Two young pillars of AEW do battle once more!

The AEW Grand Slam Tournament of Champions brings us the next chapter in Sammy Guevara VS Darby Allin! Which wild card goes on to face Jon Moxley?

OFFICIAL RESULTS

• Grand Slam Tournament of Champions, Opening Round: Sammy Guevara w/ Tay Melo VS Darby Allin; Guevara wins and advances to the semifinals.
• Serena Deeb VS Madison Rayne; Deeb wins.
• ROH World Championship: Claudio Castagnoli VS Dax Harwood; Claudio wins and retains the title.

PLAY BY PLAY

Grand Slam Tournament of Champions, Opening Round: Sammy Guevara w/ Tay Melo VS Darby Allin!

The Spanish God and the Relentless One have gone back and forth over the TNT Championship, and even just over who’s the better man. Who will be the better man here tonight and move on to face The Maniac, Jon Moxley?

The bell rings and fans fire up as the two stare down. They circle, Tay is ringside to cheer hubby Sammy on despite Darby’s challenge to do this 1v1, and the two tie up. They’re in a deadlock but Darby starts pushing Sammy back to the corner. The ref counts, Sammy pushes Darby back, and they return to center. Sammy then pushes Darby all the way to the other corner, and the ref counts again. Sammy lets off at 4, then he SLAPS Darby! Tay smiles and taunts Darby but Darby snarls. Darby SLAPS Sammy back! And again! The hands start flying! Darby gets Sammy down, covers, ONE! Darby headlocks but Sammy powers up.

Darby holds tight, hits a takeover and gets a cover, TWO! Sammy rolls things to a cover, TWO and Darby holds on. Tay shouts at the fans taunting Sammy, but Sammy powers up to power out. Sammy hurdles, then backflips, then drop- NO, Darby blocks the kick to a jackknife cover! TWO as Sammy bridges up! Sammy spins Darby, but Darby changes the hooks to Gory Especial Sammy! Darby bends the arms back, then throws Sammy down into a FUJIWARA ARMBAR! Sammy scrambles to the ROPEBREAK! Darby runs in to COFFIN SPLASH in the corner! And again! Darby keeps moving, but Sammy avoids the third to GAMANGIRI!

Tay applauds and Sammy soaks up the heat from the fans. Sammy CHOPS Darby, hoists Darby up top, and then climbs up after Darby. Sammy CLUBS away on Darby, but Darby throws body shots back! Darby turns things around and he ROCKS Sammy! But Sammy JUMP KNEES Darby! Tay is pleased as Sammy goes back up top. Sammy brings Darby up for a SUPERPLEX! And Sammy holds on, Uno Amigo! DOS AMIGOS! And then a Latino Heat, but Darby fights the third! They end up tumbling over the ropes, Darby hits the suplex to the floor! Fans fire up but Tay is worried for Sammy. Darby gets in the ring but Tay blocks his path!

Tay helps Sammy up, fans boo, but Darby shrugs. Darby DIVES anyway! But into a CUTTER to the floor! SamTay baited Darby in, and Sammy makes finger guns at the camera while AEW goes picture in picture.

Sammy gets up while the ref checks on Darby. SamTay kisses, then Sammy looks longingly at the AEW World Championship. Sammy puts Darby back in the ring, hurries after him, and pushes him to a cover. TWO, but Sammy stays clamped on with a chinlock. Darby endures, pries at the hold, and he bends Sammy’s fingers! Sammy stomps Darby down! Sammy shakes out his hands, drags Darby around and shouts out Jericho with the cocky cover! ONE, but Sammy drags Darby back into the chinlock. Darby endures, and he THUMBS Sammy’s eyes! Sammy lets Darby go but CLUBS him back down!

Rampage returns to single picture as Sammy CLUBS Darby and fans rally up. Sammy back suplexes but Darby lands out, only for Sammy to SUPERKICK Darby down! Darby falls into a drop zone and Sammy goes up top. Sammy takes aim but fans boo, SHOOTING STAR, but Sammy has to bail out as Darby moves! Darby hops on, CODE RED! Cover, TWO!! Sammy bails out but Darby goes out after him. Tay talks trash to distract Darby, and Sammy JUMP KNEES Darby down! SamTay kiss again and fans boo more. Sammy drags Darby up to put him in the ring. Sammy wants another kiss so Tay obliges. Darby builds speed and DIVES!! Down goes Sammy!

Fans fire up as Darby blows a kiss at Tay! Darby drags Sammy up, puts him in and hurries to cover, TWO! Fans rally as Darby has a MOUNTED ARMBAR! Darby BENDS Sammy’s fingers! And he takes off the wedding ring! Darby looks at Tay, then STOMPS Sammy’s finger! Oddly enough, this all earns Darby Allin Chris Jericho’s Sports Entertainer of the Week award! Tay wants the ring, so Darby hands it over. Sammy JUMP KNEES Darby again! Sammy gets his ring back and puts it on, then flips off the fans! Sammy runs in at Darby in the corner, RAMS into him then goes to the apron to ENZIGURI!

Darby staggers, Sammy wobbles just a bit but he still double jumps, for FLYING CUTTER!! Sammy crawls to the cover, TWO!! Darby survives and Tay is furious! Sammy thinks of what to do to finish this. Sammy drags Darby to a drop zone and heads up top. Fans boo but Sammy says he’s muy loco! Sammy steals the COFFIN DROP, and FLOPS!! Darby avoids disaster and he goes up top now! But Anna Jay shows up! She distracts, Tay brings Darby’s skateboard over to Sammy! Sammy gets the board while Tay anchors Darby! LOW BLOW, and then POWERBOMB onto the board!! Anna finally hops off the apron as Sammy drags Darby up.

Sammy torture racks, for GO TO HOSPITAL!! Cover, Sammy wins!

Winner: Sammy Guevara, by pinfall (advances to the semifinals)

A big Jay A-S-sist from TayJay for the Spanish God! But will Moxley not let any of these tricks stop him from getting back to the title?

Samoa Joe is here!

The ROH World Television Champion made his return to AEW at All Out when he helped FTR & Wardlow fight off Jay Lethal and his cronies. Joe goes right to the ring as fans cheer, and he gets a mic to say, “Buffalo…! My name is Samoa Joe, and it feels oh so good to be back here in AEW.” He knows he was away for a bit, and he apologizes. He owes us “much more violence in the near future.” But here’s here tonight to say that the ROH World Television Champion is in the house and is open for business. But then “Smart” Mark Sterling has to walk out and tell Joe to hold on. Back in business? That’s cute. Sterling’s stable never closed!

While Joe was in Hollywood getting pampered, Sterling’s athletes were grinding week after week! Tony Nese has more abs than Joe has matches in AEW. Jericho says, “Five?” Nese also just has more abs than Joe has abs. And Josh “The Goods” Woods is a National Champion, former ROH Pure Champion, and this past Wednesday on Dynamite, he saved Sterling’s life from the TNT Champion! Thank you, Josh Woods. So it is only fair that Woods deserves and is awarded a shot at Joe’s ROH World TV title! Well, look at the big brain on Mark. It’s rare that someone walks out here, interrupts Joe while he’s speaking, and Joe actually agrees with them!

Mark is right about Josh Woods! Woods is a former Pure Champion, an incredible athlete, and he has been grinding his ass off day after day to prove himself here. So Joe says that Woods really should get what he asks for. Woods does deserve an opportunity at this title. Thank you! And it’ll happen… RIGHT HERE TONIGHT! Sterling is shocked but Woods and the fans love that! Sterling says NO, not tonight! The paperwork has to be filed, and it won’t be done here in Buffalo! NO, it’ll be in the better New York town of Albany! Sterling and Nese get Woods to stand down, but we have one week to wait! Will Joe and Woods go on a Rampage for the ROH TV title?

Miro speaks.

“My God, you took the devil out before I could. You snuck him out before I could snuff him out. When I began this war, I thought you had a master plan. But now I’m heartbroken to find that you don’t. You are a fraud, aren’t you? You made it clear that I’m not your favorite champion! You delight in keeping me away from my wife, and my gold hangs around the waists of lesser men. Why!? How can a man who can see anything be so blind to everything? And now another tournament is done and where am I? I am the right choice because I am flawless. So admit that you have failed and belt the Redeemer now!” Will Miro’s demands be met? Or will he go unsatisfied?

Serena Deeb VS Madison Rayne!

It’s the Professor of Pro-Wrestling VS The Player Coach in a battle of former women’s world champions! Will the Wolf sink her teeth in and never let go? Or will she not be able to stop the Rayne?

The bell rings and fans rally as the two circle. They tie up, Deeb headlocks, shifts, hammerlocks then trips Rayne, but Rayne kicks her away. Rayne nods, that was a good exchange. They circle and feel out a knuckle lock. Fans rally, Deeb drops to roll and wrench then wrangle Rayne to the mat with the wristlock. Rayne rolls, stands, but Deeb wrenches again. Rayne rolls, arm-drags free, then dodges Deeb to knee her in the back! Rayne reels Deeb in for the dragon sleeper, but Deeb fights free and kicks low. Deeb reels Rayne in, tucks her in, but Rayne fights the Deebtox to back drop! Rayne sits on the cover, TWO!

Deeb and Rayne stand off and fans cheer. Rayne says it was that close, but Deeb says like hell it was. This is DEEB’s ring! Deeb was here first, she’s the real coach! Rayne gets in Deeb’s face but Deeb pushes her. Rayne pushes back, but then Deeb CLOBBERS Rayne! Deeb rains down fists on Rayne but the ref sees the closed fists. The ref counts and then backs Deeb off. Rayne gets to ropes, Deeb storms up to KICK the leg and jam Rayne! Rayne sputters, Deeb EuroUppers! Deeb reels Rayne in for a TWIST ‘N’ SHOUT! Cover, TWO!! Rayne survives but Deeb taunts her. Deeb pushes Rayne around, taunts her, but Rayne rolls her up! TWO!

Rayne dodges Deeb and ENZIGURIS! Rayne ROCKS and CHOPS Deeb over and over, then DECKS Deeb with a forearm! Fans fire up and Rayne runs, SLIDING LARIAT! Cover, TWO! Deeb shakes her head but Rayne reels her in. Rayne jumps on with a GUILLOTINE, but Deeb powers up to TOSS Rayne away! Rayne checks her face, but Deeb gets the arms! Omoplata and then Deeb SMASHES the knee over an dover and over! SERENITY LOCK!! Rayne taps, Deeb wins!

Winner: Serena Deeb, by pinfall

Rayne may be a coach, but she’s not bloodthirsty like the Wolf! Will Deeb hunt down a title opportunity for herself on the road to Full Gear?

Backstage interview with Jade Cargill & The Baddies.

Lexi Nair says it was another hard fought win at All Out. That makes the AEW TBS Champion undefeated at 37-0, so then, can anyone ever stop her? Cut the sh*t, Lexi, it’s just another day in the neighborhood. And Jade doesn’t know why fans are surprised that Jade did what she said she’d do and whoop Athena’s ass. Kiera Hogan says, “Number 37, check!” Hell, 38, 39, 40, let’s just cut to 50. Athena thought she was gonna do something, and did nothing. To the back of the line she goes! So whoever wants to come get it, Jade’s got it, she’s handing out work, come and try. And that’s all, period! Who wants to take on #ThatBitch and be next on the list?

Backstage interview with “Powerhouse” Will Hobbs.

Lexi says that was an unexpected win against Ricky Starks- Unexpected? Lexi, it seems like the world loves to doubt Hobbs. Hobbs is a believer that if you want something done, you do it yourself. QT Marshall & The Factory couldn’t get it done, so Hobbs went to All Out, took “Absolute” Ricky Starks and put his ass six feet deep! Now we open “The Book of Hobbs,” and the whole world will see why Hobbs is that killer, that beast, that mammoth from Oakland, California, “The MonStar,” Powerhouse Hobbs. Will Hobbs hit ’em high and him ’em low to take all the power in AEW?

Mark Henry interviews tonight’s main eventers!

The World’s Strongest Man says Dax Harwood challenges Claudio Castagnoli for THE ROH World Championship. But William Regal politely interrupts. “Dax, 13 years ago, I hired you out of obscurity. I know how brilliant you are. I know every nuance that you do. I know every trick that you know. And I know how excellent you are in that ring. But unfortunately, you’re facing the Ultimate Competitor, and I am on his side.” Claudio tells Dax that he has all of Claudio’s respect. We all know the run Dax is on, and the year he is having. That is the competitor Claudio wants to stand in the ring against. Will Dax win singles titles? Claudio is 100% sure he will.

But not tonight, and not Claudio’s title. But Dax interrupts Claudio, and says, “Do you think I don’t know the odds of this match? You think I don’t know that I’m the underdog?” Everyone here and watching at home is probably thinking yeah, Dax will lose tonight and Claudio will win, and rightfully so. Claudio is one hell of a wrestler. And Mr. Regal did pull Dax out of obscurity, that is something Dax won’t dispute. But this is how Dax feeds his family! IF Dax has to fight Claudio and Regal, then that’s what he’ll do to take care of his family. Tonight, Dax will be the NEW ROH World Champion! Top Guy, out!

Well, then it looks like there’s been enough talk. It’s time for the main event! Will Dax the Ax add a fourth belt to his personal collection? Or will he regret tugging on the Swiss Superman’s cape?

ROH World Championship: Claudio Castagnoli VS Dax Harwood!

Bobby Cruise is here to make the introductions, and the world title belt is raised. Tonight, we see a battle of battle-tested champions, but who will be THE champion of ROH?

The Code of Honor is upheld, but then Dax rushes Claudio at the bell! Claudio avoids his rush at the legs and the two circle. They tie up, Claudio puts Dax in a corner but Dax hand fights with him. The ref counts, Claudio pushes with a shoulder but the two let off. Fans cheer as the two stare down. Dax and Claudio reset and tie up again. Claudio headlocks, Dax powers out, but Claudio runs Dax over! Cover, ONE, but Claudio clamps on the headlock. Dax powers up and powers out, then drops to jump, into a coop! Dax slips off, O’Conner Rolls, TWO! But then Dax cradles, ONE! Dax headlocks for a takeover but Claudio headscissors!

Dax moves around, headstands into the jackknife bridge, TWO as Claudio bridges up! Claudio spins Dax around, hooks the arms, but Dax fights the backslide! Claudio spins Dax around to ROCK him! Dax CHOPS back! Claudio and Dax glare at each other, and Claudio EuroUppers! Dax CHOPS, Claudio EuroUppers, repeat! Dax falls from that last one, and fans fire up as Claudio storms up on him. Claudio stands Dax up to EuroUpper more! Claudio whips, Dax reverses and wrenches around to short arm LARIAT! Fans fire up and Dax looms over Claudio. Dax reels Claudio in but Claudio fights the suplex.

Claudio goes to suplex but Dax fights it! They fight for control, and then go up and out like Sammy and Darby did earlier! A rough landing for both men and the ref checks on them. Fans are fired up while AEW goes picture in picture!

Claudio clutches the back of his head while Dax clutches one of his hips. They’re both okay to continue, somehow, but Regal certainly looks worried for Claudio. Claudio stands up and he follows after Dax as he crawls away. Dax stands but Claudio puts him in the ring. Claudio hurries in and EuroUppers Dax off his feet! Dax get sup to CHOP! And CHOP! And EuroUpper! Dax wrenches then NORTHERN LIGHTS! Bridging cover, TWO! Dax hurries after Claudio and snapmares him into a chinlock, but Claudio slips out to hammerlock. Claudio shifts to half nelson and then ghost pin, TWO! Dax gets a facelock!

Dax cranks on the hold but Claudio endures and fights up. Claudio powers Dax back towards a corner, the ref counts the ropebreak, and Claudio lets off slowly. Both men settle down, but then Claudio wrenches an arm to whip Dax hard into the corner! Then springboard ELBOW DROPS! Regal likes what he sees but knows Claudio can’t let up. Claudio throws Dax out hard, then goes out after him. Claudio drags Dax up, and he aims for the apron, but Dax holds onto the railing to block the ramming! Claudio CLUBS Dax on the back but Dax CHOPS him as Rampage goes to break!

Rampage returns and Claudio fires forearms in a corner. Dax CHOPS back! And ROCKS Claudio! Claudio ROCKS Dax, so Dax ROCKS Claudio! Dax fires off more forearms, whips Claudio corner to corner but Claudio reverses to knee low! Claudio whips Dax, Dax slides and hits the POST on the way out of the ring! Dax takes a tumble but he’s somehow okay to continue. Claudio waits as the ring count climbs. Dax crawls at 3 of 10, stands at 4, but Claudio WRECKS him with a dropkick! Dax hits railing and Claudio goes out to fetch him. Claudio drags Dax up, puts him in the ring and storms up on Dax as the fans rally and duel.

Claudio drags Dax up but Dax throws a haymaker! Claudio throws one, Dax throws another, but then Claudio throws body shots. Claudio kicks Dax to a corner, stomps him and then whips him to ropes. Dax and Claudio do-si-do but Claudio gets the COBRA TWIST! Dax endures, fans rally, but Claudio digs his elbow into the ribs. Dax fights, pries free, and hip tosses Claudio down! Fans fire up but Claudio CLOBBERS Dax! Cover, TWO! Dax is showing that three-belt tag team champion toughness, but Claudio EuroUppers him to a corner. Claudio hoists Dax up to the top rope, then HEADBUTTS him!

Claudio climbs up but Dax CHOPS him back down. Claudio ROCKS Dax, Dax ROCKS and CHOPS and CHOPS and CHOPS! CHOP CHOP CHOP CHOP CHOP, and then the ELBOW drops Claudio down again! Fans are thunderous as Dax adjusts, DIVING HEADBUTT!! Cover, TWO! Claudio survives and fans rally again. Dax and Claudio rise, Dax has his dukes up to JAB! JAB! But Claudio blocks the right hook to EuroUpper! Claudio reels Dax in, Gotch hold, but Dax back drops Claudio! But Claudio sunset flips it! Dax slips through, rolsl Claudio and reels him in, for a PILEDRIVER!! Cover, TWO!! Claudio survives, showing his world champion toughness!

Dax crawls to ropes while Claudio clutches his head. Dax climbs up as the fans fire up, but Claudio SHORYUKENS! Claudio snarls and stands to SHORYUKEN again! Claudio then climbs up, brings Dax up and SUPERPLEXES! Cover, TWO!! Fans fire up again as AEW goes picture in picture again!

Dax crawls out of the ring while Claudio stands. Claudio pursues, but Dax ROCKS him with a right! And CHOPS him! And CHOPS again! And again! Dax puts Claudio in, shoulders into him, then slingshots up and over to sunset flip! Claudio stays up and drags Dax up with both hands! But Dax suplexes Claudio for a BRAINBUSTER!! Dax is sore but he crawls over and makes the cover, TWO!! Claudio bails out now but Dax is in pursuit. Dax fist bumps the fans and he drags Claudio up. Dax reels Claudio in but Claudio fights the lift to trip Dax! And CATAPULT Dax into the POST! Claudio gets in the ring while Dax is down!

The ring count climbs, Dax sputters and we’re already at 5 of 10! And then 7! Dax springs up at 8, flounders, but gets in at 9.9!! Only for Claudio to cover him! ROPEBREAK!! Claudio doesn’t fret over his miscalculation, he just stomps away on Dax! The ref counts, they’re in the ropes! Claudio lets off at 4, huffs ‘n’ puffs, but he stays focused. Claudio drags Dax up, reels him in and short arm LARIATS! Claudio drags Dax up again for another short arm LARIAT! Cover, TWO!! Claudio hurries to stand Dax up for a third SHORT ARM LARIAT! Claudio stands over Dax, fans want to see it, but Claudio shakes his head. No time for swinging, he stands Dax up again.

But Dax ROCKS Claudio with a forearm! Rampage returns to single picture again as Claudio fires back! Dax EuroUppers! Claudio EuroUppers harder! Dax CHOPS, Claudio EuroUppers him down! Claudio drags Dax up, whips him to ropes, but Dax avoids the pop-up to backslide! TWO!! Claudio escapes and BOOTS Dax down! Dax staggers up, Claudio runs in, but Dax turns boot into lift! SLINGSHOT LIGER BOMB!! Cover, TWO!!! Claudio survives but he’s reeling again. Fans rally up and Dax gets to a corner. Claudio runs in, but misses! Dax GERMAN SUPLEXES! He holds on and GERMAN SUPLEXES again!

Dax drags Claudio up but Claudio throws elbows. Dax CLUBS Claudio, hoists him up top and climbs up behind him! Fans fire up as Dax stands Claudio up, for a SUPER- CROSSBODY! Claudio turns things and covers, but then Dax slips out to cover Claudio! TWO!!! That kick-out was by mere nanoseconds but this match continues! Both men are down and a standing count begins. Fans rally, Claudio and Dax slowly rise at 4 of 10 and are forehead to forehead at 5. They stand up by leaning against each other, and Dax EuroUppers! And again! Then CHOPS! Claudio EuroUppers in return! And again, from all sides!!

Fans are thunderous while Dax flops face down! Claudio shakes his head, drags Dax up and EuroUppers him more and more! Dax falls over the other direction! Claudio says now’s the time! SWISS SWING!! Fans fire up and count along, we stop at TEN! Then Claudio steps through for the SHARPSHOOTER!! Dax endures, reaches out, crawls his way over, but Claudio gets the arm and shifts to a CROSSFACE! But Dax rolls it to get the legs! Dax uses the SHARPSHOOTER!! Now Claudio endures as Dax sits deep! Claudio powers up to push Dax back, but Dax stands back up! Dax has the SHARPSHOOTER all over again!

Claudio claws, reaches out, grabs a leg to break the base, but Dax just gets the knuckle locks. Claudio kicks from below, has Dax down, and he rains down forearms! Then ELBOWS! Dax flops and Claudio has the legs! SHARPSHOOTER!!! Dax is bright red, and he taps out! Claudio wins!!

Winner: Claudio Castagnoli, by submission (still ROH World Champion)

Dax the Ax just gave The Swiss Superman one of his toughest matches ever! But the Code of Honor is upheld, and this match ends with respect. Claudio said Dax would get singles titles eventually, but when and where will that be? And who will step up to challenge The Ultimate Competitor for this title next?

My Thoughts:

A great Rampage to follow the Dynamite after the wild All Out news. Opening with the tournament match was pretty cool, as that was some great stuff. But of course the JAS helps Sammy cheat to win this. Now we’re getting two semifinal matches of JAS VS BCC, and I would think this results in another JAS VS BCC match in the finals. Granted, Jericho won at All Out so it’d make sense if Bryan won here, except I don’t see Sammy winning against Moxley. Bryan VS Moxley would be wild to see again but even AEW sticks to the usual dynamic of Face(s) VS Heel(s). Moxley VS Jericho will also be great, and then I would think Moxley wins so he can feud with MJF.

Good match from Deeb and Rayne, but of course Deeb was going to win that. No offense to Rayne or her fans, but I just don’t see where the top champion prestige comes from. Deeb winning is going to certainly lead her closer to a title match with Storm as a Face champion, though Britt Baker and Jamie Hayter will sure stand in her way. Good promo from Jade & The Baddies, and she might have a point that she’ll get to 40 or even 50 wins in her undefeated streak before they find/build someone who can beat her. Maybe it was meant to be Kris Statlander, but she’s unfortunately out with injury again.

Great promo from Samoa Joe, and even from Mark Sterling, to set up a great ROH World TV Championship match. Joe VS Woods is going to be a really good one, but of course Joe will win. Miro had a very good promo to work Malakai Black leaving AEW into story, and even shift gears back to the TNT Championship picture. Miro of course wants the world title, too, but him referencing “his” title on someone else (Wardlow having the TNT title) makes me think that’s the first stop as we head for Full Gear. And a great promo from Will Hobbs, he’s also going to get in on a title scene, perhaps the All-Atlantic Championship, to really push Pac’s limits.

Great interview promo before the main event, and yes, Regal referenced FTR joining NXT there when they weren’t even “The Revival” yet. That main event was worthy of being a main event and worthy of a title like the ROH World Championship. In the end, I figured Claudio would win, but Dax has been shining in his singles showdowns. FTR isn’t quitting as a tag team, we all know that, but it’d be wild if FTR could go on a real Two Man Power Trip by each getting a singles title of some sort. They might even branch out of AEW and ROH to try going for more belts in NJPW or AAA. And as for Claudio, the possibilities are endless and any match he has will be awesome.

My Score: 8.8/10