LIVE 9/25 AEW “Grand Slam” Dynamite – We are live from the Arthur Ashe Stadium in Queens, New York, where Excalibur welcomes us to the show and introduces his co-commentators Jim Ross, Tony Schiavone and Taz.
Nigel McGuinness vs. Bryan Danielson
The theme for Nigel McGuinness hits and out he comes in his “Bryan Fears Nigel” t-shirt. As he settles inside the squared circle, his music dies down. The entrance tune for AEW World Champion Bryan Danielson plays, but no one comes out.
McGuinness gets on the microphone and says it’s just like he thought. He says he hasn’t seen “The American Dragon” all day. He demands the referee count to ten and if Danielson doesn’t come out, he be stripped of the AEW World Championship.
The referee begins his count, but before he can get to the count of ten, Europe’s “Final Countdown” hits instead of Danielson’s regular theme like a few minutes earlier. The crowd explodes and following a proper delay, the AEW World Champion finally emerges in his ring gear to another big crowd explosion.
As Danielson heads to the ring, “Good Ol’ J.R.” mentions on commentary that he is 50 years deep into his pro wrestling career and he respects Danielson more than anyone else he can think of. The fans sing along with “Final Countdown” as Danielson settles in the ring.
The bell rings and the two lock up. McGuinness connects with an uppercut, but Danielson responds with a kick to his spine. McGuinness fires off strikes on Danielson, and the pair exchange uppercuts with one another before Danielson connects with a kick on McGuinness’ leg. Danielson then rains down right and left hands on McGuinness, but McGuinness returns the favor.
Danielson cinches in the LeBell Lock on McGuinness, but McGuinness gets his foot on the bottom rope to break the hold. McGuinness dumps Danielson out of the ring and sends him crashing into the ring steps, then sets up the ring steps on their side. McGuinness then sends Danielson crashing into them and uses them to target his arm. Danielson sends McGuinness crashing into the ring post, but McGuinness dumps him back inside the ring and wears his arm down with a submission. Danielson connects with a suplex on McGuinness and ascends to the top, but McGuinness pushes him off and lands the Busaiku Knee.
Danielson fires off kicks on McGuinness’ chest, but McGuinness continues wearing down Danielson’s arm and connects with a rebound clothesline. Danielson delivers a series of kicks to McGuinness’ head, but McGuinness rains down Hammer and Anvil elbows on him and follows it up with a neckbreaker. Danielson then rains down Hammer and Anvil elbows on McGuinness, and the pair exchange chops and kicks with one another. McGuinness rocks Danielson with a knee, but Danielson cinches in the LeBell Lock on him. McGuinness taps out.
Winner: Bryan Danielson
After the match, Christian Cage’s music hits and he makes his way out with his contract for an AEW World Championship match in hand. He looks to cash it in, but Kip Sabian sneakers up behind Cage and takes his pen from him before he can sign it. Sabian then runs into Claudio Castagnoli and PAC in Gorilla position.
HOOK (c) vs. Roderick Strong (w/ The Undisputed Kingdom) for the FTW Championship in an FTW Rules Match
The bell rings and the two lock up. HOOK wears down Strong with a submission hold, but Taven and Bennett pull him out of the ring. HOOK follows him out there and lands a knee on him, then fires off right hands on him. Strong sends HOOK crashing into the barricade, then grabs a kendo stick. HOOK takes the kendo stick from Strong and hits Taven and Bennett with it. He then uses it to land a Russian Leg Sweep on Strong into the barricade, but Strong gets HOOK up on his shoulders and sends him crashing into the ring post.
Back from the break, HOOK sends Strong crashing into the mat and fires off strikes on him in the ring. Taven slides a chair in the ring to Strong, and Strong sets it up in the corner. He sends HOOK crashing into it, then connects with a knee and sends him crashing into the mat face first. Strong then sets up two chairs in the ring, but HOOK sends him crashing through it with a hip toss. Strong then gets HOOK up on his shoulders and sends him crashing into the chair midsection first before hitting a running knee. HOOK cinches in the Redrum on him, and Strong taps out.
Winner (and still): HOOK
After the match, Strong offers his hand to HOOK. HOOK shakes it, and the pair hug each other. Tony Schiavone then catches up with HOOK, and HOOK announces that he’s officially retiring the FTW Championship. He hands it over to Taz and hugs his father.
The Young Bucks (c) vs. Will Ospreay and Kyle Fletcher for the AEW World Tag Team Championship
Nicholas and Ospreay begin the action. The bell rings and the two lock up. Matthew tags in and double teams on Ospreay with Nicholas, but Fletcher tags in. Fletcher and Ospreay deliver a double arm drag to Nicholas, and the pair then deliver moonsaults off the top to Matthew and Nicholas.
Back from the break, Ospreay tags in and lands a right hand off the top rope to level Matthew. He sets up for the Hidden Blade on Nicholas, but Nicholas sees him coming and tags in Matthew. Matthew delivers an assisted Sliced Bread with Nicholas to Ospreay before Nicholas tags in and The Bucks set up for the EVP Trigger on Ospreay. Ospreay sees it coming and connects with a double Os-Cutter on them.
Fletcher tags in and levels The Bucks with a double clothesline, then sets up for a powerbomb on Nicholas. Nicholas counters into a hurricanrana, but Ospreay lands a 450 Splash on him off the top. Matthew then catches him with a Canadian Destroyer, but Ospreay quickly recovers and delivers a Hidden Blade to him. Fletcher exchanges right hands with Nicholas and runs the ropes, but Matthew trips him and Nicholas catches him with a hurricanrana off the apron. The Bucks then deliver the TK Driver to Fletcher on the apron.
Back from another break, Ospreay and Fletcher send The Bucks crashing into the mat with a double Styles Clash. Ospreay tags in and delivers the Hidden Blade to Matthew, then sends him crashing into the mat and goes for a pin. Nicholas breaks the fall.
Nicholas lands a Bulldog on Fletcher, and Matthew gets him up on his shoulders as Nicholas ascends to the top. The Buck set up for the TK Driver, but Ospreay catches Nicholas with a Bulldog and ascends to the top before delivering an assisted piledriver to Matthew. Fletcher then lands a Brainbuster on Matthew off the top that sends him crashing into the top turnbuckle.
Don Callis appears at ringside and hands Fletcher a screwdriver before distracting the referee. Fletcher considers using the screwdriver, but Ospreay stops Fletcher from using it. Nicholas then hits Fletcher with one of the AEW World Tag Team Championship belts, then lands the EVP Trigger on him with Matthew for the win.
Winners (and still): The Young Buck
After the match, Ospreay and Fletcher exchange a tense look with one another.
We Hear From Prince Nana
Tony Schiavone introduces Prince Nana, and he makes his way out. Schiavone asks him how Swerve Strickland is doing after losing the AEW World Championship to Bryan Danielson and facing “Hangman” Adam Page in a Lights Out Steel Cage Match, and Nana reveals that while Strickland is fighting hard everyday, he isn’t cleared to compete.
Former WWE Superstar MVP makes his way out in a suit with a cane in his hand. MVP talks to Prince Nana about Swerve, who he calls one of the best there is. He says Swerve’s 2024 AEW World Championship run will be studied for generations to come.
MVP goes on to say he saw the whole thing, but he also saw him lose the title and have his childhood home burnt down to the ground. He asks why Nana is out here smiling. He says he doesn’t see that as a failure on Swerve, but on his management. He says Swerve’s management is more interested in shucking coffee and dancing than his client. He says when Swerve is ready to be taken seriously again and ascend to the mountain top where he belongs, “please give him my business card and let him know I’ll be ready to talk… BUSINESS.” Nice little Hurt Business tease from MVP before he walks off to end the segment.
Mariah May (c) vs. Yuka Sakazaki for the AEW Women’s World Championship
The bell rings and Sakazaki flies off the top rope to level May, then sends her face bouncing off the ring apron a couple of times and delivers a 619 to her face. She dumps her back in the ring and goes for a pin, but May kicks out. May and Sakazaki then exchange open palm strikes, but May lands a dropkick on Sakazaki on the outside.
May connects with a Sidewalk Slam on Sakazaki, then lands a dropkick on her spine. May then rocks Sakazaki with a headbutt, but Sakazaki responds with a kick to May’s head and sends her crashing into the mat. Sakazaki looks to land a crossbody on May off the top, but May sees her coming and lands Storm Zero for the win.
Winner (and still): Mariah May
After the match, Willow Nightingale slides in the ring and stares down May. Mina Shirakawa’s music hits, and May clocks Nightingale from behind with the AEW Women’s World Championship. She then celebrates with Shirakawa on the entrance ramp.
AEW World Championship No. 1 Contender Match
Jon Moxley vs. Darby Allin
When we return from the break, we hear the familiar sounds of Jon Moxley’s new theme song and out he comes accompanied by Marina Shafir through the crowd inside Arthur Ashe Stadium for our final match of the evening, where the winner moves on to become the next challenger for Bryan Danielson’s AEW World Championship. Darby Allin is out next.
We see Moxley get the early offensive upper-hand, as he gets the quick jump on Allin. He beats Allin down and focuses on the arms and legs of his opposition. He sends Allin into the corner with authority with a hammer throw. Darby flies through and crashes and burns on the floor at ringside.
Back inside the ring, Mox has Darby’s mouth opened up and on the ring ropes. He begins kicking the crap out of the ring ropes and we see a super close-up camera shot of an absurd amount of dark, thick blood pouring out of Darby’s mouth.
Darby eventually starts to fight back, bloody as hell and all, as the action spills out to the floor. As it does, we see Darby get briefly distracted by Marina Shafir. This allows Mox to take over. Mox heads into the ring and distracts the referee while Shafir puts the boots to Allin.
Mox heads out to the floor, grabs Darby’s hand from inside the ring and pulls it forward so his shoulder is on the ring post and being yanked by Mox, who pulls back like he’s trying to rip it directly out of the socket. As Mox continues to deliver punishment to Allin, we shift gears and head into our final commercial break of the evening.
When we return, we see Mox still very much in a comfortable offensive lead. He is dominating Allin with relative ease this point, and being arrogant while doing it. Allin surprises him with an offensive comeback and slaps Mox in a near match-ending guillotine choke.
Mox hangs in there and the fight continues on the floor. Mox takes over and starts tearing up the protective mats surrounding the ringside area, exposing the unforgiving solid floor beneath it. He plants Allin face-first into it and heads into the ring to taunt the fans.
Allin won’t stay down, however, and fans break out in a loud “You can’t kill him!” chant. The commentators even point it out on the broadcast. Mox slaps Allin in a rear naked choke and begins squeezing the hell out of it. Allin looks to be out, but upon fans chanting his name, he shows some movement and tries again to escape.
Mox switches to the bulldog choke and squeezes for all he’s got again. Darby seemed to be fading again, but again hung in there, grit his teeth and made it to the ropes to force the hold to be released. The “You can’t kill him!” chants break out again.
Darby fights back and he and Mox end up on the middle rope trading shots as the crowd comes to life in the background once again. Allin looks for something big, but Mox counters in mid-air with an Avalanche Death Rider for the pin fall victory.
Winner and NEW No. 1 Contender: Jon Moxley
With the win, Mox will now move on to challenge Bryan Danielson next for the AEW World Championship. Speaking of whom, Danielson comes out with a hoodie on and attacks Mox from behind. He has a neck tie, which he puts around Moxley’s neck.
No firing here, this ain’t Justin Roberts and this ain’t WWE. Marina Shafir immediately jumps on Danielson’s back to try and help Mox. Claudio Castagnoli and PAC also run out. Private Party come out to try and even up the numbers game. They do enough to get everyone out of the ring but Mox and Danielson, but get laid out on the floor for their efforts.
Danielson has Mox in position for his running knee, but Mox’s crew pulls him under the ropes to the floor to save him. Danielson gets on the mic and says he declares war against Mox. He says it will be the two of them fighting for the AEW World Championship at AEW Wrestle Dream.
He vows to kick his ass, but says so in more colorful fashion than that. Europe’s “Final Countdown” plays again as Excalibur confirms Mox-Danielson for the AEW title for the October 12 AEW Wrestle Dream pay-per-view. That’s how the 2024 installment of AEW Dynamite: Grand Slam goes off the air. Thanks for joining us!
–– Here is what’s in store for tonight’s show ––
- AEW World Tag Team Championship: The Young Bucks (Matthew & Nicholas Jackson) (c) vs. Will Ospreay & Kyle Fletcher
- Darby Allin’s AEW World Title Shot: Jon Moxley vs. Darby Allin
- AEW Women’s World Championship: Mariah May (c) vs. Yuka Sakazaki
- Bryan Danielson vs. Nigel McGuinness (if Bryan Daielson is cleared)
- Prince Nana to provide an update on Swerve Strickland
- FTW Championship: HOOK (c) vs. Roderick Strong
Stay tuned to WrestlingAttitude, WA.Com On Twitter and Google News for more.
LIVE 9/25 AEW “Grand Slam” Dynamite
