10 Best AEW Matches Ever (According To The Internet)
2. MJF Vs. Bryan Danielson - AEW Revolution 2023 (9.63)
They said an hour was far too long, that even Bryan Danielson wouldn't be able to pull it off - particularly after the mandatory very long AEW PPV undercard.
Danielson is on everybody's Mount Rushmore, or at least he should be, for a very good reason. Several wrestlers have played the 'Best In The World' gimmick since match quality was emphasised in wrestling's narrative. Danielson's closest in-ring competition, Kenny Omega, nicknamed himself the 'Best Bout Machine'. Chris Jericho and CM Punk have both referred to themselves as the Best In The World, which informed their clash at WrestleMania XXVIII. Shawn Michaels was the Showstopper, Mr. WrestleMania. Austin Aries did this schtick too.
But is there anybody better at actually embodying it in the context of an actual wrestling match - at making it feel like they're so great and dominant that nobody stands a chance against them?
Danielson has done more jobs than any top star ever, but you forget that every time he prowls the ring and paces his matches. His losing feels inconceivable, as it did against MJF. Again: nobody thought prior to the incredible Iron Man match that MJF was losing his first PPV defence.
Everybody, in fact, thought MJF had ran out of road. MJF was on sensational form in the main event, arranging the ringside environment to make it seem as if he were improvising his strategy mid-match, but Danielson's unparalleled ability to portray the very best created an unforgettable brand of drama.