Welcome to Bleacher Report's live coverage of AEW Dynamite Grand Slam on September 25.

This is a bigger episode than usual, so All Elite Wrestling packed it with big matches.

Here is a look at what was advertised for Wednesday's show:

• Bryan Danielson vs. Nigel McGuinness (If Bryan is cleared)
• Jon Moxley vs. Darby Allin
• The Young Bucks vs. Kye Fletcher and Will Ospreay
• Mariah May vs. Yuka Sakazaki
• Hook vs. Roderick Strong

Let's take a look at what happened on the Grand Slam edition of Dynamite.

Bryan Danielson vs. Nigel McGuinness

McGuinness kicked off the show with his entrance for his proposed match against Danielson, but when it was time for The American Dragon to come out, nobody arrived.

A moment later, "The Final Countdown" began to play and the veteran came out to a big pop. The match got started, and McGuinness seemed caught off-guard by a forearm strike.

The American Dragon was almost playing with his rival early on, but the British wrestler seemed to find a second wind once they began trading uppercuts.

They made this feel like a hard-hitting bout at times, but it never reached the level fans may have expected based on their previous encounters in Ring of Honor.

The problem with this kind of match is it's been anticipated for so long that there is almost no way they could live up to expectations. Add in that McGuinness hasn't had a singles bout in 13 years, and it makes it even more difficult for them to put on the banger people expected.

The good news is they got better as the match progressed and their chemistry came back. While McGuinness being so out of practice played a factor, this was still two skilled veterans doing what they do best, so it was a highly enjoyable performance.

Both men came close to winning several times before McGuinness tapped out. He could actually be seen saying "Thank you" before tapping, which shocked the announcers.

Christian Cage came out holding the contract for his guaranteed title shot, but Kip Sabian stole his pen so he couldn't sign it.

Result: Danielson defeated McGuinness

Grade: B+

Notable Moments and Observations

• McGuinness was wearing tape on his left arm, so it was obvious he would be getting physical. 
• "The Final Countdown" is one of those bad songs that is awesome in the right context. 
• McGuinness had an awesome counter when he was upside down in the corner. 
• Some of the Brit's strikes looked a little soft for some reason. 

Hook vs. Roderick Strong

Hook was out first for his FTW title defense against Strong, but since this was FTW rules, he also had Mike Bennett and Matt Taven to fight off.

This immediately escalated into a violent and competitive contest. Strong used his allies to gain an unfair advantage before the commercial break, so Hook was on defense for several minutes.

A few different weapons came into play, but they made sure not to make them the main focus of the match. They were using them sparingly to make traditional wrestling moves like a gutbuster more devastating.

Hook locked Strong in Red Rum to get the win and retain his title. After it was over, Strong offered a handshake. Hook accepted, and Strong hugged him before leaving. That was a surprising show of sportsmanship, but it worked.

Hook gave an interview after the match and officially retired the FTW title. He had a quick emotional moment with his dad.

Result: Hook defeated Strong

Grade: B

Notable Moments and Observations

• Hook was swinging for the fences with a kendo stick. 
• The way Hook hit the steel steps looked painful. 
• You could see how far Hook has come in this bout. Strong is an incredible technician and Hook was keeping up. 

The Young Bucks vs. Will Ospreay and Kyle Fletcher

The AEW world tag team titles were on the line in the next match when Matthew and Nicholas Jackson defended the belts against Ospreay and Fletcher.

The Bucks used some dirty tactics to take control after the bell, but Ospreay and Fletcher gained the upper hand as the show cut to a break.

The Aerial Assassin seemed to have the match in hand, but he missed a Hidden Blade and ended up on the receiving end of some signature Bucks offense.

This was a fantastic display of tag team wrestling. The Bucks have chemistry with almost everyone, but Ospreay and Fletcher seemed to bring something out of them we haven't seen in a while.

They fought through two commercial breaks, so they had plenty of time to make this as exciting as possible. In fact, this was probably the best Bucks match in months.

After Ospreay refused to let Fletcher use a screwdriver and told Don Callis off, the Bucks hit the BTE Trigger to get the pin after illegally using the title belts as weapons.

Result: The Young Bucks defeated Ospreay and Fletcher

Grade: A-

Notable Moments and Observations

• Fletcher and Ospreay had awesome ring jackets. 
• Matt had some woven into his hair. 
• Callis would be more useful at ringside. His commentary can be distracting. 
• Ospreay hitting a flying forearm and immediately popping to his feet is more impressive than it looks. 
• The way Ospreay hit the double Oscutter was incredible. 
• The Oscutter counter to the TK Driver was even better. 

Mariah May vs. Yuka Sakazaki

As Prince Nana was giving an interview, MVP made his AEW debut. He gave his card to Nana and told him to pass it on to Swerve Strickland so they could "talk business."

The next match saw Sakazaki challenge May for the women's world title. The Japanese star hit a springboard crossbody as May was making her entrance.

Once they got into the ring and the bell rang, May recovered and they began trading punches. With the champ having a significant power advantage, she made sure to use it at every turn.

Sakazaki found creative ways to keep herself in the fight, but The Glamour was too much for her. The titleholder won with Storm Zero to retain her belt.

This was a fun bout with a few standout moments. It left a lot of room for them to grow in future encounters.

Result: May defeated Sakazaki

Grade: B-

Notable Moments and Observations

• Sakazaki's springboard looked good. 
• One of the near-falls looked like it should have been a pin, but that would have led to May losing the title. 
• May's German suplex looked brutal in the best way. 

Jon Moxley vs. Darby Allin

Marina Shafir accompanied Moxley to the ring for his main event against Allin. As soon as the match started, Mox took control and began punishing his opponent.

These two men are both known for leaving everything in the ring, so it will shock nobody to find out this was a tough fight, especially for Allin.

Most of this bout was Moxley finding new ways to hurt his opponent while Allin occasionally made a comeback by taking a big risk.

Mox and Shafir exposed the hard floor beneath the ringside padding, and Allin ended up crashing and burning after a suicide dive.

This was more like a series of car crashes than a typical wrestling match, but that is what makes both of these guys fun to watch.

Moxley secured the win with a Death Rider from the middle rope and earned a shot at the world title in the process. Danielson showed up and attacked Moxley until Shafir, PAC and Claudio Castagnoli got involved.

A few other stars showed up and helped Danielson fend off Moxley's crew to end the show.

Result: Moxley defeated Allin

Grade: B

Notable Moments and Observations

• Allin's mouth was busted open when Mox put his face against a rope and kicked it. It was bleeding a lot right away. 
• The dropkick Allin hit while Mox was sitting in a chair looked great. 
• Shafir has such an intimidating presence. 
• Allin almost slipped off the top rope but caught himself. 

The Final Word

AEW hyped Grand Slam as one of the biggest episodes of Dynamite in 2024, and the show did not disappoint.

Every match was enjoyable in different ways. Danielson and McGuinness put on a fun show, as did Moxley and Allin.

However, the best contest from this week's episode was the tag team title bout. The Young Bucks, Ospreay and Fletcher stole the show and delivered a memorable encounter.

Ospreay has established himself as one of AEW's most reliable performers, and this week's match was no exception.

All in all, this was an above-average Dynamite that didn't have anything you need to skip. How MVP's arrival will impact things is going to be interesting to watch.

Grade: B+