Bryan Danielson Beats Ricky Starks at AEW All Out in 1st Match Since Injury vs. Okada

Source: AEW.com

Twenty-four hours after making his surprise return to AEW, Bryan Danielson scored a victory over Ricky Starks in a strap match at All Out.

Danielson won after using the strap to assist in applying the LeBell Lock to Starks. The referee ultimately stopped the match after Danielson choked out his foe.

This was a brutal match in which both men took a tremendous amount of punishment.

Ricky Steamboat also got involved in the action after initially taking part in match commentary:

In the end, Danielson took out Starks for the victory.

Danielson has been out of action since June 25 when he suffered a fractured forearm during his match against Kazuchika Okada at Forbidden Door. The injury required surgery on July 3 and was expected to be out of action until October.

Starks was involved in a feud with CM Punk that seemed likely to culminate in a match between the two at All Out.

They split two singles matches earlier this summer, with Starks winning the first bout that served as the final of the Owen Hart Foundation Men's Tournament on the July 15 episode of Collision.

Punk won the rematch for the "Real World Championship" three weeks later on Collision with Ricky Steamboat serving as the enforcer to prevent any cheating or outside interference.

After losing the title bout, Starks attacked Steamboat and used the Dragon's belt as a whip before Punk came back to save the legendary wrestler.

AEW suspended "Absolute" Ricky Starks for 28 days as a result of his actions, but he continued to appear on television after receiving a manager's license.

Tony Khan announced earlier this week that Starks was going to appear on Collision to challenge Steamboat to a strap match at All Out. The legit firing of CM Punk on Saturday following an investigation into an altercation involving Jack Perry at All In last weekend squashed any chance of a rubber match with Starks.

After the challenge was made and Starks signed the contract to fight "The Dragon," Steamboat pointed out there was another wrestler who used that moniker when Danielson came out.

Danielson signed the contract to make the pay-per-view match official. This was the highest-profile singles match of Starks' career against one of the best wrestlers of all time.

It seems apparent AEW has very hopes of making Starks into a top star after his recent wins over Punk, Powerhouse Hobbs and Juice Robinson.

Even though Starks came up short in this match, having a prominent match against a star like Danielson on a major show will help elevate him. This could also end up being the first match in an extended feud between the two, especially AEW needing marquee bouts for the upcoming Grand Slam episode of Dynamite in New York City on Sept. 20.

Danielson's win could elevate him back into the world title picture, though he already lost clean to MJF in their Iron Man match at Revolution in March. His return as a babyface does open up the possibility for some tension with fellow Blackpool Combat Club members Jon Moxley, Wheeler Yuta and Claudio Castagnoli that will have to be sorted out.

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