15 Match Star Ratings For AEW All Out 2022
10. The Elite Vs. Dark Order - Trios Title Match
This was the pro wrestling match of the year.
Quick reminder: this version of the star rating system, in an attempt to appreciate wrestling in all of its diverse forms and get away from the idea that the maximum score should be reserved for lengthy main event epics, measures matches against the standards of their respective genre. This was one of the greatest trios matches of all time.
20 minutes of relentless, blistering, exhilarating, non-stop action, the level of drama was absolutely intoxicating. The sheer stamina, positioning, timing, athleticism and creativity required to pull it off was astonishing. The momentum didn't so much ping-pong; the back-and-forth was so competitive and well thought-out that it felt more like a vibration. The amount of drama wasn't just driven by a layout so expert that even the Bucks outdid themselves; by rarely speaking to the press and only providing updates indicating that he was irreparably broken, Kenny Omega spent a good nine months building the euphoria of his coming back 100%.
Recapping it is pointless: this was a breakneck 20 minute exchange of awesome moves so intoxicating that it led to two of the most convincing, heart-stopping near-falls in recent memory. Hell, of all-time; John Silver's small package One-Winged Angel reversal and Page's BTE trigger kick-out were so unreal that they managed to locate the sweetest possible spot: that magic nanosecond before the crowd thought the referee must've f*cked it.
Also: the leg-clutch spot was subverted in another incredible thread of the saga (pictured).
At the finish, continuing the glorious Elite saga, Omega quickly covered Silver after Page inadvertently struck him with the Buckshot - a tell that Page will ultimately emerge from the story the better man with the more powerful finish.
Star Rating: ★★★★★