Psychologically, there's many things going against this match, namely that it's Bryan's debut and it's difficult to bring him into the fold and not have him look good. In addition, it was stated from the get go that Omega's AEW Title was not on the line, and the decision to have this match open the show telegraphed that indeed, this was going to go to either a non-finish or a draw. This is a match that's been bandied about for a decade, in front of a super hot crowd of smart fans who expect all of these things, while also leading off the biggest TV broadcast in company history to that point. It's an amazing confluence and a difficult ask to thread such a needle.
It's a testament to both wrestlers (yes, both) that this match ended up the way it did, easily the best television match in 2021, and the best match AEW has put out, namely because they decide to give the audience everything they want in a situation where most wrestlers would leave much more in the tank. Kenny's biggest critiques are his mannerisms and his facial expressions, but those are basically culled to the absolute minimum here, even if when they do happen they're as noticeable as ever. This goes back to Bryan asking for the Best Bout Machine, God of Wrestling, etc., and not the jerk that hangs out with Don Callis, and seems like a pretty stark call out for Bryan to make in the lead-up promo to a debut match while stepping to the company Ace. He wants Kenny at his best, and he basically gets that! The things people give Kenny as being one of the best going are shown out in full: His execution and timing are right on, and against perhaps the master of pacing, he knows well enough to turn it on or back off, which is a necessity with Bryan, who is the ultimate in-ring conductor. His control segments were fantastic here, and his big offensive moves were delivered with more vitriol and confidence than you'd normally see from him.
Bryan, unsurprisingly, looks like the best wrestler ever. He bumps dangerously at times, he lays it in, he makes Kenny's offense look devastating, and he found a tremendous balance between his familiar WWE-based spots and going back to his old Indy favorites. The Cattle Mutiliation was a tremendous pull here, just to name one, but it was just one of many things that reminded you that, if given the opportunity to show out, there's not a single person alive, even Omega, who can do better than him. This also allows him to do something he's tremendous at but never really showcased that much in WWE save for his main big run, and that was his selling. Omega gave him quite the beating, and sold it as such, especially after the apron power bomb that sent him tumbling over the ropes to the floor, landing on his arm.
The whole of this match is unbelievably satisfying, and perhaps the most wild part of all of this is that it's only the beginning. You basically had to go to a draw as the most satisfying conclusion (even if they did mess up the cadence and have the actual end come out of nowhere) but even with all these aspects of the match in which they had to compartmentalize, they still had the type of match that would easily main event any show, while somehow, some way, leaving a ton on the table for matches down the road. Even the teases of the LeBell Lock and the One-Winged Angel were only there for a brief amount of time, and for them to put this match on while not even using their biggest moves is just going to mean that much more in the inevitable rematch.
I said privately that this was Bryan's "mission statement" for AEW, and it takes some absolute balls to come into a new environment and do what he did. 17 days after CM Punk's return was about as successful a match as it could have been, it really says something about this pairing that they went out and with all the expectations and telegraphing, still put on a match of this quality while giving the fans something to dream on down the road. This match is not without its faults, as there may have been a kickout or two too many down the stretch, but I also am unsure if the intangibles of this matchup can be topped even with a much more fleshed out match to come. This was as breezy a 30-minute match as you could ask for, either because they owned the pacing or because we were so invested, and the atmosphere might only be topped in a true stadium, which a rematch might actually sell out. Bryan's reputation is that he could make any match of any length compelling, and he is going to have that chance going forward, because if there's anything to know about Omega, it's that he's not afraid to test the limits, and he'd do it against a man much better suited for that match than Kazuchika Okada, who's long matches always seem bloated, especially with Omega.
Bring on the rematch.
Psychologically, there's many things going against this match, namely that it's Bryan's debut and it's difficult to bring him into the fold and not have him look good. In addition, it was stated from the get go that Omega's AEW Title was not on the line, and the decision to have this match open the show telegraphed that indeed, this was going to go to either a non-finish or a draw. This is a match that's been bandied about for a decade, in front of a super hot crowd of smart fans who expect all of these things, while also leading off the biggest TV broadcast in company history to that point. It's an amazing confluence and a difficult ask to thread such a needle. It's a testament to both wrestlers (yes, both) that this match ended up the way it did, easily the best television match in 2021, and the best match AEW has put out, namely because they decide to give the audience everything they want in a situation where most wrestlers would leave much more in the tank. Kenny's biggest critiques are his mannerisms and his facial expressions, but those are basically culled to the absolute minimum here, even if when they do happen they're as noticeable as ever. This goes back to Bryan asking for the Best Bout Machine, God of Wrestling, etc., and not the jerk that hangs out with Don Callis, and seems like a pretty stark call out for Bryan to make in the lead-up promo to a debut match while stepping to the company Ace. He wants Kenny at his best, and he basically gets that! The things people give Kenny as being one of the best going are shown out in full: His execution and timing are right on, and against perhaps the master of pacing, he knows well enough to turn it on or back off, which is a necessity with Bryan, who is the ultimate in-ring conductor. His control segments were fantastic here, and his big offensive moves were delivered with more vitriol and confidence than you'd normally see from him. Bryan, unsurprisingly, looks like the best wrestler ever. He bumps dangerously at times, he lays it in, he makes Kenny's offense look devastating, and he found a tremendous balance between his familiar WWE-based spots and going back to his old Indy favorites. The Cattle Mutiliation was a tremendous pull here, just to name one, but it was just one of many things that reminded you that, if given the opportunity to show out, there's not a single person alive, even Omega, who can do better than him. This also allows him to do something he's tremendous at but never really showcased that much in WWE save for his main big run, and that was his selling. Omega gave him quite the beating, and sold it as such, especially after the apron power bomb that sent him tumbling over the ropes to the floor, landing on his arm. The whole of this match is unbelievably satisfying, and perhaps the most wild part of all of this is that it's only the beginning. You basically had to go to a draw as the most satisfying conclusion (even if they did mess up the cadence and have the actual end come out of nowhere) but even with all these aspects of the match in which they had to compartmentalize, they still had the type of match that would easily main event any show, while somehow, some way, leaving a ton on the table for matches down the road. Even the teases of the LeBell Lock and the One-Winged Angel were only there for a brief amount of time, and for them to put this match on while not even using their biggest moves is just going to mean that much more in the inevitable rematch. I said privately that this was Bryan's "mission statement" for AEW, and it takes some absolute balls to come into a new environment and do what he did. 17 days after CM Punk's return was about as successful a match as it could have been, it really says something about this pairing that they went out and with all the expectations and telegraphing, still put on a match of this quality while giving the fans something to dream on down the road. This match is not without its faults, as there may have been a kickout or two too many down the stretch, but I also am unsure if the intangibles of this matchup can be topped even with a much more fleshed out match to come. This was as breezy a 30-minute match as you could ask for, either because they owned the pacing or because we were so invested, and the atmosphere might only be topped in a true stadium, which a rematch might actually sell out. Bryan's reputation is that he could make any match of any length compelling, and he is going to have that chance going forward, because if there's anything to know about Omega, it's that he's not afraid to test the limits, and he'd do it against a man much better suited for that match than Kazuchika Okada, who's long matches always seem bloated, especially with Omega. Bring on the rematch.