The injury prevented Bryan from making his return to New Japan before Wrestle Kingdom.
The trio of Kazuchika Okada, Hiroshi Tanahashi and Tomohiro Ishii successfully defended the NEVER Openweight 6-Man Tag Team Championships against T.M.D.K. (Zack Sabre Jr., Shane Haste & Mikey Nicholls) at NJPW Power Struggle.
After the match, while Okada was in the ring, the lights went out and on the video screen was a message from Bryan Danielson who called Okada out for Wrestle Kingdom 18. Okada quickly accepted the challenge and it was made official.
According to Sports Illustrated, Danielson was originally scheduled to appear live at Power Struggle to issue the challenge to Okada in-person. It would’ve been his first NJPW appearance since 2004.
Danielson underwent surgery for a broken orbital bone that he suffered on the 10/21 AEW Collision in a match against Andrade El Idolo, per Fightful Select. Danielson would go on to compete in a tag match on the 10/25 Dynamite where him and Claudio Castagnoli faced Okada and Orange Cassidy. Danielson attributed his eye injury to Okada.
In their first bout at Forbidden Door II, Danielson suffered a broken arm.
