AEW Dynamite 9/20/2023 Grand Slam 2023

AEW Dynamite 9/20/2023 Grand Slam 2023

Last week's show is here: https://prowresblog.blogspot.com/2023/09/aew-dynamite-9132023.html

Ring of Honor Title vs NJPW Strong Openweight Title - Claudio Castagoli (c) vs Eddie Kingston

CC running facekicks him then they trade chops for forearms. Eddie is thrown out then CC is thrown into the rails. CC lariats him on the floor then Eddie dragon screws him over the 2nd rope. CC gutwrench powerbombs him then they slap each other. Eddie germans him then CC blocks a uraken with the top of his head. CC then backdrops him on the ramp. CC stomped on his hand on the ramp then lariated him in the ring.

CC double stomps him off the 2nd rope then misses a diving headbutt. CC running euros him for 2. CC hits euros on Eddie in the corner then TKO's him. Eddie backslides and enzugiri's him then hits an exploder. Eddie backdrops him then hits machine gun chops. Eddie then drops him with a punch.

They stare down and trade forearms for chops. CC hits a short arm lariat for 2 then Eddie turns a powerbomb into a hurricanrana. CC then running euros him for 2. CC hits a ricola bomb for 2. Eddie hits urakens and a half-nelson suplex. Eddie then northern lights bombs him for 2. CC euros him, takes a uraken then Eddie powerbombs him to win it.

The match was fine with the crowd being into it and them working well together. Eddie winning sucks ROH wise. He really hasn't been on the show much at all and it looks bad to have the top singles title and the tag titles change hands on non-ROH shows. CC wasn't on the show much either, but there was just nothing in the build ROH wise to build up to this win.

We see Roderick Strong and Kingdom at the hospital. Strong has various balloons and Taven reads a card to him about him spreading neck health awareness. Adam Cole walks in and Strong is surprised he came. Taven asks where has he been and Kingdom say they have to leave to go to Grand Slam. Cole says he has to get going too because he's fighting Joe. Strong says, "who cares, what about me?". Strong then presses the lift on his bed and says, "just go, just freaking go".

Christian Cage and Luchasaurus are interviewed. Cage says they will walk through Sting and Darby and says they are bored with Darby. He challenges Darby to a three way for the TNT title against him and Lucha. Cage also says Sting won't be allowed at ringside for this. Cage messed up or intentionally messed up some of his lines and with them trying to build up another match on Rampage, it got confusing here.

Chris Jericho vs Sammy Guevara

 

Jericho headlocks him then shoulders him over. Sammy kips up and they slap, forearm and chop each other. Sammy dropkicks him and poses then Jericho poses over top of him. Jericho hits corner chops the double underhook backbreakers him. Jericho misses his springboard dropkick then Sammy corkscrew dives out on him. Sammy top rope crossbodies him then Jericho codebreakers him. Jericho suplexes him off the apron to the floor and we go to break.

We return and Jericho slaps him around. Sammy hits a standing spanish fly then Jericho lariats him. Sammy goes up and over in the corner then hits a codebreaker. Jericho is knocked off the apron into the table then Sammy top rope moonsaults him outside. Sammy springboards and takes a Jericho dropkick. They mess up a springboard spot.

Sammy hits an os cutter off the top. Jericho puts him in the walls of jericho. They go up top and Sammy top rope cutters him. jericho gets his knees up on a top rope moonsault then Jericho bulldogs him. Jericho hits a lionsault for 2 then hits knees. Sammy jumping knees him then does a GTH. Sammy does a top rope ssp and Jericho counters with a codebreaker for the win.

They did way too much here and didn't sell much of it. They had an easy storyline here with Sammy trying to prove himself against his friend and didn't even try to do it. This was not good.

They hug and Sammy kicks him in the balls after. Sammy then pushes him down.

Don Callis then comes down, pats Sammy on the back and walks out with him.

We see MJF and Adam Cole arrive. MJF says he had a grudge against Joe for 8 years now. He said he has a chip on his shoulder and will use it to bash Joe's skull in. MJF says he will choke him out and says the last thing he will hear as he is choked out is, "MJF". Cole's phone rings and it's Roderick Strong. MJF asks if he will have his back tonight and Cole says this is an emergency. MJF says, "your @ss is mine, Joe".

Sammy and Don are interviewed while walking in the back. Don says all will be revealed Friday. Daniel Garcia goes up to them. Sammy is about to argue with him and Don says, "this kid's money" and pushes Sammy away.

AEW International Title - Jon Moxley (c) vs Rey Fenix

Mox accidentally headbutts the camera during his entrance. They start fighting on the ramp. Mox throws him into the ropes and Rey springboard kicks him. Rey then tope con hilos him off the ramp. The match then officially starts when they get in. Rey does a slingshot sunset flip then Rey walks up the buckles and armdrags him. Rey then rolls into Mox's punch. Mox curbstomps him. Rey goes for a tiger feint but is kicked.

Mox chops him outside and Rey tries to walk the rail but is pushed. Mox then double arm ddt's him on the floor. Mox hits mounted forearms. Rey springboard spin kicks him in the corner then rolls into a cutter on him for 2.  Rey top rope splashes him for 2. Mox lariats him.

Rey superkicks him and hangs him over the rails. Rey then tries a top rope legdrop onto him but barely makes contact. We go to break and return. Rey top rope double footstomps him  then Mox curbstomps him on the ramp. Mox hits a piledriver for 2. Rey hits a top rope swanton and a fire thunder for 2. Rey then hits another fire thunder and wins it.

This wasn't any good with them doing way too much and not selling any of it. I don't get having Rey win the title here. There was not a lot of build up to it and Mox has just won it.This also means this is a midcard title again as Rey is not a main eventer.

The ref and a doc check on Mox after as he is laying on the mat.

 Samoa Joe does a promo. He says he will smash MJF from pillar to post. He says he will take his championship tonight.

Various teams talk about the match for the tag title shot on Rampage.

AEW Women's Title - Saraya (c) vs Toni Storm

Toni had an entrance in black and white that said, "portrait of a star". Saraya slaps her then Toni hits chest slaps. Ruby Soho gets on the apron and Toni chest slaps her too. Saraya then superkicks her. Saraya hits knees. Toni goes under the ring and grabs shoes and shoe shining equipment. She hits Ruby with it then hits Saraya with one of the items too.

We go to break and return. They trade forearms on their knees and Toni flails wildly on her. Toni takes off the turnbuckle pad and grabs spray paint. Ruby grabs it from her and throws it in. Saraya sprays Toni then Saraya hits a lifting ddt for 2. Saraya footchokes her then Toni kisses her. Toni then hits a short piledriver for 2. Saraya hits another nightcap lifting ddt and wins it.

It was your usual Outcasts match that wasn't very good and was filled with tons of shenanigans.

 We see Samoa Joe heading to the ramp.

AEW Title - MJF (c) vs Samoa Joe

We see some kid tell MJF to go get 'em. MJF gives him his scarf and whispers in his ear. Then the kid said, "Dad, I'm adopted?".

MJF eye pokes him and is thrown off of Joe's back. Joe stomps on him then hits a punch flurry in the corner. Joe then grabs him by the hair and pulls him down. Joe atomic drops him then MJF does another eye poke. Joe then running facekicks him and sentons him for 2. MJF takes a uranage in the corner and we go to break.

We return and MJF superkicks him. Joe hits a stiff lariat for 2. Joe rips MJF's shirt off and throws it on him. Joe boots him and piefaces him. MJF hulks up and hits forearms then bangs Joe's head off the buckles. MJF hits corner punches then bites his head. MJF hits the kangaroo kick and Joe goes out. MJF goes for a tope and is enzugiri'd on his way out. Joe then death valley drivers him on the apron.

Joe puts a table against the rail outside then uranage's MJF through it. Joe takes off the mat outside and MJF bites Joe's knee. Joe piledrivers MJF on the exposed floor. A doctor and various people come down and Joe knocks over some of the extras. Joe then goes for the pin and only gets a 2 count. Joe yells at him to give up, MJF spits on him then Joe slaps him. MJF flips around Joe's lariat and sit out powerbombs him.

They trade forearms. MJF goes for the sleeper, Joe reverses it to put him in one then MJF low blows Joe. MJF gets the Dynamite Diamond Ring and the ref gets in the way. The ref takes the ring, Joe low blows MJF then hits a muscle buster for 2. Joe puts him in the sleeper then Adam Cole comes out. Cole jumps off the ramp, falls and limps and encourages MJF to fight out. MJF rolls up Joe. Joe drives MJF into the corner and the ref has to jump out to get out of the way.

Cole gets on the apron and Joe goes after him. MJF chokes him with a chain. MJF puts him in a sleeper and the ref calls it off. MJF wins. MJF hides the chain under his arm and it falls out. Cole hides the chain for MJF. Joe pushes Cole and MJF gets in the way. Joe and MJF shake hands.

They did way too much here with apron and floor bumps. I didn't like MJF hitting the powerbomb on Joe and the ref jumping out of the ring was a silly spot. The idea of Joe dominating MJF and MJF having to cheat was good, but Joe showing MJF respect for him after despite his cheating didn't make sense.

Overall thoughts: I had issues with mostly every match and even if it seemed like some things maybe worked, the logic and build to it didn't. There was little build to Eddie or Rey Fenix winning the titles. Jericho and Sammy had a story available but chose just to do a regular match. The Outcasts match was the usual Outcasts match. And the main had issues with Joe hugging MJF after being cheated against and them doing way too much like they always do in AEW. The show could have been a lot better than it was and didn't meet its potential.