AEW Dynamite Grand Slam! Live Coverage - September 22nd, 2021

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AEW Dynamite

It's DYNAMITE GRAND SLAM! Cody Rhodes returns for revenge on Malakai Black. Rudy Soho challenges AEW Women's World Champion Dr. Britt Baker. Also, AEW World Champion Kenny Omega faces Bryan Danielson.


:aew:

– This week's Grand Slam edition of Dynamite on TNT kicks off with the trademark signature intro video that starts off the show each and every Wednesday night.

– From there, we shoot inside Arthur Ashe Stadium in Queens, N.Y. as 20,000+ AEW fans make a ton of noise while the camera pans the venue and fireworks and pyro explodes.

– Jim Ross welcomes us to the show and introduces his commentary partners Tony Schiavone and Excalibur and then the trio begin running down the big lineup for tonight's show. They inform us that the AEW Women's Championship contest will be the main event and then Bryan Danielson's theme hits and the crowd goes bonkers. His in-ring debut for AEW will kick off tonight's Dynamite: Grand Slam event.

Non-Title Match: AEW World Champion Kenny Omega vs. Bryan Danielson

Danielson heads to the ring as J.R. and Excalibur note the big reaction he received from this packed house in Arthur Ashe Stadium. He settles into the ring and his music dies down.

Now the familiar sounds of Kenny Omega's theme hits and out comes the AEW Champion along with Don Callis for this highly-anticipated showdown here in tonight's opening contest.

Crowd going wild, as expected. Danielson smiling while Omega trying to no sell them (“I don’t give a s***” he mouths). The two have a quick back-and-forth in the middle of the ring and go back to their corners. They lock up to probably the biggest reaction I’ve ever heard for a collar and elbow tie up. Danielson and Omega back into the ropes for a break. Danielson with a leg kick to drop down Omega. Back and forth chain wrestling. Omega gets to the ropes and just stands there, so Danielson blasts him in the midsection with a kick and out of the ring goes Omega.

Omega drops Danielson down, Omega then does a cartwheel to avoid his opponent and gives a chop for good measure. Callis barking at fans in the front row while all of this is going down. Greco-roman knuckle lock with Danielson able to work his way around to bending back on Omega’s fingers, trapping him to the canvas and stomping down on his arm/hand. Danielson with chops and kicks and the crowd is loud for these strikes. Omega sent out to the floor, Danielson with a suicide dive, sending the champ to the barricade.

Back in the ring, Danielson up to the top rope, knee drop down on Omega’s arm, clearly focusing on that limb. Omega with a rake to the face to slow things down a bit. Omega chokes Danielson with his foot in the corner. Danielson able to work his way back into the match, runs to the corner and flips back/over Omega, then drops the champ with a leaping clothesline. Big running kick in the corner, followed by kicks to the chest. Omega put on the top rope, Danielson with a hurricanrana, cover, two.

Danielson drops down for a cover, two, Omega with a heel kick to the spine. Omega looks for v-trigger to the back of the head in the corner. Omega puts Danielson up on the top rope, looks for a super dragon suplex, Danielson slips under and crotches Omega. Super back suplex down to the mat, Danielson’s arm was trapped underneath that move though, may have banged himself up on that move. Back and forth strikes. Bryan with a shoulder capture suplex with the bridge for two! Crowd has been hyped for this match the entire time. Both guys down so they clap it up for the two of them. Danielson heads to the top, gets knocked down, both to the top and Omega hits a super dragon suplex, cover, two-count!

“Fight forever” from the crowd. Omega with a v-trigger, looks for one winged angel, Danielson goes right into a poisonrana on Omega. Omega tries for a v-trigger in the corner, nobody home, Danielson with a buzzsaw kick to the head. Danielson gets fired up tries for the big running knee, blocked, v-trigger to the face, pin, two-count. It looks like everyone in the building is standing. Omega goes up top for a phoenix splash, pool is empty though. More kicks from Danielson. We have to be pushing by the 25 minute mark at this point.

Omega goes up top for a phoenix splash, pool is empty though. More kicks from Danielson. We have to be pushing by the 25 minute mark at this point. Flurry of kicks to the face, LaBell lock is attempted, but Omega gets his foot on the rope before he can apply it. Danielson with running knees in the corner. Omega with a v-trigger, both are hitting each other and both go down as commentary says we only have 45 seconds left! Both guys on their knees throwing punches and headbutts. Danielson and Omega battle away and the bell just rings! We have a time-limit draw.

Match ends in a 30-minute time-limit draw

– Post-match, Danielson tries to keep attacking Omega, but The Elite runs out and gets him away. Crowd boos as the official announcement is made. Cole and The Young Bucks triple superkick Danielson. Out runs Christian Cage and Jurassic Express to help clear the ring.

– CM Punk heads out to the ring, but considers a stage dive, but it’s a little bit too far from the ramp to the crowd, lol. Punk says he’s glad he didn’t have to wrestle after that match. He says it’s been a long time since pro wrestling has been in New York City. Punk says people want to see him get mad, like the old CM Punk, and he’ll be along at some point, but be careful what you wish for. He turns his attention to Team Taz, says he wants to be mad (although it’s tough when he sees an amazing crowd, what’s there to be mad about?). He then recalls getting put down on a table last week by Powerhouse Hobbs. Punk says Team Taz doesn’t want to see a love fest, they don’t want to see him happy and having a good time. Punk continues it’s been so long since he’s had this and it pisses him off because nobody is taking wrestling away from him. He tells Team Taz should have broke his neck so tonight’s crowd wouldn’t be able to hear “Cult of Personality” and they made a big mistake. Says it’s not his job to wake other wrestlers up, it’s to put them to sleep! Punk says on Friday’s Rampage, Hobbs is going to sleep. Punk gives Stephen Amell (sitting in the front row) a hug on his way out.

MJF with Wardlow vs. Brian Pillman Jr. with Julia Hart

Back and forth action as Pillman looks to be getting the best of MJF, couple armdrags and a back body drop. MJF with a throat chop and a chop to the chest that just annoys Pillman. Chops to MJF’s chest, kick to the chest, and avoids a strike from MJF. MJF able to get back into it, kick in the corner, flips him into the corner, then taunts a bit to the crowd. Pillman able to put MJF down, backslide pin for two.

MJF really beating up Pillman Jr. now. “Where’s your boy?!” MJF yells at the crowd. Pillman with some chops, heads up to the top and nails MJF with a high crossbody. Pillman arm is banged up from the match though. He hits a clothesline and then a thrust kick. MJF gets sent into the turnbuckle nine times, fights off the tenth, charges in and takes a spinning powerslam. MJF rolls out to the floor, Pillman looks for a dive, but MJF pulls Hart in front of him. He shoves her to Pillman and then clocks Pillman. Hart throws down her pom poms and yells at MJF. MJF gets slapped in the face and he grabs her wrist. Pillman with a dropkick through the ropes to stop that and high fives Hart. Pillman looks for a springboard, but MJF catches him with salt of the earth (fujiwara armbar) in the middle of the ring for the tap.

Winner: MJF

– Backstage, Alex Marvez talks with Chris Jericho and Jake Hager about their match on Friday against Men of the Year. Hager says they are more like a bunch of boys, following around a fat faced dips***. Jericho says they are the toughest team in AEW, and Lambert decided to put his nose in their business…and he’s going to bite it off. Jericho says brings the rest of American Top Team because the are ready for Rampage!

Cody Rhodes vs. Malakai Black

Cody getting a (at best) mixed reaction from the crowd. Brandi Rhodes makes her return to AEW after being away due to her pregnancy. Back and forth strikes get things going. Front leg sweep by Black. Crowd it outright cheering Black’s attacks and booing Rhodes. Rhodes out to the floor, Black does his fake leap and moonsaults back into the middle of the ring. Brandi gets in the ring (?!) and flips off Black. He just laughs, but Cody comes in from behind for an attack. Black tries for a pin, two, and is sent out to the ramp. Rhodes is looking around at the crowd and they are booing him.

Rhodes leaps off the top rope and eats a high knee to the face. Back in the ring, Rhodes with a tricky pin, two-count. Black is up and blasts Cody with a wheel kick, but Cody fell straight out of the ring. Black runs out and tries to pull him in the ring, but can’t quite do it, so he just leaves him out there for the count-out. Cody climbs up, pin, Cody with a foot on the rope.

Cody with a chop block, Cody knocked out to the ramp, but Cody then hits a dragon screw leg whip in the ropes. Cody focuses on the leg now. Black with a spinning back elbow, kick to the chest, but Black’s leg is hurt. Cross Rhodes, no, Cody with a kick to the leg, tries for a bulldog and Black just sends him across the ring. Black helps Cody up with his foot, Cody throws it down, cross Rhodes, high knee to the face. Cody cutter hits, cross-Rhodes lands, 1-2-no! Crowd cheers the kick out.

Arn up on the apron, yelling out at what’s happening. Arn then slips off the apron (whoops!). He gets back up and ends up getting clocked mistakenly by Cody. Arn falls to the floor. Cody checks on Arn, Arn yells at him “What are you doing out here?” He shoves Cody to go back after Black. In the ring, Cody in the corner swinging away. Ref tries to stop him for not listening and takes a shot to the face. Black with black mist to Cody’s face! He goes for the cover and the win.

Winner: Malakai Black

FTR with Tully Blanchard vs. Sting and Darby Allin

Allin starts out and gets the action started. Sting tags in shortly after to a nice pop. He ends up taking down both members of FTR, punches to both guys. Body slams for each one. Sting tries for the stinger splash, but nobody home. The two swing away on him as Harwood tags in, leg drop, cover, two. Sting is able to work his way to his corner and tag in Allin.

He flies around the ring, dropkicks Wheeler into Harwood. Coffin splash in the corner, springboard coffin splash to both guys. He looks for a double coffin drop out to the floor, caught, thrown int the edge of the ring. Back inside the ring, Allin getting worked over by FTR and needs to tag out. He’s initially stopped, but is able to roll through FTR and tag in Sting. He sends Wheeler out of the ring. Sting with a spinebuster on Harwood, cover, two. Sting putting on another good show, “you still got it” from the crowd. Wheeler shoved off the top rope to the floor by Sting. Sting up top and hits a crossbody on Harwood, cover, two.

Wheeler yanks Sting over the top rope, Harwood with the cover for only two. Sting avoids a tombstone piledriver. Allin finally getting involved again. Stinger splash on FTR, hits another on Wheeler. Harwood puts a chair in the corner. Sting looks for a splash on Harwood, but puts on the brakes and doesn’t hit the chair. He throws Harwood into it, instead. Sting pops Tully off the apron. Pin on Harwood for two. Sting locks in the scorpion deathlock. Wheeler trying to help pull Dax to the ropes, Allin with a coffin drop down on the apron on Wheeler to stop that! Harwood is kept in the middle of the ring and is forced to tap out.

Winners: Sting and Darby Allin

– Last week, we see the Rampage segment between Britt Baker and Ruby Soho as they hype up their title match.

– Friday’s Rampage lineup:

* Anna Jay vs. Penelope Ford
* Jon Moxley and Eddie Kingston vs. Lance Archer and Minoru Suzuki (Lights Out Match)
* AEW World Tag Team Champions The Lucha Brothers, Santana and Ortiz vs. Private Party and The Butcher & The Blade
* CM Punk vs. Powerhouse Hobbs
* Chris Jericho and Jake Hager vs. Ethan Page and Scorpio Sky with Dan Lambert
* Adam Cole and The Young Bucks vs. Impact World Champion Christian Cage and Jurassic Express

AEW Women’s World Championship: Britt Baker (c) vs. Ruby Soho with Jamie Hayter and Rebel

Crowd with some back and forth “Ruby Soho/DMD” chants as we get going. Soho able to get in a big shot on Baker that sends her out to the floor. Baker’s group checks on her, Soho up to the top rope and splashes down on Rebel/Hayter. Baker with a superkick and a draped twisting neckbreaker down to the floor. Soho uses her legs and slams Baker’s face into the second turnbuckle. A couple running kicks to the head by Soho.

Baker with an elbow strike, Soho counters with a side suplex and a thrust kick to the face. Bake up and hits a thrust kick of her own before falling back down to the mat. Back-and-forth shots, the crowd is pretty split (maybe leaning more Baker) so the “yay and boo” chants aren’t super loud either way. Baker rolls through into the lockjaw, but Soho quickly slips out. Baker with a slingblade on the challenge. Rebel slips on the black glove as Baker randomly flips off the camera. Soho picks Baker’s ankle and applies a single leg crab.

Soho sends Baker into the corner, enziguri, Soho climbs up to the top rope, sent, pin, two-count. Baker with a neckbreaker, thrust kick to the face, cover, two-count. Baker up to the top rope, Soho smacks her, looks to suplex Baker out to the floor. Hayter and Rebel yelling not to do that! Soho and Baker battling their way to the corner though. Soho gets captured and takes a super air raid crash, ow! Baker with the cover, only two. Baker ends up just kicking Soho out to the floor. Baker looks for a kick while standing on the steps, Soho catches it, but Baker slams her face down on the steps. In the ring, Soho is stomped, cover, two. Baker isn’t happy and barks at the ref, Soho with a roll-up, two. Soho hits no future (her finisher). Rebel with the distraction and takes one, too! Hayter on the apron now, ducks a punch, yanks Soho down over the top rope, Baker drops her, and applies lockjaw for the win. And that's how this one ends. Baker wins and retains her AEW Women's Championship in the process. Baker does a "cheers" with her belt smacking into the camera and then the commentators take us off the air.

Winner: Britt Baker