AEW Musings - #2 Booking All Out

All Elite Musings

#2 - Booking All Out

Private Party vs Jack Evans and Angelico

   Private Party are a class act, they will go far in AEW. They are a young exciting tag team with a unique look. I fully expect to see them win the tag titles after a long and arduous journey as a babyface act. Evans and Angelico are a much less certainty in AEW. They certainty look talented and are exciting athletes. However I just can't see them gathering much steam at the moment.

   I'm finding this match hard to call. My first instinct was that Evans and Angelico would win as they need it more than Private Party. However I'm now expecting Private Party to win as they are a potentially huge commodity in AEW.

   I would book Private Party to win in a fairly even contest showing off the athleticism of both teams. They should go far in the tag tournament on TNT.

Casino Battle Royale

   Straight to it. I would book Kylie Rae to win this. However it doesnt seem like she will be at All Out. Dave Meltzer has reported she is out with an unknown medical issue and she has removed her Twitter account. I hope she's doing okay and reappears soon.

   I'm hoping for a star making performance here from Sadie Gibbs who looks like a tremendous prospect. Allie is another interesting candidate for this match, however she would benefit from a longer road to the main event. I really hope Brandi Rhodes isn't pushed in a corrupt authority figure role. I would have her pull away from Kong and run as a babyface. I'm unsure about the Japanese talent in this match hopefully it will help the audience get to know them better.

   That leaves Nyla Rose and Britt Baker. Expect them to be the last two women standing. I'm not sure Rose is ready to be pushed that high that fast. Expect Baker to win and I whole-heartedly agree with that. I believe only she, Allie and Rae are ready for the role with Baker being the most equipped at this moment.

SCU vs. Luchasaurus, Jungle Boy, and Mark Stunt

   This will open the show and will be an absolute fire-cracker of a match! SCU have been part of some amazing tag matches in AEW thus far. 

   A Boy and his Dinosaur have captured the hearts of fans in AEW very quickly. The addition of Stunt is an interesting one. He will add another dimension. Expect innovative three man offense and memorable spots.

   SCU should be pushed in the early days of AEW. I would have them beat their opponents here and get to the final of the tag tournament on TNT.

Riho vs. Hikaru Shida

   I'm struggling to get to grips with the Japanese talent thus far in AEW.

   Riho has featured regularly so far and Kenny Omega presumably rates here very highly. Shida is not someone that I or most Western viewers will be familiar with. Some quick research reveals she is talented in the ring and is charasmatic in a manner that will connect with Western audiences.

   Riho should go over here as she has been present in AEW for longer and would be heavily damaged by a loss here. However you should expect big things from Shida in the future she looks an intriguing prospect.

Joey Janela vs Jimmy Havoc vs Darby Allen

   This will be excellent. I really enjoyed the 6-man from Fight for the Fallen and saw it as a collection of wrestlers any of who could break into the main event with the correct booking. This will be a more competitive version of that.

   Allen has caught the attention of fans. The is a compelling performer with an excellent character and phenomenal talent in the ring. Janela is a creative force and a surprisingly talented performer.

   Havoc should win this. Allen doesn't need it as the fans are behind him and his character would not be affected by a loss. Janela's character can absorb a loss as well. Havoc is lesser known but is enormously talented in the ring. Seek out his two out of three falls match against Will Ospreay in Progress.

Best Friends vs The Dark Order

   It has seemed for quite some time that The Dark Order is going to get the bye in the tournament. However they have not been successful in their presentation thus far. The Best Friends on the other hand are very over and are great talkers.

   AEW should change tactic and give the win to The Best Friends. The can be charismatic, capable representatives of the prized AEW tag division. The Dark Order seem outdated despite their obvious in-ring talents. Time to cut the losses.

Cody vs Shawn Spears

   This will be a theatrical masterpiece, Cody's matches have been so far. The addition of Blanchard is fascinating. The link to Cody's family is typical of his booking so far. There will be shenanigans here and Cody will put on an emotional masterpiece. 

   Shawn Spears position in AEW is interesting. Currently, they don't have a lot of heels. This could indicate big things for him. I don't really see it thus far but I hope I'm wrong. He comes across as a guy who has worked hard and has done everything right but for the machine to take the magic out of him.

   Blanchard will be a big part of this as will whoever eventually corners Cody. MJF may be involved in some capacity however I don't see the double-cross just yet. Expect Spears to win and this is the right decision. A loss would completely derail a potentially compelling character.

Lucha Bros vs The Young Bucks

   The two best tag teams in the world. Their matches so far have been incredible. It appears The Young Bucks are on a mission to catapult tag team wrestling in AEW into the Stratosphere. Therefore this will be an incredible display of tag team excellence.

   This match will be largely designed to put over tag team wrestling in AEW and particularly the Lucha Bros. Expect crazy stunts and scarily dangerous dives. Hopefully from both Nick Jackson and Rey Fenix, who will with luck healthy to compete.

   The Lucha Bros will win here and they should. The Young Bucks can lose here and still be considered favourites for the tag competition on TNT.

Kenny Omega vs PAC

   Jon Moxley's injury is a big blow. His proposed match with Kenny Omega should have been the culmination of a terrific run since leaving WWE. His time in Japan has shown him to be an outstanding wrestler and a compelling worker. Hopefully his eventual arrival, proper, in AEW will be explosive and rewarding.

   PAC is the best possible replacement. An excellent wrestler with a, coincidentally, similar path to Omega. This match would benefit from a Road to All Out appearance from PAC or a backstage interview before the fact.

   This will be a nailed on outstanding match. PAC must win. A loss on his debut wouldn't make sense. Omega will eventually be an AEW World champion and the face of the company. Perhaps he should be wrestling for that here but that's not the case. PAC can be huge in AEW he needs to win here.

Chris Jericho vs Hangman Page

   This is an interesting match to headline AEW's big event before the TNT run starts. A lot of people would have been expecting PAC or Omega to be fighting for the title in this event however that's not the case.

   I've gone back and forth on this. It's really a case of whether they want to capitalise on Jericho or not. He doesn't have ong left where he can really compete in top of the card matches. If they want to have a Jericho title run this may be the only opportunity.

   Page on the other hand is basically guaranteed to hold the belt eventually. The Elite have clearly decided he deserves to be a big star and may very well want him to be the first AEW Wold champion.

   It may seem cheap to put the belt on Jericho due to the perspective of that being an easy road to more exposure for the new brand. However Jericho is a phenomenal character. A Jericho title run could be special and boast some incredible confrontations. This is the route AEW should take on Sunday.