Before
we begin today's news post, on behalf of myself and everyone here at
the Animated Wrestling League (which is pretty much just me), I would
like to take a moment to acknowledge and thank Daniel Bryan AKA Bryan
Danielson who announced his retirement from professional wrestling
earlier this week.
To
say that The American Dragon changed professional wrestling is an
understatement. Not only was he a leader of a class of independent
wrestlers (Alongside the likes of CM Punk, Samoa Joe, and Nigel
McGuinness) that showed the world that work rate and storytelling
ability could trump steroid riddled muscularity in terms of drawing
power and entertainment value. He spent his entire career proving
that not only does the W outweigh the E, but the W IS the E. As
Sami Zayn said on twitter, without Daniel Bryan, most of the top NXT
talent would never have been hired. Men like Zayn, Finn Balor, Hideo
Itami, Kalisto, Seth Rollins, Dean Ambrose, Kevin Owens, and A.J.
Styles would not be where or who they are today.
Throughout
his career, Bryan took seemingly ridiculous material and made it work
(The sign of a great performer). From odd music choices like Final
Countdown and Flight of the Valkyries, to reminding the referee "I
have till FIVE," to declaring in the face of all English grammar
"I am the tag team champions," to making two of the most
common words in the English language into the most over catchphrases
of a generation. Everything this man touched turned to gold.
While
I wish WWE had had the wisdom of ages gone by and had let the fans
decide who they should push, I'm overjoyed that Daniel Bryan got to
stand in the ring victorious at Wrestlemania 30. It was a victory
not only for him, but for all wrestling fans.
Bryan
may be gone, but his career will never be forgotten. Hopefully WWE
will find a way to use him and his special connection with wrestling
fans going forward.
Now
on to the news:
The
full match card for AWL 161 has been revealed:
AWL
161:
Main
Event
Bullet
Club (C) vs. The All Americans (3)
AWL
World Tag Team Championship Match
Kid
Canada vs. 山田二郎
Intercontinental
#1 Contender's Match
The
Strike Warriors (0) vs. The Augments (2)
Points
in Play
Wyvern
vs. Bruce Hoyt
Non-Title
Match
Now, as per AWL tradition, we
open the floor to both champions and challengers in theis weekend's
tag team championship match. First, the champions:
Karl
Anderson:
The
bug man and the...well, you know? No, not a change in hell. Now
those cat guys, they may have stood a chance against us. Not much of
a chance, but a chance. WWE may have signed off on me "fulfilling
my obligations" or whatever, but there's only so long before
they want me either on the road or at NXT. This
belt is going to look so good on my wall. Or maybe I'll take it to
Monday Night Raw and toss it in the garbage. Nah, who am I kidding?
That'd probably only make it to Superstars.
You got anything to say big
man?
Bad
Luck Fale:
Wyvern, don't let those RUZAI losers distract you. You and me got a
date with destiny. Keep my belt polished for me.
And now the challengers:
Hassan:
The next 20 AWL events are going to make or break my career. Last
season I put so much of myself into establishing my AWL IC Title,
that I frankly neglected my tag partner and our team. But
with the 2 points we picked up at the Tag Matsuri and the point we
got back home in the good old USA, we're ready to take the gold and
I'm ready to become a double champion!
American
Beetle:
It's an election year in America. A time when the power of democracy
flows through me and brings me to the peak of my powers! The
speeches, the debates, the people participating in the single
greatest system of government in the world...OH MAN! It makes me
feel like I could take on the entire roster myself!! Those Bullet
Club disgraces won't know what hit them...in
America!
Hassan:
Bro, the match is in the Arena. You know...in Japan.
American
Beetle:
I DON'T CARE!!! AMERICA!!!!!!!
It's going to be an interesting
show. See you Sunday morning Japan time for AWL 161!
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