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WHAT SHOULD GO DOWN TONIGHT IN CHICAGO - THE AEW ALL OUT TIP SHEET

AEW will present the 2022 All Out PPV tonight in Chicago.  This is our take on what should go down!

AEW World Champion Jon Moxley vs. CM Punk

Mike: Whether you liked the angle or not, the reality is it did keep AEW over a million viewers while the entire Serena Williams story played out at the U.S. Open, so they did keep the audience's attention.  I wish it would have played out over 6 weeks instead of a few weeks but that's not the cards they were dealt with the injury recovery.  Punk's promo this Wednesday was magic, the type of "let's talk people into the building" stuff that rarely seems to happen anymore.  It got ME so pumped up, I wished all week I could have made it to the show just to be in the room where it happens.  That's a positive.  Here's the bottom line.  It's Chicago.  CM Punk is walking out the new champion and I expect we'll go longer than three minutes unless the entire undercard has burned through the PPV satellite time.

Richard:  While I didn’t think they should have done this match after what happened in Cleveland, they made a kind of decent save with the open contract being picked up by one of Punk’s best friends.  I did wish that we would have seen Steel being chased around like he was the 24/7 Champion.  This match does not have to go 30 minutes because it is the main event, and I would not be angry if they did another short match like the match on Dynamite.   They are in CM Punk’s home town, but I don’t think we need to do the whole redemption angle in 10 days.  Moxley retains.

Cory:  A week again, I said the match on Dynamite was a bad idea. I still think so, and they have rushed through almost two months of story in two TV episodes. The simple “Rocky” story of Punk being brought low, having a crisis of faith, having his old trainer remind him of who he is, and Punk building himself back up was done so fast that it had no emotional resonance. Yes, the promos on Dynamite salvaged it so that I am looking forward to the match, but it belies the underlying issue with AEW’s non-Elite booking: Everything is on fast forward. Punk will win in his home town just like Mox won in his and I look for these two to have a barn burner of a match. And Mox will bleed and bleed and bleed.

The Elite vs. Dark Order and Adam Page for the AEW Trios Championship

Mike: Kenny and The Bucks are winning.  Omega isn't returning from injury to have weeks of TV main events built around him and giving away him vs. Will Ospreay in the six man tag this past weekend to then lose.  The Bucks and Omega will have their little corner of AEW going forward to do their thing built around the Trios title.  This is a good spotlight for John Silver and Alex Reynolds as this is easily their biggest match in their AEW run to date but at the end, it's The Elite.

Richard:  What a coincidence that Preston Vance would get hurt and be unable to compete and Adam Page would go back on his word to not get involved in the Trios tournament and stand by Dark Order’s side to be part of Dark Order’s team.  Will this be the return to the Page/Omega issues that existed.  This title was made for the Bucks and Omega and was held off until Kenny was ready to return to action, so is there a way that they don’t win this?  The Elite get gold back on Sunday night (or maybe Monday morning because this is going to be a LONG show)

Cory: Yes, I am predicting the Dark Order to win on Friday since Adam Page has joined their team. I said earlier that it seems on the Young Bucks and Kenny Omega get to have stories that aren’t rushed, and the confrontation between Page, Omega and the Young Bucks with t he Bucks conflicted and Kenny possibly finding out that the Bucks allowed Page to beat him coming out here. I know everyoen thinks the winners will be The Elite, but I am going to go with Dark Order as it furthers the story between Kenny and Page.

AEW Tag Team Champions Swerve in our Glory vs. The Acclaimed

Mike: In my mind, it SHOULD be the Acclaimed as I think they have far more momentum and I think the idea of them showing up in their native NYC as the new champions could be an awesome moment for Grand Slam.  That said, Swerve and Lee are obviously a Khan favorite and I can see them easily retaining.  My heart says Acclaimed.  My head says the champs retain.

Richard:  Lee and Strickland haven’t had that ‘trademark’ victory and I don’t know if a victory over The Acclaimed is what will send them to the next level.  At least Max and Anthony are done with the Gunns in the ring.   The Acclaimed have been up and down during their run but they are going back up the hill at this time.  I don’t think it is time to take the titles off the champions and this isn’t the team to do it. 

Cory:  Swerve in our Glory started out as a tag team that didn’t quite mesh, and that was quickly forgotten as they worked through the last few weeks. They haven’t had a major feud, and this thrown together match with The Acclaimed feels like a placeholder more than anything. The Acclaimed are popular after their face turn, but they still scream mid-card to me at this point, and without a feud to back up a title change, I don’t see it happening.

Toni Storm vs. Jamie Hayter vs. Britt Baker vs. Hikaru Shida for the Interim AEW Women’s Championship

Mike:  The original, original plan was Kris Statlander getting the belt.  They had to scratch that.  Then, the second original plan was Toni Storm winning the belt before Thunder Rosa went down to her back issues.  So, who do you put the belt on.  To me, the person to go with is Britt Baker.  She was the center of the women's division when it was at it's most entertaining and strong, so I do say AEW goes back to the well and tries to rebuild on her shoulders.  Thunder vs. Britt one more time for the Undisputed title, given their history, also works for me.  

Richard:  The biggest story for this match is whether Britt Baker and Jamie Hayter will be able to work together or will Britt demand too much from Jamie to cost Britt her shot at the interim title?  You have four top female wrestlers in the company and this should be a good match.  Would Toni have beaten Thunder Rosa if she was able to wrestle on this show, and if so, will she win this match and then set up a unification match on a random episode of AEW Dark instead of a PPV?  I think Toni does get the win, but if it isn’t her, I hope they give the title to Hayter.  Then you can set up Britt and Jamie as a feud because you know Britt isn’t going to be happy if she isn’t the champ.

Cory: I am not a fan of four way matches, especially when two of the people in it are a team. They are no longer teasing Hayter vs Baker, so I don’t see them locking up or locking the other out fo the championship. I would love to see Shida go at it with Baker since their feud last year left Shida with a need for revenge, but they just haven’t even gone back to it other than a couple of mentions from commentary. The plan for this show was Toni Storm vs Thunder Rosa, and they will come back to that to unify the titles when Rosa is cleared, so I expect Storm to come out the winner

AEW TBS Champion Jade Cargill vs. Athena

Mike:  Athena is great but do we pull the plug on the Cargill show?  I don't think now is the time or place.  When that moment does come, it should happen ON TBS.  My guess is Stokely or one of the Baddies help and Athena is overwhelmed after it was obvious she may have had Cargill beaten.

Richard:  Here is your 9:20 PM Eastern match to fill contractual obligations.  Do you finally end Jade’s streak or does someone cost Athena the match and allow Jade to retain?  Keep the title on Jade and then you can give Athena the TruTV title.

Cory:  Jade Cargill is a star, and it’s not time for her to drop the title. Plus, Athena hasn’t been built up enough to take that mantle. How strange is it that Jade Cargill is the one Monster Heel Tony knows how to book correctly? 

Ricky Starks vs. Powerhouse Hobbs

Mike: If they give this TIME, this should be a fun brawl.  To me, Hobbs should get the win to really spark a longer storyline.

Richard:  I think on a show that half 50 to 60 percent of the matches as this show, this match would mean a lot more.  Instead this feels like a match that is just there and that is a shame.  I think Hobbs needs this win more than Starks when you look at the long term for both men and he will look good as the Interim Orange Champion.

Cory: Ricky Starks has to win this one if they want to cement him as the big babyface they are pushing him to be. His promo last week was full of fire, bringing in The Factory seems like an unnecessary addition since there is enough between him and Hobbs to drive the feud.

Claudio Castagnoli vs. Wheeler Yuta vs. Penta El Zero Miedo vs. Rey Fenix vs. Rush vs. Andrade El Idolo vs. Dante Martin vs. ‘JOKER’ in the Casino Ladder Match for a future AEW World Title Match

Mike: MJF has to be the Joker right?  Right?  If so, he has ton win, right?  Right?  I'd even do a deal where the Joker doesn't appear and then they start the match and then in the middle or end, out come MJF from under the ring.  Then he wins, and calls Tony a mark again.  So, if it's not MJF, then the Joker should (if he's cleared medically) be Adam Cole, who should go over.  If not, based on who we have here, assuming Punk walks out as champion, there's a lot of unique matches but out of all of them, Punk vs. Fenix sounds the most fun to ME, so I am going with Rey as you don't want to put the ROH Champions in a position of losing to an AEW Champion.

Richard:  I am really excited for the chain wrestling that we are going to see in this match on Sunday.  You have three teams with two members and Dante Martin in this match so will we see some team work or will it be every man for themselves from the sound of the bell?  There are many options for the Joker in this match.  Will it be MJF, someone from New Japan, a new wrestler, or someone currently on the roster we might not expect.  How about putting W. Morrissey in the match to build on his return on Wednesday?  I really want to see Claudio get someone (or more than one person) on the ladder and then do the giant swing.  If Moxley retains, do you have Claudio or Yuta win to set up some tension within the BCC or will it lead to Regal talking about the Spirit of Competition?  I don’t know if there is anyone in this match who has been announced that I want to see face the World Champion other than Claudio, but he is the ROH champ.  Since Satnam Singh isn’t in the match with Jay Lethal, maybe he can be part of the match.  What if the Joker is in fact the wrestler Joker?  I am going to go with whoever the Joker is to become the Interim Ladder Match Champion.

Cory:  This will be a car crash stunt show, but no one in this looks to be someone they will put in a world title feud. Yes, I know in the past, this has usually been where the winner gets a match on the main event of Dynamite, but I have hope that the winner will get a real shot at the championship. I am geussing Andrade wins so they can see if he can pull off a Big Match. As for the Joker, I have no idea and won’t even bother to guess now that they have added that the Joker can be someone already on the roster.

Bryan Danielson vs. Chris Jericho

Mike:  The big storyline here has been whether Daniel Garcia will land with the Rebellion or stick with The Empire.  My gut is he'll attempt to help Bryan but "accidentally" strike him, leading to Jericho's win and a bigger question of who's side is he really on.  It's a tried and true wrestling tease in storylines and it works, so why not lean into it?  

Richard:  This is not a match that I have been overly excited about because there are so many better options for Danielson on this show, even another match against Daniel Garcia.  However, there is something at stake for Danielson in this match.  In the history of both men, Danielson has never beaten Jericho in a singles match going back to their first match on the series premiere of NXT in 2010.  Sunday will be the night that Danielson gets the win, but it will not be easy because of Jake ‘The Human Green Screen’ Hager and the rest of the members of the Jericho Leeching Society except for Daniel Garcia getting involved.  I see Garcia helping Danielson to win the match and Bryan wins the Interim Custody of Daniel Garcia Title.  Drink a soda to celebrate Danielson’s victory.

Cory:  Before Dynamite, I was thinking that it had to be Danielson, but since he was standing tall over Jericho, and this has become a fight for the soul of Daniel Garcia, I am predicting Jericho wins via cheating and Garcia completely turns on him, leading to their feud.

House of Black vs. Sting, Darby Allin, and Miro

Mike:  There is ZERO way Sting's team isn't winning.  My guess is Miro forces Black to submit.  After all, House of Black seems to be teethless sharks at this point.  They need a reboot.   That said, I really like the idea of Sting and Miro as the modern day Dusty & Nikita!

Richard:   What crazy thing will THIS IS STING do in this match to make people question his sanity and wonder if he didn’t have a Freaky Friday situation with Darby.  Miro will be there to beat the crap out of the House of Black.  I also expect Sting to no sell mist to the face at some point and maybe even spit some of his own in Julia’s face?  House of Black will try their best to win but you don’t beat Sting.  Sting, Darby, and Miro walk out with the Interim See You on Zero Hour for the next PPV title.

Cory: House of Black seems to be the biggest act that never gets a win. And while the team of Darby Allin, Sting and Miro makes no sense to me, this is Miro’s big return storyline, and I can’t see him being on the losing team for that. Miro will get the pin, probably on Murphy.

Wardlow and FTR vs. Jay Lethal and the Motor City Machine Guns

Mike:  If this gets TIME, this can be a lot of fun.  Wardlow pins Jay.

Richard:  This should be a very good match when you look at who is in it, but to be the cynic, wasn’t there a team in AEW or someone in addition to Satnam Singh to team with Lethal?  If the Machine Guns stay around for a while, I wouldn’t mind seeing either of them face Wardlow.  Aren’t the Machine Guns faces in Impact?  Because the Guns are not on the AEW roster, I think the Interim The Internet will Love This Match Title goes to FTR and Wardlow with Lethal taking the pin.

Cory:  Wardlow and FTR have to win since we haven’t even seen the Machine Guns in the ring yet. This will be a squash so that they can more to Satnam vs Wardlow.

Jungle Boy vs. Christian Cage

Mike:  We need to see Jungle Boy just LOSE HIS SH** at the start.  This cannot be collar and elbow into side headlock, etc.  The guy attacked you, insulted your mom, crapped on your dad's memory, etc.  JB has to go for blood at the start.   By the end, Cage goes over because JB's anger gets the better of him.  That's how this should be given you want the story to continue.  I'd even have JB so KO'd at the end that Luchasaurus has to carry him out.

Richard:  I hope Christian wrestles in the turtleneck because that is what I associate with him after this angle.  This is the AEW version of the Rollins/Riddle match where if they do any wrestling in this match, they have failed the storyline.  This should be a war and then when it looks like one of them has the match won, we will get Luchasaurus to show who his allegiance lies with.   He will choose his friend Jungle Boy and shun Christian as Jungle Boy wins the Interim Peach Pit After Dark Championship.

Cory:  Jungle Boy needs to get the big push after how horribly this feud was put together. The promos and fire are good, but I still am utterly baffled about what happened with Luchasaurus. They spent a long time setting this up, only to screw it up in the second act. Still, Jugnle Boy needs to finally get the big singles push fans (and Jim Ross) have been wanting

FTW Champion Hook vs. Angelo Parker (on Zero Hour)

Mike:  Hook is JYD in Mid-South.  He doesn't get paid by the hour.  2 minutes.  Redrum.  DONE.

Richard:  Hook wins with Redrum while Menard does many facial gestures from ringside while his tag team partner passes out.  This should be very short, just like my thoughts about this match.

Cory:  I see Parker getting in about 30 second of offense before Hook hits the Redrum

All Atlantic Champion Pac vs. Kip Sabian (on Zero Hour)

Mike: Pac wins.

Richard:  Kip is going to wrestle with the box over his head, isn’t he?  I still have memories of that match from the early days of AEW between Sabian and Page and I am still not fully recovered.  Pac should and will win.

Cory:  This feud shows how to ruin a long term story in mere seconds. Sabian has been following Pac around for months, and when the feud takes fire, the crowd went mild. Sabian was taken out by Miro and now he’s after Pac? Why? Why should we think Sabian has a chance when he was jobber to the stars before his injury? Pac retains and goes back to carrying the All Atlantic title in Europe as promotion for AEW’s TV shows there.

Tomohiro Ishii vs. Eddie Kingston (on Zero Hour)

Mike:  This should be FUN if given time.  Ishii won on NJPW soil.  Now Eddie gets his win.

Richard:  I like this match a lot more than the match you expected Kingston to have on the pay per view.  This is the match on Zero Hour that I am most excited for.  I really like Ishii but I think Kingston wins this match by a neck to become the Interim PreShow Championship.

Cory:  This is one of those matches for the hardcores, and I expect it to be a brawl that goes all over the place with Ishii winning. Kingston is loved by the fans and never loses that because eh fights in a way that they feel for him when he loses. And New Japan is happy with hwo their stars are beign used, so I see that trend to continue.

AAA World Mixed Tag Team Champions Sammy Guevara and Tay Melo vs. Ortiz and Ruby Soho (on Zero Hour)

Mike:  It would be something if they had Eddie and Sammy "bump" into each other, eh?  Guevara and Melo have won before.  It would be nice to give Ortiz and Ruby a win here, whether Kingston is involved or not.  You can always flip the titles back before AAA needs another title bout.  I say Ruby and Ortiz.

Richard:  Three times in ten days.  If this was in any other company, people would be complaining about this so I will do it.  THREE TIMES IN TEN DAYS (but three out of the last four TV shows).  Someone wins the match and then they will redo it four more times before Arthur Ashe Stadium.

Cory: Wouldn’t it have been something if we got highlights of the match where Sammy and Tay won these titles we know nothing about? Their last two matches have been well worked, and I expect this one will be as well, but I expect Sammy and Tay to retain.

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