12 Ups & 2 Downs For AEW All In 2023

7. Match Of The Year Contender

Expectations were high for FTR vs. Young Bucks III, and man, did those guys deliver.

Where to even begin with this, right? As this Ups & Downs is being written in live time as All In takes place, it's impossible to recap everything, and we sure did get everything here.

To start with, the Jacksons came out in Freddie Mercury-inspired gear, whilst FTR had custom UK-driven attire and armbands paying tribute to Bray Wyatt, Brodie Lee, and Jay Briscoe. In terms of the work itself, there were so many call backs to FTR and the Bucks' previous meetings, including Cash Wheeler once again missing a springboard 450 splash.

There was (of course) superkicks, both teams attempted a Power-Plex, likewise both teams delivered their own BTE Triggers, and there was also an extremely rare kick-out from the Shatter Machine; Matt Jackson the one to kick out of this highly protected finishing move. That's without even mentioning the Bucks hitting their own version of the Shatter Machine on Dax Harwood for a 2.99 count. Plus, there was a great homage to the finish of the iconic Bret Hart vs. Davey Boy Smith SummerSlam '92 match.

When the finish here did come, it was FTR managing to evade a Meltzer Driver and hit the Shatter Machine on Nick Jackson to score the pinfall.

This was blistering stuff from start to finish, with the pacing - as is so often the case with FTR matches - exemplary in how it built and built into what was ultimately a genuine Match of the Year contender.

Post-match, the Bucks refused a handshake of respect, meaning this rivalry is wide open to revisit at any point AEW so chooses in the future.