Styles vs Bryan NEVER disappoints

WWE SMACKDOWN 06/12/20

AJ Styles vs. Daniel Bryan

Same week when WWE is promoting a PPV match between Edge vs. Orton to be the "Greatest Wrestling Match Ever", they give two of the actual best in the world, two of the greatest of all-time 30+ minutes. And what we ended up getting is one of the best TV-matches ever. Thought that's quite funny to think about, and shows what a giant rib that whole marketing line for Edge & Orton is.

This was unsurprisingly amazing. Bryan is in the lead for the WOTY 2020 race by a pretty big margin at this point, and while AJ hasn't been in too many stand-out matches lately, he is still who he is, and he is the 2nd best wrestler in the world. The two have had an amazing, competitive chemistry with one another ever since their very first singles meeting in 2002, and here we are, 18 years later & they still bring that fantastic feeling of competition out of each other. Every single thing they do in the match matters & goes perfectly with the story they are telling -- it's two guys who operate at a higher level than everyone else going at it. The MEAT of the match is the dueling bodypart-targeting; it's something that has been present in their matches for a loooong time, and as always, it's amazingly compelling to watch & follow. Both guys are nasty & vicious as hell bringing the hurt to one another, and the selling is great throughout. Everything looks phenomenal, there's no wasted motions as mentioned, and the body-language by both guys is sublime. Comparing this to their previous matches, this honestly doesn't offer much new, but it doesn't need to. Their rivalry has always been about two of the best wrestling the fuck out of each other, and that's what they did once again here, producing a real clinic & a stone-cold pro-wrestling TV classic. ****1/2