Is Daniel Garcia The Death Rider’s new recruit?
Last night, the former TNT Champion fought Jon Moxley and came out on the losing end. But that isn’t new for Garcia as of late. The 26-year-old hasn't won a singles match since May. He also hasn’t been on the winning side of a tag team match since June.
Garcia’s descent down the card started when he lost the TNT Championship to Adam Cole at Dynasty 2025. But that frustration notably started to boil over when Nigel McGuinness won the four way match to challenge Zack Sabre Jr. for the IWGP World Heavyweight title.
His match against Moxley was supposed to be a rebound for the former TNT Champion, but he felt as if his hard work against The Death Riders had highlighted a big problem with Daniel’s gameplan - himself (Transcript courtesy of Fightful).
"I started this fight with the Death Riders about a year ago when it was real grunt work, when there was no glory, when there was no titles on the line. I would walk into that locker room every single week looking to my left and looking to my right for any of our top guys, any of our heroes to come and help me in this fight when it wasn’t about titles, when it was about saving AEW, when it was about restoring the feeling — like we cared about that. It took the heroes long enough but they finally came in, they finally helped out and they won. We thought they won because I walked into the locker room today and I didn’t see any of the heroes. Where they at? Ospreay’s gone. Swerve’s gone.
The person who was waiting to get his hands on Jon Moxley, me. I was waiting in the parking lot a year ago with the Dark Order and Karen Jarrett waiting to get my hands on the Death Riders, salivating at the mouth to get my hands on the Death Riders and tonight, I finally got it. I didn’t have to wait at a parking lot. I got him in the middle of the ring and he beat me. He didn’t beat me by tapping me out, he didn’t beat me by hitting me with a move and pinning me, he beat me because I made a mistake. I made a mistake like I always make mistakes. These people don’t beat me, I beat myself every single time. I make mistakes.”
Is Daniel Garcia turning heel soon? It sure seems like it. A character change will do him some good, though I’m skeptical about the Death Riders saga continuing.