Bryan Danielson made a surprise return to the ring during Wednesday night’s special PAC tribute edition of AEW Dynamite.
Nearly two years after his full-time in-ring career ended, Bryan Danielson was revealed as the surprise fifth member of the Death Riders for the ten-man tag team main event against the Don Callis Family.
Danielson joined Claudio Castagnoli, Wheeler Yuta, Daniel Garcia and Gabe Kidd against Wardlow, Lance Archer, Josh Alexander, Mark Davis and Jake Doyle. He arrived less than two hours after Danielson reconciled with Jon Moxley earlier in the broadcast.
Danielson’s last match was at WrestleDream in October 2024, when he lost the AEW World Championship to Moxley. The match was followed by the Blackpool Combat Club turning on Danielson, ultimately leading to the formation of the Death Riders.
Bryan Danielson Reunites With Death Riders
Bryan Danielson received a huge reaction when he was introduced as the final member of the team and quickly became involved in the action. The former AEW World Champion brawled with Wardlow and Davis outside the ring early on, then returned to the match and traded offense with Alexander.
Danielson showed little hesitation in performing his familiar offence despite his lengthy absence, including his running backflip from the corner, although he slipped slightly while executing the move.
In the closing stages, members of both teams took each other out before Danielson connected with a kick on Alexander. Garcia ultimately secured the victory for his team, applying a Sharpshooter to Doyle while Castagnoli added a curb stomp to help force the finish.
Following the match, Danielson joined the Death Riders in the ring as the group embraced. The reunion came during an episode dedicated to PAC, real name Benjamin Satterley, after his death at age 40 on Sunday.
Dynamite concluded with a tribute video honouring PAC before the broadcast showed his chair positioned near the Death Riders’ entrance tunnel.
