AEW All In delivered everything a WrestleMania-like show should, plus another perfect moment to end the career of a wrestling legend.
There were surprises, long-standing stories that paid off and plenty of games that will be talked about for a long time to come on Sunday at Wembley Stadium in London.
Four new champions were crowned, an icon returned, and a former WWE star made his debut in what was a very strong showing by AEW, aside from perhaps a questionable booking decision and a match that didn’t quite live up to expectations.
Here are five insights from “All In”:
Golden years
Bryan Danielson’s illustrious career closed one of its greatest chapters with Swerve Strickland as his perfect opponent. Strickland threw everything at the American Dragon, bloodying him with a Death Valley Driver at the ring bell and kicking him in front of his family who sat ringside while the crowd hung on his every big move – his career on the line – as he tried to turn the fight in his favor.
Danielson rolled out of a pin after taking a kick to the head from House Call. He took kicks from Strickland as the crowd chanted “YES!” The menacing Strickland blocked the first Busaiku knee strike before “Hangman” Adam Page jumped out of the crowd and was pushed away by a slew of security guards.
That was the opening Danielson needed. He hit two Busaiku Knees – the first of which Strickland blocked – before rolling the champion into the LeBell Lock. Strickland managed to get a little free before Danielson finally pinned him, forcing the champion to submit for the first time in AEW and sending the crowd into a frenzy.
Perhaps the greatest wrestler of all time peaked once more as AEW World Champion before retiring later that year, celebrating in the ring with his wife Brie and children Buddy and Birdie, as well as Claudio Castignoli and Wheeler Yuta.
It’s the kind of moment and emotion you want to convey in professional wrestling, and Danielson and AEW continue to do so.
Drove home
The chemistry between MJF, who was dressed in patriotic shorts similar to Lex Luger’s, and Will Ospreay in the ring is really beautiful to watch as their styles clash and complement each other when needed. They constantly had counters to anything the other threw at them. We even got a rare springboard moonsault to the outside from MJF after he said anyone can do a somersault.
Towards the end of the match, Ospreay accidentally knocked over a cameraman and was completely beside himself. This gave MJF time to claim the American Championship and hit Ospreay in the face with it. Ospreay fought off two pin attempts. The referee was then knocked out after Ospreay slammed MJF into Bryce Remsberg.
MJF flashed a Tiger Driver 91 and countered Ospreay’s first attempt with a low blow. The champion attempted to hit Ospreay with a charged fist – MJF previously tweeted that his Dynamite Diamond ring had been stolen – but a masked figure, Daniel Garcia, thwarted the attempt.
Ospreay delivered the Hidden Blade and Tiger Driver 91 – which he was allowed to use again with Danielson’s permission – to win and regain the International Championship. The angry look on Garcia’s face, who MJF knocked out in the storyline, sparks a heated new feud.
May Day
Mariah May dominated at first, but “Timeless” Toni Storm recovered after the challenger dropped a dropkick on Luther, hitting her mother in the stands. Storm tore May open by slamming her head into the ring steps.
Three consecutive hip attacks from May were answered with a clothesline from Storm, a hip attack and Storm Zero, but May kicked out. With the referee dazed, both delivered low blows and headbutts that sent them to the mat and got the crowd roaring.
The challenger went for the belt, but Luther was faster. May grabbed the bloody shoe instead. The champion cut her off, but didn’t have the heart to hit May with the shoe her opponent had used when she turned on her.
May made her pay for it with a running knee to the back and then the front before hitting a second May Day to get the 1-2-3 and become the new AEW Women’s World Champion. The match felt like a fitting conclusion to Storm and May’s outstanding 10-month storyline.
Stinging performance
TNT Champion Jack Perry handed Darby Allin his first Coffin Match loss in absolutely dominant fashion. He got a nice pop when he threw real shards of glass into the ring before wrapping Allin’s hands in duct tape. The two battled up the ramp before Perry knocked Allin off the stage through a table. He then quickly put Allin in a body bag and slammed the coffin lid shut after a final attempt at resistance from Allin.
It brought the Young Bucks to the ring. They doused Allin and the casket with gasoline, but the lights went out and Sting returned to save his former partner. The London crowd cheered wildly. We’ll see if this is a one-off or if it leads to another short story with Sting and Allin. AEW is booking Perry more and more.
Mone speaks
Mercedes Mone made an epic entrance as the Queen of England on a bus full of corgis. The TBS Champion worked on Britt Baker’s previously injured back early, generating some babyface energy as she struggled to get up.
Baker eventually used the old trick of Eddie Guerrero faking being hit by the belt to knock Kamille out of the ring. She eventually came close to locking in the Lockjaw, but Mone twisted to the rope to avoid it and then bit Baker on the hand.
The finish was a little harsh and not particularly well set up, but the damage Mone did to Baker’s back allowed her to hit the Mone Maker, which gave her the win. This match was somewhat disappointing. There was nothing wrong with it and it was well set up, but aside from Baker countering with a top rope bodyslam, there was nothing that made it special.
Other games
Young Bucks defeats FTR and The Acclaimed to defend the AEW World Tag Team Championship
FTR and The Acclaimed teamed up early on the Young Bucks, but midway through, Max Caster teamed with Nick Jackson for an EVP Trigger on Dax Harwood and immediately followed that up with a splinter machine with Cash Wheeler as the alliances continued to shift.
Matt Jackson had one of the World Tag Team Championship belts ready to hit Anthony Bowens, but Billy Gunn fought him off. Eventually, the Young Bucks used the belts to their advantage by smashing Nick Dax from ringside. He kicked out, but an EVP Trigger finished them off.
The Grizzled Young Veterans faced the Bucks with a lackluster slam and the crowd went even quieter as they attacked FTR. This can’t have been what AEW was hoping for.
Christian Cage wins the Casino Gauntlet match as Ricochet debuts
The Casino Gauntlet match was great, aside from the mood-killing ending, which at least involved a dodge. Killswitch came out as a Luchasaurus and looked like he was finally going to beat Christian Cage. Instead, he chokeslammed Kyle O’Reilly and put Cage on top, earning him the pin and an AEW World Championship shot.
The rest was pure fun, as 48-year-old Nigel McGuinness received much applause in his home country for his first fight since retiring in 2011 following injuries and illness. He had a cool moment in the ring with Zack Sabre Jr.
There was a lot of excitement about who would come next, as “Hangman” Adam Page and Jeff Jarrett also added a chapter to their story. Page was so angry that he even grabbed Karen Jarrett before Ricochet made his debut to great reaction. The former WWE star flew all over the ring before taking a Buckshot Lariat from Page.
Hook defeats Chris Jericho to win the FTW Championship
Thankfully that feud is over, but at least it had a fun ending. Big Bill, Jericho and Bryan Keith took advantage of FTW rules and attacked Hook early on, and for parts of the match it was three on one. Hook got lucky when Jericho hit Bill on the head and he fell outside onto a barbed wire board. Keith hit Hook on the head with a belt buckle, but the challenger was able to break free from a pin.
This made Taz so angry that he got off the commentary to send Keith into the Tazmission while his son Hook attacked Jericho with the Redrum to reclaim the FTW Title. Hook really does need to put the FTW Title behind him at some point, but I’m not sure he’ll return in any better shape than he was before.
Claudio Castagnoli and Wheeler Yuta defeat The Patriarchy (c), Bang Bang Gang and House of Black to win the AEW Trios Championships.
Christian Cage was later at the center of the action, knocking Juice Robinson off the high ladder and spraying pepper spray in Wheeler Yuta’s face. Killswitch came to the rescue when Robinson got his hands on Shayna Wayne. With Cage down, Killswitch picked him up and tried to help him onto the ladder, but PAC knocked them down and grabbed the belts, giving the wildcard team a solid opening win.
Notes
Jamie Hayter, who has been out due to injury since May 2023, returned after Saraya and her family came out and tried to take the show hostage at the end of Zero Hour because she was not there.
Willow Nightingale and Tomohiro Ishii defeated Kris Statlander and Stokely Hathaway at Zero Hour. This was a blast, as the interactions between Ishii and Hathaway were as entertaining as we could hope for. Ishii defeated Hathaway, and now Nightingale gets to choose the stipulation for her match with Statlander at Dynamite.
Biggest winners: Bryan Danielson, Mariah May
Biggest loser: Britt Baker
Best match: Bryan Danielson vs. Swerve Strickland
Best performance: Mercedes Mone and Swerve Strickland
Degree: A
