‘AEW: Dynamite – Grand Slam (Sep 25th 2024)’ Review
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: Bryan Danielson def. Nigel McGuinness
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
They locked up and Nigel nailed Bryan with a European Uppercut. Danielson fired back with a shot of his own. Nigel and Bryan chain wrestled, each man trying for wrist control, each man going move for move. Nigel and Danielson exchanged European uppercuts. Danielson kicked the inside of Nigel’s thigh with a round kick. Nigel crumbled, holding his groin. Nigel had been playing possum and grounded and pounded Danielson. The champion escaped and got the mount, clubbing Nigel with strikes. Danielson transitioned to the LeBell Lock, but Nigel showed great ring awareness and reached the ropes. Nigel pulled Danielson by the trunks, sending Danielson crashing onto the arena floor. Danielson clutched his right arm. Nigel turned the metal ring steps on their side. Nigel used a drop toe hold, and Danielson cracked into the steel steps. Danielson defended with a headbutt and then sent Nigel headfirst into the ring post. Nigel went for the Tower of London, but Danielson escaped and smashed Nigel with the Busaiku Knee! Danielson blasted Nigel with round kicks. Nigel stunned Danielson with a combination kick and lariat, good for a near fall on the champ. Danielson tried for the LeBell Lock, but Nigel hit Danielson’s right arm that had been tweaked earlier in the match. Danielson let go, clutching his arm. Nigel drilled Danielson with a lariat and Danielson kicked out at the one-count! Nigel thumbed Danielson in the eyes and followed up with the ripcord lariat for a near fall on the American Dragon. Nigel rocked Danielson with hammer and anvil elbow strikes. Nigel caught Danielson in the Tower of London for a near fall! Nigel locked Danielson in the London Dungeon. Danielson managed to escape and pounded Nigel with hammer and anvil strikes. Nigel threw everything he had into a clothesline, knocking Bryan into next week, but Bryan managed to kick out at the two-count! Danielson grabbed Nigel in the LeBell Lock. Nigel fought to escape but it was too much, and Nigel was forced to tap out and lose by submission!
My Score: 4.5 out of 5
Match #2: FTW Championship – HOOK def. Roderick Strong
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Roddy and Hook grappled until Roddy rolled to the ropes. The Undisputed Kingdom pulled Roderick out of the ring. Hook pursued Roddy and hammered away at him. Roddy grabbed a kendo stick and swung it, but Hook dodged it. Hook grabbed the kendo stick and cracked Roddy and the Undisputed Kingdom with it! Roddy grabbed Hook and hurled Hook into the ring post. Back in the ring the champion mounted a comeback. Hook hurled Roddy around the ring with Judo throws. Hook hit Roddy with a Northern Lights Suplex for a near fall. Taven slid a chair into the ring for Roddy. Roddy wedge the chair between the turnbuckles. Hook went for the Red Rum, but Roddy countered by ramming Hook into the steel chair. Roddy pancaked Hook with a hard mat return for a two-count. Hook threw Roddy with a single arm Judo throw onto two steel chairs. Roddy hoisted up Hook and slammed him down onto the steel chair. Roddy followed up with the Sick Kick, but Hook kicked out at the three-count! Hook escaped the End of Heartache attempt, transitioned to the Red Rum, and Roddy tapped out!
My Score: 2.5 out of 5
Match #3: AEW World Tag Team Championship – The Young Bucks (Matthew & Nicholas Jackson) def. United Empire (Will Ospreay & Kyle Fletcher)
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Don Callis joined the announcers at the desk for this match. The Bucks connected with a double back elbow to Kyle Fletcher. Will and Kyle used a double hip toss on Nichoas. Will moonsaulted off Fletcher’s back and onto the Bucks. Fletcher and Ospreay followed up with moonsaults off the turnbuckles and onto the Bucks on the arena floor. Ospreay connected with a standing sky twister press on Nicholas for a near fall! Nicholas ducked the Hidden Blade attempt and countered with a corkscrew kick. Matthew tagged in and covered Ospreay for a near fall after Nicholas nailed Will with a knee strike. The Bucks followed up with a senton power bomb combo. Kyle jumped in to break up the pin attempt. Ospreay rocked Nicholas with a double Os-Cutter, but Nicholas kicked out at the two-count. Fletcher ran through a double clothesline attempt. Ospreay stunned Matthew with the Hidden Blade. Nicholas punted Fletcher from the apron and followed up with a hurracanrana to Ospreay! Matthew picked up Fletcher and Matthew jumped off the top turnbuckle for a stuffed pile driver on Fletcher! Ospreay and Fletcher nailed the Bucks with double Styles Clashes. Ospreay blasted Matthew with the Hidden Blade and the Storm Breaker, but Nicholas jumped in to make the save for his brother. Ospreay was looking for the Tiger Driver 91 on Matthew, but Nicholas countered with a superkick. Nicholas smashed Fletcher with a bulldog. Ospreay broke up the More Bang For Your Buck attempt. Fletcher picked up Matthew and Ospreay assisted with a TK Driver on Matthew for a near fall. They followed up with the Coriolis, but Matthew kicked out again! Fletcher blasted Matthew with a top rope brain buster. Nicholas broke up the pin attempt, barely saving his brother. Fletcher flew out of the ring with a tope suicida to Nicholas. Don Callis handed Fletcher a screw driver. Don Callis distracted the referee and went to use the screwdriver, but Ospreay pulled it away, handing it to the ref. As the ref had his back turned, Matthew and Nicholas each smashed the championship title into Fletcher’s head! Matthew covered Fletcher but Fletcher kicked out at the two-count! The Bucks superkicked Fletcher and then Nicholas pinned him after the BTE Trigger!
My Score: 4.5 out of 5
Match #4: AEW Women’s World Championship – Mariah May def. Yuka Sakazaki
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Yuka got the jump on Mariah and covered her. Mariah kicked out at the one-count. Yuka and Mariah traded open palm strikes. Yuka smashed Mariah with a rolling elbow. Mariah grabbed the leg of Yuka and pulled her out of the ring. Mariah loaded up and hit Yuka with a vicious dropkick. Yuka countered a May Day attempt with a roll-up for a two-count. Yuka used a backslide for a near fall on the champion. Mariah headbutted Yuka and then planted Yuka with a German Suplex. Mariah smashed Yuka with a knee to the face. Mariah spiked Yuka with the Storm Zero and pinned Yuka, retaining the championship.
My Score: 2.5 out of 5
Match #5: Number One Contender’s Match – Jon Moxley def. Darby Allin
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Moxley battered Darby in the corner with chops. Moxley gouged Darby’s eyes. Darby’s mouth was busted wide open after Mox put Darby’s mouth on the ring ropes and then kicked the ropes! Moxley whipped Darby into the turnbuckles. The momentum was so fierce that Darby careened right out of the ring. Darby attacked Moxley’s triceps. Darby nailed Mox with a Coffin Drop to the arena floor! Darby rocketed out of the ring a second time, wiping out Moxley! Marina stepped up to Moxley, which gave Mox enough time to collect his thoughts. Moxley body slammed Darby onto the edge of the ring. Moxley swung at Darby with a lariat to the throat. Moxley followed up with kicks to Darby’s spine. Darby drilled Mox with a cutter out of nowhere. Darby dropkicked Moxley from the top rope to the chest. Darby connected with a Code Red on Moxley for a near fall! Darby ripped off the top turnbuckle pad. Darby tried to send Moxley headfirst into the exposed turnbuckle steel. Mox fought off Darby and countered with a John Woo style dropkick. Darby rallied back with an arm bar on Moxley. Moxley paint brushed Darby, knocking Darby out of the ring and to the arena floor. Marina helped Moxley peel back the thin pads on the arena floor. Moxley went for the Death Rider, but Darby slipped out of it. Darby went for a tope suicida, but Moxley moved out of the way. Darby crashed onto the floor boards! Moxley hurled Darby onto the steel ring steps! Darby jumped into the ring, breaking the ref’s count just in the nick of time. Darby side stepped Moxley and Moxley collided headfirst into the exposed steel turnbuckle. Darby went for a Coffin Drop but Mox countered with a body lock submission. Mox transitioned to a bulldog choke. Darby made the crawl to the ropes, forcing the break! Darby was looking for a superplex. Marina got onto the ring apron to distract Darby. Moxley seized the moment to nail Darby with an avalanche Death Rider! Moxley covered Darby and pinned Darby, earning a title shot for the AEW World Championship at Wrestle Dream!
My Score: 3.5 out of 5
News of the Night:
- After his match, Hook retired the FTW Championship – giving it back to his dad, Taz.
- MVP interrupted Prince Nana, making his AEW debut and threatening to dethrone Nana as Swerve Strickland’s manager
Final Verdict: 4/5
Once again AEW delivers a kick-ass Grand Slam special. Ever since the very first show filmed at Arthur Ashe Stadium, AEW has made sure these Grand Slam shows, be it Dynamite, Rampage or Collision, really deliver pay-per-view style quality matches and this isn’t even a PPV! There was a nice ebb and flow to this episode of Dynamite – with the opening match going hard on the old-school “traditional” wrestling, the tag team title match delivered all the high-octane, high-flying fast-paced action you could ever want, and the main event was just two mad men going at each other without a care in the world… or for each others health! In between we got good, if not as great, matches but still, absolutely nothing that disappointed. A solid, SOLID, week for Dynamite!
