Welcome to a special edition of Blogs Count Anywhere, the complementary pro wrestling blog to the ODPH podcast and 607TWS: the Wrestling Show. It’s a HUGE weekend of wrestling going on with GCW’s Second City Summit & WWE’s Clash at the Castle along with NXT Worlds Collide. On this week’s 607TWS, the whole 607podcasts family gave their previews for those events. However, the show that everyone will have their eyes on is AEW’s “All Out” hailing from Chicago 8pm EST (available on BR Live). The card has been evolving since the go-home show on Wednesday’s AEW Dynamite. Let’s take a final preview and give the last predictions until Sunday, shall we?
Photo Credit: All Elite Wrestling
AEW ALL OUT BUY-IN SHOW (7PM EST)
Angelo Parker vs. HOOK (FTW Championship)
This match has come together pretty quickly, but let’s face it: The AEW Faithful LOVE Hook. There was no way he’s missing the show and there’s no way he’s losing in this one. Winner: HOOK
Tomohiro Ishii vs. Eddie Kingston
This is a “replacement” match from the first match announced for this card: Sammy Guevara vs. Kingston. This is definitely in Sammy’s best interest considering the drama backstage with him and Kingston. Ishii is a solid replacement but I don’t see Kingston taking the L here. Winner: Eddie Kingston
Kip Sabian vs. PAC (All-Atlantic Championship)
The forgotten title on AEW is getting defended against a forgotten wrestler. Sabian has fallen thru the cracks with all the new signings and disappeared to the point he started wearing a paper bag mask to shows. FINALLY, the powers that be are using one of their original signees in profile match. Unfortunately, Sabian’s return will be empty handed. PAC just won the belt at Forbidden Door in June. He’s not dropping it here. Winner: #ANDSTILL PAC
Oritz and Ruby Soho vs. Tay Melo & Sammy Geuvara (AAA mixed tag team championship)
This literally was added as I’m typing this blog. Sammy is back on the card after all the drama after all. Ruby and Ortiz got the win on AEW Rampage. Unfortunately, they’re not going back to back with the wins. Winners: #ANDSTILL Tay and Sammy
FTR & Wardlow
Photo Credit: All Elite Wrestling
AEW ALL OUT MAIN CARD 8pm EST (BR Live)
Jay Lethal & The Motor City Machine Guns (Alex Shelley & Chris Sabin) vs. FTR & Wardlow
This is a very puzzling match as the TNT Champion and ROH Tag Team Champs are NOT defending their titles. Instead, it feels like a filler match but with 6 over-talented people in that ring. Wardlow has a feud going on with Team lethal and FTR isn’t getting an AEW title shot regardless of being no. 1 contenders for 8 months now. Super happy to see MCMG in AEW and hopefully this isn’t the last time. That said, The Pinnacle will rise to get the victory here. Winners: FTR/Wardlow
Powerhouse Hobbs Vs. Ricky Starks
One of AEW’s best storylines, Team Taz’s final goodbye happens here. Starks is prime for a bigger role on the card and ending feud with Hobbs here makes perfect sense. This will be a sleeper mach on the card but we are about to bear witness to the start of the Starks Era. Winner: Ricky Starks
Miro, Sting, & Darby Allin vs House Of Black (Malakai Black, Brody King and Buddy Matthews)
In the “Why” moment of the night, Miro is teaming with Sting and Darby Allin to take on the House Of Black. “Why” because Miro has been thrown in this storyline and it doesn’t feel organic. House of Black has been an after thought on the roster (IMO). I’m hoping for an upset here cause if the House loses another big profile match, this would be a major blow to one of the more hyped factions in AEW. For argument sake, I’m going against what I think will happen. In the House We Trust. Winners: House Of Black via REASONS
Bryan Danielson
Photo Credit: All Elite Wrestling
Bryan Danielson vs. Chris Jericho
This match has two first ballot hall of famers going at it on the big stage. Jericho has been borrowing from the Book of Mick Foley lately by tapping back into “former” personas. For this match, Jericho is going back to the “LionHeart” time. Danielson has just returned from injury and become wrapped up into a battle for Daniel Garcia, the Jericho Appreciation Society member whos earned Danielson’s respect and looks to be flipping sides. While that would make a great flip (esp. sending Wheeler Yuta to the JAS), I’m calling Garcia causes Danielson to take the pin and reunite the JAS. Winner: Chris Jericho
Jungle Boy vs Christian Cage
If the promos are any indication, this will be another sleeper match. Cage went from advisor to Jurassic Express to super villain to the AEW faithful. All signs point to Luchasaurus turning on Jungle Boy and become Cage’s muscle ala the days with Tomko in Impact Wrestling. Winner: Christian Cage.
Casino Ladder Match: Wheeler Yuta vs. Claudio Castagnoli vs. Rey Fenix vs. Penta vs. Andrade El Idolo vs. Rush vs. Dante Martin vs. “The Joker”
A ladder match to determine a future championship opportunity? Nothing earth shattering here, but the field is very solid. It will be a great match, but unless there’s a big tie swerve, history has shown to bet on the Joker during these matches. Nothing new there. As for who’s the Joker? Some will say MJF, but I’m going with Winner: ADAM COLE (BAY BAY)
Athena vs. Jade Cargill (TBS Championship)
Cargill is undefeated and on a roll. Athena is the next contender and has been trying to make the most from this storyline. This will be a great test to see how far Cargill has progressed (remember she’s only been doing this for a year years now). All signs point to Cargill winning but I’m going a different rout that I;ll explain a bit later. Winner: #ANDNEW Athena
Kenny Omega & The Young Bucks
Photo Credit: All Elite Wrestling
Kenny Omega & The Young Bucks vs. Hangman Adam Page/Dark order (AEW Trios Tag Championship)
What a long, strange trip this has been. When this tourney was announced, most fans saw Hangman Adam Page joining the Bucks for the tourney. That didn’t happen but fans saw Kenny Omega return from nearly 9 months off from injury to help the Bucks get to the finals. Page was still part of this tourney as a late replacement for 10 with the Dark order to help get them to the finals.
This should be an excellent match. The Bucks show out for the PPV’s. Silver and Reynolds are very slept on for how good they are as a team. Omega and Page have a lengthy history ranging from being partners to rivals resulting in Page taking the World Title from Omega. That all said, the safe money is bet on the Elite, but what happens if someone interferes and costs the Bucks the titles? How bout an Adam Cole (Bay Bay). This becomes an even safe bet if he’s not the joker in the ladder match. Winners: Hangman/Dark Order.
Britt Baker vs. Toni Storm vs. Jamie Hayter vs. Hikaru Shida (AEW Interim Women’s Championship)
Thunder Rosa is out due to injury so Toni Storm needed a new opponent. She got 3 instead. Baker and Shida are former champs. Hayter is a BIG X Factor as she’s been Baker’s muscle for months now. With everything going on, this was a great call to make. If we’re doing this Locks & leaps style, Winner: the Lock is Toni Storm. Regardless if this was vs. Rosa or everyone else, she’s becoming champ.
Why this makes even more sense. Remember when I said Jade Cargill might drop the TBS title, the only reason I see that happening is so she would be on a path vs. the Women’s champion if it’s Storm or Rosa at “Full Gear”. How fast we get there is another question, but Lock is Storm, Leap is Hayter.
Swerve Strickland & Keith Lee (C) vs. The Acclaimed (AEW world tag team titles)
First and foremost, FTR should be in this match. Secondly, this match had very little build to feel “pay Per View” level. Swerve and Lee have been a great team, but if rankings matter, they should have different opponents. The Acclaimed seem to have come out of nowhere to get the shot. Granted, they are over with the AEW faithful but is that enough here? This will be a great match but without a noteworthy build, it’s reading like this will be an easy #ANDSTILL for Swerve and Lee.
CM Punk
Photo Credit: All Elite Wrestling
Jon Moxley
Photo Credit: All Elite Wrestling
CM PUNK VS. JON MOXLEY (C) - AEW WORLD HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP
A few questions answered, a few more raised. That’s the general reaction to this match. After 7 years away, CM Punk returns to wrestling and defeats Adam Page at “Double Or Nothing”to win the World title. Punk gets injured shortly there after and is out of action for a few months with a foot injury. In the meantime, an interim world champ was decided with Moxley taking on a battle royal winner (Kyle O’Reilley), winning at “AEWxNJPW Forbidden Door” to become interim champ, and has been defending it left and right since. Punk returns a few weeks ago, and fans get the main event of All out on free TV for all of 3:11 as Punk appears to re-injure his foot and Moxley squashes him. This past week’s AEW Dynamite showed Ace Steel, longtime friend of Punk giving him a “Rocky-esque” speech to help him find his smile and sign the open challenge for All OUT.
The first question that comes to mind is why do this match on Dynamite if it’s going to be a squash. What’s the incentive to see another match? Sure, there was a great speech by Steel, but what does that mean for a match where the opponent ran right thru Punk? Can one speech wipe away that memory from fans so they shell out $49.99 on PPV to watch? The answer to that will be shown in the buys for the PPV. If the buys are low, then the fans tuned out. If they are huge, then the fans bought in.
The second question is what is the true status of Punk? Is he able to go at the high level expected for this spotlight? The answer is: He has to be. Running it back so quickly after a squash, Punk has to go an easy 20 mins + to get this match over. I feel he will. Knowing it’s in Chicago and what this means for his legacy, there is no alternative.
The last one: Moxley is on fire right now with his AEW run. Does he drop the belt? That one is a bit more easy to decipher. Since his return last year, everything AEW has been building centers around CM Punk. Love it or hate it, he’s the franchise guy since Cody Rhodes left. By forcing a story to be had, squash match, inspirational speech and all interview points in between, all signs point to CM PUNK #ANDNEW.
Overall, AEW All Out is a very loaded card that will be generating some buzz whenever it gets over (banking this might be a 4+ hour show). In the meantime, hit me up on Twitter and let me know your picks and thoughts for AEW’s big sunday night.
For more pro-wrestling content, Listen to the latest 607TWS this week. Thanks for reading.