AEW: All In @ Wembley Stadium- 27/08/23- Part One

Other than our hometown North Wrestling show, the last time I actually attended a pro-wrestling event I was nothing more than a strapping little 12-year old. Back then, I used to wrestle on golf courses and trampolines, and every penny I had was going towards that new shiny Kona Lana’i I’d clocked in Halfords. I had to make sure I was delivering those newspapers in style.

The year was 2003, the event was WWE’s Insurrextion, and I didn’t have the foggiest idea that Stone Cold Steve Austin had ever stepped foot in WCW. Fast forward twenty years and here I was, 32-year old and on my way down to London after being sucked deeper into the wrestling world than ever before after four years of late Wednesdays, tired Thursdays, and avid fandom. Cheers AEW! Armed with nothing more than a few degrees, my belter Gateshead College media manifesto, and a Samsung S20, I was off to Wem-be-ley…

Looking back, I can now safely say that AEW’s first-ever UK PPV All In not only defied all prior expectations I had before my southern pilgrimage began, but being part of such an event also helped ignite a creative spark in me that has remained dormant since I bailed out on my doctorate in late 2021 (blame COVID). A writer has been reborn. Please continue reading to enjoy a brief review of my scintillating Sunday down south.

As a proud Geordie, and someone who considers needing a passport to venture anywhere past York, I must admit that my previous experiences of London have been questionable at best, with the overall busyness often being surpassed by a few rude and sketchy characters along the way. However, as soon as I peeled my bony little bum from my 30 quid Megabus seat (that’s for a return as well- oi oi) and began making the trek to the Abbey Point Hotel, I have to admit my entire conception of London was amended for the better.

The sun was beaming from morning till sunset- a good solid 21 degrees! Perfect weather for my calves of steel to be out on full show. Twit-twoo! From Victoria Coach Station we made our way through the picturesque and beautiful Hyde Park, which I can now confirm has only been bested by Gateshead’s Saltwell Park as the best park I have explored within my lifetime (no bias here at all), but as the wise philosopher Ricky Bobby once stated: ‘there ain’t nothin’ wrong with silver.’

Morning jogs and rollerblades were aplenty, while some steroid-laced ducks bopped around without a care in the world. I received three “good mornings” along this walk, which in itself totally re-jigged my perception of London- it was definitely a far cry from being lubed up and slipped onto whatever remaining slither of space The Tube had to offer, that’s for sure!

Next, my eyes were exposed to parts of London which quite frankly just oozed affluence. Opulence was seeping from every orifice. Strolling through the back streets of Westminster like a fish out of water, my little northern eyes were often taken aback by the sheer grandeur I was being exposed to. In addition, my little brain was then shattered even more when I paid only 50p more for a Lost Mary vape than I would in my native Gateshead. What the cluck?!

Eventually, me and my travelling companion Stiggalicious made our way down towards the canal, and I then embarked upon the best walk I can remember in ages, as we wandered towards Wembley. Little did I know, Notting Hill Carnival was actually beginning, which explained the painted bodies and bouncing houseboats. Many intriguing juxtapositions would soon follow.

Houseboats and homelessness stood side-by-side; oxymorons creeping in from all angles. An extensive CCTV presence paralleled home-made food banks, epitomising not only humanity’s priorities as a whole, but also highlighting the contrasting nature of London in general. As one utilitarian hand gives, another totalitarian eye kept toot. Surveillance capitalism was in full flow. Zuboff, eat your heart out.

The Event

After an absolutely lush stroll, I finally alleviated the watery ways and found myself in the concrete jungle once again. As I made my way towards Wembley amongst the other 71,034 paying wrestling fanatics (please add about another 10,000 people who were in truth probably just dragged there against their will by their partners or friends), I was pleasantly surprised by the quality of my seats. For just over £100 each, Ticketmaster was true to its word. I had a pretty much perfect view of the ring, as promised. Next year, as AEW returns to Wembley for All In 2024, I will probably return and purchase the lower level, because I really want to be a bit closer to the in-ring action. But as the old Chinese proverb goes: beggars can’t be choosers. *insert Paulie Gualtieri’s laugh here*

The Matches

Aussie Open (Mark Davis & Kyle Fletcher) vs MJF & Adam Cole for the Ring of Honor Tag Team Championships

Fun, concise, and foretelling, this match not only ensured there were butts in seats for the main show, but it simultaneously helped elevate the Aussies on a global scale, whilst also setting up the main event. Top work all round. “Good game, good game.” It appears there’s plenty more merch to be sold. Neither team harmed their reputation and the eventual winners were still left healthy enough to deliver a banger of a main event. MJF & Adam Cole are your new ROH Tag Team Champions, and they’re still ‘better than you, bay bay’.

Jack Perry vs Hook for the FTW Championship

Relatively decent outing for both young guys. Hook surely is a technical beast, and another ‘human suplex machine’ is well and truly flourishing before our eyes. These two competitors are a good match for one another at this stage of their burgeoning careers, and this could definitely develop into a long-standing rivalry if both remain within the realms of this company. Possibly outshined by the post-match shenanigans– is it a work, or isn’t it a work? Only time will tell. Intrigued to see where Jack Perry goes from here. Hook finally took the title back and restored the FTW lineage to its Brooklyn roots.

CM Punk vs Samoa Joe for the ‘Real’ World Championship

Two veterans of the sport going at each other in front of 80,000+. Each competitor elevated the other, and their chemistry was plain to see. Punk looks better with each match he has, and has been been a brilliant re-addition to the roster, while Joe remains formidable in victory or defeat. CM Punk eventually won with a ‘Pepsi Plunge’ from the top rope. This was another chapter in an enthralling pro-wrestling rivalry which has spanned not only decades, but also several promotions. This bout certainly riled the crowd up, and JR put it perfectly: they definitely “got the crowd invested.” Great opener!

Kenny Omega, ‘Hangman’ Adam Page, and Kota Ibushi (The Golden Elite) vs Jay White, Juice Robinson (Bullet Club Gold), and Konosuke Takeshita

Extremely athletic, fast-paced action from bell-to-bell, where every member of the match got their chance to shine. In person, this match was fun to watch, and even viewing this one in my bed was still enjoyable. The incoming Bullet Club Gold vs The Elite storyline has got me whetting my lips. Gimme, gimme gimme! However, I have to point out that this wasn’t the right match for good ol’ JR to call, as he often seemed disillusioned with the lack of implemented rules, and this ‘modern’ approach to wrestling (especially trios matches) seems to be leaving him behind with every passing day. His frustration was clear to hear. However, in his defence, he also noticed the talent continuously exuding from Jay White. I guess it is that intuition which has led to his legendary status. I really am dying to see Jay White vs MJF in the near future, if that ever materialises. The battles- both physical and verbal- would rock the socks off the entire wrestling world. In the end, Takeshita rolled up Omega for the win, setting up next week’s one-on-one contest against the two aforementioned beasts at All Out in Chicago. Get the popcorn ready. This one should be tasty.

FTR (Cash Wheeler & Dax Harwood) vs The Young Bucks (Matt & Nick Jackson) for the AEW Tag Team Championships

On a personal note, this was the match I was most looking forward to heading into All In. I’m just an unapologetic FTR head, there’s no denying that. I also massively appreciate what The Bucks have done, and continue to do, for the wrestling business as a whole. I think I’ve just become more used to seeing them compete in trios matches as opposed to the traditional two-on-two. This was round 3, the rubber match, winner takes all. The founders versus the flagbearers. Flips versus fists. On reflection, I don’t think I spent any of this match in my seat, and this without doubt contributed to my croaky Monday voice. The Bucks- Mercury’d up in their yellow jackets and white pants- kept the viewer on the edge of their seats throughout this contest, with many notable near-falls being complimented by past references to their earlier slobber knockers, specifically Full Gear 2020. When I actually watched it back, I must admit I don’t think these two teams mesh as well anymore (might be a size thing?), but that doesn’t take anything from the great spectacle they put on for us. I think my opinion of a good tag team match has been slightly skewed after FTR vs Bullet Club Gold’s match of the year contender on the July 15th episode of Collision. More time may have to pass before that match is washed from my consciousness. However, witnessing this bout live really was something special, and credit to Nick Jackson for kicking out of an ‘FTR Trigger/Shatter Machine’ combo. In the end, however, the ‘Shatter Machine’ finally hit its spot at the second time of asking, and FTR retained the tag titles. What a year these two are having, but credit to The Bucks for doing business on such a grand stage. Top guys…out.

The Stadium Stampede Match- Orange Cassidy, Trent Beretta, Chuck Taylor, Eddie Kingston, and Penta El Zero Miedo vs Jon Moxley, Claudio Castagnoli, Wheeler Yuta (The Blackpool Combat Club), Mike Santana, and Ortiz

I think Bleacher Report put this perfectly, this really was “wrestling at its chaotic finest”. Slightly marred by pre-match card changes, this match was everything I expected, and a little bit more for good measure. I didn’t have a clue where to put my eyes in the stadium itself, and this was just carnage from top to bottom. The endgame of this match was to solidify future feuds against Kingston & Castagnoli and Moxley & Cassidy, which was done very well if it was their plan. I didn’t have an igloo what was going on live, but on the re-watch it made a little bit more sense, however depraved it was. Definitely one for the sadists.

Poor old Nigel McGuinness wanted the carnage to end ten minutes earlier than it did, and trust me mate, I was wincing along with you. After a little bit of Sue, a cheeky touch of acupuncture, and Eddie Kingston’s wonderful homage to the late, great legend Terry Funk, Orange Cassidy finally embodied his inner Kickboxer and finished the match by pinning Claudio after delivering an ‘Orange Punch’ wrapped in glass right on the kisser. They surely squeezed everything they could out of this match, while most competitors won’t be feeling too fresh in the morning.

Hikaru Shida vs Saraya vs Toni Storm vs Dr Britt Baker for the AEW Women’s World Championship

I think the aim of this match was to be more of a foreteller for future storylines than a definitive denouement, but again, all four competitors put on a good show in a decent outing. Four ways really are hard to follow, so I can’t imagine what it must be like performing in one. Shida’s second world title reign was swiftly ended by Saraya in front of quite the flock of family members. Saraya’s entrance was an absolute banger, and on a personal note I must admit that Toni Storm’s new character arc has been fascinating to witness, and this match allowed her the space to unravel even further. Watching her descend into dismay over the last few weeks has filled me with joy. She has done some of the best women’s promos I have witnessed in yonks, and I think her versus ROH champion Athena would make for tasty viewing. Aside from the match, I am very intrigued to see how they potentially mesh Mercedes Mone into AEW’s developing women’s division moving forward, if her conspicuous attendance at Wembley is anything to go by. Overall, putting the belt on Saraya was probably the right business decision for AEW, but I hope this means we get to see more of her in ring action moving forward. I think her and Britt Baker have a rumbustious rivalry ready for us all to take in. Keep plodding on ladies.