All In at Wembley Stadium has become the flagship showcase for All Elite Wrestling. It featured a strong lineup, headlined by the title versus career match between Swerve Strickland and Bryan Danielson. What was anticipated as an exciting wrestling show turned into something truly special. The event in London was packed with action, suspense, and many surprises.
– London Ladder Match: Pac, Wheeler Yuta, and Claudio Castiglioni defeated House of Black, Bang Bang Gang, and The Patriarchy to become the new AEW Trios World Champions when Pac knocked Christian Cage off the ladder to grab the belt.
A 12-person ladder match is a disaster waiting to happen, but this one was well-executed and allowed each wrestler to shine without feeling like a chaotic mess. It was surprising to see Pac, Wheeler, and Castiglioni win, but it resulted in a happy ending as Newcastle’s Pac got his Wembley moment.
– Mariah May beat “Timeless” Toni Storm to become the new AEW World Women’s Champion.
One amazing thing about creating a star with the right person is that they can also help elevate others. Not only did the right person win, but the match lived up to the drama that the feud produced. Storm losing to her own finishing maneuver proves how selfless she is as a wrestler. This is just the beginning. Mariah May is now a star, and how will Stardom’s Mina Shirakawa fit into the equation?
-Hook defeated Chris Jericho to become a three-time FTW Champion.
Fozzy performed Jericho’s entrance. Hook toppling Jericho to win his third FTW Title was exactly what it needed to be. Jericho stacks the deck against the “Cold-Hearted Handsom Devil” with help from Big Bill and Bryan Keith, only for Hook’s Brooklyn badassery to reign supreme. Taz choking out Bryan Keith to help his son was a surprise I never knew I needed. As a fan of Taz’s work in ECW, seeing such a large crowd pop for the Tazmission was nice.
–The Young Bucks defeated FTR and The Acclaimed to retain the AEW World Tag Team Championship when the Bucks hit Dax Hardwood with the BTE Trigger.
Three teams with different styles who always work extremely well together, and this match was no exception. Seeing The Acclaimed come out last was odd. Creative probably wanted Max Caster’s rap to hit hard right before the bell. The former Grizzled Young Veterans of NXT attacked FTR after the match. They are not the flashiest team, but they can get it done in the ring, which makes them at home in AEW.
– Christian Cage won the 21-Man Casino Gauntlet Match when Luchasaurus choke slammed Kyle O’Riley, and put Christian on top of him for the pin.
There were randomly timed intervals, and the match ended after twelve entrants, meaning nine wrestlers didn’t get a chance to compete.
There were three surprise entrants in the form of Ricochet, who just signed with AEW, 2024 G1 Climax winner Zack Saber Jr., and former ROH World Champion Nigel McGuinness wrestled his first match in over a decade.
Jeff Jarrett and Mark Briscoe received tremendous reactions from the audience. “Hangman” Adam Page’s arrival changed the completion of the match. The former world championship was the odds-on favorite to win, and his mean streak paid dividends despite not getting the win.
Christian’s win was the most random result on the show, until the main event played out. Not only does he have a win over the AEW World Champion but Money in the Bank style stipulation with this particular title shot is something a sneaky Christian will make interesting.
Order of Entry
- Orange Cassidy
- Kazuchika Okada
- Nigel McGuinness
- Kyle O’Riley
- Zack Saber Jr.
- Roderick Strong
- Mark Briscoe
- “Hangman” Adam Page
- Jeff Jarrett
- Ricochet
- Christian Cage
- Luchasaurus
-Will Ospreay defeated MJF to win the American Championship with the Tiger Driver 91
Many expected another one-hour classic to rock Wembley. However, in 24 minutes, they accomplished the same goal. It was a different style of match with more drama. It was a well-done sequel that enhanced the original, augmenting the overall story.
Daniel Garcia returned as the masked man preventing MJF from hitting Ospreay with the knux. It was a nice surprise because many didn’t expect to see him again, and there were rumors of an expiring contract on the horizon. Ospreay refusing to touch the American Title and restoring the International Title was a nice touch.
–TBS Champion Mercedes Mone w/ Kamille defeated DMD Britt Baker to retain the title
The match did not show the high-quality wrestling expected in a top-tier promotion. It looked like a scripted exhibition between two wrestling school trainees. While meticulously scripting every move benefitted matches like Ricky Steamboat vs. Randy Savage, it didn’t work here.
The match was slow and had no flow. Seeing Baker and Mone anticipate every move killed the illusion, which is an unfortunate byproduct of an entirely scripted match. They had the right idea of a match and hit the right notes but didn’t play any music.
Also, Mercedes Mone needs a new finishing maneuver ASAP. ‘The Money Maker’ ain’t it.
TNT Championship Coffin Match Jack Perry defeated Darby Allin when he trapped him in a body bag and put him in the coffin.
The Young Bucks came out with a can of gasoline and were set to light Allin on fire as payback for Blood and Guts until STING came out to make the save. Perry ran, and Sting gave the Bucks a double Scorpion Death Drop. It was a mediocre match, neither good nor bad, and it ended rather quickly.
–AEW World Championship vs. Career: Bryan Danielson submitted Swerve Strickland to become the new AEW World Champion.
Going into the match, the consensus was while a Danielson win would be an outstanding way to end the show, Swerve’s work as champion has been top-shelf and deserves all of his flowers. When the final bell rang, Bryan Danielson winning the world title was the right call.
“Hangman” Page’s interference served two masters. Casual fans thought he would cost Swerve the title, while diehard fans didn’t want Bryan to win it in that fashion. Either way, it was a spot where Page had heat with everyone.
Danielson saying “I’m sorry” to his family, watching in the front row as Swerve hit the House Call, was tremendous storytelling. Danielson showed vulnerability where such emotion is seen as weakness. He believed he was going to lose at that moment until he dug down deep to fight back and submit the most dangerous man in AEW.
Match of the year for me!
Final Thoughts: AEW delivers on pay-per-view as often as they falter on television. Their second go-around in Wembley Stadium made for an all-time great pro wrestling show. All In 2024 was the best fifty dollars I’ve spent in quite some time. It was a fun card from top to bottom, and the main event between Swerve Strickland and Bryan Danielson is one of the best matches I’ve ever seen. It was special, topping a show that made me happy to be a wrestling fan.
RingsideLogic.com 