Last night in the opening match of Elimination Chamber, the fans in Philadelphia were treated to a wrestling master class. This was between Daniel Bryan & the hometown boy, Drew Gulak. The fans would come alive as they traded heavy strikes, dangerous suplexes, and deadly submissions. It was a type of match often reserved for NXT, but proved fans still love wrestling matches.
Drew Gulak Was Treated Like A Star
Despite it being between a five time world champion and someone who’s biggest peak came as Cruiserweight Champion, they were treated as equals. The story being told was that Drew Gulak came up into wrestling idolizing Daniel Bryan, and using his matches to define his style. Due to the amount of tape he watched on Bryan, he knew his weaknesses and had an answer for every move in his arsenal. This was the perfect way to make it believable that a former Cruiserweight Champion and undercard talent could take a former world champion to his absolute limits. Combine that with it being in his hometown, and you had a recipe for greatness. Even the end of the match made Gulak look strong, as he didn’t tap out, instead choosing to pass out from the pain of the Yes! Lock.
Fans Were Reminded Of Kurt Angle vs. Chris Benoit
While Benoit’s legacy is tarnished entirely by his final days, his matches with Kurt Angle on WWE PPV’s back in 2003 set the new standard for great technical wrestling matches in WWE. This match between Gulak and Bryan brought that same level of intensity and smoothness. To be compared to some of the greatest technical wrestlers of all time is a great sign that fans want more of this type of action on their cards.
Daniel Bryan Put Gulak Over In His Post Match Interview
Despite his best efforts, Gulak was not victorious but he looked like a star in defeat. After the match was done, both men got a standing ovation and once Bryan got behind the curtain he would speak for WWE.com about the match. He called back to the Cruiserweight Classic where he was on commentary, saying that was when he wanted to face Gulak. Bryan viewed Gulak as someone who matches his style and intensity, someone built from the same mold as Bryan himself; his equal. This is how you make someone feel like a star even in defeat, and I doubt this is the last time we will see this from Daniel Bryan.
Do you think Drew Gulak is set for big things following this instant classic with Daniel Bryan? Let us know what you think in the comment section down below.
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