While All Elite Wrestling doesn’t have a designated biggest pay-per-view of the year, All Out has always featured very major matches.
This was on full display in the promotion’s first year, crowning their first World Champion at the event in 2019. 2020 May not have been as eventful or as well-received but there were still memorable matches.
Ahead of All Out 2021, which will almost certainly require this list to be reshuffled, these are the nine most must-see matches from All Out’s short history.
9. SoCal Uncensored vs. Jurassic Express – All Out 2019
The first official All Out match in history. SoCal Uncensored took on Jurassic Express in the opening match of All Out 2019 and it was an absolute party.
This was a six-man tag team match, one of the few times we saw all three members of SCU in the ring together in AEW. On the opposite side was Jurassic Express.
Jungle Boy was still quite green at this stage but the potential for greatness was visible for all to see. Looking back two years later and it is incredible to see how far he has come in such a short time.
With the oddball group of Jungle Boy, Luchasaurus, and Marko Stunt still relatively inexperienced, their match against ultra-veteran stable SCU was a joy to watch and a perfect blend of old and new.
8. Cody vs. Shawn Spears – All Out 2019
Something AEW shows have always benefitted from is variety. All Out 2019 was a show with a little bit for everyone and Cody and Shawn Spears had the old-school grudge match of the night.
Spears had spent the Summer gloating about hitting Cody with a chair at Fyter Fest and this was the blowoff. The two brawled through the crowd and had a very stiff match, appropriate given the circumstances.
It isn’t as exciting as a crazy six-man tag or a ladder match but it still shows that not every match has to be that, pulling off a very engaging battle with the surprise debut of Arn Anderson at the finish.
7. The Young Bucks vs. Jurassic Express – All Out 2020
Jurassic Express sure love opening up All Out, don’t they? This was during a weird Young Bucks heel-turn stretch where they were grumpy about Hangman Page costing them a shot at the tag titles and it was quite strange.
The Bucks would revert back to being babyfaces shortly after only to turn heel again and join The Super Elite. Can’t imagine that was all written out on paper.
However, for one night, we got this match between the Bucks and Jurassic Express. Jungle Boy had improved greatly in the previous year but this was a totem pole match. Very good but designed to show where these two teams sat in the tag team hierarchy.
We got the standard Young Bucks high-flying and double teams that have become their calling card and boy howdy that will always sound good to me.
Add in the most likeable young babyface in the company to make a comeback and the massive Luchasaurus to run wild, sign me up for seconds.
6. Jon Moxley vs. MJF – All Out 2020
All Out 2020 is looked at as “the bad AEW pay-per-view” but that isn’t really fair to many of the matches.
Yes, there were some horrendous botches early in the night and the Florida heat sapped the energy from the crowd but we still got gems like Jon Moxley and MJF.
MJF’s first pay-per-view main event showed that he more than belonged in AEW’s top tier of stars. His match with Moxley was built on Moxley not being allowed to use the Paradigm Shift. MJF loves taking finishers away from his opponents. It’s like a little addiction of his.
Moxley made the best of his handicap, forcing MJF to wrestle his style of match before ultimately getting the win with the Paradigm Shift behind the referee’s back.
This is an excellent case of storytelling in wrestling without an overuse of over-the-top theatrics and unfortunately, it doesn’t get talked about enough because of the rest of the show.
5. Chris Jericho vs. Hangman Page – All Out 2019
The match that crowned the very first AEW World Champion. It was pretty clear who would win this match as Hangman Page had yet to blossom into the sympathetic superbabyface he is today. Also, Chris Jericho being the first AEW World Champion just made more sense.
This match was hurt having to follow the crazy ladder match that came before it. Don’t worry, we’ll get to that.
However, this match would be worth watching for its historical significance alone. Thankfully, it is also a great match.
Similar to Cody and Spears, this match was much more old-school than many of the matches at All Out 2019. It told the story of Page’s confidence in himself being tested before ultimately just not being good enough to beat one of the all-time greats.
Also, Page rode to the ring on a horse. My hero.
4. Hikaru Shida vs. Thunder Rosa – All Out 2020
AEW’s women’s division had quite a bit of trouble getting out of the chute. Their women’s pay-per-view matches had often been good but rarely featured the same level of hype as the show’s male counterparts.
The first instance of that changing was at All Out 2020. AEW Women’s Champion Hikaru Shida looked to the NWA for an opponent, being challenged by Thunder Rosa.
Those who hadn’t seen Thunder Rosa were treated to one of the best all-around performers in the world, and the AEW women’s division was given an immediate shot in the arm.
Their match at All Out was very good, albeit also hindered by a tired crowd. The two were portrayed as equals going in and they wrestled like it too with Shida eventually coming out on top.
This match could have gone either way and hopefully it won’t be the last time they compete on AEW pay-per-view.
3. FTR vs. Kenny Omega & Hangman Page – All Out 2020
This is perhaps the most overlooked match in AEW’s history. This was the match most hurt but the Florida heat at All Out 2020 but my goodness what a story they told.
FTR had manipulated Hangman Page throughout the Summer, allowing them to challenge Page and Kenny Omega for the AEW World Tag Team Championship at All Out.
They had been responsible for the breakup of The Elite and their manipulation played into the match as well.
Page wanted to tear them apart and as a result, he and Omega were never on the same page. Omega was frustrated with his naive partner and it ultimately led to the finish with FTR able to pin Page to win the titles.
It doesn’t reach the heights of the tag title matches from Revolution or Full Gear in 2020, but if the crowd had been up for it, it just might have been a different story.
2. Kenny Omega vs. PAC – All Out 2019
How different would things have been if Kenny Omega and Jon Moxley had wrestled at All Out 2019?
Moxley was scheduled for the show but had to pull out due to a nasty infection in his elbow. With two weeks to go before the show and no opponent for the promotion’s biggest star, what do you do? Enter PAC.
PAC had seemingly quit AEW before his first match at Double or Nothing 2019 but walked in to face Omega at All Out. As was shown in their later matches, these two have incredible chemistry and it was on full display on this night.
Just an excellent pairing of two of the most dynamic performers in all of wrestling. Omega and PAC’s movements were quick and explosive, their moves flashy and devastating.
No one would have guessed PAC would win by submission but that is what happened, shocking the Chicago crowd. It is the best singles match in All Out history, and nearly the best match. They only trail…
1. The Young Bucks vs. The Lucha Bros – All Out 2019
It had to be this one, didn’t it? The Young Bucks and The Lucha Bros are a lock to have a fantastic match anytime they step in the ring together. At All Out 2019, it was no different and they put on perhaps their best performance together.
The two teams had feuded throughout the Summer over the AAA World Tag Team Championship. The rivalry needed to end before AEW introduced their own tag titles, and a ladder match was set for All Out.
More accurately, an Escalera de la Muerte match was set for All Out.
You could make the argument that this is the greatest ladder match of all time. It really is that good. The two teams took turns battering each other and taking a ridiculous amount of scary bumps through ladders and tables.
The ultimate highlight was Penta El Zero Miedo hitting Matt Jackson with a Canadian Destroyer off a ladder through a table and just typing that series of words is enough to make me want to watch it again.
The rest of the match is stellar as well with the Lucha Bros eventually coming out on top. It is the best match in All Out history, and one of the best in either team’s careers.
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