Let’s start with a caveat: Arn Anderson works for All Elite Wrestling and has every reason to promote all things All Elite Wrestling with a mix of hyperbole and genuine belief. Having said that, it’s still noteworthy when he heaps praise like this on a match.
Here’s what he had to say on his podcast ARN (transcription via WrestlingNews.co) about the Hangman Page vs. Bryan Danielson AEW world title match on the “Winter is Coming” episode of Dynamite:
“I sat there. Will Hobbs was between Brock and I. We sat down and there was no way I was going to miss this one. Bryan Danielson may be the best in the world because I looked at his cardio, I watched his pacing, I watched his thought process, the story he was telling, the physicality, giving and receiving. Everything you would want to see in a title match for an hour was there. They didn’t miss anything. I made sure when they came through that curtain, caught their breath for a second, and started up the hallway to their dressing room, and I don’t blow smoke very much because it leaves a very bad taste in my mouth. It just doesn’t feel right. Sometimes you just do it to lift someone’s spirits. I told those two guys point blank, ‘It’s the best match I’ve seen in at least 25 years.’ If anybody wants to combat me on that, I would love to hear their thoughts, but it had everything. Let me tell you something. Hangman held his end up.”
“I told them both they made me proud to be in the wrestling business. It was just as if one of my kids was out there. I don’t know Hangman very well because we just haven’t spent a lot of time together. Much respect for his work ethic. I do know Daniel Bryan. I was with him quite a lot at my previous employment. Even knowing kind of what I could expect, I had no idea they would shine like that. Guess what? Nobody lost in that match.”
Like I said, he works for AEW, so it’s not all that surprising that he would offer up such effusive praise for a heavily promoted match like this. But our very own Sean Rueter called it a “classic.” Take that as you will.
The good news is it ended in a draw, meaning we’re almost certainly getting a rematch, and sooner rather than later. That means Page and Danielson will have the chance to impress Anderson even more, though they have a lot to live up to.
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