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AEW All In 2024: Bryan Danielson Wins AEW Heavyweight Championship In An Instant Classic

Bryan Danielson is best wrestler in the world.

Steven Muelhausen

Lee South-All Elite Wrestling

Bryan Danielson was in a do-or-die situation at Sunday's AEW All In 2024. Either win the AEW heavyweight title from Swerve Strickland or ride off into retirement.

Well, retirement is going to have to wait as Danielson proved yet again why he is perhaps the greatest wrestler of all time in besting Strickland in a grueling back-and-forth affair in a match for the ages to win the AEW heavyweight championship for the first time.

Danielson came out first to a thunderous ovation from the London crowd as the fans were seranating his walk to the ring by singing his iconic entrance music, "The Final Countdown".

Early on, Strickland had the upper hand in battering Danielson to a pulp to the point where the former WWE champion was a bloody pulp from the punishment. The Washington native would get a few hope spots but Strickland was none of it and continued to pour on the beating to the point where after the-then titleholder executed a suplex with the ringside doctors came in and briefly considered stopping the contest as Danielson was clutching his damaged neck.

With his career hanging in the balance, Danielson dug deep and started his comeback as he rose up to his feet from a series of kicks to his chest while saying, "I love you" to his two children, Buddy and Birdie and his wife Brie.

Danielson started tossing Strickland around the ring with a variety of suplexes and looked to be on the verge of capturing AEW gold for the first time. Instead, Strickland thwarted the attack and came so close to retaining the belt when he hit his finished, Big Pressure. But Danielson had other plans in becoming the first wrestler to kick out the move.

Undeterred, Strickland went to the corner and started doing Danielson's famed "YES" chant. Out of no where, Strickland's arch nemesis, Adam "Hangman" Page came through the crowd and distracted him and proceeded to hit Prince Nana. Page hit every security who came in his path. However, more security came down and ensuredPage went to the back.

That was the opening "The American Dragon" needed. He nailed Strickland with a third Busaiku Knee and immediately transitioned to the LaBelle Lock. At first, Strickland got of the painful maneuver. The resilient Danielson bent Strickland's fingers back and locked in the hold again. He twisted Strickland and bent back as far as he could. With no escape available, Strickland tapped out and Danielson captured the championship.

Crying in jubilation, fireworks started going off at Wembley Stadium as Blackpool Combat Club members Claudio Castagnoli, Wheeler Yuta and PAC along with Danielson's children and wife celebrated among the raucous crowd in a truly historic moment.

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Steven Muelhausen
STEVEN MUELHAUSEN

: Steven Muehlhausen is a veteran combat sports writer for various outlets including Sporting News and Yahoo Sports. He can be reached at stevemuehlhausen@yahoo.com and followed on Twitter @SMuehlhausenJr.

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