AEW: Close Up with Renee Paquette and Special Guest Brie Danielson | 8/25/24

Bri Danielson it's been a long time that we've been able to do one of these together um and very interesting circumstances to to bring us together we're here in London Wembley Stadium for what could possibly be Brian's final match how are you feeling about everything it's emotional you know it's it's crazy because coming to London and to see Brian in the ring is always exciting and the kids and I are so excited to watch live but at the same time tonight there's a lot that's going on just in my mind and my heart I feel like I've been at this place before with Brian um you know tonight we could either leave this Arena I guess either way in tears it's going to be tears of happiness to see him as the first time ever in his career as an A Champion yeah or it'll be another time when I have to see Brian not having the opportunity to make a decision to retire to to once again being forced to retire there's so much on the line for Brian putting his career on the line we all know that this is his final year as a full-time in-ring competitor what are the conversations that you guys have had at home he's talked about it a little bit uh about just you know where you guys have been on this is the final pro wrestling contract that he is going to sign what have those conversations look like for you guys I mean coming from a mother and his wife is it's I just care so much about his body his neck I you know and every time I see him out there every week I watch I'm just like oh Brian your neck your neck and so it's the biggest thing the conversations is his health but um coming from someone who used to wrestle I look at Brian's heart and I just see his passion his love and I can't imagine him ever not wrestling again I don't think any of us can no I can't imagine Brian not being around what that means for like the culture of pro wrestling it's Brian he is really the backbone and like the heartbeat of professional wrestling I can't imagine him not being here but kind of what you said is like I watch Brian's matches and I watch Brian getting ready for his matches and I'm always thinking about you and like and your kids and you guys watching CU I know what that feels like to watch your husband you know what his body feels like better than anybody else does we get to hear little Snippets of it and you know you might see him walking a certain way or whatever you know what that's like so when I'm watching him I'm thinking about what that's like for you talk to me about what that's been like to kind of watch his body kind of breaking down on him in the last little while right well you know it's funny because we'll always make a joke like oh we're getting old and the aches and the pains but I'm also like Brian at 43 years old you shouldn't be feeling this much pain and that's where I get worried and and I I will say compared to a lot of people my husband takes such great care of his body I mean he does so many things you know outside of the Ring to make sure he's in the best shape he can be he feels good but at the same time I do see his body breaking down and it's hard when you come home and you have a seven-year-old and a four-year-old and let me tell you buddy is not an easy four-year-old so when Daddy walks through the door you know it's not the American Dragon it's Daddy and it's their time to wrestle with him and when he's feeling you know these aches and pains and it's hard for him to play with his kids it's when you start to think like should I be doing this anymore it's hard and I mean I can see a lot of those similar things with John I can see when he comes home and whether he's got cuts on his body or lumps bumps whatever to watch that reaction of like getting out of bed and moving a little bit slower or like mentally having to like slide into like Dad mode instead of like I'm a wrestler that needs to like take a minute that's a really hard spot to be in to juggle both of those things for sure I mean I remember like he and I always talk about before kids when you got off the road you couldn't wait to like go get your favorite snack like that was it you hibernated until you were back on the road yeah and now I mean it's crazy and I'll admit when I'm on alone parent Duty I can't wait for him to get home to help when I see him walk through that door I feel bad I'm like okay wait Thursday needs to be your chill day but I would really love some else I know I know it's it's really hard to to juggle those two things you know hearing Brian you know he just said on Dynamite that he was going to leave his soul in that ring uh I think that we can also both agree that our husbands perhaps have a Mis a mistress called professional wrestling um how do you kind of Juggle that too of like the passion that Brian has for professional wrestling versus keeping his health in check maybe slowing down and doing matches a different way changing up his style a little bit as he seems to continue to say that he's going to do yet here we are I mean Renee I literally after every match I watch I always send them a picture of the kids I don't even write anything because I'm like I thought we were going to take it back a little bit and be safe but um but I will say this I fell in love with him 12 years ago because of his passion his determination and his love for wrestling it was so nice to be with someone and have like you know this business business we have a different language we speak and we get excited about things that nobody else understands I mean I've been on countless dinners with my friends like what are you talking about yeah and I'm like I need to call my husband and we'll sit in bed and have all these ideas of how we can change a storyline or whatever it may be and that's when I look at him I'm like I know your love I know your passion and I will never take that away and I know the kids will never want to take it away and that's why tonight I'm just like I don't know I I don't know which way I'll be cheering because it's like yes I've always wanted my husband to be home more but at the same time I've been with him and all we've ever known together is wrestling and I just don't know if I want to see that end for him I mean you've been you have seen that for him before you've seen him have this taken away from him not on his own terms this time things are on his own terms what does your life look like without professional wrestling in it I mean I feel like I'll have more energy so we say right I know you know what I think is always a beautiful thing and I've experienced this a couple years ago is just like being able to evolve and transition into a new chapter in your life and Brian and I actually chatted because I'm like okay we're not going to be sick of each other right cuz right like for a decade we've been missing each other but you know he and I like we'll talk about like all the gardening things we're going to do I mean I feel like we talk like older people like yay Home Depot and like you know bed at 9: but we do it there's like so many things as a couple and as a family we've wanted to do that we've never done because you know for him when you say Let's Travel somewhere like that doesn't sound fun yeah and so like definitely like we I don't know we daydream about like different campsites and you know little do yourself project yeah for Brian to walk away from professional wrestling on his terms this time how do you think that that's going to affect the sport you know I feel like you and I both have been around for a long time that we've seen Legends leave and there's always at first this whole missing like I really feel like I don't know it's it's like you walk backstage and it feels like ghost at times I'll remember different people who i' go ask for advice right and you just see walking through and and make it feel magical and I think there will be a huge hole here at aw but at the same time I feel like Brian has coached so many guys here and his presence lives through so many of them yeah and I feel like we're going to see it and I always knew like when someone left the locker room it was your opportunity to step step up and your chance to just really take the reins and make yourself a bigger star and I think we're going to see that so the people that are obviously kind of chomping on the bit to take that moment s of Strickland being that guy making this very personal with Brian talking about you talking about birdie talking about Buddy what has that been like to to hear the the Venom that he's been spewing towards your guys family I mean we've all known I'm I'm known to have punched a couple men in my lives yes it's hard to hear it's and I get fired up and want to do something but I look at my husband and I know he will take care of swerve and so there's no doubt in my mind that his karma is coming and I'm excited actually get to be front row to see it yes this version of Brian in aew he kind of spoke about it with me before about not being nervous for his matches anymore this is sort of his like second lease on his professional wrestling life what's your take on the version of the American Dragon that we get in aw I mean it has been it's I don't it's just been incredible the last 3 years to watch him and I loved watching him before but I've truly have felt Brian yeah here and I I see the excitement I was with him when he was frustrated when he felt like he wasn't being heard and he has been nothing but heard here and he has done everything he's wanted to do and I honestly feel like that's why Brian is at a point where he feels like he can actually walk away from pro wrestling because he's been so fulfilled the last 3 years he's been surrounded by all the people he loves he has gotten in that ring with people he's been dying to wrestle and so he finally feels like he can walk away and be satisfied and that just says so much I so feel that same thing cuz I remember before John came here I knew a version of John and to see this version of him that like I knew existed but to see that version come to life and start to sparkle and shine again and fall back in love with professional wrestling the way way that John did it was so amazing to see that that full transformation from him it's so so cool all right any final predictions for Brian and swerve I mean I know you obviously must have some some thoughts but anything that you want to say to Brian and or swerve before he heads in for this final match that could be his final professional wrestling match one thing I told Brian is I was like you know we all flew out here because we we're not hoping this is your last match I'm like we all know your journey is coming to an end but it doesn't have to come to an end tonight so when you go out there Fight Hard fight so hard because I think it would be pretty badass for your kids to see you become a champion but you know I I know your heart will lead you and it will tonight and there is no doubt in my mind that Brian's going to walk out a champion I truly believe it and then after that I don't know how much light there is at the end of the tunnel yeah but it's it's starting to dim on us we do know that I mean that's a fact that is a fact and if it is tonight then what a beautiful ending to his story absolutely well Bri thank you so much I'm so happy that you're here in London of course best of luck to Brian I'm really excited to see what happens thank you