NJPW's Zack Sabre Jr. Looks Back On Career-Spanning Rivalry Against Bryan Danielson

The question of "who is the best technical wrestler in the world?" usually spawns two answers from most fans; AEW star Bryan Danielson, and NJPW star Zack Sabre Jr., who over the past year have tried to give fans a definitive answer by facing off in a pair of critically acclaimed matches. Danielson defeated Sabre at AEW WrestleDream in October 2023, but it was the Englishman who picked up the victory when the two men met at NJPW's The New Beginning in Osaka event in February 2024. However, their feud dates back to the late 2000s, where they had another pair of matches in England and Germany and once again shared victories, putting their series at two wins each. Sabre looks back on their initial meeting in England fondly, as he told Sports Illustrated that he will forever be in debt to the "American Dragon."

"I'm forever indebted to Bryan for the match he gave me back in 2008 in a little pub in Coventry," Sabre said. "Few wrestlers have had the direct and indirect influence on my career as old dragon b******s. There's also no one else in the world that I can have those kinds of matches with." 

To Sabre, Danielson feels like an eternal rival, and even though the AEW star won't be a full-time performer much longer, the NJPW star knows they have unfinished business to take care of. "I know that we are not done yet — even with Bryan winding down his schedule," Sabre said. "We could wrestle every day of the week and it would never feel like enough. I'd love to take that bout truly around the world. We've got a couple of continents we haven't hit yet. Both in and out of the ring, Bryan is one of a kind."