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Bryan Danielson Retiring? All In on AEW
The stage is set. AEW makes its way to London for the second year in a row for “All In,” the company’s WrestleMania-esque pay-per-view with a stacked lineup. Here’s all you need to know for the big show at Wembley Stadium, including Bryan Danielson’s retirement match.
CHRIS JERICHO vs. HOOK: FTW Championship
Jericho and Hook have fought for months on end it seems like. Jericho is an established figure in AEW while Hook is an unproven wrestler in the industry, but with the lineage of being Taz’s son, Hook can show he is the real deal in a prominent spotlight such as this one.
Jericho has rebranded himself as “The Learning Tree” and Hook will learn a thing or two about these big moments. Jericho has also rebranded this to be a “For the World” Championship but the rebranding might happen once again when Hook wins the FTW Championship this Sunday.
CASINO GAUNTLET MATCH
Who knows who is in this contest? Orange Cassidy is confirmed to be at #1. Mark Briscoe, Kyle O’Reilly, Hangman Page, Evil Uno, Roderick Strong, Dustin Rhodes, Matt Taven, and Mike Bennett are all slated to compete, but they are at a disadvantage. This match is basically a free-for-all until there is a pinfall or submission, declaring a winner. Imagine sudden death rules with timed entrants. We might also see the likes of Ricochet and Bobby Lashley, two new free agents from WWE, could pop up.
For me, it makes the most sense to have Hangman Page win the match if Swerve is going to retain later this evening. If it is Bryan Danielson, I wouldn’t mind seeing Dustin Rhodes shock the world and get a title opportunity.
JACK PERRY vs. DARBY ALLIN: Coffin Match for the TNT Championship
You’ll recognize these two names if you know CM Punk. Darby Allin was CM Punk’s opponent in Punk’s first match back in the ring at the 2021 All Out pay-per-view. Jack Perry was the guy who got in a scuffle with CM Punk backstage and ultimately led to Punk leaving AEW and rejoining WWE. With that said, I wouldn’t be surprised to see “real glass” enter the fray with Perry’s beef with Punk and Darby’s daredevil mindset. As a matter of fact, Darby Allin has already dove through glass in 2024, at AEW Revolution in Greensboro, NC back in March.
These two are considered pillars for AEW in its early years, but Darby Allin has had more success than Jack Perry. For that reason, I believe Jack Perry figures out a way to bury Darby Allin until October, when AEW is back in Darby’s home state of Washington.
YOUNG BUCKS vs. FTR vs. THE ACCLAIMED: AEW Tag Team Championships
The Young Bucks have taken Jack Perry under their wing, and the Young Bucks also defend their championships at this All In event against one of the best tag teams of our era, FTR, and one of the best homegrown tag teams for AEW, The Acclaimed. I would’ve thought this would be a ladder match, until we heard the stipulation for the next one. The incumbent champions in triple threats rarely lose their championships, which is why it’s obvious the Young Bucks keep the championships.
THE PATRIARCHY (Christian Cage, Killswitch, and Nick Wayne) vs. BANG BANG GANG (Juice Robinson, Austin Gunn, and Colten Gunn) vs. HOUSE OF BLACK (Malakai Black, Brody King, and Buddy Matthews) vs. PAC and BCC (Claudio Castagnoli and Wheeler Yuta): Ladder Match for the AEW Trios Championships
Rather than the tag team triple threat being a ladder match, this 12-man cluster will be a ladder match instead. This match will be wild and hard to keep up with, but a lot of fun. While I think it is rare for incumbent champions to lose their titles in multi-man or multi-team situations, the Bang Bang Gang were champions when stripped of the titles. To regain the championships and right the wrong, I believe the Bang Bang Gang get the championships back at Wembley.
MERCEDES MONE vs. DR BRITT BAKER DMD: TBS Championship
Some of you WWE fans will recognize Mercedes Mone as Sasha Banks, who was the hottest free agent signing of 2024 for either company. Dr. Britt Baker hasn’t competed on PPV in a long time, her first since suffering a mini-stroke. These are two of the biggest names in AEW’s women’s division and you could make the argument two of the best women’s wrestlers in the world. There might be a sign of ring rust or lack of chemistry, but even so, this will be a match nobody can miss and could easily steal a stacked card. This is the “mid-card” women’s championship, but this has a big fight feel.
This likely isn’t the last we see of these two, which makes me believe Mone’s muscle Kamille helps the champion retain the championship and we run it back at All Out in a couple weeks.
“TIMELESS” TONI STORM vs. MARIAH MAY: AEW Women’s Championship
Mariah May turned on her idol Toni Storm after winning the Owen Hart Cup women’s bracket and has an opportunity to dethrone Toni at Wembley Stadium. Their segments have been on the higher-end for ratings and viewership over the last 8 weeks or so. I believe they’ll maintain the same storyline and unorthodox way both women go about their matches, but this feels like the moment Toni Storm puts the protege in her place by retaining the championship at Wembley.
MJF vs. WILL OSPREAY: American/International Championship
Once MJF handed Will Ospreay his first loss in AEW at the 59:58 mark in a 60-minute time limit match, by underhanded tricks, MJF rebranded the title to the American Championship. Ospreay is fighting for the International Championship, obviously being from the UK. I’m not sure how they can outdo their near-sixty minute match, but they will certainly try. Anyone who hasn’t watched wrestling before should 100% watch this match and they will be a fan. I say that before the two even lock up on Sunday.
With that said, I see them finishing a trilogy down the road so I have MJF losing the title to Will Ospreay at Wembley Stadium, even if the hometown kids are at a disadvantage in 2024.
SWERVE STRICKLAND vs. BRYAN DANIELSON: “Title versus Career” for the AEW Championship
This is for everything. If Swerve loses, we crown a new world champion. If Danielson loses, we say goodbye to one of the more entertaining careers of the last 15-25 years. Danielson is reportedly working without a contract and his children want him home, along with the interviews the last several years saying this previous contract would be his last full-time deal in order to spend time with his wife and young children. If Danielson isn’t losing, they’ve done a great job of putting the crumbs together.
It’s hard to imagine Danielson’s career coming to an end. Even with the neck issues, even with time missed in the ring, it still feels like he is on an elite level and can keep going for another 5-10 years. It’s also hard to think Danielson came into AEW the same time as CM Punk and Adam Cole three years ago and would retire never holding AEW’s richest prize.
Then again, Danielson going out on his back would propel Swerve’s title reign to new heights and legitimize his championship run. Giving Danielson a send-off in the main event at Wembley Stadium is definitely fitting, but there’s a pay-per-view in Bryan’s home state of Washington in October. What’s to give?
I’m back and forth. As much as my heart would love to see Danielson retain and wrestle throughout the next 2-4 months, I see a proper send-off in the big stadium. Wembley Stadium will be Swerve’s House.
That’s a lot to digest for AEW fans! Let us know in the comments below what you believe happens at AEW All In when the company travels to London.
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