AEW Dynamite Grand Slam Live Coverage - September 25th, 2024
We kick off AEW Dynamite Grand Slam with Nigel McGuinness heading to the ring for what might be our opening match. Nigel looks extra smug as he enters the ring, and we await the arrival of the AEW World Champion.
Bryan’s music hits, but after roughly 30 seconds it appears Danielson is not here. Nigel grabs the mic, saying he hasn’t seen Bryan all day, calling the champion a coward before telling the ref to start the ten count…and stating that Bryan will be stripped of the World title.
The ref begins the count…until “Final Countdown” plays, bringing the crowd back to a pop! The pop gets even bigger when Danielson steps out to the stage, slowly making his way to the ring while giving fist bumps to the front row. He climbs the turnbuckle, feeling the electricity in the crowd as they chant along with his music. Nigel steps out of the ring, looking a lot less smug before making his way back into the ring. The bell rings, and this match a long time in the making is finally underway!
Non-Title Match
AEW World Champion Bryan Danielson vs Nigel McGuinness
The two men stand off as the crowd chants in excitement, and they then lock up for the first time in nearly two decades. Nigel sends Bryan back with an uppercut before playing to the crowd, and Bryan makes him pay by sending him to the corner with a forearm of his own. They lock up again, with Bryan escaping a wristlock until McGuinness knocks him down. He gloats about this as he circles the mat, but Bryan takes him down before hitting Nigel with a spinal tap, but McGuinness is back to his feet!
He mocks Bryan before the pair lock up, exchanging holds back and forth in a catch as catch can manner, before Danielson is sent to the ropes. Nigel follows up with some hard strikes sending the champ to the corner, until Bryan strikes back…but this gets a smirk from the former ROH World Champion.
The two trade strikes this time, until Danielson sends him down with a kick to the leg. Nigel appears to play this up, drawing Bryan in to mount up for some punches…but Danielson turns it around. Nigel does all he can to break out, turning around for some more punches until the champ catches him with a few extra strikes. Nigel finally escapes, looking for a LeBell Lock…but Danielson counters with one instead, forcing McGuinness to crawl to the ropes to break the hold.
Nigel forces the champ to the outside, where he takes control by sending Danielson to the barricade before setting up the steel steps for a drop toe hold sending Bryan down hard. He goes after Danielson’s hand next, before Bryan narrowly escapes disaster to get to his feet…and sends McGuinness into the ring post! Nigel turns it around by slamming the champ’s arm against it, before bringing Bryan back into the ring.
Nigel catches his arm, locking in a London Dungeon until Bryan forces a break at the ropes. Bryan starts fighting back now, sending Nigel down before taking to the top turnbuckle…but Nigel intercepts! Tower of London set up by McGuiness, but Danielson escapes before hitting a Busaiku Knee on his old rival…but grabs his forearm out of pain.
Bryan gets to his feet before laying in a series of kicks on Nigel, culminating in a roundhouse kick that gets the champ a nearfall! Danielson brings Nigel to his feet before sending him to the corner, but McGuinness catches himself for a headstand on the turnbuckle…only for Bryan to twist his head to loosen the grip.
Nigel responds with a hard lariat and the cover, but only gets a nearfall for his efforts before Bryan looks for the LeBell Lock once more…but Nigel manages to break free of the hold. Nigel gets sent to the corner but catches the champ with a lariat off the ropes to take him down. Bryan starts to fight back until he gets laid out with a ripcord lariat for the cover…but Bryan manages to kick out once again!
Nigel goes back to work on the shoulder of the champ, who tries to fight back until Nigel lays in some hammering elbows before picking Danielson up…and connects with the Tower of London after setting him up on the turnbuckle! Cover by Nigel, but Bryan kicks out once more! Nigel is looking to trap Bryan in the London Dungeon once more, getting it cinched in as Bryan tries to escape…leading to McGuinness twisting the arm back!
But the champ manages to escape, and lays in some hammering elbows of his own to wear Nigel down! Bryan gets to his feet, as Nigel follows suit before the two start trading strikes back and forth. This leads to both men going down, but Nigel is back up to hit the ropes for a dropkick. Bryan hits the ropes for a lariat in the Nigel style, but McGuinness catches him with a lariat to send him to the mat instead!
Both men are laid out, but the positioning of Nigel gives Bryan an opening to go for a LeBell Lock. Nigel is struggling to stay out of the grip, but Bryan clubs him with a forearm before cinching in the hold…only for Nigel to roll through! But the champ is not on his shoulders, and forces Nigel back to the mat to get the hold in tighter! Nigel shouts an obscenity, but appears to also say “thank you” just as he taps out! The ref calls for the bell!
Winner: Bryan Danielson
After the match:
Christian Cage’s music hits, and the Patriarch has his AEW World Title contract and a pen in hand! Kip Sabian sneaks up behind him, taking the pen away before he runs to the back. Cage gives chase, being spooked by the sight of PAC and Claudio Castagnoli before running off to the back.
We get a rundown of what’s still to come tonight
We go to commercial.
FTW Championship
HOOK (c) vs Roderick Strong
The two lock up immediately, with Strong getting a firm wristlock on the champ who tries to turn it around. Strong sends him to the corner with the hold, but this only leads to the two going at it on the mat before Roderick is forced to take a breather on the outside.
HOOK doesn’t give him this, going right after him until the challenger gets away, grabbing a kendo stick from nearby…only for the champ to give as good as he can take, knocking back Undisputed Kingdom as well!
T-bone suplex sends Bennett to the floor before HOOK sends Taven down as well, but Strong gets the upper hand as we go to picture-in-picture.
Picture-in-Picture:
Roddy continues to maintain control as he eventually brings the champ back into the ring, breaking out of a hold when HOOK fights back before trying to choke him out…only for HOOK to get enough leverage to fight back to his feet. He fights out of a backbreaker but is taken back to the mat by Roderick, who stomps at him until HOOK gets to his feet once more. Strong has him up against the ropes with some strikes, bringing him back to the center…which gives HOOK an opening for a T-bone suplex, sending Strong down hard as we come back from break!
HOOK continues to fight back, sending Strong to the corner before hitting a Northern Lights suplex for a nearfall. Key lock by HOOK as Strong slowly gets to his feet, fighting his way out of the hold once he’s in the corner. Taven looks to offer him a chair, but Strong is nearly caught with a Redrum before he sends HOOK to the corner…dropping him hard for a nearfall in the process. He sets up the chairs Taven handed to him, only for HOOK to send him onto the chairs instead for a nearfall.
Strong fights back with a gutbuster onto the chair, followed by a running kick for the cover…but HOOK kicks out! He fights out of End of Heartache, locking in Redrum in the middle of the ring…and Roderick has no choice but to tap out!
Winner: HOOK
After the match:
The celebration is cut short when Undisputed Kingdom enter the ring…but it’s only so that Roderick Strong can give the new champ a handshake after a hard-fought win to retain. HOOK accepts and Strong gives him a hug of respect before he and his crew leave the ring. HOOK asks for a mic from ringside as Tony talks up the history of the FTW Championship which was created by his father, Taz, in this very city.
HOOK thanks him for that before saying that all good things must come to an end. He gives props to everyone who ever competed for the title, before announcing that the FTW Championship is officially retired. He hands the title to Taz, hugging his father before making his way up the ramp to the stage for one last ovation.
We go to commercial.
AEW Tag Team Championship
The Young Bucks (Matthew and Nicholas Jackson) (c) vs AEW International Champion Will Ospreay and Kyle Fletcher
We start things off with Nicholas and Ospreay, before Matthew quickly jumps in to get involved. Fletcher rushes in but the Bucks fend him off before posing to boos from the crowd. Nicholas grabs Ospreay as Fletcher tags himself in, and Will escapes before the apir double-team Nicholas…before propping Matthew onto his brother for a launching moonsault from Ospreay off of Kyle! The Bucks end up on the outside, where Ospreay and Fletcher get the drop on the champs as we go to picture-in-picture!
Picture-in-Picture: Fletcher rolls up Nicholas for a nearfall before being sent out of the ring, where Matthew goes on the offense to wear him down. Nicholas mocks the crowd before bringing Kyle back into the ring, tagging in Matthew as the Bucks continue to wear Fletcher down. Matthew gets in some stomps on Kyle, keeping him isolated despite Kyle’s efforts to fight back. A double team allows Nicholas to get a nearfall before tagging in Matthew, who lays in a stomp before Kyle fights back as we return from break!
Fletcher manages to fight the champs off long enough for a tag to Ospreay…who takes to the ropes to take the Bucks down after a tag to Nicholas, who takes a standing moonsault from the Aerial Assassin! Tag made to Matthew, however, and the Bucks take Ospreay down long enough for a nearfall. They set the International Champion up on the ropes for a double-team into a powerbomb…but Fletcher breaks the count!
Champs look for a BTE Trigger, but Ospreay takes them both out with a double Oscutter, struggling to get the right person pinned…and that moment allows for a kick out! Chaos ensues between all four men when Kyle gets back into the fray, culminating in a Hidden Blade on Matthew by Ospreay.
Ospreay and Matthew are cleared out of the ring as Nicholas and Fletcher go back and forth with strikes. Fletcher hits the ropes, but is tripped up by Matthew. Fletcher shoves him away but is kicked down by Nicholas, who lays out Ospreay before bringing Kyle to the apron…where the Bucks spike Fletcher with a TK Driver onto the hardest part of the ring!
Nicholas rolls back in the ring as the ref starts the count, the Bucks looking for an easy win until Fletcher narrowly gets back in the ring at nine…only to be dropped with a kick by Nicholas as we go back to picture-in-picture.
Picture-in-Picture: The Bucks maintain control as they wear down Fletcher, with tags made to keep him isolated before Matthew hits a double stomp. The beatdown continues as Nicholas tags back in, but only gets a nearfall before Kyle fights back with a Michinoku driver…only for Matthew to make a tag, going after Fletcher with a scoop slam and a tag to Nicholas. They hit a combination on Fletcher, but only get a nearfall as Fletcher will not give up. Tag made to Matthew once more as we come back from break…
…where Ospreay intercepts a TK Driver attempt, leading to a double Styles Clash from Fletcher and Ospreay! Fletcher with a cover but only gets a two count, tagging in Ospreay who hits Matthew with a Hidden Blade and Storm Breaker for the cover…but Nicholas breaks it up, before being sent out by Ospreay.
Ospreay looks for a Tiger Driver ’91, but takes a superkick by Nicholas. Fletcher rushes in, but is sent to the corner for a More Bang For Your Buck. Ospreay intervenes but is knocked off, leading to a superkick as they look for More Bang For Your Buck once more…but Ospreay intercepts, allowing them to hit a TK Driver on Matthew! Coriolis connects, but they only get a two count off of that. They keep at it until Nicholas intervenes, sending Ospreay out of the ring…but he’s sent out by Fletcher, who follows with a tope through the ropes!
Don Callis steps away from commentary, handing Kyle a screwdriver before distracting the ref. Kyle considers using the screwdriver until Ospreay intervenes, pulling it away before getting the weapon out of the ring…leading to the champs knocking Ospreay down before using a tag title to get the cover on Fletcher! But he kicks out!
Ospreay is still down as the Bucks hit a double superkick and the BTE Trigger to pick up the win, retaining the titles!
Winners: The Young Bucks
Backstage:
We hear from The Conglomeration, who welcome Rocky Romero to the mix before hyping up their Tornado Trios Match on Collision against The Learning Tree, just a few miles away from where the Briscoes had their last tag match ever. In all the excitement, Kyle reminds Mark to give us the word of the day, which is “vociferous” (did I look that up? the world may never know) before the Conglomeration heads out.
Ringside:
We head back to ringside where Tony Schiavone welcomes Prince Nana. He hypes up the crowd before Schiavone asks how Swerve is doing. Nana talks about the situation, saying Strickland is not cleared to compete but Swerve looks forward to coming back.
Nana is interrupted by the arrival of MVP, who re-introduces himself to the crowd before talking up Swerve’s run with the World Championship. He talks about all the men Swerve defeated, saying he saw it all…including the night that Swerve lost the title. He also saw Swerve’s childhood home burned down, and the man that did it still walking around. He doesn’t consider that a failure on Swerve’s part, but of the man who is managing him, running Nana down for not doing enough for Strickland before offering his business card for the former champ to talk…business. MVP heads to the back.
We go to commercial.
Video Package:
TNT Champion Jack Perry is on his way to Arthur Ashe Stadium in his Scapemobile, ahead of the open challenge for the title on Collision!
AEW Women’s World Championship
Mariah May (c) vs Yuka Sakazaki
Yuka with the cover right away, but the champ kicks out. May gets enough momentum to trade strikes with Sakazaki, who hits a rolling elbow that sends the champ to the ropes…but Mariah evades a tiger feint kick to get a breather on the outside. Yuka slowly gets to her feet as the champ creates enough space for a running shotgun dropkick that sends her back down, before May brings her challenger back into the ring. Spinning side slam by Mariah for the cover, but Yuka manages to kick out.
May brings her up to her feet before propping her against the ropes, building up speed to drive herself into Sakazaki. The champ sends Yuka to the corner, setting her up for a hurricanrana…but the challenger catches her, trapping May against the ropes before the count forces a break. Mariah starts fighting back, setting up for Mayday but Yuka counters for a nearfall. Backslide by Yuka, but Mariah kicks out…only to be sent for a spin by the challenger who gets another nearfall in the process!
May gets back to her feet, sending Yuka down for a nearfall before setting up for a second one. Sakazaki evades a headbutt for a kick, and a Northern Lights bomb sends the champ down to the mat. Yuka heads to the ropes for a Magical Girl Splash, but the champ evades before hitting a knee to the head and connects with the Storm Zero for the win to retain!
Winner: Mariah May
After the match:
The champ celebrates with her belt before threatening Yuka with it…only for Willow Nightingale to come out for the save. This leads to a staredown between the two until Mina Shirakawa’s music hits, giving the champ an opening to blindside Willow before running up the ramp to embrace Mina. She looks shocked by all of this as Yuka rushes up the ramp for revenge, but Mariah runs off to the back.
We go to commercial.
Jon Moxley vs Darby Allin for Darby’s AEW World Championship opportunity
Mox gets the early jump on Darby with a running strike, taking Darby down hard in the process. He continues to wear Darby down, focusing on the limbs until Darby fights back to his feet…only for Jon to send him to the corner hard with a hammer throw, the impact forcing Darby to crash to the floor outside!
Mox heads out to continue the damage, but Darby manages to leap onto his back until Jon sends him to the ring to create space. Moxley heads to the apron, but is caught by Darby who attacks his tricep and traps him in the turnbuckle before the ref intervenes. Shafir helps Mox escape the turnbuckle, which allows him to get back on the attack until both men end up on the outside. Darby sets up a chair on the floor, but Marina steps in to stop what he has in mind as Mox gets back on the apron…taking Darby down with a body slam onto the hardest part of the ring!
The ref is checking on Moxley after what happened to his arm, but this gives Marina a chance to lay in some strikes on Darby who finally gets to the apron…just in time for Mox to target his arm, trying to pull it out of the socket as we go to picture-in-picture.
Picture-in-Picture: Mox continues to wear Darby down, eventually bringing him back out of the ring before Darby briefly gets to fight back…only for Mox to lay in some elbows before sending Darby back in the ring as we come back from break!
Mox lays in some hammering elbows until Darby fights back, sending Mox out of the ring before climbing up top to get the drop on the former World Champion. He brings Mox back in for a Code Red, but Mox kicks out. With the turnbuckle pad removed, Darby looks to get Mox in a bad way but is fought off, sent down to the mat with a shotgun dropkick by Mox.
Darby is back in it for a nearfall on Mox, before getting an armbar locked in. Mox back to his feet, bringing Darby to the corner and setting him up on the top turnbuckle…before slapping him in the face so hard that Darby drops to the outside! Mox leaves the ring to wear Darby down some more, but is sent to the steel steps by Darby instead, before he slides into the ring for a dive…but Mox evades him, sending Darby crashing to the exposed floor!
Mox then sends him into the steps before getting back in the ring as the ref begins the count…but Darby manages to get back in the ring just in time. Mox goes back after him, but is sent into the exposed turnbuckle by Mox for a nearfall. Darby goes up but is caught with a grounded sleeper hold by Mox! Darby manages to break free of the leg scissors but Mox transitions to a bulldog choke…until Darby manages to get to the ropes, forcing a break!
Mox brings Darby to the corner, setting him up on the turnbuckle once more…but Darby fights back, taking a bite out of Mox as Marina tries to intervene. This is just enough of an opening for Mox to launch Darby to the mat with an avalanche Death Rider DDT for the win!
Winner: Jon Moxley
After the match:
Mox circles the mat, opting for little celebration before a hooded figure runs into the ring with a necktie…and it’s Bryan Danielson! He looks to choke Mox out with it (and I can only imagine Justin Roberts panicking at ringside) until PAC and Claudio come rushing down to put the champ down. Out come Private Party and Komander, looking for some revenge of their own to even the numbers until Mox and company escape to the crowd.
Bryan gets a microphone, calling Mox out for wanting a war…and says he declares war! He accepts the upcoming challenge of Mox at WrestleDream, promising to kick Mox’s f(reak)in’ head in! “Final Countdown” plays as we get a rundown of what’s to come this Saturday at Grand Slam Collision, with Mox and crew looking on from the crowd as Grand Slam Dynamite comes to a close.
End of show
