Bryan Danielson Returns To AEW On Collision, Will Face Ricky Starks At All Out

Ricky Starks has a match at AEW All Out, though it's not against the person he expected — in character, and likely out of character, as well.

Saturday night on "AEW Collision," Starks called out Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat and challenged him to a strap match at the All Out pay-per-view the following day. Steamboat appeared to agree, and produced a contract for a match between Starks and "The Dragon," which Starks signed. It was only then that Steamboat revealed he wasn't the "Dragon" in question — instead, Starks' opponent will be "The American Dragon" Bryan Danielson, who returned to AEW programming after suffering an injury in his main event match with Kazuchika Okada at Forbidden Door in June.

While this has not been confirmed by AEW, recent reporting has indicated that Danielson is a replacement for Starks' original All Out opponent, CM Punk, who was fired in the hours prior to "Collision." Punk had been suspended following a backstage incident with Jack Perry at All In at Wembley Stadium in London. AEW CEO Tony Khan addressed the firing to open "Collision," saying Punk endangered the safety of himself and others backstage during the altercation.