[10.0] "I usually don't enjoy a 60-minute time limit draw. I find those Kenny Omega/Okada matches extremely overrated. And I'm also not a huge Hangman Adam Page fan. But something about his match felt big-time. Danielon acting like a prick early on and then it just evolved into this haymaker fest by the end. Great match."
[10.0] "Awesome experience to watch this match, one of the best matches of all time and easily for me the best TV match of all time. Crazy that some AEW fans got that randomly on Dynamite FOR FREE. Anyway, I already remember the experience being quite great a few years ago when I watched it for the first and so far only time, but last night I had a complete outstanding experience. I was technically drunk, had a random entertaining night in my brother's appartment, hanging out and drinking some alcohol from different bottles. Beer, wine, whisky, liquor, everything mixed into my poor stomach to my proper and well tested liver deal with it. 11PM, for some fucking reason, me, fully exausted, started watching that match for free on YouTube. One hour match, the changes for me just drop on the bed and DIE for straight eight hours was gigantic. Fortunatelly, I didn't. I wasn't able to actually. That match is just something you can even blink, the ring action felt quite special for me, Bryan was in his dickhead persona which he mocked Hangman at each single time he had a visible opportunity (I will say more further about it) and Hangman had the tough deal to handle one of the best wrestlers of all time in his first title match. Two important things, saying the same that CM Punk said one time, wrestling is fake. Dot. Usually doesn't fucking care about who wins or loses, and that is why it was so special for that be a draw. Anyway, the other important thing is, build an one hour match is hard as fuck. Like, you can easily ruin everything if you do something wrongly. It is the only circunstance when a selling can be done bad, when a impact move doesn't fucking mean anything at all, the moment that can be shocking at 99% of each time, maybe it won't be here. No one remember the great Asai Moonsault that Kenny Omega did on Okada during that one hour time limit draw, but everyone remember the One Winged Angel rope break and the "accidental" counter. That match is special exactly for that, you enjoy the way Hangman just started focusing on Bryan's leg when he felt how impactful it was on his belly, you love how Bryan target his arm during the first minutes, Hangman DON'T even try an Buckshot Lariat and them Bryan change his entire plan to a more violent agressive impact method. We literally "lost" 5 minutes of the match to sell Hangman bleeding outside and you don't feel like the match is losing an step. Excellent selling, probably Bryan had his best in ring exhibition at AEW, and he made us, for A LOT of moments, believe at him getting an victory. Wrestling when it comes to ring skill isn't about moves, or not even moments, it is about feeling. When you see that Hangman only was able to hit his own finisher on Bryan after ONE hour trying over and over, you FEEL that. You know that moment was special. The ring tics, the time was over and you feel bad about it, quite sad for it, but at the time, it doesn't even matter. That shit is fake man lmao. And, well, that is a FUCKING five stars match for sure, probably the AEW never had a match so cleanly build in her history so far and it is crazy to believe they made Bryan in WEEKS the most loved wrestler in the roster became the most hated wrestler in the roster, just to put Hanger over. Tony Khan was a BEAST in that booking."
[8.0] "This was a great match. Both men just did anything they can to win this match. Danielson as the cocky heel was incredible and Hangman was showing the true sign of a champion. The in-ring wrestling was very good as always from Page and Danielson, but there are two problems with this match. The first was the very long stalling when Page got busted open, they spent way too long with that, and the other was the 60 minute draw, I get why it was done, but I wish we got a decisive winner. Thankfully we got another match between these guys. The pacing of the match was 50/50, moments where it felt too slow, but moments where it went at a perfect fast pace action."
[9.0] "In my memory this was a clear 5 star match, I had never seen anything like it before, an effortlessly entertaining 60 minute time limit draw. Adam Page and Bryan Danielson have insane chemistry and Danielson playing the heel to legitimise Hangman as The Guy in AEW really put him on the map as a deserving champion. This first title reign of Hanger's is criticised as he cooled off character wise but what this match shows in hindsight is that Hangman was an overly eager inexperienced champion as he routinely makes mistakes that the more experienced Danielson sets him up for. Danielson does a great job at getting in the head of Hangman initially by wasting time, bending rules and taunting him. Hangman gets by through pure heart and durability alone and by the end of it both men's primary weaponised limb has been basically compromised by the other. The match finishes after Hangman hits the Buckshot Lariat implying that Page need just 3 more seconds to win. Cinema. So why isn't this perfect? There's a bit more time wasting in this than I'd like to admit. The first section of the match while very substantive becomes a bit too overindulgent before they start to pick up the pace, leading up to Hangman getting color. The moment of Hangman's blade job also leads to a lot of wasted time on the outside far beyond a standard 10 count. Of course these slower pace moments are there for a reason but on rewatch it becomes quite noticeable what the intent of these moments are and they d take you out of the match a bit. Besides that this match is a classic and an absolute feat in the art form of professional wrestling"
[9.0] "Of AEW's three TV broadways/very near broadways, I think this is easily the least of the three, because it's the only one that feels like it has a considerable amount of filler in it. Still, the good parts of it are great, and the story it tells, of Danielson having zero respect for Page and toying with him through that first half leading into the really good stuff after Hanger gets busted open, where it break down into a fight, is very well executed. I just think that the pre-blood part of the match could have been done in about half the time that it is. Page's sell of his arm, and his slowly snatching the momentum from when Danielson kicks the ring post all the way to the finish, by which time he has started to dominate and get his respect, is great."
[7.0] "I was never a fan of one hour matches and this one nearly changed my mind, but it just drags at points for me. Another reason that I wasn't the biggest fan of this danielson draw was because I preferred the fight with Omega. All in all, I was just a little underwhelmed."
[10.0] "One of the best one-hour matches in the history of professional wrestling. These two have extraordinary in-ring chemistry (think Bret/Austin, Taker/HBK), to the point where every single outing they have is excellent. The story is basic too, so you don't need to catch up on a lot of history before watching: all you need to know is that Bryan turned heel a few weeks before, and wants the AEW title. Definitely recommend watching."
[6.0] "Hangman Page vs. Bryan Danielson at Winter Is Coming 2021 was a technically strong match, but it didn't fully deliver for me. The 60-minute draw had great wrestling, but the pacing felt uneven, with long stretches that lacked urgency. Danielson played the cocky heel well, and Page showed resilience, but it felt like they were stalling at times to reach the time limit. The action was solid, but it didn't have the drama or energy to justify the length."
[10.0] "[4.75*] What a special match, man. It is so damn hard to make an 1 hour match feel great and fresh, and they sure did it. First of all, the selling from both men was fantastic. I know the idea of one guy hurting each others finisher arm or leg is cliche, so of course Hangman would target Bryans right leg (Busaiku Knee) and Bryan would targed Hangmans right arm (Buckshot Lariat), but the thing that caught my attention was how perfect the selling came out to be. You could legitimately feel the pain from these men and that is very impressive. The match is very well paced too with Bryan taunting the crowd and playing mind-games with Adam for the first few mins, playing a douchebag heel that knows he is the best (Bryan is GODLY at this role), progressing into a more serious wrestler when he realizes that Hanger was doing his strategy too and working on his legs and bumping his damaged neck and head. Then he starts to master his own strategy and targets Pages arm and neck too, with sick kicks, suplexes and submissions. I actually think he should have hit a Buckshot Lariat, it would have been pretty good psychology wise, specially if it came after a LeBell Lock. My only issue with this match was the lack of emotion and believable nearfalls at the ending. When a match is this long, usually the nearfalls are just insane on the last few mins and I was really expecting that. A single finisher kick-out for both guys would absolutely not hurt the match at all, just make it more dramatic. I value drama a lot on long matches, so it would be hypocritical of mine if I gave it the full 5 stars while experiencing this issue. Everything they did was perfect, but they could have done more in terms of big moves."
[7.0] "Eh...It's a match. The first 30 minutes are a perfect match. The last 30 is where it falls apart. Theres 20 minutes of just selling and then 10 minutes of stealing each others moves. It's not their best work together at all and I would say it's one of the most underwhelming matches I have ever watched."
[10.0] "[5.5 Stars] It's one of the greatest matches in the history of national television! You don't feel the time has passed at all, Danielson & Adam Page have just delivered the whole match! (*****, 5)"
[9.0] "Really really loved this match. loved the draw ending just feel like some of the dead time that wasn't needed but you needed the hour-long draw. Danielson at his best with Hangman doing some very interesting character work. When Page face plants into the table I popped lowkey"
[10.0] "Absolutely phenomenal match and a masterpiece in every way with the in ring action, storytelling and chemistry between both men. It took pretty much everything that made the Danielson Vs Omega 30 minute time limit draw gold and it did just as phenomenal with 60 minutes. Masterpiece."
[10.0] "What a joy to watch! This told an incredible story, with great pacing, and could've aired from 1979 through today. Bryan Danielson revives the old touring territorial championship match main event, but brings it modern using incredible layout and execution. And the Hangman stays with him the whole time. Loved it, take my money, 10/10"
[9.0] "What a formidable match this was... even more special if you consider it was a tv match, and probably one of the best tv matches of all time. Hangman had just won the AEW World Championship, and immediately feuded with one of the greatest wrestlers of all time, and the newest member of AEW roster Bryan Danielson. At the time, it was very plausible that the championship changed hands, so it's an unpredictable match, that followed, and improved, what Bryan did against Omega in his in-ring debut. This is one-hour of flawless ring work, truly, the match had no flaws when we talk about the moves and the pace, it was incredibly worked, very close to perfection. In my opinion the only thing anyone could argue here is that they could do more, and I agree, but considering what they've done, it was perfect wrestling. Bryan is just incredible as a cocky heel, my god, what a special wrestler he is, all the taunts he did were amazing, the jumping jacks, the middle finger, he was really testing and bringing Hangman into dark waters to see what he's made of. The dynamic was clear, Bryan was the experienced veteran, purposely stalling the match and underrating Hangman, and Hanger, the champion, but a young guy that is being tested all the time and at some point proves that he's a big deal... that dynamic simply don't miss. The match had some dead moments, specially during PiP, but absolutely nothing that harmed or made the match worse. When an old match makes you very nervous at the end, you know it's special, and this one did, I was sweating, those final moments were breathtaking, they were exhausted and didn't used any finisher in the whole match, because Bryan did his limb work on the buckshot lariat arm, and Hanger did his limb work on Bryan's right foot, the busaiku knee one, so the anticipation was HUGE, and that LeBell lock delivered wonders. What they did at the end reminded me a lot of Okada vs Omega II, the Dominion 2017 one, the ending was the same, probably was a homage, and that's pretty cool. This was a fantastic match with an amazing atmosphere, that only misses out to receive a perfect rating probably because they were building a rematch with that ending, so it didn't felt like a complete package, much similar to Punk vs Joe I as well - {****1/2}"
[7.0] "This was a really good 20-30 minute match stretched out to be a whole hour long. Good technical action, in ring psychology and the two have impeccable chemistry, I just think the match was way too long and it either dragged or got repetitive at some points, could have been better."
"(9.0) The biggest announcement of a star truly being made in the process. It's a shame they feed Hangman to Punk just a few months later. Excellent stuff. The only real issue I have is Hangman clearly having Danielson beat and then the rematch being even more definitive. I feel as if Danielson were the one on top, there would be more reason to run it back, but largely that's a nitpick amongst a fantastic body of work."
[10.0] "Theres not better way in my mind to really legitimize a new and young champion than making him go an hour with Bryan Danielson. The match revolves around Danielson getting in Hangmans head and neutralizing the arm and the body. The match turns around and Hangman neutralizes Danielsons leg and that makes the ending sequence with all of the huge shots so much more believable because theyre doing these huge shots with hurt limbs. Its amazing that in an hour, there isnt really a dull moment, its all relatively non-stop. In the context of the trilogy, this match is awesome."
[9.0] "This should be in the textbook for In-ring Psychology 101. Masterful work selling their respective injuries. I can't in good conscience give it a 10 because of the commercial breaks and the time limit draw, although that does obviously set up the rematch."
[7.0] "This match is overrated. It's very slowly paced, even for a broadway. The 30 min rematch these guys have is much better, as is Danielson's broadway with MJF. I feel like this would have worked much better as a 30 min match. That being said there's a lot of great stuff in here, just spaced out too much."
[8.0] "Obviously a very good match, but I honestly feel the rematch is superior, if only because this one quite a few moments of stalling (particularly when Cage was being tended to for his head wound; not sure why there was no 10-count by the ref), seemingly to pad the 60-minute time..."
[9.0] "The greatest TV match probably ever. Hangman is a fiery babyface, and Bryan is a calculated and ruthless heel. Everything is thoughtful and drawn out in the best way possible. 60-minute matches aren't for everyone, but this one should be universally appealing. You've missed the point if you think this is too long. My only problem is I don't think I'll ever want to watch this again. I just don't think there's enough in this match to justify seeing it again. And while you can say that about lots of matches that go for 40+ minutes, some do stand out. This stands out because of its fundamental excellence and carefully crafted work, but not because it was a wonderful spectacle. But it's damn close. The highest of 4.75 Stars."
[10.0] "[5.0*] This match is so incredible, we see the best of Bryan and Hangman here, Bryan plays the heel in a sensational way in this match, he uses tricks and takes advantage of Hangman whenever he can while Hangman fights with his heart to retain his title against the biggest threat possible, this banger lasts for an hour and never gets boring. The exchanges between them were so incredible and intense, Bryan and Page faced each other for the first time in this match but from the chemistry they demonstrate here it seems like they have been facing each other for years, the chemistry between them was instantaneous. This match is not a spotfest, there are many cool spots but all with incredible construction and incredible execution, Bryan's technique and Hangman's skill were incredible. I really love Bryan's killer mode, he punished Hangman in so many ways, making him bleed, with knees, kicks, elbows, he's insane when he needs to be the heel of the match. The construction of the match for Hangman's victory was perfect, the face that surpassed his limits to win the match, his Lariat sequences at the end were incredible but time ran out and Bryan managed to survive and force Hangman to give him another match. Incredible storytelling and an all-time classic match."
[10.0] "This is a perfect example of how pro wrestling should be done, a perfect example how great pro wrestling can be. It was slowly paced and it reminded me a lot of those early 2000s ROH main events usually featuring Danielson. Speaking of Danielson: here he delivered what I consider one of the best individual perfomances in the history of professional wrestling. I don't want to say that he carried Hangman but goddam it, he was so fucking good here. Everything he did, from the actual excectuion of the manuevers to the psycology to the heel work, everything was top notch. Hangman was a great dance partner for BD, his comebacks and selling of the arm were really good and he also added all of his athleticism to the already full, technical background of this match. I also liked his williness to take some very hard bumps like the apron one and flying clothesline of the table. Both men had top-tier chemistry and the smoothness and the fluidity of certain sequences in unmatched. Absolutely insane. The last 10-15 minutes were just perfect with the highlight being Hangman landing on his feet following an avalanche back suplex and hitting a discus lariat. Everytime I watch this epic battle I remember why I love pro wrestling. One of my favorite matches of all time. 10/10 - 5*/5*"
[9.0] "A good big, well-constructed one-hour match. The story telling is interesting and despite its length it has remained relevant. The only negative point I can find is that I lacked interest in Page. Danielson is definitely on another level and yet I'm not his biggest fan when he's a heel. The audience is really into it and it's cool. (4*3/4)"
[8.0] "A very entertaining match, although the one major criticism I have is the long match stoppage where Hangman sells his head and shoulder injury on the outside. I'm not sure what the reasoning for that was other than just padding for time, but Bryan does his best to entertain the crowd with some heelish antics in the ring. Aside from that the match was excellent, just too long for the way the match is structured."
[10.0] "Maybe the best TV match of all time? Everything works. It's Bryan Danielson's greatest performance ever. The cockiness, the showboating, the way he works down Hangman with pin-point precision. He is viscous and it leads to a career performance from Hangman. You want to root for him as he slowly gains strength and solves the problem of besting the best wrestler in the world. His selling is sublime and both men time their moves perfectly. 60 minutes breeze by easily and you're left with one of the best matches of all time."
[10.0] "As much as I love Omega vs. Danielson/Syuri vs. Hayashishita, this right here is 2021's MOTY. Bryan is a "Man on a Mission", he has simple but at the same time effective plan - he's going to work on Hangman's arm so his Buckshot Lariat wouldn't be as deadly as it is in reality. Adam tries everything to avoid Dragon from doing so but Danielson is outclassing him all the time at every point of the match. Page isn't good enough to stop Bryan's genius plan, he will have to pay for it for the rest of the match and now Danielson is almost unbeatable for Hanger. Hangman finally gets to take the advantage when Danielson's shoot kick hit the ring post. Hanger realises that this is his only chance to win and he goes to working around the leg, so Dragon's strikes might be a little weaker. Adam in the middle of the match starts bleeding. Luck isn't on Adam's side right here but he never gives up. While Hangman is being checked by referees, Bryan is doing jumping jacks, what a fucking heel. Page despite everything Bryan put on him, still wrestles and he refuses to stay down. Eventually, Bryan makes mistake and Hangman uses it against him. The final 10 minutes of this masterpiece is rollercoaster fulled with amazing in-ring work, typical NJPW main event style and wonderful selling from both sides. Hangman after all finally hits his Buckshot Lariat, but after this match ends because of time limit. It's an honest, brutal and beautiful wrestling match, with Bryan putting one of the greatest performances from wrestler, ever."
[8.0] "I was there live and at the time I probably would have gone 10 on this. After the 60 minute matches that have happened this year, Id go 8.5 for this one. Television constraints held this one back some. They worked really well & Danielsons heel work was great. This match legitimized Adam Page for a lot of people. Credit to him."
[10.0] "Their matches together are excellent. Hangman Page is one of the very best in the company, putting on multiple of the companies best matches and this was one of them. I never really liked the Omega VS Danielson, so I was a bit worried that this would be similar. However, it ended up being one of the best feuds in the company ever. It is incredible they managed to go for a full hour draw and make it so exciting. Hangman needs to be seen as on the same level as Danielson, and treated as truly one of the best."
[10.0] "Wrestling masterclass. They wrestle an hour, but fill it with great structuring, pacing, storytelling moments, psychology and great character work. Especially Danielson, who gives one of his best performances ever, which is saying a lot."
[8.0] "I've already watched and rewatched this match and I still don't think it's great, it's a great match besides the fact that nobody expected a 60 minute draw, and even more so I much preferred the second match between them which was half the time of this one (****1/4)"
[10.0] "This is the kind of wrestling match that I enjoy, 2 wrestlers of this caliber going for an hour long on TV is not something that we get to see really often. Hangman really prove again that he really is one of the best wrestlers in the world that can match any style, he had really good chemistry with Danielson and they really make you feel every impact, every move and until the last moment you really didnt know what was going to happen. The fact that it was the feeling that Danielson was too big of a star to not put the belt on him made this match result felt like it was just a matter of how Danielson was going to win and a lot of people felt that Hangman was going to be only a transitional champ. I personally applaude that they decide to run with the younger champion and really make him do a statement by defeating Danielson, making him his first defense after taking the belt from Omega. Fantastic match that I cant recommend enought to any wrestling fan."
[9.0] "An absolute masterclass - brilliantly scripted and performed. For how brilliant and varied Danielson is technically, he is a ring general like few others can achieve. The combination of his vibrancy and intelligence is such a remarkable sight to behold, it's a 'shame-on-us' that US television and PPV hasn't made for lengthy matches that can breathe the full capacity of his air. I think only Tanahashi, though not physically, can provide the same effect, though the spirit is different: Bryan electrifies the brain while Tana tugs-at-the-heart. {I don't know why, but at some of the bigger Tana matches I've attended, G1 Finals and Tokyo Dome Main Events, I'll find myself choking-up whereas I rarely do that with DB. Instead, I'm touched cerebrally, amazed that someone can be so capable in every-single-way.} From the very first moment, we are in the best-of-hands, persuaded by his assuredness and vast experience. To his eternal credit, Page kept-up and pulled-it-together in-the-end, but it was Bryan's tremulous, hulking, straining-to-stand figure I was behind. I still have some DDT-NOAH-BJW to finish, but this may be my favorite 2021 match. somewhere between 4 1/4 - 4 3/5, 9.15-9.5, but I would have to rewatch to solidify it."
[5.0] "This is a 20-minute match stretched out to a full 60. Nothing about this match makes it a natural hour-long affair, but rather a forced one, with stop-start action which isn't justified by the actual wrestling that occurs. When the match is at its best, it still isn't particularly exciting and in all honesty, doesn't leave 3rd gear, even within the FULL hour. This match is an hour-long draw because the bookers thought that would be a cool thing to do, and what we got was the most forced hour-long match I have ever seen."
[10.0] "This is it. This is the pinnacle of professional wrestling. They actually fought like a world championship was on the line. This is what nearly all professional wrestling should be, they got it perfect. We need more matches like this."
[10.0] "The match against Omega was great and all, but this was, from beginning to end, just an absolutely flawless performance out of him. Every facial expression. Every strike. Every sell. The pacing. The variety of submissions and throws. The fact that there wasn't a single "rest hold" in any of the 60 minutes because he works every hold."
[10.0] "Absolute perfection of a match between Bryan Danielson and Hangman Page right here, hands down one of the best matches in the history of All Elite Wrestling and certainly one of the best TV matches ever on par with the Omega vs Danielson match that took place three months earlier, which is pretty good for a wrestler who had just completed his first three months in the company. Let's be honest, I can understand that very long matches like this are not everyone's cup of tea, quite honestly I don't like it either but it's impossible to think of anyone watching this match and being able to say anything negative about it because everything was so perfect. Every detail, every spot, every sequence, every attack, every comeback, everything was perfect once again and you definitely don't see the hour passing by. I felt like I was going back to the great Ring Of Honor era with this one hour time-limit draw, and that's good because the best wrestler in the history of this federation was participating. Both wrestlers deserve credit, both Danielson who dominated almost the entire thing but was never boring at all as he managed to innovate with moves, submissions, facial expressions, gestures to play with the crowd and always with such aggression. And obviously Hangman who also put on one of the best babyface performances I've ever seen, his selling was phenomenal and his comebacks were fantastic. The crowd never got tired, always reacted to everything and the ending didn't bother me at all, it was so well done. This is how an hour long bout should be booked and performed every time, clearly a match for the ages."
[9.0] "Amazing match with a great story to go with the action. Danielson pushes Page in his first defense and it was the rare hour draw without a slow, meaningless section."
[9.0] "Newly crowned champion Page is pushed to his absolute limit by the Final Boss of professional wrestling Bryan Danielson. Page is clearly outwrestled, but he pushes through and nearly gets the win at the end. Amazing match that immediately legitimized Hangman as a fighting champion and a top tier one at that."
[10.0] "Props to these two for going 60 minutes in a match and not having any dead moments but I can't go the full 5 because of the non finish. There was a bunch of great limb targeting in this that all mattered later on in the match besides Bryan's work on Hangman's leg early on. Hangman work on Bryan's leg affected him the rest of the match after Bryan missed a kick on the ring apron, and Bryan's limb targeting Hangman's arm/shoulder and his midsection was great. The stuff strikes in this all match were also great. Towards the end with neither man having a decisive advantage over each other was good stuff, but both men needed to go for the win more convincingly other than that superb stuff the whole match.****3/4"
[9.0] "Tremendously wrestled from start to finish. Told a great story and went at an incredible pace for the length they were going. Unfortunately, the poor timing of the commercial breaks made it hard to really find a believable false finish until the very end which is the one thing keeping this from being a full 5 stars or a full 10/10."
[10.0] "9.6 Amazing. A 60 minute match on TV, being the last thing you would expect to see made up for the fact that after 40 minutes it was pretty obviously going 60. I enjoyed every moment of this match."
[10.0] "The best match of 2021 and one of the best 60-minute draws I've ever seen. This match solidified Adam Page to be a fantastic singles performer while Danielson, as always, showed why he is the best in the world."
[8.0] "A really great match between these two. This match was very well-paced, although the blood was unnecessary, and that one hour is too long. But I didn't get bored at any time so that's a good aspect. ****1/4"
[10.0] "People who criticize the length of the fight and the result, saying that Danielson was protected not to lose, I tell you that you can't discredit a fighter like Bryan, because you are building a fighter that in the future you will see him lift the title and you will be excited, because you will see that he was finally built to be a great of the company, something that he already is in the history of pro-wrestling."
[9.0] "A slow-paced but meaningful game, Danielson is a master at playing with the mind of his rival, while hangman had exciting comebacks, being 60 minutes I perfectly understand the rhythm they took, what if I don't like it is the draw, I know wear that play with Danielson, [* * * * 1/2]"
[7.0] "I? m trying to write this review without needing to re-watch this match because, despite being rather good, I have no real desire to watch it once more. While watching the match, I definitely enjoyed it to a certain extent but I rarely thought it was great. In terms of making Page look good as champion, this accomplished what it needed. I didn? t come out of it anymore invested in him as champion but that? s not to say that he wasn? t good in the match. Both were. Bryan incorporated some of his signature spots to add some spice - which was helped by the blood - while Page got the crowd behind him. This had tons of dry-spots at times, including a dull Bryan control section early on where he attacked the ribs. The dramatic close to the finish wasn? t all that dramatic. This was a typical telegraphed 60 minute match. ***1/2"
[9.0] "Excellent match. This was Hangman's first defense and his first challenge as a World Champion and he was able to bring out his A game. Bryan played a great heel for Hangman. He was overly confident and mock the Champion and the fans at every turn. Bryan would dictate the pace of the majority of the match and he did a great job of doing so. The match had a slow pace as we were going 60 mins long. Despite a slow pacing, it never drag too much but I would have loved a faster pace near the end. Wasn't a fan of the blood work although I can see its appeal. The ending segment was great with both men targeting each other weakness although neither men had a clear advantage until the end when Page hit a vicious Buckshot only for the bell to ring to signify the 60 min time limit. The draw was obvious: There were spots that dragged a bit and the pacing was consistently slow but they managed to keep a nice flow and kept the crowd's attention the majority of the match which is one of the hardest things to do in an hr. long match. My issue is that they didn't go for the win until the final 5 mins, it felt like they went long for the sake of going long and there wasn't much urgency in the match. ****3/4"
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