25 years after his in-ring career began close by, Bryan Danielson’s full-time career and AEW World title run came to an end at AEW WrestleDream in Tacoma, Washington, in a very violent fashion.
Jon Moxley submitted Danielson unconscious in the main event to begin his fourth run with the AEW World title and his first run since late-2022.
After Moxley’s win, Claudio Castagnoli, PAC and Marina Shafir hit the ring to do further damage until both Wheeler Yuta and Darby Allin ran out to make the save. Yuta then turned on Allin who was then duct taped to the ropes. Yuta choked out Danielson with a plastic bag at Moxley’s behest. Several wrestlers like Jeff Jarrett and Private Party ran out to help, but were beat down.
Moxley then put a chair around Danielson’s neck before Castagnoli stomped on it. The group eventually left the ring after more wrestlers came out, but made a point to put the title belt in a black bag at one point before all this was going on.
Danielson was stretchered out as the Tacoma fans were nearly silent. Conversely, Excalibur and Tony Schiavone were emotional during the call of this whole sequence.
It was their third-ever singles match in AEW and sixth-ever overall. Moxley remains unbeaten in their AEW series at 3-0.
After winning the World title at August’s All In, Danielson said his next loss would mark the final bout in his full-time in-ring career. Whether he holds true to that statement remains to be seen. He signed with AEW in September 2021 and wrestled in more than 100 matches for the company in his time.
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The match started as a brawl with Moxley attacking Danielson before the bell rang as The Final Countdown continued to play. Both men choked each other with cables, Shafir also got involved, and a chair made it into the mix before the bell finally rang.
The pro-Danielson hometown crowd, who were standing for the duration of the match, let Moxley know what they thought of him as he delivered a piledriver on the Spanish announce table followed by using a cable. They also weren’t happy with Shafir who kept driving muay thai knees into Danielson’s head whenever referee Bryce Remsburg’s back was turned. She was eventually caught grabbing Danielson’s leg and was tossed out of the match.
The two exchanged a one-for-one striking battle that Moxley won before Danielson regained the advantage with a clothesline and his series of Yes kicks. After a series of stomps, he got the LeBell Lock in, but Moxley made his way to the ropes. Danielson made an error on a dive to the outside which Moxley countered into a Death Rider on the exposed cement floor.
Moxley rallied late with clotheslines and hit another Death Rider, but Danielson kicked out at one. He spit at Moxley and got hit with a Gotch piledriver and then a rear naked choke that Danielson tried to fight out of until he couldn’t.
