Ricky Starks has a bone to pick with Jake Hager, the man who powerbombed him through a table following a 15 minute war with Chris Jericho. Tonight he faces off against one of the more quiet former World Champions on the AEW roster, in what could be one of the hardest matches of his career. Hager is almost the definition of a trap match, being the near perfect combination of speed, power and technique in the ring, and with Jericho ordering him to destroy Starks, he intends to follow through.
Ricky Starks Cuts Down Jake Hager
Hager would rush into Starks as this match began with some stiff punches, before having his favourite hat stolen by Starks. This match would spill out to the floor, where Starks would avoid being thrown into the ring post – but his ankle got caught as he slipped through the ropes. Hager would nail a big boot, and Matt Menard & Angelo Parker would get some cheap shots in on Starks at ringside.
Back in the ring, Hager would keep the pressure on with a tight slam. Menard & Parker set up a table at ringside, with Hager looking to repeat what he did to Starks on January 4th. Starks would fire up, taking down the table, Menard, Parker, and finally Hager. He’d hit a big lariat in the ring before Hager was able to block the DDT.
A boot top the face would drop Starks, but the Hager Bomb was blocked before the Tornado DDT would land for a two count. Starks would land one big spear – and this match was over just like that. This puts his 2023 record to 2-0, and both wins are over former World Champions.
Jericho would challenge Starks & Action Andretti for next week on AEW Dynamite. He was intending to team with Guevara – but Garcia wanted the chance to beat down Starks once he’s done with Andretti on Rampage this Friday. Guevara would agree to give him the spot if Garcia gets the win, before gifting his protege some new gear with leather pants.
The American Dragon vs. El Mas Buscado
Bryan Danielson has won his first match on his way to a shot at AEW World Champion MJF. It wasn’t easy to take down Konosuke Takeshita, but Danielson was able to do so – but there is no rest for The American Dragon. MJF has lined up another big challenger for Danielson, and another international superstar in the form of former ROH World Champion Bandido. Since arriving in AEW, Bandido has not yet found that signature victory – and hopes to pull that off here tonight.
Bandido would go for the wrist of Danielson early and found himself outwrestled. He’d do his signature gun taunt at Danielson, and had his hand kicked away. Bandido would get Danielson down on the mat for the Romero Special, with Danielson able to wrestle his way free despite having all four limbs caught.
Danielson would look to apply the hold himself, but Bandido would fight the hold – only to have his knees stomped into the mat. Bandido would catch Danielson getting cocky, and would apply a variation of The Paradise Lock, Danielson using his head to get free. Bandido would play some mind games looking for the finisher of Danielson’s favourite luchador, Blue Panther – a standing Figure Four Leg Lock known as El Nudo Lagunero.
The hold would be applied, with Danielson able to slip free before rolling to the floor. Bandido would keep the pressure on with some dives, before Danielson would bring some heavy strikes in the ring. Danielson would hang Bandido in the Tree of Woe, kicking him in the chest before a sliding dropkick right to the face. Bandido was now ready for the Romero Special, with Danielson getting him up and tilting him down into a pinfall for a two count.
Bryan Danielson Wins Third Match In A Row In Instant Classic
Bandido would take some stiff chops on the ropes, before hitting a pop cup cutter that would make Diamond Dallas Page blush. Unable to follow up with a pinfall, Bandido took some more heavy kicks in the corner – but was able to come back with a twisting crossbody.
Bandido would look for the delayed brainbuster showing his incredible core strength as he would get Danielson up after he tried to tilt to freedom. Frog Splash would be blocked with Danielson able to lock in the LeBell Lock – covering the eyes of Bandido before moving into the Omoplata.
Bandido would use the rope to get free before catching Danielson into a Torture Rack lift into the knee strike. 21Plex would see Danielson land on his feet, getting a drop toe hold as he tried to get another submission on Bandido. Instead, he’d have to send Bandido to the floor – hitting the Wrecking Ball Dropkick before the diving knee strike off the apron caught Bandido clean in the face.
The super backdrop in the ring would be blocked by the Avalanche Fallaway Slam before the 21Plex would land. That match won Bandido the ROH World Championship back in 2021, but tonight Danielson would be able to kick out. Danielson would apply a Triangle Choke, but Bandido lifted him off the mat and went for a powerbomb. Bandido was thrown aside with a hurricanrana, and the Busaiku Knee would end this instant classic.
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After the match, MJF would appear on the screen and say that fans have been ignoring him. People ignore why he’s the champion, and if we get that Iron Man match? The mask of MJF is gonna slip off, and we’ll finally see his true potential. Up next for Danielson, Brian Cage.
Will Bryan Danielson get to the Iron Man match? Let us know what you think in the comment section down below.
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