Bryan Danielson Talks Possibility Of Competing In NJPW G1 Climax Tournament
Bryan Danielson in the NJPW G1 Climax Tournament may be a dream for a lot of fans, but the wrestling legend isn’t sure if it’s a realistic possibility.
The NJPW G1 Climax Tournament is a grueling month-long tournament with the reward being the winner gets an IWGP World Heavyweight Championship match. This year’s winner was Tetsuya Naito, who won the G1 for the third time.
When it comes to his future in pro wrestling, the 42-year-old Danielson is perhaps one of the most honest wrestlers ever in terms of his plans for the future. Bryan is married to Brie Garcia (Bella) with a young daughter & son at home, so in this last year as a wrestling full-timer, he’s trying to figure out what’s next for him.
In an interview with the Getting Over podcast, Bryan Danielson spoke about why competing in the G1 Climax Tournament would be difficult.
“I don’t know. Sometimes, I have delusions of doing the G1. I think that’s what they are. I think they’re delusions in the sense of, that’s something I’ve wanted to do forever and ever and ever. I’ve never been able to do it. ‘This year would be the year to do it,’ except, is it? By the time the next G1 rolls around, I’ll be 43, and with how many injuries…that’s a big part of why I want to step away from full-time wrestling too.”
“To do this, I love doing this, but it’s not worth the expense of my health later on in life. I’ve already had enough injuries as it is. Right now, I feel like the injuries that I’ve had are manageable in the sense of long-term. I’m constantly doing stuff for my neck so that my neck isn’t bad when I’m 70.”
“The concussion stuff, I do my best, but all of us, we’re just hoping for the best. We don’t know. There is no concrete science on it. I think now, doing a G1, might be a little irresponsible of me, in comparison to what my overall long-term goals are, which is being there for my kids and there for my family.”
Bryan Danielson set to compete at WrestleDream
In one of the big matches at Sunday’s AEW WrestleDream pay-per-view, Bryan Danielson will face Zack Sabre Jr. in what could be the main event of the show. Since it’s in Seattle, which is where Bryan is from, he will likely be the most popular wrestler in the show. It has certainly been promoted like it’s the main event on a show without an AEW World Title match.
Zack Sabre Jr. is a man who knows about competing in the G1 Climax tournament as well as being one of the best technical wrestlers in the world, just like Bryan Danielson is.