AEW All Out delivered more for fans than All In
AEW put on a historic-level effort with two amazing PPVs in seven days.
If you just look at the magnitude of AEW All In versus the All Out card from this past week, it was clear to many which one would be the better show. Everyone thought All In would be the must-see show because of the historical nature of the show, and All Out would be an afterthought but don’t judge a book by its cover.
Don’t get me wrong All In was a tremendous show and delivered to the enormity of the moment, but All Out depicted everything All Elite Wrestling was built on. The biggest stars on the show were all involved with up-and-coming acts, something that felt like we fans were being sent back to 2019. Whether it was Better Than You Bay Bay facing AEW originals Dark Order, or Konosuke Takeshita pinning Kenny Omega clean, All Out was a night of building multiple talents up.
The discourse going into All Out was that this was a longer episode of Dynamite, and wouldn’t be worth the 50-dollar price tag. I ended up purchasing the show just minutes before it hit the air, and did not regret it one bit. The pacing of the show felt perfect, the crowd was on fire throughout, and the performers were determined to reestablish AEW as the place that was simply for the love of wrestling.
The drama and dark cloud that was constantly over the company’s head for the last 12 months would all be put to the wayside. This wasn’t just a turning of the page for AEW, All Out would be the beginning of a new chapter without CM Punk.
It can’t be understated how much the performers went all out last night, pun intended. It was clear everyone in the back was motivated to give it their all just one week after the biggest event of their careers. They could’ve put on an average pay per view and everyone would’ve been content, but they did not settle for mediocrity.
Bryan Danielson is one talent that embodied the message above. Coming back early from injury with a wrap on his broken right arm to fill the spot of a man who just got fired the day before the show, showed he is one of the cornerstones of AEW. Danielson vs. Starks was my match of the night, and I easily wouldn’t have enjoyed the show as much if Danielson, or his entrance, wasn’t on it.
Another talent that has carried this company on his back at times is the man who won the main event, Jon Moxley. There was something magic about the outsider being fired for causing too many problems, and AEW for lifers getting the main event spot, and delivering. It felt like the performers took AEW back to what it was built on in the first place, and Orange Cassidy vs. Jon Moxley was the embodiment of that.
When you consider living up to show expectations, the pacing of the show, and the message portrayed throughout, it was clear to me All Out was a better show than All In.