SPOTLIGHTED PODCAST ALERT (YOUR ARTICLE BEGINS A FEW INCHES DOWN)…
LOCATION
Wembley Stadium is a stadium in the northwest London borough of Brent. It was constructed on the site of an earlier, similar facility. With 90.000 seats, the new Wembley was the biggest stadium in the United Kingdom when it opened in 2007. It is owned by a Football Association subsidiary and is used for musical performances, football (soccer), rugby, and other sports. The Football Association, which oversees English football and has offices there, owns Wembley Stadium through its subsidiary, Wembley National Stadium Ltd (WNSL). It is the biggest stadium in the United Kingdom and the second biggest in Europe, after Camp Nou in Barcelona, with 90,000 seats.
THE PRESENTATION
I spoke to fans and colleagues who attended All-In last year, and they noted that the set and stage were underwhelming. This year, the stage and backdrop were well done. It gave the feel and vibe of a WrestleMania.
THE ATMOSPHERE
All In sold over 80,000 tickets last year. People in lousy faith this year will say that the tickets sold were unsuccessful. However, how many wrestling companies that do not have WWF/WWE brands have sold over 50,000 tickets for a stadium show two years in a year? Per WrestleTix, the latest update on the total number of tickets distributed is 53,393.
MATCH THOUGHTS
•BLACKPOOL COMBAT CLUB (Claudio Castagnoli & Wheeler Yuta) & PAC vs. THE PATRIARCHY (Christian Cage, Killswitch & Nick Wayne w/Mother Wayne) vs. HOUSE OF BLACK (Brody King & Buddy Matthews & Malakai Black) and BANG BANG GANG (Austin Gunn & Colten Gunn & Juice Robinson) – AEW World Trios Title London Ladder Match
WINNERS: Claudio Castagnoli & Wheeler Yuta) & PAC in 18:56
(Brian’s Thoughts: Fun opener to set the show’s tone. It was a nice thing to give Pac a true “Wembley Moment.”)
MARIAH MAY vs. TONI STORM – AEW Women’s World Title Match
WINNER: Mariah May in 15:12
(Brian’s Thoughts: Despite my prediction that a stip would be announced, both women delivered, and AEW made a new star in Mariah May.)
HOOK vs. CHRIS JERICHO – FTW Title Match
WINNER: Hook in 10:13
(Brian’s Thoughts: The weakest match was the card that went too long. Taz locking on the Taz submission was a cool moment.
THE YOUNG BUCKS (Matthew Jackson & Nicholas Jackson), vs. FTR (Cash Wheeler & Dax Harwood) vs. THE ACCLAIMED (Anthony Bowens & Max Caster w/Billy Gunn) – AEW World Tag Team Title Three-Way Match.
WINNERS: Matthew Jackson & Nicholas Jackson in 13:31
(Brian’s Thoughts: This was one of those situations where wrestling moves were happening and I felt nothing. I blame this clearly on the build to the PPV and the lack of direction with the tag team division. GVY returning in the post-match is a good step in getting the division back on track.
CASINO GAUNTLET MATCH – AEW World Title #1 Contendership
WINNER: Christian Cage in 25:53
(Brian’s Thoughts: This match was an absolute blast from start to finish. I don’t mind the finish because it makes sense for Christian to deliver on his promise. Every man involved was great and Nigel’s return was incredible.)
MJF vs. WILL OSPREAY – AEW American Title Match
WINNER: Will Ospreay in 25:44
(Brian’s Thoughts: It was Will Ospreay in Wembley. Of course, this match with MJF was going to be awesome. It’s great to see Daniel Gracia back in the fold.)
MERCEDES MONE (w/Kamille) BRITT BAKER – AEW TBS Title Match
WINNER: Mercedes Mone in 17:16
(Brian’s Thoughts: Both women worked very well, but this match had very little heat. The crowd, at this point, was exhausted and needed a break. The finish was flat because it came out of nowhere.)
JACK PERRY vs. DARBY ALLIN – AEW TNT Title Coffin Match
(Brian’s Thoughts: This was a quick plunder pallet cleanser to prepare the crowd for the main event. Sting coming out to save Darby was a great spot.)
BRYAN DANIELSON vs. SWERVE STRICKLAND-AEW World Title vs. Career Match
(Brian’s Thoughts: This entire presentation, from start to finish, was a masterpiece. I can’t believe this match lasted 25 minutes. It felt like 15 minutes. Strickland should get his dues and flowers for what he did to evaluate the main event scene. The fans signing Final Countdown and going wild for Danielson to win the title finally was a sight to behold.
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MEDIA SCRUM NOTES
-AEW confirmed AEW Grand Slam will take place on Feb. 15, 2025 in Australia.
-AEW also confirmed that they will run Forbidden Door in London in 2025, and AEW All In will return to Wembley Stadium in 2026.
A few weeks ago, Mercedes Mone took to social media to open up about a personal issue she had dealt with for a long time. I asked Mercedes what advice she could provide to someone else going through the same experience.
She answered: “Just follow your heart and know that you’re guided. I went through a hard time, but I knew that I had to because I’m here. I fell down, I failed, I got back up, and I became a double champion. Whatever you want in life, you’ve got to go out there and take, and don’t be afraid. I had to take a chance. I had to follow my heart, and I had to listen to my soul. I can’t be afraid of those things, and I feel like people in life, you can’t be afraid of listening to your heart and your soul. And listening to that led me here. And as you can see, I’m doing great. So just keep on following your heart, and it will guide you. ”
I asked Will Ospreay how fatherhood and being a husband prepared him for his Wembley moment.
He said: “Preparing him is just… It’s been real good to have a support system. In two minutes before I was about to go out there, somebody brought my missus down to give me the biggest hug. Those moments just unnerved me. It just feels… Everything just feels right right now. It felt like the right time, the right place, and just their love and support and their energy that they’ve given me throughout this journey. Those two, her kid and that girl, has completely turned my life around. I’ll never be able to thank them for it. Just the motivation to just push me.”
FINAL THOUGHTS
This show is the blueprint for AEW running a PPV moving forward. The pacing and the format of the card were perfect. The PPV gave the impression that something significant was about to happen, akin to a Big Bang Theory of events setting up the significant PPVs scheduled for 2025. While traveling overseas can be a big task, a trip to the UK for a wrestling show should be on your bucket list. Turn the trip into an entire vacation to make it worthwhile. In a 24-hour turnaround, I saw All In at Wembley Stadium and went to a proper football game at Whales. Witnessing Bryan Danielson close the deal in front of 50,000 fans is an experience I will never forget.
RECOMMENDED NEXT: LECLAIR’S AEW ALL OUT 2024 REPORT: Alt perspective, detailed coverage of Strickland vs. Danielson, MJF vs. Ospreay, Mone vs. Baker, more
OR CHECK THIS OUT AT PROWRESTLING.NET: Powell’s AEW All In Hit List: Swerve Strickland vs. Bryan Danielson for the AEW World Championship, Toni Storm vs. Mariah May for the AEW Women’s Championship, MJF vs. Will Ospreay for the American Title
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