10 Moments That Cemented Your Love For Professional Wrestling
2. All In As A Whole (All In, 1 September 2018)
All In was the first required step before All Elite Wrestling was even fathomable.
It was that step to prove an alternative product was both viable and in demand. Tickets to the show sold out in under thirty minutes, thus justifying the ensemble roster that had been assembled under the guidance of Cody Rhodes and the Young Bucks. Everything clicked meticulously into place to create this masterpiece of a pro wrestling event on 1 September 2018.
The show felt like a payoff to long-term viewers of both Being The Elite and the Elite's general body of work during this time. When a gaggle of inflatable male genitalia stood atop the stage, it wasn't this weird angle from Japan's DDT promotion, but rather the culmination of a long-running BTE storyline.
It helped, then, that this was backed up by All In's superlative work rate. Near enough every match delivered, two of which - Adam Page vs. Joey Janela and Kazuchika Okada vs. Marty Scurll - earned four and a quarter stars from Dave Meltzer. It all allowed so organically that it couldn't simply be a one and done deal.
The overall critical reception towards All In was that of gratitude. The target audience for All Elite Wrestling was grateful for the event because it was everything they'd ever needed as pro wrestling fans.
A legitimately beautiful night for professional wrestling.