[2021-09-22-AEW-Dynamite] Kenny Omega vs Bryan Danielson

[Timbo Slice]

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.

[paul sosnowski]

I don't even know what to say.  I was there live at Arthur Ashe.  Without a doubt, this was the best match that either Danielson or Omega has had in quite a few years.  Absolute must-see.    Five stars *****

[Makai Club #1]

It was fairly cool to see Bryan work more aggressively and violent than he has done in years. You'd almost be forgiven if you said that Bryan was working heel, but obviously, Bryan subscribes to the theory that faces and heels shouldn't work in a set way, so you'd be incorrect. The time limit draw was telegraphed but they filled the time really well. I think my favourite stretch of wrestling was the first 15 minutes of the match, pre the break, where they really did as little as they could possibly do. Sticking mostly to hard chops, kicks and a bunch of assorted lock-ups. All of it was so compelling. Omega had a brief control spot that was a bit tepid but he quickly found his groove and spiked Bryan with a gross Dragon Suplex of the ramp way, followed by a V-Trigger. The second half was only small glimpses of what is in store for later matches. We got some insane moves like a dragon suplex off the top rope and an awesome LeBell lock spot but it fell apart in parts with some 50/50 “your turn, my turn” spots that didn't derail the match’s momentum, but rather stood out as the weakest points of the match. They were very haphazard. They felt very ordinary and run of the mill compared to the rest of the bout. Nevertheless, this was a rare great match for AEW, especially on television. ****

[ShittyLittleBoots]

Everytime he wrestles, it's just further confirmation (for me) that Bryan Danielson is the greatest professional wrestler to ever live. I have said it a million times by now, but I just did again. This match was beautiful. They built it to the 30-minute draw wonderfully, as the action kept on upping itself with a perfect crowd to boot. They played their hits, but with that competitive spirit of wanting to prove who truly is THE best. It's a real natural story to tell & dynamic to play off of, and these two did it with ease. I could go on for a looong time about how great Dragon was here, but I also must say that Kenny Omega is at his finest when he is delivering simple viciousness w/ his amazing arsenal of signature moves, and there certainly was QUITE A BIT of that in here, to say the least. The way he also presented himself & treated this match helped make it feel like something special as well-- the most serious & focused Kenny since at least that Dome Main Event vs. Tanahashi, probably? Goddamn this whole thing was greatness all around, no better way to put it. ****1/4

[Jmare007]

Yeah, add me to the group impressed with Omega during this. One of my biggest gripes with him (in Japan, barely seen much of him in AEW) has been his tendency for excess and quick spurts of offense that up the pace in a way that doesn't feel earned —sometimes it works for me, like the Osaka match against Ishii, most of the times, it doesn't land with me as with others—, but in this match he picked his sports almost perfectly and was really fucking good in the first half when they did very little, I did not expect to be as engaged with him in a setting like this one and was gladly surprised. I don't really care about his mannerism or facial expressions so him being way more controlled than other times was whatever.

Dragon doing a best of his career with a mix of his pre-WWE self and his WWE work was a great ride.

Agree with @Makai Club #1 that the my turn/your turn stuff was the least compelling part, but that's what the AEW audience reacts to the most and it made sense to have in this match. Kenny basically no selling the reverserana out of the OWA and getting kicked in the head "clean" for a second time was kinda weird compared to everything else they did during the match., but regardless, this was fucking awesome and basically perfect for what was supposed to be.

I'm very interested in how much excess their later matches will have. Danielson showed to be very restrained in WWE and I wonder if he's gonna keep it that way to be more unique than most of AEW's roster or if he'll indulge and go all out. I'm guessing it will depend on who he's working against.