Bryan Danielson’s health concerns appear to have reached another serious turning point, and there is now clarity on why he was missing from AEW television this week.

According to Dave Meltzer in the January 23, 2026 edition of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Danielson was not present at AEW TV due to worsening neck problems linked to frequent travel. The report notes that the issue is not related to taking bumps in the ring but instead the physical strain caused by flying weekly for his commentary role on AEW Dynamite.

“Bryan Danielson wasn’t at AEW TV. He’s been having a lot of neck issues from traveling every week.”

The update lines up closely with comments Danielson previously made during an interview with Chris Van Vliet, where he openly discussed the severity of his condition. Danielson revealed that he is dealing with significant neck degeneration and said he is close to needing surgery. While he once believed he could still wrestle on a limited basis, he admitted that belief is now fading.

“I was actually doing really well until I started traveling more for commentary, and now it’s really gone downhill,” Danielson said. “I had these delusions of, ‘Okay, maybe I can get back and do a little bit of wrestling.’ Now I see that they really are delusions… this is not a good idea.”

Danielson was absent from the January 21 episode of Dynamite, with Taz stepping in on commentary following his own recovery from surgery.

Taken together, the latest report and Danielson’s own words paint a worrying picture. His physical condition appears more fragile than many realized, to the point where even regular travel may no longer be sustainable.

WNS Discord & Vote 

Ready to jump into the conversation? Come and be part of the WNS Discord community. You can also share your thoughts by rating this news report using our interactive rating system below.