10 Match Star Ratings For AEW All Out
All Out was mostly great.
Several niggling issues detracted slightly from the presentation.
Jim Ross isn't as glaring a problem as Alex Marvez was at the commentary table - because Marvez, who was keen, simply wasn't good enough - but this selective enthusiasm sh*t borders on the unprofessional. Ross at various points b*llocked the referees, not through in-character moral pearl-clutching but an inherent need to impose his idea of pro wrestling onto his new company. Clearly, AEW is going for the same leniency deal as New Japan Pro Wrestling.
There, transgressions are reluctantly ignored under the idea that a disqualification finish is an anticlimax for the paying audience. It's cheeky, but not quite as cheeky as a f*ck finish designed to prolong everything. It's an acceptable plot hole, but Ross can't accept, even though it is his job to.
The show was too long and, at times, too much.
AEW All Out was an 8.5/10 show, boasting more insanity and explosive pure wrestling than Double Or Nothing, if not quite as much emotion nor sense of importance. Still, if that was AEW with the novelty fading, one crucial test has very much been passed...
10. BUY IN: 21-Woman Casino Battle Royale
The Casino Battle Royale is essentially AEW's 'How can we do the Royal Rumble without doing the Royal Rumble?' match, and it is a failure by default, because the Royal Rumble is inimitable.
Part of the joy of watching the Rumble is gluing your eyes to the entrance screen, during a lull in the action, swept up in who might appear next to make the difference. Fans ask this question during the Casino Battle Royale almost a full minute after the entrance, diluting the moment, which is diluted further as a result of the group entrance format.
The format is unworkable - but the work, in patches, was very good and very effective.
The victorious Nyla Rose starred here. There was a quality, old-school hoss recklessness to her eliminations, her power spots looked great, and the big moment - the audacious and athletic handspring kick on the apron - was pure battle royal drama fused with modern workrate spectacle. Britt Baker looked significantly better than she had at Double Or Nothing by delivering an unvarnished and authentic beating to Bea Priestley.
Ultimately, this was a lowkey triumph: Nyla got over, a personal grudge feud heated up, and at least two breakout entrants (Big Swole and Mercedes Martinez) will create buzz around a lukewarm division, in the event that they get signed full-time.
Star Rating: ★★★½