Quick Thoughts - AEW All Out 2025

Another month and another AEW PPV for me to cover and review. This month we head to Canada for the 2025 edition of All Out. Against a mass of counter programming from the sex trafficking MAGA cult it does feel AEW is on the up. This All Out is the most attended in company history which should be a sign you don’t need to go back to Chicago every year and it’s worth moving the PPV elsewhere. It’s also an indication business is on the up as I’ve said throughout 2025. You can argue that this is year is AEW’s best year and it’s in relation to a consistent run of quality shows and everyone moving in the same direction. I do want to single out one more recent addition of Bryan Danielson to the commentary team as a great move. While I sat in the O2 confused as who it was at the commentary table I think Bryan adds a great perspective and voice on commentary when you take his style of wrestling and how he works to then apply that logic as a voice is superb and long may it continue.

If AEW can get its local media in order (again I say this pretty much EVERY MONTH) then you’d get more buts in seats. As WWE wants to price families out AEW needs to see this is an opening. Regardless, I’m here for matches not business so let’s move onto that.

Tailgate Brawl
Well this is a new one. Warner have decided or opted or agreed it’s fuck WWE season and allowed AEW to host its pre-show live on air. Potentially a good move, more eyes on the pre-show domestically may add to buys but depends on what goes on YouTube and also can I watch this? It’s not on Fite.TV as of the time of writing on Tuesday but we will see (it ended up being on there). I just wanted to address this more than the matches itself as they are kinda thrown on so they have something to show and also a match with a stipulation in line with the show name and to have a bit of fun and hype the main show. Will it be a good idea? I guess we won’t find out until next week.

I'm super glad Daniel Garcia has a new theme I never enjoyed his old one. He's still dressing like bloodsport Jon Moxley which annoys me and he needs to just wreck Daddy Magic at some point. The tailgate brawl however was a mess. No flow or spots really needed someone to lead it but oh well onto the main.

Main Show

Adam Copeland & Christian Cage vs. FTR (Dax Harwood & Cash Wheeler) (with Stokely)
One of the main storylines of AEW’s summer has been the reuniting of Copeland and Cage as a tag team. The story of these two in AEW has gone from Go Fuck Yourself to Go Find Yourself and I very much e joyed getting to see the two team up again at Forbidden Door. Look, they’re one of my favourite tag teams of all time with Beer Money so it was nice to see them team live. FTR I always feel work better as heels. There’s something to their style of wrestling that works better as the heel team over the face team I dunno it’s more methodical and technical as opposed to the fire and explosion of a face team. As well as this they seem to be having fun in this current run and it has been reflected in their work and the matches with Adam Priest and Tommy Billington (are they actually called The Bama Bulldogs yet or no?) Either way Super Jr Tag League is the perfect place and time for them to work out the tag grove for them fully use those partnerships). This should be a good match, still surprised FTR didn’t win the tag belts at Forbidden Door but this is a grudge match and you could argue didn’t need the belts (but do t be shocked with Copeland and Cage win them eventually). Fun opener that got the crowd hot, good to see Beth but maybe Copeland took one too many Shatter Machines I enjoyed it. Closing segment with FTR hitting the spike piledriver to Beth allows it to continue. Great match good angle.

Rating: 4/5

Big Bill vs. Eddie Kingston
The world is cold better bundle up. Finally, Eddie Kingston has returned after over a year out. I’ve missed Eddie he’s a unique talent a 1 of 1 and AEW misses him and what he brings to the show. Interesting first match back for Eddie as Big Bill is a weird one. Having run Chris Jericho out of AEW with Bryan Keith just by doing nothing it’s an odd match. This isn’t against Big Bill but does feel like they’ve looked for someone who can take a loss to a returning Eddie. That’s fine but I imagine everyone is looking past this match to see what Eddie does and more so in relation to the Death Riders. It was fine it's a return match after so long it's gonna take Eddie a while to get fully back but still. Funny that Tony said 'it missed' and then it was the finishing blow. I think the HOOK & Eddie team has legs and could be the thing to help HOOK. 

Rating: 2.25/5

Tables 'n' Thumbtacks Match: MJF vs. Mark Briscoe
What a weekend for MJF. Facing Mistico and the anniversary show in a big Mask vs. Title match and then onto this. Mark Briscoe is in that Mick Foley role of beloved babyface who takes all the punishment, bleeds everywhere and gets back up. He’s been a great addition to tv that my only negative is I wish it didn’t take the death of Jay Briscoe to get to this. Expecting an interesting match I can’t work out the winner for. One hand I think that MJF wins but I expect him to take time off now so Mark should win. I also think Mark vs. Hangman is a good tv title match so we will see. Also how does one win this match? Is it pinfalls or like the match with 10,000 tacks TNA did where if you go in the tacks you lose. I guess we will see come bell time. Might not have any other place to say this but MJF vs. Mistico is a MOTY candidate and probable winner, generational stuff from both MJF and Mistico. I dunno how I feel on this one, it's a weird stipulation and there's only so much you can do with tacks but again I had fun with it and it's good for Mark to get a big win. They made the most of the stipulation no matter how limiting that's the strength of the two of these guys. 

Rating: 3.25/5

The Hurt Syndicate (Bobby Lashley, Shelton Benjamin, and MVP) vs. Ricochet and GOA (Bishop Kaun and Toa Liona)
Hey we’re at another former WWE guy doesn’t want to lose gimmick. Hey look it’s easy to say words now back them up. Sure Lashley could lose tonight to Toa Liona (lol ok) but all this wanting to put people over the report you leaked said GoA was one of the teams you’d lose to so do it here. Ricochet and GoA are a great trio and compliment each other well. This should be a win for the heels (and if it is they’re pinning Shelton as he is the only one doing business) and should go onto win the Trios titles. I'm not calling them 'The Demand' that's a stupid ass name. Took me a little while to get into the match personally but it's fun while I hate the name as said before The Demand are a great trio and work well with each other. Lot of MVP selling which makes sense as you made the other two killers it's hard to then lower to selling right off the batch in a match (I dunno faces should be weaker than heels regardless you know). Ok this was a crescendo of a match it got louder and better as it went on super good work.

Rating: 3.75/5

AEW TBS Championship Match: Mercedes Mone (c) vs. Riho
Hey guys Riho is back! I hope she stays healthy this time and constantly booked I really like her. I do feel this match is a get Mercedes on PPV deal I don’t see her losing especially now she’s close to breaking Jade’s record. Once that’s done we can double back over when and who she’s dropping that belt to (while we are speaking on dropping belts she should be dropping the RevPro titles a Wembley Arena next year). Was a fine match worked as almost a submission match for the most part by both women. I thought Riho looked great in this and it's good to have her back, if we weren't on the middle of making Mercedes reign longer than Jade's I would've done the title switch. Fun match which was a different style to other Mercedes matches with her selling the majority of the match.

Rating: 3/5

AEW United Championship Match: Kazuchika Okada (c) vs. Konosuke Takeshita vs. Máscara Dorada
This match is what I refer to as the looks like Okada is pinning Dorada match. I jest slightly but this is just one part of the eventual Takeshita face turn. I can see Takeshita winning the Continental Classic (C2)and beating Okada that’s a big match for World’s End especially if you do title for title with Takeshita being IWGP World Heavyweight Title. These matches always depend on how much Okada cares. I do often wonder if this was a different wrestler with the same output would we call everything great? Okada is a man who wants to be a comedy midcarder stuck in the body of the greatest wrestler potentially ever so everything is graded on such a steep curb. That’s not to say Okada hasn’t had great AEW matches, the C2 final with Ospreay was great and I enjoyed his match with Oku last week (I know some people like his All In match with Omega but I dunno maybe I set my expectations too high). Takeshita is in a period that should elevate him to worldwide star so I think between now and January he should be one to watch. This match was great and I'm shocked at how much Máscara got he looked great and wasn't just a whipping boy and showed why he's one of the best luchadors in the world. Oh my God man what a match this was incredible, superb man I'm running out of superlatives give me more of all of this men facing each other my GOD.

Ratings: 5/5

Coffin Match: Jon Moxley vs. Darby Allin
Every feel like a gimmick is added to a match so nobody takes a fall and then you can do a rematch? Yeah that’s my thoughts with this one. The Death Riders have new life I think it’s the best thing for Garcia except maybe go back to the tights and don’t look like bloodsport Moxley. I was angry Swerve didn’t win the belt at Dynasty but I do think the Death Riders as a story went from strength to strength from there (guess you can thank the Young Bucks) and this match with Darby doesn’t need a belt, it’s about the ‘soul’ of AEW. I’m expecting this to be the violent bloody match of the night. Darby has had some great coffin matches and has good chemistry with Moxley so let’s see. I do think we also should be getting some more in terms of who’s the one that breaks away and ends the Death Riders. Look I’ve been positive and then talking about ending them I dunno if the movement of Garcia to the group is a look to that as Wheeler isn’t seen as that guy and I’d argue they missed the spot for they with him as his just been the punching boy for the groups losses for a year now and also I think Garcia does have more upside. It's funny I was about to type I'm surprised this match hasn't reached the level of violence I expect and then the fork came out and we had 700 ear spots (which I hate) and it heated up. It's off to see how man ear and figer spots in a match I can't lie. I did scream when short hair PAC appeared he looks so weird not sure if the short hair or him wearing clothes which I find more fucked up.

Rating:4/5

AEW Women’s World Title Match: "Timeless" Toni Storm vs. Jamie Hayter vs. Thekla vs. Kris Statlander
The first of two world title matches where it does feel like we don’t have a world title challenger built up for a big one on one match but both men and women’s division take different routes with this. For the women we have a multi women match featuring the majority of top talent of the division. Starting off this I want to say Thekla is great and if she’s not winning she shouldn’t be pinned, she’s the best and should be facing Toni one on one for the belt at some point. Regarding Toni it’s a weird negative to say she’s so good nobody else in the women’s division is on her level and it makes it hard to see who would take the belt. Personally this feels like a way of furthering Statlander’s story and the Hayter and Thekla feud I’d be shocked to see a title change. And shocked I was oh my goodness it is so good to see Kris Statlander win the belt she deserves it. Winning with the seatbelt the move of Wheeler Yuta and makes history the first women to hold both the Women's World & TBS Title be interesting see what happenes with the Death Riders, Stat and the belt and what I can only imagine is a big Statlander vs. Willow match down the line. Match was fine, nothing special but the result is the big talking point.

Rating: 3.5/5

AEW World Tag Team Championship Ladder Match: Brodido (Brody King and Bandido) (c) vs. The Young Bucks (Matt Jackson and Nick Jackson) vs. JetSpeed (Kevin Knight and "Speedball" Mike Bailey) vs. Don Callis Family (Hechicero and Josh Alexander)
It’s already been a historic reign for Brodido in that they won them in England and made the first ever defence in Arena Mexico on a recent CMLL show they really put the world in world tag team. Broke Young Bucks have been a real fun storyline I love seeing the fall and humbling story for prick heels, I’ve retained the belief that the homeless Corbin story could’ve been the start of a main event face if you built him to have learned the lessons on his ways and the fans helped him back up. It’s different to the Young Bucks but covers a lot of the fun elements. It’s good for two Canadians in Mike Bailey and Josh Alexander to be on the card in their home country and good movement for both in their first year in AEW. I do expect a retention here seems like we may be moving towards Jurassic Express vs. Young Bucks I guess we will see. It was fun but really we've seen everything a ladder and TLC match can do there's nothing really unique you can do so while a good match it can't really hit top top heights. Brodido have been a great addition to the AEW Tag Division, Tony Khan has a good knack of getting the right people thrown together as a tag team. Jurassic Express being back is good Jack Perry works best as a fast paced face over his plodding matches at the Scapegoat let's see what happens vs. Young Bucks. 

Rating 3.75/5 

AEW Men’s World Championship: "Hangman" Adam Page (c) vs. Kyle Fletcher
An interesting one which much like Toni really feels like a hole on the top challenger so who’s next up for Hangman? Well TNT Champion and one of AEW’s top performers this past twelve months is no slouch but put in a match he won’t win. Look AEW lost a chunk of big names in the last month I get it so instead of being negative you have a 26 year old top prospect in a world title match it’s time for him to show out. Kyle’s great and is set for top top run and time in AEW especially when he and Takeshita go at it. Right now it’s that he’s the best possible challenger for Hangman and I don’t mind it but shows that AEW needs to build someone up big time for Full Gear (I say this like Hangman vs Okada wouldn’t be a good time). Still I expect based on the talent of performer for this to be a good match, it’s a big moment for Fletcher a chance to show he’s the main event of AEW against the face of the company let’s see if he delivers. I do think however, I’m being negative and the story the two have told is really fun and the type of thing you can only do once you’ve fully established a guy like Hangman. We have Hangman looking almost into a mirror of his past the young prospect everyone hyped up into his first world title match against Chris Jericho which by luck was the first All Out. It’s a nice story to see how far Hangman has come as someone that maybe wasn’t over and wasn’t connection (and I’d argue he wasn’t until the first time he said Cowboy Shit on one of the Dynamites before the first Full Gear) to the most important wrestler in AEW. Goodness me what a match, a night that proved Kyle Fletcher is a man who is a top top talent in wrestler and up there with Adam Page. This match rules it's not only good now but a great match to look back in in a few years time when Kyle does finally win the World title. Superb main event.

Rating: 5/5

It's an odd show you read this and you'd think I'd love it but I wouldn't say it's in the top tier of AEW PPVs but that's a high bar. It has great matches and maybe light on the great memorable moments but it's a real solid start. The first PPV on HBO Max it shouldn't be understated how important that could be in the future and if this is the entry for some people with AEW then they'll be in for a fun ride the rest of 2025 and into the future. Most recommended match would be the Unified Title 3 Way. 

Overall Show Grade: 4.25/5