Thousands of wrestling fans fi ll Arthur
Ashe Stadium for AEW’s fi rst NYC show
BY DEAN MOSES
New York is an AEW town.
The hard-hitting, smacktalking
antics of All Elite Wrestling
(AEW) has struck a chord
with grapple fans thanks to its
more coherent storyline, match
booking and creative freedom
of its stars when compared to
the time-worn formula of the
WWE.
Utilizing a mixture of icons
such as WCW veteran Sting,
longtime fan favorite Chris Jericho,
and the newly acquired
CM Punk and Bryan Danielson,
in addition to some of the
best young wrestlers currently
stepping into the ring such
as Adam Cole, Darby Allin,
Kenny Omega, Dr. Britt Baker,
MJF and Ruby Soho, AEW has
proven itself to be a viable alternative
to Vince McMahon’s
mainstream WWE product.
The wrestlers of AEW descended
upon the Big Apple on
Sept. 22, for AEW Grand Slam,
one of the biggest and most highly
anticipated events to hit the
city following the restrictions of
the COVID-19 pandemic.
Battling within Queens’
Arthur Ashe Stadium, the extravaganza
drew New Yorkers
from all across the city. Chanting
wrestling catchphrases,
hordes of excited fans rushed
to the arena brandishing signs
and championship belts.
For many, AEW has reignited
the passion for flashy fights
and high-flying action that they
loved as children and teens.
“I grew out of wrestling, but
I saw the AEW pay per view
with CM Punk, and this is not
WWE, this is wrestling — the
stuff I grew up with,” Jorge
Briones said, explaining that
this was his first live show in
eight years. “Here they give
you sportsmanship and athleticism.
I am 41 now; I have been
watching since I was 7 and then
I grew out of it. It wasn’t what it
used to be. But AEW has been a
spark plug,” Briones said.
Schneps Media heard sentiments
like this time and time
again throughout the night.
Max Lasky and Joe Fowler are
not native New Yorkers; however,
that wasn’t going to stop
them from missing the bouts.
“As soon as CM Punk got
back in the game there was no
doubt I had to be here, and neither
of us are from New York,”
Lasky said, going on to explain
that the city’s COVID-19 protocols
made him feel safe to
share space with such a large
amount of fellow fans. “With
the vaccine being as good as it
is in the states right now it was
a no-brainer that we needed to
be here,” Lasky said.
Fowler, who recently moved
to New York from Australia,
came with one match in mind:
“Omega and Bryan is going to
be unreal; I am so excited for
that. I am going to be singing
his theme. Being from Australia,
not much comes to Australia,
so we just watch it on TV. I
grew up watching the WWE, so
being able to come here … I am
TIMESLEDGER | Q 10 NS.COM | OCT. 1 - OCT. 7, 2021
Bryan Danielson makes his AEW debut. Photos by Dean Moses
just so excited.”
With Bryan Danielson versus
Kenny Omega being one of
the most anticipated matches in
history, the face-off at the start
of the AEW Dynamite program
did not disappoint with the pair
giving the roaring crowd a historic
fight that ended in a draw
thanks to a timeout.
In addition to this earthshattering
moment, attendees
were treated to a tag team
match involving Sting and Darby
Allin, and a women’s championship
showdown between
Dr. Britt Baker DMD and Ruby
Soho that served as the main
event, sending the fans home
happy.
Chris Jericho and Jake Hager make their entrance.
Sting takes a jaw-dropping shot.
Ruby Soho takes the fight to Britt Baker.
/NS.COM
