AEW Dynamite Live Coverage (1/18): Darby Allin Defends His TNT Title, Danielson Vs. Bandido

Bandido showcases his quality by bouncing out of an arm submission straight away which gets him a huge reaction, but Bryan Danielson then brings him to the mat and snaps back on his legs. Bandido then locks in the Romero Special, but Danielson can get out of it and he looks for the move himself, but Bandido manages to block it so instead Danielson stops his legs on the mat. 

Danielson’s shoulder tackle proves to be too much for Bandido, but he then hooks the legs of the “American Dragon” for a pinfall who has to fight out with his core strength to raise up and then headbutt the masked man. Bandido locks in a great arm submission after and then dives through the ropes to take him down, which he follows by leaping over the top rope to take him out again. 

However, as Bandido tries to springboard back into him he eats a kick to the chest in mid-air. He then hangs up Bandido in the tree of woe as he begins unloading kicks, and this time he can set in the Romero Special and he then moves on to a big chop, but Bandido follows up with one of his own and they then trade them back and forth, until Badido hits a thrust kick and then a round kick. 

Bandido then goes for his delayed vertical suplex, but Danielson can kick out of the pinfall attempt. He tries to follow it with a Frog Splash but Danielson has his knees up and that is transitioned into the LeBell Lock, but Bandido manages to get to the bottom rope. Bandido then connects with a huge knee strike to the face and he tries to follow with the 21plex, but Danielson lands on his feet and then looks for the LeBell Lock, but Bandido reverses into a pinning combination which nearly gets him the win. 

Bandido throws some punches in the corner, but Danielson then throws him to the floor and follows it with a diving boot and a jumping knee strike from the ring apron. The two men then fight on the top turnbuckle and Bandido comes out on top, landing down on his opponent which gets followed by the 21plex, but Danielson kicks out after it. They then exchange slaps and kicks to the face, but Danielson counters a brainbuster with a knee strike, but as he goes for the LeBell Lock, Bandido powers him up out of it. The two then split, but Danielson comes out on top afterward by charging in with a Busaiko Knee. 

Winner: Bryan Danielson

MJF is then shown and says he is starting to feel underappreciated and he sees people claiming he’s not worthy. He thinks people have forgotten who he is. Previously Danielson has dealt with masked Max, but the closer Danielson will go on this journey the more that will slip off, and he says Bryan doesn’t want that because not even a dragon is enough for the monster behind the mask.