9 Ups & 2 Downs From AEW Dynamite (27 Oct)
4. More Earned Babyface Catharsis
Bryan Danielson Vs. Sammy Guevara was a very, very good match with a fabulous, sickos-friendly dynamic.
The eternally beloved sh*t-kicking technical virtuoso hero beat the hell out of the cocky flashy high-flyer in a match loaded with brutal and cathartic counters. Excitement flowed into fist-pumping sequences of a smug d*ckhead eating sh*t, and while certain sequences were contrived and a smidge sloppy - all the more glaring in a Danielson match - the emotion elicited from an inspired bit of matchmaking on the part of Tony Khan elevated it. Sammy Guevara, being so detestable, is practically underrated at this point.
The height he managed on an Asai moonsault was outrageous even by the standards of a modern athlete. It wasn't just showing off, either: he needed to be at his spectacular best to inform the drama and stand a credible chance of slaying the Dragon by using a form at which he is superior. In the end, Danielson won, and in what is something of an indictment of his run in 2022, he needed the victory.
It wasn't the best match Danielson has worked in AEW, but the crowd were red-hot for it at various points and it was as necessary as it was good.