ALBANY, NY – In the semifinals of the Grand Slam Tournament of Champions, tonight sees Jon Moxley against Sammy Guevara, and in the main event, Bryan Danielson takes on Chris Jericho. The winners of these two matches will battle it out at Grand Slam for the AEW World Championship next Wednesday on Dynamite.
Jon Moxley vs. Sammy Guevara – AEW World Championship Tournament
Guevara hops outside the ring before Moxley can get his hands on him. With a side headlock takeover, Moxley takes Guevara to the mat. Guevara boldly decides to trade strikes with Moxley. In the midst of trading chops, Moxley mockingly lays down on the mat to emphasize how little Guevara’s chops affect him.
Outside the ring, Guevara grinds Moxley’s head into the steps before stomping his jaw repeatedly. Moxley places Guevara on the top rope back in the ring, biting his head. With a butterfly suplex by Moxley, he pins Guevara for two. Guevara lands a cutter from the top rope, but with a slow cover, he can’t end the match. Guevara sets up a GTH, but Moxley transitions into the Bulldog Choke before raining elbows down on Guevara. When Moxley attempts a King Kong Lariat, Guevara lands a Spanish Fly for a near fall.
Anna Jay and Tay Melo interrupt the match; with Jay distracting the referee, Melo lands a low blow on Moxley. Guevara pins Moxley for two before a series of pins by both men trying to end the match.
Reversing Guevara’s GTH, Moxley hits a Death Rider before pinning Guevara for the win. In his second win against Guevara in a tournament for the AEW World Championship, Moxley earned his place in the finals at Grand Slam.
Jungle Boy vs. Jay Lethal
JB and Lethal feel each other out for a minute before trading huge rights. JB’s escalera is countered, but that doesn’t stop him, and he goes back for one and successfully hits it this time. Lethal goes for the figure four, but JB counters it with an inside cradle for a one count. JB counters Lethal’s dragonscrew for another one count. Lethal goes again for a figure four, but he can’t manage to lock it in on JB.
Targeting JB’s back after Luchasaurus slammed him into the pyro grid at All Out, Lethal slams his back against the top turnbuckle and ropes. The two men trade blows kneeling on the mat, both men picking up momentum for JB’s flying elbow strike. JB counters a Lethal Injection, landing a brainbuster for a two count.
When Lethal goes again for the Lethal Injection, JB is ready and looks for the kill switch. JB catches Lethal’s pump kick and locks in the Snare Trap, only letting go to drag Lethal back to the center of the ring. With a Snare Trap locked in once again, Lethal taps out, giving the win to Jungle Boy.
Powerhouse Hobbs vs. Matt DiMartino
In the quickest match of the night, Hobbs shows he’s here to make short work of his opponents. With a single spinebuster, Hobbs pins DiMartino and wins the match.
Swerve In Our Glory (C) vs. Lucha Bros – AEW Tag Team Championship
Looking to be double champions like fellow Death Triangle member PAC, the Lucha Bros set their sights on the Tag Team Championship and take on Swerve In Our Glory. Penta and Strickland kick off the match, tagging in Fenix the Lucha Bros cazadora Strickland for a one count.
Penta slingblades Strickland before landing a backstabber. With Lee hopping into the ring, he’s met with a slingblade as well. Penta pins Strickland, but Lee throws Fenix’s body from outside the ring onto the pin to break it up at two. With Lee in the match, he takes on both Lucha Bros. Lee shoulder tackles Penta and uses a backbreaker on Fenix before going back to Penta with a headbutt. Picking up Fenix, Strickland makes it to the top rope looking for a Swerve Stomp, but Fenix takes control, landing a springboard Spanish fly.
After Strickland stops Fenix from going off the top rope again, Lee slams Penta. Pinning Penta, Lee successfully defends Swerve In Our Glory’s championships.
Toni Storm and Athena vs. Serena Deeb and Dr. Britt Baker DMD
Storm and Deeb kick off the match for their teams. Storm catches Deeb in a hammerlock, and the two go back and forth with holds and takedowns. Storm tags in Athena before slamming Deeb down for Athena to go over the top rope and land on her for the pin. Stopping Athena from gaining any more momentum, Baker distracts her from the apron stopping her O-Face attempt.
With Baker and Storm in, Storm goes for a hip attack, but Rebel drags Baker out of the way. Baker slingblades Storm, leaving Storm and Baker to tag in their partners. Deeb locks in an armbar that Athena counters into a pin for two. After a meteora, Athena tags out for Storm to land a crossbody. Deeb locks in a single-leg crab, but Athena unsuccessfully tries to break her out of it.
With Deeb looking for the Deebtox, Storm tries to reverse it into a German suplex. However, Rebel makes her way to the apron and starts yelling at the referee to distract him. This allows Baker to set up a chair for Storm to be thrown into. Deeb rolls up Storm for a three count winning the match for her team. https://twitter.com/AEW/status/1570222058394587136
Bryan Danielson vs. Chris Jericho – AEW World Championship Tournament
Danielson starts off striking with chops and roundkicks to Jericho in the corner before landing a running kick. Finally starting to fight back, Jericho lands a few chops before Danielson takes back control. Danielson dropkicks Jericho from the top rope before landing a diving headbutt, pinning Jericho for two.
Trying to weaken Jericho’s arm, Danielson targets it with Yes Kicks. Jericho starts to make a comeback with a release German suplex and a drop kick off the ropes that sends Danielson outside the ring.
Jericho reverses a hammer throw before Danielson and he both go for a crossbody, leaving them down on the mat. Danielson climbs to the top rope, but Jericho catches him landing right after right before a hurricanrana. Avoiding the Judas Effect, Danielson lands a German suplex with a bridge for a two count. Danielson locks in the cow mutilation hold, turning him to land hammer and anvil elbows. Jericho turns the elbows on Danielson, who eats every strike.
Continuing to break down Danielson’s legs, Jericho locks in a figure four around the ring post. Back in the ring, Jericho hits Danielson with a kneebreaker. When Jericho goes for a second, Danielson fights his way out of it on one leg with one shoe but still ends up in The Walls. After further back and forth, Danielson locks in the Labell Lock, leaving Jericho no choice but to submit.
6-time world champion Bryan Danielson will face 3-time world champion and fellow Blackpool Combat Club member Jon Moxley for the AEW World Championship next week at AEW Grand Slam on Dynamite.
The action before AEW Grand Slam continues Friday night on AEW Rampage at 10 pm EST on TNT when Ethan Page goes after Danhausen, and Samoa Joe defends his ROH World TV Championship.
