Bryan Danielson has a lot of respect for his AEW WrestleDream opponent.
The pay-per-view match was a dream for fans of technical wrestling, as they got to see the two best performers battle it out to see who would earn the right to call themselves the best. Danielson won the match, but not in the way that he would have originally intended. Much to the delight of commentator Nigel McGuiness, The American Dragon won the match with a Busaiku Knee, which is a striking manoeuvre and not a technical one.
Being interviewed after the match, Danielson revealed that the match had a perfect location and was one of his all-time favourites:
“That’s the kind of match I’ve wanted my entire career. In Seattle, in front of my hometown fans. I’ve never, in my entire career, gotten to wrestle like that in front of these people. I’m so grateful and happy that I was able to do that against a person as good as Zack. But I’m also a little bit upset, if I’m gonna be honest. Because I came into this match, thinking by the end of this match, we would find out definitely who the best technical wrestler in the world was.
Danielson continued and commented on having to resort to a knockout victory:
We leave that match, and somehow, even though I won, I don’t feel like I’m the best technical wrestler in the world. I can barely move my hand. For me to beat Zack Sabre Jr., I had to knock him the fuck out. So now I’m starting to think that maybe he is the best technical wrestler in the world. Maybe he is. But here’s the thing. I offered to shake his hand at the end of that match, and he refused. So maybe, and we won’t know for sure, maybe he is a better technical wrestler.
Danielson continued his thoughts by stating that Sabre Jr. might have the edge on him in technical wrestling but he is superior in every other way:
But here’s what I know for damn sure. He can’t strike with me. He can’t stand with me. He doesn’t have the heart that I have. He doesn’t have the legs that I have. He doesn’t have the soul that I have to go out there and compete. Maybe that’s why I’ve been forced to retire before. Maybe that is why I’m at the end of my career.
Maybe that’s why he’s never had an injury in his entire career. It is because he plays smart, and he doesn’t fight with his entire soul. I do, and my career might end early because of it. But guess what? You get one life, and that is the way I want to live,” Danielson said.
Will There Be A Rematch Between Bryan Danielson & Zack Sabre Jr.?
Despite there being a definitive finish in Seattle, the rivalry between the two technicians looks to be far from over. Zack Sabre Jr. has already stated that he wants a rematch with Bryan Danielson, looking to send The Blackpool Combat Club member into an early retirement. Possible rematch locations could be a future AEW pay-per-view, Wrestle Kingdom or even the G1 Climax Tournament. Bryan Danielson has previously discussed his chances of competing at the G1.
In 2024, the Bryan Danielson rematch has been confirmed.
H/t to Fightful.