Quick Thoughts: AEW All In 2025

Feels weird to actually do this for an All In instead of being there. I can only hope that Tony Khan as by way of a gesture of good will books Master Wato and Hologram at Forbidden Door.

Anyway, although it’s earlier in the year we’ve reached the biggest show in the AEW calendar. While other companies look to throw together shows in the name of counter programming and throwing their women’s roster under the bus putting them running the same time as a Beyoncé concert literally right across the road I has to be said this year AEW has been superb. Not everything is a hit and I’ve been vocal in the first quarter on how I have not liked the Death Riders but things are hitting, feelings are restored and in front of the biggest crowd they have had in America AEW looks to makes more history. A strong card with a lot of big matches I’ll be covering my thoughts one by one as ever. I’m writing this the Thursday before All In who knows seeing as the pre show starts at 6pm UK time I may even have the energy to cover the pre show.

Just want to add how fun Supercard of Honor was. Man Bandido vs. Takeshita was incredible and a must watch if you haven't done already. These ROH PPVs are always good but you need to bring that energy and want to watch to the weekly shows. 

Buy In

Hey look it's a big show why not cover it all. 

Sons of Texas (Dustin Rhodes, Marshall Von Erich, Ross Von Erich, and Sammy Guevara) (with Kevin Von Erich) vs. Shane Taylor Promotions (Shane Taylor, Capt. Shawn Dean, Lee Moriarty, and Carlie Bravo) (with Anthony Ogogo)
Thought we would see Dustin Rhodes in the Casino Gauntlet given it's in Texas but this probably works better as he'd just be a body in that. It's in Texas so having Dustin and the Von Erich's added late on is just a hope for a few extra walk ups to see hometown (or is it state) heroes. Shane Taylor Promotions just isn't a group I'm into with exception of Lee Moriarty who I think is great. I guess Sammy and Dustin are doing double duty. I mean it was a match I have nothing to add or say gets the Texas lads on the show for the homestate people and I imagine this match was reduced to save Dustin and Sammy for the now TNT title match to keep them as good a possible. Dustin doing 3 matches in 2 days at his age, fair play. 

My Dropkick Rating: 2  

"Big Boom!" A.J. and The Conglomeration (Hologram, Kyle O'Reilly, and Tomohiro Ishii) (with Big Justice and The Rizzler) vs. Don Callis Family (Hechicero, Lance Archer, Rocky Romero, and Trent Beretta)
Still don't care for the Costco people, still never been to Costco but Hologram and Hechicero are in this so let's go. I do find it funny the more matches AJ does the more people that add to it. Gotta add people to the All In card and fill the match with actual wrestlers, I respect it. When are we getting El Clon? I know that trademark is given maybe The Don Callis Family are gonna feud with The Hologram and get a  ew luchador in being El Clon, let me hope and dream for more Hologram lore. Look man just give me Hologram vs. Hechicero one on one their interactions were great. You know I don't get the Costco stuff but this matches are always a bit of fun. Never the greatest matches but it's fun and this one had enough good talent to get a good time.  

My Dropkick Rating: 2.5

FTR (Cash Wheeler and Dax Harwood) (with Stokely) vs. The Outrunners (Truth Magnum and Turbo Floyd)
This really feels like a let's just do a rematch because the first one was so good and hey I feel it. The first match between the two of these helped to sell The Outrunners as a legitimate team and FTR should have a match at All In given they have been a big featured act. Look if Cody Rhodes can promote vodka to children then The Outrunners can dress as packs of cigarettes. Both these teams love old school gimmicks and/or wrestling and this was a real classic traditional tag match. They build to that Turbo hot tag and the crowd responded in kind. Godo fun match didn't like it as much as their first match but was super fun. I'd have a third match with Stokely in a shark cage. 

My Dropkick Rating: 3.25

Main Show

AEW World Trios Championship Match: The Opps(Katsuyori Shibata, Powerhouse Hobbs, and Samoa Joe) (c) vs. Death Riders (Claudio Castagnoli and Wheeler Yuta) and Gabe Kidd 
They just replaced the angry British man with another British man who's just bald. Good to get the Trios titles defended on the show when they've largely been forgotten and not defended as The Opps just became part of the face army against the Death Riders. This feels like one of those have the heel faction win earlier in the show to freak everyone out on the main event (just have Hangman win PLEASE). I kinda want more Shibata vs. Gabe singles matches, I got to be honest that's a real fun story that needs more matches. This was a real fun opener different to the Trios opener last year but still a real fun time. Good start, nothing special but a fun time. More Gabe vs. Shibata please. Building up fear for the main event with the post match beatdown by taking out Hangman's allies. Please just don't make me sad Tony. 

My Dropkick Rating: 3

Men’s Casino Gauntlet
Looking at the field we could have I think this has the makings of a fun one. Really this has been built around MJF and his various issues in wrestling with both Mark Brisoce and Mistico. This are always hard to give thoughts until they happen as you don’t know the full field of wrestlers (and I’ll say the same for the women’s one I wrote this first depends on match order). I love these matches honestly they're such fun and this also gave spotlights to undercard wrestlers like Mortos and Bowens but also add to the feuds with MJF for Mistico and Briscoe. Super fun looking forward to the womens one.

My Dropkick Rating: 4

TNT Championship Match: Adam Cole (c) vs. Kyle Fletcher

TNT Championship Match: Daniel Garcia vs. Kyle Fletcher vs. Dustin Rhodes vs. Sammy Guevara 
Look what a year Kyle Fletcher has had. At All In last year he was in a 16 man tag (lol) on the pre show that I only remember for two reasons. One was losing track on who was on what team and my friend I went to All In with sighing and saying ‘oh not fucking Rocky Romero’ when Rocky came out. Now he’s a top heel and star of the company and he should be winning the belt here. Adam Cole I mean he’s never gonna be the Adam Cole of old just because of how bad that leg injury was but I expect this to be a good match. I liked what we got previously so a match with a real ending would be nice. Honestly a Fletcher TNT title run with more matches against Garcia & Bowens could be great.

One day I will learn just do as the show goes live again. Here's a lesson kids, don't try to get ahead when reviewing wrestling show. Awful news for Adam Cole I wish him the best. His speech was really upsetting. I feel so bad for by all account a really lovable and likable guy. Whatever he is able to do in life I hope he can do it as healthy and as happily as he can. 

It's one hell of a chance for Sammy to get himself back on Dynamite and Collision consistently with a good showing here. Also good for Dustin, he deserves a big moment even if it is just getting an entrance for a big title match on AEW's biggest show. That shattered dreams spot made me laugh man. These guys did what they could with the sad news for Adam Cole with a crowd upset about that and I tink if you watch the match in isolation at a later date you'd love it more. Awful news for Adam Cole I wish him the best. Fletcher can just say he never got a 1 on 1 match he won he can win that title quick style the crowd needed a boost after the sad news for Adam Cole. Congrats to Dustin a moment in history. 

My Dropkick Rating: 2.75

Swerve Strickland and Will Ospreay vs. The Young Bucks (Matthew Jackson and Nicholas Jackson)
Big time match with big time stipulations but when you have some of the very best in thr world you expect a show stealer. Young Bucks one of the best tag teams of all time and put against two of the best singles wrestlers it can create magic I mean it worked on the first Revolution show. Great to see Jojo and I've been thinking when will Swerve use Ain't Nobody again. Sorry that Young Bucks entrance took so long it gave me a chance to read the news Andy Carroll had signed for Dagenham and Redbridge (HMS Piss the League now in full force) but what a heel entrance. I liked the intial part of the match having the two singles guys not being able to function like a team and then feeling it more as the match went on. It's a simple but right story, two singles guy should be as good as a seasoned tag team right off the bat. This matched ruled as expected great stuff wonder where all four men do now. 

My Dropkick Rating: 4.5

Women’s Casino Gauntlet
Real good roster for AEW regarding women these days. I do think they have a strong group and this should hopefully be used to build more feuds and programs going forward. Look AEW stumbled into Thekla and Queen Aminata having insane chemistry let’s see what else happens. As far as the two gauntlets my initial thoughts as I sit here freezing as my office air conditioning is on full blast I do think this is the gauntlet that will have more bells and whistles. Saw Ruby Soho was training on her Instagram story the other week I wonder if we’ll see her back here, would be a strong place for a debut as well I mean if we’re gonna get the women’s tag titles as expected then we should build solid depth and then work out actual tag teams (give me tag names and attires please let’s take tag team wrestling seriously). Let’s see what happens. Good to see Syuri & Windsor and man I'm shocked to see Athena win but that's great let's see where that goes.

My Dropkick Rating: 4

AEW World Tag Team Championship Match: The Hurt Syndicate (Bobby Lashley and Shelton Benjamin) (c) (with MVP and MJF) vs. JetSpeed (Kevin Knight and "Speedball" Mike Bailey) vs. The Patriarchy (Christian Cage and Nick Wayne)
Man I’ve asked for a while for viable challengers for a while a little did I think Kevin Knight and Mike Bailey would be them. The never say die babyface team always is fun especially with how good they are and The Patriarchy are a real sneaky team to win, you combine it with the injury or weaken them angle with The Hurt Syndicate this could be a shock title change. Surprised at the placement of this and the fact they don't use it as a break between the biggest 3 main event matches. Oh well, such is life let's see how the match goes. This was a fine match but I don't get how Nick is the heel for turning on the man who's bullied him all this time I dunno. COPE is back telling Christian to find God or something weird ass promo but Edge & Christian is my favourite team so I fuck with it and give him them the belts. 

My Dropkick Rating: 2.75 

AEW Women's World Championship Match: "Timeless" Toni Storm (c) vs. Mercedes Moné
As far as the biggest match for women’s division you couldn’t get bigger than this. Look if Mercedes wins don’t vacate the TBS title. She should lose it even if it’s a triple threat and she doesn’t get pinned if you want to save that first actual loss. Keep getting the belts (get rid of the queen of south side title RevPro why is it the only south side title still on show) and just keep winning. I’m sure she’ll win the ROH women’s title at some point but that’s a story for another time. I am surprised I thought Mercedes would win for sure so it's a real statement that Toni is the women in the company. I do wonder what's next for both women.

My Dropkick Rating: 4.25

Winner Takes All: Kazuchika Okada (Continental) vs. Kenny Omega (International)
Well we’ve finally made it. Alongside Okada vs Tanahashi it’s one of those feuds which changed wrestling to what we have now. The big in ring spectacles leave a huge expectation and maybe I should have watched the 2 out of 3 falls and the Wrestle Kingdom match in the last month as it makes me want more. These guys are older more banged up but I think this match will tell a different story to their previous encounters and I’m interested in what that might be. It's a good match but it's not like their previous match, both are older and more hurt it was a good mach. But still shocked Okada won.

My Dropkick Rating: 3.75

AEW World Championship Texas Death Match: Jon Moxley (c) vs. "Hangman" Adam Page
Right ok I mean this is the moment, please let it be the moment. I've said here before my feeling on Death Riders are on the upswing comparred to previous months especially before and round Revolution (well done COPE) but still it is time. Hangman needs to win, to get that moment to bring him fully back in as the guy, no swerves no bullshit just let's have a good guy ending and get the actual world title back on screen. I have no thoughts for during the match, this will be followed by anger or elation. 

OH THANK GOD 

It was violent. It was bloody, I almost threw up at one point but man thank God. Cowboy shit forever 

My Dropkick Rating: 4.5 (for the match) & 8 (for the ending)  

All in all. For All In I feel this was a show that delivered on its big moments but match order was good and expectation for Omega and Okada set them up to fail. Look for moments it made me smile and man Cowboy Shit forever 

Feeling has been restored  

Overall Rating: 4.25