Welcome to Bleacher Report's live coverage and recap of AEW All Out 2023 in Chicago, Illinois.
Last weekend's All In pay-per-view was a huge show not just for AEW, but for the wrestling business as a whole. However, giving fans just one week between PPVs meant the All Out card had to be built up quickly.
The events of All In, both on screen and off, definitely had a huge impact on how this card ended up looking when it was all said and done.
With over a dozen matches and some of AEW's biggest stars in action, Sunday's show likely had something for everyone to enjoy on some level.
Let's take a look at everything that happened during Sunday's AEW All Out PPV.
Over Budget Battle Royal
The action kicked off on the Zero Hour about 10 minutes into the show with the Over Budget Battle Royal. The winner gets to choose a charity to receive $50,000.
Stars such as Adam Page, Best Friends, Tony Nese, Dalton Castle, The Gates of Agony, Action Andretti and Scorpio Sky were involved in the match.
We saw a lot of comedy spots, which is par for the course with these bouts. After surviving a lot of punishment, Hangman ended up winning the whole thing. This was a fun and energetic way to get the show going.
Winner: Adam Page
Grade: B
Shida, Blue and Nightingale vs. Martinez, Diamante and Athena
Hikaru Shida, Skye Blue and Willow Nightingale teamed up to take on Athena, Diamante and Mercedes Martinez in the second Zero Hour bout.
While a few competitors in this match have had some recent encounters, this felt slightly thrown together just to get more people on the show. That's not a complaint, just an observation.
Athena had some issues with Martinez and Diamante, but for the most part, both teams worked well together. This ended up being a much better match than expected. All six women brought their A-game to make sure the crowd had a good time.
In front of her hometown crowd, Blue was the one who scored the pin on Diamante to win the match.
Winners: Shida, Blue and Nightingale
Grade: B+
The Acclaimed and Daddy Ass vs. Jarrett, Lethal and Singh
The Trios Championships were up for grabs in the final pre-show match when Max Caster, Anthony Bowend and Daddy Ass defended the belts against Jeff Jarrett, Jay Lethal and Satnam Singh.
Aubrey Edwards was brought in as the ref to get under Karen Jarrett's skin, and it worked perfectly. Karen helped her husband cheat whenever she could, so the bad guys had the upper hand at multiple points in the match.
Dennis Rodman used Double J's guitar on him while Aubrey was distracted. This allowed Gunn, Bowens and Caster to get the win. This was fun, but maybe a bit overbooked.
Winners: The Acclaimed and Daddy Ass
Grade: C+
Notable Moments and Observations
- Prince Nana gave a hilarious interview before the Battle Royal.
- Serpentico had a funny moment before he was eliminated.
- The way Sky eliminated Jake Hager was awesome.
- Daniel Garcia danced his way up the ramp after he was eliminated.
- Nigel McGuinness was really having fun on commentary with the heel lines.
- Willow hit an incredible pounce at ringside.
- Sonjay Dutt trying to mimic the way the Bulls are introduced before a game was hilarious.
MJF and Adam Cole put their ROH tag titles on the line against John Silver and Alex Reynolds in the first match on the main show.
Cole and Silver started with a quick exchange of takedowns as the crowd started a "Double clothesline" chant almost immediately.
MJF took a shot to the neck and went out of the ring to take a breather. Cole checked on him, but Silver took advantage of the situation. While the ref was distracted, Reynolds hit MJF with a chair.
This led to Cole being all alone against both opponents. Bay Bay was on defense almost the entire time, but MJF came back and continued the match after a little while.
The crowd was invested in everything they were doing, which made the entire match more entertaining in the process. Cole and MJF successfully defended the titles and opened the show with an entertaining performance.
Winners: MJF and Adam Cole
Grade: B
Notable Moments and Observations
- The Dark Order had a cool entrance for this match.
- MJF's handshake fake so he can poke his opponent in the eyes is one of those things that you can't help but laugh at even though you know it's coming.
- The jumping kick Cole hit as Silver tried to hit a suicide dive looked incredible.
- The Kangaroo Kick is so dumb that it's great.
As Samoa Joe made his way to the ring, he passed Cole and MJF on the ramp. He made MJF angry, so the AEW champion attacked him and caused a pull-apart brawl. Joe almost looked happy that he got into MJF's head.
Joe went on to defend his ROH TV title against Shayne Taylor. The two big men immediately started throwing heavy hands at each other.
These are two guys who pride themselves on being versatile powerhouses, so we saw more than just punches and slams in this match. They used a wide variety of offense to inflict damage.
After a great fight, Joe was able to secure the win by submission to retain his title. This match wasn't too long, but it was just long enough to accomplish what they wanted to do. This was the definition of "Big meaty men slapping meat."
Winner: Samoa Joe
Grade: B+
Notable Moments and Observations
- It wasn't super clear why MJF got upset other than Joe coming out earlier than expected. It was later revealed that this was a reference to a WWE segment that took place several years ago.
- Taylor has one of the best jabs in pro wrestling. He can hit them rapid-fire and make it look real.
Darby Allin was hoping his back injuries from All In wouldn't be too detrimental as he stepped into the ring to challenge Luchasaurus for the TNT Championships.
As usual, Christian Cage was there with his protege, but Nick Wayne was also at ringside to support Allin.
As soon as the match started, the Living Dinosaur took control. He used his superior power to decimate the risk-taker with brutal offense.
This almost wasn't a match. It was a mauling. It's hard to remember the last time Allin spent this much time being put through the wringer before he made a comeback.
The challenger eventually found his second wind, but he was immediately flattened when he tried to dive into Luchasaurus and made almost no impact other than his own body hitting the mat.
The match was more competitive after that, but it was still mostly Luchasaurus controlling the pace while Allin would get in short bursts of offense. Christian threatened to hit Wayne with a chair to distract Allin long enough for Luchasaurus to hit two tombstones and a clothesline for the win.
Winner: Luchasaurus
Grade: B-
Notable Moments and Observations
- Luchasaurus has music that is very reminiscent of Kane's entrance music.
- The way Luchasaurus swung Allin into the steel steps looked nasty.
- It looks like Allin was busted open when his head was kicked into the steel steps.
- Christian being obsessed with mocking people who have dead fathers is such a weird and specific gimmick, but it seems to be working for him.
- Darby almost landed on the top of his head after a German suplex.
Our second hoss fight of the night saw Miro take on a man who is just as big and just as mean, Powerhouse Hobbs.
These guys are relatively evenly matched in size, power and speed, so neither competitor was able to control the other for too long before the tide shifted.
Much like Joe vs. Taylor, this match was the epitome of big meaty men slapping meat. If Big E was watching this show, he was having a great time.
Hobbs and Miro did a great job pacing themselves, but there were moments when it felt like the crowd was just waiting for the next move to happen because AEW action is usually so fast-paced.
However, when they got going, the crowd woke up again. Miro and Hobbs are going to wake up with some bruises in the morning, but it will have been worth it for this match.
After a long battle that saw both men take each other to the limit, Miro made Hobbs tap out to get the win. This was outstanding from start to finish. They shook hands to a standing ovation at the end, but Hobbs attacked Miro before he could leave the ring.
CJ Perry made her AEW debut to save her husband with a steel chair, allowing Miro to recover and take him out. However, Miro seemed unhappy to see her and left the ring while she looked on confused.
Winner: Miro
Grade: A-
Notable Moments and Observations
- The brief video package that was played before the match was great.
- You could see sweat flying off both men whenever they would hit each other. That is how you know they weren't holding back much.
- The crowd chanting about "Meat" over and over was awesome. The fans helped make this match better.
The TBS Championship was on the line when Kris Statlander stepped into the ring with Ruby Soho, who had Saraya at ringside to offer support and the occasional distraction.
You could tell Statlander and Soho were looking to make an impression because they were not taking it easy on each other in the slightest.
This may have been the only women's match on the main PPV card, but the champion and challenger made sure nobody would forget it. This was physical, fun and a great display of what makes both women unique in-ring talents.
Soho hit No Future from the top rope followed by Destination Unknown, but Statlander kicked out at two. Toni Storm appeared from under the ring and appeared to help Statlander retain the title, much to the surprise of Saraya and Soho.
Winner: Kris Statlander
Grade: B
Notable Moments and Observations
- Statlander's entrance attire was great. So was Ruby's special hairdo she had done for this event.
- Someone had a sign that said "Saraya calls fries chips" in the front row.
- Soho counting along with the ref while she was choking Statlander on the bottom rope was funny.
After returning on Collision, Bryan stepped back into the ring for the first time in months to take on Bryan Danielson in a Strap match.
Before the ref could attach the strap to Starks, he attacked Danielson and started using his own weight belt as a weapon. He used the buckle on his fist to bust Danielson open.
Once the match got going, Starks had a big advantage. He dragged Danielson around the ring and used the ring and the strap to inflict as much damage as possible.
The American Dragon eventually managed to take control and dished out just as much punishment as he took.
This match was one of the most physical on the entire show. They put each other through hell to give us something memorable, but the blood almost started to take away from the match after a little while because Danielson was bleeding before the match even started.
Big Bill and Steamboat got involved toward the end, but it did little to impact the outcome. Once he was back in control, The American Dragon choked Starks out with the strap to win the match.
Winner: Bryan Danielson
Grade: B+
Notable Moments and Observations
- Steamboat joined the commentary team before the match started.
- It's great that Danielson can use "The Final Countdown" for his entrance music for bigger shows.
- Starks mocking the Yes chants was a fun moment. The crowd gave him a great reaction, too.
- The sound of the strap hitting Starks' back was so loud.
- Danielson took some hard shots from the strap to the face and just asked for more.
Eddie Kingston and Katsuyori Shibata teamed up on Sunday to battle the duo of Claudio Castagnoli and Wheeler Yuta.
Yuta and Shibata have issues that go back months, but Kingston and Castagnoli have hated each other for years, so this match was personal on both sides of both partnerships.
Even though we saw a few different styles of wrestling represented by these four competitors, all of them were making sure that every strike had a little extra on it.
The hatred between Kingston and Castagnoli helped drive the story of this match, but the physical action was also good enough to make everyone pay attention.
Tags started to feel meaningless after a little while, but that is not uncommon in AEW because the referees are supposed to have discretion when it comes to that kind of thing.
This match had comedy, drama, hard-hitting strikes and just about everything you could want out of a match built on animosity instead of accolades.
The BCC picked up the win after Castagnoli hit a huge uppercut on Kingston to get the pin.
Winners: Claudio Castagnoli and Wheeler Yuta
Grade: A-
Notable Moments and Observations
- The way they were using spotlights for Castagnoli and Yuta's entrance looked great.
- Shibata shrugging off Castagnoli's uppercuts was a badass moment.
- The shot Yuta took from Shibata made Nigel say he never wants to wrestle again. That is how hard it was.
Kenny Omega and Konosuke Takeshita may have been the competitors in the ring, but this was all about the feud between Omega and his former mentor, Don Callis.
The match started surprisingly normal with a lockup exchange, but it didn't take them long to turn the dial to 11 and start hitting big moves.
After a little while, they slowed the pace down so they could sell each spot appropriately without rushing. Takeshita started to control more of the pace as Omega began showing signs of exhaustion.
Once The Cleaner regained his composure, he began to hit some of his signature moves like the snapdragon suplex and his trademark dive over the top rope to the floor.
While this match had one or two missteps, it was also one of the best bouts on the entire show. In fact, it will probably be the Match of the Night for many people.
After several close two-counts, Takeshita ended up getting what many would call an upset win when he hit a huge knee strike.
Winner: Konosuke Takeshita
Grade: A
Notable Moments and Observations
- It's always great to see the artwork of Mel Coleman on TV with Callis.
- Omega landed right on his head after a suplex from Takeshita.
- Omega's springboard dropkick did not hit its mark, but he still hit Takeshita in the leg, so they made it work.
- The way Takeshita landed on Omega's knees when he jumped off the top rope looked incredibly painful. The back of his head hit Omega's knee a little.
- The reverse hurricanrana they hit might be one of the best executions of that move we have seen in AEW.
After taking each other to the limit at All In, FTR and The Young Bucks joined forces to battle their common enemy, Bullet Club Gold.
Nick and Matt Jackson, Dax Harwood and Cash Wheeler had some trouble deciding who would start the match, but they eventually decided on Wheeler after a false start with Harwood.
Jay White, Juice Robinson, Austin and Colten Gunn did a lot of showboating before the match got underway. The Chicago crowd was quite vocal, which everyone expected going into this show.
All eight of these men have been important to the tag team division in recent months, but it felt like their efforts were being overshadowed by the crowd's desire to boo the Young Bucks at different times.
This match was fine for what it was, but eight-man tag bouts are always hard to manage. You have to make sure everyone gets some time in the ring without making it look like they are rushing from person to person.
Shockingly, Bullet Club Gold continued its winning ways by scoring the victory over FTR and the Bucks. This match may have been too chaotic to follow at times, but it was still a good showing for all eight men.
Winners: Bullet Club Gold
Grade: B
Notable Moments and Observations
- The fan who got the free cardboard cutout of White looked stoked.
- As expected, the Chicago crowd was booing the Bucks every time they tagged into the match.
- Robinson is one of those guys who always pulls your attention whether he is the legal competitor or not. He is always doing something funny or entertaining.
- When the announcer is asking who the legal man is, you know you have an issue.
- The four-way Sharpshooter spot was fun.
- Wheeler joining in on the Superkick party was hilarious.
The main event of the night was the International Championship match between Jon Moxley and Orange Cassidy.
They took a long time to make any contact. OC tried to put his hands in his pockets, but Mox decked him right away to let him know he was in no mood for games.
It didn't take long for Moxley to draw first blood by busting OC's head open on the announce table. It was a deep cut, so Cassidy was wearing a crimson mask within minutes.
This was obviously intentional and designed to make OC into an even bigger underdog than he already was, and for the most part, it worked. The longer this match went, the more Mox punished the champion by attacking his head.
Cassidy was able to make a comeback after hitting the Beach Break on the floor, but after two Orange Punches, he ran right into a cutter. He fired back with another punch and a spear for a close two-count.
Somehow, Cassidy managed to kick out of the Death Rider, which rarely happens. He hit a second to get the win and become the new international champion.
The way they told the story of this match was why it worked. The wrestling was good, but the drama and actions surrounding it helped elevate it to another level. Both guys did an excellent job playing to their strengths.
Winner: Jon Moxley
Grade: A
Notable Moments and Observations
- The way they started this match was perfect for these two competitors.
- Mox was really laying in his strikes. He must have looked at this match as OC's official entry into the main event scene and decided to welcome him the hard way.
- Moxley using the Lebell Lock was a nice touch.
- Renee Paquette had to be excited to see that it was not her husband who was bleeding buckets for once.
- OC going from his usual lazy kicks to hitting stiffer kicks was a great moment.
After everything that happened with CM Punk over the past week, AEW needed exactly this kind of show to get the company back on the right track.
We saw several memorable matches and moments, a few star-making performances, and a few surprising outcomes.
OC and Moxley definitely told the most satisfying story, but Omega and Takeshita may have had the better showing from a purely technical perspective.
All Out is one of AEW's signature events and the Chicago crowd always shows up ready to make its voice heard.
Now that Moxley has the international title, it's going to be interesting to see if he defends as often as OC or if he makes people earn title shots more often.
Grade: B+
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