10 Match Star Ratings For AEW All Out
3. Cody Vs. Shawn Spears
The sort of match that didn't strive for a high star rating - but was also so well-worked that it satisfied the pocket of the crowd that cares about this sort of thing - this choice spot of cornball fun underscored Cody's vast appeal. He is a pro wrestler for the vast majority of pro wrestling fans, irrespective of generation or inclination.
Dressing up as a Star Trek character undermined the tone - Cody's eagerness to please all too often results in him pleasing himself - but the hot start compensated for what was too extravagant an entrance. He should have treated this match - retribution for a long, close friendship ended with a gruesome chair shot - more seriously in its presentation.
He eventually did, and it was very good, even if Shawn Spears didn't truly emerge from it as a star. He played his role, but he wasn't the focus. This was an ambitious, layered story with several moving parts, all of which did add to the heated drama. That lack of focus resulted, naturally, in distraction. The otherwise impeccable, sinister Tully Blanchard left his man in the sh*t at the finish, and Earl Hebner was very forgiving of the (obvious) chicanery that resulted in the switcheroo belt shot (weight belts: no, trouser belts: go on then).
Imperfect as a whole, the individual moments soared at their best - Arn Anderson's spinebuster tore the roof off - and Cody's babyface fire was so tremendous that it lit the whole thing up.
Star Rating: ★★★¾