AEW Dynamite Grand Slam 2022 Results: Winners, Grades, Reaction and Highlights

All Elite Wrestling returned to the historic Arthur Ashe Stadium for another Grand Slam episode of Dynamite, headlined by the coronation of a new AEW world champion.

Blackpool Combat Club teammates Bryan Danielson and Jon Moxley battled for the top prize in the company while four other titles were decided as part of a packed card.

Which renowned competitor emerged as the top dog in AEW and who else joined them as a winner on the night?

Find out now with this recap of the September 21 broadcast.

• Grand Slam Tournament of Champions Finale for the AEW World Championship: Jon Moxley vs. Bryan Danielson
• Ring of Honor World Championship: Claudio Castagnoli (c) vs. Chris Jericho
• AEW World Tag Team Championship: The Acclaimed vs. Swerve In Our Glory (c)
• AEW All-Atlantic Championship: Orange Cassidy vs. PAC (c)
• Interim AEW World Women's Championship: Toni Storm (c) vs. Athena vs. Britt Baker vs. Serena Deeb

The 2022 edition of Dynamite Grand Slam kicked off with Chris Jericho challenging for the Ring of Honor World Championship for the first time, but holder Claudio Castagnoli sought to ensure his first opportunity would be a failed one.

A hard-fought contest saw the champ focus his attack on Jericho's midsection while the future Hall of Famer worked on the defensive, countering his opponent's offense and playing up the idea that he had the champion scouted.

In the end, though, it was a cheap low blow by The Wizard and a Judas Effect that added yet another world title to the veteran's sparkling resume.

The match was good but not great, with an outcome that was more eyebrow-raising than intriguing for a number of reasons.

This feels less like a long-term plan for the future of Ring of Honor than an excuse to pad Jericho's resume, which is absurd given how extraordinary it already is. He is a legend, but he probably wins far more than he should in AEW.

A win here could have really cemented Castagnoli's reign. Instead, he loses (albeit in a tainted fashion), further diminishing the momentum he had coming off his debut and before he somewhat faded into the background.

Result

Jericho defeated Castagnoli to win the ROH World Championship

Grade

B-

Top Moments

• Aubrey Edwards became the first woman to referee an ROH world title match.
• Jericho declined the Code of Honor initially before accepting Castagnoli's handshake, only to slap him in the face.
• Castagnoli countered a hurricanrana from the ropes initially, but Jericho adjusted and executed the move anyway. 
• Jericho countered the springboarding champion with a Codebreaker for two.
• Castagnoli fought out of the Walls of Jericho, stomped his opponent's face and delivered the Big Swing.

Arguably the most anticipated match of the show saw Swerve Strickland and Keith Lee defend their AEW World Tag Team Championship against The Acclaimed's Max Caster and Anthony Bowens.

The champions looked the part early, working over Caster until a hot tag to Bowens sparked a fiery babyface comeback. The action broke down from there and became somewhat disjointed as it appeared the former had suffered a knee injury.

Miscommunication between Strickland and Lee, and some interference from Billy Gunn at ringside, gave way to The Acclaimed realizing their potential and winning the titles in a fan-pleasing moment.

There is no doubt the Caster injury hurt this one late, but it still benefited from an audience eager to see The Acclaimed capture the gold. The fans remained into the match even as it stumbled down the stretch.

With that said, this was the one outcome Tony Khan and Co. needed to execute on this show or risk a considerable backlash. He did the right thing, and Caster and Bowens now stand atop the tag team mountain, the first homegrown tandem to hold gold in AEW.

Result

The Acclaimed defeated Swerve In Our Glory to win the titles

Grade

B

Top Moments

• The heat for Swerve and Lee was enormous while the pop for the challengers was as loud as one would expect given recent trends.
• Caster overcame a considerable beating by the heels throughout the commercial to make the hot tag to Bowens.
• Bowens powered Swerve up out of a roll-up and into a buckle bomb.
• Lee missed a middle-rope moonsault to drive the air out of him.
• Caster came off the top rope and immediately clutched his knee. He moved quickly on it to get to the finish but was limping after the bell. 

Former ROH Pure champion Wheeler Yuta joined Tony Schiavone on the stage for a promo that was promptly (and thankfully) interrupted by MJF.

The Salt of the Earth heeled on him, Jon Moxley and William Regal before a brawl ensued. The arrival of W. Morrissey allowed MJF to get the best of Yuta and intensify his rivalry with Blackpool Combat Club.

Back in the squared circle, PAC defended the AEW All-Atlantic Championship against a familiar foe, Orange Cassidy.

The Bastard focused on the head and neck of his opponent. He punished Cassidy, unfazed by the shenanigans or mannerisms that are a trademark of Freshly Squeezed's act.

With Cassidy building momentum, desperation set in and PAC blasted his challenger with the timekeeper's hammer and scored the tainted victory.

This was nowhere near as good as the Revolution 2020 match but told the story it set out to, with PAC again underestimating Cassidy, only to have to resort to cheating to score the win. For a guy who was supposed to be so underneath him, PAC sure came close to losing the gold before cheating to preserve his reign.

Telling that story, though, only really works if Cassidy eventually beats The Bastard.

That has yet to happen. Some will argue AEW is playing the long game, but Cassidy loses too many of these big title matches. Eventually, his involvement will mean less, no matter how many times he shows up and shows out.

Result

PAC defeated Cassidy to retain his title

Grade

B

Top Moments

• "Give it up for Wheeler Yuta. You have evolved from dry paint to pet rock personality," MJF said.
• A brawl between MJF and Yuta ensued, ending with Morrissey getting involved. The No. 1 contender and his newly hired muscle stood tall as security ushered them away.
• Backstage, Jade Cargill and The Baddies were interrupted by Diamante, who produced rapper Trina to be in her corner at Rampage. Earlier in the promo, Cargill said she would challenge for main women's title on her own time.
• As PAC scaled the ropes and teased the Black Arrow, Cassidy got his feet up, taunting the champion from his back on the mat.
• PAC folded himself up backward, selling the effects of two straight DDTs.
• A great near-fall off the Orange Punch by Cassidy was broken up by the champion grabbing the bottom rope to halt the referee's count.

Athena, Serena Deeb and Britt Baker challenged Toni Storm for the AEW Women's Championship Wednesday night.

None were successful, though.

Despite a back-and-forth match that saw Deeb shine as she outwrestled her opponents and nearly scored pinfalls or submissions on numerous occasions, Storm earned the victory over Baker with a crucifix roll-up.

After the match, Jamie Hayter joined Baker and Deeb in beating down Storm and Athena until Saraya (formerly Paige in WWE) made her debut and cleared the ring without throwing a punch.

There are two ways to look at this development. The pop for Saraya's debut was enormous and many longtime fans want her to have another opportunity inside the squared circle.

On the other hand, the women's roster is loaded with talent that is already underutilized and struggling to receive the television time reflective of their abilities, such as Ruby Soho. Bringing yet another competitor in rather than better highlighting those AEW already has on its roster will surely earn criticism.

How, and if, management learns from its prior creative struggles in terms of this division will determine whether this was a landscape-changing signing or another prize added to the collection.

Result

Storm defeated Baker, Athena and Deeb to retain her title

Grade

C+

Top Moments

• Athena brought all three opponents off the top rope in an electric chair spot that has become relied upon a little too often in these multi-competitor matches over the years.
• The pop for Saraya was huge and much needed given Hayter's reunion with Baker moments earlier, which erased everything that had built to a split between the two. Will the reunion last, though?

With the AEW world title at stake, Blackpool Combat Club's Jon Moxley and Bryan Danielson battled in the main event of this year's Grand Slam.

The match was a grueling encounter that saw Danielson attempt to pick apart the body of his opponent, refusing to focus his attack on a single area. Moxley responded by showing his trademark toughness as he battled back against his more technical opponent.

Late, The American Dragon enjoyed one last-gasp opportunity to secure the win by way of a Busaiku Knee and a LeBell Lock. Moxley gritted through it, delivered a Death Rider on the entrance ramp and put his teammate out with the bulldog choke to become world champion again.

The win makes Moxley the first AEW star to win the company's world title on three separate occasions.

There was no "interim" label slapped on this one, nor should there have been. Moxley has been the backbone of the roster for the last year. He has been as reliable as anyone and embodied that "us vs. the world" mentality that helped make AEW possible in the first place.

Putting the belt on him again may not be the most electrifying booking, and it will draw criticism from the pro-Danielson crowd, but in the end, one guy has a well-documented history of serious injuries and the other does not.

AEW badly needs stability at the top of its card and it has that in Moxley...and soon MJF, at least until 2024.

Result

Moxley submitted Danielson to win the title

Grade

A

Top Moments

• Moxley dared Danielson to chop him, then backed him into the corner and added a few of his own.
• During the commercial break, The American Dragon focused on his opponent's shoulder. 
• Moxley kicked out of his opponent's Busaiku Knee, essentially no-sold it and applied a half Boston Crab moments later.
• Cameras caught Moxley scratching and clawing the back of Danielson.
• Moxley and Danielson, in stereo headstands, slapped away at each other. 
• Moxley stomped the Achilles of Danielson and delivered the Death Rider leading to a fantastic near-fall.