In what was perhaps one of the greatest wrestling matches I’ve seen since WrestleMania 13 pitting Stone Cold Steve Austin against Bret “The Hitman” Hart, AEW showcased an incredible matchup between Kenny Omega and Bryan Danielson on last night’s episode of Dynamite on TNT.
“How do you follow that?” is exactly how CM Punk put it as the show progressed and he was certainly right.
If I can be permitted to editorialize for a brief moment, dear readers, I’d say that this match delivered on all fronts…and the match outlasted the 30-miniute time limit, each man giving his all. But that sounds too cliché. Really, they gave more than their all.
Bryan Danielson stated during the media scrum following All Out, upon his debut in the company that he came to AEW because he was too overprotected or rather coddled in WWE (something he obviously wasn’t happy about), Vince and company not allowing him to perform in the ring the way that he would want to.
But it looks like those limitations are now gone, as I watched Bryan Danielson wrestle the way he used to wrestle back at Ring of Honor and before, where I and perhaps most of you first discovered him.
He proving that he could have done more than he ever did in WWE, albeit he did have some epic matches there as well. One that has stuck in my mind since it happened was when he faced CM Punk in a Champion vs. Champion Match on an episode of SmackDown of February 21st, 2012…among others. But even in that match, the whole gimmicky side of the WWE showed through. Here in last night’s match, there were no gimmicks…just two men that hadn’t faced each other in years, going at it, and expertly so.
But, despite the epic battle that unfolded, it was made clear on social media; specifically Twitter, that Kenny Omega will not be granting Bryan a rematch (he sticking to the rules of kayfabe here, quite obviously).
He stated simply: “Ain’t gonna be no rematch” quoting the fictional Apollo Creed at the end of the final fight in Rocky 1.
Of course in the incredible script written by Sylvester Stallone, Rocky answers Apollo by saying: “Don’t want one.” I don’t think that would be the case for the American Dragon himself, Bryan Danielson, however.
It’ll be very interesting to see if and when a rematch does occur. What makes sense is for Danielson to embark on a winning streak, he eventually being granted a title shot (hopefully sooner rather than later). And thus, that in turn means one thing that we can all get excited about: More Bryan Danielson matches, and to that I say keep them coming.
“Superstar” Billy Graham in hospital
In recent years, Billy Graham has suffered some health problems, specifically liver issues, (as can be seen on his Wikipedia page, he had a transplant in 2002, the donor a female), and it was reported by webisjericho.com that this legend of the ring has been rushed to the Mayo Clinic, and this time for an irregular heartbeat and liquid in the lungs.
He was a bodybuilder in his younger years and was close with the likes of six-time Mr. Olympia and international superstar Arnold Schwarzenegger…the two often pictured in the gym together during what was known as the Golden Era of Bodybuilding at Gold’s Gym in Venice California.
In Wrestling, Graham became extremely popular and influenced many wrestlers, specifically Hulk Hogan who stated at his WWE Hall of Fame induction in 2005 that when he was a child, and after seeing Billy Graham perform in the ring, he stated: “I wanna be just like that guy.”
A legend of the NWA, AWA and of course WWE, Graham was NWA Tag Champs with the legendary and late Pat Patterson, and he held the WWWF (WWE under Vince McMahon Sr.’s leadership) Heavyweight Championship once, among other accolades and accomplishments both in bodybuilding and pro wrestling.
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He is 78 years old. We here at the Pro Wrestling News Hub family wish him a speedy recovery and a positive turn-around.
