Bryan Danielson’s “Yes! Yes! Yes!” catchphrase became iconic during his time with WWE WrestleMania XXX. People who watch WWE still miss the moments when he performed that gesture before his finisher. In July, he tried to copyright the iconic catchphrase, but Stamford-based promotion quickly sent him a legal notice since they came up with the concept first.
In an interview with Luke James Chats, Bryan Danielson shared his experience of receiving a legal notice from WWE. He said, “I applied for it, but then I got, it wasn’t necessarily a cease and desist. I got some sort of legal letter from WWE. It’s really weird because my manager texted me and said, ‘Hey, this thing is available, do you want to get it?’ I was like, ‘How much does it cost?’ It wasn’t that much. ‘Okay, sure.’”
Since it wasn’t too expensive, he decided to go for it, but soon after, WWE sent him an email. He later added, “Shortly after that, I got an email from WWE saying, ‘This is infringing on this or that or whatever.’ I’m like, ‘I’m not trying to sell anybody anything. I just do my thing.’ It did feel good to see the crowd raising their hands like that after such a long time.“
Why Bryan Danielson can’t use his famous gesture in AEW?
The “Yes! Yes! Yes!” catchphrase has been associated with Bryan Danielson since his time in WWE. However, WWE has claimed ownership of the term and has taken steps to protect its intellectual property rights. So, the iconic “Yes! Yes! Yes!” gesture, has been banned in All Elite Wrestling.
When Bryan Danielson joined AEW in Summer 2021, he promised to respect WWE’s trademarks by avoiding the “Yes!” chants and his signature ramp shuffle. Instead, he chose to use a simple arm pose.
Even though this is generally not allowed, he broke it after an incredibly intense bout at AEW x NJPW Forbidden Door 2023, when he injured his hand and cheered the crowd with a “Yes!” shout.
