6 Ups & 4 Downs From AEW Dynamite Title Tuesday (Results & Review)

by Michael Sidgwick

1. Bryan Danielson Is Just Unbelievable

Bryan Danielson Vs. Swerve Strickland was an incredible display of professional wrestling.

It's never good to be an anxious pessimist at the best of times, but the idea of Bryan Danielson not wrestling every week one day is depressing. He is a genius.

Watching this stunning match, it was all too easy to recall Bryan Danielson's words in the aftermath of his legendary Iron Man war against MJF. He noticed that he appears to suffer a major injury every time he works a big match, and that hour-plus classic was the impetus behind winding down his full-time run. In an inspired story beat, following FTR dropping the World Tag Team titles, Danielson clutched at his mid-section after taking a thudding body shot from Swerve.

It was almost a relief when Swerve targeted Danielson's lower torso. It was only then that it became clear that Danielson was selling his liver and had not suffered a legitimate entry. The magician had simply cast a spell.

In an incredible moment near the finish, Swerve busted out the sort of deranged move the lunatics of the 2000s indie circuit invented to stand out. The sit-out slam off Danielson's attempted corner dropkick looked terrifying.

Wrestling isn't real and everybody knows that, but watching Danielson falter here after catching himself on the turnbuckle - which sold the story and acted as a platform to make Swerve's offence feel all the more nasty - verged on the heartbreaking. Believable storytelling, breathless near-falls, arresting shifts in momentum - this was sublime pro wrestling.

The finish was a bit cowardly - Danielson won when Hangman Page interfered, avenging the events of WrestleDream - but this yielded yet more evidence that Swerve is a future AEW World champion.

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Contributor
Contributor

Michael Sidgwick is an editor, writer and podcaster for WhatCulture Wrestling. With over seven years of experience in wrestling analysis, Michael was published in the influential institution that was Power Slam magazine, and specialises in providing insights into All Elite Wrestling - so much so that he wrote a book about the subject. You can order Becoming All Elite: The Rise Of AEW on Amazon. Possessing a deep knowledge also of WWE, WCW, ECW and New Japan Pro Wrestling, Michael’s work has been publicly praised by former AEW World Champions Kenny Omega and MJF, and current Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes. When he isn’t putting your finger on why things are the way they are in the endlessly fascinating world of professional wrestling, Michael wraps his own around a hand grinder to explore the world of specialty coffee. Follow Michael on X (formerly known as Twitter) @MSidgwick for more!