[2020-05-15-WWE-SmackDown] Daniel Bryan vs Drew Gulak

[ShittyLittleBoots]

It's a rematch from their March MOTYC, and it's unsurprisingly absolutely terrific. I like how the dynamic between them has changed from that PPV match of theirs to this one - they had respect for each other back then, but now they're FRIENDS, and it created for this nice little charming vibe between them here, especially in the early going w/ the fantastic back & forth grappling. Gulak establishes the first real control of the match by dumping Bryan outside, and from then on it seems like his main gameplan is to soften up Bryan's neck. Loved how he didn't give up that tight headlock when Bryan started to slam him with those shin breakers -- it took 3 of them for Bryan to get out of that damned headlock, and I thought that was some fantastic pro-wrestling right there. After that Bryan finds a gameplan of his own by going after Gulak's leg w/ a series of dragon screws, and that ankle lock into a German Suplex, which was vintage Bryan. Gulak returning into things after Bryan's assault on his leg was quite something; that modified Michinoku Driver looking move where he just dumped Bryan on his head was brutal. And Bryan returned the favor right back at him with that vicious release German! Extremely lovely stuff all match long. That finishing stretch was wonderful as well w/ Bryan delivering that second dragon screw by the ankle, after Gulak had reversed the first one, but was still hurting bad. That move gets the "move of the match" honors, as it looked vicious as hell. And then of course to make all the work in the match feel like it actually mattered, Bryan gets the win with the Heel Hook! Excellent, excellent stuff. Not on that top-top-top MOTYC level of their first match, but still one of the finest matches I've seen in 2020. ****

[Jmare007]

Fucking loved this. Specially for the fact that no strikes were thrown in this. They just wrestled, countered and tried to find and edge strictly by what they could do on the mat. So refreshing to watch and so cool to see two awesome wrestlers just straight 'rasslin for more than 10 minutes. Some of Bryan's counter's to get the LeBell Lock applied were fantastic, same at Gulak's different ways to get DB into a pinning position. D-Bry having to hurt the leg three times to break free of a head lock, then doing a snap German and acting dizzy was perfect. Same with ending the match with a heel hook after turning Gulak's leg into a pretzel. 

This was on WWE TV in 2020, all hail Daniel Bryan (and Drew Gulak).

[KawadaSmile]

Excellent, excellent stuff. 

Technical chain wrestling at a pace that would keep anyone engaged and on the edge of their seat, while avoiding many WWE tropes. 

DB is just an unparalleled talent, and Gulak is also a master class wrestler.

May he return someday. 

[paul sosnowski]

The match went 12:54, but with one commercial break, we only got to see 9:30 of action

[cactus]

With the exception of Bryan attempting to go for one strike, this was all pure wrestling. These guys respect each other and they want to see who the best pure wrestler is and not throwing strikes added to that story. Gulak refusing to give up the headlock despite being Bryan shin breakering him was great. Gulak refuses to let his hurt leg show, but Bryan smells blood in the water and takes him down with some dragon screws. This was a total technical clinic that told a cohesive story. I'm going to miss Drew Gulak.

★★★½

[EnviousStupid]

I always liked this one more than their EC bout. These guys had to have been some of the few active wrestlers whose quality didn't take a noticeable hit from the pandemic, and working to both of their strengths easily made up for a lack of crowd and hollow arena. Loved the change of dynamic since their first match. Bryan and Gulak are now friends, training together, encouraging each other, and strictly working a pure technical wrestling contest here. I don't recall a single strike thrown during the match. Everything was a struggle, tight and never came off performative. It reminded me of the stories about Regal/Benoit at the Pillman anniversary show, where they focused intently on the story they were telling in the ring, turning a crowd that initially chanted boring to being on the edge of their seats. This match might've had even worse circumstances; there was no crowd that they could win over. These two had to stick to what they knew and hope for the best, resulting in some all-time level matwork on WWE programming.

The finish is ultimately what puts it over the top for me. If you remember, the feud between these two earlier in the year was built on the idea that Gulak had Bryan scouted, and had found weaknesses in his game. Bryan was able to win that match against someone well-prepared through sheer attrition. Just because you can study and learn from the best, doesn't mean you can beat them. Here, Bryan beats Gulak after attacking the leg with moves that aren't so typical of his repertoire, before locking in a Heel Hook (has never been a common submission finisher of his) for the victory. On top of being a technical clinic, Bryan went outside of the box to defeat someone who had only gotten more familiar with his style since EC. You can learn and study from the best, but the best are always learning, changing, never remaining stagnant. One could say, that's what makes them the best.