AEW All In delivered everything you could want from a show like WrestleMania, providing another perfect moment at the end of a wrestling legend’s career.
There were surprises, years of anticipation paid off and plenty of memorable matches at London’s Wembley Stadium on Sunday.
With four new champions crowned, an icon returning and a former WWE star making his debut, it was a very strong showing for AEW, barring one questionable booking decision and one match that fell a little short of expectations.
Here are five lessons to take away from “All In.”
Golden Age
Bryan Danielson’s storied career added a new chapter with the addition of Swerve Strickland as the perfect partner. Strickland went all out on the American Dragon, hitting him with a Death Valley Driver with the ring bell, leaving him covered in blood, kicking him in front of Danielson’s family sitting at ringside, and the crowd watching every big move Danielson made to try to turn the match around with his career on the line.
Danielson rolled out of the pinfall after receiving a head kick from House Cole, and as the crowd began chanting “YES!”, Danielson started eating kicks from Strickland. The menacing Strickland blocked the first ugly knee, but moments later “The Hangman” Adam Page burst out of the crowd and was shoved away by a horde of security.
It was the call Danielson needed. He hit two ugly knees (Strickland kicked out of the first) and rolled the champion into the LeBell Lock. Strickland squirmed slightly to escape, but Danielson locked it in perfectly, making the champion tap out for the first time in AEW and sending the crowd into a frenzy.
Perhaps the greatest wrestler of all time reached the top once more as AEW World Champion before retiring later this year, and he celebrated his victory in the ring with his wife, Brie, and children Buddy and Birdie, as well as Claudio Castignoli and Wheeler Utah.
Those are the moments and emotions we strive to achieve in professional wrestling, and Danielson and AEW continue to deliver them.
Driven Home
The chemistry between MJF and Will Ospreay in the ring, clad in patriotic trunks similar to Lex Luger’s, was beautiful as their styles clashed and complemented each other when needed. They always had a counter to whatever the other threw at them, even doing a rare springboard moonsault out of the ring after MJF said, “I can flip anybody over.”
Late in the match, Ospreay accidentally knocked down a cameraman and became upset, allowing MJF to grab the American Championship and slam it into Ospreay’s face. Ospreay attempted two pinfall attempts but kicked out. Ospreay then slammed MJF into Bryce Remsburg, knocking out the referee.
MJF threatened a Tiger Driver 91, countering Ospreay’s initial attempt with a low blow, and the champion looked to land a punch on Ospreay (MJF had previously tweeted that his Dynamite Diamond ring had been stolen), but a masked Daniel Garcia blocked the attempt.
Ospreay won the match by using the Hidden Blade and Tiger Driver 91, which Danielson had allowed him to use again, and regained the International Championship. The angry expression on Garcia’s face after he was defeated by MJF in the storyline foreshadowed a heated new feud.
May Day
Mariah May had the early advantage, but after the challenger dropkicked Luther and punched her mother in the audience, “Timeless” Toni Storm fought back, slamming May’s head into the ring steps and knocking her down.
Storm countered with a clothesline, a hip attack, and a Storm Zero against Mei’s three consecutive hip attacks, but Mei kicked out. As the referee was stunned, both fighters exchanged low blow kicks and headbutts, falling to the mat and erupting in excitement at the crowd.
The challenger went to grab the belt, but Luther got there first, and Mei reached for her bloody shoe instead, and the champion stopped Mei, but was unable to hit her with the shoe that her opponent had used to attack her.
Mae retaliated with a running knee to the back and front to score the 1-2-3 on her second Mayday and become the new AEW Women’s World Champion. This match was a fitting end to Storm and Mae’s illustrious 10-month storyline.
A piercing performance
TNT Champion Jack Perry gave Darby Allin his first casket match defeat in a dominant fashion. Perry threw real glass shards into the ring before wrapping Allin’s hands in tape. The two wrestled up the ramp, where Perry shoved Allin through a table and off the stage. Perry then swiftly placed Allin in a body bag and closed the casket lid after Allin resisted one last time.
The Young Bucks entered the ring. They poured gas on Allin and the casket, but the lights went out and Sting came back to help his former partner. The London crowd roared. It will be interesting to see if this is a one-off or if it will lead to another Sting-Allin match. AEW continues to book Perry stronger and stronger.
Money Talk
Mercedes Mohn made a spectacular entrance as the Queen of England in a horse-drawn carriage with corgis inside, and the TBS champion hurt Britt Baker’s pre-injured back early on, generating babyface energy as she struggled to get to her feet.
Baker eventually used an Eddie Guerrero feint to hit the belt and tossed Kamille off ringside, and she finally nearly applied a Lockjaw, but Monet dodged it by wriggling against the ropes and biting Baker’s hand.
The finish was a bit rough and not very well put together, but the damage Monet did to Baker’s back allowed her to get to the Monet Maker and get the win. This match felt a bit disappointing. Nothing bad, well put together, but nothing special apart from Baker’s top rope body slam counter.
Other matches
The Young Bucks defeat FTR and The Acclaimed to retain the AEW World Tag Team Championship
FTR and The Acclaimed teamed up on the Young Bucks early on, but alliances continued to shift midway through, as Max Caster teamed with Nick Jackson to hit Dax Harwood with an EVP Trigger, followed shortly after by Cash Wheeler with a Shatter Machine.
Matt Jackson tried to hit Anthony Bowens with the World Tag Team Championship belts, but Billy Gunn blocked it, The Young Bucks eventually used the belts to their advantage and Nick slammed Dax off the apron, Dax kicked out, but EVP Trigger put them down.
The Grizzled Young Veterans then faced off against the Bucks to a lackluster crowd cheer, and when they attacked FTR the crowd went even quieter – not exactly what AEW was hoping for.
Christian Cage wins Casino Gauntlet Match, Ricochet makes his debut
The Casino Gauntlet match was great, at least aside from the excitement-ruining finish with Swerve. Killswitch came out as Luchasaurus and looked to finally defeat Christian Cage, but then he chokeslammed Kyle O’Reilly and pushed Cage up the top for the pinfall, earning a shot at the AEW World Championship.
The rest was pure fun. Nigel McGuinness, 48, drew huge cheers in his home country in his first fight since retiring in 2011 after battling injury and illness. He had a cool moment in the ring with Zack Sabre Jr.
There was a lot of anticipation as to who would be next. “The Hangman” Adam Page and Jeff Jarrett also showed up, adding new chapters to their stories. Page was so angry that he even put his hands on Karen Jarrett before Ricochet made his big debut and made a big splash. The former WWE star flew around the ring and was hit with a Buckshot Lariat by Page.
Defeating Chris Jericho to win the FTW Championship
Thankfully the feud is over, but at least it ended in an entertaining way. Utilizing FTW rules, Big Bill, Jericho and Brian Keith all attacked Hook at the start of the match, making it a 3-on-1 for parts of the match. Hook got a break when Jericho hit Bill over the head and Hook fell onto the barbed wire boards outside the ring. Keith hit Hook over the head with his belt buckle, but the challenger kicked out for the pinfall.
Taz was so enraged by this that he came off commentary and put Keith into the Tazmission while his son Hook locked the Red Rum on Jericho to regain the FTW Championship. Hook will have to walk away from the FTW Championship at some point, but it remains to be seen if he will be able to return in better shape than before.
Claudio Castagnoli & Wheeler Utah defeated The Patriarchi (c), Bang Bang Gang and House of Black to win the AEW Trios Championship.
Christian Cage was at the center of it all late in the match, pushing Juice Robinson off a tall ladder and pepper spraying Wheeler Utah in the face. When Robinson went for Shayna Wayne, Killswitch came to his aid. When Cage fell, Killswitch tried to lift him up the ladder, but PAC took them down and took the belts, giving the Wild Card team a solid first-round win.
Note
Jamie Hayter, who has been absent since May 2023 due to injury, returned after Saraya and her family came out and tried to hold the show hostage at the end of Zero Hour because he wasn’t on the show.
Willow Nightingale and Tomohiro Ishii defeated Kris Statlander and Stokely Hathaway at Zero Hour. The exchange between Ishii and Hathaway was as entertaining as you’d expect and a lot of fun. Ishii pinned Hathaway, leaving Nightingale to choose the terms for her match against Statlander at All Out.
Biggest winners: Bryan Danielson, Mariah May
Biggest loser: Britt Baker
Best Match: Bryan Danielson vs. Swerve Strickland
Best Entrance: Mercedes Mohn and Swerve Strickland
Grade: a
