In a recent interview with The Daily Mail, Bryan Danielson stated that Kenny Omega should have been part of the AEW Continental Classic.
Danielson noted that the idea was presented to Omega, but the latter’s storyline in the tag team division is likely what kept him from partaking in the AEW Continental Classic.
You can check out some highlights from the podcast below:
On Kenny Omega in the Continental Classic: “I really wanted Kenny Omega in it and I don’t know. People think I do a lot more than I do. I don’t know what happened or why he’s not in the tournament. I know it was at least brought up to him and I don’t know if he didn’t want to do it or I know that he and Chris Jericho are the number one contenders for the Tag Team Championship. So maybe that’s why. Sometimes, with American TV wrestling, you don’t want to confuse stories, and maybe that’s why. But I love the field that we have, [because] we have so many great, hard-hitting wrestlers. The matches have been really, really good so far in the Continental Classic.”
On how he feels about the tournament: “I’m super excited, I’ve always wanted to do it and the reality is that with my schedule with AEW it really wasn’t ever going to be a possibility. When I came to AEW, Tony and I had talked about how we both thought it would be cool if AEW had a tournament like these round robin tournaments, like the Premier League in how all the teams play each other and that’s how you decide who’s the best right? So it’s it’s really, really cool. And actually, Tony took a lot from what we call soccer. He took the football metric of doing three points for a win and one point for a tie. So it weighs the winning and you’re not just playing for draws. Tony and I had talked about doing something like that but it really wasn’t possible given the TV schedule, and how much time it would take. Then, once Collision started, and now we have five hours of TV every week for AEW, then it started to become a real possibility of like, okay, we could do six matches a week that are specifically devoted to this tournament, and then also have other matches devoted to other things like the world championship and that sort of thing. It’s been something I think Tony’s been excited about. I have been excited about. I know a lot of the wrestlers are excited about so, and I think the fans are excited about it, too. It’s it’s really cool.”
On seeing other talent increase their popularity through the tournament: “A lot of times in wrestling you want to save big matches, the key to doing something like this [in the AEW] is the big matches happen in the tournaments. I think that was one of the cool things about Wednesday, seeing Swerve Strickland and Jay White, which isn’t a match that we would probably see normally within even a year of AEW, we got to see it on Wednesday.”
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In a recent interview with The Daily Mail, Bryan Danielson, also known as Daniel Bryan, expressed his thoughts on Kenny Omega not being part of the AEW Continental Classic tournament. Danielson revealed that the idea was presented to Omega, but his ongoing storyline in the tag team division prevented him from participating.
Danielson mentioned that he personally wanted Omega to be part of the tournament and was unsure why he wasn’t included. He acknowledged that people often assume he has more influence than he actually does. Speculating on the reasons behind Omega’s absence, Danielson suggested that it could be due to his status as a number one contender for the Tag Team Championship alongside Chris Jericho. He explained that sometimes in American TV wrestling, it’s important not to confuse storylines, which might have been a factor in Omega’s exclusion.
Despite Omega’s absence, Danielson expressed his excitement about the tournament and the impressive lineup of wrestlers involved. He revealed that he had always wanted to participate in a round-robin tournament like the AEW Continental Classic. Danielson credited AEW CEO Tony Khan for taking inspiration from soccer tournaments like the Premier League, where teams play against each other to determine the best. Khan implemented a point system, awarding three points for a win and one point for a tie, to emphasize the importance of winning matches rather than settling for draws.
Danielson acknowledged the logistical challenges of organizing such a tournament with AEW’s TV schedule but noted that with the recent addition of AEW Collision, which provides five hours of TV content every week, it became feasible. He praised Khan’s enthusiasm for the tournament and highlighted the excitement among both wrestlers and fans.
One of the significant advantages of the AEW Continental Classic, according to Danielson, is that it allows lesser-known talent to increase their popularity. He emphasized that in traditional wrestling promotions, big matches are often saved for special occasions. However, in this tournament format, fans have the opportunity to witness unexpected matchups, such as Swerve Strickland versus Jay White, which might not have happened for a long time in AEW.
For all the latest wrestling news, you can visit eWrestlingNews.com or follow their Twitter and Facebook pages. The AEW Continental Classic continues to captivate fans with its unique tournament format and exciting matchups, showcasing the incredible talent within the promotion.