AEW Grand Slam Dynamite 2022 Review
AEW Grand Slam Dynamite 2022 Review
All Elite Wrestling Grand Slam 2022 took place from Arthur Ashe Stadium in Queens, New York with AEW Dynamite airing live on September 21, 2022, and AEW Rampage being taped to air on September 23, 2022. While the show wasn’t a complete sellout, it was the first AEW TV taping to gross over $1 million with 13,321 tickets sold out of a seating capacity of 15,432 with the stage/ring setup.
Opening Match: “The Wizard” Chris Jericho v Claudio Castagnoli for the Ring Of Honor World Championship.
Commentary: Excalibur, Tony Schiavone, Taz, and Ian Riccaboni
Referee: Aubrey Edwards
Note: Aubrey Edwards is the first female to officiate a Ring Of Honor World Championship match.
This match was a standard old-school style heel challenger vs face champion affair. Jericho pulls out all of the standard cheap tricks - including using Cary Silkin as a shield to get the advantage over Claudio. Claudio carried the match - figuratively and literally - utilizing his strength and speed to compensate for Jericho’s age-induced limited moveset. Overall, a three-star match thanks to Claudio’s pure athleticism with a one-star finish, with Jericho dishonorably stealing the title by illegal means. The only redeeming quality of Jericho taking “The Ocho” is the follow-up of Daniel Garcia continuing to lose more faith in his “Jericho Appreciation Society” leader.
We now see a promo hyping up the main event of Moxley vs Bryan Danielson for the AEW World Championship.
Second Match: The Acclaimed vs Swerve In Our Glory for the AEW Tag Team Titles.
Commentary: Excalibur, Taz, and Tony Schiavone.
Referee: Rick Knox
The stadium explodes with The Acclaimed’s entrance. This repeat match from All Out plays to all of the competitor’s strengths. Keith Lee is presented as the powerful force of nature he is, Swerve’s speed and questionable tactics are in full gear. Bowen’s ring leadership controls the pace of the match. And Caster controls the psychology of the match. In a four-star match, The Acclaimed finally takes AEW gold, and the lackluster reign (due to booking decisions out of their control) of Swerve In Our Glory finally comes to an end. Swerve and Lee are now free to pursue singles careers as foes as The Acclaimed is poised to defend (eventually) their newfound titles against Seven Star FTR… Of whom we meet backstage, where they plant the seeds of seeking their AEW Tag Team Title match for being the #1 ranked AEW Tag Team since early April. However, The Firm’s Gunn Club shows up to mock the AAA, ROH, and IWGP Tag Team Champions, indicating that the FTR will drive through a Gunn Club speed bump before finally getting their AEW Tag Title shot.
We now hear from Wheeler Yuta as Tony Schiavone interviews him at the top of the Grand Slam video ramp, speaking on his Blackpool Combat Club teammates facing one another in the main event for the AEW World Championship - where they are cut off by a triumphant Queens hero MJF. MJF is truly at the top of his game, insulting the audience repeatedly and being treated like a King for it. Wheeler is booed for insulting MJF, and it took MJF attacking AEW’s Grand-Papa Schiavone to elicit a negative reaction from the crowd - even after MJF brought up Regal’s historical substance abuse problems.
This flows into a pre-taped interview with Jade and Diamante, where Diamante introduces Trina who will be in her corner for the TBS Championship match on Rampage. Jade brushes it off as the queen she is. Third Match: Orange Cassidy vs PAC for the All-Atlantic Championship.
Commentary: Excalibur, Tony Schiavone, and Taz
Referee: Bryce Remsburg
Orange Cassidy finally gets his All-Atlantic Championship Title match from PAC. Orange proves to be a foil to PAC’s serious demeanor, playing mind games and getting under the Champion’s skin repeatedly. Orange controls the match until the match goes ringside, where PAC starts his cerebral assault on Orange's cranium, by throwing him into a ring post. After a few high-flying assaults from PAC and some back-and-forth offense where Cassidy is able to hit the Orange Punch, PAC is able to slide out of the ring and hit Orange with the ring bell hammer out of view of the referee. PAC is able to return a nearly unconscious Orange to the ring and steal the win. Another four-star match, with a finish that promises another encounter between the two competitors, possibly under no disqualification circumstances.
We now return to the Four Way Match for the AEW Interim Women’s World Championship: Fourth Match: Dr. Britt Baker D.M.D. v. Serena Deeb v Athena v Toni Storm
Referee: Paul Turner
Simply put, Serena controlled this match. While all four competitors were able to play to their strengths, “Professor Deeb” controlled the pacing and psychology, while innovating never or rarely-seen before moves. This was easily the best women’s match in a very long time, and it easily outperformed the All Out four-way. Storm secured the victory, only to be attacked by Deeb, Baker, and Hayter. However, Storm and Athena were saved by the debuting Saraya.
Before we get to the main event, we see a Darby Allin video package of him carrying a body bag across NYC’s public transit and into a cab, where he states he’s going to a funeral - inferable for the House of Black - to hype up their match for Rampage.
Fifth Match: John Moxley vs Bryan Danielson for the AEW World Championship.
Referee: Paul Turner
With MJF peering from the sky box, Mox and Danielson take one another to their limits in an instant classic. Indicating the study of their opponent, the match featured Bryan showing off his brawling ruthlessness, while Mox exhibited his technical prowess. While the competitors push one another to five-star limits, a spotlight donned MJF figuratively and literally made himself known to be the future of the championship, with his poker chip guaranteeing his world title match nestled in his lap. With Mox ultimately coming out the victor as a three-time AEW World Champion, MJF promises to be the centerpiece of the division - and the company - in the months and years ahead.