The decision on how to end AEW All Out may be one that's debated for years to come.
The show ended with a “Lights Out” steel cage match, bringing to an end a fantastic long-running feud that in theory would have been hard to follow, but in some ways this clash went too far and in others it didn't go far enough.
This took place in one of the most meaningful swerve angles AEW has ever run and would have been the perfect finish to spark the turnaround for Wednesday's Dynamite.
What we saw on Saturday night at Chicago's Now Arena was an imperfect show, perhaps the most violent in the company's history, but its highlights were enough to overcome some of the doubts we had.
Five lessons learned from going all out
Paradigm Shift
Bryan Danielson successfully defended his AEW World Championship, and an entertaining match ensued.
After defeating Jack Perry, Danielson was attacked from behind by Killswitch, but Jon Moxley, followed by the remaining members of Blackpool Combat Club and PAC, prevented Christian Cage from cashing in his championship match contract.
Warning: brutal violence
Moxley embraced Danielson, but as everyone celebrated, Claudio Castagnoli hit the champion with a European uppercut, Moxley placed a plastic mask over the head of a shocked Danielson, à la Terry Funk, while an emotional Wheeler Utah was held down by PAC.
Fans yelled, “This is murder!” The plastic bag was obviously too much for some.
Danielson finally struggled to escape the bag a bit before AEW personnel made their way to the ring.
Was this the start of Moxley's prophecy that change was coming for AEW and would he signal an end to Danielson's full-time career? How does Cage fit in?
These questions mark the perfect dramatic turning point in the story that concludes Danielson's career.
Throughout the match, Perry, who looks to be a true future main eventer, continued to attack Danielson's injured neck, with the wrestling champion playing off the pain.
Afterwards, referee Bryce Lemberg was in the opposite corner with Danielson checking on Perry, the first running knee from the champion hit the referee and the second hit Perry, but The Young Bucks jumped into the ring before delivering more kicks to Perry's head, The Bucks hit a Meltzer Driver but were chased away by the BCC without Moxley.
Perry hit Danielson with his signature head kick, then went to the corner and taunted, “Yes!”, but Danielson unleashed a Psychonaut. Perry kicked out a second Psychonaut, but Danielson finally managed to kick the challenger in the head, retreated to the corner and hit another Psychonaut. Perry spread his arms in surrender.
Conversion complete
The nearly year-long, bloody feud between “The Hangman” Adam Page and Swerve Stickland needed a big conclusion, but this bout featuring a staple gun provided a bizarre ending that may turn some fans off.
After Strickland, who had been forced to beg, powerbombed him into a cinderblock, hit him repeatedly with a chair, and then laughed and gave him the finger, Page ripped off Strickland's gold teeth grills, stuck a needle in his cheek (perhaps drugged him?), and then slammed him over the head with a cleverly rigged chair for the knockout win.
Fans were yelling for fire at one point after Page burned down Starkland's childhood home with Dynamite, and the only response was Swerve's gear and Page bringing along some wood shards from it as weapons.
Page's first win over Strickland completed his transformation from lovable cowboy to sadistic cowboy, and he seemed done with Strickland for now, refusing to go back and do more damage, ending the show with a cathartic scream. It just didn't feel like he was leaving on a high.
Master Class
Will Ospreay and PAC showed us something very special because at no point was it certain which move would actually land or which fighter would finish off the exchange of attacks. Counter, counter, counter, counter. It all seemed like an incredible feat of speed, athleticism and skill. It's hard to imagine these two could exceed expectations, but they did.
Three scenes stand out that will be in everyone's highlights, especially the final moments.
At the two count, PAC went for an Avalanche Poison Rana, but Ospreay landed on his feet, retreated to the opposite corner and hit a Running Hidden Blade, spinning the challenger like a top. PAC still got a shoulder up for a two count.
This forced Ospreay to hit an Ozcutter off the ropes, but he also felt the need to go for a Stormbreaker, Pac countered with a Hurricanrana, but Ospreay managed to hit a Styles Clash and a Hidden Blade to regain the International Championship.
After the match, Ospreay called Ricochet backstage, with the former WWE star saying that his winning streak had him meeting the champion soon.
Coming full circle — and beyond
It's hard to explain the finish between MJF and Daniel Garcia, unless AEW is trying to turn him heel or Garcia hasn't re-signed yet. Though Garcia lost the match, the match fulfilled the physical element of the storyline with high-level mat wrestling and transitional action as both men wanted to end the other's career.
MJF kicked out on a regular piledriver, so Garcia attempted a top rope version that his opponents had used to render him unable to fight for weeks during the storyline.
MJF blocked it, pulled the referee in front of him to create an opportunity for a low blow, and then rolled up the neck of a storyline-injured Garcia for the win.
Garcia got a little revenge after the insincere handshake, countering MJF's kick with a low blow kick. He hit a piledriver off the top rope and kissed MJF's heat before walking out through the less-than-cheering crowd. The low blow kick back was enough to remind us of how this match began.
Other than Garcia not wanting MJF to lose to him on consecutive PPVs, it didn't make sense for him to go for a top rope piledriver during the match and then go for it after the match. It wasn't prompted by anger over losing. We'll see how MJF takes this move.
I want more
The finish of Mercedes Monet's bout could be improved upon after two straight flat finishes, but this one could be altered by a possible injury. We might see Monet say something to Hikaru Shida after she was kicked in the head late in the bout.
Mone landed three consecutive Falcon Arrows, followed by a knee strike and seemed to parry all of the attacks from the TBS title challenger. Three Katana kicks to the head sent Mone swiftly tumbling out of the ring and starting the tug-of-war over the kendo stick that was such a big part of their story. Shida brought it into the ring but didn't use it in a moment that lacked drama.
Shida attempted a Meteora but missed, then Monet aimed for Shida's knee, the challenger was initially able to dodge a Moneymaker attempt, but the champion kicked Shida in the back of the knee and scored her finisher for the win, with Kamille's absence at ringside playing a major role.
The crowd was more invested in this match than Monet vs Britt Baker's match at All In, and while she and Shida certainly had good chemistry, the babyface challenger's physical dominance in the closing stages of the match meant that it failed to fully engage the crowd, causing an otherwise entertaining match to fall a little flat in the closing stages.
Other matches
Kris Statlander defeats Willow Nightingale in a Chicago Street Fight
This was everything we needed especially following Ospreay vs. PAC. The street fight action never stopped except for a well-timed break. Both men went through tables outside the ring, Nightingale smashed Statrunner through the barricade and into a light tube on the stage, and Statrunner eventually fought back with a running spear off the ramp and through two tables.
Returning to the ring, the thumbtacks were retrieved and Stuntlander hit Nightingale with the iron chain, finally binding the two together. After one last look at the two former friends falling together, Stuntlander hoisted Nightingale up into a Tombstone, then put him in a Modified Crossface, then pulled him back with the chain still in his mouth, forcing him to submit.
It's been a tough year for Nightingale, but Statlander's heel persona is really starting to take shape and he may be starting to play catch-up.
The Young Bucks defeated Claudio Castagnoli and Wheeler Utah to retain the AEW Tag Team Championship
Most of this match was pretty standard, with plenty of solid action, but a lack of excitement that could have easily been left to Dynamite. Castagnoli and Yuta looked like they were headed for the win, as Castagnoli suplexed Matthew Jackson off the top rope, then threw Yuta off the top rope for a splash, but Matthew got his knee up and rolled Yuta up, and Nicholas held down Castagnoli's leg from outside the ring, preventing the pin from being broken up.
Kuzuchika Okada defeated Orange Cassidy, Mark Briscoe, and Konosuke Takashita to retain the continental title
AEW will have to unleash their best match-maker of the year in Okada when they need to, but for now, he defended his championship in the fastest match on the card. All four men made the most of the time with a fast pace and plenty of powerful attacks, but compared to everything else, this was pretty forgettable. Okada countered Cassidy's Orange Punch into a Rainmaker for the win. Given their history, these two likely have more stories to tell if AEW wants to go that far.
Biggest winners: “Hangman” Adam Page
Biggest loser: Swerve Strickland, Willow Nightingale
Tonight's matches: Will Ospreay vs. PAC
Grade: B+
