Garcia wanted to receive an offer at the very least.
Several weeks ago, New Japan Pro-Wrestling wrapped up their 2022 Best of the Super Juniors tournament and it was Hiromu Takahashi besting El Desperado to win this year’s tourney.
The 2022 field included the likes of IMPACT X Division Champion Ace Austin and ROH Pure Champion Wheeler Yuta. Yuta’s fellow AEW colleague Daniel Garcia expressed that he wanted to be in the tournament and was offended that he was not asked to be in it.
Garcia joined Chris Jericho’s Talk Is Jericho podcast and stated that although he was tied into the Jericho Appreciation Society story and set for Anarchy in the Arena, it would have been nice to at least have the offer on the table to head to Japan.
Not gonna lie, I was kind of offended that they [NJPW] didn’t hit me up for Best of the Super Juniors this year… You’re right [Garcia responded to Jericho’s comment that if he was in BOSJ, he wouldn’t have been in Anarchy in the Arena]. I was offended. When [Wheeler] Yuta got announced and I was like, they didn’t hit up Daniel Garcia to do Best of the Super Juniors? But, I think they’re just saving me for the G1 to be honest. They’re probably saving me.
I wanted — you could have at least reached out, you know? I felt a little bit slighted. But I’m also somebody where sometimes I feel like I need to carry a chip on my shoulder in order to be the best version of myself so I feel like that’s gonna be some good motivation for the next opponents.
Garcia is the reigning PWG World Champion and is scheduled to defend his belt against Konosuke Takeshita at PWG ‘NINETEEN’ in July. Garcia’s goal as PWG World Champion is to make sure his name comes up when people talk about wrestlers that have held the title.
It was definitely a cool moment for me to [become PWG World Champion]. Bryan Danielson, Kenny Omega, Davey Richards, so many great names have held [that title], people that I look up to, Kyle O’Reilly, Adam Cole. So I feel like it’s gonna be cool to look back at the lineage after my career’s over. It’ll be even cooler to look back at the lineage to be like, I want someone to win that title who is a 23-year-old 15 years from now and be like, man, this was Daniel Garcia’s title. That’s how I want people to feel. Like man, I can’t believe I’m holding Daniel Garcia’s belt. That’s how I want people to feel.
Earlier this month, the 23-year-old Garcia headlined AEW Dynamite in a singles match against Jon Moxley.
If the quotes in this article are used, please credit Talk Is Jericho with an H/T to POST Wrestling for the transcriptions.
