[2007-11-23-NWA-Pro Australian Tour-Night 1] Bryan Danielson vs X-Pac

[TonyPulis'Cap]

This is from a tour of Australia by the Bob Trobich/Dave Marquez run version of the NWA. The opening exchanges are full of respectful mat wrestling, but that quickly morphs into Danielson’s cocky tweener ‘Best in the World’ persona that was a mainstay of his ROH World Title run the year before this – the one where he’s damned good, and he knows it. X-Pac matches up well by being a good sympathetic seller, and Danielson is on top for a lot of the match. In reality Waltman probably couldn’t really hang anymore with Dragon if he was going full tilt, which makes a good kayfabe storyline for the match.

As a case in point – whether by accident or design - Danielson’s offence is just much harder hitting, and X-Pac looks like a guy struggling to keep pace. I like that it’s not ‘your turn/my turn’ to play into that story, but Waltman times his comebacks well to keep the crowd invested – loved the flurry of spinning heel kicks midway through.

The finish is a bit abrupt, but still plays into the storyline – X-Pac reverses a belly to black suplerplex into a cross body and gets an almost flash pin on a dazed Dragon rather than it be ‘decisive’. It also shows the wily old pro still has a few tricks in his back pocket. He was ultimately outmatched when Dragon was full speed ahead, but Danielson got cocky taking him to the top rope when it arguably wasn’t needed and that’s cost him. Nothing earth shattering – but logical, and I enjoyed this (*** ¼)