'Hangman' Page Draws Bryan Danielson, Retains AEW World Title at Winter Is Coming
December 16, 2021
"Hangman" Adam Page retained the AEW World Championship after wrestling Bryan Danielson to a 60-minute time-limit draw on the Winter Is Coming edition of AEW Dynamite on Wednesday night.
Page hit Danielson with the Buckshot Lariat with the clock winding down, but he couldn't get to the challenger in time for the pin attempt.
All Elite Wrestling @AEWWOW! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AEW?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AEW</a> World Champion <a href="https://twitter.com/theAdamPage?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@theAdamPage</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/bryandanielson?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@bryandanielson</a> go the limit in an incredible battle 👏👏👏 <br><br>Watch <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AEWDynamite?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AEWDynamite</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WinterIsComing?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WinterIsComing</a> LIVE on <a href="https://twitter.com/tntdrama?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@tntdrama</a> NOW <a href="https://t.co/nEKj6tGxc1">pic.twitter.com/nEKj6tGxc1</a>
Both men dished out serious punishment in this match.
Page got a near fall after a tombstone piledriver, but Danielson kicked out:
All Elite Wrestling @AEWHangman ALMOST puts the challenger away with a vicious tombstone. Watch <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AEW?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AEW</a> World Champion <a href="https://twitter.com/theAdamPage?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@theAdamPage</a> vs <a href="https://twitter.com/bryandanielson?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@bryandanielson</a> NOW on <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AEWDynamite?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AEWDynamite</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WinterIsComing?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WinterIsComing</a> LIVE everywhere on <a href="https://twitter.com/tntdrama?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@tntdrama</a>! <a href="https://t.co/0CGTZlSHle">pic.twitter.com/0CGTZlSHle</a>
Hangman also somehow landed on his feet after Danielson's German suplex attempt from the top rope:
All Elite Wrestling @AEWHOW DID HANGMAN DO THAT?! Watch <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AEW?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AEW</a> World Champion <a href="https://twitter.com/theAdamPage?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@theAdamPage</a> vs <a href="https://twitter.com/bryandanielson?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@bryandanielson</a> NOW on <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AEWDynamite?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AEWDynamite</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WinterIsComing?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WinterIsComing</a> LIVE everywhere on <a href="https://twitter.com/tntdrama?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@tntdrama</a>! <a href="https://t.co/APxsRjsIiW">pic.twitter.com/APxsRjsIiW</a>
Danielson got Page in the LeBell Lock late in the match, but Page escaped.
Danielson also got the best of Page in the air, evading the champion's attack from the top rope and also landing a German suplex from there:
All Elite Wrestling @AEWHangman risks it all and crashes and burns! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AEW?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AEW</a> World Champion <a href="https://twitter.com/theAdamPage?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@theAdamPage</a> vs <a href="https://twitter.com/bryandanielson?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@bryandanielson</a> is LIVE on <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AEWDynamite?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AEWDynamite</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WinterIsComing?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WinterIsComing</a> LIVE everywhere on <a href="https://twitter.com/tntdrama?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@tntdrama</a> NOW! <a href="https://t.co/bEJx1UgtAu">pic.twitter.com/bEJx1UgtAu</a>
All Elite Wrestling @AEWALLLL THE WAY DOWN! Watch <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AEW?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AEW</a> World Champion <a href="https://twitter.com/theAdamPage?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@theAdamPage</a> vs <a href="https://twitter.com/bryandanielson?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@bryandanielson</a> NOW on <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AEWDynamite?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AEWDynamite</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WinterIsComing?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WinterIsComing</a> LIVE everywhere on <a href="https://twitter.com/tntdrama?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@tntdrama</a>! <a href="https://t.co/s1kt2DBHdS">pic.twitter.com/s1kt2DBHdS</a>
In the end, time ran out on both AEW stars as the two delivered a classic match to open the show.
Wednesday marked the first title defense for Page since he finally reached the top of the mountain and beat Kenny Omega for the title at Full Gear in November.
On that same show, Danielson defeated Miro in the finals of the AEW world title eliminator tournament, making him the No. 1 contender.
During Page's championship celebration with Dark Order on the first episode of Dynamite after Full Gear, Danielson made his entrance and interrupted. It initially seemed as though he was there to congratulate the new champ, but it quickly became apparent that he had undergone a change in attitude.
Danielson tried to get Page to put the belt on the line right then and there, but the titleholder wasn't prepared to compete. That led to the challenger scoffing and saying he wrestled the night after winning the WWE World Heavyweight Championship at WrestleMania 30, which drew major heat from the crowd.
In the weeks that followed, Danielson cemented his heel turn by wrestling a member of Dark Order each week and punctuating his victories by stomping on their heads.
Page often came to their aid and tried to get even by getting physical with Danielson, but his rival begged off and got away time and time again.
Hangman finally had his opportunity to gain retribution at Winter Is Coming, while Danielson looked to cash in on his first championship match since joining All Elite Wrestling in September.
By booking Page vs. Danielson for Winter Is Coming, AEW continued the tradition of making it a big annual event on Dynamite, as Omega beat Jon Moxley for the world title on the same show last year.
There was no title change on this occasion, however, as Page retained and maintained his position as the rising top babyface in AEW.
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