11 Ups & 0 Downs From AEW All Out 2021

6. The Women's Division Trends Upwards

Ruby Soho
AEW

The battle royal is inherently unfocused. AEW's convoluted and distracting approach to it is just weird in how it compounds the flaw in the genre by circling back to the messy bit at the beginning.

Still, the women did a mostly every good job of transcending the trappings AEW has inexplicably imposed on itself. Perhaps it was just an electric atmosphere that refused to subside even for this supposed cool-down, or perhaps AEW somehow conspired to transcend a bizarre structure, but this was really good and really over at its peak. It was a mess otherwise. The format is dire. But even the worst of AEW was undeniable on this night.

Fundamentally, a modern battle royal functions to shine up several acts in a staggered match. The Women's Casino Battle Royal did just that.

Red Velvet is an outstanding prospect. She just needs the reps; the hard part, that which can't be taught, is already in place. Her fire on the spear spot was outstanding.

Leyla Hirsch's suplex barrage was awesome.

Ruby Soho's debut was magical, but it wasn't just a pop. Her closing sequence with Thunder Rosa was beyond tense. The sense of peril and anxiety they orchestrated together by the ropes was magnificent.

Beyond the individual showcases, the booking here was clever. Nyla Rose is never squandered as a perennial challenger, and certain shock eliminations while unpopular deepened the atmosphere at least.

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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!