Ospreay Retains in Paris as AEW Sets Stage for WrestleDream

Key points

• Will Ospreay defeated Kazuchika Okada to retain the AEW World Championship in the main event of Grand Slam France.
• Mercedes Moné retained the AEW Women's World Championship against Queen Aminata, followed by a post-match attack from Thekla.
• Darby Allin retained the TNT Championship against Kyle Fletcher in a highly physical match.
• AEW Collision featured Young Bucks retaining the Tag Team Titles and Andrade El Idolo setting up a National Title match with Tommaso Ciampa for WrestleDream.
• Speedball Mike Bailey qualified for the Clockwork Carnage match at WrestleDream by defeating Lee Moriarty.

Background

AEW's Grand Slam France event marked the promotion's debut in Paris, following a series of events in Glasgow in August. The card built on previous feuds, including Ospreay's rivalry with Okada and Moné's ongoing storyline with Thekla. The event also served as a lead-in to WrestleDream, scheduled for October 17 in Orlando.

How outlets are covering it

Bleacher Report praised the overall quality of Grand Slam France, giving the event an A- grade and highlighting the main event as a standout. Sports Illustrated focused on the Collision tapings, emphasizing the setup for WrestleDream. Fightful provided detailed spoilers for both events, noting the post-match confrontations that set up future matches. AEW's official preview highlighted the significance of the title matches and the Clockwork Carnage qualifier.

Why it matters

The results from Grand Slam France and Collision set the stage for WrestleDream, a major pay-per-view event. The title defenses and new feuds, particularly involving Ospreay, Moné, and Andrade El Idolo, will shape the narrative leading up to the event. The Clockwork Carnage qualifier adds an additional layer of intrigue for the AEW World Championship.

What to watch

AEW will air its regular Collision episode on October 10, followed by WrestleDream on October 17 in Orlando. The event will feature the Clockwork Carnage match for the AEW World Championship, as well as the National Title bout between Andrade El Idolo and Tommaso Ciampa.