#174: Bryan Danielson vs. Eddie Kingston, AEW Dynamite: New Year's Smash (12/27/2023).
This is the finals of the Blue League in the Continental Classic. The winner will face Gold League winner Jon Moxley at World's End for the Continental Crown.
There's a lot of history between these two coming in. Bryan has already beaten Eddie during the Block matches, and he's been calling him a bum for weeks.
The bell sounds, and Bryan gets a rope break immediately. Bryan with some quick kicks to the leg, and he's taunting Eddie already. Bryan with some quick strikes, and a kick. The crowd is firmly behind Eddie.
Bryan takes the side headlock, and Eddie counters into a Saito Suplex. Tope to the outside onto Bryan next! Knife edge chop by Eddie against the barricade. Eddie whips Bryan into the barricade, and chops him again.
Back in the Ring, Eddie unloads with punches and chops. Bryan slips out and chops and kicks Eddie in the chest. Eddie with a double handed chop out of the corner. On the apron, they fight until Bryan spikes him with a DDT. He follows that with a diving knee to the floor.
Bryan chops him and calls him a bum. Eddie responds with a headbutt. Back in the Ring, Bryan drives his knee into the head for a nearfall. Bryan with more kicks to the back and shoulders. He traps Eddie's legs, and drives the knees into the mat.
Bryan continues on with the taunts of being a bum, while chopping and kicking Eddie in the chest. Eddie tries to fight back, and Bryan immediately goes for the LeBell Lock. Eddie manages to get to the ropes before it's fully applied.
Bryan won't stop taunting, and Eddie catches him in an Exploder Suplex. Bryan blocks the Spinning back fist, but Eddie is able to connect with a DDT out of nowhere. Kobashi style chops in the corner by Eddie.
Bryan talks some smack, and Eddie explodes with razor sharp chops. Bryan blocks the Exploder and applies the LeBell Lock! Eddie is able to get to the ropes. Bryan snaps the arm off his shoulders, and follows with a suplex. Bryan goes to the top rope, and Eddie knocks him to his ass.
Eddie with another hard chop, and another! Eddie goes to the top, and Bryan slips out and crotches him. He hangs him upside down, and kicks at the chest. Bryan with a running dropkick to the head. Next, he places Eddie on the top rope.
Elbows to the head, followed by a super back suplex - which Eddie reverses, and lands right on Bryan's injured eye! Both men are slow to return to their feet. Bryan is up first, then Eddie.
Both men slowly approaches each other, and exchange hard chops. Eddie pulls his straps down, and asks for more. The crowd erupts! Bryan simply spits in his face.
They continue to exchange chops. Bryan with a kick to the knee, and Eddie is down to a knee. More chops and kicks by Bryan, but Eddie won't stay down! He's back up with chops of his own.
Bryan blocks one chop, and hits a shoulder capture Suplex into a bridge for a nearfall. Bryan kicks at Eddie's chest and shoulders, until Eddie blocks one and goes for an arm drag. Bryan blocks it, and misses a dropkick in corner! Eddie with a lariat, and a Northern Lights Bomb, and that gets a close 2 count.
Eddie goes for a powerbomb, and Bryan counters into a roll up for a nearfall. Busaiku Knee connects, and Eddie kicks out! Bryan grabs Eddie and drives his elbow into his head repeatedly. Bryan declares that it's time to kick his head in.
He grabs the arms, and stomps on Eddie's skull. Eddie gives Bryan the bird, letting him know that he's still in this fight. Bryan sets up for the Busaiku Knee, but Eddie counters into a spinning back fist! Half Nelson Suplex, followed by another back fist, and a stacked powerbomb, Kawada style! Eddie gets the 3 and wins the Blue League!
This was an outstanding match, and one of the best matches in Dynamite history. These two don't miss, and they have excellent chemistry. The story was Bryan being the bully, and Eddie determined to prove that not only was he not a bum, but he was good enough to go to the finals. If he lost here, he would be without his two championships, and he'd lose out on winning the Continental Championship.
Bryan did his best to get Eddie to lose his cool, but the Mad King showed great maturity, and stood his ground against the bully. They hammered each other hard, and neither man backed down. But Eddie Kingston's grit brought him the win, and it came courtesy of a phenomenal back and forth war between two of the best in the world.