Pro wrestling veteran Bryan Danielson recently described his encounter with Kazuchika Okada at AEW Forbidden Door 2023 as the most difficult match he has ever faced. Despite winning the bout, Danielson revealed that he wrestled through a broken arm during the high-profile event, making it a uniquely painful experience for him.
Enduring Injury While Competing in a High-Stakes Bout
Danielson recounted the injury and his determination to finish the match.
“Forbidden Door 2023, I wrestled Kazuchika Okada in the main event of that show and I broke my arm, and we had 10 minutes left to go. Yeah, just gutting it out through,”
he said. He immediately sensed something was wrong but was uncertain of the injury’s severity at the moment.
He explained the exchange with the referee regarding his condition:
“I knew something was wrong. I obviously didn’t know it was broken. I thought it was broken, and I told the referee, I said, ‘I think my arm’s broken.’ He goes, ‘do you want to keep going?’ I said, ‘yeah,’ and the yeah was more of a yeah, question mark. So yeah, that was probably the one that was the hardest to get through.”
—Bryan Danielson
The Role of Discomfort in Danielson’s Wrestling Philosophy
Beyond the physical pain, Danielson highlighted the mental aspect of persevering through discomfort. He expressed how leaning into pain and difficulty has been an important part of his mindset over the past decade, allowing him to make better decisions despite the challenges.
He stated,
“I think one of the beautiful things about wrestling is that it’s unlike anything else when you’re out there actually wrestling and it hurts. We spend so much of our lives trying to avoid discomfort and I’ve really worked in the last 10 years not to try to avoid discomfort. I found that trying to avoid discomfort has led to many of the mistakes in my life, and so even when I’m wrestling, leaning into this discomfort and acknowledging what it is, and then you have the ability to move through it and make better decisions.”
—Bryan Danielson
Impact and Future Outlook
This revelation shines a light on the physical and emotional demands placed on professional wrestlers at elite wrestling events such as AEW Forbidden Door, and highlights Danielson’s resilience. Fans can expect his continued commitment to pushing through obstacles, which adds a deeper layer to his in-ring performances. Observers will likely keep a close watch as Danielson balances the physical risks of wrestling with his hardened approach to the sport.
