MJF battled Bryan Danielson in an epic 60-minute Ironman match to end All Elite Wrestling Revolution’s first pay-per-view of the year for the AEW World Championship.
After 60 minutes and the score tied at three apiece, AEW CEO Tony Khan refused to let the match end in a draw and did so for the next fall to win.
MJF would outlast Danielson and have him tap out to retain the AEW World Championship in one of the promotion’s most epic matches of the year.
The match started with MJF playing his mind games. He would leave the ring to mess around after briefly getting engaged to Danielson. He would do it again and get into the crowd to vent to some of the fans. He then took a cup of water and threw it in the face of a young fan.
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February 22, 2023; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Bryan Danielson appears during AEW Dynamite at Footprint Center. (Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports)
Then the two of them would go back and forth doing maneuver after maneuver trying to get some sort of advantage on each other. MJF missed a backflip on Danielson and the «American Dragon» would return to the ring and then lunge through the ropes at him.
During the first 20 minutes of the match, there were no knockdowns. The two were desperate to catch up on the first fall and they spent about 2 minutes rolling around the ring putting each other in different pin maneuvers and getting so worn down that the two nearly reached a 10 count as they lay on their backs catching their breath.
Danielson would get up and score the first knockdown after hitting Psycho Knee. But MJF responded with a low blow and landed two pinfalls in a row. MJF was technically disqualified for the cheap shot, ate the knockdown, and then pinned Danielson twice to tie the match 2-2 with 30 minutes remaining.
Danielson and MJF continued the fight outside of the ring. MJF landed on a chair in the corner and took 10 hits to Danielson’s legs and then another jump to the champion’s body.
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In the botched somersault, MJF appeared to twist something in his leg and was seen limping around the outside of the ring. With just over 23 minutes to go, he brought Danielson to a ringside table and set him up for a big elbow drop off the top turnbuckle. He hit it perfectly.
The referee was checking on Danielson before MJF brought him back to the ring. The referee started the count of 10 and returned to the ring just as the count was about to reach 10, let’s say it was at 9.6 seconds. He returned to what was left of the table and struck Danielson with a tombstone hammer. MJF was left holding his knee in pain and Danielson began to bleed.
MJF got Danielson back in the ring and hit the Heatseeker to take a 3-2 lead with approximately 19 minutes left in the match.
February 22, 2023; Phoenix, AZ, USA; AEW Champion Maxwell Jacob Friedman aka MJF (suit) and Bryan Danielson (hood) come face to face during AEW Dynamite at Footprint Center. (Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports)
«Are you the best in the world? You suck!» MJF yelled at Danielson at the 42 minute mark.
For a good 5 minutes it looked like MJF was in the driver’s seat, but it seemed like Danielson was just biding his time and building up his energy on a pinfall. With 14 minutes to go, Danielson went to the top rope after sending MJF flying out of the ring. He perfectly landed a flying knee on MJF before the two competitors returned to the ring.
Two minutes later, Danielson delivered a flying headbutt and viciously cut down MJF. Blood was pouring from the champion’s head, more blood than was seen in the Texas Death Match between Jon Moxley and Adam Page earlier in the night.
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At the 10:41 mark, Danielson submitted MJF and the match was tied 3-3.
Danielson tried the Labelle Lock, but MJF rolled and tried the Salt of the Earth. He would drag him back off the ropes and put an armbar on Danielson with 8 minutes to go. MJF would have three of Danielson’s four limbs in a lock, but it would be the «American Dragon’s» right leg that would reach the ropes and break the hold.
February 22, 2023; Phoenix, AZ, USA; AEW Champion Maxwell Jacob Friedman aka MJF (suit) and Bryan Danielson (hood) during AEW Dynamite at Footprint Center. (Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports)
“This is unbelievable,” the fans at the Chase Center in San Francisco would shout with about 7 minutes to go.
MJF somehow managed to push Danielson through the ropes and hit another Heatseeker with around 3:45 to go and tried to pin Danielson. But Danielson would kick him out.
The two made it to the top ropes and MJF put Danielson in position to hit a tombstone piledriver off the center rope. Danielson would be knocked out, but MJF landed on his left knee and writhed in pain. With 1:22 to go, he tried to cover it but only made it to two.
Danielson put MJF in a one legged crab with 60 seconds remaining. Danielson had the champion in the center of the ring and almost hit him. Time would expire and then MJF would play.
The match ended in a draw. and the fans would not be happy. They yelled «bulls-t» loudly as the trainers checked on Danielson and MJF.
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Main announcer Tony Schiavone walked to the ring and told the referee and ringside announcer Justin Roberts that the next pinfall would win the match, per Khan’s edict.
It’s sudden death.
February 22, 2023; Phoenix, AZ, USA; AEW Champion Maxwell Jacob Friedman aka MJF appears during AEW Dynamite at Footprint Center. (Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports)
Danielson almost picks up the fast pin as does MJF after a low blow. MJF tried to use a ring to hit Danielson and missed. Danielson connected another Psycho Knee but only got the count of two on MJF.
Danielson got MJF back into the one-legged crab, but this time the champion got to the rope. MJF pretended to tap so Danielson would think he had given up. MJF would go to the ground and hit an unsuspecting Danielson with an oxygen tank. MJF would put the Labelle Lock on Danielson, but didn’t get him to tap either.
Danielson tried to gain some momentum, but MJF would force him to tap.
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MJF would have his arm raised in victory and would retain the AEW World Championship.