8 Ups & 1 Down From AEW Dynamite (10 Nov)

2. Danielson Topples Romero

Bryan Danielson Rocky Romero
AEW

A fantastic bit of business to open the show, Bryan Danielson vs. Rocky Romero solidified the former's Wrestler of the Year case.

Great wrestlers are defined not only by what they can do in big matches with colossal runtimes, but also by what they do with smaller windows of opportunity. What can they do in a relatively straightforward television match with an overmatched opponent that doesn't necessarily need to be good? How can they make it interesting, tell a story, and help it stand out?

Danielson is the king of that. Romero, a great wrestler himself, was a compelling dance parter in a duelling limbwork match that saw Rocky attack the arm while his opponent went for the legs. They stuck with that throughout and paid it off in the finish, as Danielson put Romero away with a Tequila Sunrise, his latest unique finish in AEW.

The ongoing CHAOS teases are exciting, too. Best Friends are in the New Japan group now. Meanwhile, Tony Khan is namedropping Kazuchika Okada and Tomohiro Ishii on Busted Open Radio while both men are in the United States. The announcers couldn't keep Okada's name out of their mouths here either.

Something is brewing.

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Channel Manager
Channel Manager

Andy has been with WhatCulture for eight years and is currently WhatCulture's Wrestling Channel Manager. A writer, presenter, and editor with 10+ years of experience in online media, he has been a sponge for all wrestling knowledge since playing an old Royal Rumble 1992 VHS to ruin in his childhood. Having previously worked for Bleacher Report, Andy specialises in short and long-form writing, video presenting, voiceover acting, and editing, all characterised by expert wrestling knowledge and commentary. Andy is as much a fan of 1985 Jim Crockett Promotions as he is present-day AEW and WWE - just don't make him choose between the two.