#173: Bryan Danielson vs. Brody King, AEW Collision: Winter is Coming (12/16/2023).
This is a Continental Classic Blue League Match.
Danielson is sporting an eye patch, due to his orbital bone injury. I'm sure someone like Brody King won't target that at all.
The bell sounds, and Bryan kicks Brody immediately. Brody forces him to the corner, and Bryan quickly escapes and kicks the leg again. Bryan avoids a chop and continues his onslaught of kicks.
Brody forces Bryan again to the corner, and again, Bryan slips out and kicks the leg. Brody goes to poke at the injured eye, then chops Bryan right in the throat! Another to the chest, and that gets a nearfall.
Nice forearms from Brody, and more strikes to the eye. He rips the eye patch off, and continues to strike at the head. Brody follows with a splash in the corner. Bryan eats a corner cannonball, which further injures the eye.
The ref checks on Bryan, who wants to continue. Brody slams his head off the announcer's table repeatedly. He chops him so hard, he almost goes over the table. Brody whips Bryan right into the Steel barricade.
He sets Bryan up on the barricade, and then splashes him into it! That looked painful. Bryan is busted open. Back in the Ring, Brody shoves his boot into Bryan's face. Good strategy to focus on the injury.
Bryan rolls to the outside, and Brody follows him and brings him back inside. He uses all his weight to crush Bryan's head into the middle rope. Bryan gets sent into the ropes, and walks into a side slam by Brody for a 2 count.
Back on the floor, Brody goes to splash Bryan into the barricade again, but Bryan is able to drop toe hold Brody into a chair. Bryan flies off the apron with the knee to the head.
Shotgun dropkick by Bryan off the ropes in the Ring, and Bryan goes into a series of dropkicks in the corner. More kicks to the leg, just like at the start. Bryan goes for a Suplex, but Brody knocks him onto the ropes. Brody comes off the top turnbuckle with a lariat, knocking Bryan to the mat!
Brody makes the cover, and Bryan barely kicks out! Brody is up, and goes for the cannonball, but Bryan counters it into a single crab submission! Brody is able to get to the ropes. Nice kicks by Bryan to the leg.
Bryan follows with a clean kick to the head. He grabs the arms, and drops several stomps to the head. He makes the cover, and Brody kicks out. Bryan with repeated elbows to the head, and Brody walks through it and hits a Death Valley Driver out of nowhere! He covers, and Bryan kicks out.
Brody goes to splash Bryan, but only gets turnbuckle. Bryan hits the Busaiku Knee, and Brody kicks out at 1! Bryan follows with more kicks to the chest. Brody explodes out with a huge lariat! It's only enough for a 2 count.
Brody looks for a powerbomb, and Bryan counters into an inside cradle for a 2 count. Bryan is back up and hits a Busaiku Knee, and another! One more in the back of the head, and that's enough for the win.
This is a wildly entertaining TV match that accomplished many things. It made Brody King look like an absolute world eater. It made Bryan Danielson look like the ultimate underdog. And it also gave us another great David vs. Goliath matchup. These two have incredible chemistry, and they busted their ass to tell this story. Bryan worked underneath with his injury, and Brody came off like a shark in blood infested waters. Putting those two elements together only guarantees greatness.
It's not an all time classic or anything, but sometimes as a fan, all you want is a good TV match. This was a good TV match.