‘AEW: Dynamite – Grand Slam’ Review (Sept 21st 2022)
Welcome to this week’s review of AEW: Dynamite, which is a Grand Slam special broadcast live from the Arthur Ashe Stadium in Queens, New York. We’ve got Excalibur, Tony Schiavone and Taz on commentary so let’s get into the review!
Match #1: ROH World Championship Match – Chris Jericho def. Claudio Castagnoli
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
ROH’s Ian Riccaboni joined the broadcast team for this match. After some reluctance, Chris Jericho finally adhered to the Code of Honor handshake. Claudio badgered Jericho with European Uppercuts. Claudio connected with a high boot which sent Jericho over the top rope and onto the arena floor. Jericho jumped off the top rope but ate a European Uppercut from Claudio for his efforts. Jericho hit Claudio in the throat with a chop. Claudio fired back with a European Uppercut. They traded shots on the ring apron. Jericho suplexed Claudio onto the arena floor. Jericho attempted a hurracanrana off the top rope—Claudio tried to counter—but Jericho reversed the Avalanche Ricola Bomb! Jericho lined up Claudio for the Code Breaker but Claudio countered with a European Uppercut. Claudio hit a double foot stomp for a near fall. Claudio locked in the sharpshooter! Jericho made it to the ropes which forced the ref to break the hold. Jericho was looking for a low blow but Claudio blocked it and hit the Ricola Bomb for a near fall! Claudio attempted a springboard uppercut but Jericho countered with a Code Breaker for a near fall! Jericho locked in the Walls of Jericho but Claudio rolled through. Claudio captured the wrists and stomped on Jericho’s jaw! Claudio picked up Jericho with the Giant Swing! Claudio knocked Jericho for a loop with a lariat. Jericho grabbed his baseball bat while the ref was distracted. He swung it but Claudio blocked it. While the ref had her back turned, Jericho connected with a low blow and then the Judas Effect to pin Claudio!
My Score: 3.5 out of 5
Match #2: AEW World Tag Team Championship Match – The Acclaimed (Max Caster & Anthony Bowens) def. Swerve In Our Glory (Swerve Strickland & Keith Lee)
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Bowens tried a single leg takedown on Keith Lee and Lee blocked it and tossed Bowens aside. Keith Lee took down Bowens with a hurracanrana. Swerve tagged in and blasted the Acclaimed with a dropkick. Caster powerslammed Swerve. Caster hit a brainbuster on Keith Lee. Bowens tagged in and cleaned house on Lee and Strickland! Swerve kicked out Bowens’ knee. Bowens bucklebombed Swerve but Lee was there to headbutt Bowens. Lee hurled Bowens over the top rope and onto the ramp! Keith Lee attempted a moonsault but Caster rolled out of the way. Swerve grabbed the Acclaimed’s boombox and tried to hit them with it but inadvertently hit Keith Lee! Caster tried for the Mic Drop but tweaked his knee on the way down. Swerve caught Caster on the jaw with a backwards kick. Caster came back with a suplex to Swerve. Caster climbed to the top rope but Swerve met him up there. Swerve sent Caster flying while Lee pounced Caster on the mat. Swerve powerbombed Caster for a near fall! Swerve wiped out the Acclaimed with a 450 leg drop to the outside. Billy smashed Swerve with the Fame Asser on the outside. Bowens hit the Arrival and then Caster used the Mic Drop on Swerve! Caster pinned Swerve and the Acclaimed are the new champs!
My Score: 3.5 out of 5
Match #3: AEW All-Atlantic Championship Match – PAC def. Orange Cassidy
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Orange Cassidy threw his sunglasses at PAC. Orange went for the Orange Punch but PAC quickly rolled out of the ring. PAC nailed Orange with a shotgun dropkick and then hammered him in the corner with stomps. PAC whipped Orange into the steel ring post! Orange’s skull collided with the steel! PAC flipped over the top rope and crashed into Cassidy. PAC blasted Orange with a shotgun dropkick off the top rope. PAC pump kicked Orange in the corner. PAC climbed to the top rope but Orange Cassidy rolled away. PAC nailed Orange with a German Suplex. Cassidy came from nowhere with the Stundog Millionaire. He followed up with a tope suicida to PAC, driving him into the barricade. Orange followed that up with a diving DDT! Orange planted PAC with another DDT for a near fall! PAC grabbed Orange and put him into the Brutalizer but Orange transitioned into a pin attempt for a near fall. Orange hit the Orange Punch and covered PAC but PAC grabbed the bottom rope to stop the ref’s count. Outside the ring, PAC popped Orange with ring bell hammer. The ref didn’t see this. After the strike, PAC pinned Orange Cassidy after ringing his bell!
My Score: 3 out of 5
Match #4: AEW Interim Women’s World Championship Match – Toni Storm def. Serena Deeb, Athena & Dr. Britt Baker, D.M.D.
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Toni used a backslide on Athena for a near fall. Baker used a crucifix on Deeb but Deeb escaped. Toni used a dropkick on Baker. Toni climbed to the top turnbuckle. Britt and Deeb met Toni up there for a double suplex but Athena powerbombed Deeb and Britt, which also sent Storm crashing onto the mat. Deeb chopped Storm until Storm suplexed Deeb. Baker snapped Storm with a swinging neck breaker. Deeb used a neck breaker of her own on Storm for a near fall. Storm DDT’ed Athena. Storm cradled Baker and pinned her!
My Score: 3 out of 5
Match #5: Grand Slam Tournament of Champions Final Match – Jon Moxley def. Bryan Danielson
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Bryan and Mox chopped one another. They chain wrestled and then went back to the chops. Bryan headbutted Moxley. Bryan followed up with round kicks. Moxley shoved Danielson into the corner and began to pound on Danielson. Bryan reversed Mox and then charged at Mox with his boot. Bryan kicked Moxley in the back with roundhouse kicks, battering the spine. Moxley turned things around with toe kicks to Bryan’s back. Danielson booted Moxley off the top turnbuckle and followed up with a diving knee strike. Danielson dropkicked Moxley from the top rope. Danielson targeted Moxley’s left arm but Moxley grabbed a choke. Bryan stunned Moxley with a German Suplex on the ring apron. Moxley powerbombed Danielson and then applied a single leg crab. Moxley nailed Danielson with a leg capture suplex. Moxley connected with a lariat in the corner. Danielson managed to bring down Moxley with a suplex from the top turnbuckle. Moxley transitioned into the Le Bell Lock! Danielson escaped and grounded and pounded Moxley in the mounted position. Danielson locked on the Cattle Mutilation on Moxley. Danielson used the hammer and anvil elbows. Danielson kicked Moxley in the head with a roundhouse but then Danielson grabbed his left leg (the same one that was injured last week). Moxley smashed Danielson with the Death Rider for a two-count! Danielson captured Moxley’s wrists and began to stomp on Mox. Danielson pulled Moxley into the triangle sleeper. Moxley rolled through but Danielson captured Mox in the Le Bell Lock. Mox escaped and then crushed Bryan with a Death Rider on the stage! Mox applied a rear choke in the middle of the ring. Danielson attacked the grip and tried to escape but Moxley flattened out Danielson. Danielson was fading and then was out! And new AEW World Champion Jon Moxley!
My Score: 4 out of 5
News of the Night:
- Saraya (fka Paige) made her AEW debut after the Women’s title match.
Final Verdict: 3.5/5
This was another banger of a show from AEW but… I had to knock points off the first three matches AND the overall score for some sh*tty booking! Jericho dethroning Claudio? Really? That was terrible WWE-level booking that should NOT have happened. The only plausible reason? That Tony Khan needs Jericho as ROH champ to sell the dhow to a network. The idea of a big name like Jericho as ROH champ will be appealing even to “casual” fans. As for the next two matches. Well, The Acclaimed match was good, but not as good as Chicago. Plus we got the use of a foreign object AND interference from Billy Gunn/Daddy Ass. Gotta knock points off for that, but at least the right team won! As for the Orange Cassidy/PAC match… WTF?! When has PAC ever used a weapon in AEW? Again, the match lost points for that. Weird. Just weird. Unless… unless… it becomes something of a “PAC can’t beat OC without cheating” storyline in the future. The women’s match was good and we got to see some innovation in the match too, which is always good to see. Then we got the introduction of Saraya (fka Paige), which blew the roof off the stadium even more so than The Acclaimed win. That leaves us with the main event. What can I say, I expected this match to deliver and it did. Two excellent wrestlers going at it and delivering a superb finale to the Grand Slam Tournament. The only question I was left with was why did Moxley win? Did Tony Khan want to subvert expectations given that Mox was supposed to be going on vacation (as he said on the first Dynamite post-All Out)? I was surprised Danielson didn’t pick up the victory TBH. But then are AEW setting up Mox versus MJF at a Full Gear? With MJF cheating to get the win and then holding AEW hostage with The Firm? Time will tell…
