Tony Khan Admits It'd Be "Hard" If This Top Star Departed AEW

Tony Khan has claimed it would be "hard" for Bryan Danielson to disappear from AEW programming, despite the promoter admitting that a G1 Climax run for 'The American Dragon" would be "great in many ways."

Khan's comments came during a recent appearance on the In The Kliq podcast. AEW's founder said that Danielson's wrestling in a G1, which would essentially require a two-month sabbatical to Japan, would be particularly tricky if he becomes AEW World Champion. Bryan wrestles MJF for that belt at Revolution 2023 on Sunday 5 March.

Said Khan (h/t Figure Four Online/The Wrestling Observer):-

I think it would be great in many ways, but Bryan Danielson, it's quite possible [he] could be the AEW World Champion. Either way, I think it would be hard for him to disappear from the show, especially if he's the AEW World Champion. I'm not sure if he'll be able to get away from the show that much. We'll have to see what happens here coming out of Revolution with MJF vs. Bryan Danielson for the AEW World Championship in a 60-minute Ironman match there in San Francisco on March 5.

The G1 Climax is NJPW's signature round-robin tournament. An intense, gruelling affair spread over multiple weeks, its most recent format was comprised of four blocks, each with several wrestlers, with each participating facing everyone else in their block once. The wrestler atop each block then advances to the semi-finals, with a short bracket playing out to determine the eventual winner.

NJPW is yet to confirm whether or not the G1 will retain this new format in 2023. The competition's most famous layout features two blocks of ten wrestlers.

Danielson's G1 Climax participation could be enabled by AEW's working relationship with NJPW. Last year, AEW sent Wheeler YUTA to participate in NJPW's Best of the Super Juniors competition and Lance Archer to World Tag League, without supplying a G1 competitor.