Jox Moxley Defeats Bryan Danielson in Main Event of AEW WrestleDream, Wins Fourth AEW World Title

In the main event of tonight's All Elite Wrestling WrestleDream pay-per-view event, Jon Moxley captured his fourth AEW World Championship by defeating "The American Dragon" Bryan Danielson. This loss for Danielson also marks the end of his full-time wrestling career.

Match coverage courtesy of Matt Boone of Rajah.com:

AEW Championship
Bryan Danielson (c) vs. Jon Moxley

It's main event time!

The video package airs to tell the very personal story leading up to our AEW Championship main event of the evening between former Blackpool Combat Club partners and friends turned bitter rivals, Bryan Danielson and Jon Moxley.

Mox's theme hits and he makes his way out. As AEW Champion Bryan Danielson is coming out to "The Final Countdown," Moxley attacks him during his entrance. Danielson comes back with shots of his own. Danielson puts Moxley in a chair and charges at him, but Moxley drops him with a forearm shot. Moxley chokes Danielson with the camera cable, but Danielson delivers a shot and chokes Moxley with the cable.

Marina Shafir gets on Danielson’s back, but Danielson throws her down and Moxley drops Danielson with a clothesline. Moxley gets Danielson into the ring and brings a chair in, but Danielson dropkicks the chair into his head as the bell rings.

Danielson delivers the running kick in the corner, and then follows with more kicks and chops. Moxley comes back and dodges Danielson coming off the top. Moxley applies a rear choke, but Danielson suplexes him down and delivers the Busaiku Knee for a two count. Danielson sends Moxley to the outside and drops him with a dive over the top rope.

Danielson connects with another dive, but Moxley comes back with a thumb to the eye. Moxley piledrives Danielson on the announcers’ table and chokes Danielson with another cable. Moxley swipes at McGuinness, and then delivers elbow strikes to Danielson on the apron.

Shafir starts pulling off the protective mats from the floor outside while Mox brings Danielson out of the ring. He sets Bryan’s head onto the steel steps as a fan shouts at him, leading to Mox telling the fan to “watch this” as he looks to set Bryan up for a piledriver on the floor…but the champ counters with a back body drop.

We see the action find its way to the turnbuckle as Bryan looks to get back into the match, only for Mox to dig into his back, but Bryan slips out of his grasp, setting Mox up in the tree of woe for a series of kicks into a running dropkick. Mox makes it back up from the tree of woe but is met with Danielson looking for a waist-lock, eventually hitting Mox with a spider German suplex.

The champ sets himself up for a diving headbutt, but Mox evades before hitting a running stomp for a two count. Gator roll by Mox into a bulldog choke, as Bryan struggles to find a way out. Danielson nearly escapes until Mox transitions into an even deeper hold on the choke, but Bryan slips through and hits Mox with a piledriver.

With each guy down, the ref begins the standing count. Mox slowly gets to his feet, adjusting his neck as he goes after the champ who is back up as well. The two go nose-to-nose before Danielson eggs Mox on. Mox responds with a forearm, to which Danielson gives one right back.

This leads to the two trading blows, neither man giving an inch. The exchange goes quicker until Danielson drops to a knee, giving Mox an advantage as he lays in a kick, but a follow up is met with a set of uppercuts by Danielson. Danielson blasts Mox with a bunch of kicks as the crowd comes to life in the background.

Danielson looks for his Busaiku Knee finisher, but Marina grabs his foot to stop it. The ref catches him as Mox catches the champ with a cutter, and Marina is ejected from ringside as she slowly goes up the ramp while Mox looks on in frustration. Mox sets Bryan up for a Death Rider but the champ counters, only to be sent down for a German suplex, but Danielson pops back up for the Busaiku knee, which he connects with this time. He only gets a two-count, however.

Danielson slaps on the LeBell Lock and the crowd comes unglued again. Mox is struggling and crawling to the ropes. Danielson grabs his arm to stop him, but Mox gets his foot on the ropes regardless. Danielson must break the hold. As the action continues, Mox leaves the ring where Bryan goes for a dive, but Mox catches him, landing a Paradigm Shift that sends the champ onto the exposed concrete floor.

He brings Danielson back into the ring for a cover, but Bryan kicks out. Jon goes for some hammering elbows before cinching in a sleeper hold, but Bryan fights to his feet, carrying Mox on his back. He heads to the corner as Mox keeps the hold on, and Bryan slowly climbs the turnbuckle before sending both of them to the mat to finally break the hold Mox has on him. Both men are down, but manage to go at it as they trade boots to each other’s head,until Bryan gets the LeBell Lock on Mox.

Jon breaks free, but the champ catches him with a triangle hold, but Mox gets a body scissors before going for a cross arm breaker. Bryan breaks free, and dodges Mox to hit a Busaiku knee, but the challenger kicks out once again. Mox hits a Gotch style pile driver and a choke and Danielson fades and collapses. Mox wins. We have a new champ and Danielson is now retired.

After the match, Castagnoli, PAC and Shafir join Mox in the ring. Mox takes the AEW title and puts it in a sack. He stops for a moment and then he pulls out a plastic bag. They're gonna suffocate Danielson again. As they go to do this, Darby Allin runs out with a chair to make the save. Wheeler Yuta ends up attacking and they lock Allin to the ropes and make him watch as Yuta suffocates Danielson with a plastic bag. Jeff Jarrett tries to run out to help, but they beat him down, too. They put Danielson's head in a steel chair and stomp on it. The entire locker room runs down and chases off the heels. A stretcher is brought out for Danielson and Allin is unhooked from the ropes.

Winner and NEW AEW Champion: Jon Moxley

Jon Moxley's 4th reign as #AEW World Champion begins tonight as the reign and career of Bryan Danielson is over.

Order #AEWWrestleDream LIVE on PPV!https://t.co/JlBXZPLNGj@BryanDanielson | @JonMoxley pic.twitter.com/agp3JLAx0N

— All Elite Wrestling (@AEW) October 13, 2024

 

Thank goodness for Darby and Wheeler- WAIT NO!

Order #AEWWrestleDream LIVE on PPV!https://t.co/JlBXZPLNGj@BryanDanielson | @JonMoxley | @DarbyAllin | @WheelerYuta pic.twitter.com/JHWjk0UHQD

— All Elite Wrestling (@AEW) October 13, 2024