While the build has been disjointed, the company has a track record of PPV success.
AEW enters this weekend’s All Out pay-per-view searching for a momentum shift.
Following the most disjointed build to a PPV in the company’s three-year history, AEW heads to the Chicago area for All Out on Sunday. It’s a card where the main event wasn’t even officially announced until four days before the show.
That main event will see CM Punk challenge Jon Moxley for the AEW world championship. While Moxley vs. Punk was always the plan for All Out once Punk was cleared to return from his broken foot, AEW has opted to stray from its usual, straightforward world-title-match storytelling for this bout. Moxley was crowned interim champion while Punk was out of action, but AEW didn’t wait until All Out for them to have their unification match. Moxley instead faced Punk on Dynamite last week, demolishing Punk in three minutes to become the undisputed champion. In story line, Punk hurt his foot again early in the match and couldn’t hang with Moxley after the injury.
A squash match is an unconventional way to build to a PPV rematch. A unification bout between Moxley and Punk—arguably the top two stars in the promotion—was already so big that AEW didn’t need to complicate things. Working Punk’s injury into the story of the match makes sense, but it will prove to be an unnecessary risk if fans are less likely to buy the PPV after seeing Punk get squashed. Instead of presenting Moxley and Punk as two equal forces fighting to prove they’re the true world champion, AEW has made the audience question whether Punk is damaged goods after returning from injury too early.
Even with the strange road AEW has taken to get to Sunday’s PPV, Moxley and Punk are capable of making it work. Punk’s promo on this week’s Dynamite helped generate excitement for the match. Over the course of the promo, Punk conveyed uncertainty about his future before flipping the switch after a pep talk from his mentor Ace Steel. There are plenty of intriguing places AEW could go with this story. It could be a by-the-books redemption arc, with Punk playing the conquering babyface in his hometown and showing he’s still the best in the world. But it's hard to envision the story really being that simple. Punk will be more desperate than ever after his embarrassing loss to Moxley on Dynamite. The loss called back to Punk’s brief UFC career, where he fought valiantly but was ultimately totally overmatched. Punk will do anything possible to avoid that happening again. Whether Punk cheats to win or starts a downward spiral after losing, this could be the start of a Punk heel turn.
Moxley vs. Punk isn’t the only match at All Out that’s had a difficult build. Thunder Rosa was originally scheduled to defend the AEW women’s world championship against Toni Storm, but Rosa is dealing with a back injury and isn’t able to compete. Storm will instead face off with Hikaru Shida, Dr. Britt Baker and Jamie Hayter in a four-way match to determine an interim champion. A match between Eddie Kingston and Sammy Guevara also originally appeared to be slated for the PPV, but plans were changed following a real-life backstage incident between the two.
Still, the disjointed build to All Out will be forgotten if the show delivers in the ring. With such a deep and talented roster, AEW PPVs almost always end up being great. It only takes one stellar PPV to change momentum and get things back on track.
The All Out main card begins at 8 p.m. ET on Sunday. Leading into the PPV, there will be a “Zero Hour” preshow streaming at 7 p.m. ET.
Here’s a full rundown of the card, along with predictions for each match:
Jon Moxley vs. CM Punk for the AEW world championship
The odd build to Moxley vs. Punk has made this difficult to predict. We won’t fully understand the story that’s being told until it plays out Sunday. Punk turning heel is what would make the most sense. But whatever the story ends up being, Punk should leave All Out as world champion. His first AEW title reign was cut short before it ever really began. It would be a mistake to not put the title back on Punk soon.
Prediction: CM Punk wins
Toni Storm vs. Hikaru Shida vs. Dr. Britt Baker vs. Jamie Hayter for the interim AEW women’s world championship
If Thunder Rosa was able to wrestle at All Out, it’s likely she would have dropped the women’s world championship to Toni Storm. AEW could decide to change course (and it’s hard to ever bet against Dr. Britt Baker), but Storm winning is still the right choice. Storm is a potential breakout star who should be given a real chance to be one of the faces of AEW’s women’s division.
Prediction: Toni Storm wins
AEW trios championship tournament finals: Kenny Omega and The Young Bucks vs. “Hangman” Adam Page, Alex Reynolds and John Silver, or Trent Beretta, Chuck Taylor and Orange Cassidy
Though Kenny Omega and The Young Bucks’ opponents for the trios title tournament finals won’t be confirmed until Friday’s episode of Rampage, it’s obvious who they’ll be facing. Omega and The Young Bucks will take on “Hangman” and The Dark Order to determine AEW’s inaugural trios champions. With Omega and The Young Bucks sharing the ring with their former Elite stablemate Page, this is guaranteed to be an incredible match.
Omega and The Young Bucks are the best trios team in the world. AEW held off on starting the title tournament until Omega was ready to return from injury and take part in it. There’s no way they aren’t the first champions.
Prediction: Kenny Omega and The Young Bucks win
Bryan Danielson vs. Chris Jericho
They’ve faced each other before, but this will be the first Bryan Danielson vs. Chris Jericho singles match to ever take place outside of WWE. Both Danielson and Jericho are among the greatest in-ring wrestlers of all time. This will be a candidate for match of the night at All Out.
Daniel Garcia is going to affect the outcome of Danielson vs. Jericho in some form—it just isn’t clear who he’s going to help win. AEW has been building toward Garcia turning against Jericho and leaving the Jericho Appreciation Society. There could end up being a swerve along the way, but the ultimate destination has to be Garcia leaving sports entertainment behind and embracing his natural role as a professional wrestler.
Prediction: Bryan Danielson wins
Keith Lee and Swerve Strickland vs. The Acclaimed for the AEW tag team titles
After teasing they would be splitting up, AEW made the smart decision to not only keep Keith Lee and Swerve Strickland together but have them win the tag team titles. Lee and Strickland are incredibly talented, but they still could have gotten lost in the shuffle as singles wrestlers with the AEW roster being so deep.
This isn’t the right time for The Acclaimed to become tag team champions, but it will be a special moment when that finally does happen. The fan-favorite duo of Max Caster and Anthony Bowens is one of the most fun things on AEW television every week.
Prediction: Keith Lee and Swerve Strickland retain
Jade Cargill vs. Athena for the TBS championship
While Jade Cargill’s undefeated streak isn’t going to come to an end at All Out, Athena is at least an opponent who makes you think it’s possible. The former Ember Moon is a strong PPV opponent for Cargill, but it’s up to AEW to make sure she doesn’t fall to the wayside after her unsuccessful title challenge.
Prediction: Jade Cargill retains
Ricky Starks vs. Powerhouse Hobbs
This grudge match will pit former Team Taz partners against each other. Powerhouse Hobbs betraying Ricky Starks in July is going to prove to be a moment that catapulted both to bigger and better things. Starks especially has the potential to be one of the top stars in AEW very soon. He should defeat Hobbs here.
Prediction: Ricky Starks wins
Casino Ladder Match
The winner of this ladder match will receive a future shot at the AEW world championship. Seven of the eight participants have been revealed, with it set to feature Claudio Castagnoli, Wheeler Yuta, Penta El Zero M, Rey Fénix, Rush, Andrade El Idolo, Dante Martin and one mystery entrant. Ladder matches don’t always click the way you expect them to, but this is a phenomenal lineup that could produce a classic match.
There being one spot left open has inevitably led to speculation that MJF will return Sunday. MJF shouldn’t be off TV for too much longer, but it would be a waste to have his comeback be in a match where he has to share the spotlight with seven other wrestlers. Samoa Joe, who has been away for an acting role, should be the mystery participant.
Prediction: Samoa Joe wins
Jungle Boy vs. Christian Cage
Jungle Boy will eventually get revenge on Christian Cage for turning against him, but it won’t happen at All Out. This is the type of personal feud that needs to be a multimatch series. It wouldn’t make sense to have Jungle Boy win their first meeting. Christian will pick up the victory in underhanded fashion.
Prediction: Christian Cage wins
Wardlow and FTR vs. Jay Lethal and Motor City Machine Guns
It will be great to see Impact Wrestling’s Motor City Machine Guns step into an AEW ring Sunday. Alex Shelley and Chris Sabin are such an influential tag team and deserve to be featured in a big spot like this.
An FTR vs. Motor City Machine Guns match would have been more exciting, but the six-man tag allows Wardlow and Jay Lethal to get on the All Out card without having their own one-on-one match.
Prediction: Wardlow and FTR win
Sting, Darby Allin and Miro vs. Malakai Black, Brody King and Buddy Matthews
Sting and Darby Allin will form an alliance with Miro as they take on the House of Black at All Out. It seems like every AEW PPV has to have a crowd-pleasing tag team match with Sting’s team getting the win. That streak won’t end here.
Prediction: Sting, Darby Allin and Miro win
Preshow: Eddie Kingston vs. Tomohiro Ishii
As far as preshow matches go, they don’t get much better than Eddie Kingston vs. Tomohiro Ishii. This easily could have been a featured match on the All Out main card. Ishii defeated Kingston when they faced off at an NJPW event in May. Kingston will even things up with a victory here.
Prediction: Eddie Kingston wins
Preshow: PAC vs. Kip Sabian for the AEW All-Atlantic championship
Kip Sabian officially returned to AEW TV last week and attacked PAC in the process. Beating someone right after their return isn’t ideal, but keeping the All-Atlantic title on PAC is the best way for the championship to gain credibility.
Prediction: PAC retains
Preshow: Hook vs. Angelo Parker for the FTW championship
Hook matches have started to become a staple of AEW PPV preshows—and this will be another dominant showing for him. It would be nice to see Hook get some tougher competition (and potentially a spot on the main card) at AEW’s next PPV.
Prediction: Hook retains
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