Wrestling On FanNation

Bryan Danielson Returning To Action In AEW

Bryan Danielson returns to action on November 22

Justin Barrasso

Bryan Danielson Returning To Action In AEW
Bryan Danielson Returning To Action In AEW /

Bryan Danielson returns to action for AEW on November 22

AEW CEO Tony Khan was full of major announcements this past Saturday on Collision, which included revealing that Bryan Danielson will be part of All In at Wembley Stadium next summer.

Khan also unveiled the brand-new Continental Classic, a 12-man round-robin tournament that will also include Danielson. His match will take place on the November 22 edition of Dynamite, and this return is an instant boost for AEW.

Danielson will be protected in his return bout. This match should open a storyline that leads to the Worlds End pay-per-view on December 30, where he is scheduled to wrestle. It will be interesting to see if he is attacked and further injured (Malakai Black?) in his return bout, or if he advances in the tourney.

After the tourney kicks off on next week’s Dynamite, it then continues for the next six weeks until the finale at Worlds End. While WWE has shied away from it, New Japan Pro-Wrestling is the known for its tournaments. The G1 Climax is part of the promotion’s ethos, as are the Best of the Super Juniors and the World Tag League, which begins anew this winter.

In his brief on-screen appearance on Collision, Khan explained the Continental Classic in a far more cohesive manner than the NBA has done over the past three months with their in-season tournament. It should add excitement to AEW programming, and hopefully advances multiple storylines.

It is an eventful week for AEW. In addition to Dynamite on Wednesday, both Collision and Rampage will air live on Friday (with Collision in a rare head-to-head battle against SmackDown). That means AEW will have three hours of live television on Friday, followed by the Full Gear pay-per-view on Saturday.

The best of Chris Jericho on display in Japan

Chris Jericho returned to Japan this weekend, wrestling Konosuke Takeshita in Tokyo on Sunday at DDT’s Ultimate Party 2023.

In a fantastic match with an even better build, Jericho defeated Takeshita. Even at 53, Jericho remains a master of the craft. He certainly benefitted from working with the 28-year-old Takeshita, who is a phenomenal, versatile talent that has every right to become AEW champion within the next 24 months.

This had big bout written all over it, and it did not disappoint. In fact, it was the most compelling match Jericho wrestled this year.

While there are some concerns that Takeshita should have won, this feud is far from over. And hopefully the finish means Jericho will return to Japan.

The pre-match press conference was Jericho at his absolute best. Moments like these show how versatile he is–and why he works so well in Japan.

Clearly, if he wants it, Jericho still has another top run in Japan. This past weekend was a full demonstration why.

NJPW’s Lonestar Shootout a success, especially for Moxley-Finlay moments

New Japan Pro-Wrestling’s Lonestar Shootout show this past Friday in Texas was headlined by Shingo Takagi defeating Trent Beretta. But the highlight was Jon Moxley and David Finlay sharing the ring in a tag match.

Courtesy NJPW
Courtesy NJPW

Moxley and Wheeler Yuta defeated Bullet Club’s Finlay and Kenta. It help set the stage for Moxley, Finlay, and Will Ospreay to fight in a three-way at Wrestle Kingdom 18 on January 4 at the Tokyo Dome, a bout that has every right to steal the show.

The finish came when Moxley countered Kenta’s Go To Sleep with a Death Rider. As Moxley’s arm was raised for the win, he refused to take his sight off Finlay. Moxley followed that up backstage with an outrageous promo, one with the kind of creative freedom that simply does not exist in WWE.

While not everyone has reacted positively to Finlay’s inclusion in the match, he is going to add to it in tremendous fashion. There is a certain tension and competitive spirit between Finlay and Ospreay. For all the hype around Ospreay, Finlay is an extremely compelling performer–and adding Moxley into the mix should make for a recipe for success.

As the leader of the vaunted Bullet Club, Finlay needs a decisive victory–cleanly pinning Ospreay would do wonders for him. The chance to build a Bullet Club-Blackpool Combat Club feud would also be fascinating, and it is the type of high-profile program this largely unheralded Bullet Club needs.

Published |Modified
Justin Barrasso
JUSTIN BARRASSO

Justin Barrasso has been writing for Sports Illustrated since 2014. While his primary focus is pro wrestling and MMA, he has also covered MLB, NBA, and the NFL. He can be reached at JBarrasso@gmail.com and followed on Twitter @JustinBarrasso.

Home/Wrestling News