10 All Out Mistakes AEW Can't Afford To Repeat At Full Gear
8. The Choice Of Opener
The opener is crucial in setting the tone for the night ahead.
That is a searing hot take, yes, which renders Tony Khan's decision - to open All Out proper with a cinematic match - all the more baffling. As much as he has perfected the art of booking, his appeasement strategy needs to be refined. It's all very well-intentioned - he listened, as he prides himself on doing - but he overcompensated. Britt Baker Vs. Big Swole deserved its place on the show, but it didn't function as an opener.
If anything, AEW really should have delayed it, and not risked the divisive reception inherent to virtually every cinematic match. Even those who weren't put off weren't exactly high on the prospect of a big wrestling night that only a brisk, electric banger can engineer.
The Elite Deletion is guaranteed to piss some people off. It needs to do whatever it is going to do at the midway point so that those who aren't predisposed to the genre can take it or leave it in a forgiving mood. They will still expect and be fired up for more traditional wrestling later in the night because the opener has already set that precedent.
Scanning the rest of the card, Cody Vs. Darby Allin is the best option. Their matches are compelling styles clashes in which they fight at a frenetic pace for every counter. This creates an arresting drama because they work so differently. Where those counters come from is a source of major intrigue.
That, or AEW can break a counterproductive habit...