By Don Murphy, ProWrestling.net Contributor (@DonThePredictor)
It’s another big wrestling weekend, starting with AEW and its annual All Out event. The show is on Saturday afternoon in Toronto, Ontario, at Scotiabank Arena. Like most AEW shows, I suspect that fans of the product will come away from this show satisfied by the in-ring output, but for me, character development, storyline builds, and predictability of the outcomes for most of the matches continue to be flat. And before anyone says”But WWE…” I don’t do tribalism, but, in any case, stay tuned; my thoughts on WWE Wrestlepalooza are coming soon. Back to AEW – let’s run down the card!
Hangman Page vs. TNT Champion Kyle Fletcher for the AEW World Championship (Fletcher will be stripped of the TNT Title if any member of the Callis Family interferes). Across the wrestling landscape, Kyle Fletcher is an interesting subject. Some think he’s the next big thing, while others think he’s just another guy in AEW’s endless roster pool. I’m somewhere in the middle. If you go back to the ECW days, Fletcher’s presentation reminds me of how ECW presented Shane Douglas. Douglas was a fledgling mid-card act in the WWF and WCW. Paul Heyman saw something in him and made him the centerpiece of the promotion. His mic skills and in-ring style were average, but he gained some muscle mass, and he was presented as a big deal. While Fletcher is not a carbon copy of Douglas, I see similarities in how AEW is trying to present him. And for the die-hard fanbase, he definitely checks all the boxes of a guy who could be on top.
As for the match, it will be fine, and both will come out looking strong. I’m not too worried about a loss impacting Fletcher’s TNT title run, and they will work quickly to get his heat back. I’m not sure you needed the stipulation of no Callis Family interference, but by itself, the outcome is predictable, and I’m sure this was their play to give it some kind of hook. I’d argue that no interference makes the outcome more predictable, but that’s neither here nor there. My biggest question is – will Don Callis be able to sit in on commentary? If so, that kind of defeats the purpose of the stipulation, no?
Don Predicts: Hangman Page retains the AEW World Championship.
Toni Storm vs. Kris Statlander vs. Jamie Hayter vs. Thekla to a four-way match for the AEW Women’s Championship. AEW diehards – don’t take this personally. The AEW women’s division has talented athletes. They’ve just been booked flat with a series of multi-person matches that don’t do anything to further any decent stories. I still don’t know who Thekla is aside from a spider lady who does the walk that Bray Wyatt made famous. Hayter was once a fan darling, but she’s cooled off substantially. Statlander is in this strange courtship with the Death Riders and a seemingly never-ending relationship with Willow Nightingale. And then there’s Storm. Folks, I like her. For my money, across the industry, she’s in the top two or three of my depth chart. But I feel like she’s spinning her wheels with no credible challengers and a formulaic promo style. Don’t get me wrong, I get a chuckle out of the double entendres, but for me, it becomes flat when it’s in every promo.
Don Predicts: Toni Storm retains the AEW Women’s Championship.
Mercedes Mone vs. Riho for the TBS Championship. Speaking of not having challengers and spinning wheels, such is the case of Mercedes Mone. This is the standard cycle of bringing in someone we haven’t seen in a while or someone from another promotion to challenge Mone. The match will be fine, but I don’t see Riho as the one to unseat Mone. And right now, I have no clue who that would be.
Don Predicts: Mercedes Mone retains the TBS Championship.
Kazuchika Okada vs. Konosuke Takeshita vs. Mascara Dorada in a three-way for the AEW Unified Championship. I mentioned storyline builds in the opening. When I first looked at this match, I was discouraged. Instead of just going with the singles match they are building toward, it’s a three-way, and Dorada is going to take the pin. But I think the design is a slow build for the Okada-Takeshita feud, and with that likely being the case, I’m fine with it. That said, I still don’t know why Okada had to be in a qualifying tournament to defend his own title.
Don Predicts: Kazuchika Okada retains the AEW Unified Championship..
Brody King and Bandido vs. “The Young Bucks” Matt Jackson and Nick Jackson vs. “JetSpeed” Kevin Knight and Mike Bailey vs. Josh Alexander and Hechicero in a four-way ladder match for the AEW Tag Team Titles. This will be your spot-fest match of the night. Low on characters and storylines but high on action. King and Bandido are likely playing the transitional champions. The Bucks have been fun since losing their EVP status in the storyline. I see this as the launching pad for their resurgence and another tag team title run. As an aside, the TNA version of Josh Alexander…remember that guy? I’m really hoping he can get back to form with some creative booking.
Don Predicts: The Young Bucks win the AEW Tag Team Titles.
Adam Copeland and Christian Cage vs. “FTR” Dax Harwood and Cash Wheeler. I like the fact that they didn’t just make Copeland and Cage instant friends again, with Cage emerging as a smiling babyface. I love the dynamic they have now, and the match should be a blast. I do feel like the reunification of Copeland and Christian missed something that would have made this seem like a bigger deal, especially with the match being held in Toronto, but I can’t put my finger on it.
Don Predicts: Adam Copeland and Christian Cage defeat “FTR” Dax Harwood and Cash Wheeler.
MJF vs. Mark Briscoe in a Thumbtacks and Tables match. This will be the “bloodbath for the sickos” match of the night. I can do without thumbtacks, but if anyone is going to make this kind of match entertaining, leave it to MJF. And this is one where I’m going back and forth on the winner. On the one hand, the way Briscoe has been booked, one would assume MJF is going over. But I think that MJF can and will absorb a loss here for the sake of giving Briscoe a big win so that he can challenge Hangman Page for the title, which is something the company has been teasing over the last couple of months. And I have no concern that MJF will instantly get his heat back to a main event level very quickly.
Don Predicts: Mark Briscoe defeats MJF.
Jon Moxley vs. Darby Allin in a Coffin Match. This may compete for bloodbath of the night. This will be wild, and I think the plan here is to move Allin into a feud with Daniel Garcia. I’m not sure how I feel about that, but I’ll let it play out. I expect Garcia to play a role in the finish to cost Allin. In terms of Moxley, I’m not sure where he goes from here. Perhaps a program with the returning Eddie Kingston? I’d actually like to see him take some time off to be repackaged, but that doesn’t seem to be in the cards anytime soon.
Don Predicts: Jon Moxley defeats Darby Allin.
Ricochet, Toa Liona, and Bishop Kaun vs. “The Hurt Syndicate” Bobby Lashley, Shelton Benjamin, and MVP. Here’s the thing – I like Ricochet’s heel act, and I’ve always been high on Liona and Kaun. Plus, the Hurt Syndicate have been crowd favorites for a bit. That said, this does nothing for me, and I’m looking forward to them moving on. At this stage, I’d split up Lashley and Benjamin. They can remain cordial but not be a team. Lashley could go after Hangman Page for the World Title, and Benjamin would be a good contender for one of the secondary titles.
Don Predicts: “The Hurt Syndicate” Bobby Lashley, Shelton Benjamin, and MVP defeat Ricochet, Toa Liona, and Bishop Kaun.
Eddie Kingston vs. Big Bill. It’s great to see Kingston return, and I’ll continue to say that he’s a guy you could build into a World Champion contender and even give him a short run with the title. Going back to ECW comparisons, he is AEW’s Tommy Dreamer – the heart and soul of the company and the fanbase. He’s rough around the edges but overwhelmingly relatable. I’m not saying he holds the title for a long time, but a title win and a short run would be quite the moment. As for Bill, I’ll always be a huge fan and hope for better booking ahead.
Don Predicts: Eddie Kingston defeats Big Bill.
(Pre-Show) Daniel Garcia vs. Katsuyori Shibata. The pre-show will be simulcast on TNT and HBO Max and 1CT/2ET and is labeled as “AEW Collision.” I’m actually interested in this particular match. Garcia has been as flat as a pancake, so the heel turn was needed. I’m curious to see if he can garner some heat in his first match as a member of the Death Riders. And I’ll agree that beating down Matt Menard would have the opposite effect.
Don Predicts: Daniel Garcia defeats Katsuyori Shibata.
(Pre-Show) Willow Nightingale, Mina Shirakawa, Harley Cameron, and Queen Aminata vs. Megan Bayne, Penelope Ford, Julia Hart, and Skye Blue in an eight-woman Tornado Tailgate Brawl.Wait! Where’s the “All Star” moniker? Where’s the cash prize? The live crowd will eat this up, but it’s another meaningless multi-person tag to get everyone on the show.
Don Predicts: Willow Nightingale, Mina Shirakawa, Harley Cameron, and Queen Aminata defeat Megan Bayne, Penelope Ford, Julia Hart, and Skye Blue in an eight-woman Tornado Tailgate Brawl.
(Pre-Show) Samoa Joe and Powerhouse Hobbs vs. “The Workhorsemen” JD Drake and Anthony Henry. Another throwaway pre-show match. I have been a fan of The Workhoresmen, so I’m happy they’re getting a spot even if it’s a pre-show.
Don Predicts: Samoa Joe and Powerhouse Hobbs defeat “The Workhorsemen” JD Drake and Anthony Henry.
Join Jason Powell for his live review of AEW All Out on Saturday.
Every match will take too long, you retarded fucks will try to tell everyone how great this shit is, and the TV and live audiences will continue to dwindle. Beyond that, who the fuck even cares about this shithole indy fed anymore?
Your behavior is abnormal. You have wasted six years of your life obsessing over a pro wrestling company you hate while reading a website you accuse of being biased because the staff doesn’t share your angry tribal views. You should stop following AEW and reading this website. Use the extra time to seek the mental help that you desperately need. Have a lovely day.
Lol Jason I noticed you’ve been sending the same exact message here.
Then perhaps you’ve also noticed that he’s repeated the same insults for six years. Why waste time responding to a troll’s same old angry tribal nonsense with anything new?
You do, more than anyone.
Here is my issue with AEW in Sept 2025. Who is their flagship star? Like them or not, you KNOW Cody is the face of WWE and Rollins circles around as top heel. Punk and Roman are big stars and well-known performers to hardcore fans and casuals alike.
I like Hangman and Toni (and I understand the appeal of MJF and Mone even though they aren’t to MY taste personally) but who really STANDS OUT? As Booker would say “who passes the airport test?”
I know AEW scratches an itch for a more hardcore (and I mean committed not necc. bloody) fanbase, so guys like Okata and Darby and Kingston have their appeal. But AEW seems to be missing wrestlers who just carry themselves like they are a BIG deal.
I’m sure the show will be fine (and yes probably too long and a bit too bloody for how I want to spend my afternoon). I just don’t really know how 5-ish years in, AEW can move beyond a niche product.