5 Bryan Danielson Matches Dave Meltzer Overrated (& 5 He Underrated)
Bryan Danielson has cemented his place as an all-time great, and one of, if not the best, technical wrestler of the modern era. A masterful in-ring worker who tells a story like no other, Danielson has dazzled viewers with his classic matches, rivalries, and championship reigns in companies such as Ring of Honor, WWE, and most recently, All Elite Wrestling.
RELATED: Bryan Danielson's Last 10 Losses, Ranked Worst To Best
Receiving three 5* matches from Dave Meltzer and his star-rating system at the ‘Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Danielson never fails to deliver in a big match. However, which matches of Danielson’s rank as over glorified, or underappreciated, by Dave Meltzer and his star-rating system?
10 Overrated: Vs. Roman Reigns, WWE Fastlane 2015, 4.5*
A great clash between Roman Reigns and Danielson, then Daniel Bryan, at WWE’s Fastlane PPV in 2015 to determine who would advance to WrestleMania 31 to face Brock Lesnar.
RELATED: 5 Roman Reigns Matches Dave Meltzer Overrated (& 5 He Underrated)
However, with a lack of a heated crowd and a predictable result, this meant the two stars’ superb effort fell short of a 4.5* show stealer. The two also went on to have far better matches in their Universal Title rivalry last year, which leaves this bout as simply great but not a spectacular encounter.
9 Underrated: Vs. Sheamus, World Heavyweight Championship, Two Out Of Three Falls, WWE Extreme Rules 2012, 4*
A spectacular World Heavyweight Championship match between Bryan and Sheamus here, in a much better rematch than their infamous 18-second WrestleMania 28 encounter. An excellently structured Two Out of Three Falls match up as Bryan viciously targeted Sheamus’ arm, giving away the first fall to a DQ but securing the second with the damage inflicted. While the finish was slightly abrupt with Sheamus retaining, the work up until that point was superb with sensational psychology, excellent back and forth, and a hot crowd to boot. An underrated World Championship clash in this tremendous meeting between Bryan and Sheamus.
8 Overrated: Vs. Nick Jackson, AEW Rampage #9, 4.5*
A very good bout on AEW Rampage last September between Danielson and Nick Jackson of the Young Bucks, but absolutely not a 4.5* match. Strong in-ring work with a good singles performance from Jackson, and Danielson on top of his game as always. However, this never kicked into another gear as viewers would expect from such a high rated contest, particularly for free-to-air television. Good opening match up but certainly not more than that here, and a highly overrated match by Dave Meltzer.
7 Underrated: Vs. Samoa Joe, ROH World Heavyweight Championship, ROH Fight Of The Century 2006, 4.25*
A 60-minute epic time-limit draw between two of ROH’s greatest stars here at Fight of the Century back in August 2006, as Danielson defended his ROH World Heavyweight Championship against Samoa Joe. While some viewers prefer their ROH Midnight Express Reunion battle, this was spectacular from top to bottom with tremendous pacing, excellent psychology, and unbelievable in-ring work particularly in the final twenty minutes.
RELATED: Samoa Joe's 10 Best ROH MatchesA war for the ROH World Heavyweight Championship and while maybe a step below the classic Joe vs Punk battles, an absolute epic 60-minute draw that deserved higher than 4.25*.
6 Overrated: Vs. Miro, AEW Full Gear 2021, 4.5*
This was a very good match at 2021s Full Gear PPV with Danielson facing Miro, but not an amazing match as 4.5* would suggest. One of Danielson’s weaker AEW matches to date with a slow pace and a long run time with uninteresting offense by Miro in particular. There was some great striking and back and forth offense, but not a barnstormer by any means with an abrupt finish as well. A good match but not great, and certainly overrated at 4.5*.
5 Underrated: Vs. John Cena, WWE World Heavyweight Championship, WWE SummerSlam 2013, 4.5*
An instant classic in this huge SummerSlam main event in 2013, with Bryan challenging John Cena for his WWE World Heavyweight Championship. An electric atmosphere, fantastic in-ring work, and a beautiful story as Bryan looked to conquer WWE’s golden boy, while Cena looked to prove he could hang with the best technical wrestler in the world, ‘The American Dragon’.
RELATED: SummerSlam: The 10 Most Underrated Matches From The 2010sThis all came together in epic fashion with the two tearing the house down, with a particularly riveting final few minutes as Bryan defeated Cena clean as a whistle. A post-match heel turn from Triple H and cash in from Orton were the icing on the cake here in an all-time classic SummerSlam encounter. Even at 4.5*, this deserved even higher from Dave Meltzer.
4 Overrated: W/ Christian Cage & Jurassic Express Vs. The Elite (Adam Cole, Kenny Omega, & The Young Bucks), Eight-Man Tag, AEW Dynamite #105, 4.75*
This was your stereotypical Elite multi-man tag team formula in a great eight-man tag on Dynamite, but nothing truly special as 4.75* would indicate. A lot of fun with fast-paced action, great spots, and a stacked lineup but nothing more than that with a couple of sloppy moments to boot. A hot crowd elevated this but regardless, not even close to what a 4.75* match should entail. Meltzer has a habit of overrating Elite multi-man matches and this was no different, unfortunately.
3 Underrated: Vs. Roman Reigns & Edge, WWE Universal Championship, WWE WrestleMania 37 – Night Two, 4.5*
A near-perfect WrestleMania main event last year in this epic triple threat match for Roman Reigns’ Universal Championship, with each star playing their role superbly. Blistering, tremendous in-ring action, a hot crowd, and highly creative spots led to a barnstormer with incredible drama and intensity to boot. Reigns would ultimately prevail in a dominant win pinning both Edge and Bryan, but it was a wild ride until the finish with one of the best triple threats in WWE history here. Surely, deserving of a 4.75* or even the full 5* here from Dave Meltzer.
2 Overrated: Vs. Jon Moxley, AEW Revolution 2022, 4.75*
A brutal, bloody war between Danielson and Jon Moxley here at AEWs Revolution PPV earlier this year, however not a 4.75* encounter. A lack of crowd heat affected this bout thanks to a series of incredible matches beforehand particularly CM Punk against MJF, with the two stars still wrestling a very strong match but failing to steal the show. While the post-match debut of William Regal in AEW was brilliant here, it was not enough to elevate this match beyond just a great one.
1 Underrated: Vs. Nigel McGuinness, ROH World Title & ROH Pure Title Unification Match, ROH Unified 2006, 4.75*
This was an absolute classic and undoubtedly a 5* match in one of, if not the greatest, match in Ring of Honor history for both Danielson's ROH World Heavyweight Championship and McGuinness' ROH Pure Championship. Incredibly brutal offense as the two went to war with stiff strikes, superb technical wrestling, and a fantastic dynamic with McGuinness the home country hero. The crowd were electric throughout with a scintillating closing stretch as McGuinness was busted open the hard way due to the ring post, with the two trading bombs including headbutts until Danielson emerged victorious with a series of brutal elbows. A true five-star classic in every sense in the greatest of their legendary series of matches from these two.
