Bryan Danielson made a surprise return to action on Wednesday’s PAC tribute edition of AEW Dynamite, joining the Death Riders for an emotional main event.

Nearly two years after his last match, Danielson was revealed as the final member of their team for a ten-man tag against the Don Callis Family. His introduction drew a huge reaction, coming almost two hours after he and Jon Moxley made amends earlier in the show.

Moxley had ended Danielson’s full-time wrestling career at WrestleDream in October 2024, defeating him for the AEW World Championship. The violent attack that followed marked Danielson’s exit from the Blackpool Combat Club and helped usher in the Death Riders.

For one night, those differences were put aside. Danielson teamed with Claudio Castagnoli, Wheeler Yuta, Daniel Garcia and Gabe Kidd to face the returning Wardlow, Lance Archer, Josh Alexander, Mark Davis and Jake Doyle.

Danielson wasted little time getting involved, taking the fight to Wardlow and Davis outside the ring during the opening brawl.

When he tagged back in late in the match, Danielson squared off with Alexander and brought out his familiar offence. Aside from a slight slip during his backflip out of the corner, he threw himself straight back into the action.

As the closing sequence saw wrestlers from both sides take one another out, Danielson found himself opposite Alexander again and dropped him with a kick.

Garcia then secured the victory by pinning Doyle after a sequence involving his Sharpshooter and a stomp from Castagnoli.

The show closed with the Death Riders embracing in the ring. A tribute video followed before the broadcast ended on a shot of PAC’s chair beside their entrance tunnel.