(Almost) 5-Star Match Reviews: Bryan Danielson vs. Eddie Kingston – AEW Rampage Halloween Special

Bryan Danielson and Eddie Kingston are two of the most beloved wrestlers in AEW. They’ve both been around for decades, have earned their reputations for dedication and passion, and wear their hearts on their sleeves. Danielson in particular is still adored by many fans and his popularity transcends the tribal division that has come to define online wrestling discourse. Kingston, on the other hand, is another matter. He was one white-hot after that Players Tribute story about him went viral. Yet despite it turning him into more of a likable and relatable person, there was never any genuine follow-up to it. Despite him catching fire he fell through the cracks and ended up being one of several promising people in AEW to languish on a treadmill, always in motion but never moving anywhere. And this match is one of the reasons why.

The Story

AEW booked a tournament to crown a new #1 Contender for the AEW World Championship, then held by Kenny Omega. Danielson advanced to the semi-final round by beating Dustin Rhodes while Kingston did the same by beating Lance Archer. To add more intrigue to this simple tournament the AEW announcers played up these men’s shared history. This was their first match together in over eleven years, with Danielson having won all three of their previous encounters that took place in ROH and CHIKARA. This favorable win/loss record, combined with his positive momentum since coming into AEW a few weeks earlier and the buzz from his 30-minute draw with Omega in his first AEW match ever, made Danielson the favorite to win the tournament.

But it was unwise to count Kingston out, especially since this match was taking place in front of a decidedly pro-Kingston crowd. Though Kingston was far from the technical wizard that Danielson was, he put just as much heart and passion into his craft which made him hard to put down. But would that passion be enough for Kingston to get one over on AEW’s biggest signing to date, or would Danielson use his existing momentum to reach the top of the mountain?

The Match

This took place on October 29, 2021. It was rated ****3/4 out of five by the Wrestling Observer’s Dave Meltzer.

Things start of tense with both men approaching each other cautiously. The ref separates them against the ropes but Kingston lands a chop over the ref. Kingston briefly feigns discomfort in his leg following a Danielson low kick but Danielson fires up moments later and starts pummeling him in a corner. Kingston fires back with what Chris Jericho blasphemously on commentary called ‘Kobashi-like chops’. Danielson counters an Irish whip with a full-speed clothesline and a corner dropkick that sends Kingston to ringside.

Kingston returns to the ring and tries single-legging Danielson but to no avail. Kingston tries Kobashi machine gun chops but again it falls flat because Kobashi had arms like tree trunks while Kingston doesn’t. Danielson hits back with kicks and an uppercut and then starts working Kingston’s left arm with armbreakers. Kingston chops back and the two men trade head-butts and uppercuts until Kingston lands a dropkick and both men go down.

Kingston lands a neckbreaker for a quick count and then locks in a neck crank. He lands more chops which start turning Danielson’s chest purple. Then he shitcans Danielson and throws him shoulder-first into the steel ringsteps. Danielson returns to the ring and flips Kingston off to which Kingston responds with a bitchslap for a two-count.

Danielson tries firing back after eating more chops but Kingston thumbs his eye. Danielson holds onto the ropes on an Irish whip and ducks down to send a charging Kingston to the floor. Danielson follows with a baseball slide dropkick and goes for an apron dive but Kingston hits him with a Misawa elbow in midair and a Backdrop suplex on the ringside mats.

The ref starts counting Danielson out but he makes it back into the ring at the count of 9.5. Kingston tries a Backdrop into the turnbuckles but he’s too close so he turns around and lands another Backdrop for another near-fall. Kingston applies a Stretch Plum but Danielson gets to the ropes. That’s followed by a long corner struggle spot with Kingston attempting a superplex and Danielson holding off as much as he can. Kingston lands another slap and tries some other avalanche move but Danielson slithers out and crotches Kingston on the top rope. This allows Danielson to hit back with a top-rope Backdrop suplex. Both men collapse.

Both men get to their feet and trade strikes until Kingston lands an enzuigiri. Danielson blocks a Half Nelson suplex and lands several kicks to Kingston’s head and chest. Danielson charges for the Busaiku knee but Kingston collapses seconds before impact so Danielson hammers him with forearms and applies a Fujiwara armbar. Kingston swings with his free arm. Danielson ducks and traps that arm. But then Kingston counters with a DDT.

Both men get to their knees and trade forearms and slaps. They fight to their feet and Kingston tries another enzuigiri but Danielson blocks this one. Misawa rolling elbow by Danielson. Kingston hits back with an Uraken. Somewhere Aja Kong is smiling. This leads to a standing ovation from the audience. Kingston crawls over but Danielson traps him in a triangle hold. Kingston can’t muscle Danielson up and Danielson hits Kingston’s head with the point of his elbow. Kingston flips Danielson off while still trapped in this hold. Danielson tightens and cranks it as much as he can. Kingston goes limp and passes out. Danielson wins and advances to the tournament finals!

Winner after 16:23: Bryan Danielson

You can watch the match here.

Review

This was a fine match but not worthy of any overwhelming hype or praise. It was a greatest hits display and not something truly outstanding or exceptional. The hot crowd certainly helped to a degree but that isn’t saying much since it was a typical “both these guys” indy crowd that would cheer for anything just to be heard. Danielson largely carried the match as the underdog getting the shit chopped out of him with Kingston doing his best impression possible of either Kobashi or GUNTHER.

But even though Kingston carried his fair share of the match it just never reached that next level. It felt like both guys were very much testing the waters and keeping things simple. Though his chest ended up looking like he got whipped, the match lacked that sense of underdog tension when a FIP really has something truly challenging to overcome. Kingston didn’t serve as a genuine mountain for Danielson to climb so much as he served as an impediment. He wasn’t a wall; he was a speedbump. The match had passable action but they never gave the impression that this was anything high stakes or serious. It felt more like an exhibition than a story. The closest we got to any storytelling was both guys flipping each other off which doesn’t really do all that much for the average viewer.

The only part that really stood out in a positive way was the finish since it came out of nowhere yet it fit Danielson’s character and style to a T. He won with something new and unexpected after almost caving Kingston’s head in and Kingston lacked the strength to power out. It was a welcome surprise but not enough of one to really make up for the otherwise lackluster fifteen minutes that preceded it.

Final Rating: ***1/4

For a match that was built up as this major encounter between two men with shared history going back more than a decade this didn’t live up to the hype. It lacked that primal intensity that would’ve elevated it to the next level as a performance, with the only exception coming from Kingston not holding back as he chopped Danielson’s chest until it changed color. But despite Kingston’s best efforts he didn’t really convey the malice of a GUNTHER, the babyface fire of a Kobashi, or the precision of a Ric Flair. Even though Kingston wrestled in front of a supportive crowd he never really looked like he stood a chance against Danielson. Whether it was from how he wrestled or what he did in between, he didn’t do enough to sell the idea that he was Danielson’s equal, much less someone who could beat him and face Kenny Omega.

Both Danielson and Kingston were capable of better but left their best stuff on the table. Though on one hand that was to be expected given that this was on Rampage and not on PPV or even on Dynamite, there was still this sense of disappointment given the names involved. Luckily for his biggest fans, Danielson would show significantly better wrestling in the months and years ahead against the likes of Hangman Page, MJF, Kazuchika Okada, Zack Sabre, Jr., and Will Ospreay. As for Kingston, this was a swing and a miss for him but this is far from the last time I’ll be covering the best matches of his career.

Thanks for reading.