AEW Dynamite- Grand Slam: September 21, 2022
by Samoa Rowe
Live from Arthur Ashe Stadium in Queens, New York. Our hosts are Tony Shiavone, Excalibur, and Taz.
ROH World Championship:
Claudio Castagnoli © vs. Chris Jericho
Jericho accepts the Code of Honor, but immediately slaps the face, so Claudio knocks him down with an uppercut. Claudio press slams Jericho crotch-first onto the ropes. Jericho hides behind Cary Silkin to score a cheap shot. Jericho flies into Claudio's uppercut (twice). Jericho rakes the eyes and then hits a vertical suplex off the apron! Back from commercials, Claudio is still on defense. Claudio blocks a super rana briefly, but Jericho reverses into a lightning rana! Claudio blocks the Codebreaker and hits a pop up uppercut for 2. Claudio hammers Jericho with elbows and puts him into the Sharpshooter. Jericho escapes, so Claudio hits the Ricola Bomb for a hot 2 count. Claudio flies into a Codebreaker but kicks out. Jericho applies the Walls, Claudio rolls through to stomp the jaw. The crowd is going nuts. Claudio puts Jericho through the Big Swing, and catapults him into position for a big uppercut. Jericho swings Floyd, but Claudio blocks, nearly bumps Aubrey Edwards, and Jericho hits a convenient low blow and Judas Effect to win at 14:50! Wow, did anyone have "ROH World Champion Chris Jericho" on their 2022 Bingo card? Good match that benefited greatly from the hot audience, ***½.Winner and new ROH World Champion: Chris Jericho
Jericho celebrates on the stage with the Jericho Appreciation Society. ROH Pure Champion Daniel Garcia doesn't seem too thrilled with this development.
Video promo with Jon Moxley and Bryan Danielson, making their cases for victory tonight.
AEW Tag Team Championship:
Swerve in Our Glory © (Keith Lee and Swerve Strickland, with Fabolous) vs. The Acclaimed (Anthony Bowens and Max Caster, with Billy Gunn)
These guys stole the show at All Out with a match flirting with five stars. I think The Acclaimed NEED to win this, otherwise they could lose the crowd for the evening. The fans are singing about scissoring to the tune of Lee's Bask in his Glory chant. Lee overpowers Bowens early on and hits a crazy rana. Caster tags in and counters Lee with an armdrag. The Acclaimed pause for some scissoring fun, but Swerve angrily interrupts. Back from commercials, Caster runs wild with a slam on Swerve and suplex on Lee! Bowens avoids getting double teamed and dead lifts Swerve for a buckle bomb. Lee drops Bowens with a headbutt, drops him onto the ramp, and plants Caster. Lee misses a moonsault on Caster! Swerve accidentally clocks Lee with the boombox, so Bowens hits a flipping neckbreaker. Caster is too hurt to hit the mic drop and collapses. I hope Caster is selling, he looks really hurt. Caster limps his way into hitting Swerve with a back suplex. Max must be selling, because he climbs the ropes, but Swerve throws him down and Lee botches his end of the tandem move. Lee throws Caster into Swerve's Liger Bomb but Max kicks out! Swerve hits a springboard 450 onto The Acclaimed at ringside, but Billy Gunn steps in to buy them some time. Billy sneaks a Fame-asser on Swerve and puts him in for Bowen's Arrival and Caster's mic drop for the win 13:45! Well, this wasn't an epic like at All Out, but was super fun and majorly over with this audience, ***.Winners and new AEW Tag Team Champions: The Acclaimed
Backstage interview with FTR. They're impressed by The Acclaimed, but they've been #1 contenders since April and want their shot. The Gunn Club interrupt to make fun of FTR for struggling to make it onto TV. FTR laugh them off, but you know they'll cash that receipt later.
Tony Shiavone chats with Wheeler Yuta on the stage. Yuta tries to talk about the Danielson/Moxley match, but gets interrupted by MJF (to a hero's ovation). MJF plays into the reaction and calls the fans "Devil Worshipers." MJF rubs his popularity in Wheeler's face, because these fans would willingly drink his spit or let him sleep with their wives. Yuta admits that MJF is a generational talent, but he has more catchphrases than friends. Yuta congratulates MJF on getting engaged, but speculates that his smart fiance will figure out that he's human garbage. MJF says his friends aren't fighting for the World title, they're fighting for the right to lose to him. Yuta thinks Wheeler should ask "Willy Regal" for advice on how to pop pills, and Yuta slaps him. MJF retaliates and knocks Tony down. Yuta tackles MJF, but W. Morrissey makes the save, and MJF pops Yuta with the Dynamite Diamond ring. Super fun sh!t slinging segment.
Earlier today, Shiavone tried to talk to TBS Champion Jade Cargill, but she shut him down.
interrupts to make her case for victory, and brings in her friend, Trina. Jade would rather see them on Friday.
AEW All-Atlantic Championship:
Pac © vs. Orange Cassidy
Cassidy throws his sun glasses at Pac and rolls him up for 2. Cassidy tries an Orange Punch, but Pac flees the ring. Cassidy slows down for some sloth kicks, but surprises with a shotgun dropkick. Pac answers with his own dropkick and stomps Cassidy into the corner. Pac dominates and hits a vicious dive. Missile dropkick by Pac gets 2, so let's take a break. Back from commercials, Pac is in control, but Cassidy gives a defiant, lazy thumbs up. OC tries to roll away from a top rope move, so Pac punishes with a German suplex. Pac perches for Black Arrow again, but gets annoyed when OC obnoxiously lifts his boots up and dares him to try. OC lures Pac into a rollup for 2, and flips into Stundog Millionaire. Cassidy hits a tope, diving DDT, and tornado DDT but PAC KICKS OUT! Pac blocks the Orange Punch and slams into a Brutalizer, but Cassidy reverses for a nearfall. Fans chant "This is awesome!" Pac crawls away and blindsides OC with a hammer shot. The ref totally missed it and counts to 3 at 12:24. Man, this was absolutely cooking until that sudden screwjob finish, ***¼.Winner and still AEW All-Atlantic Champion: Pac
AEW Interim Women's Championship:
Toni Storm © vs. Dr. Britt Baker (with Rebel) vs. Serena Deeb vs. Athena
Athena suplexes Britt with a superkick assist from Storm, and then takes Storm down with a rana. Their standoff ends when Deeb sneaks in for a double pin attempt. Deeb locks Storm's legs while stretching Athena's abdomen. Deeb breaks it up with a slam, but Britt ambushes her. Britt hits Deeb with Sling Blade, but Storm catches her with a shotgun dropkick. Toni suplexes Britt and perches on the top rope, but everyone gathers around for a Tower of Doom! Back from commercials, Storm and Deeb are both applying half crabs and slapping one another's face. Deeb lets go to hit some chops, but Toni takes her down. Toni hits Athena with a hip attack, but Britt was waiting for a swinging neckbreaker. Athena interrupts the curb stomp, Deeb returns for a neckbreaker in the ropes on Baker. Deeb hits Toni with a neckbreaker for 2. Deeb puts Storm into the Serenity Lock, but Britt breaks it up. Athena lifts up Serena and Britt for a double fallaway slam! Athena slingshots Toni into a gutbuster, but Deeb breaks the pin! Toni DDT's Athena and reverses Britt's Lockjaw into a pinning predicament to win at 9:48. Good match, nonstop action, ***¼.Winner and still AEW Interim Women's Champion: Toni Storm
Britt is a sore loser and attacks Storm after the bell. Jamie Hayter runs for her monthly babyface tease before ultimately helping Britt beat down Storm. Looks like Britt broke her nose again, her face is all bloody. Britt prepares a Lockjaw when they're interrupted by SARAYA! Yes, that's the wrestler formerly known as Paige! She happily trots to the ring to send the heels fleeing. What a nice surprise.
Video promo for Darby Allin and Sting vs. House of Black on Rampage. Darby drags a body bag through New York and loads it onto a taxi. He tells the driver he's headed to a funeral at Arther Ashe.
AEW World Championship:
Jon Moxley vs. Bryan Danielson
Willy Regal joins commentary to watch his buddies kill each other. MJF is clutching his casino chip in a skybox. They waste no time tearing into each other, the championship means more than friendship. Bryan hits some chops, Moxley thinks he should hit him harder and nails some kicks. Bryan hits a boot to the chin and resumes lighting Mox up with stiff attacks. Moxley dodges a running dropkick and goes to work on Bryan's spine. Danielson kicks Mox off the top rope and then hits diving knee to ringside. Missile dropkick by Bryan, Moxley pulls him onto the apron in a choke, but Bryan reverses into a suplex. Back from commercials, MJF watches as Danielson hammerlocks Moxley. Danielson surprises with a Busaiku knee for only 2. Suplex by Danielson, but Moxley counters with a mid-air powerbomb and half crab. Bryan fights back, so Moxley hits a leg-captured suplex. Bryan crotches Mox on the top rope and then hits a back superplex! Bryan sells an ankle injury and makes a late cover, and Moxley steals the LeBell Lock! They tie up their legs and trade blows on their heads! Danielson counters into Cattle Mutilation! Mox survives, so Bryan hits a KO kick, only for Mox to answer with a King Kong lariat! Bryan hits the Busaiku Knee for only 2! Danielson hits YES kicks, but Mox chops him down for a curb stomp! Death Rider by Moxley, but BRYAN KICKS OUT! They lock hands and trade elbows, Danielson monkey flips Mox down for trapped stomps to the face. Mox fights back with face kicks, but Bryan pulls him into the Triangle Choke. Mox counters, so Bryan puts him into the LeBell lock. Mox survives, so Danielson misses a flying knee on the ramp, which allows Moxley to hit Death Rider! Moxley's late over only gets 2! Mox locks on a sleeper and won't let go so he wins at 19:31! I thought for sure this was Bryan's night! Man, what a great fight, they left it all in the ring. This is my favorite kind of wrestling match, ****½.Winner and new AEW World Champion: Jon Moxley
Final Thoughts: This was a grand show full of good matches and an epic main event. I'm relieved at the lack of a MITB-style cash-in by MJF. Thumbs up.
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