[6.0] "Yeah I didnt really get much out of this tbh. This had good elements but in no way do I think this is one of AEW's best matches. The DVD on the bell looked brutal. It kept going and was ok for a bit but down the stretch is when the real issues started. So the main selling point of this match was about Danielsons family and while Swerve could get heat with that for a bit, they overdid it to the point that it was just corny. The spot where Bryan is getting kicked in the chest while screaming that he loves his kids is one of the most cringe things ive ever seen. Swerve then proceeded to no sell a Busaiku knee which was not needed at all but he really thinks hes all that I guess. Adam Page tried to get involved which made sense in theory but served no purpose so im not sure why that was needed when he didnt affect the outcome at all. The crowd there liked it at least and like I said, I can understand people liking this but it didnt do anything for me so I dont need to see this again"
[10.0] "Emotion carried the match. The action was also excellent, but it was the drama, the intense fight feel, the atmosphere of the All In main event at the Wembly stadium, the possibility of this being Bryan's last match, his family at ringside, 45000+ fans cheering for the challenger, all of these made this match special. Swerve served as the perfect foil to Bryan, he is one of the most dangerous men in this business and he tears down his opponents not just physically but psychologically as well, if anyone can stop Bryan for good, it's him and for the majority of the match, that's the story they told. The Champion held nothing bad, no line he wouldn't cross, he mentally provoke Bryan's family and even made Bryan's little girl cry. The match is one sided as expected, Swerve being so great as the agressor, both his ring work and character work was excellent, Bryan played a great underdog, on the last legs of his career but he just won't go gently into the good night. Hangman Page made an appearance, that distracted Swerve long enough for Bryan to get a second wind, I think this spot wasn't really necessary and thankfully, the match didn't end due to the indirect interference. This was an amazing match with beautiful storytelliny, there were a few bad spots and the small interference could have been a dealbreaker but fortunately, Sweve and Bryan managed to delivered a more than excellent match and the storytelling still works in spite of it. *****"
[10.0] "An excellent match. The storytelling is incredible, with Bryan Danielson as a babyface, the whole stadium behind him, and Swerve Strickland perfectly embodying the heel role. Danielson's kickouts work wonderfully on the crowd, and on me too. The last 10 minutes are sublime. (5*)"
[10.0] "It's march 2026, and I am rewatching some of my 5 stars rated matches. I had to lower some, because I felt they don't resist the "test of time", and lose all the emotion of a second time watching them. So, I can say without any doubt: this one didn't lost any emotion after almost 2 years: it's still amazing, still brilliant, and still leave me with teary eyes. Danielson understands wrestling like few ever did in history. I miss him in the ring very much. (*****)."
[10.0] "Bro, i watch this tonight, 2 years later 00:30AM, and I almost cry, the entrance is historic, the work with Bryan's family and neck injury, Swerve acting like a real villain, the bumps and the psychology, all of this makes tthis match the biggest match in AEW history in my opinion. And Bryan deserves a special retiring match and a memorial show like Aj Styles, he is the best wrestler in USA history"
[10.0] "I cried watching this match live lmao, if I could rate it an 11 I would. I've been watching Bryan's matches for the majority of my life, so watching him reach the top of AEW after what was thought to be a career ending injury made me feel like I was a little kid again. Bryan's performance here really does feel like a love letter, both to pro wrestling itself, and to his fans that have stuck with him through his career. Swerve was amazing as well, he played his role as a heel perfectly."
[10.0] "If you love Bryan Danielson and/or love pro wrestling, this is one of the ones to watch. So emotional! And a beautiful match and story throughout. I became a fan of Swerve Strickland this day and forever more. You can't have matches like this every day because the career of the American Dragon is summed up in this one match! Incredble, powerful, all the adjectives. Great job. Tears throughout, and as a father, it hits home really good."
[10.0] "The match that made me bawl my eyes out. The build up all year, knowing it's Bryan's last year, wanting to see him hold the belt one last time and having this match at Wembly. I love this match. Swerve is the dangerous heel that can just eat anything Bryan gives but Bryan being the best underdog in the history of the sport keeps going and going and going and with the crowd fully behind him....just a beautiful moment. Amazing match, but I highly recommended watching a ton of Bryan's promos building up to this, for context sake"
[5.0] "Well, I didn't like it. I didn't like the storytelling of the match or its outcome. You have a hot star like Swerve Strickland, but you're jobbing him out to a guy who's about to retire, thereby destroying the story, and not letting Swerve become a long-term main eventer. You might say that Bryan should have taken the title before he leaves, given his dedication and achievements. And you're probably right, but the thing is, they should have built a proper storyline beforehand--where Bryan at least beats his opponents, instead of losing to everyone (including Ospreay). The bookers seem to think that a sudden victory over a confident champ and a hot star is a good idea, but it's not. As a result, Swerve has downgraded and isn't getting titles, and Bryan, with that championship run, will be remembered for a really dull match with Jack Perry. And I don't like it when, under the guise of a victory, they push for sympathy. Swerve was a great face, and now he's portrayed as a bad, dumb guy when he shows aggression towards Bryan's wife and daughter. Meanwhile, Bryan didn't win as a face or in a clean way--he just won because Swerve got distracted by Page. The match itself was just a bunch of spots; it wasn't as exciting as Bryan vs. MJF, where most of the moves were basic but the storytelling made it feel like a big, epic event. Overall, this is a problem with current AEW -- it's now a show where random wrestlers face off and have matches filled with a bunch of moves. But these matches feel completely filler, like watching time pass, and it's really frustrating..."
[10.0] "An Absolute beautiful send off to one of the greatest pro wrestlers of all time. People may say that his match with Moxley at Wrestle Dream but I just don't care. This in my mind is his final match and it was everything you'd ever hope it could be and more. A war from Swerve and Danielson in a whole other category of legendary. This match will forever follow these two men and they should be proud it does.*****( 1/2 ) - Stars"
[10.0] "I'm struggling to find the words for this one. A legendary crowd for a match that was as emotional as any I've witnessed. I was moved to tears early and often, and never once felt that gripping emotion ripped away from me during this match. I'll concede that the wrestling itself wasn't the best I've ever seen, but the story, the crowd, and the emotion more than offset any of my thoughts to the contrary on the all-time classic. This was the epitome of storytelling in a professional wrestling ring, as these two played a song that anyone with a partner, kids, siblings, or a sense of compassion can feel. I wish I could watch this again for the first time because this emotional response is triggered in me by wrestling in a way nothing else consistently manages to. What a moment in time. I don't know if I want to go 4.75 or 5, but the emotion of this one deserves to be immortalized with the highest of ratings. 5 stars, 10 out of 10."
[6.0] "Pretty good match, Bryan Danielson performed like this really was gonna be his last wrestling match ever and Swerve was also great here, just showing no mercy towards Bryan. Some people really overhyped this match and Dave over-rated it with giving it a 5.25, I thought this was a solid 5 stars or even 4.75 stars. Plus, I hated, and I mean HATED that no sell of the Running Knee Swerve did, just brushed it off like it was nothing. I hated that moment, took me out of the match for a few minutes. I would've given this a 7, but thanks to that no-sell of the running knee from Swerve, it's a six"
[7.0] "I get the high praise, since it is a very well-liked wrestler (I also like Bryan) getting a big win in a big main event (in a stadium show, no less). And I am not here to say this match is bad. It is not. The match is, in fact, good. But there are many elements that prevent it from being great, at least for my particular taste. It mainly comes down to character work. Swerve is so over the top as a bad guy, and Danielson leans too heavily into the melodramatic. For Bryan, it doesn't affect much of his in-ring work, even if it detracts from the overall match quality. But in Swerve's case, he trades off the in-ring aggression in exchange for verbal aggression and "character moments". The worst of these moments is brushing off the busaiko knee like he's some kind of comic book villain. It undermines the overall feeling of the match, seeming out of tune with the rest. The good parts of this match are great, though. The initial limb work that informs the finish and the targeting of Danielson's neck are very sensible and mostly very well executed. Even if it makes no sense for Bryan to bleed from the front of the head after taking a Death Valley driver on the ring bell, the color makes the whole more dramatic."
[8.0] "Very, very good & heartwarming main event. Danielson and Strickland in all honestly didn't have to do much here. The crowd makes a lot of this match happen. That doesn't stop the two competitors from producing something special. I don't think its the most work-ratey match, and that's good. I do prefer this match pretty vastly over Danielson v. Ospreay from a few months prior. Negative wise, there's not much to say. I still think Swerve's flipping around and all that looks goofy, HOWEVER, almost every time in this match it does wind up costing him. I do wish the match was a bit more varied offense wise toward the end. It did add greatly to the drama, but it also felt like putting x3 finishers on on 2K. Danielson sells phenomenally here, and Strickland is presented to be such a beast. If I hadn't known who won beforehand, I'm almost certain this match would have stuck with me more than it did. Despite this, I really enjoyed it. I don't enjoy Danielson's title reign much, but this win here is special. I would have reworked some of the last couple of minutes. Great match, great moment. [****]"
[9.0] "[4.5*] Well, this had all the elements to be legendary and they just needed to play the right song. I am glad they did. Swerve showed up like the biggest Final Boss ever, looking like a man who could actually win, retire Bryan and do not give a single fuck about it. He played the heel role perfectly and even made Birdie cry. I actually do not think this was the best pure graps MOTY, I think Bryan vs Zack was better, specially on the 1st half of both matches where it was considerably better, but of course this one has all the emotion and drama points to add. It was a true rollercoaster, with a heart-stopping 2nd half. A lot of insane nearfalls and moments I legit thought Bryan was going to lose, like on that triple House Call spot where Bryan said he was sorry (fuck him man lmfao). But when Swerve started kicking him and he screamed to his family that he loved them, man, I knew Dragon was not letting that son of a bitch disrespect him no more. His comeback was simply electric, the whole arena echoed YES YES YES chants and the atmosphere became World Cup Final level, it was pure insanity. We got a Hangman cameo that did not distract from the match but also helped the story, so it was perfectly executed for me. Bryan hit the Busaiku Knee and we got a super false finish, I thought that was it, holy fuck. Swerve resisted until the last second like the champ he was born to be. Then Bryan hit a Busaiku Knee on Swerves back (Swerve should have just laid in the ground, his selling was kinda weird there) and made Swerve tap-out in a similar finish as his WrestleMania 30 title win. An out of body experience and a match that I will never forget. Not the MOTY, but surely the most emotional one as Bryans career was on the line."
[10.0] "Not only was this the best match of 2024 but this is still the best match in All-In history. Just one of those rare instances where you get the right story, the right crowd and the right environment to create magic. Swerve did an excellent job going heel for a few weeks regarding this program because it made the feud & match that much better. Bryan who is arguably the greatest wrestler of all time just has so many picture perfect moments & is the true underdog"
[10.0] "This remains the best of the three All In main events (so far) for me. It was better one wrestling-wise and despite having 1/10 (or less) of the build the other two had, it still managed to elicit much more emotion and drama imo. Although there were few low, slower moments and it took few minutes to really get going, I still think it deserves the 10/10 for how engaging it is and its high rewatchability."
[10.0] "It's hard to put to words on how much of masterpiece this truly is. The in ring work was just absolutely stellar, the storytelling and stakes within the match are just off the charts perfection, literally every single emotion was felt throughout the match, Swerve played as an incredible heel, loads of credit given to him, and Bryan just had the performance of a lifetime, actually winning the match and won the AEW World Title for the first time. Just pure perfection in both action and storytelling in all professional wrestling for the best wrestler of all time in Bryan Danielson."
[10.0] "What a moment, what a match. This was just tremendous to watch, every minute of it was fun and exciting, it had the stipulation of Danielson's Career Vs Swerve's Title which made it 1000x more exciting. It was just the pure hype going into the match and the pure joy after the match ended with Danielson overcoming the odds and defeating Swerve for the title. It's the moments like this in professional wrestling that make me keep watching, there's just something about it. The match itself was great, with Swerve dominating Danielson early on. It just had it all, Danielson's technical style and Swerve's more powerhouse style really meshed together and created something out of this world. Not to overhype it, this match wasn't 10/10 or a 5 star classic, but i'd be lying to myself if i said i didn't enjoy it thoroughly. This match is a must-watch, absolutely no doubt about that, but it's more of a "must-watch" for the PURE vibes of the match itself than the actual content of the match. Either way, superb."
[10.0] "What a moment. I remember going into this expected Bryan would retire and he had no chance to win. So my shock when he beat Swerve at the top of his game in a fantastic emotional match was massive. This match was proof to me that BD is the greatest of all time. Two fantastic wrestlers putting on an amazing bout."
[8.0] "Don't know why but this doesn't hit that hard for me. Both wrestlers are amazing performers, obviously. It just.... I don't know I think it would benefits them more to have like a NJPW PPV 40-something minute match. The first 10-15 minutes is solid, but not as exciting as I would expected. HOWEVER. After that "fighting spirit" spot everything kicked into gear and it was AMAZING. Glad that Danielson got to be AEW world champion and for Swerve to really legitimize himself as one of the modern greats."
[10.0] "An all time classic. Bryan had one of the best babyface performances I've ever seen, and Swerve played his role perfectly as well. The in ring work is impeccable. My 2024 Match of the Year"
[10.0] "This was everything it needed to be what a match, just wow, Danielson sturggling early on after a death valley driver onto the ring bell. Swerve destroying danielson infront of his family, Danielson starts mounting comebacks but they keep getting stopped but the heart in danielson doesnt go out. Swerve even brushes off a Knee from danielson to shock, Hangman does get involved due to his hatered of swerve which completely turns the tide to danielson as he hits 2 knees then locks in the labelle lock which swerve escapes but danielson wraps the arm into it as well to foce swerve to tap. What a match wow. The Celebration and all as well. Danielson telling his family im sorry during it to was beautiful. its sad to see how danielson career does end with the death riders stuff but this here was great."
"To me, this was everything a big, feel-good main event should be. Swerve's offense looks so good and Bryan's blade job, although illogical, really raised the stakes and increased the sympathy for him. The story of this potentially being the end of Bryan's career was simple but effective, especially him channelling his love for his family while Swerve was kicking him, incredibly tough spot."
[9.0] "Fucking Masterpiece. Hätte niemals gedacht das Danielson am Ende mit dem Titel da steht, da die Bühne einfach der perfekte Ort war um die Schuhe an den Nagel zu hängen. Die Entrances waren ne 11/10. Wie 50k Leute The Final Countdown singen war unglaublich. Match war wrestlerisch vielleicht nicht das beste aller Zeiten aber dennoch unglaublich stark und die Emotionalität macht es zu einem der besten Matches die ich je gesehen habe. Absoluter feel good moment. (****3/4)"
[10.0] "godly match and a great moment from Bryan to finally ascend the mountain in AEW. This match worked so well tension at its highest boosted by a extremely hot crowd that it was a other worldly experience to be a part of starting all the way from both men's entrances to the time Swerve tapped out to one of the biggest pops I have ever heard, Bryan as usual was in his bag this match as was swerve and it was amazing to to see Danielson in person for the first time from him shouting i love you to his kids as Swerve was battering him to him kicking out of the Big Pressure. A masterclass in in ring story telling with the title vs career stipulation and also how it tied in with the hanger swerve feud Hangman kept his promise to cost swerve the title. Easily a top 3 match of 2024 IMO (*****1/2)"
[10.0] "Okay so I come into this with some bias. That being this is legit my favorite match ever. Everything about this was perfect imo. Danielson's entrance, the "Final Countdown" theme song, the crowd singing it along with all their hearts. Man, even just that alone gives me the chills. The stakes was massive, Swerve actually being a realistic challenger to winning the match, and Danielson obviously in his last reign having commited to to retiring once he loses the belt and the reign ends. Man this was special. Bryans family being so prevelant on camera throughout the match only added to the stakes, his daughter should persue becoming a actor one day as her crying while seeing Swerve destroying her father inring absolutely sold me , I actually started caring so much that I was swearing Swerve as he was playing the heel character to perfection. The inring wrestling I am sure speaks for itself (I mean look at the two wrestlers involved) it was always going to be a banger in that regard. But everything outside of that was absolute perfection aswell, Danielson doing the front flip dive to the outside of the ring a few minutes in like he is 19 years old, and the massive reaction that alone got from the crowd just about perfectly summed it up imo. Absolute masterpiece , easily one of the best matches and moments ever, and as I said earlier , number 1 for me when it comes to my favorite ever matches. 10/10. Once in a lifetime moment."
[10.0] "Nana doing the dance in front of Bryan's kids, Bryan screaming I love you while getting his chest kicked in, Swerve shrugging off a Running Knee. Ton of great moments in this match, worthy of what is perhaps Bryan's final main event."
"What a banger, this by far my favourite match i've seen in AEW, and from Danielson. The tension of the match and the final with the transition between the soumission was simply perfect"
[10.0] "As someone who has been watching Danielson from 2009 onward, this is my favorite match I've ever seen from him. Not to mention Swerve was on another level here. Easily his best work as a villain, maybe overall. My favorite AEW match I've seen to date."
[10.0] "This right here is a classic, I loved every second of it from start to finish. I'm a sucker for Career vs Title type of situations because it just brings the in ring storytelling to another level & both Bryan & Swerve did an outstanding job. Match of the year"
[10.0] "Bryan Danielson is the best wrestler of the world. And Swerve Strickland is the next big thing. There is nothing more to say. This was 100% banger, I think I cried at the end."
[10.0] "I can't put into words how much I adore this match. Danielson proved time and time again that he's the best professional wrestler in the world. Swerve played the role of the dastardly heel amazingly. Emotionally captivating and compelling match that serves as a love letter to the career of The American Dragon."
[10.0] "I had to finally surrender to all the in-ring quality that Daniel Bryanson always had, I think maybe because of a bit of tribalism, I've always had a problem with AEW and its style of wrestling as if it were a ballet, but here there is nothing to doubt or deny, all the storytelling that is told through each movement, all the kickoffs and finishers make this fight simply the best that AEW has ever provided and a reminder that yes, Danielson really is all of that. But you shouldn't forget the incredible rise of swerve here, knowing how to play the role of a heel, of playing this dirty, cheating guy so well, who you hate knowing he's a badass, is one of the qualities of this incredible fight"
[10.0] "This match was absolute cinema. Title vs Career, storytelling was perfect, and the wrestling was great. Danielson wrestled most of the match with a face red with blood. This was spectacular."
[9.0] "I thought it was great not quite perfect or 10 territory though. Lots of great action and great chemistry between these two that being said I never really liked the build of the match. Swerve just randomly turns heel for this storyline and this storyline alone. I was also a fan of Swerves run and didn't want to end just yet but I admit Danielson winning the title was needed at some point and should have happened after brawl out. Anyways poi t was a great match build could of been better."
[10.0] "Both workers are best-in-class, however not the best in-ring match for either man. The story-telling was simple yet so perfect. And what a moment for Danielson in the tail-end of his full-time career."
"I am sad for not watching this match live, I took a break from wrestling in 2024 and I'm now catching up but although its still a great match watching it now I think the emotionality and unpredictability carried it a bit. Also Page's interference was not necessary in my opinion. A really good match with one of the most emotionally engaging posible outcomes."
[10.0] "The Emotion, buildup and great in ring classic with 50k+ strong crowd cheering for Veteran Babyface while booing at Badass Heel just makes it perfect"
[10.0] "Really good story telling in the ring and to this match. Reminds me of Wrestlemania 30 in terms of emotion this match invoked. Atmosphere of crowd was excellent and Swerve killed it playing the heel in this match too. One of the greatest moments in wrestling in 2024 for me."
[10.0] "A match so good that none of the dogshit build detracted from it and now in hindsight I can say Danielson's pointless run with the title hasn't ruined the match either. Just a great big match feel and two performers rising to the occasion."
[8.0] "This was amazing moment and I also felt a bit emotional bcoz it felt a lot like WM30 even though it was a bit too melodramatic for me, even the build was bad with Bryan acting like he's not interested in winning. Also in hindsight, I am changing my rating now bcoz this moment has diminished in my opinion as the follow up had been quite terrible and very convuloted in my opinion. Darby was supposed to face him in NY but then Nigel had that match without the title on the line in NY and Darby put his title shot in the line to Moxley. Then the Perry program was stupid and the moxley/death riders saga has been so bad."
[9.0] "Okay, listen. Yes, I'm not giving this a 10/10 like everyone else. No, I don't think that's making me "edgy" or "different" or whatever. I think it might have to do with Adam Page's interference. As another reviewer brought up, it kind of takes me out of this a little bit. I feel as though, if Page was going to interfere, it should have meant something. If you wanted Page there, he probably should have cost Strickland the title. However, if you don't want to do that, then I think Page just shouldn't have been there at all. Either way, this was still a fantastic main event and my favorite match on the show. Danielson finally becoming the World Champion was just an amazing moment."
[10.0] "This match was incredible. The crowd and just the atmosphere and feel around this match felt like a stadium show main event. Incredible in the ring. Great story. *****"
"[10.0] One of the best matches I have seen and will ever see. I'm so happy I went to see this live and I have never felt so happy ever when Bryan won. Truly a feeling that cannot be replicated and its another one of those crowning moments for my WOTY 2024 and one of the best of all time"
[10.0] "The best match I've ever seen live and one of my favourite matches of all time. Bought into this completely from the video package, the entire stadium being so behind Danielson gave this so much aura, and once the match got going it resulted in some of the most emotional wrestling I've ever seen. So many individual moments I adored, Swerve no selling the busaiko knee, Danielson screaming that he loves his family while taking pure punishment, it's perfect wrestling melodrama and the place exploded with every bit of heel heat and babyface comeback. Just one of the best things I've ever seen."
[10.0] "It wasn't the most technically perfect clinical match I was expecting, it was a freaking MOVIE. The aura this match had was amazing, starting with the video package, the entrances, the blood, and all the looks toward Bryan's family. Hangman appearing completely psycho, Bryan kept resisting, and finally, the villain was defeated. WOW. This was awesome. Thank you, wrestling!"
[10.0] "While this wasn't a retirement match, per se, I feel similarly to this match as I do to Sting's earlier in the year. And what this match lacks in historical callbacks it makes up for in pure emotion and two fleshed-out, sensical characters battling for the top prize in the company with incredibly high stakes on both sides. A huge crowd is fully invested, Hangman's appearance allows for that story with Swerve to continue in a way that still doesn't cheapen the end result, and a happy Wembley Stadium erupts with a significant title change and the feeling of knowing their hero will live to fight another day. The very best of pro wrestling."
[10.0] "AEW World Title vs the career of Bryan Danielson, it doesnt get much bigger than that. The build to this match was to make it as unpredictable as possible, which can be very difficult in these circumstances but AEW did that superbly. You really didnt know which way this one was going to go, this was a brawl but an extremely emotional one. The moment where Swerve is repeatedly hitting Danielson with his own signature kicks, but Bryan fights against it while screaming I love you to his family is enough to tug on anyones heart strings. Swerve, who transferred seamlessly into the heel role, looked fantastic even in defeat and was the perfect opponent for Bryan in this kind of match. I can see why some people might not like the Hangman interruption, but for me personally it just added to the match and another layer of this incredible story we saw being told. The moment of Danielson standing tall with his family by his side, was just the perfect way to cap off AEWs biggest show of the year."
[10.0] "Great match and still a MOTY contender a few months later as we get close to the end of the year. It's a shame this didn't lead to a good Bryan title run or anything of note but the match itself and moment still feel great."
[10.0] "[5, 75 Stars] WOW It was magnificent! I felt so much emotion during the entire match, the suspense was CRAZY. I was scared on every Swerve pinfall because I didn't want to see Danielson retire. The match was really very good, it lacked nothing: excellent in-ring action, drama, suspense, even the entrances were impressive: Final Countdown echoing through Wemblay Stadium, I was on my feet, or even Westside Gunn making Swerve's entrance, it was just too good. It's simply my 5th favorite all-time match! (*****.75)"
[7.0] "Disappointed this didn't hit for me in the way it did for everyone else. The family melodrama and all the absurd finisher kickouts was just too over the top and detracted from an otherwise enjoyable match. Cringed at moments like Bryan shouting "I love you so much" at his kids whilst brushing off Swerve's kicks, Swerve's bad acting when Bryan kept kicking out of all his big moves. It felt like an anime, but not a convincing one."
[10.0] "This match was so much all tied into one story. The knowledge that we knew Danielson was going to be retiring, the rise from good wrestler to MEGASTAR that Shane Strickland has been on, the biggest wrestling show in AEW history, and tying in the other elements like Adam Page being there. This match was Bryan Danielson overcoming an absolute monster. The no sell of the Running Knee from Swerve was absolutely incredible, and Swerve was wrestling the match like he was trying to murder Bryan, which made the hope spots and overcoming the pain mean so much more."
[10.0] "A masterpiece! What a match! Nothing I type can do this justice! Both men left everything out there. This did not rely on the spots, this is art!"
[10.0] "(10.0) Match of the year for AEW, absolutely tremendous and such a great environment to have been in live. Also my first time ever seeing Bryan live. Swerve is going to be a future legend, a great first title reign."
""I was there in person. As the cameras shut off and people started to shuffle towards the exit, the barricade broke down and I walked towards the ring among many others. I stood before Danielson and saw him as he celebrated in the ring, holding that golden belt aloft, and my eyes were agape and my hands clenched. The reality I had seen on TV now inhabited a space in which I too stood and it seemed so much larger than life. Bryan, in that moment, was not a person in our eyes, but an icon similar to heroes of antiquity. I loved every moment and my love of wrestling has increased three-fold ever since. Perfect as nothing ever is. Forgive my flowery prose, but this was my first live show of this scale, and what a show it was. 10.0""
[10.0] "AEWs match of the year in my opinion. To me, this match shows that even 10 years later Bryan Danielson has a connection with the crowd like no other. What a match - edge of my seat the last 5 minutes."
"(10.0) I have really nothing to say about the match as far as criticism goes because there's nothing to complain about. The best part of this match is that Bryan Danielson comes out first and then Swerve comes out with a Bun B remix to his theme, so Bryan Danielson is at least subconsciously aware that Bun B exists and one step closer to bumping "My Block" off of II Trill which is just fantastic."
[10.0] "Perfektes Match.Das war einfach überragend, Storytelling auf allerhöchstem Niveau, dazu eine Atmosphäre die einfach großartig ist, beide übertreiben es auch nicht mit Nearfalls, das war einfach nicht nötig. *****"
[10.0] "It really made me root for Bryan Danielson once again and also swerve is great at badass heel but bryan is always number one face to connect with audience."
[10.0] "This match is so exceptional, so captivating. One of the highlights of the match was that the result was not guaranteed, the number of times I thought Bryan Danielson wasn't going to get up and retire, my God. This is without doubt my favourite Swerve Strickland & Bryan Danielson match, from the entrances to the end of the match the atmosphere was crazy, the stadium was on fire. I'll never forget it."
[10.0] "This is what climatic wrestling should be, both men throw everything at each other, and it's not a build to a final move or climatic spot, but it's when one man's spirit is just greater than the other."
[10.0] "Everything about this match was superbly done. The emotion in the stadium at the end of a long show was amazing. Swerve proved again how good he is and Bryan again proved himself to be one of the greatest of all time"
[10.0] "This match is fantastic. From the vignettes, to the entrances, to the crowd, to the work rate, this match is absolutely ELITE. Im not one for the big moves and spot fests that AEW usually has in their matches. The only time I typically enjoy spot fest matches are when Kenny Omega wrestle (obviously hes out). However this match didnt need any type of big moves. The work rate with these guys was incredible. Their chemistry was clear. Danielson put over Swerve even in a winning effort, Swerve still came out looking like $1, 000, 000. Prince Nana in this match was incredible. Him hyping up the crowd and dancing on Danielsons family while their father was getting STOMPED OUT had me dying! This may be the best match since the Roman v Cody 2 at Wrestlemania 40, which is my favorite match of all time. Danielson, I was hoping you retire but clearly you still know how to tell a story in the ring and can still go. I hope Swerve gets over Adam Paige soon because that interference took this match from a 10 to a 9. Other than that, perfect match."
[10.0] "Wow just wow. I wish I could describe my emotions during this match. Ive been watching Danielson since I was a kid and there were so many times during this match I looked over at my friends and said its over :(. They did an amazing job getting emotions out of me during this match and ofc the match itself was amazing I didnt just have an emotional tie to the match. The structure, moments, crowd and the sheer emotion from everyone makes this one of the best matches in AEW and for me one of the best matches ever."
[10.0] "This is probably one of the best matches I have ever seen in my entire life of watching professional wrestling. It is the only match I have ever cried while watching it. The atmosphere created by the story between what Bryan was going through during the match and his kids' reactions to his suffering and struggle put this match into a whole different level in terms of emotional storytelling and in-ring psychology. When Bryan was getting hit by Swerve's kicks while repetitively yelling " I love you! " to his kids It was just a magical moment and got me really emotional. Thank you professional wrestling for making me this happy, thank you AEW."
[10.0] "Yea danielson is the greatest of all time, what a wrestler, the story with his family at ringside and some of the nearfalls were amazing. I haven't had such an out of body experience since cody v roman. ................. (edit) On rewatch this match is better than the first time I watched it."
[10.0] "I've waited some time to re-watch this match and finally pour a rating here, to see how it holds up and if still is one of my favorite matches of all time, and it absolutely does, this is a masterpiece, the peak of our beautiful sport, extremely meaningful and emotional, a moment people will never forget, the best moment of many lives, and definitely one of my favorite moments ever as a wrestling fan. We all love Bryan Danielson, we all wanted him to win and become the AEW World Champion, and the Title vs Career stipulation is completely frightening, we are not ready to say goodbye to him, to one of the best professional wrestlers of all time... everyone has Danielson in some kind of GOAT list of favorite list, he's a special worker, and honestly, wrestling is at its best when matches have so much emotion and tell compelling stories, attached to real life feelings, with high stakes and huge unpredictability. This one will ever be an all-timer classic, because of how much it meant to everyone that was watching, even if you're not very involved here, it's impossible to not feel the tension and the greatness that we're witnessing. Bryan's entrance with Final Countdown gives me chills every time, I've re-watched it uncountable times, but after seeing the whole stuff again, what impressed me is how cool Swerve's entrance was... I was extremely involved and absolutely HATED Swerve for that day, so I couldn't even appreciate his aura, he was the #1 enemy of my life that day, which is a pretty cool thing and when this happens, then you know the match was historic. The work that they did with Bryan's family was superb, the first half of the match wasn't explosive, but it was necessary and told the story it needed to, it was perfect on what it should've been, and it made Swerve look like a full heel again, as he put Danielson into the underdog role after making him bleed and humiliating him in front of his wife and kids. The Dragon comeback was massive, when he ate those kicks while looking at his family, and punched Strickland two times as hard as he could, that was one of the best moments in wrestling history for me, it's so simple but at the same time so effective and remarkable, amazing. This was probably the match that I was most involved in my life, I was doing every move together with Danielson, screaming at the top of my lungs and reacting to absolutely everything. The final moments are tense as hell, with a lot of nearfalls, I love how every time Swerve hits a finisher the stadium gets dead silent, and when Bryan hints a comeback or do some big move, the 'YES' chants erupt. Matches like this doesn't happen often, because of how hard it is to put those factors together, it's unique, there will never be a match like this again, and I value a lot these things, they are truly magical. This is a very very special match, filled with tension and drama, super compelling, highly unpredictable, and the fact that it happened in front of a crazy crowd, in Wembley, puts this one into that greatest matches ever conversation, simply outstanding - {*****}"
"[9.0] An amazing match Between two amazing wresters on an amazing ppv. This match was so close to being perfect. The story telling between Danielson and Swerve lead to a undeniable banger. Danielson can go man. Hes still so awesome. And the emotional night all together. The stipulation that was put on i genuinely didn't know who was gonna win or not. Just an emotional match i couldn't ask for anything better. Bravo! *****."
[9.0] "What a match ! Truly helped Bryan character and development and i'm sure is the start of a nice run/story for him. The spot where Swerve just hit his knee and stay on his feet perfectly summarize the match. Nice camera/production work on the entire match. Could have been a 10 but the chemistry ain't perfect between the two, yet they still did amazing."
[9.0] "8.5 match, but 10 moment. AEW is very good at creating matches, but this was all about creating the moment and in this somewhat rare instance for AEW they've delivered 100%. Everything clicked and Bryan Danielson might have created one of his finest, if not the finest, wrestling masterpieces."
[9.0] "Excellent hard hitting and well told main event, definitely up there for match of the year. Great pageantry, Danielson's entrance gave me a strong dose of goosebumps I haven't felt in a while. The brutal and methodical pace of the start of the match allowed Swerve Strickland as a heel champ to really shine. Monologuing to the camera, traumatizing Danielson's kids and witerally hitting the Gwiddy was just diabolical, I feel like if he didn't share a roster with MJF and Christian Cage his skills as a heel would get talked about more. Brilliant climax. While I never believed Danielson wasn't going home with gold, Swerve and the commentary team do a great job at selling you the idea that Danielson was done although I could've done without the medical staff as I find Danielson's post retirement gimmick of being genuinely hurt to be a tad distasteful. What was surprisingly tasteful was a run in from a disgruntled "Hangman" Adam Page who doesn't overtly interfere with the match but causes a believable distraction before getting escorted. Danielson's babyface comeback was fantastic as well especially when paired with a Hulk up if Hulk Hogan's gimmick was that he loved his kids. Glad Danielson finally got the belt and hopefully we get more barn burners like this before he moves himself into the part time roster"
[10.0] "The definition of a main event. The only flaw was danielson kicking out of 3 house calls and the JML driver but i guess it shows FIGHTING SPIRITTTT. Regardless its a perfect match with nothing of note i would change, the raw emotion portrayed by danielson was everything i have no words, chefs kiss. SWERVE GOT THAT BAG the brainbuster tho"
[10.0] "Danielson's kids in the front row added an extra layer to the story of the match that couldn't be replicated anywhere else. This is my match of the year so far due to the effort of these two men and the trauma they inflicted on Danielson's kids."
[10.0] "This is a match that truly does not have a single flaw. Every aspect of this match is perfection. The pace, the tone, the body language of both men at any point can tell the story of that exact moment in the match. Bryan plays such a fantastic valiant babyface, that is no surprise. Swerve however delivers his best performance ever as Bryan's final boss. An unforgettable match that resulted in one of the most special moments of the year. *****"
[10.0] "Gänsehaut pur! Einer der besten Wrestler aller Zeiten konnte seine Karriere retten. Im Stadion war es emotional und das Match war perfekt umgesetzt. Das Story Telling war 1+. Ich muss daher Volke Punkte geben. *****"
[10.0] "Easily the most anticipated fight on this card and maybe the biggest AEW match this year. The storyline is perfect and the buildup was unique, we knew we were going to witness pure greatness. Swerve is ready to end a doubting Danielson's career, and he'll do anything to. That moment where Swerve tells to Danielson's daughter that he gives her what she wanted is wild. Bryan Danielson comes back in the fight by drawing strength from the support of his family. The doctors coming to check on Danielson after the Vertebreaker just before a Swerve Stomp is well placed. AEW's production was on point for this fight, thank you. I love the spot where Danielson takes an House Call while trying to reach for his family. The fighting spirit allowing Danielson to come back in the match shows how overconfident Swerve was. From there to the finish, it's exactly why wrestling is fantastic, between Hangman's interference and that Busaiku Knee in the neck followed by a crossface, perfect. I won't hide that Danielson is my favourite wrestler of all time but it's so sweet that Danielson has this last full-time run, just greatness."
[10.0] "A match for history books. Superb sequences, incredible intensity, suffocating suspense and an exceptional atmosphere. In-ring quality: 2.75/3 Stakes: 2/2 Justification: 1/1 Place on the map: 1/1 Suspense: 1/1 Bonus/Malus: Unforgettable context and atmosphere +0.5. Total: 10.25/10. Match seen on site"
[10.0] "The magnum opus which encapsulates the storied career of Bryan Danielson. Its a match which highlights the love Danielson has had for wrestling but also with something which has transcended the love for his wrestling, which is his love for his family. Bryan, here not only fights to protect his career but also protects his right to retire on his own terms, something he was not able to do when he was forced to retire in 2016. He also fights to prove to his children that even when faced with extremely difficult tasks, love can prevail over all. To his credit, Swerve was also in his greatest form here, having proven to be the ace of AEW in 2024, looked unbeatable till the final few moments of the match. He was operating on an another level, taking apart one of the GOATs in Bryan It resulted in a emotionally fueled match, with probably the greatest moment in the American Dragons career. It rivalled the pure elation fans had when he won 10 years ago at Wrestlemania 30, the last hurrah before he retires from his full-time career.It was absolutely important for AEW to have Bryan be in their world champtionship lineage before he retired from full-time wrestling, and once the final bell had rung, and the title was wrapped around his waist, it showed why it was the absolute right call in having him go over. Swerve will probably regain the championship again in the future as he has such a great career ahead of him, but this is most certainly the last time we will see Bryan hold the world title in any company, so its nice that he was crowned at the biggest stage AEW has to offer, which is Wembley Stadium in front of a large crowd. Have to go *****+ here, as it was such a beautifully crafted match where everyone shown bright."
[10.0] "Excellent match, great storytelling, danielson and swerve put on a clinicDef one of my fav Daniellson matches but prob not as good as his match with Ospreay, that has to prob be the best in ring match Ive seen of his but the story here for the feud was great, and the story of the match with his family at ringside was great kinda wish maybe Brie got involved at ringside but either way great stuff, great end to a great ppv honestly a better show than last years for the most part!"
[10.0] "I've been marinating on this match for a couple weeks now and by god if I don't still think it's the match of the year. Even just based on action alone it was incredible, you've got two of the best in the world going at it tooth and nail, but it really surpassed that. The idea that it really could have been Bryan's last match sunk home as I was gearing up to watch, I didn't think it would be but there were real seeds of doubt that it could be the end of the line for maybe the best wrestler to ever live. The sheer emotion of the match pushed it over the top, moments that could have fallen flat like Strickland absorbing the running knee or Bryan shouting his love for his family as he fought through the Strickland battering the hell out of him instead landed home perfectly and the fans ate up every second of it. A true, genuine all time classic, much love to both wrestlers who are just too damn good."
"10/10. This match was pro wrestling magic. The exchanges between Swerve and Bryan were nothing short of incredible, the shot of Danielson powering up through the love of his family was moving and Swerve brushing off the knee led to an incredible moment that really made you think that Bryan might lose. As the match progressed and the crowd were biting on every near all the action accelerated. Swerve hitting 3 house calls and a JML driver really had me thinking that Danielson would lose. But then when Danielson locked in the Lebell lock the atmosphere was absolutely electric. An incredible match between the best wrestler of the year and the greatest wrestler of all time. An instant classic and a phenomenal ending to Swerves title reign"
[9.0] "Ein absolutes Topmatch von beiden mit dem emotionalen Aufbau als Danielsons potenziell letztes Match, oder dem Ende von Swerves starker Regentschaft. Als Highlight Spot muss ich den Top Rope Tiger Suplex rauspicken, aber auch wenn der Rest weniger spektakulär war, so war es trotzdem durchweg großartig geworkt. Es passte einfach so vieles zusammen und lebte neben der Action auch von den Momenten. Kleinere Schönheitsfehler, die mich von der Höchstnote abhalten, waren für mich der Bladejob von Bryan auf der Stirn, nachdem er mit dem Hinterkopf bzw. Nacken auf die Ringglocke geworfen wurde, den "I love you" Spot fand ich sehr kitschig, Hangman Auftritt hätte in so einem Match nicht sein müssen und den kompletten No Sell des ersten Busaiku Knees habe ich nicht verstanden. Im Gesamtbild sind das aber nur Kleinigkeiten und sollen nicht schmälern, dass AEW hier mal wieder einen absoluten Hammer Main Event rausgehauen hat. Toller Schlusspunkt für eine Wembley Show."
"10/10. This is the best match of AEW. The emotional rollercoaster ride that I went through this match is UNREAL. Probably the most emotional I've ever been watching wrestling. Bryan Danielson is The Best Wrestler In the World. Swerve performance here was exceptional. This match had everything- The BIG FIGHT FEEL, Final Countdown, The Perfect Crowd, Huge Stakes, Unforgettable Moments and STADIUM main event. I will always remember Dragon's fighting spirit with looking at his family , powering up saying "I LOVE YOU SO MUCH". This is the proof THAT PROFESSIONAL WRESTLING IS BEAUTIFUL."
[10.0] "Amazing match. Danielson saying "I love you" to his family while powering through the kicks is an all-time moment. Swerve felt like a proper final boss -- the drop on the ring bell was gnarly. Huge emotional catharsis on a well told story. If the rating system allowed for finer grains, I would have this at 9.75/10, as I would have liked Danielson's come back to be a bit longer and more contested -- Swerve brushing off the first Busaiku Knee was an awesome moment, that could have been better with some more time to breathe. But this is picking nits, the match was great."
[10.0] "I genuinely believe this is an all time classic and is arguably by far better than the win at wrestlemania, seeing this live and feeling the fan base and all the emotions throughout this match was just perfect in every way. Bryan Danielson proved why he is the best in the world and Swerve showed yet again he can do pretty much anything in a ring, I dont think there could have been a better opponent. It was near perfect perfect in every way.."
[10.0] "One of the greatest matches I ever watched! The storytelling of the Final Countdown for Bryan was great and the performance was really good! I know this doesn't really factor into the match however the entrances were awesome aswell.The outcome was totally correct also.This has become my new favourite wrestling match ever! My only concern after this match is how Bryan's title run is gonna play out considering he only has 3 months before his proposed retirement from his profession."
[9.0] "Great match. Efficiency 5 kept my attention the whole time. Danielson has a way of bringing you in to the match and making everything mean something so the whole match is intriguing. Execution 4.5 as usual, both these guys put in the effort to make everything, even what most other wrestlers see as throwaway strikes, look good. Story 4.5 great story with Dragons family, only downside was the needless Hangman interference. This and the next 2 things I look at in a match are what has made Danielson one of the GOATs. His matches always tell a story and he tells those stories well. Swerve is in that same mindset and always does a good job too. Immersion 4.5 hangman threw off the experience. Otherwise the selling, facial expressions, body language, and crowd interactions were awesome. Intangibles 4.5 crowd was super into this. Dragon and Swerve both have presense and feel like big deals. The Hangman spot tool away from this a bit but it was great overall."
[10.0] "This match was from the beginning until the end pretty much the match of the year. Being in Front of that match inside wembley stadium made every moment during it more special. One of the highlights was when swerve brushed of danielsons finisher and the Look on his face. From the match side and the Story behind it that match is easy a 10."
[10.0] "I have never in my life gone back and forth more on who was going to win a match, I love both of these guys and their characters so much, this was perfection, on the biggest stage, with the biggest stakes. I wanted Danielson's name on that titles lineage for so long, and am so happy tonight wasn't him going home empty for good. I can't wait for more of what's to come for Danielson, and Swerve can now pivot back into his blood feud with Hangman, which needs to reach it's final conclusion. This match is one of the best ever in AEW, and unlike many others it happened on the biggest possible stage, It isn't my favorite AEW match and it wasn't close just purely based on it's in ring action, but it tied together the story, the crowd, the psychology, and every other possible thing you can attribute to a match in a way few other matches anywhere have ever done, this match alone adds prestige to not just Danielson, not just Swerve, not just the World Title, not just All In, not just AEW, but wrestling as a whole. This makes our sport better. I haven't fealt this way about a match's story and overall feel since Omega and Okada's last meeting. Schiavone said it best on commentary "this is why we love wrestling", 10/10. MOTY contender, but not on the quality of the in-wring wrestling which was great but not as great as matches like Ospreay - Takeshita or Ospreay - MJF 1 or Ospreay - Danielson, I think I've made my point, instead it is based off the overwhelming story and the absolute buzz of the crowd. This match was an emoional experience but it fell short of bringing me to tears like Okada and Omegas feud did, I feel this match only falls short to that in terms of story in my head because it was stand alone and not part of a long storied rivalry. I love pro wrestling."
[9.0] "I mean, this is what wrestling is all about. This is a match that you could show a new fan and it would be a gateway drug. I have been really fond of Swerve's run and thought he looked like a legitimate star throughout this match but it was obviously Danielson's moment."
[10.0] "I admit it, I'm scared of rewatching this match. The experience was so incredible in the stadium, that anything I can watch on my laptop or television is not going to do justice to the moment I experienced. It felt like the perfect culmination of twenty years as a fan of professional wrestling. Being a fan of this stupid art in Southern Europe is something unusual, and the fact is that within my circle of friends and family, which luckily is quite extensive, I don't have anyone with whom I can share this hobby. Maybe that's why I've been on forums for so many years, starting in Solowrestling, Foroswrestling or ForoPressingCatch. I still have memories of when in 2010 I defended that Danielson was a much better wrestler than Shawn Michaels and that led me to many discussions. You know, the energy of the forums in which we all made an effort to launch our unconventional statements in a categorical, exaggerated way and looking for the reaction and the difference with the other. Over the years I see that this energy is still alive in the different discussions I see on Twitter or Discord. The pity is that before, in the forum format, I had the feeling that they had a bit more depth and were worth discussing. Now it all seems like one big argument with everyone competing to see who has the most unconventional opinion of all. Anyway, all this to say that Bryan Danielson was a big part of my beginnings as a wrestling fan. I discovered him because of forums like Solowrestling. And because of Danielson, I had the impulse to discover all kinds of styles, eras and richness that professional wrestling could bring. Danielson was the window of opportunity for me to discover that there was more wrestling out there, perhaps that is why I have a special affection for him. Bryan and Punk were two very important figures in the early years of my fandom, and still, to a greater or lesser extent, they continue to be. As I said, being a wrestling fan in Southern Europe presents some difficulties. I have been able to attend some WWE House Shows, I still remember the first one I went to in 2008, where I was able to see live CM Punk, Shawn Michaels, Rey Mysterio Jr., Chris Jericho, James Gibson and William Regal. In 2015 and 2018 I went to the WWE House Shows again and I was able to see, among others, PAC, Bayley, Sasha Banks, Roman Reigns, Seth Rollins, Finn Balor, Drew McIntyre, Ronda Rousey and Nikki Bella. Even in 2016, I went to an episode of WWE Raw in London, where I got to see Kevin Owens, Sami Zayn, Jon Moxley, AJ Styles, Cesaro or Roman Reigns. All of them were great experiences, but I had a thorn in my side, I had never been able to see Bryan Danielson, my favorite wrestler, live. In 2015 and 2016 he was semi-retired, in 2018 I don't think he was doing any international House Shows. It was that feeling of not having seen Van Morrison or the Rolling Stones live, something you know you must have done once in your life. The similarity here, where I'm from, it's like not having gone to an Estopa, Sabina and Serrat concert, or not having gone to the Camp Nou or the Bernabéu. I couldn't imagine not having seen Leo Messi, the best of all time, live. All In 2023 was my big chance, we were able to take a trip with my wife to a city where she had lived and we already had visited as tourists in separate ways. And also, we were able to go to Wembley, a very emblematic stadium for everyone and especially for those of us who are Catalans and FC Barcelona fans. As everyone knows, Danielson broke his arm in his match with Okada and didn't make it to the show. Still, it was a very fun night, where we were able to enjoy CM Punk and Samoa Joe in their last match together, Sting, Darby Allin, Christian Cage, or other wrestlers who are not my favorites, but who are much more enjoyable live, such as Kenny Omega or Will Ospreay. At All In 2024, I had another chance to see Bryan Danielson live for the first time. And what better way to see him than on the Main Event wrestling for the World title and putting his career on the line. When you go to a live show, especially one in a stadium as big as Wembley, you don't wear the same glasses that you wear when you watch wrestling at home. Beyond the quality of the matches, what you get are the emotions and the feeling of the moment you're living. Maybe that's why my perception of this match is completely biased, but I'm at peace with it. Swerve v. Danielson is a work of art in terms of handling emotions, both wrestlers, as well as Bryans family, played an essential role that filled the entire stadium with emotions. Danielson's story in AEW since 2021 has always been based on that tension between the love for his family and the love for professional wrestling, which weighed more for him in his heart. On the one hand, he came to 2021 trying to find an answer to a question: am I still the best wrestler in the world? Can I keep up with this new generation? On the other hand, in his head, there was always that doubt that constantly haunted him, whether he was doing the right thing for his family, for his children's future, whether he could continue to wrestle and be a father who was 100% present for his children. At Revolution 2023, moments before tapping out to MJF, the image that crossed his mind was that of himself being unable to raise his children due to the injuries wrestling had caused him. At that moment he chose his children over the World title and his pride. A year plus after his last title shot, Danielson was back on that scenario, where he had to weigh up his health, his family's future, and the World title. Bryan put everything on the line, including his career, Bryan was definitely All In. Danielson had had time to reflect, coming to the conclusion that the best message he could send to his children and family was that he could still be the best wrestler in the world, and that even if he was the best, he would stop being a full-time wrestler for them, because as much a"
[10.0] "A phenomenal main event. Felt big time and both men had great chemistry throughout. Mean, vicious Swerve is the best Swerve. And Danielson can have a good match with a broom if he really had to. Too many great moments to type here, but my personal favorite was Danielson staring at his family as Swerve kicked him in the chest. Goosebumps in that moment. Without a doubt one of the best matches in AEW history imo and my second favorite Swerve match behind his Deathmatch with Hangman."
[8.0] "Good match, really good, but I don't think this is the greatest match in AEW history or anything close, Danielson has a dozen of great matches better than this in his pocket."
[6.0] "I like Bryan and I like Swerve. I didn't really like this match. The pageantry cannot be faulted, this felt like a huge match, and the two guys tried their best to make it a huge match between the ropes. I don't think they succeeded. The bell spot, the unnecessary and nonsensical blood, the exploitation of children's emotions, and the no selling let this down. Bryan winning was the right call as Swerve as World Champion has not set the world on fire. With a known entity like Bryan on top, they may be able to bring more eyes to the product."
[10.0] "Match of the year and that's a tall task considering the other top tier matches from this year. Bryan is the greatest of all time. Swerve is was the best AEW champion and ended his reign on the best possible match."
[10.0] "Probably the easiest 10/10 Iv'e ever given. Swerve had an amazing world title reign that came to an end in one of the most beautiful ways possible by having Bryan Danielson tapping him out, keeping his career alive, and winning the AEW World Title. This moment was easily top 5 for AEW and one of my personal favorite moments in Pro-Wrestling history."
[10.0] "This match has been called melodramatic (for good reason tbh), but I dont think that's a bad thing. Melodrama has its place in an art form as inherently silly as pro wrestling and matches like this show us why. With the title vs. career stipulation, and being non other than Danielson, who is the greatest wrestler of his generation and considering the ups and downs of his career, it really couldn't be any other way. He enters to the final countdown with his whole family watching in the front row, all in a legendary stadium with 50k people who desperately want him to win. Swerve is definitely up to the task and has a great showing as the villain dragon has to overcome. He's cocky and vicious, going as far as kicking a bleeding Bryan in the head while his daughter watches in tears. Good stuff. The greatness of the match of course hinders on Dragon's performance, and I honestly think its one of his best ever. Pure babyface fire from him, having the entire stadium eating from the palm of his hand. There's a couple of controversial spots that honestly work perfect for me. Yes, Bryan powering through Swerve's kicks through the sheer force of the love for his family is corny, but the best kind of corny and the bitchslap he gives Swerve right after is incredible. It may be one of my favourite babyface moments ever. Then, when swerve no sells the busaiku knee. It worked for me because it was clear Swerve caught it in the chest rather than his head, and because it made for an incredible "all is lost" moment, narratively speaking. Bryan had finally started his big comeback and Swerve being unharmed by the finisher cut that momentum like a freezing dagger. It's all very exaggerated and bombastic, but it's also easy to forget that this is a stadium main event match. So just like in theater, large, exaggerated moments are necessary for everyone in the stadium to understand whats happening. It's also worth noting that here Bryan's not only performing for us wrestling nerds, he's also performing for his family, for his daughter and son. So silly moments like the two I mentioned make sense. I thought Hangman coming out would bother me but he doesnt directly interfere and honestly serves as a comeuppance moment for Swerve due to cheating with the ring bell early in the match, as well as him paying for his sins during the Hangman feud. As well as setting up the All Out match. The finish stretch is just the perfect length without going into overkill territory. What comes after is the cherry on top of course. Many people (myself included) had been complaining about Bryan not winning a single title at AEW, but honestly that makes him winning here, in the largest possible stage with the highest possible stakes, all the sweeter. The celebration after is beautiful, I honestly prefer it to the WrestleMania one. Not only is the match much better than wm, but also he's here with all his family in the ring. All time wrestling moment. Its a five star match, dont know what else to say."
[10.0] "Refreshing to get jr on commentary here who can actually do this story justice. Everything is great right off the bat. There's not much to critique throughout the main part of the match everything came off well and was executed with perfection. Small gripe would be still whoever makes camera decisions is terrible at their job. Wide shots when things are happening so you can't see rather than in moments where things are slowed down. Page interference was lame, can we just have one match without a distraction. If ever a match didn't need fluff it was this. Luckily that didn't end it. We get a good finish instead. ****3/4"
[8.0] "A huge, memorable slab of sports entertainment history enhanced no end by the crowd, the setting and the sense of occasion, but for my tastes it ran on way past its peak and strayed deep into cuteness and overkill ****"
[8.0] "The only match I managed to catch from this show and wow it was amazing! It wasn't perfect with some very questionable spots that just weren't my taste (Swerve no selling the busaiko knee is just appauling to me.) but I think that removed there was nothing else super rediculous to me. The storytelling and emotions were all there Swerve had a really solid championship reign and he lost the title still looking like a million bucks. This will go down as one of my favourite AEW main events in a long time!"
[9.0] "Not exactly the greatest Bryan Danielson match Ive seen (but still gets a 9, go figure). But certainly one of the greatest Bryan moments - up there with Mania 30, losing to Kofi, winning the PWG title on his final night, and countless others because hes probably the greatest ever. So delighted he got this moment towards the end of an outrageous career. Also, just as a match itself, its one absolutely worthy of a big stadium main event. Yes it became melodramatic down the stretch, but the occasion deserved a bit of melodrama. Shout out to Swerve as well for a stellar heel performance."
[10.0] "They had me on the edge of my seat the whole way through with this one, I had no idea who would walk away with the championship in the end. This type of unpredictability is almost unheard of in this era of wrestling."
[10.0] "Simply a masterclass in pro wrestling storytelling and quite frankly it doesn't get any better than this, this is a front runner for the best match of this decade, while the action was tremendous it wasn't the main focus of this bout so I understand the sentiment that this may be overrated but good Lord this was fantastic. Paced to absolute perfection every big move felt important in someway despite the many nearfalls/kick-outs. Swerve was at his best here and his facial expressions were absolutely perfect and played a big part in selling the viewer and convincing them that what they were witnessing was amazing, his heel work here was also at it's best him kicking Bryan's head and making little Birdie sad was one of the many highlights of the match. All in all I thought this was amazing but it would've been even better had it been given more time Perhaps 35 minutes instead of the 25 or so that they were given. (5stars)"
[10.0] "A great match that I was actually surprised at how great it was even though Danielson is a master. I just wasn't feeling the feud going into this but they really made it something great somehow."
[10.0] "I give this a 10....but if i had to give a specific rating I'd say its closer to a 9.6 than a 9.7. I see that its gone down slightly from when it was a 9.78 at one point, to now being a 9.70...which is closer to where it belongs IMO, though still a bit overrated. Overrated(slightly) for very understandable reasons i must admit. Prisoner of the moment sort of vibes going on, which is natural. Lots of people love Bryan Danielson(and for good reason, he's a true legend), and many of his fans looked at this as potentially his final match, so the stage was set(and amplified even more after Danielson's final countdown entrance) for an epic moment regardless of match quality. When it comes to all-time great matches its hard not to nitpick(very slim margin separating the best of the best), and it's also important to respect the masses/majority opinion and realize when you might have a view on something that isn't exactly shared by many others, which is perfectly fine. I think what bothered me the most about this match and keeps me from wanting to call it "all-time greatest match" material was what I felt to be too much drama involving Danielson's family at ring-side. It was right to include them as part of the story, it definitely had its spots that helped to enhance the emotional experience. But at some point it became too much for my liking, and i began to feel like i was watching a soap opera rather than a professional wrestling match. I mean...we don't need to change the camera to see his kid's facial reaction after every single kick/punch/move/spot in the match. And the way it dragged on and on as he was getting beat down looking and reaching out to them, calling out "i love you! , i love you! "....it was just too much melodrama FOR ME(I emphasize the "for me" part because i understand that this might not be a popular opinion). Then you add in the interference/distraction that was the arrival and subsequent removal via security of Hangman Adam Page, the silly no-sell of the Busaiku knee, and overall the ending sequence felt a bit overbooked and overly dramatized(even if the final outcome felt rewarding). Now i stress again that all of this doesn't mean i didn't absolutely love the match otherwise and in general. Swerve was the ultimate heel playing his role to perfection, the quality of the in-ring work was top notch, some of the near falls were as thrilling as it gets, and the end result having the underdog come away with the upset to claim the championship was undeniably satisfying and gave the audience exactly what they wanted. Still an outstanding main event, one of the better AEW matches ever, one of the hottest AEW crowds ever(if not THE hottest), one of Danielson's best career matches(which is saying something), 5star worthy, 9.5+ worthy(again i would say 9.6 is just about right) if we're talking cagematch scale....but not quite "best match of all time" worthy. It falls just a tier below that for the reasons i stated above. And i think as time goes on more and more will look back and agree that maybe just maybe they were a bit overcome by the initial shock value and emotional toll it took on them in the heat of the moment."
[7.0] "I loved the match, I just didn't find it to be a pantheon level match in Bryan's career. The stuff with his family could have been a bit more subtle. I could have done without the hangman spot, though it also could have been worse. A five star moment, but a three and three quarter star match."
[10.0] "This match was beyond incredible and pulled out the best from each charachter. Danielson literally fought to don't retire and Swerve had to prove that this was Swerve's house. The champ was incredibly aggressive since the beginning with multiple stomps and using the ring bell and around the middle he just brutalized the American Dragon with multiple House Calls. The moment when Danielson didn't sell Swerve's kicks and hit the Busaiko knee only to see Swerve mocking him right after and getting hit by yet another House Call was the moment of the match. At the end Danielson hit the 4th Busaiko and a modified version of the LeBell Lock to get one of the most emotive wins of the decade, incredible moment. *****1/4 (5, 25*/10, 5 out of ten)"
[10.0] "Phenomenal match. Not much more to say. Even though he didn't retire after this, it seemed like a match that was celebrating Danielson's career."
[10.0] "This is why I love professional wrestling. Capping off an amazing card that saw the ascension of Mariah May, the in-ring return of Nigel McGuinness, and the re-elevation of the UK's own Will Ospreay, we had AEW World Champion Swerve Strickland putting up the company's richest prize against the career of maybe the greatest American pro-wrestler of all time, Bryan Danielson. There are no superlatives great enough to capture the magnitude of this bouts brilliance; it is simply the perfect pro-wrestling match. Everything from the story of Danielson's potential retirement and Swerves willingness to force the matter by any means necessary, to the various real-life and storyline elements surrounding it (the state of Danielson's neck after his Dynasty epic against Ospreay, Birdie and Buddy's desire to have their dad home more often, Swerves capacity for cold-blooded destruction, the doubt in Danielson from his peers, his reluctance to become AEW World Champion, etc.), to the emotional and epic entrances of both competitors perfectly set the stage for the fans at Wembley to witness an unforgettable showcase. Of course, the in-ring work was superb, as one can only expect from two of the best in the world. Danielson is one of THE masters at sculpting and executing match narratives that enrapture and entrance crowds the world over. He perfectly sold the danger and desperation that accompanies anyone caught in the crosshairs of the champion. Every momentary glance towards his family carried such weight, and the sight of an inconsolable Birdie hiding away from the brutality her father was forced to suffer was gut-wrenching (Buddy was apparently having a ball watching his dad be beaten to a bloody pulp, which is hilarious in its own right). At the same time, no one has greater babyface fire than Danielson, and him powering up with each of Swerve's mocking Yes Kicks while shouting to his family that he loves them may be the manliest, most wholesomely badass moment I've seen in wrestling. Since announcing his impending retirement last autumn, Danielson has electrified the wrestling world in some of the most spellbinding bouts in recent memory against the likes of Zack Sabre Jr., Kazuchika Okada, and Will Ospreay; to say this match might just be the best of the bunch is almost insane, but we should expect nothing less from, in his own words, "the best fucking wrestler in the world." Danielson's praises can never be sung enough, but I'd like to take a moment to talk about Swerve Strickland, the first Black AEW World Champion (and hopefully not the last). For just over four months, Swerve reigned supreme over AEW, establishing himself as a centerpiece in the promotion and proving himself an invaluable asset in every respect. In this match, he was every bit as heartless and merciless as expected; him dragging Danielson to the ringside area to stomp his bleeding head in front of his family was peak villainy, as was him shouting at Birdie that he was giving her exactly what she wanted in sending her dad home permanently. My jaw first dropped watching Swerve power out of the Cattle Mutilation, then just about crashed through the floor when he reversed that into a devastating Vertebreaker on Danielson. Scaring away the medics was an excellent touch and perfectly helped to paint Swerve as the ultimate heel. I swear, the sight of him literally brushing off that first Busaiku Knee will live rent-free in my head for a long time; rarely have I ever felt so helplessly afraid for a match to end than I was in that moment, especially after the House Call/Big Pressure combo that followed. As a Black fan, I like many others will celebrate and cherish Swerve's outstanding work at the top of AEW for a long time, and the most beautiful part about his run so far is that this is only the beginning. The closing stretch was masterful; Hangman Adam Page wiping out the ringside security and Prince Nana before being bombarded by more guards, while Swerve jaw-jacked and turned his back on Danielson was perfect, and led to one of the hottest finishes all year. I didn't believe that even Danielson could make Swerve tap, but that's what I get for doubting the submission prowess of the American Dragon, and the roar of the crowd once Swerve tapped out was unreal. Like many fans, I couldn't hold back my emotions as Danielson celebrated one of the greatest triumphs of his career with his family and the BCC (Bastard Combat Club? ) in the ring. I've no idea what Danielson's future as AEW World Champion holds, but if its half as epic as this match or the journey leading to it, it'll be a title run for the ages. Thankfully, we know from Swerve's recent contract re-negotiation (said to be one of the biggest deals in AEW history, locking him in for at least another 4 years) that he'll be here for the foreseeable future, and you can bet he has another date with the Hangman lined up for All Out. While it's still too soon to call this my Match of the Year (Danielson vs Ospreay from Dynasty is still my frontrunner, at least as far as in-ring action is concerned), this is as must see as it gets, a truly extraordinary match and one of the very best not just of the year, but of either man's careers. Bravo to Swerve for not only being our first Black AEW World Champion like he said he would, but also for elevating himself, the prestige of the title, and AEW as a company even higher. Congratulations to Bryan Danielson on adding his name to an already exceptional lineage of AEW World Champions, and long live the legend of the American Dragon!"
[10.0] "Definitiv das Match des Abends. Man hat bis zum Ende gezittert, wie geht es aus. Wenn man dachte, dass ist das Ende, wurde ein neuer Moment geschaffen. Es wurde ordentlich mit dem Publikum gespielt. Einzig der Spot, als Danielson den DVD auf die Ringglocke bekam und er mit dem Hinterkopf landete und dann aber an der Stirn blutete, war etwas komisch. Aber das ist heulen auf hohem Niveau. Auch wenn der Run von Danielson nicht lange gehen wird (ich vermute bei WrestleDream wird er wieder enden), hat er sich diesen Run mehr als verdient. Wahnsinns Main Event!"
[10.0] "Bryan Danielson vs Swerve Strickland was the best professional wrestling match I've ever seen live. An outstanding main event with sensational in-ring action, superb storytelling that had you on the edge of your seat with every heated exchange and close nearfall and a wild closing stretch where you truly didn't know which way it would go. Danielson is the greatest pro wrestler I seen and proved himself as the ultimate underdog babyface, while Swerve cemented himself as a made man and a bonafide main event star as a straight up evil villain who could make a child cry. Spectacular performances by both men was matched by one of the best crowds for this match to take place in front of. This was a religious experience watching this behind the Danielson family and getting wrapped up in this emotional moment (*****+).""
[10.0] "Was just an honour to be there live for this match. The perfect storm of everything coming together. The crowd was insane and things like the Doctor spot followed by the House Calls and later Swerve no selling the running knee easily sucked you into believing that it might be the end for Danielson. An easy 10."
[10.0] "Three matches have made me think about my life in relation to the wrestling business. Beyond just a fantastic match, there have been three that have made think about myself as a human being and my growth. Those are Shawn Michaels vs The Undertaker WM 25, Kenny Omega vs Kazuchika Okada WK 11, and Swerve Strickland vs Bryan Danielson All In 2024. This was the best of the three. Swerve came out with Westside Gunn yall. They had me from that point on. Then when Danielson stood up and screamed at his family I LOVE YOU SO MUCH, I know I was seeing the greatest match of my life. Thank you so much to AEW and Swerve and Bryan for this ART. *******"
[10.0] "Easy ***** match. I don't go higher, but if I did this would be one for it. This was Bryan Danielson's masterpiece and that is a very high bar to clear. Swerve definitely shows that he belongs here as the heel in this match as well. But this is 50, 000 people all wanting two things, to sing the Final Countdown and see Bryan Danielson as world champion, both things were delivered."
[9.0] "This match was fucking incredible. The story itself between these two. Making us believe is Bryan gonna lose? Is he really done? But my take away was yes I know Hangman isnt done with Swerve but he came out right when Swerve was talking shit to Brie and Bryans children. I think Hangman should have waited til after that match or until Dynamite but Bryan winning was the way to Go Im not ready for him to retire yet which now leaves us to question who will beat Danielson? How will Swerve get revenge on Page?"
[10.0] "man this match was just a epic main event.Bryan did a awesome job doing a babyface performance Swerve did a awesome job of being the bad guy and proved he can main event a show as big as this and that ending man that ending is why i love wrestling.I was not going to watch this since im not very caught up on aew but someone told me i should and i did and im very glad i did"
[5.0] "I didn't appreciate this match as much as others. There were some things that were done well, like complicated footwork sequences for an example. I didn't think this was a story well told. Swerve Strickland is getting the biggest match of his career and he can't get past a feeble 5'9 wrestler plagued by seizures and considering retirement. What does it say about the rest of the AEW locker room? By the end of the match this was worked on a cadence that any wrestling fan can recognize, especially from Danielson. I'm needing something different at the top of the card from AEW, something that isn't from that same repetitive 2 count kickout cadence."
[10.0] "Recency bias is a bitch, so ask me again in 12 months, but today as I am writing this review, this feels like my favorite match of all time. The video package played before Bryan's entrance is excellent, the final countdown sing-along is electric and then Swerve comes in and... well he makes it feel like we are in his house. The work in the ring here is amazing. Strickland has perfected his style of controlling an opponent and has a unique way of making his offense feel very calculated while maintaining a fast pace. I've always said this, but today I was reminded that no one is as good as Danielson at looking in pain. When it's time for him to mount a comeback, Bryan makes you feel like nothing in the world matters more than winning the match, except this time... there is something that matters more, it's his family that's watching from the front row. This part is emphasized when Swerve tries to put some Yes kicks on Bryan and the Dragon "hulks up" but does so staring at his family, repeating that he loves them. This time, winning the match is the most important thing in the world, but it's because he is doing it for them. Swerve stepping back from the Busaiku Knee and shrugging it off afterwards was another excellent moment because it shows, yet again, that he is a technically gifted wrestler but has reached the success he has because of his mind. Every near fall got a bigger reaction from the Wembley crowd and I went on that ride with them watching at home. The match peaked at the perfect time and had one of the most magical endings to a pro wrestling bout you'll ever see. For my money, this is as good as it gets in this sport. This was a moment of realization for me because sometimes I forget how much Bryan Danielson truly means to me. A reminder of why so many people, including myself, consider him the Greatest Of All Time. A reminder of why I love professional wrestling so much. *****+"
[10.0] "Along with Cody Vs Dustin this is the best match AEW have produced and thus my first 10/10 rating for the product. The build was very good and made me extremely invested in the result, the work rate during the match was excellent from both and they kept a very fast pace to make it entertaining throughout. The result was perfect, Brian celebrating with his friends and family in an iconic arena. Hard to find any faults."
[10.0] "This is arguably the greatest match in AEWs short history and it absolutely has reason to be there. This was an emotionally charged slugfest that while it started slow, became one of the greatest masterpieces in modern day pro wrestling. The match never wavered in how violent it got and some spots were downright uncomfortable, but the match truly was something special, wembleys atmosphere absolutely helped in creating such an incredible masterpiece of storytelling. I am not usually one for no selling finishers but Swerve tanking the Knee from Danielson was one of the best horror movie style moments in wrestling because of how it created the sense of dread. The only match AEW has had that compares to this on an emotional level is Hangman and Kenny vs The Bucks, but that didnt have the stakes that this match did regarding someones career, which made it even better."
[10.0] "I fucking love Professional Wrestling. Pro Wrestling is an escape for many, a saving grace. We all have things going on in our lives that may drive us to insanity but we are holding on because of this art medium. When wrestling makes you feel something, you know its special. Bryan Danielson is one of the greatest wrestlers to ever lace up a pair of boots, and it has been an absolute honor and blessing to witness the tail end of his career unfold in front of my eyes. He is putting his absolute heart and soul into every match and he finally was rewarded. What a fucking match. It felt major. Bigger than last year by a mile. The final countdown. Swerve walking down the ramp with hip hop legend Bun B and wrestling aficionado Westside Gunn. The crowd firmly on Bryans side, praying he wins so his career can continue. Swerve dominated the match, and I say this: he is a made man after this match. His run as AEW champ was incredible and it was filled with some amazing matches. But this one may be the best of his career. He looked like money and even in defeat; stood tall and continues to become a force to be reckoned with. The emotions were running high as Bryans family were witnessing the bloodshed, the sweat and the tears dropped by Bryan. The most incredible moment of the match was when Danielson no sold those kicks as he proclaims his love for his family. It was powerful and cathartic when he made Sweve tap. World champion once again. This will probably go down as one of the greatest matches in AEW history and Im just glad we were along for the ride."
[10.0] "I rarely leave ratings or comments on this website, primarily using it for historical reference and to avoid the toxicity that surrounds the online wrestling community. Yet I can't not give my thoughts on this match. I'm grateful that I got to grow up at the same time as Bryan Danielson being an active wrestler. In my eyes he is truly the greatest professional wrestler to have ever lived, and to have the privilege to be in the audience for this match is a feeling that I'll never forget. Even if I wasn't inside Wembley for this match I would've rated this highly regardless, but to be there in-person adds so much more emotion to it than I could've imagined. Swerve and Danielson created magic that night inside Wembley Stadium. Every move had a purpose and a meaning, the crowd going deathly silent in anticipation only to erupt when Bryan got his footing back or when he hit a big move to shift the tides in his side, only to go nuclear when Swerve taps out at the end and still singing Final Countdown until the music had literally stopped playing at the end of the show when Justin Roberts was thanking us for attending. This main event was the perfect cap to a show that was a love letter to professional wrestling - I believe that sincerely. Whether Bryan had won or lost, I would've been content knowing that I got to be there to watch the absolute best at his craft main event a big show and let the most fulfilling and emotional decision came true. There's so much to this match that I don't want to accidentally hit the character limit, but the contrast between Danielson's pure, technical and raw style compared to Swerve's more flashy and attractive (yet hardhitting) moves, the good-guy family man vs. the manipulative, cunning and evil obstacle that stood in his way. Such incredible emotion throughout, this may be the best match I'll ever witness live; I'll never forget it."
[10.0] "Bryan Danielson vs. Swerve Strickland war unglaublich gut umgesetzt. Es war sehr dramatisch und es gab so viele glaubwürdige Momente die Bryans Karriereende hätten bedeuten können. Das eingreifen von Hangman war das einzige was mich ein bisschen gestört hat, abgesehen davon war das Match perfekt. Wie Swerve einfach Bryans finisher ageblockt hat und man die Verzweiflung in Danielsons Auge sehen konnte war einfach perfekt (*****)."
[9.0] "I think the Danielson neck spot has gotten really tiresome. Stuff like Danielson saying "I love you so much" also seemed a bit corny and I didnt love Hangmans appearance either. That being said this was still easily one of the best matches of the year. Really great stuff.."
[7.0] "Good Main Event but a bit to over the top and daily soap at the end there for me. Swerve worked well towards his promise of ending Bryan's career for good. Bryan pulling out some of his classic moves and Swerve being an absolute menace towards Birdie Danielson was good. Match turned quite ridiculous at the end with the House Call being killed and an almost paralyzed Danielson just no selling everything while shouting "I love you" to his family. Top-Tier anime moment right there. Weird how Danielson started to bleed from his forehead when he landed neck-first on the ringbell; just a nit-pick."
[10.0] "***** (10/10) We're only at the end of August and All In provided us with another match of the year contender (this time without the involvement of Will Ospreay) Though, if Ospreay is AEW's 1a, then Swerve and Danielson are their 1b and 1c, respectively. I believe that in this golden year of Pro-wrestling that we call 2024, there have been countless amounts of instant classics that may have been better matches, maybe better fights than the main event to All I'm 2024. But this has to go down as one of the greatest matches in the history of pro wrestling."
[10.0] "Maybe as time goes on the shine will wear off this match but I think it'll be consistently up there in the top 5 AEW matches. As far as best Danielson matches in AEW this might be number 1."
[7.0] "7/10 I'm not sure if I should label this match as "great." For me, from the very beginning of the match (not just the so-called AEW Championship vs. Career), Danielson started to build up emotions (his eyes were already red), which means what this match wanted to do... Emotion is such a powerful force, passion can make us believe in something as true. Just like wrestling matches, passion makes us believe that wrestling is real. As another aspect of ring psychology, this match also expressed how to draw strength from the audience (which may seem a bit middle school, but it means that the audience's will and reaction are useful). At first, my understanding of bleeding was "injury, " just like Ospreay and Omega in their first battle in 2023, but bloodshed may just be to arouse Danielson's fighting spirit. To me, Strickland wants to use "No Sell" to create a sense of oppression, but this is not working at all, his "No Sell" is far from Kenny Omega's "Final Boss." If Strickland or Danielson wants to create a Boss character, why not try Omega's template? So, in my view, bleeding and "No Sell" are conflicting...That was kind of the bigger failure of the match. Acting wanting and wanting, on the one hand you want to show Strickland's pressure and on the other hand you want to stoke Danielson's fighting spirit. It's caught in a sort of conflict because Danielson's fighting spirit has largely rubbed off on Strickland's sense of pressure."
[10.0] "AEW truly is a love letter to proffesional wrestling, this match right here epitomizes that statement. Swerves rise to Stardom in about 2 years has been sight to behold. Bryan continues to cement himself as one of the greatest of all time. Insane chemistry. Having Bryan's Family there did so so much for this match. Great storytelling. This match is AEWs masterpiece up to this point."
[9.0] "How can you not be romantic about wrestling? Danielson sold his ass off for 25 minutes and cemented Swerve as the killer he's presented himself as since joining AEW. Every so often what happens "feels right", and this was it. You could have expected it, understood how the match was laid out, and still not let yourself believe. That's down to Danielson's selling. Absolutely the GOAT."
[10.0] "That was the match of the night. It was absolute perfection. Everything from Danielsons selling to the drama surrounding his potential retirement was beautiful. Strickland is wonderful as an aggressive heel who doesnt quit and he showed that here. It was amazing to be part of that pop every single time Danielson kicked out of a pin attempt. Having Adam Page was done well and even though he didnt really play into the finish, you can have Strickland blame him for the loss. We saw loads of the Busaiko Knee before the victory came off the LeBell Lock. This was the definition of living up to the hype. Stricklands run as champion was amazing and hes a bigger star now because of it. Danielson is one of the greatest wrestlers of all time."
[10.0] "A match so amazing and emotional that I don't care about anything besides giving it a 10. I don't care that Swerve had the advantage throughout, I don't care that Danielson kicked out way too much, and I don't care that Hangman interfered. Danielson reaching out for his family as Strickland cracks him with a third House Call convinced me he was going to retire even though I already knew the result. Two perfect wrestlers in what I feel is a perfect match. 10/10"
[8.0] "This was a very good match and the crowd made it even better. Im glad you can pick up some of the atmosphere on tv because it really was electric. Both fought very hard and loved the long drawn out finish where really we all knew what was going to happen but they kept teasing us and teasing us that maybe it actually wouldnt. Perhaps people are giving it 10s for the cultural significance but for me its a solid 8+ closer to 8 than 9"
[10.0] "Usually I don't go out of my way to watch a wrestling match this recent. I like to kind of wait for the initial hype to die down and the dust to settle to where I can more easily form my own opinion of something, because there are plenty of matches that don't age well or just don't appeal to certain people. This match, however, is one I couldn't put off. I watched pretty much the entirety of Bryan's second run in WWE and for the most part I loved it. Around the time he debuted in AEW, however, I stopped using cable and wrestling at that point in my life wasn't something I was going out of my way to see. I always kept up with what was happening through clips or news articles or any of that, but I never really got to experience any of Bryan Danielson in AEW. So, when I heard that this match could be the end of Danielson's career, I knew I had to watch it. I have distinct memories of Swerve in black and gold NXT when he was still wrestling under Isaiah Scott. I liked him, especially that House Call kick he does which looks devastating. Now that I see him in AEW he's definitely got a bigger physique, he gives off more of a big-time prescence, and his work is a lot better compared to his more cruiserweight style of before. As for the match? It's beautiful. It's everything great about pro wrestling rolled into one. The thunderous crowd, the family at ringside, the blood, the emotion, the intensity, even the streamers hanging from the roof just gave this such an amazing feeling. After Danielson hit that second-to-last running knee, I would've liked it if he went straight into the Yes Lock instead of going for another one to kind of emulate that Wrestlemania XXX match, but that's just me being picky. A must watch for anyone that considers themselves a fan of modern wrestling."
[10.0] "Happy to cave to bias on this one. A few imperfections, a few holes in Swerve's rapidly improving game that nag at me. A moment or two of overindulgence in the recent trend of capital D Dialogue that has grown traction in modern main event wrestling through the Bloodline saga. But god damnit, it makes me FEEL things and being sat - or more often, stood - at ground level in Wembley stadium watching brilliance unfold will be a memory I take to the grave. The American Dragon, Bryan Danielson is a special wrestler to me. He unlocked pro wrestling in my mind in 2002 as a thing that wasn't just light entertainment, a spectacle of colour and distraction, but something that could be viewed us art. Studied and understood and enjoyed on a deeper level like a great movie, book, or painting. Watching him reach this crowning career moment for a second time live and in person means I cannot possibly stray from the 10. Bias aside there is so much to love here. Particularly the story beat of Swerve going to one of his elaborate flourishes and being punished for it immediately and brutally every time. Rolling on the mat into a suplex position? Absolutely not, countered. Handspring out of the ring? Forget about it, eat this springboard idiot. Delay getting up to do a stupid little spin? Eat a lariat so brutal it almost looked like Dragon was legitimately offended by the assertion he'd stand there and wait for you. This almost feels like it transcends to meta-commentary at times, because the dissonance between Swerve's characterisation as part psychological horror movie antagonist, part Terminator and the floaty theatrical flourishes he puts in his offence have grated on me for some time now. Dragon's deliberate choice to shut all of that nonsense down so clearly and overtly almost feels like a direct lesson to the performer as to how to take his game to the next level. And this is not to take away from Swerve at all, I think he has more than cemented himself as a main event player in a company that has a ludicrously stacked roster of legacy main eventers to contend with. He's equal parts arrogant, nasty, petulant, and dominating in this match in all the right places. His Terminator moment as he brushes off Bryan's comeback and finds the killshot in response had me fully bitten on the idea that it was over. Then his stooging for Dragon's big moments is tasteful but wonderful. Factor in a crowd that were there purely to be swept up by the match and never once existed over the top of it, one of the best live crowds I have ever witnessed and you have something that certainly reaches for perfection."
[10.0] "Not sure that I've ever felt this emotionally invested in a professional wrestling match. The juxtaposition of one of the greatest to ever do it versus a guy who's stock has risen tremendously over the past couple of years. Dragon's star is waning and he'll do what he must to hold on just a little bit longer and finally win the prize he's chased since he first arrived in AEW. Swerve is in the prime of his career, willing to do whatever he must to stay in the spotlight. Two different motivations clashing with one another in such a perfect way. I understand the melodrama of his kids at ringside may not be for everyone but it certainly worked for me. These children, who weren't alive when Danielson reached what was previously the peak of his career, watching in anguish as their father makes a last ditch attempt to keep his career going. Incredible performances from all involved but I think Swerve deserves to be highlighted the most. He truly felt like a star in this match, a truly imposing force that may keep Dragon from achieving his final dream. The spot towards the end where he no-sells the Busaiku knee would feel egregious in some other bouts but it works perfectly here. Danielson is giving it all he has, he's charged up and the fans are entirely behind him. Just when it seems that he may have it won, this move which has incapacitated so many of his opponents in the past, barely knocks Strickland back. The whole sequence incapsulates what this match is about. Dragon is old, he's losing steam quick. Swerve is young, in his prime, and resilient. He won't allow a knee to end his reign, he won't allow Danielson to usher him out of the spotlight that easily. This is truly what professional wrestling should be at its core. There's so much discourse today around "in ring vs telling stories" when the in ring should be the story itself. Neither of these men have to say a word during this match for anyone to understand the emotional depth they're feeling. A masterpiece, in every sense. *****"
[8.0] "My first watch was tainted. I wasn't able to watch the match until the following day. This led me to see all the spoilers, and important spots, including the Danielson's celebration in the end. So needless to say I was going into it with extremely high expectations, and while I experienced a fantastic match it didn't live up to the immediate hype everyone was giving it. That said, I do plan on revisiting it multiple times further down the road and see if it is up there with the greatest matches of all time."
[10.0] "Amazing spectacular perfect. Bryan Danielson might be the greatest wrestler ever and swerve is the coolest wrestler ever. A truly perfect match 10 storytelling , 10 in ring work 10 atmosphere. Not a lot to be said , just pro wrestling at its best"
[10.0] "(*****1/4) Ok, I watched this live, and being honest, this match so far is a match of the decade candidate, if you look at this the first time you watched it, this match made me so emotional not only for the win but the story behind it. I always thought Bryan Danielson was not going to win, I mean he's like 42 right now going against arguably the best AEW champion Swerve Strickland. Toward the end I just had to jump out of my seat, I had never felt anything so awsome since Shibata vs Okada, this might be my favorite match of not only 2024 but maybe of all time, also this will be my second-ever rating of match over 5 stars, exceptional."
[9.0] "Awesome match with a great story being told all around. Bryan Danielson and Swerve Strickland showcased amazing chemistry between them and delivered a unique performance, something that we will never ever see in AEW ever again. Swerve non-selling the Busaiku Knee was absolute bullshit tho, completely unnecessary and a spot meant for the IWC to go berserk. Also, the camera work here is fucking awful, my God. ****1/2"
[9.0] "The apex of Swerve Strickland. A masterclass with in-ring psychology. The moment where Bryan breaks through Swerve's mind games elevates this match to another level."
[10.0] "It was an emotional match. Probably, not the best "pure match", because it was dirty and excessive, but it feels refreshing. It's "win or get out" for Bryan Danielson, and it felt so genuine! Great ending and incredible final minutes, even if there was a run-in. Great, just great. I won't use logic for this vote, but emotional feeling for how it was."
[10.0] "A perfect match. I've said before that Danielson is one of the few wrestlers in the world who can make a legitimate claim to Bret Hart's crown of "the best there is, the best there was, and the best there ever will be". For 27 of the past 34 weeks, Danielson has been in the driving seat for "Match of the Year", first with Okada, and then with Sabre Jr. and Ospreay (with a brief break to let Sting's retirement lead that charge). And now, arguably, with Swerve. Let me reiterate that: Danielson has been in four of the five best matches of this year. There is simply nobody like him. In 2014, a neck injury robbed him of a surefire "Wrestler of the Year" nomination. In 2024, it seems like he will finally get the accolade he has deserved for so long. For myself, being in live attendance for this match was simply magical; Danielson was the man who got me back into wrestling with the Yes Movement storyline, so to be less than fifty feet from the ring a decade later, as part of 50, 000 people belting out the Final Countdown? It was special. But what else can you say about this match that hasn't been said? Normally, these matches have an obvious outcome; I can't think of one genuine Title vs. Career match where someone's career has ended. So credit has to go to all the players involved for making it seem like this could be different, with Creative masterfully sowing the seeds of Bryan's famed (shoot) reluctance to go over into this story. And credit definitely belongs to Swerve played his part to perfection as, even though he is still (ostensibly) a face, he remains a dangerous man, and every time he hit the House Call and when he brought out Big Pressure, your heart was in your mouth. Swerve has become a made man in AEW this year, with his matches against Ospreay and now Danielson elevating him to the pantheon of AEW's greats. The GOAT deserves the championship, and the championship deserves the GOAT. Congratulations, Bryan."
[10.0] "***** This is why I have loved pro wrestling for over 20 years. When its great, it can't be beat. I watched it again the next day, which I rarely do. But its a sign that a match was really special. A lot has already been said about the match, so I wanted to say a few things about the entrances. You could show them to a person who had never seen a minute of pro wrestling in their lives and they would immediately "get it." Danielson quickly makes his way to the ring, embracing his family at ringside. The only pomp to his entrance is the expensive "Final Countdown" song. Here is a no-frills family man. But for Swerve's entrance, there is an awesome aerial shot of the stage below, several rappers make up his entourage, and he slowly saunters to the ring in gear that makes reference to him being a king. You don't need video packages or anything else to set up the story that is about to ensue in the match. Those entrances did it alone."
[10.0] "Für mich persönlich erreicht dieses Match nur selten dagewesene Höhen, vor allem in emotionaler Hinsicht. Bryan Danielson ist seit über 10 Jahren mein Lieblingswrestler und für mich hat er legit einen Case der beste Wrestler aller Zeiten zu sein. Ich habe jede Sekunden geliebt und aufgesogen, von der ersten Sekunde des Hype Videos, über die fantastischen Entrances bis hin zum Match und der Siegesfeier ich habe es geliebt. Auch, weil mein Lieblingswrestler jetzt doch nochmal an der Spitze von AEW steht. Swerve Strickland ist dabei der perfekte Gegner, der hier eine ebenso weltklasse Leistung zeigt und der perfekte Gegenspieler zu Danielson ist, mit allen seinen Ecken und Kanten, die Swerve besonders machen, sodass die Fans völlig durchdrehen und jede Sekunde Danielson nach vorne brüllen. Fantastisch und ein MOTYC."
[10.0] "Incredible collective emotional experience. When Danielson finally won, I was hugging and high fiving strangers. Even the commentators seemed to feel the same way. Tony Schiavone says I love you to Excalibur and Taz towards the end of the broadcast. Wrestling's the best man."
[10.0] "I thought this match was really good. It was emotionally brilliant. Like incredibly brilliant. The atmosphere and crowd were also very invested. This will probably be Danielsons greatest match. I love pro wrestling and now apparently I loved the song the final countdown."
[10.0] "I almost took a point off for the stupid doctor spot and Hangman's sort of interference. Someone needs to tell Bryan that it's a cheap ploy and no one buys it anymore. It was a brief moment in an epic back and forth that honestly kept me guessing as to who would win. The atmosphere and match quality felt so much like Wrestlemania 30 which is an iconic moment in wrestling. Ten years later and Bryan has done it again. It was everything a world title main event should be."
[10.0] "This is the first match to make me cry since Danielson won the belt in wwe. There is no wrestler on this planet that can even lace Bryans boots to this day and this match just proves it and I am very glad he deservedly got his moment in AEW. Matches like this remind me why I love this so much and why I keep watching despite a lot of bullshit that happens in the wrestling world. *****"
[10.0] "Der Event ist noch recht jung, aber ich bin mir sicher, dass dieses Match als eines der ikonischten Matches in die Wrestling-Geschichte einziehen wird."
[10.0] "Danielson gets kicked, shouts "I LOVE YOU" at his family, rinse and repeat a few times. I both loved it and laughed my ass off at that spot. Danielson winning was absolutely the right call. Swerve was a great champ and I'm sure this won't be his last time with the belt and I definitely think the rematch at Wrestledream will be wild."
[10.0] "This might be match of the year, it was everything it needed to be and more. There was storytelling, psychology and emotion shown here, Swerve was dominant and made Bryan look like an underdog, however he was able to overcome Swerve and had an amazing championship win."
[10.0] "Das war wahrlich eines der besten Matches aller Zeiten! Für mich persönlich allerdings nur das zweitbeste des Jahres! Grundsätzlich habe ich nie in frage gestellt, dass Danielson das hier nicht gewinnt und das war mein persönliches Problem damit. Auch die Familie am Ring wäre ein Indiz für das Karriereende gewesen, aber ich hab es nicht gefressen. Es hat hier wirklich ansonsten alles alles gestimmt. Es war stellenweise sehr emotional und es gab das ein oder andere mal heftige Gänsehaut"
[10.0] "Bryan Danielson, best to ever do it, even does the annoying "cinema" shit that's so in vogue in mainstream American wrestling in a way that doesn't detract from the match. My only real complaint is Hangman getting involved in the finish - I have no real problem with Swerve being protected here with a distraction finish even though he's far from my favorite wrestler, I just don't want that bum Hangman getting anywhere near the title picture. All in all though, a minor gripe. Sometimes, Tony just gets it right."
[8.0] "although I wasn't hyped or interested a bit for this match because I was almost sure about the outcome, but it was physical and exciting, but it still wasn't close to the average point that people have given! wrestlers like Danielson who can have amazing random matches with everyone and entertain people, don't need a world title run in their 40s and that was the wrong decision, not just the result, but the match itself! the wrestling aspect of the match was very good, plus emotional moments. (****1/4)"
[10.0] "This match might be the best I've seen this year. A great heel performance from Swerve Strickland. And babyface Bryan Danielson. I really felt the Mutant vs. Underdog feeling in my brain. Simply Legendary."
[10.0] "Danielson and Swerve were both on their A game here and pulled out all the stops to make this one something truly special. They actually did a lot in this match that can sometimes feel like the wrong note (interference, no-sells, etc.) but they all hit exactly right here."
[10.0] "This is the very first match that I am ever rating a perfect 10. It is one of the best I've ever seen. Swerve Strickland is so great at being a heel, as is Bryan Danielson at playing the underdog babyface. As if this couldn't feel enough like a main event, it's championship vs. career. There was a very real chance that Danielson would retire here, and that made every near-fall nerve-wracking, I was on the edge of my seat the entire match. Strickland throws everything at Danielson, and Danielson stays in the match. I thought for sure the multiple House Calls in a row was it, I thought the JML Driver was it, it wasn't. Danielson powering up while screaming to his family that he loves them is one of the best things ever, and Danielson finally being able to conquer Swerve is one of the most satisfying and happiest moments I've ever had as a wrestling fan, and Danielson celebrating with his family is one of the happiest moments in wrestling history. I love wrestling. When people ask me why I want to become a wrestler, moments like this are why."
[8.0] "***** a gem of a match, a start with a slow build, a very good rhythm, amazing storytelling, Bryan said it "you'll have to kill me" Swerve applied everything he had and it wasn't enough, a very great climb of rhythm, incredible intensity, great sequences, the perfect ending like WM 30, Bryan could be considered the definitive Babyface now, the only bad thing would perhaps be the fact that with so many kick-outs there were half more sequences missing and a little more Bryan's technical wrestling, Swerve played his Heel role perfectly and the no-sell to the Running Knee Strike is probably the best and most appropriate no-sell I've ever seen, it looked like a damn Final Boss, in the end it's not the best of history, it's not even close but it did its job and was very epic"
[10.0] "This was one of those matches where you felt like you just had an out of body experience, and thats exactly how it was for me. Not only the moment where Bryan wins the championship, but everything leading up to it was absolutely phenomenal. Swerve kept proving that he belongs in the main event scene of AEW for a long time during this reign, and this was no exception. Genuinely my match of the year, and one of my favorite matches of all time. Bryan Danielson continues to prove, even 25 years into his career, that hes the best wrestler and the greatest ever. 5 (*****)"
[10.0] "This match is bloody perfect. The spot of Swerve doing the yes kicks and Danielson slowing rising and yelling "I LOVE YOU" to his family is one of my favorite moments of the year. When Swerve just absorbs the knee and nails Bryan with a House Call, magical. This match is magical. I wasn't really into wrestling around WrestleMania 30 so I am overjoyed to be able to experience a major moment like this in the career of one of, if not the greatest pro wrestler of this generation. OKAY SO I FORGOT ABOUT WHEN SWERVE WAS JUST STOMPING ON BRYAN IN FRONT OF HIS KIDS AND THEN NANA JUST DOES THAT DANCE IN FRONT OF THEM! That is the best moment of the year."
[9.0] "The match itself was amazing and the build to this match heightened it a lot. I love how Swerve looked like a killer that Danielson had to overcome. My biggest complaints with this were the Busaiku Knee no-sell and Hangman's distraction which didn't really add anything. Other than that though, this was just a fantastic match and an extraordinary moment in both Danielson's career and the history of AEW."
[9.0] "I was honestly not expecting to like this math as much as I did! I thought the build for it kind of stunk, but man. Danielson's win got me right in the feels. I bit on ALL of those nearfalls. I liked how much Swerve bumped around for him. Other than a few quibbles (some of the melodrama didn't land for me) it was a really great match."
[10.0] "Big fight feel STADIUM MAIN EVENT feel. Danielson putting his career on the line. Swerve being in control until getting distracted by his biggest rival would he have won if hangman didnt show up? Danielson finally wins the world title in front of his family. Swerves stock RISES in defeat. *****"
[10.0] "What can be said that already hasn't been said. A perfect storytelling match that made the iffy build seem fine. Bryan Danielson is the GOAT and Swerve is AEW's greatest star and wrestling's biggest villain. 5*"
[10.0] "This match was executed so beautifully, from Danielson's entrance on, with the match heat matching the crowd's off the jump, and keeping that energy going (with apt pacing) for the next half hour. The in-ring action was phenomenal (as to be expected from these two in a PLE main event), but, good lord, was this match defined and driven by some of the best psychological and narrative work imaginable. Danielson's family sitting at ringside, while expected, set the stakes on his end beautifully, playing a central role off the jump with Strickland's psychotic stares, coming back into play during pivotal moments (Swerve beating a bloodied Danielson, Danielson fighting through the kicks, etc) without dominating over the actual action. The in-ring action itself was also paced just beautifully, with our two stars starting off incredibly hot, leaving it all out on the floor without resorting to any well-protected finishers/signatures, including a beautifully sold yank to the mat on Swerve, before Swerve hits a brutal death valley driver (after a perfectly-executed ref bump) on the ring bell, busting Danielson open and starting a tough segment of the match with some major beat downs of Bryan. The beatdown portion of the match is done exceptionally as well, with the kick-out after a few house calls producing an obscene response from the crowd and leading into the final stage of the match which features a bloody, impassioned Danielson fighting back from the brink only to be repeatedly put down by Swerve, before DB pulls a fantastic submission victory out of his ass, featuring the most defining moment of the match with Danielson screaming for his family as he fights through some brutal kicks, before hitting a massive Psycho Knee that Swerve no-sells to perfection, only for Danielson to then kick out of Big Pressure for somehow an even bigger pop than the last kick out. The end of the match is also handled quite well, with Hangman playing a side role in keeping their feud alive and providing a good opportunist moment for Danielson to strike and finally get Strickland where he wants him. A fantastic button to DB's quest while keeping Swerve's heat high."
[10.0] "Will have to see where this ranks in a few months among best Danielson matches but it's gotta be up there. Just an insanely emotionally charged match. The family at ringside trope has never been better!"
[10.0] "Absolutely amazing moment for Bryan Danielson. One of my favorite moments ever in wrestling. The match itself was very good. The storytelling was great. Swerve was definitely elevated after this match and his title reign. Everything about this match was so good."
[10.0] "holy fucking shit this was incredible. i have no words. peak professional wrestling, peak storytelling, peak in-ring. the part where danielson starts screaming "I LOVE YOU! I LOVE YOU! I LOVE YOU! " at his family made me tear up. no matter where danielson goes from here, whether that's straight into retirement or into more matches before year's end (one more with mcguinness, please? ), i will always remember this as one of if not his best match. unbelievable scene."
[7.0] "Yeah it's an ok match, but it has a lot of nonsense in it which took me out of it. Why is Adam Page there? And he is somehow the only run-in in history that security manages to stop? Then the bullshit with the medical staff coming to check on DB... I swear he's one of the greatest ever but this obsession with doing seizure sells and involving medical staff to sell his injuries... just please no more of that, it sucks. Finally, I didn't like the shit with his family. I didn't think it was effective or added anything to the match. All this overbooking takes place around a final half of this match which was just unbearably slow as well. The match lost all flow and is just set piece after set piece, with extremely long pauses in between. I understand why the do a spot, sit around for 30 seconds, do a spot, sit around, thing is the way a lot of main event matches go, but this was egregious. Both guys definitely have better matches out there. People on this website are vastly overselling this. It is most certainly not the best match ever, or of this era, or whatever. It wasn't even the best match on the card! Go ahead and watch but you will be left wanting for more I think."
[10.0] "My god. What a beautiful display of everything you want from a professional wrestling match. Danielson winning was pretty obvious going into it, but they really made you think Swerve was going to put a nail in that coffin, regardless. Speaking of which, is it crazy to say that Swerve got even more over in the process? Even though he lost, its so clear that theres so much better on the way for him. Danielson doesnt need a long reign to cement his legacy. Its already set in stone. Not only did he far exceed his match with Ospreay that past April as not only the match of the year, but this is by far the best match of his career. Easily of Swerves as well. The atmosphere. The wrestling. The emotions. Everything about this was perfect. Even if this was Danielsons last match, it wouldve been the perfect send off. Its not though, and it that makes this even better.. Even if it isnt a retirement, its best to count this one as the best example in wrestling history of a retirement tease. This is how you en capture emotion. This is what you want from two performers. This is the kind of match you want your company to be recognized for, and AEW has done that. It wont be the last time they do it either, Im sure. *****"
[10.0] "Danielson finally wins the world title in AEW. About 3 years overdue, but better late than never? I haven't enjoyed Danielson's work as much as I used to for a little while now but this match was a great reminder of why he used to be my favorite wrestler. Despite being close to semi-retirement he just put on one of the best matches of his career, and that's saying a lot."
[10.0] "This match is what professional wrestling is all about, a incredible moment for the beloved babyface, with a great audience cheering for him and a incredible story being told. Danielson and Swerve put on fantastic match with so many great false finishes. My favorite moment of the entire match was when Swerve is doing the yes kicks and Danielson just keeps looking at his family saying "i love you" to help push through the pain. Also really liked the part a where Danielson hits the Busaiku Knee but Swerve brushes it off like it was nothing then hitting house call right after, made swerve feel like a total badass. Another great thing from this match is the evolving story between Swerve and Hangman, although they didn't get physical it was great to see another tease between them. Swerve deserves more love as well the guy is doing amazing work in the ring and has become one of the biggest name in the company and has delivered in basically everything since becoming World Champion. *****.25"
[10.0] "[9.8] I genuinely don't have words to describe this match other than that it was a masterpiece. It's like an old 2000s ROH Danielson main event mixed with Summerslam 2013 and Mania 30, with all the emotion cranked up to 11. That alone would have been enough to net it a solid 8 or 9 for me, but its elevated even further by the fact that the crowd is hotter than the goddamn sun. From the moment Danielson starts his entrance, the crowd is white hot for everything, and it feels like the most important match of the year. It's a match where everything in and surrounding it just forces you to get swept up and feel every ounce of love Danielson has for the business. I would go so far as to say that if you can only watch one AEW match, make it this one."
[10.0] "One of my favorite moments in wrestling ever. The in-ring storytelling with Bryan's family watching was amazing. Bryan and Swerve both killed it. Crowd was great. I went through so many emotions and that's what wrestling is all about"
[10.0] "Maybe not *the best* match I've ever seen, but definitely one of the top emotional rollercoasters I've experienced as a wrestling fan. I've mentioned on here before that Bryan Danielson is the one who got me into wrestling in the first place, and I was on pins and needles the entire match hoping that he wouldn't actually go through with a retirement. Thankfully he didn't, and Swerve and Danielson told an amazing story from bell to bell complete with incredible in-ring action and some very believable near falls. This match also had just the perfect little amount of interference - I was assuming there were going to be a bunch of run-ins in this match - and it makes Hangman's story more intriguing to see who he'll go after next."
[10.0] "What a masterpiece! Starting from the great & emotional build-up, over the ultra atmospheric entrances up to the fantastic match and storytelling leading to an unforgettable and historic AEW-Moment. Couldnt think of anything that can be done better."
[10.0] "One of the best pro wrestling moments ever and an absolutely outstanding match. Swerve in defeat, has secured his place at the very TOP of the pro wrestling main event scene. His heel performance was nothing short of exceptional. Bryan Danielson. Bryan Danielson is without a doubt, the greatest ever do it. This match had everything, it is proof that as wrestling fans that we dont have to settle for subpar ring work in order to get a big moment or the story over. The match is the f**king story and these guys should be immensely proud of their work. What a match. 10/10"
[10.0] "The in-ring action was solid for the most part, but the storytelling was even better and the atmosphere was through the roof. This bout between Bryan Danielson, a man who is often referred to by many as the greatest technical wrestler to ever live, and Swerve Strickland, a man who is easily a top 10 overall wrestler of this year and worthy of all of his success, will go down in the history books as one of the greatest matches in AEW history. There were many spots in this match like the driver on to the bell, Swerve dropping and kicking Danielson on his head multiple times and some near outside interference which helped further the atmosphere and energy for Bryan, who was incredibly over at Wembley. In the end, Bryan Danielson wins the AEW World Championship in a culmination of all the ups and downs he has been through over the last ten years, which has been a rollercoaster ride. I actually cried tears of joy seeing the result (I don't ever cry at match results ever unless they are truly deserved) and had chills down my spine once Swerve Strickland tapped out, and although Swerve lost, he absolutely deserves his flowers as he has been, as I said previously, a top 10 wrestler this year and absolutely deserved to win the title earlier this year, which led to a great reign by him. Even though Danielson is reaching the sunset of his career, this was absolutely, 100%, the right call and the crowd reaction proved that. If Danielson ends up retiring and dropping the belt tomorrow (or soon), I want to thank him for everything he has done for the business and in the business and this was well deserved. What a moment!"
[10.0] "This was just absolutely amazing. Bryan's walk-on already was a masterpiece and then the in-ring work from both guys was just tremendous. Storytelling at its finest with Strickland being a monster heel and Danielson typically being an beloved underdog. The closing minutes just blew off my mind. Swerve showed the world why he is one of the best right now with presenting himself as a kind of unmovingable obstacle on Bryan's way to win the title and save his career. In the end Danielson managed to make Strickland tap out and celebrate the victory with his family which was one of the greatest feel-good moments in wrestling ever. Kudos to both Strickland and Danielson for putting on an all-time classic."
[10.0] "What. A. Match! This was a PERFECT way to end a PPV. Honestly, I think that words can't do justice to how it was watching this as it happened. This is definitely the kind of match that gives off a complete different vibe if you watch it live or if you watch the replay another day. I don't think that the build up for this was perfect, but Danielson putting his career on the line was really interesting. Personally, I wasn't sure who was going to win as well, as Bryan is known to be one of the most selfless wrestlers in AEW, and he probably would be very much fine with putting Swerve over. The match itself started off a bit slow, but that didn't last for much. Swerve acted as a true Heel in here, and he did that job very well, cheating and using everything that he could to try and keep the belt. Each near fall was almost perfectly done, and I wasn't sure who was going to win until the end. The one Hangman run in didn't bother me that much, and it builds up their feud a bit more. A very well deserved win for Danielson, who definitely made his case to being the greatest american wrestler of all time."
[10.0] "Perfection is an understatement for this match. Swerve and Bryan made magic in that ring. Danielson is truely the greatest of all time. Terry Funk is Number 2. Everyone else is fighting for third place. Swerve cemmented himself as a main event and is already the third greatest AEW Champ behind Omega and Moxley. Swerve will be back as champ. He made us believe he put Danielson into retirement a lot. At the end of the day the GOAT pulled through. The American Fucking Dragon brought it home. God is real. 5/5 Stars"
[9.0] "A very great match, I might not enjoy it as much as others but this was still so amazing. The atmosphere was insane and Danielson coming out to the final countdown was special. Swerve has also proved that he deserves to be at the top, he was called a transitional champion and has proved all of those doubters wrong. So emotional to watch."
[10.0] "I just can't, in good conscience, rate a match that made me cry this much anything less than a ten. From the entrances, to Bryan's fighting spirit "I love you"s to his children, to the JML Driver I was sure ended Bryan's career, and to the elation when he finally won, it was all perfection. Bryan is a perfect pro wrestler, and for him to win on this stage, with his family front row? A perfect moment. Thank you to everyone involved with this match."
[10.0] "is crazy when the only complaint i can give about this match is the blade job made in bryan's face because he landed on his neck, but this little detail don't interfere on the match and the blood makes the visual for the match. The match starts with Swerve having the most offense, but Bryan compensating it, but with light strikes and moves, when Swerve throws Bryan to the ring bell the atmosphere changes, with both making more impactful moves, making injury angle with Swerve throwing Bryan in his head (the reason that he had to retire in 2015). The moment Bryan said "i'm sorry" made me think that he was losing, but after the kickout Bryan activates the fighting spirit saying "i love you" to his family and delivered the busaiku knee everyone tought that the tide turned, but Swerve stood tall and made the same thing Bryan does when he receives a chop to call it weak. That moment was absolute cinema. I was watching this match like a world cup match of my country. [5*]"
[9.0] "These two really worked some magic together - because this match absolutely rocked. On one hand you have Bryan Danielson, who continues to set out and prove that he is truly the greatest in ring wrestler of all time. And then you have Swerve Strickland - a guy who a couple of months ago I thought might have not actually been ready for this type of spot, not just hanging with Bryan, but really just being the most impressive guy in the match between them. There were a few interactions with Bryan's family at ringside that felt a little too hammed up for me, but they didn't go TOO OVERBOARD, and it absolutely lead to my favorite spot in the entire match. Also: Swerve was out to get booed in this match with a crowd who didn't seem to want to boo him at the start - and he SUCCEEDED. Just a masterful performance between the both of them, where both guys continue to look like the absolute best in the world at the end of it. I don't think I can go a full five stars on this one, but you know what? I can say it was an easy 4 3/4. If this is your favorite match of the year by the end of it, I would not be upset with you."
[7.0] "Solid match with a great ending. A couple of dumb spots drag it down, mainly Swerve completely no selling Bryan's finisher and there being literally no explanation for Bryan bleeding out of his forehead when he was hit on the back of the head moments prior. But there was some awesome action in the final third and Bryan winning was a fantastic moment."
[10.0] "An incredibly emotional match with Bryan taking a vicious beating from Swerve who played the part of the agitator perfectly. The death valley driver to the ring steps was vicious. The last ten minutes of this match were pro wrestling perfection."
[9.0] "What an emotional match. Bryan said we'll get that Bryan who "kicks heads in", but against Swerve - it's all back to underdog-Bryan. The whole match was structured of him being dominated by Swerve and building up that comeback leading a victory. It seems simple, but done oh so well. Bryan sold every single thing like it almost killed him and based his comeback on going all out for his family. I would say they did focus on this a liiitle too much, but this is just me. Hangman coming out to mess with Swerve was also great, as it both wasn't too insertive into the match, yet gave BD the chance to strike back. The ending was emotional. Bryan deserved to be the champion and I am happy that he'll be one at least for some time before finishing his full-time career. A must-watch."
[8.0] "I didnt have the hype going into this that some others might have, but it was great match. Swerve in this was so wicked that it was delicious, and I deeply wish he could've retained here. I get why they gave Bryan the win, I understand, but damn did I love seeing Swerve just be a menace and wish he could've gotten a proper heel run through another 3 or 4 months of title reign."
[10.0] "this is everything we need in pro wrestling. The incredible in ring match the drama the anticipation through out the match. The feeling its just everything. This is one of my favorite matches weve gotten in 2024 so far. Bryans reign isnt going to be long at all i expect him to drop it back to swerve at wrestle dream. But i dont care im going to enjoy it while it lasts. His run should look something like this. Come out tell wheeler yuta (yk bryans prodigy kinda) that once he earns a shot he has no issue giving him a chance at the title. He beats yuta. Beats darby at grand slam. Beats christian on a dynamite. Then drops it to swerve. This is my favorite moment in aew short history. And honestly one of my favorite moments in wrestling history. This was perfection personified. 5 stars"
[10.0] "You know that when you hear Final Countdown, you are in for something special. Swerve and Danielson are incredibly intense here, with Strickland viciously bulling his opponent after dropping him with a Death Valley Driver on the ring bell. Danielson firing up thanks to his love for his wife and children. An absolutely magical way for Danielson to win his first world championship in ten years."
[9.0] "The entrances certainly gave this a big fight feel. Brie Bella is at ringside to witness her husband title match (and possibly his last match). Honestly I don't get the hype behind Swerve Strickland. I mean, he's fine, but I don't anticipate seeing him. I see everyone rating this a 10, and while it was an emotional match, it just doesn't reach that level for me."
[10.0] "I'd go over a 10 if I could. this match just may be the best I've ever seen. I've seen it for the 2nd time now and I really think it is the greatest match I've seen even from the pure wrestling it's great, but the sheer spectacle of the moment is enough to carry it to the top alone."
[10.0] "I got to see this live and with that being said, what a fucking match. Fantastic work, emotional story, Birdy there crying added so much and the crowd ate all up. I bought every single false finish. A superstar making perfomance from Swerve and a fantastic underdog perfomance for Danielson. The Final Countdown sing along was amazing. Intense, excellent work and i'll be waffling if i keep going. Fantastic fucking match, best ive ever seen live, 10/10 easy"
[10.0] "Probably the best American wrestling match of the last 20 years.This was amazing, Danielson is probably the greatest wrestler ever and Swerve it is one of the brightest stars of the future. The match it's incredible, great spots and a magical ending. YES YES YES!"
[10.0] "This match is going to be remembered forever. The work was fantastic. The story was emotional. The crowd was electric, and the result was perfect. This was not only a perfect crowning achievement to the career of one of, if not the single, greatest wrestler of all time, It was also a match that will forever cement Swerve Strickland as a superstar. Bryan Danielson defied the odds and the will of his own booker to reach the top of the industry 10 years ago, and now he reaches the top once again on his own terms. Barricade slappers pounding out the rhythm to Final Countdown as 50k+ belted the lyrics at the top of their lungs is a proper celebration of a man who helped take PROFESSIONAL WRESTLING out of armories and bingo hall and back into stadiums. Oh, and then the match was a gripping, intense contest that told a beautiful story of a sociopathic champion who calmly destroys all challengers to secure his position against a man who wants nothing more than to spend time with the people he loves most, but can't walk away from his first love without giving it everything he has. Wrestling is great!"
[9.0] "Beautiful moment, incredible atmosphere, and some great wrestling. Some of the spots were terrific, and others were full of so much emotion that it was hard not to be caught up in the moment. If I am being completely honest, there were a few spots that I wasn't a big fan of that held the match back a bit for me. The doctor spot, while thankfully brief, made me groan, and I disliked Hangman's interference (once again, thankfully this was also kept brief), but most of all I really wasn't a fan of Swerve completely no selling the Busaiku Knee - literally just laughing it off was a bit much for my tastes. I can understand why some fans would find this sort of thing appealing, but it feels far too much like a scene out of an anime or superhero movie for me, and that simply isn't what I enjoy in pro wrestling. I did also feel that the real life knowledge that Bryan would never retire, and also that he has no interest in winning the AEW title, unfortunately really undermined the drama of the match for me. These are all admittedly nitpicks, but they were enough of a distraction to hold the match back from a 10/10 rating for me. I think people are probably caught up a bit in the moment right now and that's impacting their judgment of the match as a whole, but hey, that's what wrestling is ultimately all about, so I certainly can't fault anybody for that. Spectacular as a moment (I am absolutely thrilled that he got that celebration with his family. Incredible and heart warming to get to this point after previously being forced into early retirement, and how could you not have a beaming smile on your face watching his son play with the confetti while Bryan was grinning from ear to ear? ), but the match itself wouldn't be anywhere near my Top 10 list for Bryan's career - which just goes to show what an incredibly high standard he has, really."
[10.0] "This was an emotion fest, it was flawless in every way. I guess this is how pro wrestling looks like in heaven and everything played out as splendidly as possible."
[10.0] "See I know they were copying Danielson's win 10 years ago but the context of that is really different. In that storyline he was shunned out of opportunity due to politics but he didn't surrender to the condition, rather revolted it. And here he has achieved everything and wanted to go away but the spark he had wasn't extinguished. This win says he isn't done yet. Swerve played the heel masterfully like making Bryan's kid cry, brushing off his offence and using dirty tactics, although I wanted him to win because he is an upcomer and still youn but I am fine with Bryan winning as this match was about him and him only."
[10.0] "One of the greatest matches and versions of storytelling I've ever witnessed. This match was the culmination of Bryan Danielson's career and life for a truly invested audience. Everything worked from start to finish. You could watch that match with your eyes closed and feel what's happening due to the crowd. You could watch that match with silence and visually see great action. Truly amazing pro wrestling. Side note: Commenters rating this low and implying the other voters rating it high influenced them to give it 5/10 should be banned."
[10.0] "I felt pretty sure Danielson was winning here and the build to this match made me even less interested in it but it was very easy to get caught up in the atmosphere of it all the instance it started. It really did feel pretty special from the start and they were able to peak hit the peaks at the exact right moments for this to be a classic."
[10.0] "Swerve Strickland and Bryan Danielson beat the crap out of each other and mixed in technical wrestling seamlessly. The build was amazing and played into the fact that it left the winner completely up in the air. Swerve stomping Bryan while chirping his family with Prince Nana did his dance was a perfect sequence. Bryan Danielson cements himself as the best wrestler ever in an emotional rollercoaster of a match."
[10.0] "This is one of the greatest matches I have ever seen. The emotion, the crowd, the commentary, the in ring! Everything was perfect. Swerve going back to being the evil heel that we have gotten to know him as before the babyface run, Danielson getting fired up and overcoming swerve's No kicks by using the love of his children. This match was phenomenal from top to bottom. Capping off one of the most emotional stories and matches with Danielson FINALLY winning the title was perfect. ******"
[8.0] "Good but not great. 25 minutes are few for a Career vs Title match in the main event of the top AEW PPV. It was a fun and cute moment with Danielson having his family all together in celebration for his new title, but I feel that for a guy like him who can easily get a whole hour matches, this was more of a walk to the park"
"[10.0] Two professionals at the top of their ability. The psychology of the match was truly masterful, the perpetual underdog story of Bryan Danielson/Daniel Bryan that has run for over a decade culminating into this is something truly to behold. Deservedly the highest rated match on this site; a must watch for any wrestling fan. This match has truly elevated and cemented Swerve into the upper echelon of performers in the industry. He played the 'final boss' persona to perfection. The no sell on the Busaiku Kick with the brush off *chef's kiss*."
[10.0] "This is the best match in AEW history and possibly the best of Bryan Danielsons career. This match is a text book example of everything right in pro wrestling. Intensity, athleticism, storytelling, drama, and anxiety inducing near falls. Bryan looked as valiant has hes ever looked and Swerve came off like the ultimate super villain. The Hangman interference was even done in an artful way that protected Swerve but did not taint Bryans victory. Also had the most satisfyIng tap out victory I can recall since the end of WrestleMania XX. A++, 5 stars, 10/10"
"Danielsons Aew run might be my favorite of any wrestler ever. All my favorite things about AJPW big 4, Shawn Michaels, modern styles and indie styles- he can do it as well as anyone on earth. And swerve is just on another level, especially as a heel. Magical match, magical atmosphere and story, and deserves all the accolades."
[10.0] "A magical match. Danielson and Swerve faced off on Dynamite and it was good but this was on a completely different level. Swerve was feeling himself as heel and Danielson may prefer to work heel but there isn't a babyface like him in the last ten years. He just has an insane ability to be able to get the most out of everyone."
[10.0] "Far and away the MOTN, and potentially MOTY. This is everything that is good about wrestling - extreme physicality, the babyface powering up (but not in a way that insults the audience), the closeness of the bout, the sheer uncertainty of whether this really was Danielson's last match... the hype, excitement, the adulation practically bled through my TV, and I couldn't be more excited to witness the beginning of what may be Danielson's last, true run. Incredible stuff."
[10.0] "The kind of match you tell your grandkids about. An absolutely generational classic, that will go down as maybe the very best big stadium style match of all time. Unreal!"
[10.0] "This is probably the best wrestling match I have ever seen. Not only from an in ring perspective, but from a storyline and atmosphere standpoint... Everything clicked, every mini storyline fitted, every move worked. Every sell and no sell was on point. The atmosphere inside the stadium and on TV (as I rewatched it the same night) was so over the top. The epitomy of modern Wrestling! (*****)"
[9.0] "Bryan Danielson everyone. Sure the match ain't perfect but this one still hit hard. This is a match that you feel in the soul. The atmosphere, the stakes, the emotion and the wrestling all came together to create one of the greatest moments of the year. It's rare that an arena full of people are solely behind one person but it happened here. There was not a single chant for Swerve in this match. Everyone was so desperate for Bryan to win here, not just for the title but for the sake of his career too. And when he does, and Swerve finally taps out after dominating him for the majority of the match it is fucking momentous. People singing, crying, and celebrating all because of this one guy. This is really what wrestling is all about. Bryan Danielson is truly the greatest of all time and it's not even a competition at this point especially after this match. Swerve put in an excellent performance here but this was all about Bryan. If this is his last title reign, I can't wait to see where it goes. An excellent match that, while not technically perfect, is very close to being so and brought to this level just on vibes, emotion and the sheer fact that it resulted in the best ever winning his final world title in front of 50, 000 people. ****3/4"
[10.0] "Not much more to add to this beyond what's been said. It was fantastic. I'll just highlight what someone else said below that it was nice to see a match so great not try and stretch itself out for like 40 minutes or so."
[8.0] "Even though i am not a fan of danielson style, the pacing of the match was amazing, and swerve gives such a fresh look on wrestling, is always nice seeing him. Appart of that, the crowd was insanely active, making it a joy to watch, and that pop after his win was perfect. I have to say it was predictable, but thye manage to make something fun even then"
"I loved this match! It made me happy to see Danielson win even though I was rooting for Swerve! I am intrigued to see where the story goes. I figure Danielson will drop the belt at Wrestledream but to who? Anyhow the match was great, Swerve's heel work was awesome! I always love when a babyface has his family present and the heel can interact with them, adds a really personal feel to the match. 10/10"
[10.0] "How can something be that perfect, from entrances to match itself at every aspect of it. This is literally perfect. One of the best match ever, on one of the best show ever, performed by one of the greatest wrestler ever. Huge huge respect for Swerve for his extraordinary run, and for his performance in such high stakes."
[10.0] "All my friends were telling me he was gonna retire tonight, I was someone who disagreed. To see him win the world title after so many opportunities of doing so, I have nothing but endless joy for him. I think what I love about this match the most, asides from the excellent and brutal work done by some of the best in this company, is the build up to this match. This entire past year has been about Bryan Danielson winding down, being ready to put up his boots and calling it a career, especially after countless almost career ending injuries and devastating matches he has had this year alone, such as the one against Will Ospreay in Dynasty. Taking the reality of Bryan's career and physical condition and melding it into kayfabe, such as the injury from the Tiger Driver, was done to absolute perfection in my opinion, and it led to many people talking whether or not he will actually retire this match. Times and times again you see many career threatening matches that are predictable because of the stipulation, only a few of those times where it really felt believable. This was one of them, because Danielson truly had a storied career at this point. He is a living legend, and it would make sense if this is when he was going to retire. To be the man to end Danielson's career would be its own incredible moment for Swerve as well, so it led to conversation about whether or not he should. The underlying story, of course, is that underdog aura that Bryan always had. He did it to prove it to himself that he can still go. He did it for his family, and he did it for his fans. One of the most emotional title matches of this year, only second to Cody finishing his story. Again, it's also so fucking incredible from a match standpoint too. Main thing to point out is Swerve's ruthlessness, with so many moves especially against Danielson's head and neck, and Bryan's incredible selling that made it feel so real and so worrisome for him. These two have some absolutely brilliant chemistry that was highlighted well with what they had here. While you can make the argument that Swerve shouldn't have lost, I know for a fact that this isn't the only reign he will have, and I believe this was a necessary victory of Danielson, the one final accomplishment of an incredible career of one of the best fucking wrestlers ever."
[8.0] "I think this was the moment everyone had waited for since the day Danielson debuted. And it seemed like it would never happen, especially has his full time career seemed to loom to its end, but this felt different. It felt like it had to be the time for Danielson to win and he did it with style. His performance was tremendous. The drama of everyone wanting and willing Danielson to win took everything by storm. I don't like Swerve as a worker, and I didn't even find him extraordinary here either. I found his work to be plodding and overly methodical, although I like how he would taunted Danielson's family. But he ultimately played a serviceable role which was the antagonist, the obstacle for Danielson to overcome. He almost could've been anyone. It doesn't matter because when Danielson hits his Busaiku Knee, the place blew and then when he hit it again, even bigger reaction. And finally, Danielson captures the gold with a submission, when the drama was almost at its peak, sending everyone, including myself crazy. Incredible moment. One of the most definitive matches of 2024. ****"
[10.0] "I hold Danielson and Swerve in the highest regards, and I STILL can't believe how good this was. Just two of the best in the world putting on a masterclass of pro wrestling."
"For me, this fight is the definition of what PW is. PW is emotion above all, it's feeling. The fight has a refined and unquestionable technical quality, Swerve made his best appearance in his entire short career, and Bryan was Bryan. Absurd storytelling, correct nosells (especially Swerve's on Bryan's Running Knee). This fight is already a classic, five stars"
[10.0] "You couldn't ask for much more in a big main event wrestling match than this. Pretty much perfect. And unlike most action movie sequels, adding kids to make the hero more human didn't ruin the experience!"
[10.0] "The only significant negative of watching this match had nothing to do with the match itself, but rather with the three wandering camera pan-outs during the middle of the action. That was a horrible director's choice clearly meant to show off how nifty their wide shots looked rather than feature the actual wrestling. The match itself was among the best of the year. The crowd was molten hot during its entirety, but they got sent into the stratosphere when Danielson started firing up during his unbelievable comeback sequence. Danielson winning and playing with his kids in the ring was one of the best feel-good moments you'll see in wrestling. *****"
[10.0] "Bryan Danielson is the best wrestler of his era because he has perfectly synthesized workrate wrestling and theatrical dramatics. Swerve is a great villain and that brushing off of the Busaiku knee was some anime shit and I'm here for it. In turn, Danielson absorbing kicks and screaming how much he loved his family was awesome."
[10.0] "This match, the wrestlers, the gears, the entrances, the setting. Everything about this was just so amazing and I cant say much more than that"
[10.0] "Man kann sagen was man will, aber der Run von Danielson bei AEW ist bisher unfassbar gewesen. So lange hieß es, er ist hier um tolle Matches zu haben und Leute over zu bringen und irgendwie führt es dann doch dazu, dass er World Champion wird und es fühlt sich einfach richtig an. Das war von vorne bis hinten ein unfassbar geniales Match, was mit meinen Emotionen spielt, denn es geht darum, ob hier einer der besten Wrestler aller Zeiten sein letztes Match hat und ich war mir bis zum Ende nicht sicher was passieren wird. Man darf natürlich auch nicht die Performance und allgemeine Entwicklung von Swerve Strickland vergessen. Er mag zwar verloren haben, aber alleine das er im Main Event in Wembley stand, hätte ich mir vor Jahren als ich ihn noch bei Lucha Underground als Killshot kannte, nie vorstellen können. Eine emotionale Achterbahnfahrt und eines der besten Matches des Jahres(*****)."
[10.0] "Holy crap man, what an absolute great match for a great feel good moment. But everyone played their part and Swerve will come back to the title again, no doubt about it. The gravity of the match felt so heavy when Bryan was yelling to his family that he loved them. God I love Wrestling."
[10.0] "Favorite match of 2024 and I don't see anything topping it coming up. Such a weird match because the build left a lot to be desired but then once the music hit for the entrances it was like none of it mattered anyway and everyone in the arena was just completely invested. It made for one of the best atmospheres in modern times and made the match special."
[10.0] "An emotional masterclass in storytelling while still maintaining the quality of an in-ring spectacle. Bryan Danielson in my opinion is the greatest pro wrestler of all time and this was the perfect way to top off his ridiculous AEW run. The moment where Danielson was eating the kicks from Swerve while yelling "I love you" to his family at ringside was an all time high as far as storytelling goes in wrestling for me. Let's not overlook Swerve. In my opinion Swerve was just as good at what he does as Danielson was here. The perfect champion, the perfect enemy, the perfect final wall for Danielson to run through to get to his family on the other side. Classic."
[10.0] "Yeah matches like this are why it's going to sucks for Danielson to be taken out of regular rotation. I've been pretty down on some of his recent stuff but then you get a match like this which reminds you what's going to be missing when he retires (or semi-retires). I hope he gets a real reign out of this."
[10.0] "A fight for history. Bryan Danielson and Swerve Strickland give us probably one of the best fights of these last years in terms of history and obviously, wresting, which was great and kept you in that constant doubt that if he was finally retiring or what, thing that was the mainstay of this fight and that left us all shaking as Danielson looked like he was really leaving. Pure cinema and pure wrestling."
[10.0] "Everything you could ever want from wrestling. A match that felt intense for every second and ended with one of the most satisfying moments for a wrestling fan. Swerve belonged main-eventing a stadium show here, and the atmosphere around this match is legendary."
[10.0] "They were able to max out the drama here without going overboard and that's a huge feat. It was actually surprising how dramatic the match was given the lead up to it had been spotty but they delivered big time. Possibly the best match in AEW history at this point."
[10.0] "Swerve is on another level since winning the title. He is full main event and this match and lead up was on him selling it. The American Dragon is the GOAT. He put in the work for 20+ years to be the greatest and wherever he has gone he has proven it. These two a great story in the ring and it culminated in a great moment the will be remembered."
"This was one the most beautiful matches i have ever seen, and the storytelling here is on another level! Swerve is a megastar and in this match he was just vicious and great. Bryan is the GOAT and i dont think this should be debatable at this point, specially after this match! Anyway, that was probably the greatest AEW main event ever! Trully 5 star!"
[9.0] "Yes, there is a lot of false finishes, but compared to all the Ospreay matches, all the Omega matches, all the Bucks matches here Danielson actually sells. He kicks out of the hard hitting moves, but after every kick out he feels like he's on life support and is barely able to move afterwards. This selling gets the crowd going the way it did, not only because he kicked out of something, which a lot of wrestlers seem not to understand. So yeah, awesome use of the false finishes and a great story told of Danielson getting the second life in him once he sees his family in the front row. When it comes to Swerve though he has always been fantastic with his character work, but once he gets in the ring with a veteran that knows what he's doing he can also shine ring-wise and as a result Strickland was a perfect heel here. They didn't rush anything, let the things breathe and got the biggest reactions of the night by doing wrestling the right way."
[9.0] "2024 - I sometimes think that AEW don't quite understand spectacle, making things feel big in the same way other companies do, but this absolutely delivered on that end. Final countdown stuck in my head all day. What a match, what a moment for the greatest American professional wrestler. ****1/2"
[9.0] "God bless Bryan fucking Danielson. With this match, Bryan has surely cemented himself as Wrestler Of The Year 2024. Even by his own standards, he put on a generational babyface performance here. Swerve looked like a killer for most of this match, hitting Bryan hard and often, and his big bombs looked absolutely brutal to boot. Bryan of course isn't one to be overshadowed, and he gave as good as he got, but he never lost that underdog babyface aura. Truly GOAT stuff right there. The icing on the cake was Bryan and Swerve's frequent interaction with Bryan's family, sitting at the front row. They both played their characters perfectly here, and when Bryan made that come back by drawing strength from his family I leapt out of my seat. Only things keeping this from a 10 is the unnecessary Hangman interference, and the ending came about too suddenly and Bryan's busaiku knee looked like shit every time lmao."
[10.0] "it's a 10 for sure: for the setting, the story, the background and the pro wrestling shown. all of this can only be so. we are lucky to be wrestling fans in the Bryan Danielson era andwe're lucky to see him and continue to do it"
"This was the happiest I felt watching wrestling. Bryan winning the World title at Wembley was special, I was not watching wrestling when he won the title in Mania 30 but I think those people felt the same as i felt today watching this. Swerve and Bryan both created something special. I loved it."
[10.0] "Bryan Danielson is the greatest ever. This is up their with the Bryan/Ospreay-match. Swerve also came out as a top guy, and I guess, he'll soon hold the World Title again. Perfect match."
[10.0] "This was perfect. Amazing, stadium wrestling with both guys being perfect. Bryan Danielson is my favorite wrestler ever, and in my opinion the greatest wrestler ever, so this made me feel big emotions all the way through. It felt like a match that will live on forever."
[10.0] "At the moment I can't think of a better match this year. The setting and crowd are going to be impossible to top I think. Danielson and Swerve put on the match of both their lives here."
[10.0] "Ander wie DarkPrince weiter unten, der eine komplett unverständliche Meinung von diesem Match hat, werde ich es nun richtig stellen. Dieses Match war der absolute Wahnsinn. Drama und Spannung von Anfang bis Ende. Ich kann nicht glauben wie man es wagen kann die Bewertung hier runterzuuziehen. Swerve wurde absolut protected und das langersehnte Rematch mit Hangman kann nun endlich kommen. Bryan, der beste Wrestler auf diesem Planeten mind you, hat auch wieder gezeigt warum er genau das ist. Kann dem Match nur die Top Wertung geben und hoffe dass viele das auch tun um solche Antifans wie ein gewisser Herr weiter unten direkt im Keim zu ersticken. Sorry wenn man schon ne Outsider Meinung hat und das auch offen zugibt, kann man auch gleich die Bewertung stecken lassen, weil sie dann zu keinem Diskurs eignet. 10/10 Kleiner Nachtrag, weil DarkPrince wieder was geschrieben hat um seinen Kommentar hochzupushen. Eine Bewertung zu kritisieren ist, hach wer hätts gedacht, eine Meinung, die genauso Teil der Meinungsfreiheit ist, wie dein Kommentar. Wenn du damit nicht klarkommst, tschüss es gibt auch Twitter für dich. Diesem Match eine 2 zu geben ist einfach nur respektlos dem Talent gegenüber. 2 bedeutet, dass eigentlich alles schlecht war, was absolut objektiv nicht stimmt. Du hättest dem ganzen auch ne 8 oder ne 7 geben können und man hätte deinen Punkt sogar verstanden. Mit der 2 ist das für jeden Unverständlich und gegenüber der harten Arbeit der beiden Wrestler nicht angebracht."
[10.0] "This match was an absolute masterpiece. While parts of the build left a little to be desired the final two weeks and particularly the final Dynamite set the scene for something that would be intense and emotional. Boy oh boy did they deliver. The match itself was slow but a perfect pace for what they wanted to deliver. Danielson & Swerve set up the character dynamics early on with Swerve using this bell, this turned off a crowd that could have been into both if they weren't careful. Liberal use of Danielson's family at ringside added a lot to the presentation but the praise has to go mainly to the two performances. Two moments stand out, Swerve brushing off the first running knee Danielson delivered was perfect, he is a performer who carries himself with so much power and it was all evident in that moment. For Danielson it was him absorbing those kicks while yelling at his family how much he loved them. If you are a Father that doesn't get choked up watching that I just cannot relate to you. In all this was a stadium wrestling masterpiece. A match that could draw such a large crowd in and had a pace that they could all keep up with."
[7.0] "I think Danielson is the greatest in-ring wrestler to ever live, and even I think this is rated too highly. First of all, I'll say that this was a very dramatic and rather slow-paced match, where they do more with less. There are a lot of people who try to wrestle this style, and most of them suck at it. Bryan Danielson just blew them all out of the water. Other people try to wrestle this style without actually understanding how. Danielson shows how it's done, and people should take notes. But unfortunately, Hangman's interference completely killed the momentum of the match, and making the end result an unclean finish (visibly distracting Strickland when he was about to arguably finish off Danielson) sucks SO FUCKING BAD. Not like it ruins the whole match, but it stopped it from being great. Danielson should have overcome on his own power. I don't like that Hangman's obsession served as this lucky break for him. Makes the victory much less feel-good. Really bummed me out, man."
[10.0] "Swerve vs Danielson. Mogul vs Dragon. Title vs Career. Ich muss ehrlich sein, ich konnte mir unter keinen Umständen vorstellen, dass Swerve hier over geht. Ich bin grundsätzlich der Meinung, dass Swerves Reign das Potenzial gehabt hätte der beste AEW World Title Reign bisher zu werden. Er wurde aber mit dieser Niederlage nicht sonderlich geschwächt. Er wird wahrscheinlich direkt gegen Hangman weiter fehden und heiss bleiben. Danielson als Champion ist eine Sache die AEW machen musste, sein Standing ist einfach zu gross, dass man es sich entgehen lassen konnte ihn als Champion in die Geschichtsbücher eingehen zu lassen. Davon abgesehen war das Match einfach richtig stark. Jeder Nearfall, jeder Konter, jeder Finisher Attempt nahm die Fans vor Ort und auch mich vor dem TV mit. Gut hatte Hangman nicht direkt mit dem Finish zu tun, das hätte dem Match nicht geholfen. Und das Bild von Danielson mit seiner Familie und dem Pacpool Combat Club wird in die Geschichte eingehen."
[10.0] "Watching this match from a Roman gladiator perspective is a beautiful experience. Nails every trope of pro wrestling and showcases it's similarities. The set design, the stadium, the barricade smash sound, the streamers stuck in the rafters, the whole sound design felt like a battlefield Excellent storytelling lmao and one that will really cement Swerve in the end *****"
[8.0] "I thought this was a great match. The melodrama of playing up to Bryan's family every minute or so was definitely not for me, and I was worried that they were going to fumble the potential greatness by trying to lean too far into a 'storytelling' type match that plagues the current industry trends. However these two guys are too good to have failed here, and this was head and shoulders match of the night with no comparison. I loved the whole third act of this match, and I bit on every single nearfall. The Hangman stuff, like the family stuff, had the potential to torpedo this thing but it was implemented to perfection. This didn't peak to the same level as some of the best matches of the year so far, but it was an enjoyable watch with a great finish and a feeling of catharsis. Good fun. 4.25 stars."
"Man I can't explain this. I've felt every emotion possible, watching wrestling throughout my life. Not this though. It sounds dumb, bit this match made me feel free. Made me feel whole. I didn't know I could experience this man. What a fucking incredible match. I bit on every single near fall. I wanted Danielson to win so bad. But when he won, I didn't freak out like expected. I felt freedom. This match is my favorite match of all time. Give it all the damn stars. 10/10"
[10.0] "AEW's world title legacy is elevated by having Bryan Danielson as part of it's lineage. Fantastic match. Swerve was excellent in it. Bryan was Bryan. 10/10. 7.75 on the Meltzer scale."
[10.0] "I've never cried for a wrestling match but I guess there's a first time for everything in life. I was already sobbing through Danielson's package and entrance at the very beginning. And throughout the whole thing not only was I on the edge of my seat but I also super emotionally invested. I've rarely been THIS emotionally invested in a match. Swerve looked like the star he is with his entrance and truly was the perfect villain to put against Bryan. Stomping dragon in front of his family was just savage. Danielson put on masterful babyface performance. His selling, his facial expressions and his body language were just top notch. Both men deserved to be in this spot and brought their A-games to the dance. They had great chemistry and put on an excellent match. Technically inferior to match like Ospreay vs. Danielson or Ospreay vs. Takeshita that were better from an in-ring standpoint but this one had emotions the other didn't have. Bryan not selling the kicks while looking at his family and telling them he loved them, that was just beast. Bryan's comebacks were always great and I loved the always visually impressive tiger suplex from the top rope. The nearfalls were also amazing, especially the JML driver one. Swerve not selling Bryan's busaiku knee was crazy, Swerve looked like the final boss. They handled very well Hangman with him getting ejected and not getting him involved in the actual ending of the match. The final minutes were some of the most thrilling I've ever seen in wrestling and seeing Swerve tapping out made jump out of my seat. Amazing, amazing match. A surreal, out of body experience. Greatest match I've ever seen, probably. They were able to mix great in-ring action and masterful storytelling like I've rarely seen. Bryan's the goat, no doubt but I would like to give Swerve his props: his run as champion was phenomenal and I couldn't have asked for a better opponent for Bryan. 10/10 - 5*/5*"
[10.0] "Was at peace with Danielson being phased out after this year since he's said that was the plan for awhile now. But dammit after a performance like this I hope it's just the beginning of something so long as his body allows. Swerve may have had a weird title run but he delivered big time here too."
[10.0] "The best wrestler in the world finally received feel good moment which the rival company would never give and value him. This was pure emotional rollercoaster. Thanks to WWE run. Bryan Danielson had learned the way to craft the underdog character. Swerve worked as a heel here and generated heat for dragon to conquer the odd. Bryan had refused to win the title to has this epic moment is the right choice. The ending protected Swerve. The match was great with Brie and their son escalated the intensity. 10/10."
[8.0] "Very gripping match ! One that will hold your attention throughout its runtime. It was so engaging because i truly had no idea who was gonna win, this felt like an old ROH title match, definitely a big fight feel here. The action was great, swerve has gotten so much better in the past 18 months and danielson is such a ring general incapable of a bad match at this point. The violence from swerve and danielson kept the match intense and the selling was great."
"10/10 One of the most emotional and nerve-racking main-event not only in AEW but in Pro Wrestling history. Swerve has had an amazing reign but it was time for Bryan to stop being selfless and finally win the big one."
[10.0] "As annoying and frustrating as Danielson's booking has been over the past couple years it did kinda make this match all the more dramatic, because even though it seemed clear he was going to win there was always this inkling of doubt and that may have elevated this another level to a true classic."
[10.0] "Outstanding match where both Swerve Strickland and Bryan Danielson played out their roles exceptionally. It wasn't complicated. Swerve was the dominant and cocky champion. Danielson was the desperate hero fighting for family and honor. Swerve was given a significant amount of offense and control, while Danielson relied on short comeback runs of aggression. Swerve rarely seemed to be in danger. Danielson fell into increasingly dire circumstances and persevered through sheer determination. Again, both men played their role exceptionally. The athleticism for each was there. The psychology was there. The charisma was explosive. And to tie it all in a bow, the audience was completely invested, even if some of the more subtle moments like when Bryan was looking at or talking with his family, were missed by many. There is one notable criticism here, which sticks out like a thorn in my mind but won't ultimately hurt the match's score. This was a match designed entirely to make Danielson appear strong, to launch him into his championship run and what will be his last streak before semi-retirement. And while that makes a lot of sense, it also meant that Swerve wasn't the match's focus. He bent over backwards to serve the story, to put Bryan over, and did so exceptionally. It's just that Swerve has outperformed so much of what he was given. And just like this whole All In storyline with Danielson, he deserved more. Just one example, but Swerve's in-ring style has focused heavily on himself being the determined competitor that will take all of his opponent's best shots and come out the stronger. It's a shame they didn't do more to play into his style and character, even if the match by all appearances certainly didn't do Swerve a disservice."
[10.0] "This is what pro wrestling is all about. I thought it was all over for BD but he just continues to be the absolute best wrestler of all time. He is timeless and will go down in history as the GOAT."
[10.0] "Fantastic match. Bryan looking toward his family for strength in the final moments of the match was a powerful story beat. I remember saying to my friends that it felt like the air left the room at one point, when it almost seemed like Swerve was gonna win. This match just had a way of making you really unsure of who was going to win. 10/10"
[10.0] "Wow, this was something. Nothing better than seeing an all-time great match with this kind of atmosphere. I didn't expect it to be one of the best ever going in but it very well may have been. Danielson is of course great but Swerve was absolutely fantastic here as well."
"This might be one of the best matches I've ever witnessed, if not one of the best of all time. Both wrestlers put heart and soul into this match and into the story they were telling. Danielson fighting through the kicks from swerve yelling to his family that he loves them might go down as one of the most powerful moments in wrestling history. On top of the incredible match itself, the crowd was rowdy and energetic throughout the whole match giving it an extra notch of awesomeness. Swerve Strickland and Bryan Danielson tore the house down in Wembley."
[10.0] "That atmosphere in the stadium for this was unlike anything I have experienced as a wrestling fan. Can't wait to watch it back but seeing it live I think it might have been the best AEW match."
"This was.........quite possibly a 7 star match? Emotion was high. In ring work was crisp. It built up to a crescendo you could only dream off and ended with a bang that I still feel 6 hours later. I love pro wrestling."
"a spectacular and emotional ending to a card that admittedly has some hits and some misses. danielson hulking up while yelling about how much he loves his family was absolutely phenomenal, one of the coolest justifications for the use of fighting spirit by a western wrestler maybe ever. swerve is a megastar as a heel, perfect at playing the brutal iconoclast. nana is, in the most complimentary sense, a total douchebag, and is, if possible, a slightly underrated part of swerve's act. bryan danielson's last year is going to be a long, emotional ride, but if all the payoffs deliver this hard, i'm here for it."
[10.0] "This match furthered the already strong argument that Bryan is the greatest of all time. It also showed how far Swerve has come in the last year or so, as a wrestler and as a character. Absolute top notch in-ring storytelling, and putting Danielson's family there for it all gave it more stakes. I think one thing I was struck by watching this match was how meaningful it must've been to have his kids there watching him wrestle live as he mentioned that hadn't really happened much previously. A transcendental performance from both guys and an emotional moment to end one of the company's biggest shows."
[10.0] "Wow. Just wow. absolutely incredible, emotional, brutal match. Swerve being about as ruthless as ever. Cheating with the ring bell, stomping Danielson right in front of his kids while bleeding, talking shit to the kids, and attacking the neck. Amazing shit and exactly what Swerve has done to get himself in the position he's in. Really loved Danielson multiple times taking advantage of Swerve when he tries to do his fancy spin/roll transitions (don't know what to call them). Danielson really had to fight from underneath which he is of course the best at. Swerve of course is a master of the mind games but he played to many here to a point that all it could do was fire Danielson up. Swerve mocking the Yes Kicks with Danielson staring right at his kids was such an incredible moment. Followed up with a Busaiku knee that Swerve literally brushed off like a monster. Then hitting House Call and Big Pressure I thought it was over at that point. So many amazing moments. The near falls in this were heart stopping. I liked Hangmans interference because he didn't even actually get the chance to get his hands on Swerve but Swerves own hatred for Hanger had Swerve shit talking him as security dragged him out and Danielson could capitialize. What a goddamn match. Tears were shed. Bryan Danielson is AEW Champion."
[9.0] "I first saw Bryan Danielson on the cover of PWI in 2001 for winning the Super 8 over Low Ki. Now he main evented in front of this incredible stadium crowd 23 years later. This match was fantastic, bloody, violent, and a great capstone to Danielson's career even if it isn't actually over. What a special wrestler we are so lucky to have seen and lived through his career. I hated the run in and the brief moments of over the top dramatics, luckily they were kept brief because everything else was great. ****3/4 and an all time classic finale and presentation. Additionally, this needs to be the end of JR on commentary. He has been done for a long time. He got Danielson's name wrong multiple times. It is time for him to go."
"[10.0] Will give the aforementioned rating when I am allowed to (thank you very much for that, IWC neckbeards), but this was the perfect match. Everything came together. Bryans underdog mentality to win the big one in his final year as a full-time in ring competitor, his emotion, his heart, and his grit made it clear to me that he is, without a shadow of a doubt, the best professional wrestler on Planet Earth today. No hyperbole, just facts. Swerve played his role tremendously well, trying to get the absolute best out of Bryan while leaning hard into his anti-hero antics. The crowd was also red hot for this match, and the pop we heard when Bryan finally won was worth every single story beat to get there. Phenomenal storytelling, a stellar match. Definitely worthy of its rating."
[10.0] "The most terrifying aspect of this match is that i think Bryan's eventual actual retirement match may somehow top it. This is one of my favorite matches of all time.i don't know how to feel, i have felt so much."
[10.0] "This match was everything it needed to be. Bryan is such an amazing storyteller in the ring, no promo can make you feel the emotions he can when he's half dying, bleeding, pumping up and screaming "I LOVE YOU" to his children as Swerve desperately tries to out kick him. Speaking of Swerve, that dude is such a good anti-hero. We cheered for him, wanted him to be the face, the champ, the 'good guy'. And yet he cant help himself. He thrives on pushing people to their limit, he wants to make people suffer because that makes him stronger. His complexity in this match, tossing in a vindicated, and cheered for, Hangman Page into the mix like a match to kerosene, and the whole match was set up perfectly. Bryan becoming champion is the best, and its wonderful, but god, the new layer of complexity just added to Swerve vs Page is pretty insane."
[10.0] "He is the freaking GOAT. Bryan Danielson puts on a performance of a lifetime in a possible last match ever for him. Swerve is amazing yet it doesn't matter. What matters is that the AMERICAN DRAGON IS OUR WORLD CHAMPION! 5 STARS!"
[10.0] "My new favourite match of all time. Bryan is my favourite wrestler ever and seeing him win a world title in person, after this classic match, is the best thing I'll likely ever see in wrestling. Thank you so much to everyone involved in piecing this together, I'll never forget this match."
[9.0] "This was a great match, and it's so awesome seeing Bryan Danielson get the world title. Lots of drama in the match with Bryan's family at ringside. It was a very well wrestled match and their styles really complimented each other. Like we expect from Bryan Danielson we saw blood early and neck scares. I don't think this will go down as an all time wrestling classic though, and there wasn't a lot in the match that is unique from other matches from both of them, so I am a bit surprised at how many people say 10. I thought Swerve and Danielson have both had multiple better matches in the past year. But this was still a great match - 9 / 10, and this match was a memorable main event for AEW's biggest show."
"This match was fucking brilliant and really reminded me of why I dont ever give up on aew. Now while I think Danielson shouldnt have won Im not all too mad about it so Im give this match a incredible *****1/2"
[9.0] "This started off a bit slow but really got going and was brilliantly worked, and I think it avoided the pitfalls of being overbooked both with Danielson's family at ringside and Hangman trying to interfere being important to the match without going too far. Swerve has proven he's as great of a big match wrestler as anyone, and he hung right in there with Danielson. I thought Danielson busting out some old high flying stuff early on was outstanding, and it really got across he was trying to hang onto his career. Swerve came off like a guy who will be as vicious as it takes to win and was absolutely brutal beating down Danielson. I also loved the super stiff slaps near the end. There was a hot closing stretch and a ton of emotion and it made for an epic main event and I guess the only criticism I have is something about it felt slightly short of me giving it a 10 or making it my MOTY where I wanted the final exchange to go just a tad longer."
[10.0] "I liked this one way more than Ospreay vs Swerve, but it didn't reached the quality from Hangman vs Swerve II. Anyways, this was just godly: Swerve has grown on me so much that I just cannot imagine him without a title, and I'm pretty sure I'm not the only one. They paced this almost perfectly, and I really liked that the Hangman intervention wasn't enough to determine the result that in many ways was unpredictable (although Christian winning the gauntlet kinda spoiled it); also, Danielson giving constant looks to his family when hitting big moves or when he was about to lose was the best part of the whole match. Just plain excellence that sucessfully cemented Danielson's AEW carreer and, for the millionth time, established Swerve both as an absolute menace and a main eventer for the ages."
"[10..0] This match is actually what storytelling really is. Two great entrances and a white hot crowd where both wrestlers came out looking like stars."
"Great piece of wrestling. Great story of how can Danielson win to keep his family happy. SOTM is the roll into the knee from Bryan. Swerve stomping on Bryan infront of Brie when she just does nothing and Nana dances is gold. Unbelievable match"
[9.0] "Genuinely awesome match and career defining for Swerve. I think those like me that never bought into Danielson actually being done will be the only people knocking their rating down a notched but that doesn't take away from how great this was."
[10.0] "I've been relatively down on wrestling for awhile, with some occasional high points here and there, that ultimately left me back in the same generally down spot. But this match brought me back to an emotional place I haven't quite been able to reach since Hanger vs. Bryan II or Punk vs. MJF II in early '22. To put it simply, Swerve vs. Bryan was able to get me to jump out of my seat again and yell at the television for the bad guy to tap out. To put it in a long rambley way, I was completely convinced that the light was fading in Bryan's eyes, before he got the last bit of fire he needed to finally put Swerve away. Just an absolutely perfectly booked underdog veteran vs. cocky young gun match. And a brilliant way to cap off the show."
[10.0] "One of the best matches in the history of professional wrestling, point blank and period. Bryan Danielson solidified himself as potentially the greatest to ever do it in the most dramatic and heart-wrenching way possible. I knew this would get emotional, but not that I was going to be sobbing in a standing ovation with my voice completely gone for the lest 10 minutes of this match or so. Danielson told you a story at the start with that promo of the dichotomy of his love, to wrestling and to his family and how they can be one and the same. Swerve looked like a badass mercenary boss-like guy, THE GUY. He was HIM on this day, through and through. Danielson took so much punishment, his kids were actually screaming for him and his family played a part in the match (btw the production truck should have chosen way better shots of them to air). At one point Bryan was reaching out to his daughter and she was reaching to him while Strickland was beating her dad to a bloody mess. Danielson and Swerve had me, a so-called smart fan, that loves this sport for the last 12 years and indies for the past 10 they had me tricked with pinfalls, they had me crying of happiness, they had me hooked as deep as deep can be. The moment when Danielson is getting kicked in the chest while staring at his kids with that blank look and blook-caked face and saying "I love you" every time he eats a kick is one of the most incredible moments I've seen in any form of entertainment. This was AEW's biggest and possibly best show, and it was capped off with the most incredible match I've ever seen. Swerve Strickland blossoming in this last year is awesome to see, he really is a treat and will be and should be a huge player and treated like the beast he is. But fuck me, Bryan Danielson pulled off this masterpiece of storytelling and artistry of violent, yet technical, yet entertaining and dramatic professional wrestling. I can't even wrap my head around how great this guy is, potentially the greatest ever really. But this match is something ANY fan must see, it's something ANY aspiring wrestler should see, and it's something that will and should be cherished as one of the greatest stories told in the ring with a crowd LIKE THAT good with a show LIKE THAT good and with 50 000 fans insane with adrenalin and love for The American Dragon that scream thsi simple word "YES" that tells so much. Now that I recall the match, I tear up again. Masterpiece of the highest order 6.5*."
[8.0] "A terrific match, but I've never been convinced during this whole feud that Danielson would lose. the guy has said repeatedly that although his active career will end in the near future, that he will continue to wrestle for as long as he possibly can. the story of "will Danielson retire? " just didn't connect with me, the stipulation was forced. The CONSTANT blabbering from all FOUR PEOPLE on commentary didn't help the situation."
[10.0] "There will never be another wrestler as good as Bryan Danielson ever again, and the idea that he could've gone away for good here really got me. This match was the perfect cross-section of ROH Danielson main events and the Summerslam 2013/Wrestlemania XXX main events. I can't even talk about this in terms of play by play or how good the mechanics of it were, this match just sweeps you up and makes you love pro wrestling as much as Danielson does. Swerve played into his role better than just about anybody else could've, a perfect mixture of cunning and immovable, slipping back into the dark parts of his persona that has Hangman dead set on ruining him (which ultimately contributed to his loss). I will remember Bryan powering up as he's being kicked, making direct eye contact with his family, yelling "I LOVE YOU SO MUCH" at the top of his lungs, and proceeding to kick the shit out of Strickland. This is pro wrestling right here. *****"
[9.0] "I entered the match thinking that my favorite wrestler's career would end and now I will be honored with another world title run from him (thanks TK), I really celebrated the result and how beautiful it was to see BD celebrating with his family. We also need to give credit to Swerve's exceptional work as a heel in this feud and especially in this match, him making Dragon's daughter cry left even me surprised, angry and wanting the challenger to beat him, great nearfalls, especially the one after Swerve's finishers When he didn't sell the Busaiku Knee, the crowd also improved the action a lot by being very active, I just didn't like Hangman's part as he didn't need to be involved in this match (****1/2)"
[10.0] "Entrances, Emotionen, Wrestling, hier war einfach alles auf absoluten top Niveau! Swerve liefert hier das perfekte heelwork, dass durch Danielsons emotionale story genau das richtige Gegenstück findet. Im Stadion sind bei mir Tränen geflossen, wohl das beste Match dass ich jemals live gesehen habe."
[10.0] "All my cynicism about the show up to this point completely faded away when Bryan got the 3 count here. Wonderful ending to an otherwise up-and-down show. *****"
[10.0] "The emotions increased the value of the match which already was sky high. Bryan's neck thing is overdone, just stop it, it doesn't work anymore. What actually worked? Everything else. Not a MOTY, but one of the best matches this year"
[10.0] "One of my favorites matches of the year and definitely one of Bryans best matches ever just off sheer emotion and storytelling. Swerve played his part of ruthless asshole who was desperate to end the career of danielson perfectly. Him showing no remorse and hesitation to end his career really added to the match and the believability that danielson career could really end. The nearfalls in the closing stretch were really great and had me convinced hook line and sinker. In the end danielson taps out swerve and wins the Strap in a moment very similar to his mania 30 victory although in a much different way compared to that one. Pro wrestling at its best 5/5"
[10.0] "I don't think anyone expected Danielson to retire here but in the moment it felt like it would be a fitting end if that was the case. The match was so great I really hope they don't just rush the title off him. There's a lot of great stuff on the horizon, if they want it."
"Professional wrestling is about moments. Moments that you dont forget. Moments that stay with you for a long time. Swerve Strickland and Brian Danielson was just such a moment. The synergy of this match was off the charts. Talent and crowd effortlessly intertwined together. Each feeding off one another. The magic it produced. If you were going to end a major wrestling show, this is the way you do it. Im proud to be a fan on days like today."
"Definitely going to be a match-of-the-year candidate by the end of the year, Swerve did great heel work and Danielson made you think he might lose about 3 different times and played the underdog great for a match where he could be considered the favorite. An excellent way to end All In. *****"
[10.0] "It is the greatest main event in the history of AEW and one of the greatest of all time. It defined what pro wrestling is all about and gave us the greatest moment in the history of AEW. Nothing could live up to the greatness of this match I can't even describe it into words, man. (******)""
[10.0] "I'm far from Danielson's biggest fan but I can't deny he was excellent here as the beat down babyface. Swerve for the first time for me also looked like the big time main eventer they've been building him to be. I thought they played on the drama just the right amount without it coming off overly melodramatic and the work was nice and stiff at times and built to a climax perfectly. *****"
[10.0] "Peak wrestling. This is the match you can show to anyone who tells you that Bryan Danielson isn't the best in the world to prove them wrong. This was an incredibly emotional and special match. You only get to see a match of this calibre every few years, so this was something truly great. A damn near perfect match from the entrances to the finish."
[10.0] "Fantastic fight. However, the problem I had was that there was huge overbooking and the result was too obvious for me, so I didn't have that much emotion. But the fight itself was excellent and definitely better than last year's Main Event. Danielson did it and it's one of the best moments of the year"
[9.0] "Bryan Danielson is really quite good at pro wrestling huh? This is just a great match in a fantastic atmosphere. Swerve will get lost in the discussion but he played the part perfectly here too. They also handled the Hangman interference perfectly too. ****1/2"
[10.0] "If you don't like this match, you never loved pro wrestling. Absolute perfect match from start to finish. I rarely am so emotionally involved in a wrestling match. Swerve was the perfect final boss to finish the story. Bryan is the best wrestler to ever do it and this might be his peak. What a godly match."
[10.0] "I mean what is there to say about this one. Incredible crowd, incredible heel work from Swerve, and an otherwordly Bryan Danielson as usual. One of the best matches of the year and one that is going to be remembered forever due to the stakes that were in it."
[10.0] "This was simply wrestling magic. Swerve Strickland making children cry, Danielson being one of the greatest babyfaces of all time. You mix that combo and you get Professional Wrestling MAGIC."
[10.0] "I feel pretty dumb for underestimating this match. I love Bryan and Swerve (despite his last couple matches) is more than capable of hanging but given the booking of Bryan for the past two years or so and Swerve's run as champ, this felt like it was going to be an uphill battle to care about. Wrong. Career-defining performances from both men here and an all-time great crowd to go with it."
[9.0] "Brilliant storytelling match, Danielson not being able to be put away by Swerve no matter what he does, Swerve, after being the face of AEW (Along with Ospreay) for months, immaculately going back to being a twat and making Danielsons kids cry, and Hangman, helping Swerve lose, all around a great main event"
[10.0] "I mean, what a fucking spectacle on the entrances. This feels like late 90s early 2000s Japanese MMA. Starts out with a good lockup and some chain wrestling, trading chops in the center of the ring. Swerve shoots just a glance over at Bryans family. Swerve does an armdrag into a an attempted suplex, and then Bryan does this awesome shoulder wrench which Swerve takes a great bump on. Swerve slingshots Bryan to the ringside, hits a stomp on Bryan, goes for a springboard to the outside but lands on his feet, Bryan hits a springboard of his own. Fun stuff immediately into the match. Bryan works over the shoulder again, showing hes the master of in-ring storytelling, already selling the lebell lock for later. Bryan works over Swerve in the corner, does the patented jump over, Swerve comes back and hits a couple of nice suplexes on Bryan. Just good clean wrestling so far, really good shit. These guys are incredible, trade slaps over the ropes. Bryan locks in an armbar on Serve over the ropes, just keeps going after the shoulder. Swerve gets Bryan on his shoulders and then hits the ref with Bryans boot. Swerve uses the distraction, has Nana bring over the worked ring bell, and drops Bryan on the ring bell. Bryan has color as Swerve works him over. Then SWERVE THE SICK FUCKER BRINGS OVER BRYAN TO RINGSIDE and pummels Bryan with boots in front of his kids and wife. Brie sheilds her sons eyes and Swerve just berates his family. I love this shit. Bryan is pouring blood in front of his children and then Swerve just fucking opens the wound. Swerve gets Bryan up on the top rope and then drops Danielson on the back of his neck. Birdies in tears at ringside. Swerve jumps up to the top ropes, Bryan reverses Swerves stomp into a STF that he cant quite get in. Danileson rolls through an OConnor roll and then hits a big lariat on Swerve that he really lays in. Bryan reverses a European uppercut into a backslide pin attempt, kicked out, then Bryan hits a flying clothesline to Swerve. Bryan hits the running knees to Swerve. Swerve cuts off the third by hitting a flatliner. This match is just at a breakneck speed so far. Bryan rolls through Swerves offense, goes for a cattle mutiliation after Swerve kicks out on a pin attempt, hits a tiger suplex from Bryan. Bryan grabs the back of his own neck, selling his pre-existing injury. Bryan starts hitting his kicks on Swerve, Bryan hits this fucking insane avalanche tiger suplex on Swerve, kick out at two. Crazy shit. Bryan hits his stomps onto Swerves face, locks in the cattle mutilation. Swerve bridges up to his feet and hits something fucking wild on Bryan. The ref motions for the doctor to come to the ring, as Bryan sells the Tiger Driver injury from his old Ospreay match. Swerve pushes everyone away, drags Bryan towards the corner, hits a Swerve stomp on him, but Bryan kicks out at two. Bryans face is covered in a crimson mask. Swerve hits a house call to Bryan, motions for Bryan to get up, then hits another house call to Bryan, as Bryan crawls away in the middle of the ring. Swerve mutters to himself and looks back at Bryan as Bryan reaches for his children. Swerve hits a third house call to Bryan. And Bryan with no energy, rolls his shoulder up off the mattress, the crowd goes absolutely nuts with Yes chants. Bryan starts to power up. Points at his kid as he just absorbs everything from Swerve. Hits Swerve with huge fucking slaps. The crowd is going nuts. Everything Swerve does is just absorbed completely by Swerve. Bryan powers up as his kids go crazy, hits a snap suplex on Swerve, whole crowd is doing the yes chant. Swerve fucking BRUSHES OFF the Busaiku knee and then hit him with a huge house call. Taunting his children Swerve hits the big pressure on Bryan, but he kicks out at two. Crowd goes nuts AGAIN. Swerve taunting Bryan with his yes chant. HANGMAN PAGE SHOWS UP. Swerve is distractedd as Hangman gets pulled away by Security. Danielson hits him with a big Busaiku knee, pin attempt and false finish kick out at two. They lock up hands and trade forearms while theyre locked up. Really cool stuff. Headbutts by swerve, Bryan tries to get him in the Lebell lock but cant. Strikes traded back and forth. As swerve goes for his roll through kick, Bryan interrupts it BEAUTIFULLY with a Busaiku knee. Bryan hits one to the back of Swerves head, Swerves head ricochets off the turnbuckle, and Bryan locks him in the Lebell lock. Whole crowd is on their feet, but Swerve pulls Bryans hand off of it. SO Bryan Breaks his finger. Locks him back in the Lebell lock and then gets Swerve to tap out. PERFECT match. No notes. Bryan points to his children and wife and blows them a kiss as he holds the AEW title in the ring. Bryans family joins him in the ring in whats a beautiful moment. This is really fucking special and amazing. What an incredible moment for Bryan Danielson, who is undoubtedly one of the greatest wrestlers of all time. This is a perfect world title win on a huge stage. 11/10"
[10.0] "The build to this match had been a mess. Baffling to me. I was convinced it'd be impossible for me to really care about this match but holy shit from the entrances onward I was completely captivated. My Match of the Year thus far."
[10.0] "What in the goddamn hell? Who's the jagoff who gave this a 2 and didn't even need to leave a review? Get real, bro. This was perfect. This was a super high stakes career on the line match full of huge emotions, and intense moments. Swerve trying his best to destroy Danielson in-front of his family, and Danielson fighting back with immense spirit, finally capturing the AEW World Title at Wembley. This is one of the best main events in AEW history. Flawless, perfect, all of the fucking above. (*****)"
[10.0] "I'm literally back after so long because THIS match has injected wrestling back in my veins. This is pure in ring storytelling. Danielson's seeing his family and being zapped back into the game moved me to fucking tears. No man on this planet will have a more storied career, nor will have instilled me with more feeling about this sport. To call this 5, 6 or 7 stars wouldn't do it justice. This is just a you just HAD to be there type of shit. Swerve was absolutely badass in defeat, an instant megastar overnight. This isn't Bryan's first ballgame in front of this many people at a main event level. But this IS Swerve's. Man was the other wrestling promotion wrong to release him. He delivers in front of 50k people like he was born to do it."
[10.0] "Perfect match! So many moments from the epic entrances to the incredible false finishes that made me feel Bryans career was over. Watch the match if you havent & if you already have, you know how good it is, watch it again."
[10.0] "I guess if you hate Bryan Danielson you might not like this. But who the hell hates Bryan Danielson? This was pro-wrestling joy. They had us convinced Bryan might actually fall short and retire at Wembley Stadium in front of his family. But no, he does it again and we go on for a couple more months. Perfect entrances. Perfect match. Perfect celebrations afterwards. What more do you want from pro-wrestling? This was like the Mania XL main event all over again."
[10.0] "Wer hier 2 Punkte gibt ist kein Wrestling Fan und sollte sich schämen sowas zu geben egal wie da die eigene Meinung ist. Das war so perfekt was willst du mehr. So viel Dramatik, ein so stark blutenden Bryan, mehrere so knappe Nearfalls und solch schöne Szenen mit Bryan Kollegen und seiner Familie nach dem das Main Event. Ich gebe hier (*****)."
"[10.0] I don't like to comment on other people's ratings much but who the fuck gives this a 2? Get fucking real. This match is two words: Historical and stellar. Not a single sloppy moment. From the very beginning to the very damn finish it had a high work rate which involved two guys beating the shit each of other. It had the urgency, it did further storylines without overbooking the match. Swerve swerving Danielson early-on in the match with a ring bell? That was Jeff Jarrett prepared Danielson for. Danielson fighting through a crimson mask for the whole match. A true battle of will. Swerve not only wanting to retain but desperately wanting to be that guy who could say 'I retired Danielson'. It just hits right. Kicking Danielson's head in in front of his family. All the gestures, all the moves meant something. There was no wrong winner but I am personally happy Danielson will be going away with a title run. Swerve looked simply superb. I can see he'd be getting a 2nd run sometime in the near future. Danielson is already the GOAT and his legacy is that the whole atmosphere. Well deserved, every moment of it."
[10.0] "I bawled like a baby. Unbelievable match from start to finish, the only match that even comes close to the magic Sting/Darby vs The Bucks radiated. Flawless from start to finish, and my gut feeling is that it's the greatest match of all time. Thank you wrestling, you're awesome."
[10.0] "Bryan Danielson is still alive. The perfect Wembley Stadium main event with everyone behind the American Dragon, and his family at ringside to make you think that's it for him. Swerve was an incredible foil, and his new contract will ensure he'll be a major player for years to come. For now, let's enjoy what we have left of Danielson in this final world title run."
