AEW Grand Slam Australia 2026 Hits & Misses

“Hangman” Adam Page vs. Andrade El Idolo

Much like Mina Kimes with football or Steve Jones Jr. with basketball, “Hangman” Adam Page is a TAPE EATER! The man clearly watched film on Andrade El Idolo before their match because he was ready for his opponent’s shenanigans. As he did in his last two outings, Andrade prepared to drop Page with a low blow, but Page knew better.

Page blocked the shot below the belt before delivering one of his own, and one Buckshot Lariat later, he was back in the winner’s circle with a date at Revolution with MJF in hand. The finish served as a shrewd bit of comeuppance, with the babyface hoisting his foe by his own petard. Conversely, Andrade (and Don Callis) can say that he would’ve won if not for Page’s underhanded tactics, so he’s protected in defeat.

Jon Moxley (c) vs. Konosuke Takeshita 

Grand Slam opened with this match for the Continental Title, and Jon Moxley and Konosuke Takeshita did not disappoint in setting the tone for this show. Working within the constraints of a 20-minute time limit, these two superstars tore the house down. The final few minutes were especially good, as Moxley and Takeshita matched the urgency of the moment with some scintillating, frantic exchanges. Unfortunately, for both men, it wasn’t enough to get the win.

Fortunately, for the fans, however, the post-match angle — Moxley and Takeshita jawing at each other before Takeshita hit Mox with a Raging Fire — suggests an impending rematch, likely at Revolution.

A clean sweep for the hometown heroes (and heel)

If you’re a fan who, at least, grew up watching a certain promotion, you’ve gotten used to seeing wrestlers lose in their hometown or home country for the sake of putting HEAT on the heels. For the most part, AEW has eschewed this trope, and that remained true at Grand Slam.

First, we saw the Babes of Wrath — which includes Australia’s own Harley Cameron — retain their AEW Women’s World Tag Team Championships against Megan Bayne and Penelope Ford in a fun match, with Cameron scoring the fall over Ford. Then, in arguably the most cathartic result of the night, Orange Cassidy and “Timeless” Toni Storm bested the Death Riders’ Wheeler Yuta and Marina Shafir in a tornado tag team hair vs. hair match. Once again, the Aussie got the pin, as Storm picked up the 1-2-3 over Yuta to give us what we came to see: The little jerk getting his greasy head shaved.

Finally, in what is hopefully their last match together for a while, Kyle Fletcher outlasted Mark Briscoe in another classic for the TNT Title to cap off his momentous homecoming.

It seems minuscule, but in the macro, these decisions help build goodwill in these towns. The fans in these areas remember positive moments like these, and it impacts how willing they are to give your product another chance.

AEW Grand Slam Australia Misses

…nothing major?

You can quibble with the show’s pacing and some aspects of the booking, but not with its overall quality. It’s a broader reflection of AEW’s current booking. Tony Khan’s creative vision is far from flawless, but since All In: Texas, we have seen a renewed focus on building interesting stories and big, high-stakes matches. Hopefully, that continues.