AEW Dynamite Results: Winners, Live Grades, Reaction and Highlights from Sept. 13
One week before a gigantic Grand Slam edition of Dynamite at Arthur Ashe Stadium in Flushing, New York, All Elite Wrestling hit the airwaves Wednesday with a show that had major implications for the event.
Roderick Strong and Samoa Joe battled for the right to challenge MJF for the AEW World Championship, Jon Moxley defended his international title, and Chris Jericho and Sammy Guevara spoke ahead of their emotional clash next week.
What went down, who won the night's most significant matches, and what did it mean for the company ahead of one of its signature events?
Find out with this recap of the September 13 show.
Match Card
1 of 9Announced in advance for September 13 were:
- Grand Slam World Title Tournament Final: Samoa Joe vs. Roderick Strong
- AEW International Championship: Jon Moxley vs. Big Bill
- "Hangman" Adam Page vs. "The Machine" Brian Cage
- 4-Way Match No. 1 Contender's Match: Britt Baker vs. Hikaru Shida vs. Nyla Rose vs. Toni Storm
- Le Sex Gods promo
- Don Callis' latest masterpiece
AEW International Championship: Jon Moxley vs. Big Bill
2 of 9
Hometown hero and international champion Jon Moxley kicked off Wednesday's show by defending against Big Bill.
The leader of the Blackpool Combat Club absorbed a punishing attack from the seven-foot heel, bleeding along the way. He fought back, though, feeding off the energy of the crowd.
With Bryan Danielson neutralizing Ricky Starks at ringside, Moxley tapped out Big Bill for the win.
A brawl ensued, with the heels backing down in the face of a united Moxley, Danielson and Claudio Castagnoli.
Backstage, Roderick Strong balked at his former friend, Adam Cole, expressing concern over his neck ahead of his match against Samoa Joe.
Result
Moxley defeated Big Bill to retain
Grade
C+
Top Moments or Takeaways
- A welcome return to Dynamite for Starks.
- Moxley worked as a babyface, despite spending the last six months as a heel.
- Oh look, Mox bled. It's a parody at this point.
- Bill ate a big uppercut from Castagnoli and stood tall, rebuilding some of the unstoppable aura.
Don Callis Reveals His Latest Masterpiece
3 of 9
Don Callis and Konosuke Takeshita joined Tony Schiavone in the ring for a promo in which the most hated man in AEW revealed the next target for his Family will be "the heart of Kenny Omega," Kota Ibushi.
Callis promised the complete destruction of the former IWGP heavyweight champion as his war against Omega rages on.
Callis is always great on the mic, and the Ibushi development makes perfect sense. If Takeshita can score the win over him, that would be another major step toward establishing "The Alpha" as a legitimate threat to any champion.
Grade
A
Top Moments and Takeaways
- "When you beat Kenny Omega once, they call you The Ace. When you beat Kenny Omega twice, they don't call you The Ace, they call you The Alpha," Callis said.
- Backstage, Danielson and Moxley laid out a challenge to Starks and Big Bill for Collision. Rey Fenix interrupted and vowed to take the International Championship away from Moxley at Grand Slam.
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Grand Slam Women's Championship 4-Way Eliminator
4 of 9
Toni Storm will have the opportunity to become the first wrestler to win the AEW Women's Championship three times when she challenges former friend Saraya at Dynamite Grand Slam, thanks to her victory in Wednesday's four-way eliminator match.
Storm defeated Britt Baker, Hikaru Shida and Nyla Rose in a fight that featured nonstop action and some solid storytelling, particularly in the form of the intensifying rivalry between Baker and Shida.
The mounting tension between them cost both Baker and Shida, as Storm scored the win from out of nowhere.
The stuff with Baker and Shida should result in a quality secondary feud, while fans will also be treated to the excellence that is Storm in a match with plenty of its own storytelling opportunities on a major stage next week.
Result
Storm defeated Shida, Rosa and Baker
Grade
B
Top Moments and Takeaways
- All women are former champions, having beaten each other for the AEW Women's Championship.
- Storm still used the Outcasts theme and graphics, but there was no sign of Saraya or Ruby Soho at ringside.
- Baker and Shida came face-to-face as the tension between them continued to mount before boiling over at the finish, where The Good Doctor rocked the former champ with a superkick, only for Storm to take advantage and roll her up for the win.
Le Sex Gods Speak
5 of 9
Chris Jericho and Sammy Guevara will clash next week at Dynamite Grand Slam in the culmination of a four-year friendship that began on the debut episode of AEW's flagship show.
Wednesday, they delivered a terrific promo that put over the significance of the match to both men, with Guevara looking at it as an opportunity to achieve his own goals while the veteran seeks to retain his spot as a top star in AEW.
The conviction was there, the tone was just right and it was believable.
This, coupled with what he accomplished with Will Ospreay in the pre-All In promo segment, ranks as some of Jericho's best work in AEW. He has been motivated and focused, and he appears to be a guy with plenty to prove to himself and his doubters.
For Guevara, hanging with one of the greats on a stage as grand as Arthur Ashe Stadium will back up everything Jericho thought he was capable of when he encouraged Tony Khan to bring the talented young competitor into AEW.
Grade
A
Top Moments and Takeaways
- Jericho recalled seeing Guevara work the NWA 70th anniversary show and lobbying Khan to hire him.
- "I didn't come to this company to be Chris Jericho's sidekick," Guevara said.
- "I want them to look at me like they look at Mox. Like they look at Danielson. Like they look at you," he told Jericho.
- "I don't think you're ready to beat me yet," the veteran told The Spanish God.
'Hangman' Adam Page vs. Brian Cage
6 of 9
By way of his insult-heavy promo a week ago, Swerve Strickland has reignited the fire in former AEW world champion "Hangman" Adam Page, who defeated "The Machine" Brian Cage in another stellar matchup between them.
High-impact action, with unbelievable feats of strength and athleticism from the big man, made up a contest that was every bit as good as their previous encounters.
Page won to set up the post-match promo between him and Strickland, which resulted in a challenge by the heel for a match at WrestleDream on October 1.
The storyline involving Hangman and Swerve is fresh, intriguing and one of the best things on AEW TV right now. It remains to be seen where things go, but this feels like a great direction for both stars.
The Young Bucks popped up after the match and rocked Cage and Prince Nana with superkicks before standing tall with their Elite friend.
Result
Page pinned Cage
Grade
A
Top Moments and Takeaways
- MJF cut a pre-taped promo on Samoa Joe and Roderick Strong ahead of next week's Grand Slam and ended with a perfect recital of Scott Steiner's iconic "Steiner Math" promo. It was...spectacular.
- Cage delivered a great German suplex from the ring apron back into the ring.
- Strickland appeared and watched from a distance.
- Page and Cage have some of the best chemistry of any two competitors in AEW.
Darby Allin and Nick Wayne vs. Matt Menard and Angelo Parker
7 of 9
Darby Allin overcame a back injury to team with Nick Wayne in a victory over "Daddy Magic" Matt Menard and "Cool Hand" Angelo Parker, but it was the post-match challenge by Christian Cage for a fight next Wednesday that was the biggest takeaway here.
A good match gave way to more great content from Cage, who knocked the Cincinnati Bengals for their NFL Week 1 loss to the Cleveland Browns and admitted scrolling through Wayne's mom's Instagram but not thinking she posts enough bikini pictures, before challenging Allin and Sting to a match against him and Luchasaurus.
Next week's Dynamite is shaping up to be a packed show that should be a whole lot of fun.
Result
Allin and Wayne defeated Menard and Parker
Grade
C+
Top Moments and Takeaways
- The Cincinnati AEW fans chanted "Daddy Magic" in support of Menard, who remains over with audiences. Jericho Appreciation Society be damned.
- Cage and Luchasaurus interrupted the proceedings and joined the commentary team.
- Allin is great off the hot tag, bringing explosive energy to the match.
Grand Slam World Title Eliminator Tournament Final: Roderick Strong vs. Samoa Joe
8 of 9
Samoa Joe will challenge MJF for the AEW World Championship as part of Dynamite Grand Slam next week following his win over Roderick Strong in Wednesday's main event.
The competitive bout between familiar foes capped off a quality night for the AEW flagship, with two Ring of Honor alums battling for a coveted title shot.
Joe won and vowed to take everything from MJF before Adam Cole hit the ring to confront Strong, who immediately dropped to the mat and sold a fake neck injury.
As medics carted The Messiah of the Backbreaker out of the arena, Joe reappeared and choked out Cole reiterating his promise to take everything from MJF.
The MJF-Cole story has been great and encompassed several different feuds and players, with Joe and Strong being key components in the post-All In landscape.
It will be interesting to see how the story plays out, what role Strong and The Kingdom may play in it, and whether MJF can successfully retain his title in his home state.
Result
Joe submitted Strong
Grade
B+
Top Moments and Takeaways
- Joe straight-up swatted Strong out of the air, applied the Coquina Clutch and tapped him out to cash his ticket to Dynamite Grand Slam.
- "Next week, I go to your backyard and I'm coming for you. I'm gonna walk you down, I'm gonna beat you up, and I'm gonna take everything you have, kid. Everything," Joe told MJF.
Overall Grade
9 of 9
This wasn't the best episode of Dynamite, but it did continue the show's recent string of quality broadcasts, thanks in large part to the sense of urgency when it came to hyping next week's Grand Slam.
There was a clear focus on Wednesday night that elevated the significance of next week's broadcast.
Key stars and stories were appropriately spotlighted and developed, Jericho and Guevara had a great in-ring promo, we know what to expect next out of Callis and Takeshita, and the world title program took center stage by the end of the show.
It's a shame AEW cannot find this level of booking more consistently.
When the creative forces have an endgame in sight, as we saw entering All In and again Wednesday night, the booking is tighter and the shows are typically better than normal.
Grade: A
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