From the perspective of fans, Christopher Daniels’ retirement match in January 2025 came out of nowhere. According to Daniels himself, though, the element of surprise, as well as his final opponent, were purposeful.
“This was my idea. I actually went to Adam Page, and I asked him if we could do something where he would be the guy to retire me,” Daniels said on Highspots “Sign It Live.” “So I knew full well and I tried to keep it as under wraps as I could because I wanted it to be a surprise to the fans. I wanted people to be shocked because we don’t always know when the last time we get to do something is going to be. I wanted to portray the idea that it could happen at any time for anyone.”
As for the decision to appoint “Hangman” Adam Page as his opponent, Daniels noted that it originally stemmed from wanting to help the former AEW World Champion gain more heat in his heel run, which included an intense feud with Jay White. By the time he and Page reached the actual match, though, Page’s on-screen character had begun turning babyface. Nevertheless, the pair worked together to deliver the match they had long envisioned, just with this new creative dynamic taken into account.
“As that happened, he and I discussed how the match could stay the same, but the ramifications and the repercussions of him retiring me were going to be different now that he was becoming more of a popular character,” Daniels said. Page ultimately bested Daniels in a Texas Death Match on “AEW Collision” by dropping the industry veteran with a Deadeye onto a chair and following with a lariat to the back of his neck.
If you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit “Sign It Live“ with a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.
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