By Jason Powell, ProWrestling.net Editor (@prowrestlingnet)
AEW All Out “Tailgate Brawl” Pre-Show
Toronto, Ontario, at Scotiabank Arena
Simulcast live September 20, 2025, on TBS and HBO Max
Tony Schiavone opened the show by stating that it was All Out Saturday. Schiavone was joined on commentary by Nigel McGuinness and Matt Menard… Ring announcer Arkady Aura introduced Samoa Joe and Powerhouse Hobbs, while their opponents were already inside the ring…
1. Samoa Joe and Powerhouse Hobbs vs. “The Workhorsemen” JD Drake and Anthony Henry. Hobbs bodyslammed Henry several times. He scooped him up with one arm, but Drake tagged himself in. Hobbs bodyslammed Drake before tagging out. Joe smiled after taking the tag. Joe worked over Drake and hit him with a senton.
A short time later, Henry put Joe down with a DDT and covered him for a one count. Drake tagged in and was powerslammed, which led to Joe getting a two count. Hobbs took a hot tag and worked over both opponents. Joe tagged in again and set up Drake for a Muscle Buster, but Drake bit him while seated on the top rope. Drake dove at Joe, who casually moved. Joe put Drake in the Coquina Clutch. Hobbs took out Henry while Drake tapped out…
Samoa Joe and Powerhouse Hobbs defeated “The Workhorsemen” JD Drake and Anthony Henry in 5:20.
Powell’s POV: A quick spotlight match for Joe and Hobbs, who were both really over with the live crowd.
Katsuyori Shibata made his entrance while Joe and Hobbs were on the stage. Shibata exchanged fist bumps with his fellow AEW Trios Tag Team Champions and then headed to the ring for his match. Daniel Garcia and Marina Shafir were shown in a backstage hallway. Garcia slapped the camera, and then he and Safir made their entrance through the crowd…
2. Daniel Garcia (w/Marina Shafir) vs. Katsuyori Shibata. Menard grumbled about how close he was to Menard before he joined the Death Riders. The fans chanted “you sold out” at Garcia. Shibata jumped out to a quick start and worked over Garcia at ringside, heading into a picture-in-picture break. [C]
There was a side shot that showed a lot of empty seats coming out of the break. Schiavone noted that fans were still filling in. Garcia had Shibata down at ringside. Menard stood up and barked at Garcia, who ignored him. Garcia put the ring steps in front of Shibata’s head and then dropkicked the steps. Both men were down on the floor before they went to another PIP break. [C]
Garcia caught Shibata in a guillotine. Menard said Garcia likes to follow up the hold with a piledriver, and then Garcia did just that and covered Shibata for a near fall. Garcia grabbed Shibata and gave him another piledriver, but this time Shibata kicked out at one. Shibata dropped Garcia with a headbutt.
Shibata was woozy as he got to the ropes, but he caught Garcia in a sleeper. Garcia rolled onto Shibata for a two count, but Shibata maintained the hold. Shafir climbed on the apron and distracted the referee, who missed Garcia tapping out. Shibata released the hold. Garcia put him down with a piledriver. Garica pulled Shibata’s arms behind him and then stomped his face on the mat before pinning him…
Daniel Garcia defeated Katsuyori Shibata in 14:50.
Powell’s POV: A good match. I could have done without Shibata no-selling the second piledriver, but the crowd ate it up. Garcia going over was logical, given that he just joined the Death Riders. While there are some open seats in the crowd during the pre-show, Wrestletix lists the building as being set up for 12,646, with 12,142 tickets distributed.
Renee Paquette and RJ City checked in from ringside and hyped All Out being available on HBO Max for $39.99… [C] Hologram, Roderick Strong, and Kyle O’Reilly made their entrances while their opponents were already in the ring…
3. Hologram, Roderick Strong, and Kyle O’Reilly vs. “The Frat House” Cole Karter, Griff Garrison, and Preston Vance (w/Jacked Jameson, pledges). The Frat House trio attacked the babyfaces to start the match. The picture went to black for a couple seconds twice. Hologram took out the pledges with a flip dive. In the ring, Strong and O’Reilly put Garrison down, and then Hologram hit him with a double stomp before pinning him.
Hologram, Roderick Strong, and Kyle O’Reilly beat “The Frat House” Cole Karter, Griff Garrison, and Preston Vance in 3:20.
After the match, Strong was upset with Hologram and left the ring while Hologram tried to diffuse the situation…
Paquette and City spoke briefly at ringside… [C]
Powell’s POV: Was it worth adding a second glorified squash match to the pre-show card at the expense of using the time to showcase one of the big pay-per-view matches? The goal of the pre-show should be to sell viewers on ordering the show, not to cram in as many throwaway matches as possible.
Entrances for the main event took place. Julia Hart and Skye Blue wore “SIN” t-shirts and held hands while walking down the ramp. Blue had a staple gun. The entrances for Penelope Ford and Megan Bayne followed. Mina Shirakawa, Queen Aminata, Harley Cameron, and Willow Nightingale made separate entrances…
4. 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. The babyfaces all wore AEW cutoff t-shirts. There was a cooler and other tailgate-related items at ringside. There was a big spot with all four babyfaces suplexing all four heels. The action spilled over, and the wrestlers used Solo cups, a ladle, tongs, a lawn chair, and other tailgate nonsense as weapons. They cut to a PIP break right before Cameron used the staple gun on Blue. [C]
Blue powerbombed Willow from the ropes onto a cooler. The babyfaces used a couple of coolers as weapons. The feed cut out a couple more times, but only for a couple of seconds each time. In the end, Willow slammed Ford to the mat to escape a submission hold. Willow slammed a trash can over the head of Ford, then hit her with a Doctor Bomb for the win…
Willow Nightingale, Mina Shirakawa, Harley Cameron, and Queen Aminata defeated Megan Bayne, Penelope Ford, Julia Hart, and Skye Blue in a Tornado Tailgate Brawl in 11:30.
The broadcast team ran through the pay-per-view lineup to close out the show…
Powell’s POV: Apparently, AEW thought it was a good idea to use their first pre-show on TNT and HBO Max to send the message that they are the home for silly sports entertainment? This was not a productive pre-show, as it’s hard to imagine that it would sell very many viewers who were on the fence to order the pay-per-view. Check the main page for my review of the All Out pay-per-view.
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