Vinny Pacifico Explains How Bryan Danielson Inspired Him To Be A Wrestler

Vinny Pacifico is making a name for himself as one of the top talents on the Independent scene who has already made appearances on NXT and AEW programming. 

Pacifico wrestled on the January 9 episode of AEW Dark: Elevation, taking on Powerhouse Hobbs. The event was taped at Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle, WA and served as a homecoming for Bryan Danielson. 

Speaking to Jeremy Lambert and Stephen Jensen on The Spotlight, Pacifico explained how Danielson got him into wrestling. 

“Funny story, I went to a meet and greet to see Daniel Bryan [Bryan Danielson], my favorite wrestler of all time. ‘Hey, I’m a huge fan,’ I was 14, I think, ‘I want to wrestle.’ He said, ‘Just go for it. Just do it.’ The hardest part of doing something is to start it. I was like, ‘Alright, I’m going to do it.’ I was playing football in high school as a quarterback. I told my father, ‘I want to wrestle.’ ‘Just do one season of football.’ ‘Nah, I want to wrestle.’ I did agree to do three months of high school football. I hated it. I love football, but I hated it because I was forced into doing it. I wanted to wrestle more than anything else. I was miserable on the field. I just wanted to wrestle, it’s all I wanted to do. I finally went to wrestling school, Ring of Honor dojo, and trained. I’m so blessed to have gotten the opportunities I’ve gotten and the people I’ve met. Cheeseburger, BJ Whitmer, Delirious, Jonathan Gresham, Rhett Titus, the best people to learn from. I have been so fortunate to be put in those great opportunities. No looking back. I loved football, I had a good time doing it, but I’m glad I did what I did,” he said.

When asked if he got to chat with Danielson in Seattle, Pacifico replied, “Didn’t get to speak to him, but I shook his hand. He is incredible. In the ring, outside the ring, just somebody that any young wrestler would want to be like. Especially me. When I was younger, I wanted to have a style like him, wrestle like him, really inspiring. Everything he’s gone through, his trials and tribulations, the real life stuff. Everything is so relatable and so inspiring. It makes me want to work harder. I’m sure everyone who loves and follows his career, it really pushes you to become the best you can be. Not everyone can do that and has that type of affect on people.”

Danielson defeated Tony Nese in his AEW Seattle debut. 

Pacifico recently won the PWM Junior Heavyweight Championship and got to scissor with Daddy Ass. Pacifico speaks about that experience in the full interview. 

Fans can check out the interview in the video above.