There’s little doubt that Zack Sabre Jr. and Bryan Danielson are two of the very best technical wrestlers on that planet. But as for who is the best among them, we still don’t have a definitive answer.
AEW WrestleDream was supposed to settle that debate, as the two men squared off in what Tony Khan without hyperbole (for once, his critics might say) billed as a dream match. Sabre, always quick with a turn of phrase, dubbed it “Submissions in Seattle.”
Danielson won that encounter in front of his hometown fans, which should have ended things between them. Yet ZSJ protested, saying the American Dragon needed to resort to strikes and not holds to win.
Because of that, Sabre told NJPW1972.com he would like to face Danielson again, something that both NJPW and AEW fans would likely love to see.
I can acknowledge Bryan Danielson somewhat graciously, but I’m still furious that our bout in Seattle did nothing to settle the matter of who is the best technical wrestler in the world is. Only that he’s a scoundrel that resorted to a strike because he knew he couldn’t match the tekkers. So there’s no doubt we have to run it back when the time is right.
While ZSJ has generally been a heel in New Japan, he does give credit where he feels it’s due. And he offered some high praise for Danielson during the interview as well, noting that they have history that dates back years.
I bought the first Ring of Honor tape back in the day, so I don’t think there’s another American wrestler who’s had such an influence on me, directly and indirectly.
The question now would be when they might be able to do battle again. Danielson is currently recovering from surgery to repair a broken orbital bone, but AEW expects he could be back before the end of 2023.
Wrestle Kingdom is looming in January as a possibility, but recent events in AEW hinted toward a Danielson vs. Kazuchika Okada at that show if Bryan is healthy in time. Looking further down the road, WrestleDream has already been confirmed for a 2024 return, while Forbidden Door is expected to be on the schedule as well.
Whenever it happens, fans will be the real winners. And maybe this time no one will be a “scoundrel” and we’ll finally have the “Sabre or Danielson” question answered once and for all.
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