AEW All Out 2023 results: Bryan Danielson beats Ricky Starks in bloody return

All indications are that Ricky Starks was going to face CM Punk in a strap match at All Out, but... you know.

Instead, Starks got Bryan Danielson on Sept. 3 in Chicago’s United Center. And as a reward for recovering from a broken arm in time to make this save for Tony Khan, Danielson got his iconic pre-WWE entrance music for the second time in his AEW career.

With the man Starks whipped after a match with Punk last month — the legendary Ricky Steamboat — watching from the announce desk, Absolute refused to be strapped to Danielson at the start. Instead, he beat the American Dragon with a weight belt and busted him open before letting referee Aubrey Edwards fasten the strap to his wrist to officially start the match.

The plan payed off, at least initially. Starks was able to whip Danielson with the strap, and choke him with impunity in this no disqualification affair. Bryan gained the upper hand eventually though, and showed no mercy himself as he used the strap as a weapon. Starks ended up wearing a crimson mask as a result of that assault, but Absolute recovered to light the Dragon up with strap shots. That only fired Danielson up though. With his man in trouble, Big Bill emerged to even the odds. The other Dragon got up from his commentary spot to handle that.

Back and forth from there, with Starks hitting a spear and Danielson a Busaiku Knee. Neither got three, though. Absolute refused to submit when trapped in a LeBell Lock, until Bryan used the strap to apply the move. Then Starks passed out.

Get complete All Out results and coverage of the entire show here.