By Jason Powell, ProWrestling.net Editor (@prowrestlingnet)
AEW All Out “Zero Hour Pre-Show”
Aired live September 4, 2022 live on YouTube
Chicago, Illinois at NOW Arena
Excalibur welcomed viewers to the pre-show. He was joined on commentary by Tony Schiavone, and Justin Roberts was the ring announcer. A shot aired of fans outside the building…
Backstage, Sammy Guevara and Tay Melo were interviewed by RJ City. Guevara said the Chicago fans wanted to see them make out. They started kissing and were interrupted by a honking horn.
Guevara and Melo left the interview set and found the honking was coming from a golf cart driven by their opponents Ruby Soho and Ortiz. Guevara shoved his wife out of the way and was struck by the golf cart. The teams fought to the ring and the referee started the match once the teams were inside the ring…
1. Sammy Guevara and Tay Melo vs. Ruby Soho and Ortiz for the AAA Mixed Tag Team Titles. A loud “F— you, Sammy” chant broke out as he got the better of Soho early on. Guevara had a trickle of blood on his forehead.
Ortiz, who had strange face paint and gear, checked in and swiveled his hips before executing a move on Guevara. Sammy shot his wife over him and she performed a Destroyer on Ortiz. Guevara hit a senton from the ropes and covered Ortiz, who raked his eyes while kicking out at two.
Anna Jay ran to ringside to help the heels, but Soho cut her off and ran her into the ring steps. In the ring, Guevara and Melo went for stereo moves that the babyfaces countered and ended up going or a double pin that resulted in a two count.
Melo superplexed Soho onto the men at ringside. Back in the ring, Soho ran the ropes and had her leg held because the referee was distracted by Guevara. Melo performed a Buckle Bomb and then hit Soho with the TayKO and got the pin while Guevara held Ortiz at ringside…
Sammy Guevara and Tay Melo beat Ruby Soho and Ortiz in 6:00 to retain the AAA Mixed Tag Team Titles.
Powell’s POV: This was fine, but I couldn’t care less about the AAA Mixed Tag Team Titles. Soho took the knee to the face in the finish and immediately covered her nose. She continued covering it while she was taking the pin. Hopefully he was just selling, but she never lowered her hands, so it was hard to tell whether she was legitimately struck.
The broadcast team set up a video package on Bryan Danielson vs. Chris Jericho…
2. Hook vs. Angelo Parker (w/Matt Menard) for the FTW Title. Action Bronson, who performs Hook’s entrance theme, was shown in the front row of the crowd. Hook greeted him before entering the ring. Menard caused an early distraction that allowed Parker to run Hook face first into the middle rope.
Parker suplexed Hook and covered him for a two count. Parker got cocky and taunted hook by asking him where the bad man was. Hook headbutted him. Menard grabbed Hook’s foot, but Hook stomped Menard’s hands with his other foot.
Hook performed a couple of takedowns and then put Parker down with an exploder suplex. Hook threw body shots in the corner, but Parker knocked him down with a punch. Hook came right back with a suplex. Parker rallied and went for a brainbuster, but Hook slipped out and applied Redrum for the win.
Hook defeated Angelo Parker in 3:55 to retain the FTW Title.
After the match, Menard blindsided Hook and picked up the FTW Title. Action Bronson entered the ring and cleared Parker and Menard from the ring. They teased returning, but they dropped off the apron when Hook and Bronson approached them…
Powell’s POV: This was fine for a pre-show match. It was strange to see Parker popping right up after taking suplexes from Hook when Hook is usually dominant in his matches. I guess he can’t be dominant forever and he still went over strong in the end. The post match angle was well received by the crowd. I assume they are setting up Hook vs. Menard for a television match rather than having a celebrity tag match, but I could be mistaken.
A video package aired on the Jon Moxley vs. CM Punk feud…
3. Pac vs. Kip Sabian for the AEW All-Atlantic Championship. Excalibur said this was the first time in 522 days that Sabian was competing in an AEW ring. Taz joined the broadcast team. Sabian controlled the bulk of the offense in the first couple minutes of the match. He teased a dive onto Pac, who covered his head.
Sabian stood in the ring and motioned for Pac to come get him. Pac returned to the ring and charged Sabian, who moved and held the top rope down, causing Pac to tumble to the floor. Sabian performed a springboard moonsault onto him and then looked to the crowd for cheers.
Pac came back and put Sabian down with a brainbuster at ringside. Pac rolled Sabian back inside the ring maintained offensive control. Sabian came back briefly, but Pac put him down with a wicked suplex. Pac went to the ropes for the Black Arrow, but Sabian rolled to the other side of the ring to avoid it.
Pac went after Sabian, who performed a tornado DDT and followed up with a slingshot brainbuster for a near fall. Sabian performed a sit-out slam and got another two count. Sabian showed some frustration, then stuck his head between the ropes and looked at the box he wore on his head for months and told it to tell him what to do. Pac remained in control and hit his finisher for the win.
Pac defeated Kip Sabian in 12:25 to retain the AEW All-Atlantic Championship.
After the match, Pac was interviewed by Schiavone on the stage. Pac was interrupted by Orange Cassidy’s “Jane” entrance theme. Excalibur referred to Cassidy as Pac’s longtime rival. Pac told Cassidy that they’ve done this before and Cassidy knows how it ends. Pac told Cassidy that he’s a joke and told him to get to the back of the line. Pac stormed to the back. In the ring, Sabian was seated and yelling at the box…
Powell’s POV: I’m not really sure what they want viewers to think of Sabian. I assumed he was a heel, but he spent a lot of time playing to the crowd and made Pac look silly with the spot where he teased diving onto him, which led to Pac covering his head. And the crazy box stuff is pretty out there. I’m happy that Sabian reinvented himself, so we’ll see where this goes. One thing is clear, the box gave him shitty advice because Pac dominated after Sabian sought its advice.
A video package aired with Eddie Kingston talking about how he lost to Tomohiro Ishii the first time and would beat him this time…
4. Eddie Kingston vs. Tomohiro Ishii. The wrestlers engaged in an early chop-fest that got a rise out of the crowd. Eddie bowed out for a moment by putting his hands on his knees, but they fired up again and this time Kingston got the better of it and the crowd responded with Eddie chants.
The right side of Ishii’s chest was bright red from the chops. Kingston put Ishii down and then hit him with a running forearm that led to a two count. Kingston toyed with Ishii by lightly kicking his head.
Ishii stood up and grabbed Kingston by the throat. Kingston knocked Ishii’s arm away and then chopped him. Ishii no-sold the chops and put Kingston down with a running shoulder block. Ishii followed up with a side suplex and covered Kingston for a two count.
Ishii threw a kick at the back of Kingston, who stood up and slapped him. They traded slaps back and forth while using both hands. Ishii went for a move. Kingston tried to counter it, but his shoulder gave out. Ishii ran the ropes and went for a lariat, but Kingston showed he was playing possum by blocking it.
Ishii and Kingston traded more strikes and both men fell down to sell the effects. A “this is awesome” chant broke out. Both men stood up and went for lariats. Ishii knocked Kingston down with a shot. Kingston came right back with a lariat and a powerbomb for a close near fall.
Kingston performed a half and half suplex, but Ishii rolled through it and charged. Kingston put Ishii down with a lariat and covered him for another close near fall. Ishii blocked a spinning back first and then hit Kingston with an enzuigiri and a lariat for a two count. Ishii picked up another near fall.
Ishii tried to suplex Kingston, who blocked it. Kingston tried to return the favor, but Ishii blocked it. Kingston connected with a spinning back fist and got another near fall. Ishii headbutted Kingston, who responded with spinning back fist. Ishii headbutted Kingston again. Kingston powered up Ishii and performed a Northern Lights Bomb and got the three count.
Eddie Kingston defeated Tomohiro Ishii in 13:25.
After the match, Kingston pointed at Ishii in a sign of respect. Ishii blew him off and tried to walk past him. Kingston stopped him, but Ishii spun away and tumbled over intentionally to sell the physicality. Kingston headed to the back while the broadcast team spoke of the need for an eventual rubber match between the two…
Powell’s POV: It’s hard not to compare this match to the Gunther vs. Sheamus slug fest from the WWE Clash at the Castle event from yesterday. They were both highly entertaining, but I preferred Gunther vs. Sheamus because there was more selling and storytelling. Again, though, both matches were physical crowd pleasers, and Kingston vs. Ishii was the best part of this pre-show.
The broadcast team ran through the pay-per-view lineup to close out the pre-show…
Join me for my live review of the AEW All Out pay-per-view in a separate report available via the main page.
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