Bryan Danielson hopes Zack Sabre Jr. wins NJPW G1 Climax

Bryan Danielson wants to see his in-ring rival Zack Sabre Jr. win the NJPW G1 Climax.

With the G1 in full swing, Sabre is one of the leading candidates to win. Danielson told Sports Illustrated that he’s rooting for Sabre in the G1 and wants to see him become IWGP World Heavyweight Champion. Danielson said Sabre is the NJPW wrestler he enjoys watching most.

“As a fan of the New Japan product, I would love to see Zack Sabre win the G1 and go on to become IWGP World Heavyweight Champion,” Danielson said. “If you were to ask me whose matches I enjoy the most and what personalities I enjoy the most in New Japan Pro-Wrestling, it’s Zack Sabre Jr.

“I don’t know the business metrics and all that kind of stuff. But his interviews are the most compelling to me, and in a very real way. He’s the guy I enjoy watching the most.”

August 18 is when the G1 concludes. The tournament winner receives an IWGP World Heavyweight Championship shot at Wrestle Kingdom 19 next January. Currently, Tetsuya Naito holds that championship. Sabre has never been IWGP World Champion before.

Danielson and Sabre traded victories in 2023-2024 with Danielson defeating Sabre in AEW last October and Sabre then winning their rematch in Japan this February.

Later this month, Danielson’s in-ring career could come to an end at All In. He’s challenging Swerve Strickland for the AEW World Championship at the pay-per-view. If Danielson loses the match, he will retire as an in-ring competitor.