John Danaher recently shared his admiration for the Craig Jones Invitational (CJI), nearly four years after the dissolution of the renowned Danaher Death Squad.
The praise comes at a significant moment, as Jones, who was once a key member of DDS before establishing his own B-Team, has launched what many consider a game-changing tournament in the grappling world. The CJI made headlines by offering an unprecedented $1 million prize purse for division winners, setting a new benchmark in athlete compensation.
Speaking on Jake Shields’ Podcast, Danaher was notably impressed with the event’s execution, particularly given its rapid development timeline.
“That was a fantastic show. They did an incredible job… They did an incredible job against all the odds. The show wasn’t even conceived until a relatively short time before it was put in place,” Danaher stated.
He further emphasized the complexity of organizing such a large-scale event:
“You’ve got to do a lot of work, you’ve got to get a lot of little bureaucratic things done. And to put on an international-level show, I think they had like three or four months to get it ready, it’s not long at all. And to get it that good on the first attempt, it was impressive.”
Addressing speculation about personal tensions following the DDS split, Danaher clarified,
“We never actually had a fallout. Well, I could read you a text that he sent. It was his last text he sent to me, and you’ll see that there was no falling out. But whatever happened after that, you’d have to ask Craig.”
The successful launch of CJI represents a significant milestone in professional grappling, with its ambitious prize structure and high production values setting new standards for the sport.
Craig Jones has recently shed more light on the internal conflicts that led to its demise. The move from New York to Puerto Rico in 2020 exposed deep rifts within the team, particularly between Gordon and Nicky Ryan. John Danaher’s decision to side with Gordon further alienated Nicky, ultimately pushing him toward forming B-Team with Jones.
During the CJI promotional tour, Jones went on Sean O’Malley’s podcast and clarified that John Danaher took Gordon’s side in the conflict further alienating Nicky and pushing him towards forming B-Team.
“He probably felt more attached to us on a friendship level than even to his brother and his coach. So, I think some beef obviously went down between him and his brother. John picked a side, and I guess for Nicky, John was his guy—the one he looked up to so much. But seeing John choose Gordon’s side probably pushed him further in our direction. He likely felt more safe and secure coming with us.”
Danaher’s public support of the event suggests that despite organizational changes, mutual respect remains intact among former teammates.
