AEW All Out 2021 Predictions

In this edition of The Wrestling Estate roundtable, we give our AEW All Out 2021 predictions.

Which match are you most looking forward to at AEW All Out 2021?

David Gibb: I’m most excited to see Punk wrestle. He could be wrestling a wet lollipop rolled in hair, and I’d probably buy at least the replay.

Chad Gelfand: CM Punk vs. Darby Allin. The atmosphere in Chicago will surely be electric, and I’m excited to see how Punk looks in the ring after seven years and what kind of ring rust he may have. Also, that first “It’s clobbering time” will be amazing.

Steven Jackson: Eddie Kingston vs. Miro. I want Eddie to finally win the singles gold he rightly deserves!

John Corrigan: I won’t be able to watch live, but I’m most interested in Punk vs. Darby and Jericho vs. MJF. I can’t predict either outcome!

Jack Goodwillie: CM Punk vs. Darby Allin, of course! Even when CM Punk was at his worst in late 2013, he was still one of the most captivating parts of the show largely due to becoming fresh again after turning back to being a face. All eyes will be on him, including mine. That’s CM Punk – it comes with the territory.

Who wins the 21-woman Casino Battle Royale at AEW All Out 2021?

Gibb: Jade Cargill.

Gelfand: Thunder Rosa to reignite her feud with Britt Baker. That’s the biggest women’s feud the company can do in the near future.

Jackson: I’m going with Thunder Rosa. Against Britt Baker = Awesome Stuff!

Corrigan: Ruby Soho.

Goodwillie: This is as exciting as the AEW women’s division has been to date, and there are several quality options here to challenge Britt Baker. If Tony Khan and Co. are feeling froggy, they can try and turn Jade Cargill with a win or give a needed rub to Tay Conti. However, I’m not sure if either is ready to vie for the top spot. Thunder Rosa has felt closer to an enhancement talent than a title contender these days, so what makes the most sense to me is to give Shida the win and use this match as a vehicle to get her rematch with the champ.

Will Chris Jericho retire from in-ring competition in AEW?

Gibb: He loses the match and does other things for the foreseeable future, but I don’t think it will be his last match.

Gelfand: I can’t see Jericho never wrestling again for AEW, so I’m going with him winning. However, this feud with MJF has dragged on too long and the fifth labor should have just been at All Out, where MJF should have tapped out Jericho.

Jackson: He probably will. He’s achieved everything and then some. He’s a very “high” person in AEW and can decide how he wants to go. Hopefully, the right way and the best way.

Corrigan: I’ve gone back and forth with this. On one hand, it’s absolutely plausible that Jericho will hang up the tights. He came out with the 30 Years of Jericho book, has a commentary role for a Plan B and has spent the past year feuding with MJF to give the youngster the rub. Plus, with Punk and Danielson coming in, perhaps Jericho feels he’s no longer needed as the most recognizable star in AEW. On the other hand, he still has gas left in the tank and knows this stipulation juices what’s otherwise a ho-hum match. So, here’s my prediction: if this main events, Jericho loses.

Goodwillie: Nope, but while it may seem like a false alarm, maybe it’s not. Jericho has been slowing down dramatically inside the ring over the last year. There was a point closer to Jericho’s NJPW debut where he switched his style up to give him a little more late-career longevity, and as shrewd as that was, the magic is beginning to wear off. Watching Chris, it looks like he’s wrestling in quicksand, and he’s gotta know. That said, if Chris also knows he’s going to want another year or two in the ring regardless, it’s better to just milk the retirement angle dry than to retire and unretire. When he knows it’s time, it’ll be time. Until then, he dodges the bullet and puts the uneven MJF feud to bed once and for all.

Who wins at AEW All Out 2021: CM Punk or Darby Allin?

Gibb: Punk, of course. What is this, WWE?

Gelfand: There’s a strong argument to put over the younger, upcoming talent, but this is Chicago and Punk’s first match in seven years. You want to send the fans home happy for the marquee match on the PPV, and you do that by having Punk win. Darby has built up enough credibility, too, that as long as it’s a competitive, great match, he won’t lose anything.

Jackson: CM Punk. I’ve a feeling this is the first of many encounters between the two and for Punk’s return to competition he needs the big win. Especially in Chicago or else WE RIOT!!!

Corrigan: I struggle with this because Punk has made it crystal clear how he wants to put over the young guns in AEW. Losing his first match sounds ass-backwards, but it would get people talking and he could blame the ring rust after seven years away from the ring. But, of course, everyone else here is right that Punk should win his first match back in his hometown. That’s just good business.

Goodwillie: This is academic. CM Punk is a wrestler who is great at making other guys look good in defeat, but also someone who recognizes what a win can do for him and how a win can “open up the playbook” in the months to come. Meanwhile, all Darby Allin has done (other than that TNT Title run) is get over in defeat, and maybe that’s why he’s such a good first opponent for Punk. The math checks out – Punk gets the W and starts to build to something perhaps with MJF who should be finishing up with Chris Jericho this weekend.

CM Punk being asked about Daniel Bryan/Bryan Danielson 👀

We all thinking he is debuting this Sunday at #AEWAllOut #AEW #AEWDynamite pic.twitter.com/WhiKeVSRuF
— Stewart Lawson (@SLawson1417) September 2, 2021

Will Bryan Danielson appear at AEW All Out 2021?

Gibb: It’s still too soon given people are paying to see Punk’s return here. Debut him in Queens and build the next PPV around his in-ring return.

Gelfand: Yes, after the main event. Whether that’s Kenny Omega vs. Christian or Punk/Darby, the night’s gonna end with Danielson staring down either Omega or Punk.

Jackson: I reckon he’ll appear after the Kenny Omega and Christian Cage match to plant seeds for a match at the next PPV.

Corrigan: No, but Adam Cole will!

Goodwillie: From what I heard, AEW isn’t willing to take any COVID-related chances with the Arthur Ashe show in Flushing, NY, so I’m willing to wager we’ll see him at All Out. A lot of people are calling for AEW to license “The Final Countdown” by Europe, his most commonly used song on the indies. I disagree. It’ll take a little more than pocket change for that kind of transaction, and this is a company that is rumored to be signing Bray Wyatt beyond having just already signed Punk and Bryan. Instead, get Downstait to cover “Flight of the Valkyries.” The song is public domain, so there doesn’t have to be a licensing fee, and if AEW happens to go that route, that means they will have Punk and Bryan under contract WITH the themes they used in WWE. What a coup!