14 THE QUEENS COURIER • SEPTEMBER 30, 2021 FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM
Thousands of wrestling fans fi ll Arthur
Ashe Stadium for AEW’s fi rst NYC show
BY DEAN MOSES
editorial@qns.com
@QNS
New York is an AEW town.
Th e hard-hitting, smack-talking 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.
Th e 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 fl ashy fi ghts and high-fl ying 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,
Photo by Dean Moses
explaining that this was his fi rst 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.
amNewYork Metro 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 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 fi ght that ended in a draw
thanks to a timeout.
In addition to this earth-shattering
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.
Bryan Danielson makes his AEW debut.
Chris Jericho and Jake Hager make
their entrance.
Danielson
unleashes a
fl ying kick.
Danielson drops in on Omega.
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