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Bryan Danielson opened this past week's AEW Dynamite to address fans ahead of the upcoming AEW x NJPW: Forbidden Door and Blood & Guts shows.
During his address, he confirmed that he will be missing both the events through injury, leaving Zack Sabre Jr. without an opponent at Forbidden Door. This also leaves his team down a man when they go against the Jericho Appreciation Society inside Blood & Guts.
However, he did confirm that he has found a perfect replacement, someone he trusts to stand against both his Forbidden Door opponent and inside Blood & Guts. It has since also been confirmed that the stand-in will be joining the Blackpool Combat Club, sparking intense conversation among fans as to who the replacement could be.
Considering Bryan's status as one of the best wrestlers in the world, it's fair to expect that his replacement will be of a similar caliber.
Let's take a look at five options that would not only work well as a replacement for Bryan in his matches but also as the newest member of the Blackpool Combat Club.
#5. On our list of who Bryan Danielson's AEW x NJPW: Forbidden Door replacement could be: Johnny Gargano
It's been a while since fans saw Johnny Wrestling inside the ring. The former NXT star left the brand at the end of last year and is yet to emerge in a new setting.
Johnny Gargano is a wrestler who works a hard-hitting, athletic, and technical style in the ring, much like Bryan Danielson. It also can't be ignored that he would be a perfect opponent for the majority of the AEW roster.
If the Blackpool Combat Club want to add talent to their ranks, they could do with someone who has an experience in a grueling match environment. Gargano's last match in WWE came inside NXT's WarGames, a match type similar to AEW's Blood and Guts.
#4. Cesaro could make his debut in AEW
Another worker who can take it to opponents physically, athletically, or technically is Cesaro. The Swiss has been a free agent since departing WWE earlier this year.
The sentiment among fans and wrestlers is that The Swiss Superman never really found his worth with the promotion despite seven tag reigns and the United States Title. As a result, as soon as he departed WWE, fans were fantasy booking him to AEW.
Cesaro would be a huge grab, not only for AEW but for Blackpool Combat Club, as it would add another senior head to the growing faction. William Regal, the group's patriarch, will remember Cesaro as the man with whom he had one of his last matches. Maybe now he can return the favor by bringing his talents and experience to the faction.
#3. ROH World Champion Jonathan Gresham could be a welcome addition to The Blackpool Combat Club
Heading into a clash with a technical wrestler such as Zack Sabre Jr., Bryan Danielson's opponent has to have an affinity with grappling to be able to stand a chance.
In comes ROH World Champion Jonathan Gresham. The Octopus has developed his moniker for his signature hold and ability to smother his opponents with traditional mat wrestling. He represents the 'Pure' artform of wrestling and, as a result, carries himself in the ring with greater discipline and aptitude than others.
Gresham has made it clear several times before how important ROH icons such as Bryan Danielson and CM Punk are to the business. Perhaps the next step for him is to stand with his idol, earning a seat at the table with some of the best wrestling minds and bringing a second ROH titleholder into the fold.
#2. Daniel Garcia could turn face
One member of the Jericho Appreciation Society who will not be wrestling a match on the Forbidden Door card as it stands is Daniel Garcia. He was mentioned in the very first promo Bryan Danielson cut when he pitched the BCC idea to Jon Moxley.
Instead of joining the pair of former WWE Champions, however, Red Death went with his 2point0 buddies to become a part of the Jericho Appreciation Society. A blue-chip prospect in the group, he has been somewhat pushed to the side since the arrival of Sammy Guevara and Tay Conti at AEW Dynamite: Road Rager.
Sammy will stand next to Y2J, and Minoru Suzuki at Forbidden Door, a position that could have been Garcia's had it not been for The Spanish God's induction. Maybe the time has come for Daniel Garcia to commit to his future. He could come under the tutelage of Danielson and Moxley and leave the JAS scrambling to replace him for Blood & Guts.
#1. 'The Fiend' Bray Wyatt could make his much-awaited return to wrestling
Perhaps a forgotten ally of Bryan Danielson, Bray Wyatt (real-life Windham Rotunda) once stood shoulder-to-shoulder with The American Dragon as a member of The Wyatt Family.
Despite showing all the promise, Bray Wyatt is another who never got the respect he deserved in WWE. Despite capturing three world titles, Wyatt fell victim to destructive booking when it mattered most.
Last year it was shockingly confirmed that he had been released, with his last match coming in the form of a loss to Randy Orton. The Fiend is arguably one of the greatest minds in modern wrestling as he has impressed as the leader of The Wyatt Family and as The Fiend.
Bryan knows better than anyone the effect the Fiend can have on someone, so maybe that's the call he has made.
It would be interesting to see how Wyatt would fit into AEW and the Blackpool Combat Club, especially given his history with Jon Moxey as a rival too.
