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AEW Dynamite Grand Slam felt like the biggest and most important episode of the weekly television show. It was All Elite Wrestling's first major event from New York City and their largest audience with 20,000 fans at Arthur Ashe Stadium. The company set lofty expectations and the performers more than lived up to the hype.
It was a weekly episode, but the buzz around the event felt more akin to a pay-per-view. AEW Dynamite Grand Slam kicked off with a dream match years in the making with two of the industry's best wrestlers.
The show was headlined by a high-profile AEW Women's World Championship Match that has been promoted well, while the rest of the card featured top stars.
With this landmark event in the books for All Elite Wrestling, fans can look back at a five-match card that will be remembered for years to come. In this article, let's take a look at the star ratings for every match at AEW Dynamite Grand Slam.
AEW World Champion Kenny Omega vs. Bryan Danielson (Non-Title) - AEW Dynamite Grand Slam
Bryan Danielson made his in-ring debut for All Elite Wrestling at AEW Dynamite Grand Slam. He faced the AEW World Champion Kenny Omega in a non-title match.
Danielson said that this bout wasn't about the title and rather about who is the greatest wrestler in the company and in the world. This was truly a dream match for the ages and felt like such at the opening bell.
The New York City crowd at Arthur Ashe Stadium were on their feet and going wild to see the two all-time greats lock it up at AEW Dynamite Grand Slam. Omega and Danielson made the most of every minute they were in the ring.
Bryan Danielson gave the fans a trip down memory lane, bringing back moves and mannerisms from his pre-WWE days. He locked Omega in the Cattle Mutualition and told the referee that he had until five.
He also utilized his experience working on big stages in WWE here against Omega at AEW Dynamite Grand Slam. However, Kenny Omega brought out the old Best Bout Machine from NJPW for this one.
The AEW World Champion constantly took control, proving himself to be the better wrestler for a large portion of the match. He hit a brutal Dragon Suplex on the ramp to Bryan with the latter selling it tremendously.
Omega also hit a magnificent running V-Trigger on the ramp and a buckle bomb that almost broke Bryan's wrist. His avalanche Dragon Suplex was also insane to watch.
The two men battled to a 30-minute time limit draw with them trading strikes as time expired. This provided everything fans could ask for from an excellent pro wrestling clinic.
It had exceptional mat work, high spots, intense drama and a molten hot crowd in New York City. This was not just the best match of the night, but one of the greatest in Dynamite history.
Star rating: *****
MJF vs. Brian Pillman Jr. - AEW Dynamite Grand Slam
MJF had a bit of the hometown advantage heading into AEW Dynamite Grand Slam. Over the past few weeks, he has done his best to get under the skin of his opponent Brian Pillman Jr. This presented Pillman with his biggest match since coming to All Elite Wrestling.
Brian Pillman Jr. came into AEW Dynamite Grand Slam prepared, and was one step ahead of MJF on many occasions early on. He was a man determined to get a little revenge on his arch rival and came out firing from the start of this contest, but the Pinnacle leader came in with a gameplan of his own.
MJF utilized every dastardly heel trick he could think of to get control of this match. He attacked the arm of Brian Pillman Jr. to set up for his Salt of the Earth armbar and targeted it expertly. Pillman made a spirited comeback looking for his Air Pillman clothesline, but MJF caught him mid-air and locked him in the Salt of the Earth for the win.
It was a perfectly solid bout that highlighted both young talents very well. They were in an unenviable position following the Match of the Year candidate opener and a great CM Punk promo. However, both men worked well with one another to make a fine effort overall at AEW Dynamite Grand Slam.
Star rating: **3/4
Malakai Black vs. Cody Rhodes - AEW Dynamite Grand Slam
One of the most well-built feuds heading into AEW Dynamite Grand Slam was Malakai Black vs. Cody Rhodes. Black made a dramatic debut for All Elite Wrestling back at Road Rager in July, attacking Cody and Arn Anderson. He followed that up with the destruction of Rhodes at AEW Dynamite Homecoming before dismantling the Nightmare Family one by one.
Both men had superstar level entrances with Cody coming into the ring with Arn Anderson and the returning Brandi Rhodes. The NYC crowd became a major part of the story told in this AEW Dynamite Grand Slam contest. Fans were heavily in support of Malakai Black and booed Cody Rhodes out the building.
Black and Rhodes worked a pretty good matchup, but there was a little bit of overbooking that has become a staple of Cody's major matches. Brandi Rhodes sat in the same position as Malakai Black to flip him the bird at one point, while Arn Anderson botched a walk on the apron and was eventually knocked off by a colliding Cody.
Rhodes nearly struck the referee before Malakai Black used the distraction to spit poison mist in Cody's face and roll him up in a small package for the victory at AEW Dynamite Grand Slam.
The outcome was a best-case scenario with Black continuing his undefeated streak. Although it seemed to set up a third bout, it might be time to change course and turn Cody heel after this one.
Star rating: ***
FTR vs. Sting & Darby Allin - AEW Dynamite Grand Slam
Sting had another rare match on this AEW Dynamite Grand Slam special, teaming up with Darby Allin to face FTR. This was set up after last week's Dynamite when FTR attacked Sting and Darby with Dax and Cash giving the Stinger a spike piledriver and Tully Blanchard wiping the paint off his face.
FTR came out in special NWO-themed gear against the infamous group's greatest rival, while Sting and Darby came out with matching face paint showing they were ready for a war.
Sting showed that he still has something in the tank. He came out hot and took control over both members of FTR before Darby Allin came in with his Coffin Drop based offense.
Dax and Cash caught Darby on a Coffin Drop dive off the top rope to the floor and catapulted him into the ring apron to take control of this AEW Dynamite Grand Slam tag team bout. They isolated Allin with their superior tag team arsenal and cut off the ring for the daredevil. However, Darby eventually made a hot tag to the Stinger.
Sting was on fire and turned the clock back on FTR. He eventually locked Dax Harwood in the Scorpion Death Lock, but Cash Wheeler tried to pull his partner to the ropes.
Darby Allin came off the top rope with a Coffin Drop to Cash on the apron, while Sting put Dax back in the center of the ring, making him tap. This was such a fun tag team match on AEW Dynamite Grand Slam that the fans were fully invested in.
Star rating: ***1/2
Dr. Britt Baker D.M.D. vs. Ruby Soho for the Women's World Championship - AEW Dynamite Grand Slam
Dr. Britt Baker, D.M.D., headlined yet another major event for All Elite Wrestling, facing Ruby Soho for the AEW Women's World Championship at AEW Dynamite Grand Slam. Soho earned this opportunity on her debut with the company at All Out 2021 by winning the Women's Casino Battle Royale.
Britt Baker and Ruby Soho have plenty of history with one another. The two ladies have admitted that Ruby was responsible for helping break Britt into the business ahead of their AEW Dynamite Grand Slam showdown.
They have traded barbs at each other in the lead-up to this AEW Women's World Championship match. Their awesome promo exchange on last week's AEW Rampage being a highlight for this feud.
All Elite Wrestling did their best to give this contest the big fight feel with the championship introductions. The NYC crowd gave Ruby Soho a very good reception, but Britt Baker got one of the biggest reactions of AEW Dynamite Grand Slam, proving why she is considered the top star of the women's division.
The two women meshed very well in this AEW Women's World Championship bout at AEW Dynamite Grand Slam. Ruby Soho looked extremely motivated and held nothing back in what had to be the biggest match of her career.
She fired heavy shots at Baker and tried taking out her entourage at ringside with a top rope dive to the floor. Dr. Britt Baker, D.M.D. made a great foil for Ruby in this main event clash.
She hit her big moves, while also maintaining her heel mannerisms to give this a logical story. Soho hit her No Future Kick on Baker, but Rebel tried coming in, only to be cut off by Ruby.
However, Jamie Hayter dropped Soho on the top rope, which led to Britt putting on Lockjaw for the submission win at AEW Dynamite Grand Slam. The two ladies really got going towards the finishing sequences and hit a nice flow. They both played their roles well and gave the night a fitting main event.
AEW Dynamite Grand Slam was a historic night, being the most attended non-WWE show of the past two decades, so the women headlining spoke volumes for the promotion and where the division is going.
Star rating: ***1/2
