‘AEW: All In London 2023’ PPV Review
Welcome to my review of AEW: All In London 2023, the company’s biggest-ever pay-per-view that set ACTUAL attendance records and box office gate records. I was there, as it happened live, and had an amazing time. It also turns out you can see me on the show a lot too given the great seats we got! So, with that in mind, here’s my totally and utterly biased review… Oh, and roll on All In London 2024 too!
ZERO HOUR
Match #1: ROH World Tag Team Championship Match – Better Than You BayBay (MJF & Adam Cole) def. Aussie Open (Kyle Fletcher & Mark Davis)
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Aussie Open blindsided Cole and MJF at the start of the match. They bashed Cole and MJF with the collider outside the ring. Davis planted MJF and splashed him for a two count. Fletcher whipped Cole into the steel guardrail. MJF was looking for the kangaroo kick, but Davis clipped him from behind. Cole made the tag and kicked Davis in the jaw, and then dished one out to Fletcher. Fletcher charged at Cole and Cole superkicked him. MJF and Cole went for the double clothesline, but Davis pulled Fletcher out of the ring. Aussie Open pulled out Cole and swarmed him before MJF could do his dive. Aussie Open nailed MJF with the Aussie Arrow for a near fall. MJF connected with the kangaroo kick on Aussie Open! MJF and Cole hit the double clothesline on Kyle Fletcher and Cole pinned Fletcher!
My Score: 3 out of 5
Match #2: FTW Championship Match – HOOK def. Jack Perry
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Jack Perry arrived in a limo. Jack Perry exited the vehicle and stood on the roof, holding up his FTW Championship. Hook walked up the ramp and the two began to brawl! Hook hurled Jack Perry across the hood of the vehicle. Hook sent Jack Perry hard into the open door of the limo. Jack Perry suplexed Hook on top of the car. Jack Perry channeled RVD and used a Rolling Thunder on Hook on the hood of the car. Hook planted Perry with a fisherman buster suplex onto the front windshield! Jack Perry fired back with a draping DDT on Hook. Jack Perry teased going Coast-to-Coast but then gave the packed stadium the double middle fingers instead. Perry crunched Hook with three German Suplexes. Hook rallied back with a German Suplex of his own for a near fall. He hit a second German on Perry! Hook T-boned Perry into the turnbuckles! Perry nailed Hook with a Tiger Driver for a two-count. Hook dodged a moonsault. Hook bashed Perry with a trashcan on the skull. Hook locked in Red Rum and forced Jack Perry to tap out!
My Score: 3 out of 5
ALL IN
Match #1: “Real World Championship” Match – CM Punk def. Samoa Joe
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Samoa Joe and CM Punk locked up, with Joe muscling Punk into the turnbuckles. Punk smiled as he put Joe in a headlock. Samoa Joe slid out of the ring and chopped at Punk. Back in the ring, Samoa Joe rattled CM Punk with chops and a headbutt. CM Punk dumped Samoa Joe on his head with a hurracanrana. CM Punk tried for a dive over the top rope, but Samoa Joe moved, with Punk crashing onto the arena floor. Punk tried for a hurracanrana, but Samoa Joe caught him and swung him through the bottom of the broadcast table. Punk was busted wide open! Samoa Joe targeted the laceration with jabs. Samoa Joe clocked CM Punk with a high boot and then sat out with a senton splash for a near fall. CM Punk got in an instinctive headshot, dropping Samoa Joe with a roundhouse kick. CM Punk hit a leg drop on Samoa Joe, but Joe kicked out at the one-count. Samoa Joe powerslammed CM Punk. Samoa Joe countered an incoming knee strike with a powerbomb. Joe transitioned into an STF on Punk. CM Punk escaped and collapsed Joe with a roundhouse kick. CM Punk paid homage to Terry Funk with a spinning toe hold on Samoa Joe. CM Punk attempted the rising knee strike again, but Samoa Joe countered with the STJoe! Samoa Joe was looking for an avalanche brainbuster, but Punk chomped down on Joe’s head. CM Punk nailed Samoa Joe with the Pepsi Plunge and pinned him!
My Score: 3.5 out of 5
The fans in attendance were split 50/50 for this match, the boos for Punk certainly sounded louder in the seating section we were in for example! This match was never going to hit the highs of Joe and Punk’s previous outings when both men were younger and more agile but this was as decent cap to their pair’s current AEW storyline.
Match #2: Bullet Club Gold (Juice Robinson, Jay White) & Konosuke Takeshita def. The Golden Elite (Kenny Omega, “Hangman” Adam Page, & Kota Ibushi)
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Don Callis joined the broadcast booth for this match. The Gunns were ringside with Bullet Club Gold. Omega and Hangman ping ponged Juice with chops! Ibushi tagged in and Juice immediately tagged out to Jay White. Ibushi tried for a roundhouse kick, but Jay ducked it. Jay smashed Ibushi with forearms, but Ibushi didn’t budge. Ibushi blasted Switchblade with a hard kick. Takeshita entered the fray, but Omega took him down with a hurracanrana. Omega wiped out Takeshita and Jay White with the Terminator Dive. Ibushi and Takeshita squared off and exchanged forearms. Takeshita clocked Omega with the Takeshita line. Hangman grabbed a tag and Page cleaned house on Juice and Switchblade. Hangman hit Jay White with a dive from the top rope for a near fall. Jay White escaped a Dead Eye attempt. Ibushi tagged in and nailed White with a standing moonsault press. Ibushi, Omega, and Page triple teamed Jay White. Ibushi planted Jay White with a German Suplex for a near fall. Jay White rallied back, spiking Ibushi with a uranage. Omega and Takeshita tagged in for their respective teams. Omega dished out snapdragon suplexes all around. Takeshita was there to wallop Omega with a Blue Thunder Bomb for a near fall! Omega cracked Takeshita with a poison rana! Hangman was looking for the Buckshot Lariat, but the Gunns jumped up on the apron. Page knocked them to the floor and then took them out with a moonsault. Page went for the Buckshot Lariat on Takeshita but Jay White shoved Takeshita out of the way. Switchblade sent Page flying with a half and half suplex. Ibushi rocked Jay White with a running knee strike. Juice Robinson scored with a leg lariat on Ibushi, but Omega was there to facepalm and dunk Juice onto the mat. Takeshita decimated Ibushi with a jumping knee strike. Hangman hit Takeshita with a blindside Buckshot Lariat! Jay White was trying for a Blade Runner on Omega, but Omega escaped and countered with a massive knee strike. Omega cracked Juice with a knee strike! Omega connected with a V Trigger on Jay White! Out of nowhere, Takeshita rolled up Omega and pinned him!
My Score: 3 out of 5
The ending of this came out of nowhere it felt like and was a total shock but, even though he’s a heel right now, I can’t help but enjoy Takeshita’s work in this match – and when he was face-to-face with Ibushi? Damn! Once again though, it felt like Page was under-utilised in this match. Or am I wrong? Let me know in the comments!
Match #3: AEW World Tag Team Championship Match – FTR (Cash Wheeler & Dax Harwood) def. The Young Bucks (Matt & Nick Jackson)
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Nick Jackson scoop slammed Cash Wheeler. Cash answered with a slam of his own onto Matt Jackson. FTR employed quick tags, but the Bucks had a similar strategy. The Bucks sent FTR over the top rope and down onto the arena floor with stereo clotheslines. Nick connected with a corkscrew over the top onto FTR. Nick Jackson stuck Cash with a senton for a near fall. Matt Jackson dropped an elbow on Cash, ala Bret Hart. Cash tried to tag out to Dax but Matt superkicked Dax, preventing the tag. Matt DDT’ed Cash. Nick Jackson springboarded but Cash fended it off with a forearm. Dax grabbed a tag and suplexed Nick onto Matt Jackson. Dax nailed Matt with three German Suplexes. Matt answered with his locomotion Northern Lights. Matt used a stalling Northern Lights Suplex on Dax for a two-count. Dax answered with a German of his own. Dax applied a sharpshooter to Matt. Cash put Nick in a sharpshooter on the apron! FTR spiked Nick with a piledriver, with Cash getting a near fall. Matt saved Nick from the Shatter Machine! The Bucks blasted Dax with superkicks! The Bucks spiked Dax with a piledriver, and Nick scored a near fall. Dax dodged the BTE Trigger and then Cash speared Nick through the ropes! FTR nailed Matt with the FTR Trigger and followed up with the Shatter Machine! Matt kicked out at the two-count! Cash attempted a springboard 450 but Matt moved out of the way! He superkicked Cash and scored a near fall! The Bucks hit Cash with the BTE Trigger, but Dax broke up the pin attempt that followed. The Bucks smacked Dax with a Shatter Machine! The Bucks rocked Cash with a second BTE Trigger, but Cash kicked out of the pin attempt! The Young Bucks were thinking Meltzer Driver, but FTR countered with the Shatter Machine on Nick, with Cash pinned Nick!
My Score: 3.5 out of 5
This match started with the crowd in attendance very much split 50/50 but as it went on the crowd started to favour FTR, so at least the crowd favourites won this one! For me though, this match had too many false finishes and went on a tad too long.
Match #4: Stadium Stampede Match – Eddie Kingston, Penta El Zero Miedo, Orange Cassidy, Trent Beretta & Chuck Taylor def. Jon Moxley, Claudio Castagnoli, Wheeler Yuta & Mike Santana and Ortiz
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Kingston charged straight for Claudio! Both teams paired off and brawled around the ring! Santana and Ortiz and the Best Friends traded strikes in the ring. Moxley used a branding iron on his opponents! Penta smacked Santana and Ortiz with a steel chair! Penta dropped both of them with sling blades. Moxley planted Penta with a cutter. He followed up with a Paradigm Shift on Penta. Moxley pulled out skewers, but Penta whacked Mox with a steel chair! Penta spiked the skewers in Moxley’s head and followed up with the Made in Japan. Claudio and Kingston brawled throughout the concourse! Mike Santana powerbombed Penta onto two steel chairs in the ring! Moxley mauled Orange Cassidy with a fork! Orange was busted wide open! Moxley planted Orange with a brainbuster onto a steel chair! Moxley raked a barb wire board onto Trent’s face. Ortiz cracked Trent with a kendo stick that was wrapped in barb wire. Kingston jabbed Wheeler with an umbrella in the mouth. Santana and Ortiz powerbombed Trent onto a ladder in the corner. Moxley sent Trent flying onto a plank covered in barb wire. Ortiz splashed Trent for a near fall. Moxley spiked Trent with a piledriver onto the ring steps! Ortiz continued to attack Orange with a fork to the head. A white minivan pulled up. It was Trent’s mom Sue! Mox kissed her and Trent began smashing the BCC with trays of Sue’s cookies! Music began to rumble, and Penta Oscuro came out through the entrance. Penta and Santana traded stiff shots on top of the ladder and then the ladder collapsed under their combined weight. Penta went back up and smashed Santana with a sunset powerbomb through two tables. Orange and the Best Friends swarmed Wheeler Yuta in the ring. Ortiz punished Chuck Taylor with baking sheet shots. Yuta pulled out a screwdriver and charged at Chuck Taylor, but Taylor dodged the attack. Chuck planted Wheeler with the Awful Waffle, but Claudio jumped into the ring and broke up the pin. Moxley rocketed out of the ring, through the ropes and straight at Chuck Taylor. Claudio grabbed Orange Cassidy and put him in the Giant Swing! Trent superplexed Ortiz off the top turnbuckle and through tables on the arena floor! Cassidy clocked Claudio with three Orange Punches for a near fall! Orange wrapped tape around his fist, broke a bottle into a bucket, and then placed his fist in there. Orange pulled out his taped fist and it was covered in broken glass! Moxley dropped Orange with his right hand before Orange could do any damage to Claudio. Orange DDT’ed Mox into the broken glass! Claudio hoisted up Orange and pulped him with a European Uppercut. Eddie Kingston marched to the ring with a steel chair wrapped in barbed wire, like Terry Funk, battering anyone in his path! Kingston smacked Claudio repeatedly with the chair! Moxley pulled the chair out of Kingston’s hands, and they had a bloody stare down! Moxley was looking for the Paradigm Shift, but Kingston countered with a spinning backfist. Kingston tackled Moxley through a table. Orange connected with a broken glass Orange Punch to Claudio and pinned him!
My Score: 4 out of 5
Watching this one live was weird as you could see half the action, so this score is very much based on the TV iteration of the match. I adored seeing Orange Cassidy pull out what I thought was a homage to Kickboxer and the glass-covered hands, but personally, I wanted more in-ring work from Kingston but that’s just me being a massive Eddie Kingston fan! Sidenote: At one point I got splatted by the water on Mike Santana’s hair as he fought in the entrance way!
Match #5: AEW Women’s World Championship Match – Saraya def. Hikaru Shida, Toni Storm & Dr. Britt Baker, D.M.D.
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Saraya and Storm worked in tandem to powerbomb Shida. Baker hit a neck breaker on Saraya for a near fall. Toni smashed Baker with a hip attack in the corner. Saraya and Toni began to argue as they both went to cover Baker for the pin attempt. Shida stacked the Outcasts in the corner and then charged at them with a running knee strike. Shida suplexed Saraya into Toni Storm. Baker walloped Storm with the sling blade. Saraya blindsided Baker with a thrust kick. Saraya’s mom was in the front row and held back Baker while Storm chopped Baker. Storm charged at Baker, but Baker dodged her, and Storm inadvertently collided with Saraya’s mom! Saraya clubbed Toni with her forearm. Toni answered in kind! Toni Storm stripped off the bottom turnbuckle pad and propped Saraya against it. Storm was setting her up for the hip attack when Ruby Soho sprinted to the ring, trying to restore some order between her fellow Outcasts. Ruby pleaded with Storm, but Storm knocked her down! Saraya got up and connected with a thrust kick to Toni Storm. Shida rocked Saraya with a missile dropkick. Baker dropped Shida with a swinging neck breaker. Saraya tied up Storm in a submission, but Baker was there to curb stomp Storm! Shida hammered Baker with strikes. Shida hoisted up Baker and planted her with the Falcon Arrow on Saraya! Shida crushed Saraya with a meteora for a near fall. Shida walloped Saraya with the Katana Kick, but Baker broke up the pin attempt. Baker was trying to apply the Lock Jaw on Shida. Saraya grabbed a can of paint and sprayed it into Toni Storm’s eyes! Saraya spiked Storm with the Knightcap and pinned her!
My Score: 3.5 out of 5
Not going to lie, I wanted Shida to retain her title and, of all the women in this match I think she was getting one of the better crowd reactions. But, let’s be honest, Saraya was always going to win at Wembley… and goddamn if that moment after the match, with her family with her in the ring, given all their history in British wrestling, wasn’t terrifically wholesome! And Tony Khan paying for Queen’s “We Will Rock You” was the right choice – the fans were louder for that song than even Jericho’s entrance music!
Match #6: Coffin Match – Darby Allin & Sting def. Swerve Strickland & Christian Cage
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Sting and Christian Cage had a stare down, but Swerve attacked Sting from behind. Sting knocked down Swerve with a lariat. Darby opened the coffin and pulled out a jacket covered in thumbtacks. Sting had a cricket bat! Sting cracked Prince Nana with the cricket bat! Then he hit Swerve with it. Sting and Darby put on thumb tack jackets! Sting and Darby used Stinger Splashes and Coffin Splashes on Swerve and Prince Nana in the corner. Swerve speared Sting and Christian speared Darby! Christian used wrist tape and tied up Darby’s arms behind his back. Swerve drove the cricket bat into Sting’s throat. Darby dodged and spear from Christian and followed up with a moonsault with his wrists still taped behind his back! Darby connected with a cannonball dive to Swerve outside the ring. Sting spinebustered Swerve onto the coffin! Christian Cage blindsided Sting and rammed him into the steel ring steps. Christian attempted the con-chair-to on Darby, but Darby escaped. Darby blasted Christian with a shotgun dropkick. Swerve grabbed Darby but Darby countered with an over the top stunner on the apron. Sting jumped off the apron and splashed Swerve, who was on top of a table on the arena floor! Sting went back up and dropped an elbow, this time pushing Swerve right through the table, splitting it in half. Darby jumped off the top turnbuckle and dropkicked Christian Cage, who was propped up on a chair on the arena floor! Darby and Sting propped up the coffin against the ring and tried to slam the lid shut on Christian, but Christian pushed the lid back to prevent it from closing. Luchasaurus hit Sting and Darby from behind, saving Christian Cage. Luchasaurus threw Darby like a lawn dart against the coffin! Nick Wayne ran down and hit Luchasaurus in the back with a skateboard. Luchasaurus dropped Nick Wayne with a headbutt. Luchasaurus choke slammed Nick Wayne onto the skateboard! Luchasaurus picked up Nick Wayne and carried him on his shoulders to the back. Darby went for a Coffin Splash off the top turnbuckle and down onto Swerve who was on top of the coffin, but Swerve moved. Sting splashed Christian and Swerve in the ring. Sting put the Scorpion Death lock on Christian. Swerve cracked Sting in the back with a steel chair. Christian Cage used a baseball bat to low blow Sting! Swerve jumped off the top rope and hit the double stomp on Sting! The coffin was placed into the ring. Swerve shoved Sting into the coffin. Swerve tossed the bat into the coffin, wanting to bury Sting and the bat together. Swerve tried to shut the coffin lid, but Sting used the baseball bat to prevent the lid from closing. Swerve bodyslammed Sting on top of the coffin. Swerve went for a 450 splash onto Sting on the coffin, but Sting rolled out of the way! Darby gouged Christian Cage in the eyes. Sting nailed Swerve with a Scorpion Death Drop on top of the coffin! Darby smashed Swerve with the Coffin Drop…onto the lid of the coffin and slid the coffin lid shut on Swerve!
My Score: 3 out of 5
Seeing this live, people were reacting a LOT to Sting pulling off those moves… The man puts himself through it for the fans doesn’t he? He could be taking it easy (like Christian IMHO) but know he provided some truly memorable spots in this one! This match was a great blend of carnage and comedy and I’m hoping this feud isn’t over.
Match #7: Will Ospreay def. Chris Jericho
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Jericho took down Will with a shoulder tackle. Ospreay dropkicked Jericho. Ospreay followed up with Sky Twister Press to Jericho on the floor. Ospreay and Jericho exchanged forearms. Jericho caught Ospreay flush in the face with a springboard dropkick. Jericho followed up with a sliding baseball dropkick. Jericho rocked Will with a German Suplex on the ring apron. Ospreay rallied back with a corkscrew kick to Jericho. He followed up with a standing shooting star press to Jericho for a near fall. Jericho had a lot left in the tank, though, and took down Will with a hurracanrana off the top rope. The lionsault was countered by Ospreay. Ospreay followed up with a shooting star press onto Jericho, who was draped across the ropes. Jericho came back with a Code Breaker on the Aerial Assassin. Will blocked the Judas Effect and countered with a hook kick to Jericho. Will spiked Jericho with the Os-cutter for a near fall. Jericho countered the Storm Breaker and put Will in the Walls of Jericho! Don Callis jumped on the ring apron. While the ref was dealing with Don, Sammy hit Will in the head with Jericho’s bat. Jericho charged at Will, but Will countered with a Spanish Fly for a two-count. Jericho stunned Will with the Code Breaker. Jericho hit Will with an Os-cutter! Jericho nailed Will with a low blow and then cracked him with the Judas Effect for a near fall! Ospreay clocked Jericho with a combination Judas Effect/Hidden Blade. Will followed up with the Storm Breaker for a near fall on Jericho! Will rocked Jericho with the Hidden Blade. Will nailed Jericho with a second Storm Breaker and pinned Jericho!
My Score: 4 out of 5
Match #8: AEW World Trios Championship Match – The Acclaimed (Anthony Bowens, Max Caster) & ‘Bad Ass’ Billy Gunn def. House of Black (Malakai Black, Buddy Matthews & Brody King)
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
The stipulation was No Holds Barred. Buddy Matthews flew over the top rope and wiped out both members of the Acclaimed. Brody King hit a tope on the Acclaimed. Julia Hart entered the ring, but Billy Gunn and Max held her down while Anthony Bowens dropped the Scissor Me Timbers. Brody charged at Billy, but Billy dodged him, sending Brody crashing into the steel guardrail. Malakai and Matthews double teamed Billy but Billy took them down with stiff shots. He splashed them in the corner. Bowens planted Malakai with the Arrival. Buddy prevented the Mic Drop, shoving Caster. Buddy dropped the meteora on Caster. The House of Black swarmed Bowens in the corner with the three headed hydra. Brody wrapped a steel chain around his fist and went to crack Bowens with it. Bowens escaped Malakai’s grasp and Brody accidentally hit Malakai! The Acclaimed and Billy Gunn each hit fame-assers on Buddy. Billy went for the pin, but Julia Hart pulled referee Aubrey Edwards out of the ring, preventing her from making the count. Malakai rocked Billy with the End kick, but Billy kicked out! Bowens smashed Brody with the Arrival and Caster followed up with the Mic Drop. Billy hit the Fame Asser, and the Acclaimed followed up with a second Arrival and Mic Drop, covering Brody for the pin!
My Score: 5 out of 5
This was just sheer chaotic fun. The fans were behind The Acclaimed and the roof blew off almost with the volume of the chants of the live crowd. Just a fun match. Plus I thought it was great Julia Hart got a spotlight during the match too – that’s got to be special for her given her age and experience, being in a spot at Wembley, in front of 80000+ fans?! And that’s what I thought about a LOT of the matches on this card – how those involved feel being at Wembley in front of such a huge crowd? Added extra layers of emotion to the night, that’s for sure!
Match #9: AEW World Championship Match – MJF def. Adam Cole
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
The match began with two friends taking in the moment, displaying good sportsmanship, but it quickly broke down. Cole stomped MJF in the corner after pulling ref Bryce Remsburg in MJF’s path. Cole grabbed a handful of MJF’s hair and yanked him to the mat. MJF responded in kind. Cole attacked with a thrust kick. Cole ripped MJF’s t-shirt off him. MJF blocked a superkick and scoop slammed Cole. MJF whipped Cole into the turnbuckles. MJF hit a dive through the ropes onto Cole! MJF and Cole traded pinfall attempts, neither man with the clear advantage. Cole stunned MJF with a pump kick. MJF powerbombed Cole onto his outstretched knee. MJF was looking for the Panama Sunset but Cole superkicked MJF. Cole nailed MJF with the heat seeker! Cole whipped MJF into the steel ring steps. Cole drilled MJF with a sheer drop brainbuster on the steel ring steps. Cole was about to hit the Panama Sunrise, but MJF couldn’t get to his feet and stumbled out of the ring. MJF dismantled the top of the broadcast booth. MJF was going to tombstone Cole on top of the booth, but MJF put him down, unable to put his friend through the table. Instead, Cole spiked MJF with a tombstone on top of the broadcast table. Cole rolled MJF back into the ring, but MJF kicked out at the two-count! MJF thumbed Cole in the eye. MJF nailed Cole with a rolling elbow strike. Cole fired back with a Canadian Destroyer, but Max retaliated with a last ditch kick. The champion and challenger called for the double clothesline! They ran into each other with clotheslines, falling on top of each other! The ref counted to three and it was declared a draw!
Ring Announcer Justin Roberts announced the match was a draw. Adam Cole grabbed a microphone and said, “No freakin’ way! Max, five more minutes!” MJF replied, “No. Five minutes isn’t enough, Adam. We’re going until we’ve got a winner in Wembley!” MJF blocked a superkick from Cole, but then Cole thumbed MJF in the eyes. Cole charged at MJF and MJF ducked, with Adam Cole inadvertently running into the referee and knocking him down. MJF sat up with a big grin on his face. MJF grabbed a steel chair and threw it to Adam Cole. Cole threw it back. Neither wanted it. Max placed the chair around his head to make it look like Cole hit him with it. The ref got to his feet and questioned Cole. MJF rolled up Cole for a near fall. MJF followed up with a thrust kick! MJF drilled Cole with the heat seeker! Cole kicked out at two! Cole nailed MJF with a straitjacket German Suplex on the apron! Cole spiked MJF with a Panama Sunrise off the apron and onto the floor! Cole rolled MJF into the ring, but MJF kicked out at two! Cole was setting up MJF for another Panama Sunrise. MJF pulled the ref into Cole’s way, and Cole inadvertently hit the ref with the Panama Sunrise! MJF pulled the Dynamite Diamond Ring out of his trunks. MJF was on the verge of tears, torn, not sure what to do! He pulled the ring off and put it back in his trunks. Out of nowhere, Roderick Strong jumped in the ring behind MJF. Roderick Strong kicked MJF between the legs! Cole climbed back up and drilled MJF with the Panama Sunrise. Cole dropped his kneepad and lowered the boom with the knee strike. The ref was still out. The ref finally crawled over and started to make the count. MJF kicked out at two! Roderick Strong threw the AEW World Title into the ring and told Cole to use it on MJF. Cole picked up the title and then threw it out of the ring. Roderick Strong walked out on Adam Cole! MJF cradled Adam Cole and pinned him!
My Score: 5 out of 5
I’m going to say it now, the MJF/Adam Cole story – the way these two interact: the camaraderie, the hatred, the mix of emotions; how this has played on in front of the cameras; the way these two tell the story physically – rivals peak Bloodline storytelling for me. It started out as some weird paring for a tag tournament, a story that could’ve been done by the time said tournament had ended but no, we got this huge moment at Wembley – with two friends, two tag champs, still managing to stay friends after everything they’ve done and everything they’ve felt. Chef’s kiss!
Final Verdict: 5/5
I’m not going to lie, despite trying to be objective in scoring the individual matches (and yes I’ve watched them back on TV too, given that on the floor you couldn’t see some stuff as it happened – especially during the Stadium Stampede) the fact I was there for All In London as it happened live has 100% biased this review. The experience of the event itself (the less said about any “pre-show” events the better) was one of the best, nay THE best wrestling events I’ve ever been to – be it seeing TNA back in the Universal Studios days or when they used to do UK tours (I will say AEW could learn from those TNA tours about fan interactions etc.); or events Raw or Smackdown Live when the WWE has come to the UK (I even saw AJ Styles win the WWE belt live!) – this experience at Wembley was, as I thought before the big closing announcement – one of a kind. OK, so we paid for good seats, we paid for the experience we had but the atmosphere, the genuine outpouring of emotion you could feel in Wembley will forever make AEW: All In London 2023 a night to remember. And for that, the show gets top marks!
