Kenny Omega sets the tone for AEW at Grand Slam
Plus–a look at SmackDown and Vengeance Day, Aljamain Sterling on UFC Fight Night winner Nazim Sadykhov, and dipping our toes into the NBA Dunk Contest & the USA-Canada game from the 4 Nations Face-Off
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Kenny Omega, Mercedes Mone, and Toni Storm star at Grand Slam
It just feels right to see Kenny Omega in AEW.
In only his second AEW match since returning from diverticulitis, Omega teamed with Will Ospreay at Grand Slam Australia against The Callis Family’s Konosuke Takeshita and Kyle Fletcher.
The show, which aired on tape delay in the United States, opened with that outstanding 21-minute performance. It finished with Omega hitting the One-Winged Angel on Takeshita right as Ospreay connected with the Hidden Blade. It appears the direction for Revolution is Omega-Takeshita for the International Title (which, if Omega wins, would add more gold to his feud with Kazuchika Okada), and Ospreay-Fletcher in a cage match, so these feuds will continue.
Especially with the heels going over in the Jon Moxley/Claudio Castagnoli tag bout, it was pivotal to start the card on the right note–and the opener set the tone. And though there was criticism that there were two tag bouts on this five-match card, or that it wasn’t a pay-per-feel, it had the feeling of an old Clash of Champions card.
And it needed to be Omega in that spot. The EVP is the heartbeat of AEW, and the promotion simply does not feel complete without him. Although he appears headed for a run as International Champion, the company as a whole would benefit if Omega were to regain the world title.
Here are the results from Grand Slam Australia:
Kenny Omega and Will Ospreay defeated Kyle Fletcher and Konosuke Takeshita
TBS Champion Mercedes Mone defeated Harley Cameron
Jon Moxley and Claudio Castagnoli defeated Adam Copeland and Jay White in a Brisbane Brawl
Continental Champion Kazuchika Okada defeated Buddy Matthews
“Timeless” Toni Storm defeated Mariah May to win the AEW Women’s Championship
Omega wasn’t the only highlight at Grand Slam. Mercedes Mone was also stupendous, and she extended her title reign by highlighting Harley Cameron and making her look like the real deal. That is now the new challenge: keep building momentum with Cameron to the point where she can defeat a superstar of Mone’s caliber.
It was also important for Jon Moxley to defeat Adam Copeland, highlighting how Copeland faces even greater odds in a singles bout of overcoming Moxley when he gets his title shot next month at Revolution.
I’m not in completely enamored with Copeland getting choked out. Taking a pin wouldn’t have hurt him here–but the chokehold is a defining element in Moxley’s run with The Death Riders.
When Kazuchika Okada-Buddy Murphy was announced as the co-main, that was a tell that we wouldn’t see the Continental Title change hands–but that we would in the main event, making the one title change of the night feel especially significant. That is how it played out, with Okada retaining his belt in a compelling match with Matthews before witnessing gold change hands in the main event.
AEW sent the crowd home happy. “Timeless” Toni Storm finally enacted her revenge on Mariah May, regaining the title she lost last summer at All In. May’s championship reign was significant. Even though the manner she won the belt was more meaningful than her reign, the run effectively established her as a champion. During May’s build, it was Storm who fulfilled role of supporting actress, but Grand Slam in Australia provided an opportunity to resume her starring role.
The quick roll up opens the door for a return bout, and the title change closed the show on a high note for Storm and AEW.
Aljamain Sterling on Nazim Sadykhov, who won last night at UFC Fight Night
One of the two underdogs to walk away victorious at last night’s UFC Fight Night was rising star Nazim Sadykhov.
Sadykhov won his lightweight bout against Ismael Bonfim by TKO. It ended that way because Sadykhov landed a perfectly placed left head kick four minutes into the fight, which bothered Bonfim to the point where that he could not see out of his right eye and the referee was forced to end the fight at the end of the round.
Sadykhov (10-1-1) was clearly prepared. He recognized from previous fights that Bonfim (20-5) drops his hands when starting to throw big shots, and that led to his victory in this bout.
A teammate of Aljamain Sterling, there is ample reason to believe Sadykhov will become a top-10 ranked lightweight. Sterling is especially optimistic about the 30-year-old Sadykhov’s future.
“When I first met Nazim, he showed a lot of striking skill, so much that it appeared to be natural on surface,” said Sterling, a former UFC Bantamweight Champion. “But he works hard, and he is willing to explore ways to build on his skills so that he can one day fight for a UFC belt. I believe he has all the tools for this to happen.”
In the other fights of note, Edmen Shahbazyan defeated Dylan Budka by TKO, and Youssef Zalal proved be too much for Calvin Kattar, winning the fight by unanimous decision and forcing the UFC vet into his fourth straight loss. In the main event, odds underdog Jared Cannonier shrugged off a difficult opening round en route to an emphatic fourth-round TKO victory against Gregory Rodrigues.
Charlotte Flair-Tiffany Stratton set for WrestleMania
Highlights from Friday’s SmackDown included Charlotte Flair challenging Tiffany Stratton for a match at WrestleMania, and the new Bloodline falling apart with mounting tension between Solo Sikoa and Jacob Fatu.
It was somewhat of a surprise to see Fatu not win the show-ending triple threat against Damian Priest and Braun Strowman to secure a spot in the Elimination Chamber match (Priest won by winning Strowman), but that prevents Fatu from getting pinned in a match he isn’t going to win. Building to a WrestleMania match pitting Fatu against Sikoa would be interesting, especially because that could then lead to the original Bloodline reforming as Sikoa gets support from Roman Reigns and The Usos.
As for Flair and Stratton, that should be a spectacular match–but one that feels like Flair is bound to win. That is a moment that would be much more beneficial for Stratton, but I can’t see Flair losing that match so close to her return and Royal Rumble victory.
NXT aired Vengeance Day last night, making yesterday packed with wrestling. The most significant takeaway was Stephanie Vaquer defeating Fallon Henley in the opening bout to crown herself the new NXT Women’s North American Champion.
NXT is quickly establishing the most impressive women’s division in wrestling. Overall, this was a very strong show–which ended with Vaquer, NXT Women's Champion Giulia, and Jordynne Grace all together as a reminder that the best is yet to come.
Dee Brown looks back on ‘91 Dunk Contest
Last night, Mac McClung won his third straight NBA Slam Dunk Contest. If you’re wondering who that is, you’re far from alone.
For me, the event was never better than it was in 1991.
That was the year when Dee Brown took the Charlotte Coliseum by storm, no-look dunking and Reebok Pump-ing his way to NBA stardom.
“People still talk about that dunk contest,” Brown shared with me. “The no-look dunk, the Reebok Pumps, that was all so special. It meant a lot for me to become the first Celtic to win the contest.”
Brown seized the basketball world’s attention when, before attempting his first dunk, he knelt down and used the Reebok air pump located on the tongue of his sneakers. That was an unheard of marketing maneuver, but one that felt organic–and left a lasting impression.
Not everyone was impressed. When Michael Jordan offered his assessment, he noted that Brown played it up too much. Decades later, Jordan’s comments still don’t bother Brown.
“Michael may not have liked it, but I did,” said Brown. “He won his [two] dunk contests, I won mine.”
As the competition now tries to hold on to its past glory, Brown reflected on the night that changed the entire trajectory of his career.
“That’s when the Dunk Contest was the marquee event,” said Brown. “Everyone was there.”
USA-Canada exceeds expectations
Last night’s USA-Canada game in the 4 Nations Face-Off hockey tournament featured nonstop physicality. Incredibly, three fights broke out in the first nine seconds of the game.
That torrid start set the tone for a physical game, which was heightened by a passionate crowd in Montreal. The U.S. won, 3-1, securing a spot in the championship–potentially in a rematch against Canada–next Thursday in a game that will be played in Boston.