Bryan Danielson Injury Update; Batista Talks WWE Hall of Fame; Waller Had Broken Leg

Bleacher Report catches you up on the latest news from the WWE Universe and All Elite Wrestling.

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Danielson's Injury Worse Than Originally Thought

Bryan Danielson broke his arm during his submission win over Kazuchika Okada in the main event of AEW x NJPW Forbidden Door last weekend, but the injury turned out to be worse than originally feared.

WWE Hall of Famer Brie Bella, who is Danielson's wife, shared a photo of Danielson's X-ray on her Instagram Stories, and it showed a significant break:

Bella wrote that Danielson wrestled for 10 minutes after breaking his arm and added that the break is "definitely worse than we thought."

Per Andrew Thompson of Post Wrestling, Danielson took part in the media scrum following Forbidden Door despite his injury, and he said at the time that he fractured his right forearm.

After speaking to AEW's doctors, Danielson was under the impression that he would be out for six to eight weeks, although Brie's post suggests his absence could be longer.

Danielson vs. Okada was a true dream match that wrestling fans have long wanted to see, and they finally had the opportunity at Sunday's AEW and New Japan Pro-Wrestling crossover event.

Both Danielson and Okada put on a technical masterclass, and fans were rewarded with a shocking ending, as Danielson made Okada tap out, marking the first time in years that The Rainmaker submitted.

As good as the match was, AEW left enough meat on the bone to go back to it at some point, perhaps after Danielson has healed from his injury.

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Batista Nearly Went into WWE HOF This Year

Batista is a WWE Hall of Famer in waiting, and he divulged this week that he was nearly part of the 2023 class.

During an appearance on the Cool Kicks YouTube channel (h/t Steve Carrier of Ringside News), Batista explained why his induction didn't come to fruition this year:

"I was in South Africa," Batista said. "I was supposed to go into the Hall of Fame, but I was committed to this film and couldn't get out of it."

Originally, Batista was announced as the headliner for the 2020 WWE Hall of Fame, but when the COVID-19 pandemic forced WWE to hold WrestleMania 36 in the Performance Center with no fans in attendance, the Hall of Fame ceremony was canceled.

WWE did a double induction ceremony the following year, but Batista was notably absent, and he wasn't part of the next two classes either.

Per Fightful's Jeremy Lambert, Batista said in 2021 that WWE honored his request of being part of a future class so he could "properly thank the fans and people who made my career possible."

No fans were permitted to attend the Hall of Fame ceremony in 2021, and while it has gone back to normal the past two years, Batista is still waiting in the wings.

"The Animal" is one of the most decorated Superstars in WWE history, having held the WWE Championship twice and World Heavyweight Championship four times. He is also a four-time tag team champion and two-time Royal Rumble winner.

Since retiring, Batista has become one of the most successful wrestler-turned-actors of all time, and he is so in demand in Hollywood, that clearing his schedule has been difficult.

Still, it is only a matter of time before Batista gets inducted into the Hall of Fame, and when that time comes, he deserves to be the headliner.

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Waller Hasn't Wrestled on Main Roster Due to Broken Leg

In a video posted Tuesday on Twitter, Grayson Waller explained why he has yet to wrestle a match since getting called up to the main roster in May.

Waller revealed that during his final NXT match, which was a loss to NXT champion Carmelo Hayes on April 25, he suffered a broken leg:

The Aussie said he experienced a "clean break of the fibula," but still managed to finish the match,

In typical heel fashion, Waller chastised the fans for complaining about him not having a match yet on SmackDown. He also said he would have an update soon on when he will be able to return to the ring.

Despite not being able to wrestle, Waller has been a consistent part of SmackDown in recent weeks, hosting his Grayson Waller Effect talk show.

On Friday's SmackDown in London, one night before Money in the Bank, Waller will host the biggest Grayson Waller Effect yet when he invites Logan Paul on the show.

Waller has the gift of gab, so he has thrived in the role he has been forced into due to injury, but he proved during his time in NXT that he can undoubtedly back up his talk in the ring as well.

There is no question that Waller has all the tools needed to be a top star in WWE, and the fact that he has remained an integral part of the show even without being able to wrestle further proves his value.

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