4 Ups & 8 Downs From AEW All Out 2020
Downs...
8. Opening With 'Tooth & Nail'
Who thought this was a good idea?
Opening with a cinematic-style off-location brawl was a strange choice, and it's one AEW must regret. Britt Baker vs. Big Swole in a 'Tooth & Nail' match played out like a late-90s WWF Hardcore Title brawl. It didn't exactly fire up what live crowd were allowed into Daily's Place, and it was plain bad in parts.
When these brawls are done well (WrestleMania's 'Boneyard' epic or Double Or Nothing's 'Stadium Stampede' stunt show), they're fun. When they're mediocre like this one, they're useless. Spots like Baker trying to use a power drill and Swole finding some plastic Joker-ish sets of teeth missed the mark.
The finish sucked too. What was in that syringe that made Baker pass out enough to lose but then regain consciousness a few seconds later like nothing had happened? This might've been more tolerable had it taken place in the middle of the card.