Bryan Danielson challenges Kazuchika Okada for NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 18

A Bryan Danielson vs. Kazuchika Okada rematch is set for NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 18. 

Danielson issued the challenge to Okada for a rematch of their Forbidden Door bout from this past June in a video promo played during Saturday’s NJPW Power Struggle event in Osaka, promising to break Okada’s right arm in the process. 

In the promo, Danielson said that the last two times he has wrestled Okada, Okada has broken his bones in reference to a broken arm Danielson suffered in their Forbidden Door bout on June 25, then a broken orbital bone that was attributed to Okada in storyline in a match on the October 25 AEW Dynamite episode. 

Danielson said that he was issuing the challenge for January 4, 2024 at Wrestle Kingdom, and said that once he broke Okada’s right arm, Okada would never be able to deliver his Rainmaker finisher again. 

Okada answered the challenge with a promo of his own, finishing with a simple “yes.”

Danielson’s video played following Okada, Hiroshi Tanahashi, and Tomohiro Ishii successfully defended their NEVER Openweight Six-Man Tag Team titles on the Power Struggle undercard. 

Billed as a dream match, the Forbidden Door bout on June 25 was the first career meeting for Okada & Danielson, with Danielson winning via submission. 

Okada and Danielson’s promos are embedded below.