9 Ups & 1 Down From AEW Dynamite (31 Aug)
Jon Moxley and CM Punk set sights on All Out, Omega vs. Ospreay finally happens, and more.
All Elite Wrestling left itself in the unusual position of being without a pay-per-view main event four days before the show heading into last night's Dynamite, but somehow answered the headlining question with style.
The situation was made trickier by Tony Khan's own choices. Putting CM Punk vs. Jon Moxley on television was a bold marketing choice when that match appeared set to sell one of AEW's biggest shows of the year. Still relying on it to sell All Out 2022 11 days after a divisive, three-minute mauling is even bolder. Time will tell if this tactic pays off - the proof will be in the buys - but the pay-per-view main event is probably what you thought it was going to be.
This was a strong All Out go-home show that lived up to Khan's claims after the AEW founder and CEO promised an eventful night during his media rounds. Dynamite hosted All Out matches being made, a return, the World Trios Championship Tournament's advancement, hot promos, and more.
Nothing quite hit the promotion's weekly television peak, but with Moxley, Punk, Kenny Omega, Will Ospreay, Chris Jericho, and hordes more on the lineup, AEW packed its night with stars. There's no denying the genuine effort at hooking television viewers into throwing their hard-earned fifty bucks at All Out.
Let's light the fuse...