Tetsuya Naito comments on potentially wrestling Bryan Danielson and the possibilities of a match between Los Ingobernables de Japon and the Blackpool Combat Club.
Naito recently won his third G1 Climax Tournament and is in line to challenge SANADA for the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship at Wrestle Kingdom in 2024. Naito believes he is the best wrestler in the world and unlike many other wrestlers around the globe, does not feel the need to test himself against Bryan Danielson to prove this.
During a recent interview with Sports Illustrated, Naito said that he used to enjoy watching "The American Dragon" when Danielson competed in Japan, but he's never felt the urge to wrestle him.
“Back in the day when he wrestled in NJPW, I’d watch his matches on TV and in the buildings,” said Naito. “I liked watching him, but I never really felt that I’d like to wrestle him.”
Not only is he not interested in wrestling him, Naito gave a firm no in regards to potentially inviting Danielson to join Los Ingobernables de Japon.
“Invite him to LIJ?” asked Naito. “That is an easy answer. No gracias.”
As for a potential match between Danielson's faction, the Blackpool Combat Club and LIJ, Naito says he's not keeping up with wrestling from other countries so he doesn't know what the interest level would be in that match, but he knows that the BCC wouldn't turn down the chance to step in the ring with LIJ.
“I don’t really know about the state of wrestling in other countries, so I don’t know if that’s an attractive match, but if it were a question of us challenging them, of course they would accept. There is no more attractive competition in the world than Los Ingobernables de Japon.”
This is currently Bryan Danielson's final year as a full-time wrestler. In the past, he had stated that he wanted to wrestle in a G1 Climax Tournament in Japan. However, it now appears that the window of opportunity may have closed.
One name who is open to wrestling in a G1 Climax is Adam Copeland. You can read his thoughts on that possibility at this link.
