By Jason Powell, ProWrestling.net Editor (@prowrestlingnet)
AEW Dynamite “Grand Slam” (Episode 260)
Queens, New York at Arthur Ashe Stadium
Aired live September 25, 2024 on TBS
[Hour One] Dynamite opened with Nigel McGuinness making his entrance while Excalibur checked in on commentary with Taz, Tony Schiavone, and Jim Ross. Ring announcer Justin Roberts introduced Nigel McGuinness.
Bryan Danielson’s entrance music played, but he didn’t come out. McGuinness heeled on Danielson and demanded that referee Paul Turner count out Danielson. Turner started his count. “The Final Countdown” played and then Danielson made his entrance.
1. AEW World Champion Bryan Danielson vs. Nigel McGuinness in a non-title match. The broadcast team played up the question of how healthy Danielson was. Ross noted that Danielson had a neck issue that required surgery, then added that he’s a gutty tough little bastard.
Danielson and McGuinness performed some early chain wrestling. Schiavone acknowledged that the last time he saw Danielson was when Jon Moxley put a bag over his head. Danielson drilled McGuinness with a slap to the face. McGuinness smiled and then returned the favor.
Both men traded uppercuts. Danielson threw a thigh kick at McGuinness, who acted like it caught him below the belt. McGuinness took Danielson down and threw shots at him until Danielson reversed it. Danielson caught McGuinness in the LeBell Lock. McGuinness teased tapping and then reached the rope with his foot to break the hold.
Danielson and McGuinness ended up at ringside. Danielson ran McGuinness’s head into the ring post. Danielson grabbed the arms of McGuinness and pulled him into the post again, but McGuinness slammed Danielson’s arm on the post before rolling him back inside the ring.
Danielson caught McGuinness with a dropkick in the corner and then threw kicks at his chest. Danielson suplexed McGuinness and then went up top. McGuinness cut him off and crotched him on the top turnbuckle and went for the Tower of London, but Danielson avoided it.
Danielson hit the Busaiku Knee, but he sold his right forearm rather than go for the pin. Danielson got up and threw kicks at a kneeling McGuinness. Danielson got McGuinness in an awkward position on the top turnbuckle, but McGuinness flipped over kicked Danielson’s backand clubbed Danielson’s chest before covering him for a two count.
McGuinness came back when he teetered in between the ropes and then hit lariat clothesline, but he only got a one count. Danielson fired up. McGuinness thumbed the eye of Danielson and then threw a ripcord lariat for a two count. McGuinness threw elbows at Danielson that looked soft.
McGuinness hit the Tower of London for a near fall. McGuinness put Danielson’s bad arm in a submission hold and wrenched back on it. Danielson rolled out of it and then threw elbow strikes at McGuinness until he was on his back.
Danielson and McGuinness traded strikes in the middle of the ring. Danielson got the better of it and threw headbutts, but McGuinness grabbed his arm and fell back while driving it into his knee. McGuinness hit Danielson with a knee strike. Danielson bounced off the ropes, but McGuinness turned him inside out with a clothesline that resulted in a near fall.
Danielson hooked McGuinness in the LeBell Lock, but he struggled to maintain the grip due to his forearm injury. Danielson released the hold and threw punches, then applied a modified version of the hold. McGuinness rolled onto Danielson, who got back on top of McGuinness and locked in the hold. McGuinness said thank you and then tapped out. Ross acknowledged that McGuinness said thank you.
AEW World Champion Bryan Danielson defeated Nigel McGuinness in 18:50 in a non-title match.
After the match, Christian Cage came out and was on the verge of singing his contract for a shot at the AEW World Championship. Kip Sabian ran out and stole the pen. Christian chased Sabian backstage and then came face to face with Pac and Claudio Castagnoli. Christian stopped in his tracks and then ran past them to go after Sabian…
Excalibur hyped Darby Allin vs. Jon Moxley as the main event, and said Hook vs. Roderick Strong for the FTW Title was up next… [C]
Powell’s POV: McGuinness can be very proud of his first singles match back since 2011. He did a great job and this was an enjoyable match. It obviously doesn’t hurt to work with Danielson, who more than held up his end of things. Good for both men for coming through with a fine match that added to their rich history together. I still question the logic of playing up the mystery of whether Danielson would appear on the show when they needed to sell tickets. The Christian tease was uneventful, and there’s just no indication that the fans are into the weird storyline with Kip Sabian.
2. Hook vs. Roderick Strong (w/Matt Taven, Mike Bennett) for the FTW Title. Both entrances were televised coming out of the commercial break. Both wrestlers ended up at ringside. Strong swung and missed with a kendo stick. Hook got the kendo stick and hit Strong, Taven, and Bennett with it. Strong hoisted up Hook and threw him at the ring post heading into a picture-in-picture break. [C]
Strong ran Hook into a chair that was wedged in the corner. Strong slammed Hook to the mat and covered him for a two count. Strong set up two chairs inside the ring. Hook did a shoulder throw that sent Strong crashing onto the chairs and then Hook covered him for two.
Strong powered up Hook and tossed him onto one of the chairs. Strong hit a boot to the head and got a near fall. Strong went for End of Heartache, but Hook countered into Redrum and got the submission win…
Hook defeated Roderick Strong in 9:00 to retain the FTW Title.
After the match, Strong offered Hook a handshake. Hook accepted the handshake and then Strong hugged him. The broadcast team acted surprised by Strong showing respect for Hook, who then went to the ropes and played to the crowd.
Hook left the ring and was interviewed by Tony Schiavone at ringside. Schiavone said that the FTW Title was introduced by Taz in 1998 right up the road in the Elk’s Lodge. Hook said all good things must come to an end.
On behalf of his family, Hook thanked every wrestler who competed for the championship as well as the fans who supported it. Hook announced that the title was officially retired. Hook handed the belt to his father Taz, and then they hugged… [C]
Powell’s POV: An enjoyable match with the surprise post match respect shown by Strong. It’s great that they are putting the FTW Title to rest and they did so in a nice moment between Taz and Hook. There are just too many title belts in AEW, so ditching the FTW Title is a good move.
A drone shot aired of the stadium area… Justin Roberts delivered the introductions for the AEW Tag Team Title match. The challengers entered to Will Ospreay’s entrance theme followed by the champions, who made a standard entrance as opposed to be raised from belong the stage…
3. “The Young Bucks” Matthew Jackson and Nicholas Jackson vs. Will Ospreay and Kyle Fletcher for the AEW Tag Team Titles. Don Callis did not come out with his team, but he sat in on commentary for the match. Yes, of course Rick Knox was the referee.
[Hour Two] The challengers were on the offensive heading into an early PIP break. [C]
The Bucks set up for a BTE Trigger, but Ospreay kipped up and hit them with a double OsCutter. Knox was slow to count and the fans booed. The broadcast team assumed he was trying to keep track of which wrestler was legal. There was a fun sequence that left all four men down for a moment.
Nicholas caught Fletcher with a kick from the apron and then jumped off and performed a huracanrana on Ospreay. The Bucks hit Fletcher with a spike piledriver on the apron. The Bucks were willing to take the count-out win, but Fletcher beat the referee’s count. Nicholas hit Fletcher with a knee strike going into another PIP break. [C]
The Bucks dominated throughout the break. Ospreay and Fletcher came back after the break with simultaneous Styles Clashes. Ospreay hit a Storm Breaker on Matthew, but Nicholas broke up the pin. Ospreay teased the Tiger Driver on Matthew, but Nicholas broke it up with a superkick.
The challengers came right back with a TK Driver and then Fletcher covered Matthew for a near fall. The challengers hit The Coriolis and got another near fall. Fletcher hit a brainbuster on Matthew, but Nicholas shoved Ospreay into the pin to break it up.
Fletcher knocked Nicholas off the apron and then hit him with a suicide dive. Callis took off his headset and handed Fletcher the stupid screwdriver. Callis distracted the referee. Fletcher wound up to use the weapon, but Ospreay hooked his arm and took it away from him. Ospreay barked at Callis. Fletcher wasn’t happy.
Matthew hit Ospreay with one of the title belts while Knox was distracted. Fletcher ducked a belt shot and rolled up Matthew for two after Matthew passed off the belt to his brother. Knox missed another belt shot from Nicholas on Fletcher, which led to another two count. The Bucks double superkicked Fletcher and then hit him with the BTE Trigger. Nicholas covered Fletcher and got the three count…
“The Young Bucks” Matthew Jackson and Nicholas Jackson defeated Will Ospreay and Kyle Fletcher in 19:30 to retain the AEW Tag Team Titles.
Powell’s POV: A banger until the closing minutes were watered down by the return of the awful screwdriver and Rick Knox being put in the position to play dumb again.
Renee Paquette spoke with Orange Cassidy, Mark Briscoe, Kyle O’Reilly, and Rocky Romero. Cassidy presented Romero with a Conglomeration t-shirt and invited him to join the faction. Briscoe plugged the new Conglomeration t-shirt and said he wore a Dem Boys shirt because they were only five miles away from where the last Briscoe Brothers match was held. Briscoe said the world of the day was vociferous. Briscoe closed with his crazy man rant…
Tony Schiavone stood on the stage and introduced Prince Nana, who was scheduled to give an update on Swerve Strickland. Nana did his dance on the stage. Nana said it was good to be in New York and did the “whose house” bit. Nana said there’s nothing mentally that can stop Swerve, but physically he’s not cleared to return. Nana said Swerve is fighting hard every day for the fans.
MVP walked onto the stage and held a cane in one hand. MVP introduced himself and said Nana already knew his name. MVP agreed that Swerve is the most dangerous man in AEW. MVP said Swerve was the most phenomenal talent to ever step foot in an AEW ring. He said Swerve’s title reign will be studied by future generations and then mentioned the wrestlers that Swerve beat as champion.
MVP said he saw Swerve lose the title and have his childhood home burned to the ground. MVP said Swerve’s management was more concerned with selling coffee and shucking and jiving for the fans. MVP handed Nana a card and told Nana to give it to Swerve when he’s ready to talk business. Nana shook his head in disgust and then looked at the card…
Powell’s POV: It’s nice that they had a surprise on the Grand Slam show. Of course, the big question is whether Bobby Lashley will follow MVP to AEW.
Excalibur hyped the company’s daily fantasy sports partner… [C]
Footage aired of Jack Perry driving his bus over a New York bridge. Excalibur said the bus was on its way to Queens and then questioned who would accept Perry’s open challenge to a TNT Title match on Saturday’s AEW Collision…
Entrances for the AEW Women’s Championship match took place…
4. Mariah May vs. Yuka Sakazaki for the AEW Women’s Championship. Sakazaki dove on May once May arrived at ringside. The referee started the match once both women were inside the ring. Sakazaki covered May for a two count. The wrestlers ended up at ringside where May dropkicked Sakazaki.
Back inside the ring, Sakazaki applied a leg scissors over the ropes and had to release the hold before the referee counted to five. May went for her finisher, but Sakazaki avoided it and rolled her into a pin for a two count. Sakazaki picked up another two count off of a backslide.
Sakazaki used her legs to roll May around the ring and then covered her for another two count. May avoided Sakazaki’s finisher and then headbutted her. May executed a nice German suplex for a near fall. Sakazaki came back with a Northern Lights Bomb. Sakazaki went for the Magical Girl Splash, but May put her knees up. May hit a knee strike and Storm Zero before getting the pin.
Mariah May defeated Yuka Sakazaki in 6:10 to retain the AEW Women’s Championship.
After the match, May set up to hit Sakazaki with her title belt, but Willow Nightingale ran out and confronted May. Mina Shirakawa’s entrance theme played. May used the distraction to hit Willow from behind with the belt. May ran to the stage and then picked up Shirakawa and twirled her around. Shirakawa acted upset by what May did in the ring. Sakazaki went to the stage and chased off May…
Excalibur hyped the main event… [C]
Powell’s POV: Good action, but I don’t think the company did enough to make the fans invest in the possibility of Sakazaki being a threat to win the title. Conversely, the fans popped big when Willow came out after the match.
Jon Moxley and Marina Shafir were shown walking through a back area and then they entered through the crowd. Darby Allin made his entrance and brought his skateboard to the ring with him…
5. Jon Moxley (w/Marina Shafir) vs. Darby Allin for a shot at the AEW World Championship. Moxley dropped Allin with a boot to the face once the bell rang. Excalibur said that BR Live is going away and plugged the other places to order the AEW WrestleDream pay-per-view on October 12.
Moxley placed Allin’s mouth over the middle rope and then kicked the rope. Allin bled from the mouth. Moxley whipped Allin into the corner, causing Allin to tumble through the ropes to the floor. The referee made sure Shafir didn’t get involved.
Allin pulled Moxley off the apron and crotched him on the ring apron skirting and then kicked him. Allin put Moxley’s left arm in the top opening hole of the ring post and worked him over. Shafir freed Moxley. Allin hit Moxley with a Coffin Drop on the floor.
Allin set up a chair and then went face to face with Shafir. Allin followed Moxley to the apron where Moxley bodyslammed him. Allin fell back to the floor. Shafir put the boots to Allin while Moxley distracted the referee. Moxley pulled Allin’s shoulder against the ring post and then wrenched on his other arm going into a PIP break. [C]
Allin had Moxley seated on a chair on the floor when he hit him with a dropkick from the top rope. Back inside the ring, Allin hit a Code Red for a near fall. Allin pulled a top turnbuckle pad off and threw it to ringside. Allin tried to run Moxley’s head into the exposed turnbuckle, but Moxley stuffed it and then dropkicked him.
Allin hit a springboard splash and then applied a Fujiwara armbar. Moxley stood up and then Allin transitioned into a guillotine. Moxley placed Allin on the top turnbuckle and then drilled him with a shot that knocked him to the floor. Allin had Shafir pull the ringside mats back to expose the floor. Moxley told Shafir that Allin asked for this.
Moxley went for a Death Rider, but Allin avoided it and sent Moxley into the ring steps. Allin returned to the ring and went for a suicide dive, but Moxley moved and then Allin crashed onto the exposed floor. Moxley slammed Allin on top of the ring steps. Moxley took a seat in the corner of the ring while the referee counted Allin, who eventually beat the count by returning to the ring.
Moxley showed frustration over Allin returning to the ring. The fans chanted “You can’t kill him.” Allin threw slaps at Moxley, who drilled him with a slap to the face. Allin sidestepped Moxley, who crashed into the exposed turnbuckle. Allin rolled up Moxley for a two count. Allin went for a Coffin Drop, but Moxley caught him in a rear naked choke.
[Overrun] Allin reached the ropes to break the hold. Moxley sat on the top rope and then pulled Allin into a choke hold. Allin reached out and gouged Moxley’s eye to break free and then bit his head. Shafir climbed on the apron while Allin was setting up for a superplex. Moxley countered into an Avalanche DDT and scored the pin.
Jon Moxley defeated Darby Allin in 18:45 to earn a shot at the AEW World Championship.
After the match, Bryan Danielson entered the ring and choked Moxley with a neck tie (poor Justin Roberts is having flashbacks). Allin was helped to the back. Marina Shafir, Pac, and Claudio Castagnoli pulled Allin off Moxley. Komander and “Private Party” Isiah Kassidy and Marq Quen ran out to make the save. The babyface trio was roughed on the floor. Moxley was pulled to ringside before Danielson could dropkick him in the corner.
Danielson took the mic and recalled Moxley saying he wanted a war. “I declare war,” Danielson yelled. Danielson said Moxley could face him at WrestleDream. Danielson was censored for saying that he will kick Moxley’s “f—ing head in.” The Final Countdown played while Danielson stood in the ring with the other babyfaces and Moxley was at ringside with his crew. The broadcast team hyped Danielson vs. Moxley for the AEW World Championship for AEW WrestleDream.
Excalibur announced Pac, Castagnoli, and Wheeler Yuta vs. Private Party and Komander for the AEW Trios Titles on AEW Collision…
Powell’s POV: A good main event with a cool finish. It feels like Moxley needs to stop being cool and mysterious and focus on generating actual heat. Danielson showed good fire in the post match promo and I’m looking forward to his match with Moxley at WrestleDream.
Overall, this was a good episode. It didn’t feel all that different than a standard edition of Dynamite. The crowd was bigger than a typical Dynamite and yet down from the past Grand Slam shows. I will be back later tonight with my weekly same night audio review of Dynamite for Dot Net Members (including our Patreon patrons). Let me know how you felt about the show by grading it below.
Best one count I’ve ever seen.
20 minutes to beat a guy who hasn’t worked a match in 13 years, all while wearing Atari logo looking tape all over his back. That’s what takes you from 20k to 8k in the same building in the course of 4 years.
Hey Colin Robinson! I bet you go to city council meetings and terrorize everyone with your monotonous whining too. Pathological and boring.
Not picking sides, but I love Colin Robinson!
“I don’t live to drain, I drain to live.”
D, there are people in this world that are pathetic, sad human beings who can only feel better about themselves by be negative. You just need to learn to feel sorry for them, and then thank them for making you realize your life really is never THAT bad. He’s a sad little person, so keep that in mind.
Did Hook give a reason for retiring the FTW title? If not, he should have.
Good show. I still don’t think Christian is over, but I’ve never thought he was over, so I’m guessing I’m just biased.
Glad the FTW belt is gone, as no matter what wrestling company it was in, I never could forget it was a belt created by a wrestler, so it was ridiculous. LOVED Taz, but this was always dumb to me.
Danielson vs Mox could be a good storyline ending in a REALLY vicious match, so that’ll be fun.
Should’ve been Bryan vs.Allin though.With Mox I feel here’s another hardcore match where I actually feel Allin and Bryan would have a more technical match.