Bryan Danielson: No One In The Continental Classic Possesses My Mental Toughness, Not Even My Friends

Bryan Danielson comments on his victory over Eddie Kingston in the Continental Classic Tournament. 

Bryan Danielson picked up his first victory in the Continental Classic Tournament, defeating Eddie Kingston. On the December 2 AEW Collision. Kingston, however, remains scoreless in the tournament. 

It is a tale of two vastly different perspectives as Danielson enters his last year as a full-time wrestler with nothing to lose and Kingston chose to put his Ring of Honor World and NJPW STRONG Openweight Championships at stake. He is now on the bubble in the Blue League of the tournament and at risk of losing everything he’s worked for.

AEW cameras caught up with Danielson after the match and Danielson stopped his post-match meditation to expand upon his thoughts and feelings on the tournament, Eddie Kingston’s mental weakness, and his final year as an active full-time wrestler. 

“Here we are less than three minutes after I just beat Eddie Kingston. My heart rate has already slowed down. I’m here meditating. I didn’t expect you guys to come in here and film me, but I’m glad you did because this is a teachable moment. See there’s a difference between me and Eddie Kingston. Eddie Kingston, physically, is tough as nails. You see it every time — he pours his whole heart [out] every time he wrestles. Where he’s not tough, is mentally. You see, you have to be both in this world,” said Danielson. “Bad things are going to happen in a tournament like the Continental Classic. Bad things are going to happen. I fractured my orbital bone in two places. My vision is still blurry. I broke my arm in June and I still don’t have full strength in my arm. 

“If you are not tough mentally, you’re going to make every excuse for losing,” he continued. “Last week, Eddie Kingston said, ‘Humble in victory, humble in defeat.’ That’s just setting yourself up for defeat. I will not be defeated.” 

Danielson also set his sights on not only his enemies but his friends in the tournament as well. Danielson says that no matter if they are friends or foes, they do not possess the mental or physical toughness that he does. 

“This is my last full-time year in professional wrestling. I come back and I meditate after these matches, so I can seal in every single thing that I feel out there. The one sport that I love more than anything else besides my family. The joy in victory, the pain of getting hit, all that comes in, and all of it’s sealed,” he said. “There is not a man in the Continental Classic, not my foes like Eddie Kingston, not my friends like John Moxley and Claudio Castagnoli, there’s not a man in the Continental Classic that is tougher mentally or tougher physically than me.” 

EXCLUSIVE: A post-match meditation by The American Dragon @bryandanielson, after his first match in the #AEWContinentalClassic on Saturday Night #AEWCollision pic.twitter.com/G5mPJbBUAU

— All Elite Wrestling (@AEW) December 3, 2023

Next week, Danielson steps into the ring with Andrade El Idolo. Eddie Kingston, on the other hand, has to muster the mental toughness to try and defeat Claudio Castagnoli once again. Fans can check out the full card for the December 9 episode of Saturday Collision here. 

Fans can stay up to date with the standings of the 2023 AEW Continental Classic Tournament at this link

Fans can check out the full coverage of the December 2 AEW Collision at this link. Also, be sure to check out our review podcast on our YouTube channel.

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