After 3 PPVs that set the tone, now it’s time for All Elite Wrestling to start to crown its champions. All Out was at the same time a comeback to where everything began, but also a way to show the company is moving on. Yesterday night, it was time to crown a World Champion, determine who will go for Women’s World Champion and show which teams were ready to reach to the top of the Division. It was also time to show AEW is ready to produce a weekly show, with a strong roster and some stakes higher enough to fight for them.
The Buy In: 21-Woman Casino Battle Royale
The cameras angles helped neither the fans nor the commentators to say who was coming in, and who was eliminated. One woman proved right from the beginning she wanted that chance for the title, Nyla Rose. Rose, Leva Bates, Faby Apache, Priscilla Kelly and Shandra Royal were the first 5 to begin the match. Nyla Rose dominated all of them, even Peter Avalon. The next 5 were Penelope Ford, Shazza McKenzie, Big Swole, Dr. Britt Baker, and Sadie Gibbs. Only Britt and Sadie survived Nyla’s furore.
Things started to get more interesting with the third set of women, Tenille Dashwood, Ivelisse, Bea Priestley, Brandi Rhodes, and Awesome Kong. This time, Awesome Kong made the work and eliminated a few girls. Then came Allie, Nicole Savoy, Teal Piper, Jazz, and ODB. Teal was eliminated like 30 seconds after entering by ODB. Kong and Rose were facing off but Jazz and ODB got involved. If Jazz was soon out, so was Awesome Kong.
The joker was a great surprise in Mercedes Martinez. It was then difficult to follow who was still in and who was really out. The last four were Nyla Rose, Bea Priestley, Britt Baker and Mercedes Martinez. Once Martinez out, things went fast as Bea and Baker attacked Rose, and then Rose battled back and hit corner splashes on both. She took Baker up top, but Baker hit a destroyer on Bea. She tried to dump Rose and then hit a superplex. Baker and Bea traded and Baker eliminated Bea. Rose then dumped Baker as Bea grabbed her arm to pull her out.
Yes, Britt Baker was spoiled of her chance and her feud with Bea Priestley is not done yet. At the same time, for a company who chose to be all-inclusive, Nyla Rose was the best wrestler to personify what women’s wrestling is about.
The Buy In: Private Party vs Angélico & Jack Evans
With two teams with similar styles, you knew what to expect. High-flying and innovative manoeuvres, a match out of control until Quen and Kassidy hit the Gin & Juice. This was exactly what it needed to be, a really good sprint with Private Party getting over big in victory. Evans and Angelico attacked post-match and took out the knee of Quen. To make Private Party look like a babyface team, they needed to make Angelico and Evans turn heel. That works…
Wardlow is coming soon…
COMING SOON @Wardlow_1 #AEW pic.twitter.com/8Sms8WucwV
— All Elite Wrestling (@AEWrestling) August 31, 2019
SCU vs Jungle Express
This is the story of a little boy, a boy and their Dinosaur who were facing 3 wrestling Legends, with 64 years of experience, according to JR. This was a very good PPV opener, that didn’t get too crazy but allowed everyone to shine and everything they did was over big. Not only Luchasaurus is tall, but he’s agile and strong, pretty much like Brian Cage. SCU in the role of veterans that can work with everyone play extremely well in the opener. Jurassic Express is a great act, even if they lost they have nothing to be ashamed of. If SCU took the time to raise their hands, it’s because they know these young talents are gold and probably the future of tag team wrestling.
PAC vs Kenny Omega
Kenny Omega was so focused on Jon Moxley he seemed to forget what PAC is able of. On the other side, PAC was ready to fight. These two have never squared off before and it was a marvel to watch. Because PAC studied Kenny Omega and he was ready. They offered a 20-minute plus battle that was just perfect, violent, frustrating for Omega and devilish for PAC. I will put the botches aside, because that was frustrating or the wrestling fans. What to retain of this match is the V-Trigger didn’t make PAC relinquish, the One-Winged Angel was countered but the Brutalizer worked… And Omega faded…
What a debut for PAC… Kenny Omega may have given it all, his mind was not there. Once the Moxley angle will be done, he will find his way back to PAC and maybe defeat him. For the moment, the Omega redemption arc began while, after the PPV, PAC revived his feud against Hangman Page.
Crackle Barrell Clash – Darby Allin vs Jimmy Havoc vs Joey Janela
You love hardcore, or not. Allin, Havoc and Janela offered some “soft” hardcore. Janela and Allin understood they had to stop Havoc as fast as possible when he stapled his chest. So they tapped him on a chair, put some tacks in his mouth and tapped it too. That was nasty but that was hardcore. Toys wise, outside of the classic tables, thumbtacks, chairs and staples, Janela tried the tennis racket, Allin a skateboard with tacks on the bottom, and Havoc some paper. Biscuits and barrels were a little bit more unexpected but they did their job. This was exactly what you expected from this, wild and crazy action with three guys trying to kill each other. If Havoc was the target, Allin and Janela missed it. The acid rainmaker into the barrel did its job.
Best Friends vs Dark Order
Let’s be honest, they had no chance to win. Really, they may be Best Friends, pretty good wrestlers, Dark Order was better. Grayson and Evil Uno are not making the crowd dream and their characters are probably to be blamed for. The bad guys with creepers are not something new, something mind-blowing. The match was very classic, with Trent locked in Dark Order’s side and the desperate try to make the tag, Chuck trying to make things work until the creepers attack and Fatality did its job. That didn’t work, one way or another.
Dark Order attacked post-match, but the lights went out and Orange Cassidy was here. The hands in his pockets suicide dive followed, taking out the creepers. The Best Friends hugged him.
Hikaru Shida vs Riho
As not a Joshi specialist, describing this match is not be my cup of tea. Hikaru Shida was really above Riho, but opportunistically Riho was able to counter into a tilt a whirl into a cradle for the win. Riho in a babyface role allowed Shida to work as a heel without being heavy-handed about it. This was really good and had a great pace and back and forth action, but don’t ask me to be passionate about that type of wrestling because it doesn’t work for me…
Cody vs Shawn Spears w/ Tully Blanchard
Brandi, dressed a Seven of Nine, joined by DDP (in red) and MJF (in the gold) walk to complete the Star Trek theme. Tully Blanchard was out with Spears, while MJF was chosen by Cody. Spears’ eye froze the crowd. If there was a smell of revenge in this match, there was also a Horsemen one. With Tully on Shawn Spears’ side, interferences never stopped, to the point Arn Anderson came and knocked Spears out. Tully left Shawn Spears on his own, at the worst moment.
After all the belt shots he ate, Cody was tempted to use a chair and give the staples back to Spears. The ref and MJF prevented him from being DQed. Spears begged him to hit him, Cody refused and followed with the flip flop and fly. Cody sent the chair to Spears and hit a disaster kick. The Cross Rhodes finished it.
Spears and Cody had a great story heading into this and played off of that well. Cody was really much better as a face, Spears did really well as a heel here. The match layout was strong, but the Tully stuff and the Arn Anderson cameo didn’t work on me when the small teases that MJF may turn were great. If they had the crowd locked in, not me…
Escalera de la Muerte Match for the AAA World Tag Team Championships – The Lucha Brothers (c) vs The Young Bucks
You can’t describe a match like this, you have to watch it. How many times did I say that when I was reviewing Impact PPVs? This was an absolutely excellent and crazy ladder match, it was everything we could want and more. It had great pacing great spots, and had a great ending and most importantly, didn’t overstay it’s welcome. This was exactly what it needed to be and it absolutely delivered. It was a 5-star match but The Bucks crossed the lines when they unmasked Pentagon. That was the only mistake of a match that exceeded every expectation.
Here came now a new player in the game. Two masked men made their way to the ring. They assaulted the Lucha Brothers and hit the Street Sweeper on The Bucks. Santana and Ortiz arrived, and it makes me cringe. If the Bucks and the Lucha Brothers have wrestled a thousand times, the problem is The Boricuas (don’t call them LAX anymore) and the Lucha Brothers have also done it a thousand times… When The Bucks have barely scratched the surface of what Santana and Ortiz can do… Guys, you have better prove me wrong…
AEW returns to PPV on November 9th in Baltimore.
AEW World Championship Match: Chris Jericho vs Hangman Page
After nearly 5 hours of PPV, here came the title match. The crowd was barely there, people behind their screens too. Hangman Page, 28, on a horse made his grand entrance in front of his family, while Jericho, 48, walked his way alone on the ramp, like the soldier he has ever been. They tried to sell a story that was not greatly built, blood for blood. Referee Aubrey Edwards was the first woman to work a main-event, which added a taste of respect to the match.
Call him Judas himself or the Painmaker, the fact is Jericho still knows his song by heart, even after 29 years. Page was a great opponent, he was really mastering his game. But damn, it was long. And it was also the moment my Internet decided to cut… The layout of this match was good, but some of the work felt a bit meandering and Page, unfortunately, didn’t feel ready for the spot. It was good but far from great. But as the first champion, Jericho was the safe and right call.
All in all, All Out 2019 was a very good show with a great Pac vs. Omega match and an amazing ladder match. There were no bad matches even if a 5-hour plus show is long, for the crowd and for the viewers. The big problem was the layout and production, they missed a few key camera shots, like at Fyter Fest and Fight For The Fallen, something that needs to get locked in before they hit TV. If AEW want to just try to make better than WWE, they will need to raise their game because, as of now, I’m unable to find something in AEW that could make a huge difference in front of the dinosaur WWE is, mostly with NXT that is a nest of talents.
It was nice to see how moved Chris Jericho was. At 48, he is still able to be a Champion and help a company grow, thanks to his 29-year wrestling experience. I remembered Jericho when I first saw it on WCW in 1997, he has never changed, El Corazon de Leon has never left the man. To quote Jim Ross, “Chris Jericho has lived the dream again, he reinvented himself again, and it’s as good as it has ever been, right now.”
*****
All Out Complete Results
- The “Buy In” – Nyla Rose won the 21-Woman Casino Batte Royale and receives a match for the inaugural AEW Women’s World Championship, scheduled for AEW on TNT on October 2
- The “Buy In” – Private Party (Marq Quen & Isiah Kassidy) defeated Angélico & Jack Evans
- So Cal Uncensored (Christopher Daniels, Scorpio Sky & Frankie Kazarian) defeated Jurassic Express (Marko Stunt, Jungle Boy & Luchasaurus)
- PAC defeated Kenny Omega
- Crackle Barrel Clash Match: Jimmy Havoc defeated Darby Allin and Joey Janela
- Dark Order (Evil Uno & Stu Grayson) defeated Best Friends (Chuckie T & Trent) to win a first-round bye in the AEW World Tag Team Championship tournament
- Riho defeated Hikaru Shida, will face Nyla Rose on October 2 to determine the first-ever AEW Women’s World Champion
- Cody w/ MJF defeated Shawn Spears w/ Tully Blanchard
- Escalera de la Muerte Match for the AAA World Tag Team Championships: The Lucha Brothers (Pentagon Junior & Fénix) (c) defeated The Young Bucks (Matt & Nick Jackson)
- Chris Jericho defeated Hangman Page to become the first-ever AEW World Champion
All images, screencaps and videos courtesy of AEW, ITV Wrestling, James Musselwhite and Fite TV