When Tony Khan made the decision to debut Saraya mere moments before the main event of AEW's Grand Slam, he was putting a ton of pressure on Jon Moxley and Bryan Danielson to put on a show worthy of standing alongside the roster's addition, instead of falling into its shadow.
Fortunately, Mox and BD are certified professionals, and the prospect of watching two members of the Blackpool Combat Club go to war against each other was intriguing enough to capture the attention of fans and keep them engaged for the better part of 20 minutes.
Wrestling in only the second-ever match for the vacant AEW World Championship following the 2019 bout between âHangmanâ Adam Page and Chris Jericho in the inaugural strap match at All Out, Moxley and Danielson left little to the imagination. They locked up, hit each other with seemingly every hold William Regal has heard of, and even took part in a very unusual spot where the duo stood on their heads and hit each other repeatedly. Both performers hit their finishers, Moxley connected on a brutal Death Rider on the outside of the ring, and it really started to look like Danielson would have to pull out something special from his expansive bag of tricks to get a win against his long-time friend.
Article Continues BelowBut alas, all the fans of AEW who wanted to see another Danielson title reign will have to wait, as Moxley locked in a rear-naked choke that ultimately iced out the former Eco Champion right in his tracks. Moxley secured the win, became AEW's first-ever three-time World Champion, and the fans at home came away with a mixed to positive opinion of the main event. MJF-Moxley II, anyone?
Congratulations to the first ever 3 time @AEW World Champion @JonMoxley, winner of the Grand Slam Tournament of Champions tonight on #AEWDynamite!
Thank you everyone who watched Grand Slam tonight + every fan here in New York City tonight for the first @AEWonTV $1 million gate!
â Tony Khan (@TonyKhan) September 22, 2022