PREVIEW: AEW ALL IN 2023

Welcome to The Wrestling Estate’s AEW All In 2023 preview! I’m Russ Good, and I’ll be walking you through all the announced matches on All Elite Wrestling’s – and professional wrestling’s – biggest show EVER, and I’ll share my picks along the way. And, not to toot my own horn or anything, but your humble host did go eight-for-eight in our WWE SummerSlam preview.

Man, I love U.K. shows. Living in Colorado, we get a nice early afternoon start, maybe grab some breakfast burritos and do a little day drinking during the four-plus hours this show ought to run. 

Questionable build aside, Tony Khan and pals are somehow filling Wembley Stadium with over 80,000 pro wrestling fans on Sunday. They’ve put together a card that’s hopefully worthy of that honor, and we’re gonna go through all ten matches that have been confirmed as of this writing. We’ll have a few laughs, and we’ll probably disagree on the outcomes of some of these matches, but as long as we have a good time I’m fine with it. Let’s get this party started!

Aussie Open © versus Adam Cole and MJF for the Ring of Honor Tag Team Championships

I love, love, love this. Giving the fans a reason to be in their seats for the pre-show is a risk – you never know how smoothly security, admissions, doors, or even the match itself will go. But the reward is a fantastic visual, a full Wembley for the free Zero Hour pre-show match featuring the ultimate “can they coexist” storyline, two men who AEW has chosen to headline the biggest wrestling match in the history of the company. So much could go sideways, but TK didn’t get this far without sticking his neck out from time to time.

As for the match itself, I can’t imagine Adam Cole and Maxwell Jacob Friedman winning. It would be awesome, but looking at it from a booking perspective it wouldn’t make much sense putting two of your biggest draws on Ring of Honor, AEW’s little brother. No, this will be a win by the Aussies, but with the requisite shenanigans between Better Than You Baybay to get us all even more amped up for the main event later in the night. 

Darby Allen and Sting versus Swerve Strickland and Christian Cage in a Coffin Match

Ever since the AEW fanbase (myself included) was introduced to Nick Wayne, some iteration of Darby Allen fighting Swerve Strickland felt inevitable. The addition of AR Fox after a heel turn provided some balance between the teams, but Dynamite saw a reversal of that turn (and apparent forgiveness of his own attempted murder by Wayne) and now we’re headed into Sunday with Darby and his proud papa (Joker version) doing battle with longtime PNW rival Swerve and his new associate, lover of single moms and father-figure-seekers everywhere, Christian Cage. 

The TNT Champion (maker) and his 65-million-year old muscle Luchasaurus are bound to have some fun in this match, and I’m sure the dino, Nick Wayne, Prince Nana, and maybe even a certain recently-retired-former-vampire and “brother” to Cage in a former life will all make appearances. I feel like the good guys get the win here, and a great time will be had by all. 

Kenny Omega, Hangman Page, and Kota Ibushi versus Switchblade Jay White, Juice Robinson, and Konosuke Takeshita

Another multi-man match trying to make the most of a combination of great performers, the Golden Elite versus Bullet Club Gold plus my sweet, Cinnabon-fueled son Konosuke Takeshita should be a hell of a fight. Kota Ibushi was a great addition to Blood and Guts even though he was obviously not at his peak, so hopefully a little of that rust has shed with time and work. I’m sure we’re building to Kenny Omega taking on Takeshita, maybe as soon as All Out, but I’m personally looking forward to Ibushi and Takeshita facing off during this trios battle.

I see Jay White and the Bang Bang Gang (Bing Bing Ging?) getting the win here. Maybe we’ll even get the shocking visual of Takeshita standing tall over Omega after some Gunns-based interference.

Eddie Kingston, Penta el Cero Miedo, Chuck Taylor, Trent Beretta, and Orange Cassidy versus Jon Moxley, Claudio Castagnoli, Wheeler Yuta, Santana, and Ortiz in a Stadium Stampede match

This is a match that’s suffered from some injuries and travel issues, as Bryan Danielson and Rey Fenix had to be written out. The addition of Santana and Ortiz is a welcome surprise, although I’m left wondering who the first choices were to fill the three empty spots the BCC needed initially. Is there another surprise addition waiting for us at the show? Maybe Danielson is back after all? 

The Blackpool Combat Club is getting dangerously close to jumping the shark lately, but I still see Jon Moxley and his pals defeating the good guys and Mox standing over a bloodied Orange Cassidy prior to their meeting that I’m assuming will come next week at All In. These matches are bloody chaos, a fun watch when AEW’s production guys are on point. Let’s hope that’s the case here, and that everybody comes out relatively unscarred from whatever creative violence these competitors dream up to unleash on one another.

Will Ospreay versus Chris Jericho

I mean, Chris Jericho had to get on the card somehow, and technically he’s not wrong in saying he and Ospreay have had a match pending for years. It’s just kind of overwhelming compared to the Omega/Ospreay rematch many anticipated. Still, 80k singing “Judas” should be fun, and these two are totally capable of putting together a solid match. 

Ospreay ought to get the win here, with Jericho continuing his transition into a good guy with Sammy Guevara remaining his right hand man. I’ve enjoyed the Callis and Jericho interactions, and I genuinely wasn’t sure which way Jericho was going to go when Don proposed a partnership. But since Jericho doesn’t seem to be leaving anytime soon, he’s probably due a face run. 

House of Black © versus the Acclaimed and Bad Ass Billy Gunn for the AEW World Trios Championship

So the story here is that the House of Black retired “Daddy Ass” and summoned “Bad Ass” Billy Gunn after the outnumbered Acclaimed called HoB out? I at least expected this to be a career versus titles match – and it still might be, given the House Rules stip that is usually attached to the House’s title defenses. And, sure, iit sorta feels like the Acclaimed has lost a little steam. 

Still, if Billy isn’t leaving, then a win for him and his beloved adopted sons in the Acclaimed would go a long way towards giving the fans reasons to cheer in Wembley. Go on and do it, AEW, give the scissors their due!

FTR © versus the Young Bucks for the AEW World Tag Team Championships

The rubber match between two of the greatest tag teams of their generation will happen at the biggest show ever, and it feels like it has the build and the personnel to steal the show. The Bucks haven’t been focused on the tag division in months, while FTR has been defending almost weekly of late with some bangers against the Bang Bang Gang and Cole and MJF. But recent promo work between these teams and a game Renee Paquette have really upped the intensity for the upcoming match, and the Bucks pulling the management card adds an interesting wrinkle in the rivalry.

I really feel like the Young Bucks can take this one. FTR’s run has been amazing, and the Bucks aren’t the guys to take anything away from them. But as far as titles changing hands at the big show, the multi-man belts seem the most likely of the ones on the line tonight. I won’t be mad either way, as this match seems to end this rivalry and move both teams on, but I have a feeling we’ll see new champs at the end of this hopefully 5-star FTR match.

Hikaru Shida © versus Saraya versus Toni Storm versus Dr. Britt Baker, D.M.D. in a Four Way Match for the AEW World Women’s Championship

Shida winning that shoddily-booked women’s championship was a welcome surprise a few weeks ago, and the character that Toni Storm has developed after losing her title has been equally fantastic. The other two women, qualifying for the one women’s match announced for All In, were obvious choices – Dr. Baker is the biggest star in the division, and Saraya is probably the most well-known outside of AEW. 

It’s far too soon for Shida to drop the title, so she’ll get the pinfall win here. While an appearance by a not-medically-cleared Jamie Hayter isn’t out of the question – perhaps as a foil to Ruby Soho interfering on the Outcasts’ behalf – I think this would benefit from simple booking, a decent amount of time, and a little less shmozzy a finish than I’m expecting. 

C.M. Punk © versus Samoa Joe for the Real World Championship

This should be interesting. Fans are clearly divided on the returning Punker, and Samoa Joe doesn’t really have a compelling reason to come out on top here. Joe’s position as our One True King of Television isn’t on the line, so he’s got far less to lose, and Punk already has about four rivalries brewing along with however many grudges and grievances the man seems to harbor. 

I’m always going to have a soft spot for Punk, and we’ve seen great stuff between him and Joe in the past. While the tires have a little less tread on them these days, I’m still looking forward to a huge pop for both men, with Joe chants and a Living Colour sing-along getting fans hyped before they get to work. Punk will come out on top, but we should have some fun here. 

MJF © versus Adam Cole for the AEW World Championship

With a tremendous build, fantastic chemistry, and some of the best merch in the “unlikely tag team” category since HOOKHausen, “Better Than You BayBay” has been a great success for AEW. Fans are simultaneously dreading and anticipating one of these former (current?) heels turning on the other. For my money, an Adam Cole turn and victory would be the most shocking outcome, and that’s enough for me to want it. Turn on grumpy neckbrace Roddy Strong. Turn on the Kingdom. Turn on Max. Hell, turn on Britt for all I care! Give me all the chaos!

This match has been positioned, built, and advertised as both the main event and the most important thing on this most important event in All Elite Wrestling’s short history. And if any two performers not named Moxley, Omega, or Danielson can pull it off, it’s these two. I think anything less than a near perfect dramatic war will be considered a disappointment, but I also believe Cole and MJF have worked every hold out to the second. This legitimately might hit Savage/Steamboat levels, and I’m looking forward to it. 

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Russ Good

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