11 Match Star Ratings From AEW All In

8. Kenny Omega, Kota Ibushi & Hangman Page Vs. Jay White, Konosuke Takeshita & Juice Robinson

A match that incited a lot of fierce discourse on Twitter within the fandom, on the night, it was excellent (though it could have been three minutes shorter). It was never not going to be.

That reaction to Kenny Omega, and the sustained 20 minute singalong, indicated that he must work a singles dream match next year. He was superb in what was a mostly breathless 20 minutes, a typically stunning genre effort from two members of the core Elite faction. Kota Ibushi did not look good at Blood & Guts, but he looked sharper and more switched-on here. His interactions with legendary NJPW opponent Jay White were rewarding and very entertaining - Ibushi does a better "You're trying to hit me? Me?" face than most - and in general, Ibushi was used well and sparingly. Everybody performed their own role brilliantly, and the match achieved its objective by showing the fans just enough of Omega and Konosuke Takeshita to convince them that their singles match will be incredible.

As far as an underwhelming Road To All Out match goes, this was superb, and much of the credit belongs to Jay White: the man was outstanding at strategically finding himself in position to counter the Elite's momentum. His timing and ingenuity was next-level. He looked like the most crafty, intelligent wrestler in the world in there at times. The man is excellent at playing that role, and the dizzying chaos of the trios format allowed him to hide in plain sight frequently before dramatically reversing the momentum.

A waste of talent, yes, but the talent was exceptional on the night.

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!