Drew Gulak, Daniel Bryan kick off WWE Elimination Chamber with an excellent opener

At WWE Elimination Chamber 2020, Drew Gulak and Daniel Bryan kicked off the show with an incredible showcase of technical wrestling.

Former WWE Cruiserweight Champion, Drew Gulak, has had an uneventful run on SmackDown so far. He needed something to remind fans just how good he is. Fortunately, he was able to work a technical masterclass with Daniel Bryan in the opening match of tonight’s pay-per-view event.

Gulak is known for his formidable mat-based offense. So, a match with someone as technically gifted as Bryan was bound to deliver. The two didn’t disappoint, trading suplexes and reversals throughout.

For most of the match, Drew pleasantly surprised both Bryan and the fans as he responded perfectly to all of the former WWE Champion’s offense. Clearly, he wasn’t bluffing when he said he studied his opponent and he had a strategy for how to beat him.

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The fight took a turn when Drew Gulak dumped Daniel Bryan on his neck, creating tension because of the injury that infamously forced him to retire at one point. Once he realized his opponent was hurt, Gulak methodically targeted his neck.

Just when it looked like he had Daniel set up for the Dragon Sleeper, Bryan countered and rolled over into the Yes Lock. Gulak defiantly attempted to fight out of it, but he was eventually forced to tap out.

Gulak lost, but he put on a great performance in front of his hometown crowd. Even more, he took one of the best wrestlers on the roster to his limits. Hopefully, this leads to more opportunities for him.

Sadly, most of the Cruiserweights who have moved up to Raw or SmackDown have struggled. Murphy is one of the few exceptions. However, Drew Gulak is just too good to languish without some kind of storyline for long. Maybe his match tonight will be enough to put the right people backstage on notice.