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MAIN EVENT TIME: COMPLETE AEW ALL IN: LONDON THOUGHTS

Welcome to my ongoing thoughts on today's AEW All In: London PPV from Wembley Stadium.

First, no matter what flavor of pro wrestling you like, the fact there will be 80K+ fans in one place for AEW, which didn't exist before 2019 is really something amazing. Everyone should take a long second to appreciate the accomplishment of Tony Khan and his team.

The show opened with the Zero Hour show.  It was a very traditional countdown show with video packages and a panel breaking down the matches.  Kudo to RJ City for referencing Evel Knievel!

Fans are still filing in at Wembley Stadium and we are told they opened the gates late and the lines for merchandise and beer are MASSIVE.

The first in-ring segment featured Powerhouse Hobbs calling out Miro for not signing their contract for All Out.  There was lots od security.  Miro came out and Hobbs demanded he sign the contract.  No way there isn't a pull-apart here.  The crowd chanted, "Where's your hot wife?" at Miro.  They went nose to nose but Hobbs said next week.  He backed off and charged but was sent to the floor.  Here's our pull-apart.  Miro laid out security and got a pop.  Miro promised to break his spine and make him humble.  Nice Iron Sheik reference.  Pretty crazy the first-ever AEW segment in Wembley is done to promote CHICAGO.

After some video packages, Jeff Jarrett and crew came to the ring.   Jarrett called the fans wankers and called Tony Schiavone a slapnut.  Somewhere, Bob Ryder is smiling.  Jarrett said the United States paved the way for this show to happen.  He said American fans are better than the UK fans, getting lots of boos.  Low hanging fruit, but it works.  He said American stars paved the way, not anyone from World of Sport or Big Daddy or Giant Haystacks.  He said the American promoters, including the Jarrett, paved the way.   Out came Anthony Ogogo, Grado and Paul Wight.  Big pop for GRADO here.  They laid waste to Jarrett and friends.  Nice for Ogogo and Grado to get that moment here.

RJ City was going to speak to some fans but when he found out they were from Phoenix, he cut the segment down.  That was funny.

The first official match is ROH Tag Team Champions Aussie Open vs. MJF and Adam Cole.  Man, I thought when ROH ran Madison Square Garden that was the peak in terms of how many fans would ever see a ROH title bout at one show.  Now, there's 80K here for the Tag Title bout.  Just wish it was The Briscoes defending those titles.  The fans were having FUN for the Adam Cole/MJF entrance but Aussie Open attacked to end that real quick.  If this match is any indication for the live crowd, the show is going to be off the charts in terms of energy between the chants, cheering and overall excitement as everything was over - the entire scene was just bonkers to watch.  Aussie Open fought their asses off and controlled a good portion of the bout but it was the Kangaroo Kick and the Double Clothesline that spelled the end.  For all the talk of how AEW is all spots and nuttiness, when was the last time a double clothesline was a tag team finish that was THAT over?  So, the ROH Tag Team Champions will main event the biggest AEW show of all time.

They aired a backstage promo with Britt Baker.  She seemed to be a little nervous as if came off that she got lost for a second.  The idea was she got complacent and tonight she was taking back her title and proving to the world what a star she's become.

Before I forget, I want to praise how strong the panel discussions have been.  This was easily the best work Renee Paquette has done thus far in AEW and Kip Sabian, Anthony Ogogo and Paul Wight have all been strong as well.

Jim Ross came out to a BIG pop.  UK fans don't forget.

FTW Champion Jack Perry vs. Hook is next.  Hook came out all stoic with no fear.    The UK wanted nothing to do with Perry.  He came out in a limo.  They met in the aisle and started brawling.  That limo is doomed.  Perry was whipped into the open door of the limo.  They battled atop of the car.  Perry suplexed him atop of the car.  Hook suplexed him into the windshield.  Perry was bleeding from the arm.  They battled back to the ring.,  Hook smashed Perry with a trash can.  Hook locked in Redrum and Perry tapped.  Hook regains the FTW title.  I am sure Poppa Taz is happy.  Entertaining brawl.

They announced CM Punk vs. Samoa Joe would open the PPV, as we reported earlier today.

Nigel McGuinness joined the broadcasters.  He was EXCITED.

The opening is Punk vs. Joe.  The crowd was losing their SHIT for this.  They are a long way from the Murphy Rec Center, baby.  The story early on was Punk trying to get Joe to make a mistake, chopping at him to antagonize his long time foe.  Punk dove to the outside on Joe, who walked away.  Joe did the old Ole Ole charge and kick on the floor.  He flung Punk's head through the bottom of the announcing table.  Punk came up bloody.  Well, you knew he was wearing white for a reason.  They went back and forth with a lot of near falls and a lot of greatest hits.  Punk even did the Five Knuckle Shuffle and a Hogan ear-cup for heat.  Joe began Hulking up while Punk played Randy Savage.  Joe caught Punk in a powerbomb and turned it over into a STF.  Real damn entertaining.

Punk did the spinning toehold in honor of Terry Funk.  Aww, man, that was nice.  The crowd chanted for Punk.  He went for a running clothesline but was caught and smashed down with a Uranage.  They battled atop the ropes with Punk biting Joe,  He then hit, for the first time in decades, THE PEPSI PLUNGE and scored the pin.  Get that sponsorship AEW!

Punk wins!  

Really strong opener.  They can't do what they did in the early 2000s, nor should they, but it was damn good.

Punk spent a long time saluting the crowd after.

The production for the entrances looks really great.  When the lights go down, it'll look even better.

Next up is Kenny Omega and friends vs. Bullet Club Gold & Takeshita.  Every single person's entrance was over.  This is the largest "smart crowd" in pro wrestling history by far.  Lots of really good action here.  Everyone was working their asses off and with the crowd loving all of it, it made it seem even grander.  Omega and Ibushi attempted stereo moonsaults to the floor.  Ibushi slipped and his timing was a little off.  Late in the bout, Omega was giving out V-Triggers before Takeshita used the momentum and rolled him up, hooking the tights, for the pin.  For the Omega-Takeshita storyline, this was the the right finish but man did Wembley HATE this finish.

The Young Bucks vs. FTR is next.  Some sick, twisted fan has a FEAR THE REVOLVER sign.  Oh man.  Bucks had streamers for their entrance.  The late Jim Quigley started that in the States for a Chris Jericho vs. Sabu match in Plymouth Meeting, PA.  In attendance that night?  Tony and Shad Khan.   They were working a traditional speed bout early on, as opposed to The Bucks; ludicrous speed (tm: Spaceballs) style.  That said, this was fantastic and one of my favorite Young Bucks matches in forever.  I know people razz them about the style, Rick Knox, etc.  AEW should just bill their matches as under "Young Bucks Rules" and squash that noise.  Everyone worked their asses off here.  In the end, after a lot of near falls, FTR won with the Shatter Machine.  GREAT match.
 

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