When “Grand Slam Australia” was announced last summer, the conceit was that it would be held in Suncorp Stadium; a stadium in Brisbane with a capacity exceeding 52,000. By November, it became abundantly clear that AEW hadn’t moved enough tickets to fill Suncorp Stadium, so they moved the event to Brisbane Entertainment Centre.
From there, the dominos began to fall.
In the infancy of the show’s promotion, it was intimated that it was designated as a PPV. Not only is there precedent for AEW to host Saturday-night PPVs, in lieu of Saturday Night “Collision,” but a stadium-show seemed a little ostentatious for television.
However, on the Jan. 15 edition of “Dynamite,” it was announced that “Grand Slam Australia” would be tape-delayed, airing on Feb. 15, at 8 p.m. ET on TNT and simulcast on Max. The only issue with that was, there was a scheduling conflict with TNT’s NBA All-Star Weekend coverage. So, “Grand Slam Australia” was then rescheduled, to air at 10:30 p.m. ET, or directly after the All-Star Weekend coverage ended.
This series of mishaps, coupled with AEW’s lack of transparency, caused quite a bit of uproar amongst the Australian fans, who felt as though they were sold a false bill of goods. All of this culminated in Tony Khan’s appearance at “Grand Slam Australia” being met with, like all great heels, universal disdain.
And, while this was still being billed as a special television event, in many ways, it was just a glorified episode of “Collision.”
“Collision’s” resident commentary team, Tony Schivaone and Nigel McGuinness, were on the call. Arkady Aura was on assignment as the ring announcer. Even my DVR recorded it as an episode of “Collision.”
With all of that said, this was still a phenomenal show and a resounding success for AEW. Over 13,000 fans descended on the Brisbane Entertainment Centre to see AEW’s debut in the “Down Under,” resulting in a reported $1.3 million gate.
Not only was “Grand Slam Australia” a commercial success for AEW, though, but the show itself was brilliant.
MISS: Tony Schiavone
I’ve never had the pleasure of reviewing Saturday Night “Collision” before, which means I’ve never had the opportunity to discuss the show’s Achilles Heel: Tony Schiavone.
The August County native is a veritable legend in pro-wrestling, who became the voice of WCW at the height of the “Monday Night War.” Unfortunately, that was over 25 years ago, now.
To be fair, I’m only 27 years old, so I’m certainly not nostalgic for Schiavone’s commentary. However, I do have the benefit of the WWE’s digital library, so I’m not ignorant to Schiavone’s contributions either. Still, even in the ‘90s, Schiavone’s commentary wasn’t exactly the highlight of “Monday Nitro.”
A quarter of a century has passed since then. Schiavone is older, less expressive, and certainly less mentally acute. On “Dynamite,” his contributions as a color-commentator are inoffensive enough. Unfortunately, his play-by-play analysis is a different story.
The difference between Excalibur and Schiavone is night-and-day, which is unfortunate, considering the latter shares the booth with Nigel McGuinness, who is arguably the best color-commentator in wrestling today.
HIT: Kenny Omega & Will Ospreay vs. Konosuke Takeshita & Kyle Fletcher
Sometimes, all you need are the names on the marquee.
In the squared circle, Kenny Omega, Will Ospreay, Konosuke Takeshita and Kyle Fletcher are four of the best professional wrestlers alive. Together, they were bound to make magic happen.
While Takeshita and Fletcher had the benefit of experience, teaming together 11 times prior to this match, even they couldn’t overcome the sheer brilliance of Omega and Ospreay.
In the end, Omega performed his One-Winged Angel in unison with Ospreay’s Hidden Blade to pin Takeshita: resulting in one of the most inventive and breath-taking tandem moves I’ve seen in recent memory.
Unfortunately, this match suffered from a lack of moderation. In only 21 minutes, all four men exhausted their arsenals: delivering piledrivers, brain-busters, running knee strikes, top-rope assisted cutters, Hidden Blades, and Blue Thunder Bombs. All of which were to no avail.
Oftentimes, less is more in professional wrestling.
Rating: ***3/4
HIT: Mercedes Moné [c] vs. Harley Cameron
The meteoric rise of Harley Cameron needs to be studied.
From her debut as a member of QT Marshall’s stable, QTV, in 2023 to now, Cameron’s journey has led her to this moment.
The Gold Coast native returned home, to Queensland, to face Mercedes Moné for the TBS Women’s Championship.
Not only has Cameron raised her profile within AEW, but she’s improved dramatically in the ring. This match was proof positive of that.
In light of Michelle McCool’s recent induction into the WWE Hall of Fame, I’m now more convinced than ever that if Cameron began wrestling 20 years ago, she would have been a first-ballot Hall of Famer.
There’s no denying that Moné played a no-small-part in the success of this match, though. While Cameron has become one of the most beloved women in AEW, the “CEO” has been unassailable. The Chords of Dvorak that play in the background of her entrance music denote the emergence of a colossus.
Cameron’s performance was amplified by the Australian audience, helping her close the gap between herself and Moné. Unfortunately, the distance between them was too great. Moné absorbed all of Cameron’s offense and finished her with a (terrible looking) Moné Maker.
Moné has improved to 18-0 since debuting in AEW. For Cameron, this was her coronation. Not as a champion, but as a star.
Rating: ***3/4
HIT: Adam Copeland & Jay White vs. Jon Moxley & Claudio Castagnoli
Not only was this my favorite Jon Moxley match in recent memory, but this was my favorite “anything goes” adjacent match in recent memory.
To use the proper phraseology, this was a “Brisbane Brawl,” pitting Adam Copeland & “Switchblade” Jay White against Jon Moxley & Claudio Castagnoli, representing the Death Riders.
I really wanted to see someone use a boomerang in this match, so on that level, this was an abject failure. Aside from that, my expectations were relatively low.
Copeland was the first performer to enter the ring, to the glorious sound of Metalingus by Alter Bridge. After his titantron concluded, the fans continued to sing the final bridge of his iconic entrance theme. Over 13,000 fans serenaded the “Rated R Superstar,” in a moment that will live in perpetuity.
From there, the rest of the combatants entered the ring and the “Brisbane Brawl” began.
This truly was an exercise in moderation. Only a handful of foreign objects were introduced and employed: those being a steel chair, a kendo stick, and another steel chair wrapped in barbed wire. Each time a weapon was used, it carried with it a weight that helped shift the momentum of the match.
Copeland and White were tremendous in this match, but their valiant effort wasn’t enough to overcome the AEW World Heavyweight Champion and The Death Riders. The “Rated R Superstar” tried to survive Moxley’s bulldog chokehold, but was ultimately rendered unconscious.
After the match, Moxley reapplied the chokehold to Copeland to inflict even further damage. Whether that will play a role in their encounter at “Revolution” is to be determined. Nonetheless, this was terrific.
Rating: ***3/4
HIT: Kazuchika Okada [c] vs. Buddy Matthews
The fourth contest saw Buddy Matthews face Kazuchika Okada for the AEW Continental Championship.
Matthews was not only representing The Hounds of Hell in this contest, but all 13,000 fans in attendance. The Melbourne native received a hero’s welcome in Brisbane, fanning the flames of his fighting spirit. Unfortunately, Matthews’ home field advantage couldn’t amplify his god-given ability enough to overcome “The Rainmaker.”
I refuse to accept the notion that Okada has become a comedy act. This match was proof positive of that. Clearly though, he’s in the midst of an identity crisis.
On the surface, he’s still a caricature of himself: flipping the bird and calling people bitches. Then, you see the spectacle of his ring entrance, coupled with his presence and stature, and you’re reminded that “The Rainmaker” is still a world-class performer.
The contrast between caricature and champion has become too jarring. The punchlines just aren’t landing the same way they did nine months ago.
While Okada still used nefarious means to defeat Matthews, this should be an inflection point for Okada in AEW. Hopefully, he can slowly begin his reascent to being “The Rainmaker.”
Rating: ****
HIT: Mariah May [c] vs. “Timeless” Toni Storm
There was no doubt that this match deserved its main event billing. In AEW’s six-year history, the saga between “Timeless” Toni Storm and “The Glamour” Mariah May has been one of its masterpieces.
Debuting in AEW as Storm’s understudy, May performed under the guise of her idol’s previous incarnations. Eventually, May earned Storm’s admiration, culminating in her victory in last year’s Owen Hart Cup and tragic betrayal. Their feud culminated at “All In” at Wembley Stadium, where May was ultimately victorious — winning the AEW Women’s World Championship.
Since then, May has rained hellfire on the women’s division, defending her title seven times against the likes of Willow Nightingale, Anna Jay, Mina Shirakawa, and Thunder Rosa. Meanwhile, Storm fled AEW, retreating to Stardom and CMLL, before fading into obscurity in October.
Storm made her return to AEW at “Winter is Coming,” not as the Hollywood starlet, but as the Toni Storm who debuted in 2022. Storm seemingly had amnesia, pretending to be a rookie for over a month. It wasn’t until after Storm won the inaugural Women’s Casino Gauntlet match, that Storm revealed her amnesia was merely a “performance” — designed to lull the world champion into a sense of security.
All of that has led us to this climactic battle, between Mariah May and Toni Storm for the AEW Women’s World Championship. May had the home field advantage in August at “All In.” Now, Storm has the home field advantage at “Grand Slam,” returning home to Queensland.
The match itself was as advertised: cinematic. After a 15-minute-long battle, it was Storm who stood victorious, recapturing the title and becoming the first four-time AEW Women’s World Champion.
For Toni Storm, the sheer gravity of this moment can’t be understated. Her feud with Mariah May was the backbone of “Grand Slam Australia.” She was at the epicenter of this event, generating the force with which it gravitated around. She was the conceit behind AEW entering the Australian market. That alone speaks volumes to her place in the company.
This was Storm’s coronation. Certainly not as a star nor even as a prolific world champion. It was her coronation as the one, true ace of AEW.
Rating: ****
Final Verdict
Controversy aside, “Grand Slam Australia” delivered in every respect imaginable, both commercially and critically. Despite their frustration, the Australian crowd was phenomenal and all five matches were terrific. Last week’s episode of “Dynamite” was near perfect and this continued their downhill momentum, on the raucous road to “Revolution.”
Rating: ****1/2
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