Bryan Danielson’s former rival wins World Championship in a shocking title change

In an unexpected turn of events, a former major rival of Bryan Danielson across multiple wrestling companies recently won a World Championship at a recent event.

The star in question is Zach Sabre Jr., who was recently crowned the IWGP World Champion for a second time after defeating Hirooki Goto in the main event of the Tanahashi Jam show. What makes this title exchange interesting is that it has happened just weeks ahead of NJPW's G1 35 Climax and AEW's Forbidden Door Pay-Per-View.

Expand Tweet

Sabre joined Tony Khan's promotion in 2022 and was last seen on AEW programming at All In in 2024, where he was a surprise entrant in the Casino Gauntlet match. He was notably involved in a prominent feud with Orange Cassidy.

One wrong move ended his WWE career - Watch Now!

Meanwhile, his head-to-head with The American Dragon currently stands at 1-1, and considering Bryan Danielson's recent return to the Jacksonville-based promotion, fans wonder if the two technical wrestling geniuses will reunite in the ring to settle their score.

Bryan Danielson challenged for a match at AEW All In Texas

Bryan Danielson broke the internet recently after making a much-awaited return to AEW at Collision last week. The American Dragon came out to answer Max Caster's "Best Wrestler Alive Open Challenge."

The match ended in 8 seconds with Danielson locking in his signature Lebell lock for the win, following which he jokingly referred to himself as Kyle Danielson.

After the event, AEW star Serpentico took to X (fka Twitter) and hilariously challenged Kyle Danielson for a bout at All In.

"Good afternoon ; Is Kyle Danielson booked for All In; I would like to defeat him in combat if he’s doing random side quests here and there," he wrote.

Expand Tweet

It'll be interesting to see if The American Dragon will accept Serpentico's challenge and compete at All in.

Do you think the American Dragon will wrestle at the upcoming PPV? Let us know you thoughts by using the discuss button.

About the author

Karan Raj is a senior writer in Sportskeeda's AEW division. He holds an engineering degree from Manipal University, but his passion for sports motivated him to pursue an MSc in Sports Business from the University of Liverpool. Karan has been in the sports marketing industry for the past seven years.

As a lifelong WWE fan and enthusiast of wrestling entertainment, he has always been drawn to the industry's unique blend of sports and storytelling. Karan was introduced to the business by his elder sister when he was 10 years old.

Before assuming his current role at Sportskeeda, Karan worked for several reputable organizations, such as Ting Works LLP and Sportz Interactive, wearing different hats. He also wrote the anthem of UP Rudras, a hockey team that played in the Hockey India League. Karan conducts thorough research while writing articles and only relies on credible sources for information.

Karan's favorite pro wrestler is Seth Rollins. He admires The Visionary's versatility as a performer and his ability to play both heel and babyface characters to perfection. Besides Rollins, Karan looks up to Roman Reigns for his storytelling skills and ability to captivate audiences.

In AEW, he enjoys watching Will Ospreay compete inside the ring. Karan loves The Aerial Assassin's technical in-ring ability and athleticism. If Karan could go back to the Attitude Era, he would combine forces with Jericho and promise to elevate his career to the same level as The Rock and Stone Cold Steve Austin.When not writing about pro wrestling, Karan loves to play and watch football. It is a huge part of his life.

He is also a massive fan of tennis and is learning to play the sport. Apart from sports, he also knows how to play the ukulele.

Know More

These WWE moments were totally off-script - Check now!

Edited by Gurjyot Singh Dadial