going to wrestle again somewhere, one would assume, based on what he said. But there’s no guarantee of that. He may change his mind and want to get back in the fray and try to win the title back and then retire. Hell, who knows? I don’t have any idea. But I know for right now, he’s done. And you know, we always hold out hopes for our favorites. He’s one of the nicest and easiest to work with guys I’ve ever worked with in 50 years, Conrad. I mean, he’s honorable. He keeps his word. He works his ass off. He never takes any days off, shall we say. So I’m a bigger fan of Bryan Danielson today than I was last Saturday in Tacoma. So it was an emotional night to say the least. We had a hell of a good show. I thought this PPV was excellent.”

Regarding the triple threat International Title bout, Ross remarked, “Those guys really turned it out. They gave it everything they had, they took chances. I think all of them advanced their own individual games. It was an outstanding performance by all three guys. They took it to the next level. And I’m sometimes simply amazed — and that’s no disrespect to the other guys, but Ospreay is special. He’s really, really special. And so I’m happy to say I got to watch it as a fan in our dressing room.”