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AEW served up their Dynamite: Grand Slam episode from Arthur Ashe Stadium on Wednesday night, in what turned out to be an evening to remember in pro wrestling history.
The company sold over 20,000 tickets for the New York event, even besting WWE and their recent Madison Square Garden show. Featuring a thrilling match card, a capacity crowd, and an attentive television audience, AEW set out to stage their greatest show ever.
With so many things that went right on AEW Dynamite: Grand Slam, let's take a look at three things that were just outright great.
#3 - Sting looked solid in his tag team match with Darby Allin against FTR
When Sting arrived in AEW, most of the fanbase believed he would be used sparingly and mostly in cinematic matches. But tonight proved once again that the veteran's still got it.
Stinger displayed great offense and took some pretty serious bumps. He didn't look like 'a broken down old man' who was forced to retire. He looked like a guy who had found the fountain of youth.
Of course, FTR were feeding to him, being that he was the star of the match. But having said that, there were moments when he looked downright explosive. So, for just a few spots in the match, it was nice to see flashes of Sting's Greatest Hits.
#2 - It was clear that the New York crowd did NOT want Britt Baker to lose the AEW Women's World title.
While Ruby Soho certainly had her fair share of supporters, it became clear that the champion had more. As the match wore on, the AEW faithful began pulling for the heel and rooting against the babyface.
That may be because The Good Doctor is considered a 'homegrown' talent and is favoured over Soho. Or maybe they want to see more of a build to this feud while Soho continues to establish her character.
Either way, it was the old, 'send-them-home-happy' way to end the show. And the crowd in Queens certainly seemed ecstatic that Dr. Britt Baker D.M.D. came out on top.
#1- Kenny Omega vs. Bryan Danielson was a masterpiece
This instant classic was both, a battle of technical ability and sheer brutality. It also included one other important element: psychology.
From the opening bell, they did the whole 'sizing you up' routine to milk the crowd. For the first few minutes, there were no huge moves, only hard chops, stiff kicks and light submission holds. Danielson and Omega also didn't try unnecessary near-falls, which made any later pinfall attempts mean much more.
Then as they let the kettle boil, they turned up the heat, using the second half of the match to light the house on fire. It was a perfect build to a flawless finish - something you don't see much of in pro wrestling today.
It turned out to be a banner night for AEW in what will go down as a turning point in their history. Grand Slam has proven that they can perform in stadium venues and draw large crowds.
What did you think about AEW Dynamite: Grand Slam? Let us know in the comments section below!
