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What does Bryan Danielson have in common with Ted Williams and Joe DiMaggio?

Bryan Danielson in the G1? It almost happened.

Justin Barrasso

SI.com’s Week in Wrestling is published every week and provides beneath the surface coverage of the business of pro wrestling.

Bryan Danielson in the G1? It almost happened.

Last night, the trade deadline in Major League Baseball came and went. No seismic moves were made, perhaps a reminder that the best trades are sometimes the ones you don’t make.

That was especially true in 1947, when an infamous meeting allegedly took place at Toots Shor’s in midtown Manhattan (a restaurant named in the original “Me and My Shadow” song, which wrestling fans may recall was covered by Chris Jericho and Maxwell J. Friedman).

As the scotch flowed, Dan Topping and Tom Yawkey, the respective owners of the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox, agreed to trade Joe DiMaggio to the Sox in exchange for Ted Williams, who would be sent to the Yanks and wear pinstripes. A modern wrestling equivalent? Perhaps it would have been WCW trading Hollywood Hogan to WWE for “Stone Cold” Steve Austin in 1998. DiMaggio was more established, like Hogan, but the younger Williams had more of a future in front of him.

Sober heads prevailed the next day, and no trade was made. DiMaggio was the consummate Yankee, and Williams remained the franchise for the Sox.

The Week in Wrestling

  1. The (Online) Week in Wrestling
  2. CM Punk, Seth Rollins, and Drew McIntyre made magic on Raw
  3. Tweet of the Week

What exactly does that have to do with professional wrestling? More specifically, where does Bryan Danielson factor into the equation?

“Over the winter, I told Gedo, the booker in New Japan, ‘I would love to do the G1 this year!’” said Danielson, who has long hungered for the opportunity to wrestle in New Japan’s famed–but grueling–tournament. “I’d just wrestled Zack Sabre in Japan [in February]. I was so excited. It all happened in the heat of the moment.”

The heat of the moment–just like the proposed DiMaggio-Williams swap. Except Danielson and Gedo weren’t at Toots Shor’s; they were at Edion Arena on a winter night in Osaka. And just like decades prior, when the realization hit that there was no way DiMaggio or Williams were getting traded, reality sunk in for Danielson.

“I would like to think it would be possible,” said Danielson, who will be on Dynamite later tonight. “I don’t limit possibilities in my mind. But it seems unlikely.

Danielson would have relished a chance to compete in the G1
Danielson would have relished a chance to compete in the G1 / AEW

“My neck isn’t doing real great right now. So there’s my health. But even if Tony [Khan] freed me up for the entire summer and said, ‘Go do the G1,’ I wouldn’t want to leave my wife and kids for that long. I don’t think my wife would think it was good for my health, either.

“I’ve always wanted to do the G1. I don’t know if that’s going to be in the cards for me, and that’s OK.”

Danielson is not wrestling in the ongoing G1 Climax. Instead, he is focused on headlining All In for AEW. After winning the Owen Hart Cup, he will challenge Swerve for the world title at Wembley Stadium–on a show he missed last year due to injury.

“Wrestling Swerve, that’s going to be special,” said Danielson. “He’s been an incredible champion, and I can’t wait for our moment.”

The (Online) Week in Wrestling

  • Drew McIntyre is mastering the art of enhancing his character through social media.
  • What was your opinion on Blood & Guts? The responses I received after running last week’s piece with The Young Bucks were mixed, but one element of the match everyone seemed to agree on was the brilliance of Mark Briscoe.
  • In his ongoing feud with Will Ospreay, who he will wrestle at All In, MJF has rechristened the International title as the AEW American Championship.
  • The pairing of Mercedes Mone and Kamille has the potential to be phenomenal.
  • Be honest: is Joe Hendry better off as TNA champion or making appearances on NXT?
  • Athena continues her outstanding run as Ring of Honor champion.
  • On the subject of new champions, Dustin Rhodes and the Von Erichs are the new ROH six-man champs.
  • If you’re looking to get a little teary-eyed, here is the famous Dusty-Dustin clip from 30 years ago.
  • And Cody Rhodes receiving his father’s robe and hat during WWE’s trip over the past week to Japan was another highlight of the past week–as was the entire photo album.
Cody Rhodes
Cody Rhodes receiving gear that belonged to his father / WWE

CM Punk, Seth Rollins, and Drew McIntyre made magic on Raw

There are those who love him–and those who do not. But there is no denying the intensity and aura CM Punk brings to the wrestling ring every step he steps into it.

That was on display last night, when Punk had a leading candidate for segment of the summer with Drew McIntyre and Seth Rollins.

Beginning with Rollins’ choice in referee shirt and McIntyre bringing his best on the mike, there was plenty to like about what unfolded. But what stood out most was that unrelenting tenacity from Punk.

There is a bite to Punk’s interviews that doesn’t come from anyone else. He brings out an intensity in his opponents–McIntyre being an outstanding example–and it will be fascinating to watch how their match unfolds on Saturday.

McIntyre needs the win more than Punk. If Rollins costs Punk the match, that only intensifies their feud. But I can’t see this ending at SummerSlam. Even if McIntyre does walk away with a win, every indication points to Gunther winning the world heavyweight championship at SummerSlam. As a heel, McIntyre isn’t the ideal opponent for him as he kicks off his first title reign. Plus, Punk would need to avenge that loss.

And that means we can get more segments like the one from Monday.

Tweet of the Week

It’s always a welcome sight–and a reminder of childhood–to see Jesse “The Body” Ventura on WWE programming.

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Justin Barrasso
JUSTIN BARRASSO

Justin Barrasso has been writing for Sports Illustrated since 2014. While his primary focus is pro wrestling and MMA, he has also covered MLB, NBA, and the NFL. He can be reached at JBarrasso@gmail.com and followed on Twitter @JustinBarrasso.

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