Bryan Danielson: ‘Will Ospreay is the evolution of professional wrestling’

  • Ian Carey
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Bryan Danielson offered his thoughts on Will Ospreay during a recent interview with Sports Illustrated. 

Ospreay and Danielson will wrestle each other for the first time at AEW Dynasty on April 21 in St. Louis. Despite the match involving arguably two of the best wrestlers in the world, Danielson told Justin Barrasso that it will not headline the show. 

Danielson said:

Me and Will Ospreay won’t be the main event at Dynasty. That tells you what type of show it will be. I have an inkling of some f the things that are lined up, and I think people are going to be really excited.

Danielson has been wrestling against a series of seemingly hand-picked opponents on AEW Collision recently. Leading up to his match with Eddie Kingston at Revolution, Danielson wrestled Jun Akiyama, Hechicero, and Yuji Nagata. Leading up to AEW Dynasty, Danielson has already faced Shane Taylor and Katsuyori Shibata.

Danielson continued:

I love what I’m doing. Wrestling all these different opponents, like [Shibata], Eddie Kingston, and Shane Taylor, it’s incredible.

As it concerns his upcoming opponent, Danielson says that Ospreay is the “best wrestler in the world for modern wrestling fans.”

He said: 

(Ospreay’s) obviously always been dynamic, but now he’s putting together the entire package of what a modern professional wrestler should embody. He has such a great grasp of what the modern professional wrestling fan wants. There are people who criticize him, and I think they are mostly from the older guard. When I see him, I think he’s the best wrestler in the world for modern wrestling fans, as far as what they enjoy.

I’m not married to the idea that my take on professional wrestling is the best. I’m really interested in what the younger generation thinks about professional wrestling and what inspires them. Will Ospreay is the evolution of professional wrestling.

If Will Ospreay wanted to do a Bryan Danielson match, he could. If I wanted to do what Will Ospreay does in a match, I couldn’t. I don’t think there is anybody else in the world who can. That makes me super excited for this match.

Before he faces Danielson at Dynasty next month, Ospreay is scheduled to wrestle Konosuke Takeshita on AEW Dynamite next week.