Danielson defeats Sabre in Seattle
October 1 saw AEW present Wrestle Dream, an even tin honour of Antonio Inoki on the first anniversary of his passing.
Huge attention surrounded the Dream Match on the card between the world’s two best technical wrestlers, Seattle home hero Bryan Danielson taking on NJPW World TV Champion Zack Sabre Jr. Opening exchanges saw a stalemate; Sabre would try for a Cobra Twist on Danielson, countered in succession by the American Dragon before both went to ground. Danielson would find an Indian Deathlock, countered by Sabre who got a Romero Special that was countered in kind.
Sabre would deliver the first strike of the match with a European uppercut in the ropes to Danielson, who responded with a southpaw elbow, his dominant right arm still recovering from a fracture against Kazuchika Okada back in the summer. Sabre baited Danielson in and immediately punished the Dragon for using the right. Not just punishing the arm, ZSJ snapped the fingers of his foe who had to use his feet to stay in the fight. After attacking the base of the Briton with Dragon Screws, Danielson hung Sabre in the tree of woe, before delivering hammer elbows on the top rope.
A butterfly suplex from the top scored for Danielson, who worked for the Le Bell Lock and then a half crab transition. Danielson was in a world of pain from his injured right arm, but was still on his feet, rattling kicks before a Buzzsaw to ZSJ. With wrists trapped, Danielson buried stomps to Sabre and primed for a Busaiku knee, but the World TV Champion was able to catch his foe, nearly getting three from a European Clutch as the Seattle crowd took to their feet. A second attempt at the hold followed, turned into Cattle Mutilation momentarily; ZSJ would counter roll into a double armbar, a focus on the hurt right.
Both on the mat, Danielson and Sabre exchanged brutal strikes out of Achilles holds. Resetting to their feet Danielson delivered leg kicks as Sabre struck at the right arm of the American Dragon; a PK to the right arm had Danielson badly stunned and the Zack Driver followed. Sabre brutally tortured both arms as Danielson writhed in pain; Sabre continued to torque and torture before barely making the ropes. Sabre was at a disntinct advantage as Danielson seemed on the brink of defeat; still Danielson could dig down with a head kick. As the Dragon went for trapped stomps to Sabre once more, ZSJ found an armbar but was coubntered with a Regal Plex and Busaiku Knee for two. A second followed for a bare three count, Danielson for now able to lay claim to the title of best technical wrestler, but finding his handshake of respect to Sabre met with the cold shoulder.
Eddie Kingston defended the STRONG Openweight and ROH World Championships in a double title match against Katsuyori Shibata on the card. Kingston would start with aggressive kicks to his challenger, but Shibata comfortably responded with brutal shots of his own before navigating an agonising figure four. As the champion made the ropes, Shibata instead transitioned to an Indian Deathlock and then a head and shoulder lock countered into a backdrop suplex.
The Mad King backed the Wrestler into the corner and fired in machine gun chops, but was reversed into the corner by Shibata, who met him with forearms and a soaring dropkick. The champion found his feet and fired in elbows, but Shibata wouldn’t back down and responded to a wrist clutch exploder with an STO. Following with an Inoki-like Cobra Twist and then a ground Octopus, Shibata had Kingston badly struggling. The wounded champion would swing wildly and connected with a pair of backfists, and after a Northern Lights Bomb got two from the referee, a powerbomb with a full stack brought the three count.
Six man action on the night would see Will Ospreay join forces with Konosuke Takeshita and Sammy Guevara to face Kenny Omega, Kota Ibushi and Chris Jericho. Ospreay and Omega would start the bout which saw Ospreay pick up with three opponents from his recent past. To the delight of Don Callis in charge of his ‘family’, Omega would have a difficult time throughout the match, but Jericho and Ibushi made the best use of much needed tags. A Cross Slash from Ibushi and Omega to the floor joined by a Lionsault from Jericho to Guevara nearly got three, while Ospreay and Takeshita had communication issues. Ospreay nonetheless was there to save Takeshita from Kamigoye by Ibushi, and dove to the Golden☆Lovers with a Sky Twister Press, before drawing the referee, allowing a shot with Jericho’s bat from Callis to grant the win to Guevara.
The TMDK side of Bad Dude Tito, Shane Haste and Mikey Nicholls challenged AEW Trios Champions the Acclaimed on the Zero Hour opening to the night. Tito outpowered Max Caster in the opening moments of the match but the challengers had a tough time of it in the face of the massive Billy Gunn; Anthony Bowens scored with Scissor Me Timbers on Haste, but a celebration was premature on the part of the champions. TMDK took over on Bowens and the power of Tito matched with Haste and Nicholls’ tag team sensibilities had the ring cut off perfectly and the champions worried.
Bowens eventually escaped to Gunn, who cleaned house but was stopped with a German suplex from Tito. As the match broke down, TMDK had the upper hand with a cannonball from Haste and Blue Thunder Bomb from Tito to Bowens, but Gunn was the difference maker for his team. Making the assist for Bowens with a Fameasser to Tito, he setup the Arrival for Bowens and a Caster Mic Drop elbow for three.
Opening the Zero Hour portion of the event, Satoshi Kojima and on on behalf of Keith Lee, Billie Starkz and Athena after a lariat to Lee Moriarty in eight person inter gender action.
