Bryan Danielson’s Challenge To Kazuchika Okada Was Originally Supposed To Be In Person

Bryan Danielson’s Power Struggle challenge to Kazuchika Okada went down a little differently than originally planned.

At NJPW Power Struggle over the weekend, Bryan Danielson would appear in a video package where he would issue the challenge to Okada for a rematch between the two at Wrestle Kingdom 18. Okada would accept the challenge shortly after.

Now, Sports Illustrated reports that this was not the original plan.

The original plan for Power Struggle, multiple sources confirmed to Sports Illustrated, is that Danielson was scheduled to issue the challenge in-person to Okada. Yet the injury prevented him from flying to Japan. Given these set of circumstances, an audible was called and the decision was made for Danielson to challenge Okada through a video.

SI

Danielson and Okada faced off once before in 2023, in a match back at Forbidden Door where Danielson would suffer a broken arm despite winning the matchup.

Their rivalry was recently renewed on AEW Dynamite as part of a tag team feud also involving Claudio Castagnoli and Orange Cassidy.

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