In a twist worthy of the greatest betrayals in wrestling history, Bryan Danielson walked out of AEW All Out as the World Champion, but he didn’t leave with his so-called “friends.” No, folks. Instead, the Blackpool Combat Club (BCC)—the very group that once stood by his side—turned on him in a savage post-match attack. Moxley, Castagnoli, and PAC showed no mercy, while poor Wheeler Yuta looked like he’d just lost his favorite action figure, tearfully held back as he watched his mentor fall.
It all started after Danielson retained his AEW World Championship against the ever-arrogant Jack Perry, who arrived like a rock star on a bus with the Young Bucks and a S.W.A.T. team in tow. You know, nothing says “serious contender” like a guy rolling up to the ring looking like a party’s about to break out. The match itself was classic Bryan Danielson—Perry was forced into Danielson’s technical style early on, but the younger star gained some control as he tossed the champ around outside the ring like he was trying to rearrange the furniture. Perry even hit Danielson with his own move, the Cattle Mutilation, but Danielson’s a champion for a reason, folks. One Busaiku Knee wasn’t enough to get the job done, but the second? Well, that sealed the deal after Perry invited it, as if he was asking for another helping of punishment. Silly, silly move.
Now, just when we thought it was over, things went haywire. Killswitch jumped Danielson out of nowhere, locking eyes with his former buddy Jack Perry in a tense stare-off. But before we could process that, out comes Christian Cage with The Patriarchy, title contract in hand, clearly looking to cash in on Danielson’s worn-out state. Just when it seemed like Danielson might be doomed, Moxley and the rest of the BCC appeared, chasing off The Patriarchy, and for a second it looked like everything was back to normal. Oh, but how wrong we were.
Out of the blue, Castagnoli uppercut Danielson like a man who just remembered how much he loves betrayal, and Moxley—oh, Moxley—pulled out a plastic bag and proceeded to asphyxiate Danielson like he was reenacting a scene from a bad crime thriller. It was brutal. It was shocking. And then, Marina Shafir—yes, Marina Shafir—got involved because, apparently, the more chaos, the better! By the time the medics rushed in to give Danielson oxygen, the damage was done. Moxley, Castagnoli, PAC, and Shafir strutted out like nothing happened, leaving Yuta in the ring cradling Danielson, confused, heartbroken, and probably reconsidering his life choices.
What’s next for the BCC? Has Yuta been left torn between loyalty to his mentor and his comrades? Why did Moxley turn on Danielson so ruthlessly? So many questions, folks, and AEW fans are left scratching their heads. One thing’s for sure: Chicago witnessed a betrayal for the ages.