Hall’s AEW Dynamite Grand Slam Review 10.6.26

Dynamite
Date: October 6, 2026
Location: Adidas Arena, Paris, France
Commentators: Tony Schiavone, Excalibur, Nigel McGuinness

It’s a special show here as we’re in Paris, France for Grand Slam. Therefore the card is pretty stacked, with Will Ospreay defending the World Title against Kazuchika Okada, plus Queen Aminata challenging Mercedes Mone for the Women’s Title. In addition, we have to keep getting ready for WrestleDream in less than two weeks. Let’s get to it.

We run down the card.

Ring Of Honor World Title: Bandido vs. Kofi

Kofi, with Austin Creed, is challenging and Brody King is here with Bandido. We do get a handshake and a hug as Bandido seems honored to be facing Kofi. They go with some grappling and Bandido stops to dance a bit. Kofi escapes a wristlock and dances as well but gets more serious to block the gun pose. A monkey flip sends Bandido into the corner and yes we have more dancing.

Kofi dropkicks him to the floor and another dropkick sends him into the barricade, setting up the big running flip dive. Back in and Bandido pulls a high crossbody out of the air for a rather delayed vertical suplex. That’s enough to bring out Swerve Strickland with Prince Nana and of course here is Hangman Page to even things up. We take a break and come back with Kofi hitting a Fameasser.

Now the high crossbody can connect to give Kofi two so Bandido is right back with a corkscrew version of his own. A jumping stomp to the chest puts Bandido down and an SOS sends Bandido hard into the corner. The top rope splash to the back gives Kofi two so he goes up again, with Bandido catching him with the super flipping fall away slam. Page and Strickland have to be held apart, and in the melee it’s the 21 Plex to retain the title at 14:27.

Rating: B+. I don’t think there was any doubt that this was going to be a heck of a match given the people involved. At the same time, I wasn’t sure who was winning and that’s a great feeling. Bandido is closing in on the longest reign in the title’s history and beating a former WWE Champion clean is quite the accomplishment on the way there.

Post match Page and Strickland have to be held apart again.

Video on Clockwork Carnage, which seems to be a Royal Rumble which then turns into a multi-man Iron Man match after everyone is in. At least I think, as the rules are a bit complicated. It might sound insane, but NXT’s Iron Survivor Challenge did too and that match has been a blast so this is worth a shot.

Will Ospreay (with the audio sounding rather quiet) says he has to face seven #1 contenders at once but Mike Bailey is ready to qualify on Collision. Works for Ospreay, who is ready for the World Title match tonight.

Clockwork Carnage Qualifying Match: Samoa Joe vs. Jack Perry

Perry charges right at him to start and is quickly faceplanted. Back up and Perry’s chops just tick Joe off but a running clothesline knocks him down. The release Rock Bottom out of the corner plants Perry and an elbow to the face drops him on the floor. Joe knocks him over the barricade and then sends him back inside for a big jumping elbow.

We take a break and come back with Joe sidestepping a dive, earning himself a standing ovation. Joe gets in a superkick and hammers away in the corner. The Snare Trap sends Joe over to the ropes, leaving them both to go outside. Perry charges into another release Rock Bottom but the Koquina Clutch is reversed back inside. Joe catches him on top though and the MuscleBuster finishes quick at 10:41.

Rating: B-. That was kind of a weird one as Perry had been built up for a few weeks and then just got beat clean here. Granted that’s the better move as Joe is a lot more interesting than Perry could hope to be. Throw in his ability to be a menacing force in the title match and it’s that much better. Now make Perry clean the wall that he used to issue the challenge to Joe.

Kazuchika Okada shows off his French and thinks he’ll be so amazing tonight that he’ll get his own monument.

Jon Moxley/Gabe Kidd vs. Don Callis Family

Pac’s chair is still there for Moxley’s entrance. Kidd and Davis chop it out to start so Doyle comes in for a double shoulder. Moxley comes in to try his running shoulders to Doyle and it’s Kidd taking over with the chops in the corner. Everything breaks down and Moxley knocks Davis outside for the suicide dive. Back in and Kidd and Doyle clothesline each other down and we take a break.

We come back with Moxley getting Doyle in the bulldog choke, which is broken up in a hurry. Doyle presumably hits a sitout powerbomb, though the camera decided to cut between him lifting Moxley up and putting him down. Kidd comes back in for some clotheslines, including a big rebound version for two on Davis. A brainbuster gives Kidd two but Davis is right back up with the piledriver for the pin at 10:48.

Rating: C+. They beat each other up well enough and I do always appreciate Kidd being taken out. If nothing else, it’s weird to see the Family winning as it’s hardly something you see very often against bigger competition. I’m not sure what the Death Riders have to do at the moment, but you can bet on at least one of them being in the Clockwork Carnage match.

Video on Nick Wayne vs. Chris Jericho, with their rematch being set for Collision.

TNT Title: Darby Allin vs. Kyle Fletcher

Allin is defending and they slug it out to start with Fletcher being knocked outside. Allin’s dive is cut off though and Fletcher launches him face first into the barricade. Fletcher misses a charge though and Allin climbs onto the post to dive onto Fletcher in the timekeeper’s area. The announcers’ table is loaded up but Allin gets backdropped onto the other table, landing face first for a nasty crash.

Back in and Allin is fine enough to grab a guillotine, with Fletcher escaping rather quickly. Allin is still staggered from the crash so Fletcher slams him as we take a break. We come back with Allin flipping over him for a Scorpion Death Drop, with Fletcher pulling the turnbuckle pad off. A small package gives Allin two, with Fletcher’s rather aggressive Michinoku Driver getting two.

Allin catches him up top with a super Code Red, followed by a regular version for the same. The Coffin Drop on the apron misses though and Fletcher’s brainbuster gets two for the big surprise kickout. A snap half suplex drops Allin again so it’s a top brainbuster onto the exposed buckle, because of course it is. Naturally Allin is gushing blood so Fletcher hammers on the cut but gets sent into the corner. That lets Allin grab the Scorpion Deathlock, with Fletcher going to the ropes. Allin pops up for a pair of Coffin Drops and the pin at 14:45.

Rating: B. This changed gears right in the middle, with most of the focus being on the match and then all of the blood took over. I like watching Allin’s matches and it’s rather annoying to see it turn into whatever stunt he wants to do this week. I’m glad he won here, but find a different way to do this stuff. Like wrestling.

Video on the Dogs vs. the Young Bucks, which happens on Collision.

Queen Aminata speaks another language and says something about the Women’s Title.

Women’s Title: Queen Aminata vs. Mercedes Mone

Mone is defending and is quickly backbreakered to send her into the corner. Aminata hammers away and Mone is already needing a breather. Chocolate Kisses her Mone (with her broken nose) in trouble but she gets Aminata in a dragon screw legwhip to the floor. That means the Meteora can connect as we take an early break.

We come back with Aminata getting two off a headbutt and a snap suplex to send Mone into the corner. Mone is right back with two Amigos but Aminata reverses the third into a neckbreaker. Back up and Mone sunset bombs her into the corner so Aminata is up with a knockdown of her own. A middle rope double stomp gives Aminata two and something like a German suplex knocks Mone outside. Aminata follows and is sent face first into a chair, only to send a charging Mone into it as well. Back in and the top rope double stomp misses for Aminata, allowing Mone to get in the Mone Maker to retain at 11:05.

Rating: B-. This was another case where there was no real doubt about the result but that wasn’t exactly the point. Instead this was more about having a title match on the show, with Thekla already set for Mone at WrestleDream. That should be a lot more intriguing, though Aminata did a good job in the high profile match here.

Post match Thekla runs in to chase Mone off.

Video on the recent issues between Hangman Page and Swerve Strickland, resulting in the latter issuing a challenge for a 2/3 falls Trios Titles match at WrestleDream.

AEW World Title: Kazuchika Okada vs. Will Ospreay

Ospreay is defending and tries a wristlock, with Okada pulling him to the mat. That’s broken up and Okada rolls outside, seemingly ready to walk until Don Callis brings him back. Ospreay gets in a monkey flip and they trade some legsweeps until Okada just misses a Rainmaker to reset things a bit. Ospreay knocks him to the floor for a slingshot dive, setting up a knee drop back inside. Okada is fine enough to dropkick him off the top though and we take a break.

We come back with Ospreay getting two off of a Phenomenal Forearm but he can’t manage Stormbreaker. Okada catches a charge in the corner and hits an air raid crash onto the knee to get back to the neck. The dropkick misses for Okada but he gets his knees up to block the corkscrew moonsault. Another dropkick is countered with a running powerbomb (that was some great timing) to give Ospreay two and they need breathers. Back up and they slug it out until Okada is knocked to the apron for the Oscutter.

Okada barely gets back in so Ospreay gives him a missile dropkick before he can get up. Naturally Okada is right back up with the Rainmaker for two and we slow back down. A shotgun dropkick sends Ospreay into the corner so he hits his own Rainmaker for one. Ospreay is right back up with a Styles Clash for two more and the fans are singing. Stormbreaker is countered into a pair of Rainmakers but Okada doesn’t cover, allowing Ospreay to hit a quick Hidden Blade for two. Stormbreaker gets two more and another Hidden Blade finishes Okada to retain at 18:53.

Rating: B+. This was a pay per view worthy title match as Okada getting a World Title match is a good choice for a big match, especially on this kind of a stage. Ospreay gets credit for winning over a big name and Okada is hardly hurt. Granted I could have gone without a champion losing but that’s hard to avoid with how many belts they have floating around.

Post match Samoa Joe comes out for the staredown to end the show.

 

Results
Bandido b. Kofi – 21 Plex
Samoa Joe b. Jack Perry – MuscleBuster
Don Callis Family b. Jon Moxley/Gabe Kidd – Piledriver to Kidd
Darby Allin b. Kyle Fletcher – Coffin Drop
Mercedes Mone b. Queen Aminata – Mone Maker
Will Ospreay b. Kazuchika Okada – Hidden Blade

 

 

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9.0

The final score: review Amazing

The 411

Hot crowd, rather good matches, big time title showdowns and some build for WrestleDream. What more can you ask for from a free TV show? They wanted this to be a big deal and it wound up being exactly that. The show was pretty much what they teased it would be and that’s a nice result. Sometimes it’s as simple as putting on a great show and they made it work here.