“Real” AEW World Championship: (c)CM Punk vs. Samoa Joe –
A match 2 decades in the making, a clash from of two titans of the early 2000s independent wrestling scene, a battle between two multiple time world champions, and a collision between two men. That’s what you should expect come Sunday, August the 27th, 2023. Samoa Joe and CM Punk collide for the 8th time in their illustrious careers, in what’s sure to be a hard fought bout that weaves a tapestry of a 20-year war fought through the glorious violence of pro wrestling. CM Punk has declared himself the real world’s champion, and Joe has come to take it all away from him in what could be their final encounter. We will be witnesses to history during this match, count on it.
AEW World Tag-Team Championships: (c)FTR vs. The Young Bucks –
F*** The Revival. A phrase uttered 7 years ago on The Elite’s YouTube show “Being The Elite” that would embody a sentiment that’s been shared amongst the online wrestling community for many years now. That sentiment being, that The Young Bucks stand alone on the mountain of tag team supremacy, and nobody can even come close. FTR (formerly the aforementioned Revival in WWE) have fought as hard as they possibly can to disprove that idea over the last 2 years.
After a cold initial debut and ultimately ill-fated run as members of The Pinnacle, they’ve been on the run of a lifetime. Capturing the ROH, IWGP, and AAA Tag Team Championships in 2022, and following that by finally reclaiming the AEW Tag Team Titles earlier this year, they look to finally cement their status amongst the all-time greats on the biggest stage in AEW history.
Will The Young Bucks become the first ever 3 time AEW Tag Team Champs? Will FTR’s Cash Wheeler skirt recent legal troubles and make it all the way to England and secure a spot on the tag team Mount Rushmore? Only time will tell.
AEW World Championship: (c)MJF vs. Adam Cole –
The feel good story of the year may come to a screeching halt, as the AEW World Champion Maxwell Jacob Friedman has to defend his title against his best friend, Adam Cole (Bay Bay). After a month’s long saga of a title eliminator match ending in a time limit draw, a forced partnership, and a found friendship, MJF decided that Adam has rightfully earned his 3rd chance at gold. Having lost his previous 2 bouts for the world title against Hangman Adam Page last year, Cole will look to keep his eyes on the prize, and avoid falling into the trap of turning on his friend/partner in the biggest main event of his career.
Will we see the Brochachos implode during the main event? Will MJF do what he has to do to keep his Triple B, or will Adam Cole pull his old school tactics to become AEW World Champion? The biggest bromance of the Summer, headlining the biggest show in pro wrestling history. The suspense being built up for weeks now on who is turning on who is at an all-time high and come Sunday when it eventually happens It will be the most talked about thing that week.
ROH World Tag-Team Championships: (c)Aussie Open vs. MJF & Adam Cole
Preempting the Cole & MJF showdown in the main event, they’ve decided to add another layer to their ever-growing relationship by taking on the ROH World Tag Team Champions, Aussie Open.
With Mark Davis making a surprise return from a meniscus injury at July’s Death Before Dishonor PPV, Aussie Open were able to unite for the first time under AEW contracts. They immediately captured gold upon their return, winning the ROH Tag Team Titles, and will look to show off their superior 6 years of chemistry against the world champion and his aforementioned challenger.
Will this match sew the seeds of dissent between two best friends? Or will they stand triumphant against a team that’s crossed multiple continents to finally earn this spot? We’ll find out for free on All In: Zero Hour, live on YouTube!
Coffin Tag Team Match – Darby Allin & Sting vs. Swerve Strickland & Christian Cage
Darby Allin and Sting come head to head against The Mogul Embassy affiliates Swerve Strickland and AR Fox. Swerve and Darby have been at odds all for the last five months. With Darby’s apprentice Nick Wayne on the way with an AEW contract, Swerve has made sure to be a thorn in their side. AR Fox who has recently joined The Mogul Embassy fit in like a glove. The duo of Swerve and Fox made sure to make their mark and to stick it to Darby.
Fox and Swerve both enter Nick Wayne’s home and begin to assault him at his training partner in his garage. They brutalize the defenseless Nick Wayne into a bloody pulp. They both left their impression and made a mark, and made it known to Darby that they are not to be treated lightly. Darby Allin the following week was left alone to confront the entirety of The Mogul Embassy when the lights go out, and then The Icon Sting emerges in the ring to take out the Embassy all by himself with his trusty baseball bat.
Sting in the following weeks begins to play mind games with the Mogul Embassy. We saw signs of Joker Sting, which led Darby Allin to lay down the challenge of this tag team coffin match. Darby Allin is not coming in 100% after the actions Luchasaurus and Christian Cage this past Collision.
Darby, having one more obstacle to deal with on his way to All In, was scheduled in a Texas tornado tag match with Nick Wayne against AR Fox and Swerve Strickland on this past week’s Dynamite. The match saw Darby get destroyed and sacrificing his body as he always does, while it was left up to Nick Wayne to try to muster up any amount of offense to secure a win for Darby heading into the show on Sunday. Nick Wayne was able to do so with his crafty resilience in the match, securing a pin-fall on AR Fox. Following the match, Swerve grabs the mic and gives the all too bad news to AR Fox that he’s a failure for losing to an 18-year-old.
AR Fox now kicked out of the Mogul Embassy with a big lariat from Brian Cage, has left Swerve Strickland all alone in his coffin match as Darby comes rushing back into the ring to save AR Fox from further harm. Darby still extending a hand to someone he considered as a friend even for all the horrible acts he committed in the last three weeks. Darby still he owed AR Fox for taking care of him all those years ago when Darby was making his way around the business. Swerve now partnerless is maniacally laughing on the ramp as a person emerges and outcomes TNT Champion Christian Cage and Luchasaurus. Christian Cage begins to run down Nick Wayne about him being fatherless and says he has Swerve’s back for All In and would love to have Nick Wayne watch has another loved one is put into a coffin.
AEW Women’s World Title Four Way Match – Hikaru Shida (c) vs. Saraya vs. Toni Storm vs. Dr. Britt Baker DMD
Hikaru Shida after coming off a strong month of main eventing two Rampage episodes back to back victoriously was given the opportunity she had been working towards since she lost the AEW Women’s World Title back in 2021, and that was to become AEW Women’s World Champion once again with a live crowd to back her up.
On the August 2nd 200th episode of Dynamite, Hikaru Shida was given another chance at gold after her last strong bout against Jamie Hayter back in December 2022. The match was set Toni Storm vs. Hikaru Shida for the AEW Women’s World Championship. Shida was successful in capturing the championship and becoming two time Women’s World Champion. This was Shida’s third main event in a row in AEW.
The following week, it was announced that a small tournament would be held to determine who would be in the women’s fatal four-way at All In for the AEW Women’s World Championship. Toni Storm received a bye in the tournament and had her ticket punched in for the biggest show in history. Shida had to defend her championship against Anna Jay to determine who would advance to the four-way, Shida was successful in her defense and advanced. Saraya defeated Sky Blue to advance and lastly Dr Britt Baker DMD was the last to advance to round out the fatal four-way.
All four women are set to have the biggest showcase match for the coveted AEW Women’s World Champion at the biggest show in company history. With the call back to the original fatal four-way match that took place at the original All In back in 2018 that also featured Dr Britt Baker DMD, it comes full circle this Sunday for all four women that have been intertwined together for the better part of 9 months.
Six Man Tag Team Match – Bullet Club Gold (Jay White & Juice Robinson) & Konosuke Takeshita (w/Don Callis) vs. The Golden Elite (Adam Page, Kenny Omega & Kota Ibushi)
Kenny Omega, uncertain where he would go next, had a sit down interview last week on Dynamite with Jim Ross to discuss everything that has happened to him thus far. From Don Callis betraying him and his former protégé Konosuke Takeshita turning on him and aligning with his former manager Don Callis. Kenny Omega, still talking with Jim Ross, was blindsided by an attack from the Bullet Club Gold. All four members including Takeshita assaulting Kenny Omega as Jim Ross watched along unable to do a thing.
Kenny Omega now hospitalized after the brutal attack was possibly in jeopardy of missing out on the card for All In was not alone, Hangman Adam Page was filmed outside the hospital that Omega resided in laid down the challenge for the Bang Bang Gang and Takeshita. Beer in hand Hangman announces that Omega and him would reunite but not alone, this time they come with the Golden Star himself Kota Ibushi.
Kenny now out of the hospital is scheduled for a match teaming up with The Bucks against Bullet Club Gold (Austin Gunn, Colten Gunn and Juice Robinson) the match doesn’t start because The Elite blindside Bullet Club Gold during their entrances. All hell has broken loose, referees being knocked out and chaos has ensued. Omega ready to hit a V-trigger on Jay White was stopped with a brutal lariat from Konosuke Takeshita. Jay White continues to beat on Omega when the action continues outside the ring when all of a sudden FTR come make the save. FTR already having dealt with The Gunns and White and Robinson in the past came to the aide of The Elite to make sure the Bucks remain healthy for their tag match with no excuses.
The ring was just left with Omega and Takeshita, Konsouke begins to pick up Omega off the ground, trash talking him when Omega begins to fight back. Kenny hits the V-Trigger and begins to set up Takeshita for the One-Winged Angle, but just as he was about to hit it, Konosuke narrowly escapes. As both men begin to stare down before they come to head in their trios match at All In.
The Golden Elite is once again reunited. This would be the second time an iteration of The Golden Elite would be featured on an All In card, as the first All In main event had the first iteration of The Golden Elite, which consisted of The Young Bucks and Kota Ibushi. Will Omega exact his revenge on the numerous weeks of Takeshita’s blindsided attacks, or will Takeshita and the Bang Bang Gang get one over the Elite.
Best Friends (Chuck Taylor & Trent Beretta), Eddie Kingston, Orange Cassidy & Penta El Zero Miedo vs. Blackpool Combat Club (Claudio Castagnoli, Jon Moxley & Wheeler Yuta), Mike Santana & Ortiz
In a match that is certain to be one of the more unpredictable and exciting on the card, we have the team of Blackpool Combat Club (Jon Moxley, Claudio Castagnoli, Wheeler Yuta) flanked by a newly reformed Proud N’ Powerful (Santana and Ortiz), facing off against Best Friends (Chuck Taylor, Trent Beretta), Orange Cassidy, Eddie Kingston and Penta El Zero Miedo. Originally, Rey Fenix was scheduled to be a part of this massive Stadium Stampede matchup alongside his brother Penta, but he was viciously attacked by the Blackpool Combat Club in the aftermath of an intense, physical match against Jon Moxley on the August 23rd Dynamite.
The damage from the attack required extensive medical attention along with an ambulance call, effectively eliminating Fenix from All In competition; coupled with the sudden return of Santana and reformation of Proud N’ Powerful within mere breaths of Fenix’s beat down, one could say that early warning shots were sent to the opposing team of fan favorites all looking for vengeance.
The Lucha Bros and Best Friends originally crossed paths this year at ROH Death Before Dishonor and once more in a Three Way tag on the July 26th episode of Dynamite before eventually becoming united in the battle against the Blackpool Combat Club upon the re-arrival of Eddie Kingston, who set the challenge for the Stadium Stampede stipulation on the August 16th episode of Dynamite in the aftermath of Orange Cassidy’s successful defense of the International championship against Wheeler Yuta. In the time before the challenge, the Blackpool Combat Club has faced off against the Best Friends (Parking Lot Brawl; August 3rd, Rampage) and the Lucha Bros (August 9th, Dynamite) winning both matchups, while Moxley fought in a losing effort in an Anything Goes Three Way matchup between Penta and Trent Beretta at Dynamite 200.
Eddie Kingston last matched up against the Blackpool Combat Club at Forbidden Door 2, teaming with The Elite off his return from injury to seek revenge on Claudio Castagnoli who put him out of action and has served as an eternal nemesis to Kingston. With Eddie Kingston’s former friends of Santana and Ortiz siding with his enemies in this bout, it begs the question of Kingston’s emotional state following their return and siding with his foe Claudio and the rest of the Blackpool Combat Club.
Now with Eddie Kingston in mind to “fix it” as he told Renee Paquette (Jon Moxley’s wife) this past week on Dynamite, How far will Eddie go to get retribution for feeling betrayed? We got a preview of the lengths Kingston was welling to go at Forbidden Door 2 where Eddie and Moxley faced off in the ring for the first time in over 2 years and now at All In, the biggest show of all time, we will see them face off again once more accompanied by a collection of teams with their own scores to settle.
AEW World Trios Title Match – The House Of Black (Brody King, Buddy Matthews & Malakai Black) (w/Julia Hart) (c) vs. The Acclaimed (Anthony Bowens & Max Caster & Billy Gunn)
The Acclaimed have their sights set on capturing gold once again as they face off against The House of Black. The odds are stacked against The Acclaimed, as they have lost twice already to The House of Black. The House of Black were able to mow through them last time on PPV at Double or Nothing. And about a month ago on the July 22nd edition of Collision. After Daddy Ass himself, Billy Gunn ate the pin fall once again, after the match he contemplated if he should continue with his pro wrestling career. When all of a sudden he sat there removing his boots. The signaling of a wrestler removing their boots and placing it in the middle of the ring is a sign of retirement.
The Acclaimed all alone for a month tried to climb the mountaintop of the tag division, but something felt off, their Daddy Ass was missing. Bowens especially broken by it, who would always scissor Daddy Ass during their entrance routine had no Daddy Ass to scissor with. The Acclaimed bounced back, but still didn’t feel whole. It wasn’t until two weeks ago where Malakai claimed Billy Gunn’s career was living, a shadow of what it once was and that it needed to be completely eradicated.
Malakai goes on to say that Billy Gunn needed to be buried 6-feet deep and with the boots that Billy left in the center of the ring, the House of Black toss Billy’s boots in a trash compactor and destroy them alongside his legacy once and for all. The Acclaimed now heated came out during this past week’s Dynamite with none of their entrance routine as things look personal now after that video package. Knowing The Acclaimed are in a two on three situation yet again as the week prior The Acclaimed were jumped, and Max Caster was left a bloody mess, they end up calling out the House of Black wanting revenge.
The House of Black arrive as demanded and the fight was on. The duo of Caster and Bowens, now out numbered, are being decimated by the house when then the Acclaimed theme music hits and here comes a returning Billy Gunn but this time the energy feels and looks different. This was not the oh so familiar Daddy Ass we have seen for the better part of over a year, this was different. Billy Gunn clears house and stands tall with his “kids” as he puts it.
Billy grabs a microphone and talks about how he is coming back because of what the House did to his “kids” and pissing on his legacy when they destroyed his boots. Billy felt that all the work he had put in for 32 years was desecrated. Gunn says because of what they did to his boots, he is going to lace them up one last time. Billy Gunn lays down the challenge for one last time, all or nothing, The Acclaimed vs. The House Of Black for the AEW Trios World Title in front of 80k fans. The only difference is from the last two matches is that it won’t be the fun-loving Daddy Ass making the trip. There is going to be a “Bad Ass coming to London and his name is Billy Gunn.
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