AEW All Out 2023: 10 Nightmares That Could Come True
5. The ‘Strap Match’ Actually Happens
This doesn't feel real.
AEW has touted that Ricky Starks will challenge the legendary Ricky Steamboat to an f'n 'Strap Match' on Saturday's episode of Collision. Now, it's likely TK has some shenanigans up his sleeve instead (and CM Punk was probably supposed to run in on that segment), but it's still hella weird.
What if they actually go through with it? What if Steamboat hauls on some boots to face Starks in 2023's most unlikely gimmick showdown on pay-per-view? The card, whilst definitely lacklustre, doesn't need this sort of thing to round it out. It sounds like a step too far, and an unnecessary one at that.
Yes, Steamboat defied expectations to have a scorcher vs. Chris Jericho in 2009. In two thousand and nine. That Backlash '09 showing was over 14 years ago now, and he was past his prime then. Do AEW really want to risk this when there's so much doubt heading into All Out anyway?