AEW Grand Slam: France Results — Ospreay vs. Okada Headlines Historic Night in Paris
AEW made history in Paris on Tuesday night, bringing Grand Slam: France to the Adidas Arena for the company's first-ever event in France.
And if you're going to make a first impression, putting Will Ospreay and Kazuchika Okada across the ring from one another is a pretty good way to do it.
Four championships were on the line throughout the night, Samoa Joe and Jack Perry battled for entry into WrestleDream's Clockwork Carnage match, and the ongoing war between the Death Riders and Don Callis Family continued.
With WrestleDream now less than two weeks away, Grand Slam wasn't just about AEW planting its flag in another international market. Several pieces of the next pay-per-view fell into place along the way.
Bandido Retains the ROH World Championship Against Kofi
Bandido opened the night defending the ROH World Championship against Kofi.
Brody King accompanied Bandido while Austin Creed was in Kofi's corner, but there was even more happening around ringside when tensions between Swerve Strickland and Hangman Adam Page boiled over.
Their argument created enough chaos for Bandido to capitalize.
Bandido connected with the 21 Plex and secured the victory to retain the ROH World Championship.
Winner: Bandido — retains the ROH World Championship
There are a lot of moving pieces surrounding AEW right now, and I actually like when matches don't exist completely inside their own little bubble. Swerve and Hangman having unfinished business is practically a law of nature at this point.
Samoa Joe Punches His Ticket to Clockwork Carnage
Jack Perry wanted Samoa Joe.
He got him.
Unfortunately for Perry, he also got a Muscle Buster.
The two met in a Clockwork Carnage qualifying match with a place at WrestleDream on the line. Joe ultimately put Perry away with the Muscle Buster to become part of the field.
Winner: Samoa Joe — qualifies for Clockwork Carnage
More importantly, Joe wasn't finished making his intentions known before the night was over.
We'll get there.
Mark Davis & Jake Doyle Defeat Jon Moxley & Gabe Kidd
The conflict between the Don Callis Family and Death Riders continued when Mark Davis and Jake Doyle took on Jon Moxley and Gabe Kidd.
And this one produced one of the more consequential results of the night.
Davis and Doyle defeated Moxley and Kidd, giving the Don Callis Family another significant victory in an increasingly physical rivalry.
Winners: Mark Davis & Jake Doyle
The result also adds another layer to Mark Davis' upcoming collision with Moxley over the AEW Continental Championship at WrestleDream.
Beating the champion's team before challenging him is exactly the kind of simple wrestling logic that works. Davis now has something tangible to point toward when he says he can beat Moxley.
Darby Allin Survives Kyle Fletcher
Darby Allin and Kyle Fletcher fighting over the TNT Championship was never going to be particularly gentle.
Why would it be?
Fletcher pushed the champion through another physical title defense, but Darby once again found a way to survive.
Allin utilized the Scorpion Death Lock during the battle before eventually delivering two Coffin Drops to put Fletcher away.
Winner: Darby Allin — retains the AEW TNT Championship
Darby's entire wrestling existence seems built around discovering increasingly creative ways to shorten his own life expectancy while somehow winning matches in the process.
It's part of what makes watching him so compelling.
You know he's going to take risks. You know he's probably going to make you wince at least once. And somehow, more often than not, he's still standing when it's over.
Mercedes Moné Retains Against Queen Aminata
Queen Aminata received her opportunity at Mercedes Moné and the AEW Women's World Championship in Paris.
Aminata brought the fight, but Moné ultimately retained her championship and kept her reign intact heading toward WrestleDream.
Winner: Mercedes Moné — retains the AEW Women's World Championship
But Mercedes didn't exactly get an opportunity to enjoy the victory.
Following the match, Thekla confronted the champion.
And that was the important visual.
Mercedes survived Paris.
Now Thekla is waiting for her at WrestleDream.
Sometimes you don't need to overcomplicate the build. Put the champion and challenger in the same space, let them look at each other, and remind everyone that the next fight is coming.
Will Ospreay vs. Kazuchika Okada
Then came the match Paris had been waiting for.
Will Ospreay.
Kazuchika Okada.
AEW World Championship.
These two don't need much introduction to one another.
Their history stretches back years, and Okada entered Paris with a significant advantage in their career head-to-head record. But this wasn't New Japan, and this wasn't the younger Will Ospreay still trying to climb past Okada.
This time, Ospreay walked into the match as AEW World Champion.
Okada repeatedly had answers for the champion, including countering Ospreay's attempts at the Storm Breaker.
But Ospreay kept coming.
Eventually, the champion found the opening he needed and blasted Okada with the Hidden Blade.
One.
Two.
Three.
Winner: Will Ospreay — retains the AEW World Championship
That's a big one.
Not simply because Ospreay retained the championship, but because of who he beat to do it.
Okada has been one of the defining measuring sticks of Ospreay's career. Every time they stand across from each other, there is history attached to it.
Paris gave Ospreay another chapter.
And then Samoa Joe walked onto the stage.
Joe didn't need a twenty-minute promo.
He simply appeared and waved toward Ospreay.
Message received.
Joe had already qualified for Clockwork Carnage earlier in the night, and now the AEW World Champion knows exactly who is coming for him.
AEW Grand Slam: France Results
ROH World Championship: Bandido def. Kofi — Bandido retains
Clockwork Carnage Qualifier: Samoa Joe def. Jack Perry
Tag Team Match: Mark Davis & Jake Doyle def. Jon Moxley & Gabe Kidd
AEW TNT Championship: Darby Allin def. Kyle Fletcher — Allin retains
AEW Women's World Championship: Mercedes Moné def. Queen Aminata — Moné retains
AEW World Championship: Will Ospreay def. Kazuchika Okada — Ospreay retains
Final Thoughts
AEW's first night in Paris did what an international Grand Slam show needed to do.
It gave the French crowd championship wrestling, moved several stories toward WrestleDream and put two of the best wrestlers of their generation in the main event.
Ospreay beating Okada is the result that will understandably receive most of the attention, but Samoa Joe's presence at the end may ultimately be the image that matters most going forward.
Joe qualified.
Ospreay retained.
And then they saw each other.
WrestleDream is coming.
And the AEW World Championship picture just became a lot more dangerous.