AEW Dynamite Review - September 13, 2023

By Graham "GSM" Matthews

AEW International Champion Jon Moxley def. Big Bill

I realize this is nothing new, but Moxley bleeds way too damn much. Was it really necessary for him to get color in a random title defense against Big Bill? That aside, this was an enjoyable opener with the hometown hero going over. Moxley was a babyface in front of this crowd, but will he and the rest of Blackpool Combat Club be heels going forward? I appreciated Bill being made to look credible in defeat. He has potential on his own.

The Don Callis Family Announced Kota Ibushi as Their Next Target

I thought it was cool that they teased this a week ago to build up anticipation for who their next target would be, and it didn't disappoint. Sign me the hell up for Takeshita vs. Ibushi, that sounds incredible. They were on opposite sides of that six-man tag team match at All In but didn't have a ton of interaction, so I'm excited for that one. This segment was what it needed to be and didn't overstay its welcome.

Toni Storm def. Britt Baker, Hikaru Shida and Nyla Rose in an AEW Women's World Championship Four-Way Eliminator

Doing another four-way with the women to determine a number one contender after we just got one at All In (also involving Storm, Baker and Shida) is pretty lazy. This wasn't even as good, either. Rather, it felt rushed as they didn't have a lot of time to work with. Storm winning was the best option as she's a fresh opponent for Saraya at Grand Slam and it should mark the official end of The Outcasts. Despite Saraya burying Storm afterward in a backstage interview, Storm came out to the Outcasts entrance music for some reason.

Le Sex Gods Discussed Their Match at Grand Slam

The storyline is still wonky to me in that they beat Aussie Open last week but want to face each other before they challenge for the AEW World Tag Team Championship. I applaud their effort to make the match mean something, though. They recapped their history as friends with the video package and established why they need to beat each other. I wish we could fast-forward to the part where one turns on the other, but they're going to take their time with it and drag it out in typical Jericho fashion.

"Hangman" Adam Page def. ROH World Six-Man Tag Team Champion Brian Cage

I loved that footage was shown beforehand of their last two excellent encounters from 2021 when they split victories. Cage isn't the same monster heel as he was back then, but the guy can obviously still go and this was a fun, well-worked match. I just want to see more of Page in singles competition (The Elite reunion sidetracked him for a number of months) and this feud with Swerve Strickland accomplishes that, as well as keeps Strickland in a prominent role on the show. I liked their post-match verbal exchange to set up their match for WrestleDream and The Young Bucks saving Page from Cage should set up a six-man tag team match with Mogul Embassy before then.

Darby Allin and Nick Wayne def. "Daddy Magic" Matt Menard and "Cool Hand" Angelo Parker

I was pleasantly surprised Menard and Parker lasted as long as they did here. I can't recall a single important match they won without the rest of Jericho Appreciation Society, so I'm all for building them up because they are a talented team without all the shenanigans. The focus was on Christian Cage challenging Allin and Wayne to a tag team match on next week's show. With WrestleDream emanating from Seattle, I'm almost positive Allin and Wayne will both challenge for the AEW TNT Championship on that show. Hopefully Christian can be included as well.

ROH World Television Champion Samoa Joe def. Roderick Strong in the Finals of the Grand Slam World Title Eliminator Tournament

Either of these guys could have realistically won given their issues with MJF at the moment, but they also have history with each other from when Joe "injured" Strong's neck two months ago. Yes, the neck injury Strong is hilariously still selling. This was a quality main event with the correct outcome. MJF vs. Joe is the match to do at Grand Slam while MJF vs. Strong can be saved for WrestleDream. The post-match angle with Strong being stretchered out again and Joe laying out Cole on the stage was well done.

Overall Show

Even on short notice, AEW has done a terrific job of building up Grand Slam as a must-see show for next week. Hopefully they can sell some more tickets before then. This was a solid edition of Dynamite with entertaining action, storyline development, successful hype for Grand Slam, and a lively crowd in Cincinnati to boot. The key will be ensuring WrestleDream on October 1st doesn't feel like an afterthought as more matches need to be announced for that event.

SEE MORE: Dynamite Reviews