AEW Dynamite Grand Slam 2023 Results: Winners, Live Grades, Reaction and Highlights
All Elite Wrestling returned to Arthur Ashe Stadium in Flushing, New York Wednesday for its latest installment of the Dynamite Grand Slam, headlined by a world title defense by MJF.
The AEW world champion battled the seemingly unstoppable Ring of Honor Television titleholder Samoa Joe in a high-stakes main event, while Saraya, Jon Moxley and Claudio Castagnoli defended their respective belts as well.
Which, if any, titles changed hands under the bright lights of New York City? Find out now with this recap of Wednesday's show.
Match Card
1 of 7Announced in advance for Wednesday's show were:
- AEW World Championship: MJF (c) vs. Samoa Joe
- Ring of Honor World Championship: Eddie Kingston vs. Claudio Castagnoli (c)
- AEW World Women's Championship: Toni Storm vs. Saraya (c)
- AEW International Championship: Rey Fenix vs. Jon Moxley (c)
- Chris Jericho vs. Sammy Guevara
Ring of Honor World Championship: Eddie Kingston vs. Claudio Castagnoli
2 of 7
Eddie Kingston finally won the big one.
Grand Slam kicked off with Kingston dethroning Claudio Castagnoli in a red-hot bout that saw him retain his IWGP Strong title and win The Swiss Superman's Ring of Honor Championship.
It was a great showcase for the hometown hero, who had repeatedly clawed his way to the top of AEW, only to be knocked down by the closest of defeats. Here, he finally silenced his doubters and earned a victory over a guy he had struggled against previously.
The sign of respect from competitors was a nice capper to an extraordinary opener that had fans solidly behind Kingston and emotionally invested in his pursuit of the title.
There are moments in wrestling that are slam dunks, and this was as easy a booking decision as there was to make. Kudos to Tony Khan for doing the right thing and giving Kingston a moment he has more than earned.
Result
Kingston defeated Castagnoli to win the title
Grade
A
Top Moments and Takeaways
- Ian Riccaboni said Kingston's greatest opponent is the man staring at him in the mirror and he was fighting two-on-one. A phenomenal call by a man who may be the best pure play-by-play guy in the business.
- Kingston's head whiplashed off the plexiglass covering the entrance ramp in a concerning spot. He continued, but there was no way that felt good.
- The dramatic near-falls were outstanding, culminating in a spinning back fist and powerbomb that gave Kingston the victory.
- Castagnoli adhered to the Code of Honor, shaking hands with his sworn enemy in a cool moment for both guys.
Chris Jericho vs. Sammy Guevara
3 of 7
Chris Jericho may have won the battle but Sammy Guevara—and Don Callis—are well on their way to winning the war following the events of Wednesday's show.
Jericho caught the high-flying Spanish God with a Codebreaker, countering the Shooting Star Press to score the win.
After the match, Guevara teased a show of respect before pulling a page from his mentor's book by kicking him low.
It was the arrival of Callis, and Guevara exiting with him, that was the most noteworthy development here.
Callis continued to make life a living nightmare for Jericho, presumably convincing his star pupil to betray him and join the Don Callis Family.
It was an important development that propels the story forward and gives fans a reason to invest fully in Jericho as a babyface.
The match was good, continuing a recent string of strong in-ring outings for The Ocho and delivering another shining moment for Guevara.
Result
Jericho pinned Guevara
Grade
B+
Top Moments and Takeaways
- Adam Cole visited Roderick Strong in the hospital in a hilarious vignette. Where has this personality been all of Strong's career?
- Backstage, Christian Cage challenged Darby Allin to a three-way match for the TNT Championship, also involving Luchasaurus, on Rampage. There was only one caveat: No Sting at ringside.
- Guevara entered in a light-up jacket, reminiscent of that previously worn by Jericho. Rapper Monteasy played The Spanish God to the ring for one of the biggest matches of his career. Guevara also wore tights inspired by Jericho's WrestleMania 19 gear.
- The finish was fantastic and had some great timing. It was executed to perfection visually.
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AEW International Championship: Rey Fenix vs. Jon Moxley
4 of 7
The last time Rey Fenix shared the ring with Jon Moxley, he was carried out of the arena on a stretcher and missed All In.
On Wednesday, the Lucha brother got a measure of revenge, pinning Moxley to win the AEW International Championship after driving the heel into the mat with two Fenix Drivers.
While the match wasn't at the level of their previous encounter, it was still wrestled strongly and featured a great performance from an intense Fenix.
There will be questions about the health of Moxley after the first Fenix Driver left him seemingly unable to kick out, and Excalibur mentioned a "scary moment" in the closing moments of the match before revealing the former champion was able to exit under his own accord.
If the outcome was improvised to accommodate an injury, that is one thing. If Fenix was the intended victor, it was a poor booking decision that devalued the All Out main event and Moxley ending the historic reign of Orange Cassidy.
Fenix will produce strong matches, but it now looks as if there was no follow-up to Cassidy's reign coming to an unnecessary conclusion.
Result
Fenix defeated Moxley to win the title
Grade
B
Top Moments and Takeaways
- Fenix launched himself off the entrance ramp, wiping Moxley out at ringside in a great spot at the top of the match.
- The challenger's frog splash might be the best in the business.
- This was an aggressive Fenix, which was a nice change of pace. The high-flying stuff was there, but the strikes were more purposeful and he wrestled with a greater sense of urgency.
- The first piledriver and botched count hurt the finish, but the outcome was still a surprise...for better or worse.
AEW Women's Championship: Toni Storm vs. Saraya
5 of 7
Both Toni Storm and Saraya cheated in an attempt to leave New York with the AEW Women's Championship.
In the end, it was the latter outwrestling her opponent, dodging a calculated hip attack and delivering her own modified spike DDT, that secured the win.
There is an argument that Saraya retaining was the least interesting outcome, but it feels like there is still plenty of time and interest in Storm's entertaining persona to build it up a bit more before putting her over for the title.
The question is where the division goes until that happens.
Are there enough interesting challengers and stories to be told in the interim? And how can the creative team better enhance Saraya as a champion to take advantage of her name and star power?
Those are the answers Khan and his team will have to find in the coming weeks.
Result
Saraya defeated Storm to retain
Grade
C+, mostly for Storm's antics
Top Moments and Takeaways
- Storm using shoes on Ruby Soho weakened the effect of the challenger using a shoe on Saraya. Less is more and the near-fall off of that final shot to the face with the pump by Storm would have meant even more if the crowd had not been busy popping for the use of shoes on Soho at ringside.
- Storm kissing Saraya and then dropping her with Storm Zero was a great way to play mind games with an already-shaken champion.
- The challenger tried for the running hip attack, but Saraya dodged it and dropped her with the Night Cap to retain.
AEW World Championship: MJF vs. Samoa Joe
6 of 7
AEW world champion MJF proved resilient throughout his defense against Samoa Joe in Wednesday's main event just long enough for Adam Cole to make his presence felt.
The former NXT star willed him out of the Coquina Clutch and provided the titleholder with the steel chain that helped him choke out the challenger to retain.
MJF endured a serious beating from the challenger but refused to give in. Fueled by his desire to remain champion and a home-state crowd, he fought through the pain to defeat Joe and keep his reign intact.
The outcome stays true to the champion's underhanded history, despite his current babyface role, and protects the unstoppable aura of Joe. It also continues the friendship between the brochachos and ensures their story remains a key element of AEW moving into the latter part of 2023.
A strong main event performance from the company's MVP in MJF and another stellar outing for Joe, who has long been one of the best heels in the industry.
Result
MJF defeated Joe via referee stoppage to retain the title
Grade
A
Top Moments and Takeaways
- The single greatest thing AEW has ever produced:
- Joe disrespecting MJF, and the champ firing up, was a great bit of business and got the fans back into the match after several minutes of the heel dominating.
- The challenger delivered a piledriver on the exposed floor. Doctors and security surrounded the champion, only for Joe to fight them off. The look of shock on his face when MJF kicked out helped sell the story of the match.
- Still reeling from his injured neck, MJF pulled out the Dynamite Diamond Ring and attempted to use it, only for referee Paul Turner to catch him. Joe delivered the Muscle Buster but still could not put his rival away. His facial expressions were key to getting over the narrative here.
Overall Grade
7 of 7
This was an episode of Dynamite chocked full of big moments and title changes.
Kingston winning the ROH belt, Guevara's heel turn, Fenix defeating Moxley, Saraya retaining her gold, and MJF slaying the beast that is Samoa Joe helped make this a noteworthy show that may not have been the spectacle Grand Slam was two years ago but still felt like a broadcast worthy of the hype.
With WrestleDream ahead on October 1, it kind of hurts the long-term impact of Wednesday's show to an extent, but AEW has done a strong job of making the annual trek to Arthur Ashe Stadium feel like a marquee event.
Strong in-ring action across the board helps.
Grade: A
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