AEW Dynamite: Grand Slam Results (9/20) - MJF Faces Samoa Joe, Saraya Battles Storm, More
This is Wrestling INC.'s live coverage of "AEW Dynamite" for September 20, 2023!
Tonight will be AEW's special "Grand Slam" edition, taking place at Arthur Ashe Stadium, with Tony Khan having put together a stacked card featuring four title matches.
The event will be headlined by MJF's latest AEW World Championship defense as he puts his title on the line against Samoa Joe. The two men have a longstanding history dating back to when Joe shoved MJF while he was an extra in WWE, with the champion out to prove he's no longer the same man who can be pushed around.
The issues between Claudio Castagnoli and Eddie Kingston are set to reach a boiling point on tonight's show. The two men have a history dating way back to before they joined AEW, but Kingston has constantly been trying to get his hands on Castagnoli since he arrived. Tonight he gets that chance in a title vs. title match as Kingston puts his NJPW Strong Openweight Championship on the line, while Castagnoli defends the ROH World Championship.
Castagnoli's fellow Blackpool Combat Club member, Jon Moxley, will also be in action tonight as he defends his AEW International Championship. He has recently had issues with the Lucha Brothers, and those are set to continue this evening as he defends the gold against Rey Fenix.
The tension between Saraya and Toni Storm will continue to be tested tonight as well when they compete for the AEW Women's World Championship. While they might have been close during their days as The Outcasts, tonight the ladies will be bitter enemies fighting for the top prize in AEW's women's division.
Finally, in the only non-title match of the evening, Chris Jericho will be competing against his longtime friend and stablemate, Sammy Guevara. They have fought side by side since the inaugural episode of "AEW Dynamite," but after tensions between them have been bubbling lately, tonight they will aim to prove who is the better man.
Claudio Castagnoli (c) vs. Eddie Kingston (Title Vs. Title)
Claudio Castagnoli immediately drops Eddie Kingston with a big boot, but he pops straight back up and the two men begin exchanging chops and forearm strikes until Castagnoli dumps his rival outside of the ring. Kingston immediately fights back by sending the BCC member into the barricade as he follows up with his machine gun chops, but Castagnoli then nails a short-arm clothesline to regain control.
Kingston fights back inside the ring, but as he goes for a back fist Castagnoli reverses with his own head. He then lifts Kingston out of the ring to hit a back suplex onto the ramp, adding to the damage. He then stomps down on Kingston's hand before clotheslning him back into the ring as the BCC star climbs to the top turnbuckle but Kingston rolls closer to the corner only for Castagnoli to drop down and stomp on the arm.
The ROH World Champion then just stomps down on the area even more before returning to the top turnbuckle only to miss with a Splash. Kingston manages to connect with a suplex, but Castagnoli is up first just disrespectfully kicking Kingston before hitting a lariat which gets a nearfall. Kingston then fires up and asks for more and Castagnoli goes for it but Kingston plays possum and reverses with a pinfall attempt.
He follows it with an enziguri and a dragon suplex as he instantly picks up the pace with a flurry of moves, but Castagnoli manages to kick out. Kingston then nails a series of chops but Castagnoli walks through them until Kingston clocks him on the jaw. They exchange huge forearms and chops once again, but Castagnoli comes out on top after a lariat with a series of elbow strikes. He looks for the Ricola Bomb but Kingston reverses only for Castagnoli to do the same, but both men kick out.
Castagnoli then goes for the Ricola Bomb again, and this time he hits it, yet Kingston kicks out! Kingston manages to fight back with two back fists and then a suplex, followed by another back fist and a Northern Light's Suplex, yet his opponent kicks out! Castagnoli fires back with an uppercut but he then eats another backfist and then a powerbomb, and this time Castagnoli cannot respond.
Winner: (And New ROH World Champion): Eddie Kingston
After the match Castagnoli offers his hand and Kingston shakes it as Castagnoli throws him the title.
Chris Jericho vs. Sammy Guevara
The Kingdom are shown backstage last week at Roderick Strong's bedside reading cards to him. Adam Cole then turns up but The Kingdom claims it's convenient that he'd turn up now as they have to leave. Cole says he has to leave too to be there for MJF's title match.
Christian Cage then says he is bored with Darby Allin and he's ready to move on, but it's obvious that Allin isn't until he gets another shot. He tells Allin to step in the ring with him and Luchasaurus in a threeway for the TNT Championship, and Sting isn't allowed at ringside.
Chris Jericho and Sammy Guevara shake hands to start, but Guevara picks up the pace early on with a series of dropkicks. Guevara does his normal pose and Jericho joins him and then tries to poke him in the eyes. Jericho hits a few chops and then a backbreaker, but he misses with the springboard dropkick as he goes to the floor. Guevara then nails a corkscrew tornado and follows that with a crossbody back in the ring.
Jericho catches Guevara with a Codebreaker, but Guevara rolls away and the two then fight on the ring apron. The brawl then continues on the floor with Jericho slamming his friend onto the announce table. Inside the ring Jericho puts Guevara on the top turnbuckle as he hits several chops and then a hurricanrana, which gets a near fall. Guevara then responds with a Spanish Fly, but Jericho then connects with several big clotheslines.
Guevara turns the tables once again by hitting his own Codebreaker, and then he slams Jericho off the apron and into the announce table, followed by diving into Jericho. However, as he tries to springboard back into the ring Jericho reverses with a dropkick. Jericho then gets caught with a thrust kick and a cutter from the top turnbuckle. Guevara goes for the GTH but Jericho counters into the Walls Of Jericho, but he gets out of it.
Once again they head to the top turnbuckle with Guevara hitting a cutter, yet Jericho kicks out again! Guevara then gets planted head-first with a running bulldog and follows it with the Lionsault, but Guevara then kicks out. Guevara then hits a rising knee strike and then a GTH as he then looks for the Shooting Star Press, which is countered into the Codebreaker.
Winner: Chris Jericho
Post-match they shake hands and hug it out until Guevara nails a low blow as Don Callis walks down and joins Guevara's side.
Jon Moxley (c) vs. Rey Fenix (AEW International Championship Match)
MJF and Adam Cole arrive at the building and the champion cuts a promo on Samoa Joe. However, as he looks to do their catchphrase Cole is distracted as Roderick Strong calls him, leading MJF to question if Cole has his back tonight.
Jon Moxley and Rey Fenix brawl immediately before the bell rings as Fenix runs and leaps off the ramp, wiping out the champion. Things then officially begin as Fenix gets caught with a big forearm to the face after Moxley turns his back which he follows with a stomp. Fenix then tries to spin around the ropes as usual, but Moxley stomps him in the face straight away as the fight gets taken outside with Moxley dumping Fenix into the fans.
The champion follows it by hitting a double under hook DDT from the barricade, but Fenix kicks out back inside the ring. However, Fenix turns things around quickly and nails a Frog Splash, but Moxley is able to kick out, and he then gets turned inside out by a King Kong lariat from the BCC member. Fenix takes the fight outside the ring with Moxley getting hung over the safety rail as Fenix launches himself with a leg drop, driving him down.
However, Fenix tries to dive into him back inside the ring only for Moxley to catch him with a Paradigm Shift, yet Fenix manages to kick out. They scale to the top turnbuckle with Fenix sending Moxley down as he follows up with a diving footstomp, and now the champion is the one kicking out. However, as Fenix gets out of the ring he then gets stomped to the stage, and inside the ring Moxley hits a delayed Piledriver, only for Fenix to kick out.
However, Fenix yet again fights Moxley down from the top turnbuckle, following up with a dive and then a Piledriver of his own yet the official doesn't count three even when Moxley doesn't kick out (he claims there's a slight twitch). Fenix then hits another one and this time, it is enough.
Winner (and new AEW International Champion): Rey Fenix
Saraya w/Ruby Soho (c) vs. Toni Storm (AEW Women's World Championship Match)
Toni Storm puts her hands out to Saraya only to be slapped by Saraya several times. Storm gets upset at first but then she starts smiling and begins firing back with huge chops to the champion. Ruby Soho then gets on the apron but she gets swatted down for her efforts, but she turns around into a big boot from Saraya. She then hits a flurry of knee strikes while Storm hangs through the second rope, but she pulls Saraya's legs, slamming her onto the ring apron.
Soho then tries to cause problems but Storm crawls under the ring and emerges with slippers, which she slaps Soho with. The official then takes those from her but she has another shoe which she nails Saraya in the face with, yet she is able to kick out of the following pinfall attempt. Storm then drapes Saraya on the second rope, dropping her with a Draped DDT onto the stage.
The challenger follows that with another, this time back into the ring, but Saraya kicks out. A distraction from Soho does work this time around and Saraya takes full advantage by attacking her, but as she gets back into the ring Storm is ready and begins chopping her. She takes the champion to the top turnbuckle only for Saraya to nail a sunset flip powerbomb, but that's not enough to get the job done.
The former partners begin unloading chops and forearms to each other with Storm then pulling away the bottom turnbuckle. She grabs the spray paint but Soho pulls it from her and gives it to Saraya who uses it and then hits Knightcap, yet Storm kicks out! However, Saraya has hesitation about slamming Storm into the exposed turnbuckle, and that allows Storm to catch her out with a kiss. The shock leads to Storm Zero, but the champion kicks out this time.
Storm sets Saraya on the bottom turnbuckle, but she misses with the Hip Attack and then Saraya connects with the Knightcap from the second rope.
Winner (and still AEW Women's World Champion): Saraya
MJF (c) vs. Samoa Joe (AEW World Championship Match)
Samoa Joe dominates the early moments due to his strength and power, and despite MJF poking his eye, it is the challenger who dictates the pace with kicks and punches. MJF manages to avoid a boot to poke Joe in the eye, but he is then nailed by a boot and then a senton as the challenger continues picking the bones of his opponent. MJF then attempts to charge into him in the corner only to be sat down with a uranagi.
Joe takes the champion outside of the ring, launching MJF into the barricade as he slowly dominates. He runs through MJF with a back elbow and then slowly attacks him in the corner as Joe continues to be in control of this one. He sets up the Muscle Buster but MJF counters with a pinfall and then a superkick and he tries for some short-arm clotheslines which don't work, but as he hits the ropes it's Joe who dominates with a big clothesline.
Joe misses wildly in the corner though, which opens up MJF the chance to hammer him down head-first onto the top turnbuckle. Joe throws him off but MJF lands on his feet and then nails the Kangaroo Kick, sending Joe out of the ring in the process. He then tries to dive outside the ring but Joe connects with a boot to the face and then a Death Valley Driver onto the ring apron.
Outside the ring, Joe connects with an Urinagi through a table to MJF, and when that doesn't get the job done he exposes the concrete floor outside the ring. MJF fights it for a while, but he then gets dropped with a Piledriver onto the concrete as the doctor checks on him. Despite that, MJF kicks out of the pinfall attempt. MJF then counters a clothesline with a Liger Bomb, but this time it is Joe kicking out.
The two men then go back and forth with strikes until Joe locks in a sleeper hold, yet the champion gets out with a low blow. He then puts on the Dynamite Diamond Ring but Joe puts the official in front of him and stops MJF. Joe then hits a low blow himself and then the Muscle Buster, with MJF just staying in this! Joe locks in another sleeper but then Adam Cole sprints down and gets MJF fired up.
MJF bites the fingers of Joe and then locks in a rear chock of his own, but Joe then charges MJF into the corner. Cole distracts him though and MJF grabs some form of rope/necklace to choke Joe out with.
Winner (and still AEW World Champion): MJF
Post-match Joe shoves Cole and then offers to shake MJF's hand, who accepts.