Wrestling veteran and current
AEW star
Christopher Daniels talked to
CBS Local Sports Miamiabout the overwhelming positive response surrounding All Elite Wrestling. Daniels believed the pro-wrestling fan base is rooting for AEW to flourish as the promotion continues to progress.
"I feel like I've been very fortunate to be in locker rooms where there's been a lot of positive feeling toward the company we're working for," Daniels said. "When we started with Ring of Honor,
when we started with TNA, there was a very similar mindset that we were building something, that we were doing something good. But just the amount of positive, goodwill that there is in this company for this company and from the wrestling fan base, it's just off the charts. We've sort of got the professional wrestling fan base on our side and they want to see us succeed and do well. And we're all very lucky to be in that situation where we're part of a hot brand before the brand is even six months old."
The forty nine year old SoCal Uncensored member understands that being a seasoned wrestler comes with its physical strains. Despite his age and pain, Daniels said his desire to perform at an elite level remains strong especially considering that AEW is still in its infancy.
"Every day I wake up, and I think about the wear and tear on my body, and will I be able to continue to perform at a high level," Daniels admitted. "Sometimes I'm working with guys that are fifteen years younger than me, twenty years younger than me. But the positive to that is that I always feel like the experience that I have is going to carry me through any aches and pains that I might have. And yeah, I'm always cognizant of where I'm at in my career.
"But I also want to continue, especially now with us being in the early phases of this company," Daniels continued. "I want to help build and make something great. I don't want to do that just with my mind, I want to go out there and put on matches that people are going to remember, you know, five, ten years down the line. So yeah, I'm of the mindset now that I'm going to keep going until I can't. And this is the best place for me to do it, I feel."
As most people following the production of AEW look at the promotion as a competitor to mega-power WWE, Daniels himself feels that AEW contains the right combination of stars and momentum to be a solid source of pro-wrestling. Daniels also did not underestimate the effort, energy, and time it takes to create a legitimate quality product.
"It's going to take time to grow to any sort of thing," Daniels said. "I feel like we've got all the tools and now just depends on us going out and putting on the best product that we can. We've got the right athletes to build a good product that's worth investing in. Some people want to see an actual competitor to WWE. Time will tell if we'll get to that position or not, but I feel like we've got the right ingredients for that. It's up to us to capitalize on that good will [from fans] and build off of that to the point where we've got a loyal fan base watching us week after week."