There is a new ace in AEW. His name is Will Ospreay. The Aerial Assassin overcame the best Jon Moxley could dish out. All Out (Sep. 26, 2026) also featured the Young Bucks staking their case as the greatest tag team of all-time, Thekla earning a title shot, Hangman Page with crazy eyes for Swerve Strickland, the Brawling Birds living up to their name, Okada bringing the Rainmaker to PPV, and more from NOW Arena in Chicago, IL.
Let’s break down All Out from top to bottom. Get full play-by-play from Claire
Elizabeth.
AEW World Championship: Will Ospreay (c) defeated Jon Moxley to retain the title. I’ll get the negative out of the way quickly. In my opinion, the Death Riders style of PPV main event stinks. There’s too many people running in. The match devolves into garbage, and it takes away from the actual wrestling, which is the selling point of AEW. “Where the best wrestle.” Moving on to the positive.
I enjoyed the story of Moxley testing Ospreay’s neck with piledrivers and suplexes. That sleeper suplex looked brutal. All that focus on the neck had a badass payoff. When Moxley went for a curb stomp, Ospreay flexed in a pushup position to block the impact in its tracks. That is a action hero spot in movies.
Ospreay’s rally was money. Powerbomb to Styles Clash to springboard cutter.
It was building to the crescendo, then it all came crashing down when Marina Shafir grabbed Ospreay’s foot to prevent the Hidden Blade. That led to a ref bump and mass interference. On the bright side, it was cool seeing Andrade, Alex Windsor, and Jamie Hayter run in to have Ospreay’s back. Crowns up! (“Speedball” Mike Bailey and Francesco Akira were already ringside since the opening bell.)
When the dust cleared, there were some dramatic near falls. I actually wondered if Moxley would win. He poured it on thick with a curb stomp onto the case and several Paradigm Shifts. It was a little too thick making Ospreay feel impossible to beat. The crowd loved it though with rowdy reactions in support of Ospreay. In the end, Ospreay surged and pulled the trigger on the Hidden Blade to win. Moxley handed over the world title with a handshake of respect.
The idea for this main event was pretty good. It touched on story points from grappling in Ospreay’s training, testing his neck durability, testing his spirit of a champion, the United Empire solidarity, Moxley pausing to deliberate pulling the trigger, Ospreay pulling the trigger without hesitation, and Moxley passing the torch in the end. Moxley giving up to eat the Hidden Blade was on the corny side for a seasoned killer. It’s like he didn’t really want to win. He just wanted Ospreay to earn it. That’s fits with Moxley’s arc as sensei to Ospreay. Not so much with Death Riders mantra, so we’ll see if there is finally a schism in that group. Storytelling aside, Ospreay’s wrestling was fantastic as always. He’s earned the graduation to ace status.
AEW World Tag Team Championship: Young Bucks defeated Adam Copeland & Christian Cage (c) and FTR to win the titles. Ladder match with tables and chairs. This was awesome from bell to bell. The action was a car crash in a good way. They didn’t try to reinvent the wheel in a reckless manner for the sake of one-upping history. This match was exactly what I envision for the stipulation.
There are too many highlights to list, and AEW didn’t really give me the clips I want on social media. Here’s some cool clips, if you haven’t watched yet. Dax Harwood suplexed Cope onto a ladder followed by Cash Wheeler and Christian landing splashes.
Stokely Hathaway interfered, so Copeland shoved the ladder over to send Big Stoke crashing through tables. This was hilarious payback.
The Bucks leaped off the ladder for dives crashing through tables, then Wheeler launched for a suicide dive through the ladder into a table.
The finish was too sweet. The Bucks blasted a BTE Trigger to Christian atop the ladder, and they grabbed the titles to win.
Heading into the match, I wasn’t high on the Bucks or FTR winning. As the match played out, it was so good that I didn’t care anymore. Whichever team won deserved to win. That’s to say the action sucked me in fully engaged. It’s fitting that Christian was the final one to east his just desserts from the Bucks. I like how the Jackson brothers grabbed the titles together. It’s symbolic of them being a team in a historic victory.
Thekla defeated Willow Nightingale. Winner challenges Mercedes Moné for the AEW Women’s World Championship at WrestleDream. Thekla was scrappy until Willow pounced her into oblivion. The Toxic Spider targeted Willow’s injured hand. In the end, the injury was the difference. Julia Hart and Skye Blue ran out with their Stardom titles to hit Willow’s hand. Willow ducked Hart’s swing, and the title clocked Thekla. Kick out on the pin. Willow went for a gutwrench powerbomb, but she couldn’t get the proper grip necessary. Thekla escaped to deliver a curb stomp to the hand and a curb stomp to the head for victory. Afterward, Mercedes strut to stage for a staredown.
The action told a smart story. Heel targets babyface’s injury. Willow did a good job selling that injury in key moments that affected the outcome. She also popped her fair share of cool spots, such as the dueling spider pose with Thekla. I like the result, because the match I want to see in this triangle is Mercedes versus Thekla. In a bubble, I’m okay with the cheating from the Sisters of Sin. In the bigger picture, I would have preferred that Thekla win without them interfering. That cheap tactic diminishes her success heading into the next PPV. It will be heel versus heel. Do numbers in favor of Triangle of Madness make Mercedes more sympathetic? That would be weird given the CEO’s character in AEW. I say duke it out one-on-one, the fans will root for whomever, and let the best heel win.
Any thoughts about that roaming camera trick during the women’s match? I like the creativity, but I also felt a little dizzy.
AEW World Trios Championship: Swerve Strickland & New Level (c) defeated Hangman Page & Brodido to retain the titles. This match erupted into a duel between Swerve and Hangman. That is risky to overshadow the trios match, but everyone did a good job of blending that story within the action. The crowd erupted when Swerve and Hangman tagged in as legal men throwing haymakers. In the end, Austin Creed sacrificed himself to save Swerve from the Buckshot Lariat. Swerve hit the House Call on Hangman, flipped out of Bandido’s 21 Plex, and finished with the Big Pressure driver to pin the masked man.
I like the aspect of the champions building into a true team. Opponents question that aspect as a weakness. Swerve and New Level continue to gel together in key spots. Boiling the pot for Swerve versus Hangman was intense. The cowboy’s eyes were crazy when he had Swerve in his sights for the Buckshot at the end. That’s the type of look to haunt nightmares. Swerve has bragging rights now. This is the kind of storytelling that makes me eager to see what happens on Dynamite as the next chapter in their never-ending feud.
The level of importance would be the champs retaining then Swerve versus Hangman. But, damn. Brodido low-key stole the match as stars. Bandido executed a triple Samoan drop. Amazing! King was treated like a proper hoss. I love the callback to Dynamite when the champs unleashed a sequence of offense to pile on top of Toa Liona for the win. They did the same thing to King here, and he kicked out. That shows levels to the hoss hierarchy.
AEW Women’s Tag Team Championship: Brawling Birds (c) defeated Divine Dominion to retain the titles. The action delivered on the Chicago street fight stipulation. Megan Bayne and Alex Windsor were bloodied. The finish was definitive to wrap this feud, for now. Jamie Hayter dumped Bayne on a Death Valley Driver through a barbed wire board, then she used a chain for the teamwork Two Birds, One Stone finisher to knock Lena Kross onto tacks.
This was a slobberknocker. If there was a match living up to the Brawling Birds name, this one was it. It’s funny how Divine Dominion’s tactic backfired. They brought in the barbed wire board and the tacks. As for the result, I would have been happy either way, because I enjoy both teams in the ring. Time for the Birds to run with the titles, and they deserve it.
AEW International Championship: Kazuchika Okada (c) defeated Tommaso Ciampa to retain the title. Two moments defined this match. First was Okada hitting a hanging DDT in front of Ciampa’s family in the front row. Okada taunted the daughter by flipping the bird. She responded with a double bird! Ciampa was fired up with a can of whoop ass.
Second was an electric sequence that blew the roof off the building. Okada and Ciampa went back and forth teasing finishers. Each time had the crowd louder. Ciampa blasted a running knee, and that felt like the moment that could end the match. Okada kicked out on the pin.
They tangoed more, and Okada crushed the Rainmaker lariat to win.
Ciampa has the type of effort and style in the ring that entertains in a way to leave me wanting more. He’s the kind of wrestler where these losses don’t hurt his appeal. Okada took Ciampa’s best and showed that he is better. Whoever beats Okada next has the makings for an epic moment.
TBS Championship: Persephone (c) defeated Dani Luna to retain the title. Luna was the mystery opponent answering the open challenge. This was a powerhouse affair with German suplexes. Persephone crushed a German suplex on the apron. Luna executed a deadlift German suplex into the ring.
Baker was the deciding factor with interference. When Luna went for the deadlift again, Baker anchored Perse’s foot as defense. Perse escaped to grab Luna for a crucifix bomb to win.
This match was in the unfortunate spot right after Steven Borden’s injury (read the next match below if you missed that story), so the crowd was deflated at the start. I thought Persephone and Luna did well to get the fans engaged back into the action. Baker’s interference was a bit excessive, but I popped when she received comeuppance. After pulling Luna’s hair to break a pin, Luna blindsided Baker on a suicide dive. The closing interference was creative. I appreciate when thought is put into cheating. It felt strategic to block Luna’s move, and it flowed smoothly for Perse to hit her finisher. I chuckled at the little detail of Persephone carrying Baker over her shoulder to the back. That sold the idea of Baker paying for her sins and also doing whatever it takes to win as a manager.
Kyle Fletcher & Kevin Knight defeated Darby Allin & Steven Borden. This match was waved off earlier than planned due to injury. Borden and Knight leaped for springboards into a midair collision. Borden banged the back of his head on the mat, and it was clear that concussion symptoms were present as his arm stiffened. AEW didn’t play around with his health. The match ended due to referee stoppage, and the Callis Family won. I don’t think it was the type of spot where anyone was at fault. Taz explained on commentary that these things happen even to experienced veterans. AEW shared a positive update that Borden was responsive at the hospital. Best of health to the man.
The match was shaping up nicely before the injury. Fletcher and Knight worked great as heels doing the little things that stand out. Borden wrestled fine in this opportunity. I’m curious which team was supposed to win this contest as booked. Final note is a cool spot of Fletcher catching Allin for a powerbomb onto the steps.
AEW National Championship: Andrade (c) defeated PAC to retain the title. Great wrestling mixed with cheeky shenanigans. It started with a firecracker of a back elbow from Andrade in the first minute. El Idolo controlled the pace and teased taking his pants off only to be thwarted by PAC. Andrade eventually gave the people what they want, then he leaped for a sweet tornillo. The selfie spot was funny with Marina Shafir coming from behind to choke the woman of the night. These were moments of levity within a competitive contest.
I don’t understand why Andrade took the bait on the finish. He had the DM locked and loaded, then he went over to deal with Shafir causing a distraction.
PAC took advantage for a reverse rana, a running lariat, and the Brutalizer. Andrade outwitted PAC by shifting the submission into a pin for the win. That was the kind of finish to leave fans wanting more in a rematch.
The Tailgate Brawl pre-show on TNT featured three bouts and the return of Samoa Joe.
Tailgate Brawl: Jay White, Austin Gunn, Colten Gunn, & Ace Austin defeated David Finlay, Clark Connors, Wheeler Yuta, & Daniel Garcia. Mick Foley got the catchphrase right!
This was a goofy gimmick No DQ match, so mileage will vary. The action was fine, but some spots felt forced to work with the football theme. The funniest part were the intros.
Ace had a slick sequence cleaning house on the opponents while carrying the football.
Coach Juice Robinson scuffled with Marina Shafir when she broke up a pin.
In the end, moves were flying all around. Yuta rolled up Colten. On the kick-out, Switchblade was ready and waiting to snatch Yuta for the Blade Runner to win. White led his team to victory.
Sisters of Sin defeated Mina Shirakawa & Queen Aminata. This match played out with Julia Hart and Skye Blue having more experience as a team. They made timely saves to prevent finishers and pinfalls. In the end, Hart pulled Aminata off the apron to brawl. That gave room for Blue to execute the Code Blue on Mina for the hometown win. This result makes sense to build up heel challengers for the babyface champions.
Jack Perry defeated Katsuyori Shibata. Perry accepted this match as a way to get access to Samoa Joe. Perry took a beating, then he rallied for offense. Shibata regained control taking Perry down for a rear naked choke. Perry used his wits to roll over the top trapping Shibata for the pin. Jungle Man called out Samoa Man, and Joe answered the call in street clothes. Perry requested a handshake. When Joe turned his back in disrespect, Perry became uppity and shoved Joe to demand a handshake. Joe responded with a headbutt to knock Perry on his backside.
This match serviced Perry’s quest to conquer world champions to become one himself. I like the idea of using Shibata as a hurdle to stretch out Perry’s story. Joe was a badass like usual, and his headbutt was a hilarious moment. Joe spoke volumes without speaking.
Notes: Wardlow vignette for impending return. I wonder if Wardlow is oddly over huge in France for Grand Slam, like David Hasselhoff in Germany.
Stud of the Show: Bandido
Triple Samoan drop.
Match of the Night: Young Bucks vs. Adam Copeland & Christian Cage vs. FTR
As far as ladder matches (with tables and chairs) go, this was an instant classic.
Grade: A-
I did not enjoy all the Death Riders interference mucking up the main event, but I understand the storytelling behind it. Prior to the main event, I really enjoyed this PPV on an A level. The little details were on point to elevate entertainment. The four hours flew by prior to the main event. Factoring in the main event, I don’t think going down to the B level is accurate for the rest of the show as a whole, so I’ll drop to an A-.
Share your thoughts about AEW All Out. Who stole the show? Which match was your favorite? Are they any results that you would flip the other way?
