Tonight was indeed the “Final Countdown” for Bryan Danielson. In the main event of AEW’s WrestleDream pay-per-view, Bryan Danielson fought his former best friend and Blackpool Combat Club stablemate Jon Moxley. The group previously turned on “The American Dragon,” explaining that AEW no longer belongs to “them.” They explained that fans and personnel would know what that means in due time, and it seems like taking out Danielson on his full-time retirement tour was just the beginning.
Throughout the match, Danielson took a beating from not only Moxley but Marina Shafir who was perched on the outside in wait. She got more than a few hits of her own in on him, weakening the AEW World Champion so Moxley could get him right where he wants him. Danielson took every beating from the group, but eventually Shafir was ejected from ringside when the referee caught on to her shenanigans.
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The match continued for quite awhile and they threw every punch, kick and submission hold at one another. The finish was rather abrupt as Moxley choked out Danielson, leaving the crowd speechless. A hushed tone fell over the crowd as they witnessed the Blackpool Combat Club show no mercy toward their former pal. Then there’s the lone wolf — Wheeler Yuta — who has a huge decision to make. Will he side with Danielson or honor his word to the BCC? Ultimately, he went against the former champion, suffocating him with a bag.
At this point the entire locker room bled into the ring and ringside to stop their torment, but Moxley had already done what he promised. The company doesn’t belong to the rest of them anymore. The rest of the broadcast was rather uncomfortable with the air sucked out of the room. However, AEW’s camera crew did a great job at showcasing the next generation of AEW by showing Darby Allin, HOOK, Daniel Garcia and Orange Cassidy looking on with sorrow.
Danielson has been clear about his intentions to “retire” before the year is up. Not only is his body beginning to break down, but he wishes to spend the time he still has, healthy, with his family. While he’s made his intentions of remaining in AEW post-retirement known, it remains unclear what his on-screen presence will be moving forward.
What did you think of the finish to the match? Do you think it was the right call to wrap up Danielson’s full-time career this way? Let me know your thoughts on X and Bluesky @haleyanne_! As always, stay tuned to ComicBook for updates on AEW.