AEW All In London 2024: the storyline behind Bryan Danielson’s potential retirement this weekend + prediction

• All Elite Wrestling make their eagerly anticipated return to London this weekend with All In at Wembley Stadium.
• This year sees matches between Essex-born Will Ospreay against MJF and Mercedes Mone taking on Britt Baker for the TBS Women’s Championship.
• Writers Benjamin Jackson and Alex Nelson focus on the huge title vs. career match between Swerve Strickland and Bryan Danielson
• Who do they think will walk away the AEW World Champion after this weekend’s event?

With now an estimated 50,000 fans set to take up residency at Wembley Stadium this weekend, it’s safe to say there is still interest in All Elite Wrestling’s All In 2024 show.

It marks the second time that the company have run a show at the sporting holy ground in the United Kingdom, coming off the success of their 2023 show headlined by MJF against his “friend” Adam Cole - but unfortunately, the event was overshadowed by a backstage incident.

No such drama this year (we hope) though, with the event acting as a homecoming once again for Essex-born wrestler Will Ospreay, who makes his second appearance at All In, but as a full-time employee of All Elite Wrestling since signing for them earlier this year.

His bout against AEW All American champion MJF is sure to be a highlight of the show, but one of the biggest talking points this year comes from the AEW World Championship match between current champion Swerve Strickland and challenger “The American Dragon” Bryan Danielson.

Danielson is hoping to win his first piece of gold since joining All Elite Wrestling, but with kayfabe (“in character” wrestling lore) and real life mixing into one another, there’s every chance this might be the former WWE champion’s swansong. 

So who do we think is going to walk away from Sunday’s event as the champion? Well before that, let’s take a look how we got to this point - and for those just coming into the wrestling fandom, a brief explainer who the two competitors are. 

Who is Bryan Danielson and Swerve Strickland?

Bryan Danielson

The artist formerly known as Daniel Bryan in the WWE, the stalwart of the wrestling scene has long been considered one of the best wrestlers in the world - and his move from World Wrestling Entertainment to All Elite Wrestling was considered one of the “big leaps” between the two companies in 2021.

A multi-time champion across a number of companies, including a hallowed main event win at Wrestlemania 30 (dubbed “The Miracle on Bourbon Street), Danielson has won the WWE’s top tier title five times, the Ring of Honor World Title, Pro Wrestling NOAH’s GHV Jr. Heavyweight Title and indeed was the main who made the “Yes!” chants enter popular culture.

Swerve Strickland

Meanwhile, Swerve Strickland (formerly Isiah “Swerve” Strickland during his time in the WWE) is a 13 year veteran  in the wrestling world, earning the attention of many during his time in the popular storyline-driven based company Lucha Underground (produced for Robert Rodriguez’s El Rey network.)

In Lucha Underground, Strickland portrayed the masked wrestler Killshot, who engaged in a bloody feud with AR Fox, with their blow-off match, an affair that saw panes of glass and thumbtacks used to earn the victory. 

After a stint with the WWE’s NXT brand, Strickland joined All Elite Wrestling in 2022, teaming with Keith Lee initially and winning the AEW World Tag Team Championships, before his bloody feud with “Hangman” Adam Page and finally his AEW World Championship victory, besting Samoa Joe at AEW Dynasty in April 2024. 

What is the storyline behind Bryan Danielson retiring if he loses the fight?

Bryan Danielson earned the opportunity to challenge Swerve Strickland at AEW All In London after winning the men’s bracket of the 2024 Owen Hart Cup. But in a case of art imitating life, the narrative behind Danielson currently is one of a banged up older wrestler who “can” still go - but the question is “should” he still go?

In interviews leading up to this weekend’s event, Danielson has admitted that his youngest daughter will be in attendance alongside the rest of his family, but that she is hoping he loses so she gets to “spend more time with (her) dad.”

That also plays into the real life situation that Danielson, having already retired once while in the WWE due to long-standing injuries, might need to hang his boots up for the sake of his own well-being. 

That’s led to the additional spice added to the match, where if Danielson cannot beat Strickland at Wembley Stadium and earn his first title with AEW, then perhaps he’s no longer cut out for the business he’s given a 26 year veteran in the business.

Who do we think will be the winner of the AEW World Championship match at AEW All In London 2024?

Well - take a watch of our video up above with Alex and myself if you want to know who we think will walk away from Wembley Stadium this weekend as the AEW World Champion. But if you’re not in the mood for another two guys making predictions on video…

Betting odds for the AEW World Championship match between Bryan Danielson vs. Swerve Strickland are heavily in favour of “The American Dragon,” with US bookies stating that Danielson has -400 odds to win the title - meaning an overwhelming favourite.

But as they say in the world of professional wrestling, anything can happen - and it usually does. So perhaps Sunday is the day we see AmDrag finally leave his wrestling boots in the middle of the ring? 

Tickets are still on sale to attend AEW All In London 2024 this Sunday at Wembley Stadium; to take a look at the packages and seats still available, visit Ticketmaster UK for more information.