10 Match Star Ratings For AEW All Out

5. The Dark Order Vs. Best Friends

Hangman Page Chris Jericho
James Musselwhite/AEW

A solid-to-good tag team match, that is far from ideal, given the reaction to and clear, major plans for the Dark Order tandem.

They are not over, and they are not over in front of a crowd that is very willing to immerse themselves in AEW and its promise of a revolution. That's the telling part. If they can't get over in front of flown-in ultra-hardcores, who will they get over in front of?

It's the act, not the talent.

The Creepers are borderline problematic, if you pay close enough attention to their acting, but perhaps mercifully, nobody cares. AEW will only ever get a hot finish out of this act; the build means little, because they are so cold, and they are so cold because there's no sense of character beyond "Let's just do some spooky sh*t since we'll get sued if we're the Super Smash Brothers".

The work is very good, as it was here; the colossal Evil Uno is terrifying under virtually every other criteria (another indictment), and his impressive top-rope somersault senton drew a big reaction amid the polite applause. Chuck Taylor's big plancha spot, immediately after which he sprang up and sauntered up the ramp, looked excellent, but he didn't look like he'd overcome anything formidable to put him over as a badass, or this spot as something that really meant anything.

Star Rating: ★★★¼

Contributor
Contributor

Michael Sidgwick is an editor, writer and podcaster for WhatCulture Wrestling. With over seven years of experience in wrestling analysis, Michael was published in the influential institution that was Power Slam magazine, and specialises in providing insights into All Elite Wrestling - so much so that he wrote a book about the subject. You can order Becoming All Elite: The Rise Of AEW on Amazon. Possessing a deep knowledge also of WWE, WCW, ECW and New Japan Pro Wrestling, Michael’s work has been publicly praised by former AEW World Champions Kenny Omega and MJF, and current Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes. When he isn’t putting your finger on why things are the way they are in the endlessly fascinating world of professional wrestling, Michael wraps his own around a hand grinder to explore the world of specialty coffee. Follow Michael on X (formerly known as Twitter) @MSidgwick for more!