Written By Gino Lewis
Intro – Greetings Colliders! AEW has called this the biggest show in wrestling history. While that may or may not be true it’s certainly their biggest. There is no reason not to bill it as such. I’ve seen a lot of comments stating the build for All In has been terrible. I don’t see it that way. AEW could have started 2 or 3 weeks earlier but I think the buildup for the show has been tremendous. Other than the brutally early west coast start time and the hangover I’ll likely have, I couldn’t be more excited for the show!
(ZERO HOUR PRE-SHOW) * ROH World Tag Team Championships: Aussie Open (Mark Davis & Kyle Fletcher) vs. Adam Cole & MJF
This is a really interesting matchup for me. I don’t remember a main event where the combatants also challenged for tag team gold earlier in the show. It could go a few different ways. AEW has done a good job building tension between the teams in recent weeks. Even if there is a turn coming in the main event it doesn’t make much sense to have the participants of your main event lose on the pre-show and there isn’t any additional drama needed a loss here would add.
Winners: Better Than You BAY BAY (MJF & Adam Cole)
(ZERO HOUR PRE-SHOW) * FTW Championship: Jack Perry vs. Hook
I haven’t read spoilers so I’m not sure how they set this up. It’s not hard to imagine how it might go. The storyline is solid. However, I might have waited to do the match again and think the angle with the FTW title and ECW legends is a bit more interesting. I really like Jack Perry’s heel character. It seems too soon to end his title run. This also doesn’t seem like the end of the storyline with Perry, Hook, Taz and ECW. I’ll go with Jack to retain over Hook by crook.
Winner: Jack Perry
* AEW World Trios Championship: House of Black (Malakai Black, Brody King & Buddy Matthews) vs. The Acclaimed (Max Caster & Anthony Bowens) & Billy Gunn
There could and probably should be a few title changes on the show. This is one of them. It’s another match with a good story and a result that isn’t obvious to me. It seems like Acclaimed will win based on the storyline. AEW has done poorly to keep the momentum of The Acclaimed after they dropped the titles. They could get some back here. AEW crowds love Daddy Ass/Bad Ass Billy Gunn and Scissoring. It would make sense to give the record-breaking crowd the finish they want in this one. House of Black doesn’t have anything more to gain being Trios Champions, they are already the longest reigning champs. A rivalry with Blackpool Combat Club seems like a good direction for them.
Winners: The Acclaimed (Max Caster & Anthony Bowens) & Billy Gunn
* The Golden Elite (Kenny Omega, Kota Ibushi & Adam Page) vs. Bullet Club Gold (Jay White & Juice Robinson) and Konosuke Takeshita
If there is one match that I’ve been disappointed in the build it’s this one. Kenny Omega especially deserves so much better. Jay White and Kenny both being former leaders of Bullet Club is such an organic story, it seems like a waste to have them face each other in a thrown together match like this. They could main event a PPV. There is a story between Omega and Takeshita but it hasn’t been pushed. The biggest story to come out of this was Hangman not being allowed to enter Collision. That said, I think it will be an awesome match. I’m excited to see it despite the lack of a story. I wouldn’t be surprised if it leads to a feud between Bullet Club Gold and The Elite. One of the more obvious results of the day seems to be Juice Robinson taking the pin here.
Winners: The Golden Elite (Kenny Omega, Kota Ibushi & Adam Page)
* Coffin Match: Darby Allin & Sting vs. Swerve Strickland & Christian Cage
I really liked the storyline in this one. Removing AR Fox for Christian hurts that for me but I definitely see why they did it. I just really liked how Fox came out of nowhere to make the biggest show in AEW history. The beating of 18 year old Nick Wayne in his own garage was intense. Adding Christian to the match seems like some of the random booking we often get on AEW PPV’s. The crowd in London will far prefer booing the crap out of Christian so I get it. As for the match, it should be fun but has a more obvious result than Juice getting pinned. I don’t see this being Sting’s first loss in AEW. After I wrote this, I read that Fox is most likely off the show due to travel issues he may have hidden from management.
Winners: Darby Allin & Sting
* AEW Women’s World Championship: Hikaru Shida vs. Toni Storm vs. Saraya vs. Britt Baker
AEW does too many tournaments and didn’t need one to set up this match. They could have booked the same match based on these 4 women being the main players in the biggest storyline in the women’s division this year. Not that it was a good storyline. I’m OK with the tournament in this case. At least it was somewhat of a story where the wrestlers had to earn their spot. I’m looking forward to this in hoping the women get a chance to shine on the big stage. I’m not sure it will happen. I can see them being limited to 10 minutes or less. I’m picking Saraya to win. She will probably be more over with the crowd than any wrestler on the show. Her winning could be the shot in the arm the women’s division needs. The post-match celebration is what I’m looking forward to most.
Winner: Saraya
* Stadium Stampede 5-on-5 Tag Team Match: Eddie Kingston, Orange Cassidy, Best Friends (Chuck & Trent) & Penta El Zero Miedo vs. Blackpool Combat Club (Jon Moxley, Claudio Castagnoli & Wheeler Yuta), Santana & Ortiz
Chaos. Utter Chaos. That’s what this will be. And I love it! You couldn’t really book the biggest show in AEW history without a match like this. I liked the storyline in that I really didn’t know where they were going. Blackpool Combat Club was feuding against both Best Friends and Lucha Brothers. They ended up booking a wild brawl the crowd will absolutely love. I’ve seen a match like this in person. I’m not exaggerating when I say it was some of the most fun I’ve ever had. It was like a rock concert meeting a wrestling match in an arena. Or stadium in this case. Eddie Kingston’s inclusion really helps. He’s one of the most over performers in AEW and deserves to be on the show. There is an interesting dynamic between him and Santana & Ortiz as they teamed with BCC in Blood and Guts last year. It doesn’t really matter who wins a match like this. Blackpool does somewhat need it after recently losing Blood and Guts.
Winners: Blackpool Combat Club (Jon Moxley, Claudio Castagnoli & Wheeler Yuta), Santana & Ortiz
* Chris Jericho vs. Will Ospreay
I’ll admit I can see why people aren’t excited for this match. I am. I don’t think it’s as big of a mismatch as others. I’m not positive Will will win either. I’ve said a few times I think Jericho has one classic match left in him and Ospreay is exactly the wrestler to get it out of him. The story between Jericho and Don Callis has been excellent. If you read the internet like I do, you’ve known they were doing this match for about a month. It was just a matter of how they would get there. Ospreay didn’t show up until late but it's not like this was thrown together. Chris Jericho means a lot to New Japan wrestling fans. If he didn’t go there to wrestle Kenny Omega at Wrestle Kingdom in 2018, AEW may not exist. Will Ospreay is the biggest star currently wrestling full time in the company. It is a dream match for many even if a lot of American wrestling fans don’t appreciate the significance. I am picking Will Ospreay to win. It wouldn’t shock me if Jericho did. He’s just starting a face run and would be a natural opponent for either MJF or Adam Cole if either were to turn heel.
Winner: Will Ospreay
* “Real” AEW World Championship: CM Punk vs. Samoa Joe
CM Punk may be more polarizing than he’s ever been. It will be very interesting to see how the ginormous English crowd reacts to him. I think there is a very good chance the crowd strongly supports Samoa Joe. He just seems like the type of wrestler fans in England will connect with. Punk may be the type of personality they turn on. It’s another match with a very strong story going in. Not only do they have the backstory form ROH but AEW has put a decent amount of time into building the match. Joe has looked like an absolute monster. It’s been glorious to see. I don’t think Joe has much of a chance to win but I think the crowd will be on fire and I can see both performers stepping their game up on the big stage!
Winner: CM Punk
* AEW World Tag Team Championships: FTR (Dax Harwood & Cash Wheeler) vs. The Young Bucks (Matt & Nick Jackson)
For me there are a lot of matches on the card that are near 50/50 as far as the result. I think this as 50/50 as it gets. Before Cash Wheeler’s legal trouble, I would have picked FTR to win. Now I’m going with the Bucks but it’s far from a lock. I prefer the Bucks to FTR. I like their flippy crazy style better than how FTR follows the rules. That said, the Bucks haven’t been close to FTR’s level in a long time. Especially recently. Of all the matches on the card, this makes the most sense. Without a doubt these are the 2 best tag teams in AEW history. I would have liked Lucha Brothers involved for a triple threat. That’s probably because I am a big fan of theirs. The story has been easy to tell. FTR wants to prove they are the best and need to beat The Young Bucks to do that. AEW has dedicated a lot of TV time building this up. The best part of that was the sit-down interview on Dynamite Wednesday. FTR wants the win more. I personally think The Young Bucks need it a lot more. They had lost momentum before Brawl Out and haven’t recovered from that. This will be a good chance for that to happen. Considering Cash’s recent legal issues, I think the Bucks will and should win.
Winners: The Young Bucks
* AEW World Championship: MJF vs. Adam Cole
Brilliance. That’s the word that sums up the rivalry/bromance between Adam Cole and AEW World Champion MJF. It’s easily the best storyline AEW has ever had. I don’t want it to end but think it should. AEW has served up an Adam Cole heel turn on a silver platter and should follow through with it. I’m going with Adam Cole turning on MJF and winning the title. Again, I think it’s far from a lock. The drama in this match should be something we haven’t seen before and thrilling to watch. Who will turn? When will it happen? There should be multiple spots where both wrestlers have a chance to turn but don’t do it. A finish I would like to see would be if neither turn. MJF could have a chance to cheat near the end of the match. Turn it down and lose because of that. That would be a way to continue the story until Adam Cole eventually turns. Maybe at Full Gear in November. I feel this story could still be very hot in the aftermath of All In. It would be better to end the bromance part of the story too soon rather than let it drag on too long. The way Roderick Strong has been booked makes a heel turn from Adam Cole seem like the likely result. It’s a strong enough finish to an amazing storyline that I would pull the trigger on it. MJF would be incredibly over finally being in full babyface mode.
Winner: Adam Cole BAY BAY
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BONUS The Match I'm Looking Forward To The Most: MJF vs Adam Cole The Match I Care About The Least: Darby Allin & Sting vs. Swerve Strickland & Christian Cage Longest Match: Chris Jericho vs. Will Ospreay
Shortest Match: Jack Perry vs. Hook Excitement Level on a Scale of 1-10 (1 being low, 10 being high): It’s a 10 out of 10 for me. I’ve written a few times that this is the best job AEW has done using their TV time to build a PPV. I believe that to be a true statement. I’d say 8 matches have solid to very good storylines. Even the matches lacking a great story will deliver. Especially in the case of Golden Elite vs Bullet Club Gold & Takeshita. The card isn’t predictable to me. I’d say about half the matches don’t have an obvious winner. MJF and Adam Cole’s amazing story really helps my excitement level. It’s my favorite storyline AEW has pulled off so far. I know there are many wrasslin fans that agree with that. I don’t care if it’s the biggest show in wrestling history of not. It’s definitely the biggest show in AEW history. They have treated it as such and I couldn’t be more excited to watch it!
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