These days, you can count on three things from AEW: locker room chaos, a bloated roster and a roster who does put aside all of their differences to put on fantastic pay-per-events. A weak AEW pay-per-view is a rarity as everyone seems to, as Dolph Ziggler might say, show up and show off delivering memorable matches across the board.
I was concerned about All In going into the event. It reminded me of ECW in its final years in that they would announce a pay-per-view. Friday night would roll around and fans would still be wondering what the entire card would be for an event that was only a couple of days away. All In really deserved a better lead-up. Having said that though the roster delivered a strong event although one could argue that it wasn’t “The Biggest Event in Wrestling History” as advertised.
In the main event of the evening “best bros” Adam Cole and MJF went to war over the AEW World Championship. Like The Bloodline in WWE, their bromance is the cornerstone of interest in AEW right now. All In was for all intents and purposes the next chapter in their story.
At the start of the match both men went out to the floor, pulling out Better That You Bay-Bay t-shirts from under the ring and putting them on.
There was an immediate standoff with both men unable to get the upper-hand. MJF extended his hand though. Cole shook it.
“Hey, sportsmanship! One more time!” yelled MJF attempting to get the crowd to chant “Sportsmanship!” and they did.
MJF then poked Cole in the eye. Gotta love that.
MJF showed some remorse though helping Cole up from the mat.
Cole slapped MJF in the face and kick him in the head. As MJF charged Cole, Cole pulled the official in the way.
“Cole, what are you doing?” asked a perplexed MJF. Cole pulled him by the trunks into the turnbuckle. The crowd began to get on Cole’s case. Cole stomped MJF in the corner.
“I am better than you! I had you beat! We may be friends but I am better than you!” screamed Cole in MJF’s face.
Cole ripped off MJF’s t-shirt tossing it into the crowd. MJF looked at Cole in disbelief. Anger spread across his face.
Cole gouged MJF’s eyes. MJF caught his super kick slamming him to the mat and into a top turnbuckle ten times. MJF mounted Cole punching and biting him.
MJF tried for a Panama Sunrise. Cole kicked him in the face. A Heatseeker scored Cole a two count as MJF put his foot on the ropes to break the count. Cole threw MJF to the floor and into the steel steps. Cole stood with MJF on the steps and then drilled him with a brainbuster on them. The official began his count. Cole looked concerned as MJF lay unmoving on the floor. MJF barely beats the count back into the ring. Cole looked conflicted about what to do as he was perched to deliver a Panama Sunrise. MJF got to his feet holding his neck and bleeding shoulder, falling out of the ring.
MJF trips up Cole. He falls face-first on the apron. MJF clears off the announce table.
“You have to do this! It is for the title!” says MJF to himself.
MJF cannot bring himself to Tombstone Cole on the table though. He drops him and lets him go.
Cole though has no such issues and Tombstones MJF minutes later. The table doesn’t break. The crowd calls Cole an “asshole”. Back in the ring, MJF somehow kicks out of a pin. Both men throw punches while on their knees and then back on their feet.
MJF takes a Canadian Destroyer kicking Cole in the face. Cole drops MJF with a Straight Jacket German Suplex on the apron. Cole leaps off the apron giving MJF a Panama Sunrise on the concrete floor.
MJF still kicks out. Cole tries for another. MJF pulls the official in the way. The official takes the move instead. MJF reaches into his trunks and puts on the Dynamite Diamond Ring. MJF once again looks conflicted as he is about to punch Cole. The crowd encourages him to do it. MJF refuses. He puts the ring back into his trunks.
Roderick Strong appears. He kicks MJF in the “lower abdomen”. Strong yells at Cole to pin him. Cole lands another Panama Sunrise and a Boom. He has MJF pinned. A dazed official can barely make the count. MJF kicks out at two.
Strong throws the championship belt in the ring. He tells Cole to clobber MJF. Cole rips off his t-shirt tossing it aside. Cole thinks about hitting MJF. He throws the belt to the floor though. Strong storms off. MJF simply just rolls up Cole for the pinfall.
While MJF clutches the belt in one corner Adam Cole breaks down and cries in another.
MJF abandons the belt crawling over to Cole.
“These people love you either way. Don’t be like that,” says MJF begging the crowd to cheer for Cole. “It could have been either one of us. I got lucky.”
MJF retrieves the RoH World Tag Team Championships. He hands Cole his belt. Cole throws it out of the ring in anger. The crowd boos him.
“I get it! You never gave a s–t about me! All you cared about was the belt! You are a fake piece of s–t! You were never my friend.” yells MJF.
“F—–g take it!” says MJF throwing the AEW World Championship belt to Cole. He stands with his back to Cole daring him to hit him.
Strong returns to the ring saying he is Cole’s real best friend.
“Do it! I know you never cared!” simpers MJF.
Cole throws the belt to the mat as Strong throws a tantrum.
Cole and MJF hug it out. The crowd cheers both men.
All In London Results
Zero Hour Pre-Show
There was a contract signing between “Powerhouse” Hobbs and Miro for their match at All Out next weekend. Hobbs explained that Miro hasn’t signed the contract yet. Hobbs insulted the crowd calling them “chavs”. Miro’s music hit. Miro came down to the ring, signed the contract and shoved the table out of the way. The crowd chanted “F–k him up, Miro! F–k him up!”. The two got into a brawl. Miro clotheslined Hobbs out of the ring. Miro: Next week at All Out redemption is coming for you!
As Tony Schiavone was thanking the crowd, Jeff Jarrett, Jay Lethal, Karen Jarrett, Satnam Singh and Sonjay Dutt came down to the ring. Jeff Jarrett ran down UK fans saying American wrestlers paved the way for All In. He even insulted the historic World of Sports show. He praised American promotors as the fans told him to “Shut the f–k up!”. This brought out the Paul Wight, Anthony Ogogo and Grado. Wight knocked out Singh with one punch as Dutt and Lethal are flattened. Wight headbutts Jarrett, Ogogo haymakers him and Grado breaks his own guitar over his head.
Aussie Open (Mark Davis and Kyle Fletcher) (c) vs. MJF and Adam Cole – ROH World Tag Team Championship Match
MJF and Cole received a massive ovation as they make their entrance. As MJF and Cole are readying to do their “Boom!” pose in the middle of the ring they are blindsided by Aussie Open. MJF and Cole didn’t even have time to take off their matching jackets. Aussie Open hoists MJF and Cole onto their shoulders, sprints towards each other and rams their backs together on the floor. The bell rings to finally start the match so Davis covers MJF for a two count. MJF gets out of trouble by poking both men in the eyes. MJF leaps to tag in Cole. Fletcher pulls Cole off the ring apron so he can’t. MJF hits a drop toe-hold on Davis which causes him to fall and head butt Fletcher in the “lower abdomen”. MJF rolls by Davis to finally tag in Cole. Cole gets a two with a backstabber on Fletcher. Davis pulls Fletcher on the floor to avoid the double clothesline. Fans are seen throwing around an inflatable kangaroo in the crowd. MJF barely kicks out of the Aussie Arrow. The crowd cheers for MJF. MJF blasts Aussie Open with a kangaroo kick. MJF and Cole land their double clothesline on Fletcher for the pin.
Winners: …and new ROH World Tag Team Champions, MJF and Adam Cole.
Rating: 7.5 / 10
Jack Perry (c) vs. Hook – FTW Championship Match
Perry arrives in a limo, stands on top of it holding the FTW Championship in the air. Hook leaves the ring heading to the limo. With FTW rules in place both men brawl up the rampway to the limo. The limo driver high-tails it out of there. Hook throws Perry over the hood and whips him into an open door of the limo. Both men fight on the roof. Perry suplexes Hook on the roof. As Hook lays on the roof Perry hits RVD’s Rolling Thunder for a two and a half.
Jack Perry takes a shot at CM Punk and the AEW officials who stopped him from using real glass in a recent segment. He taps the windshield and says: You know what this is? Real glass. Cry me a river.
Hook reverses things on Perry Fisherman Bustering him on the windshield. The window is left with spider web cracks and an imprint of Perry’s back. Perry gets up with cuts on his arm. The match heads back to the ring. Perry puts a trash can on Hook’s chest. He goes for a moonsault but Hook rolls out of the way. Hook clotheslines Perry head over heels. As Perry gets to his knees Hook hits him with the trash can in the head. Perry taps out to Redrum.
Winner: …and new FTW Champion, Hook.
Rating: 7 / 10
All In London Main Card
CM Punk (c) vs. Samoa Joe – “Real World Championship” Match
Punk gets mostly a positive reception as he enters the arena with fans singing his theme song that switches quickly as the fans seem to be behind Joe.
Punk chops Joe in a corner. Joe barely flitches. Punk keeps chopping Joe dodging his return chops. Joe suplexes Punk but Punk holds on. The fight goes to the floor. Joe sets up Punk in a corner on the floor. Punk runs back into the ring after a fan gives him the double birds right in his face. Joe catches Punk the ropes chopping him back and forth. Punk leaps off the top rope. Joe just keeps walking. Punk hits the floor. Joe sits Punk in a chair nailing him with a running boot. Punk rams Joe into a steel post. Punk goes for a hurracanrana off the apron. Joe catches him and swings him through the bottom of the announce table.
Punk emerges bleeding from the forehead. Punk cannot win back any momentum in the ring. Joe chops, punches, kicks him down every time. A kick to the head sends Punk into the ropes where he just folds up. Joe goes old school with an Inverted Atomic Drop and a senton for a two count.
Punk slips out of the Muscle Buster roundhouse kicking Joe in the head. Punk motions like Hulk Hogan to the crowd then lands a leg drop on Joe. Joe is up in one, popping up like Hogan used to. Punk is stunned. Punk hammers on Joe’s back. Joe walks around the ring absorbing the shots. Joe points that famous finger in Punk’s face then labels him with punches.
Another kick almost KOs Joe. Punk pays homage to Terry Funk with a spinning toe hold on Joe. Punk lines up Joe for his running knee strike. Joe slams him to the canvass. While both men are on the top rope, Punk bites Joe’s head. The crowd boos. A Pepsi Plunge from the top rope pins Joe.
Winner:…and still the Real World Champion, CM Punk.
Rating: 8 / 10
The Golden Elite (Kota Ibushi, Kenny Omega, and “Hangman” Adam Page) vs. Konosuke Takeshita and Bullet Club Gold (Juice Robinson and Jay White)
The Gunn Club comes down to the ring with Robinson and White and remain at ringside. Hangman outwrestles Robinson at the start. He tags in Omega. They chop Robinson back and forth. As Ibushi is tagged in Robinson back off tagging in White. Ibushi dares White to clobber him with forearm after forearm. Ibushi takes him down with a kick.
Omega knocks White and Takeshita out with his Terminator Splash. White dodges Omega’s attack. Omega lands awkwardly on his leg or wrist. The heels focus their attack on Omega’s injury. The official loses control. The match turns into skirmish in the middle of the ring. Takeshita rockets off the ropes taking Omega head over heels with a running, diving clothesline.
The heels go back to centering their attention on Omega’s knee and ankle. Robinson gets a two count with a Left Hand of God. Omega barely kicks out. Omega is about to hot tag Hangman in. The Gunn pulls Hangman and Ibushi off the apron.
Hangman tags in diving on both White and Robinson back and forth on the floor. Ibush and Omega do their simulataneous dives off the top rope onto the heels. The crowd starts chanting: Golden Lovers!
White kicks out of Ibushi’s Half and Half Suplex. It is down to Takeshita and Omega slugging it out in the middle of the ring. White and Robinson are in and both get a Snap Dragon Suplex from Omega. Takeshita almost pins Omega with a Blue Thunder Bomb which the announces claim was handed down from El Generico (Sami Zayn in RoH).
Hangman attempts his Buckshot Lariat. The Gunns jump up on the apron to distract him. Hangman punches both in the face knocking them down. White pushes Takeshita out of the way of Hangman’s Buckshot Lariat. White suplexes Hangman. As Omega is busying giving White and Robinson V-Triggers, Takeshita slides into the ring rolling up Omega for the win.
Winners: Konosuke Takeshita and Bullet Club Gold (Juice Robinson and Jay White)
Rating: 8 /10
FTR (Dax Harwood and Cash Wheeler) (c) vs. The Young Bucks (Matt Jackson and Nick Jackson) – AEW World Tag Team Championship Match
FTR have tribute armbands on with the words “Jay, Bray and Brodie” on them.
A fan has a sign which reads: “Fear the Revolver”.
Wah! Wah! Waaaaah!
The crowd seems quite split on who they are backing. Out of the gate, Nick Jackson is on a roll outwrestling Cash Wheeler. Nick holds out Cash’s arm as Matt leaps off the top rope stomping on it. Cash catches Matt powerslaming him to the match. Dax picks up Cash slamming him on Matt.
Things break down as both teams trade haymakers in the ring. FTR wins that round by clotheslining the Bucks to the mat. The Young Bucks kip back up. The brawl continues. The Bucks double clothesline FTR over the top rope to the floor. Dax clips the side of the announce table as he tumbles over. Matt splashes FTR on the floor as Nick holds them in place.
The Bucks work over Cash as Dax remains dazed on the floor. The keep Cash isolated just punishing him. Dax is superkicked off the apron making it so Cash cannot tag out.
“Let’s go Young Bucks! FTR!” chants the crowd.
Nick dives off the ropes. Cash catches him with a simple punch to the jaw. Cash hot tags Dax who unloads on both Young Bucks with solid jabs. He suplexes one Buck on top of the other. It is a battle of the suplexes. He German Suplexes Matt three times. Matt does the same to Dax with his Locomotion trio of suplexes. Dax catches Nick diving off the ropes slingshot powerbombing him to the mat. Dax puts Matt into a Sharpshooter. Cash does the same thing to Nick but on the apron.
A spike piledriver on Dax scores the Bucks a two count. Dax ducks out of a BTE Trigger. The Bucks kick themselves in an rare misfire. Cash spears Nick Jackson off the apron. FTR crushes Matt with their FTR Trigger. They both kiss him on the side the face before they drop him with a Shatter Machine. Matt kicks out.
The Bucks succeed with their BTE trigger. Cash saves Dax from the pinfall. The Bucks give Dax a Shatter Machine, a BTE Trigger to Cash but Cash kicks out. The Bucks attempt the Meltzer Driver. Dax catches Matt in midair. FTR put him away with a Shatter Machine.
Winners: …and still AEW World Tag Team Champions, FTR.
Rating: 8.5 / 10
Eddie Kingston, Orange Cassidy, Best Friends (Chuck Taylor and Trent Beretta) and Penta El Zero Miedo vs. Blackpool Combat Club (Jon Moxley, Claudio Castagnoli, and Wheeler Yuta), Santana, and Ortiz – Stadium Stampede Match
The Blackpool Combat Club comes through the crowd on the floor. The faces come through the entrance way. Eddie Kingston shoves his way through everyone running down to the ring. He and Claudio crash together on the entrance way.
There is too much action, chaos to call. Here are the highlights:
- Trent dives off the top rope to the floor but hits a trash can on the way down held up by Santana.
- Moxley drives a branding iron into Trent’s head in a tribute to Terry Funk.
- Penta takes out both Proud and Powerful with chair shot after chair shot when they attempt a Street Sweeper on Trent in the ring.
- Moxley pulls out wooden skewers from a bag. Penta smashes Moxley with a chair to the head and then pounds the skewers into Moxley’s forehead. Moxley stands up and many of them remain stuck in his head just waving around in the air.
- Moxley stabs Orange Cassidy in the head with a fork from behind. He stabs him over and over in the forehead as he crumples to the mat. He brainbusters Cassidy on a steel chair.
- Wheeler Yuta suplexes Taylor on a ringside barricade in the parking lot in the back.
- Proud and Powerful slams Trent on a ladder set in a corner of the ring. The crowd chants…Welcome back! Trent is spiked on a barbed wire board.
- Trent’s Mom arrives in a van. Moxley leans in the van kissing Sue. Trent brains Claudio with a tray of Sue’s cookies.
- Penta reappears in new gear as his Penta Obscuro persona. He and Santana fight on top of a ladder. It buckles and breaks. Penta sunset flips Santana off of it and two tables anyhow.
- Cassidy DDTs Moxley on shards of glass.
- Kingston fights off both Moxley and Claudio in the ring. He puts Moxley through a table.
- Cassidy pins Claudio with Orange Punch with his hand wrapped in glass.
Winners: Eddie Kingston, Orange Cassidy, Best Friends (Chuck Taylor and Trent Beretta) and Penta El Zero Miedo.
Rating: 6 / 10
Hikaru Shida (c) vs. Toni Storm vs. Saraya vs. Dr. Britt Baker, D.M.D. – AEW Women’s World Championship Match
Storm and Saraya work together on Shida powerbombing her. They then double-team Baker. They argue while attempting to pin Baker. Saraya says: We talked about this!
Saraya slams Shida off the top rope onto the ring apron.
Saraya’s mother, Saraya Knight, is seated at ringside. When Storm brings Baker over. Knight holds her for some shots but Storm hits Knight instead. Knight wants to hop the rail. She is held back. Saraya is not happy. She argues with Storm and punches her. The Outcast members fight.
As Storm rips off a turnbuckle and bashes Saraya’s neck into it, Ruby Soho comes running out. Soho tries to play peacemaker. Storm punches her in the face. Soho just leaves the ring and walks away.
Baker kicks Storm who calls on Saraya for a two count. This pisses her off even more.
Shida Falcon Arrows Baker onto Saraya. She scores a two count with a Meteora from the top rope. Baker clamps The Lockjaw on Shida. Storm enters the ring with the championship belt. Saraya sprays paint in her face. Saraya pins Storm with the Night Cap.
Winner: …and new AEW Women’s World Champion, Saraya.
Rating: 4/10
Darby Allin and Sting vs. Swerve Strickland and Christian Cage (with Prince Nana and Luchasaurus) – Coffin Match
A video plays before the match. Sting and Darby are in an alley somewhere. Sting is dressed like Papa Shango or Jack The Ripper in a top hat and overcoat. He takes off his hat to reveal that half of his face is painted like The Joker.
Wembley goes nuts when Metallica’s Seek and Destroy plays harkening back to Sting’s time in WCW.
The match begins with a slugfest. Sting and Christian are left alone in the ring. Swerve attacks Sting from behind. Darby saves him. Darby removes some clothing from the coffin. The coffin has “Swerve’s House” spraypainted inside of it.
Sting takes a cricket bat to Prince Nana and Swerve. Sting and Darby put on hoodies with thumbtacks stuck through them. Darby and Sting Stinger Splash Nana and Swerve corner to corner.
Christian tapes Darby’s hands behind his back. Swerve chokes out Sting with the cricket bat. Darby dives and moonsaults Swerve and Christian with his hands behind his back. Sting frees Darby’s hands.
Sting slams Swerve on the coffin. Christian throws Sting into the steel steps. Darby escapes a Conchairto to stunner Swerve on the apron. Sting dives on Swerve only the table he is on doesn’t break. Sting’s second try, a flying leg drop off the apron, puts Swerve through the table.
Darby sits Christian on a chair. He dives off the top rope with a shotgun drop kick. Christian is placed in the coffin but he stops the lid from closing. Luchasaurus saves Christian. He lawn darts Darby into the coffin lid. Nick Wayne arrives smacking a skateboard across Luchasaurus’ back. A head butt drops Wayne. Luchasaurus chokeslams Wayne on the skateboard. He carries him to the backstage area. They are never seen again.
Darby goes for a Coffin Drop on Swerve. Swerve moves out of the way. Darby goes…Splat!..on the coffin. It is Sting versus Christian and Swerve. Sting has Christian in the Scorpion Deathlock. Swerve hits him with a steel chair in the back. Sting no sells it. The crowd chants: You f—-d up!
Sting hits Swerve with his own chair. Christian uses Sting’s own bat against him. Swerve double stomps Sting from the top rope. Christian and Nana push the coffin into the ring. Christian hurls Darby into the ringside barricade over and over. Swerve puts Sting and his bat in the coffin. Sting uses the bat to keep the coffin lid open.
Sting spikes Swerve with a Stinger Death Drop on the coffin. Swerve puts his hands out to stop the lid from closing. Sting slams the lid again and again on Swerve. Swerve is sandwiched between the lid and the coffin. Darby crushes him with a Coffin Drop. They roll Swerve into the coffin for the win.
Winners: Darby Allin and Sting
Rating: 8 / 10
Will Ospreay vs. Chris Jericho
Fozzy plays Jericho’s theme as he walks out singing. Sammy Guevara comes out with Jericho carrying his bat.
Jericho and Ospreay slap each other over and over. Ospreay splatters Jericho with a Sky Twister Press from the top rope onto the floor. A springboard elbow strike knocks Jericho silly.
Another forearm and chop battle begins. Ospreay wins that. Ospreay comes down hard on his knee. Jericho drop kicks him off the apron to the floor and sends him sprawling with a baseball drop kick. Jericho suplexes Ospreay on the ring apron.
Jericho suplexs Ospreay and stands on his posing. Jericho mocks the crowd daring them to cheer for Ospreay. A standing shooting star press gets Ospreay a two count.
Ospreay puts Jericho in the ropes splashing him for another two count.
A Codebreaker, an Oscutter and a mule kick in the crotch but Ospreay kicks out at just one. Ospreay pins Jericho after two Stormbreakers. Sammy checks on Jericho in the ring as Ospreay celebrates. Jericho walks out on Sammy.
Winner: Will Ospreay
Rating: 7.5 / 10
House of Black (Malakai Black, Buddy Matthews, and Brody King) (c) (with Julia Hart) vs. Billy Gunn and The Acclaimed (Anthony Bowens and Max Caster) – AEW World Trios Championship Match
The Acclaimed don’t “scissor” Billy Gunn. Gunn stands in the ring just staring at The House of Black. It is announced that the match is No Holds Barred. King splashes everyone on the floor. Julia Hart steps in front of Gunn stopping him from leaping too. She slaps Gunn in the face. Caster and Gunn hold Hart’s legs as Bowens hits a leg drop from the top rope on Hart. It takes two Famousers from Gunn, two Arrivals from Bowens and two Mike Drops from Caster to pin King. The House of Black yanks the belts out of the winners’ hands then hand them back.
Winners:…and new AEW World Trios Champions, The Acclaimed and Billy Gunn.
Rating: 6 / 10
MJF (c) vs. Adam Cole – AEW World Championship Match
Winner: …and still AEW World Champion, MJF.
Rating: 9 / 10
All In Summary
The popular main event angle that has indeed taken the wrestling world by storm was the perfect bookend to a very long but great event despite the women’s match surprisingly being the absolute worst bout on the card.
All In was a milestone for AEW, a company only founded four years ago. For them to be able to put on such an event is truly amazing. The trouble with AEW is their events are spectacular but their TV is either mediocre or downright weak for the most part. AEW needs focus and balance if they ever really want to ascend to the next level. They have all the talent to do so as All In proved.