9 Ups & 2 Downs From AEW All Out 2023 (Results & Review)
3. Kenny Omega Vs Konosuke Takeshita
A muddled presentation on television almost got in the way of a minor pay-per-view classic here; there were select moments in this otherwise-excellent match where the story lost sight of if Konosuke Takeshita was a monster to be feared or a cheating equal to be vanquished.
On Wednesday's Dynamite, Don Callis revealed to the world the many physical weak spots of Kenny Omega, and here on Sunday, Takeshita targeted them and won. The victory wasn't earned without chicanery though, and perhaps picking a lane and sticking to it might have allowed this still-brilliant showing to ascend to the heights of an Omega all-timer. Their obvious chemistry teased it several times.
The finish was at least the two paths converging for an epic finale. Callis introduced the screwdriver, but both he and Takeshita were unable to capitalise thanks to referee intervention. In the end, it was simply one route rather than route one - Callis' knew charge put 'The Best Bout Machine' down and out with a strike from his exposed knee, picking the bones of a bad neck as he'd done with every other bullet point on Omega's lengthy doctor's note.
Two wins in a week over the former AEW Champion is the sort of committed booking the build badly lacked, and the company has bought itself a big restart with Takeshita as an upper card concern over the last seven days. Omega meeting his match is well-trodden ground, but brutal and brilliant singles matches like this have been a touch on the rare side in AEW. The more of these to come, the better.