"I kept pitching G1-style tournaments in WWE" - Bryan Danielson on Vince McMahon potentially letting him compete for NJPW
Whether Bryan Danielson is the biggest name to ever jump from WWE to AEW is debatable, but he's certainly had more impact in Tony Khan's promotion than almost anyone else. However, the reigning AEW World Champion might have stayed in World Wrestling Entertainment if Vince McMahon had allowed him to work for New Japan Pro-Wrestling as well.
Danielson could see his career winding down back in 2021, but he still dreamed of competing in NJPW's prestigious G1 tournament. Rumors circulated when he signed with AEW that he'd asked Vince McMahon to let him compete in the grueling tournament if he stayed with WWE.
In a recent conversation with Inside the Ropes, The American Dragon confirmed that he'd expressed his desire to compete in the G1, but he's not sure where McMahon would have let him. When asked whether Vince McMahon even knew what the G1 Climax was, Bryan Danielson couldn't say that he did. However, he revealed that he'd pitched a G1-style tournament in WWE before:
"I don’t know. I’m not sure. He [Vince McMahon] definitely knows what New Japan is and all of that kind of stuff. I had told him of my desire to do the G1 before cause I kept pitching G1-style tournaments in WWE. I said I’d really like to be able to do this thing, so yeah." [H/T Fightful]
Bryan Danielson has competed for NJPW several times since joining AEW
One of several reasons Bryan Danielson has given for his decision to sign with AEW is the chance to work in Japan. All Elite Wrestling has a close partnership with NJPW, which gave The American Dragon the opportunity to compete in the Land of the Rising Sun.
Although he hasn't managed to make it into the G1 Climax, Danielson has been featured in several major matches in NJPW, including at this year's Wrestle Kingdom 18 at the Tokyo Dome.
Danielson won the AEW World Championship in the main event of All In 2024 at Wembley Stadium, and he's claimed that he'll retire from full-time competition once he loses it. Whether The American Dragon can hold onto his title until WrestleDream in his home state of Washington remains to be seen.