Bryan Danielson concedes former world champion is the "best wrestler in the world" after losing to him

AEW star Bryan Danielson recently lost to a former world champion at Wrestle Kingdom 18. After the bout, he claimed that Kazuchika Okada was the best wrestler in the world.

At NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 18, Bryan Danielson squared off against The Rainmaker in a rematch. The American Dragon won the last time they faced off in singles competition at Forbidden Door 2023. Their latest match, as expected, was a technical masterclass, where Okada emerged victorious after hitting his finishing maneuver on the AEW star.

During the post-show press conference, The American Dragon described his experience of wrestling at the Tokyo Dome. He further praised Okada, calling him the best in-ring performer.

“Even in losing, that’s what I’ve wanted for the last 13 years (…) coming to the Tokyo Dome and wrestling someone like Okada (…). Last time I wrestled Okada, I was disappointed he tapped out. Today, I wrestled Okada, with the fire that makes him the best wrestler in the world.”

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Bryan Danielson on his initial opinion of Kazuchika Okada

In a recent interview with NJPW before his match against Kazuchika Okada, Bryan Danielson recalled how he was impressed by The Rainmaker when he first watched him compete inside the ring.

"I was super impressed with Okada. Especially for somebody at such a young age when he started (...) to do so well against people like [Hiroshi] Tanahashi, Minoru Suzuki, Yuji Nagata, all those guys who I know firsthand are fantastic wrestlers." [H/T WrestlingINC]

The American Dragon is now tied with Okada at one win each. It will be interesting to see if he will wrestle more matches in Japan before retiring.

What are your thoughts on Okada vs. Danielson? Do you want them to square off again in the future? Sound off in the comments section below.

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