Wednesday was set to be the biggest event in the history of All Elite Wrestling (AEW). A telling fact seeing that over the last month or so, they have had two events that were considered this with The First Dance and All Out. That, more than anything, shows that AEW’s growth is undeniable at this point. One of the true dream matches in all of wrestling would headline along with an AEW Women’s World Championship match. Could it deliver? Here are the AEW Grand Slam results.
AEW Grand Slam Results & Match Ratings (9/22/21)
— Kenny Omega vs. Bryan Danielson
Winner: Draw (30-Minute Time Limit)
Rating: 4.75 (****3/4)
— MJF vs. Brian Pillman Jr.
Winner: MJF
Rating: 2.00 (**)
— Cody Rhodes vs. Malakai Black
Winner: Malakai Black
Rating: 2.75 (**3/4)
— FTR vs. Sting & Darby Allin
Winner: Sting & Darby Allin
Rating: 3.25 (***1/4)
— AEW Women’s World Championship Match: Dr. Britt Baker, D.M.D. (c) vs. Ruby Soho
Winner: Britt Baker
Rating: 2.50 (**1/2)
AEW Grand Slam Results: In-Depth Match Analysis
Kenny Omega vs. Bryan Danielson
Living up to the hype is something that fans around the world have asked themselves when it comes to a lot of things that have happened in AEW. People wondered if All Out could deliver. If they could CM Punk to wrestling. All of these questions and forms of doubt were reasonable, but every single time AEW has managed to not only deliver but surpass expectations. So what would happen when one of the biggest dream matches in professional wrestling today would be given to the world and it being free on TV? Well, of course, they would manage to deliver once again.
Kenny Omega versus Bryan Danielson wasn’t about the AEW World Championship. It could have been but it did not need it. Danielson was very open about that. What he did need was to prove to the world that Omega was not the best like people say he is. Rather, Danielson wanted to show that whether he was in WWE or not, he has always best the best wrestler on the planet. That alone is enough to drive two men who believe that no one is better than them.
Before they could even lock up, the crowd at Arthur Ashe Stadium made it known that this was a moment. This match was something that everyone wanted to see. What followed this standing ovation was one of the best singles matches in AEW history, one of the best matches in wrestling TV history, and one of the best matches of the entire year. Bryan Danielson managed to step outside of his Daniel Bryan-WWE skin and walk right back into “The American Dragon” when it came to his in-ring style, combining the best of both to be the ultimate version of himself. Omega, on the other hand, returned to the NJPW form that so many fell in love with when it came to him years ago.
Breaking down the entire match would be criminal to those who didn’t see it. You have to see it.
The atmosphere, the importance, and the professional wrestling at hand managed to be everything anyone could dream of. One of the best spots in the entire match was when Omega hit a Snap Dragon Suplex to Danielson on the ramp, crushing his neck and everything else in his body. The world champion would follow it up with a running start V-Trigger, starting from the top of the stage and sprinting down to the apron to smash Danielson in the mouth. These two decimated each other with every part of their being because they wanted to universally be known as the best. By the end of the match, both men’s chests were beet red from countless chops, kicks, and knees that continuously lit each other up.
As the clock counted down nearing the 30-minute time limit, everyone could feel the pressure as both Danielson and Omega kicked it into high gear to try and finish the other off in time. Unfortunately, that was not the case as the clock hit zero. The imagery of them fighting afterward though showed that in the future, it could be going Danielson’s way. He was able to get the Lebell Lock onto Omega just one minute after. The next time they face off, it will be that much more special.
The match itself was everything a wrestling fan could possibly ask for. Physical, technical, methodical, and told the tremendous yet simple story of each one trying to one-up the other. Professional wrestling can be that great and these two were able to show that on Wednesday night. What an AEW in-ring debut for Danielson.
More from LWOS Pro Wrestling
Stay tuned to the Last Word on Pro Wrestling for more on this and other stories from around the world of wrestling, as they develop. You can always count on LWOPW to be on top of the major news in the wrestling world, as well as to provide you with analysis, previews, videos, interviews, and editorials on the wrestling world. You can catch AEW Dynamite Wednesday nights at 8 PM ET on TNT and AEW Dark: Elevation (Monday nights) and AEW: Dark (Tuesday nights) at 7 PM ET on YouTube.
