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Yahoo
12-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Tony Khan better not screw up AEW's most important booking decision of the year
All Elite Wrestling returns to pay-per-view today (July 12) with All In Texas. The show comes our way from Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas. The free Zero Hour pre-show kicks things off starting at 1 pm ET on All Elite's YouTube channel and right here at Cageside Seats. That leads right into the PPV at 3 pm ET, which you can buy from Amazon, and YouTube in the United States, as well as on traditional PPV. Internationally, it may be available via those providers, or you can try Triller TV. Advertisement Tony Khan better not screw up AEW's most important booking decision of the year The main event of All In Texas is AEW World Champion Jon Moxley vs. Hangman Page in a Texas Death match. Hangman earned this title match by defeating Will Ospreay to win the Owen Hart tournament at Double or Nothing. Moxley has been the world champ since last October, which is around the same time that his Death Riders took over AEW. He put the belt in a briefcase for Marina Shafir to carry around, and we haven't seen the gold since. Hangman has been portrayed as AEW's main character, so it's only fitting that he's the man who will try to free the world title from that briefcase and hold it up for the world to see at AEW's biggest show of the year. A big part of the story here revolves around Hangman's relationship with Swerve Strickland. They recently sat down to try to let go of their complicated past, which includes home invasion and arson. Both men expressed regrets about their actions in a compelling scene, which Moxley called out as weak 'crybaby crap.' Jon says he won't have any regrets or apologies for the terrible things he does to Hangman during this Texas Death match. Advertisement There are no disqualifications in this kind of match, and the stage has been set for all kinds of interference. That may come in the form of Darby Allin, Will Ospreay, the Death Riders, Sting, and even Bryan Danielson. However, the key figure in all of this will be Swerve. Hangman left behind his chain in Swerve's locker room after their talk was over, and Swerve wrapped that chain around his fist while lost in thought. Will Strickland show up to actually help his hated rival win the AEW world title, or will he be there to fuck him over at the most critical time? That's one of the big questions that needs to be answered at All In Texas. Moxley's world title reign was something of a disaster in its first few months, with underwhelming finishes to his PPV matches, too much attempted murder via plastic bags and toxic chemicals, and poor storytelling as AEW's inept babyfaces couldn't get their shit together to pose a formidable threat to the Death Riders. But the tide has changed over the last few months as the story has focused on Hangman, Ospreay, Swerve, and the Young Bucks. After sitting through months of Moxley's reign of terror, AEW fans are ready for something incredible to happen at the end of All In Texas. With that in mind, Tony Khan has to make AEW's most important booking decision of the year at All In Texas, and he needs to make sure it's the right one. AEW finally has some good momentum going its way after a rough 2024, but that can change fast if today's main event leaves fans with another bad taste in their mouths courtesy of the Death Riders. Tune into All In Texas to see what choice Swerve Strickland makes in the main event, and if it's finally time to free the AEW world title from Jon Moxley's briefcase. Advertisement The rest of the card These remaining 11 matches and segments are also currently advertised for today at All In Texas: 'Timeless' Toni Storm (c) vs. Mercedes Mone for the AEW women's world championship Storm vs. Mone is the biggest women's match in AEW history. Toni is arguably the number one star in the company, with a special gimmick that is unlike anything else in pro wrestling. Mercedes is the undefeated TBS champion who has been busy collecting belts from around the world ever since she joined AEW in early 2024. Toni's goal is to rip Mercedes' tits off and prove that she just can't win the big one. Which women's star is truly the best in AEW? We'll find out at All In Texas. Advertisement AEW International Champion Kenny Omega vs. AEW Continental Champion Kazuchika Okada in a winner-takes-all match for the AEW Unified Championship Omega and Okada bring their storied rivalry to AEW pay-per-view in a match where the winner walks out with three belts, because consolidating belts isn't a thing Tony Khan likes to do. Can Omega and Okada rekindle their old magic one more time at AEW's biggest event of the year? Okada joined up with Don Callis for this one and put Omega in the hospital by targeting his diverticulitis. That brought Kenny's golden lover Kota Ibushi back to AEW to fight on his behalf. Omega is out of the hospital now and ready to finally end Okada's reign as Continental champion, which is approaching 500 days in length. Is this a match where each star will kick out of the other's finishing move multiple times, or will one Rainmaker or One-Winged Angel be enough to score a three count? Will Ospreay & Swerve Strickland vs. Young Bucks This could very well be the match of the night just looking at how skilled all four men are, and you know this bout will get all the time it needs. The stakes are high, as Matthew and Nicholas Jackson will lose their status as EVPs of AEW if they don't win, while Ospreay and Swerve can't challenge for the world title for one full year if they don't win. Ospreay has already gone more than one year without challenging for the world title, but I'm not sure if he realizes that. It's worth noting that Jack Perry has been seen backstage at recent AEW tapings, so perhaps he's ready to return and help The Elite win. Advertisement The Bucks, Ospreay, and Swerve may all show up again later in the night to interfere in the main event. Does the outcome of this match affect the decision Swerve might have to make about helping his hated rival Hangman Page? Men's Casino Gauntlet match This might just be AEW's most entertaining gimmick match. Two wrestlers start the gauntlet, with new entrants joining the fray at irregular intervals. The match ends as soon as the first fall is scored, so there is no guarantee that some wrestlers will even make it into the ring if their number is too far down the list. Mark Briscoe and MJF are the first two entrants, and Mark is looking to whoop Max's ass after he recently tried to get heat by bringing up his dead brother Jay. CMLL's top star Mistico is also in the mix, and he has a score to settle with MJF as well. Some other wrestlers who will be ready to join this match include Ricochet, Bandido, and Brody King. Keep your eye out for surprise entrants like Darby Allin, Keith Lee, or Eddie Kingston. The winner of this match earns a world title match whenever he wants it. Advertisement Women's Casino Gauntlet match This is the only women's match at All In Texas besides Toni vs. Mercedes, so pretty much everyone else on the AEW women's roster might show up here if the match goes long enough. Kris Statlander and Megan Bayne kick off the action as the first two entrants. Some of the other wrestlers who have been featured in the build up include Thekla, Queen Aminata, Willow Nightingale, Athena, Thunder Rosa, Tay Melo, Anna Jay, Julia Hart, and Mina Shirakawa. Is there any chance that missing stars like Britt Baker or Hikaru Shida make their surprise return in this one? Just like with the men, the winner earns a world title match at any time of her choosing. Hurt Syndicate (c) vs. JetSpeed vs. The Patriarchy for the AEW world tag team championship Bobby Lashley and Shelton Benjamin steamroll through most of their challengers without much trouble, but they walk into this title defense banged up after Christian Cage repeatedly smashed Bob's knee in with a chair on Dynamite. The idea is to create some doubt about the outcome of this match, but I'd say MVP's group is still the overwhelming favorite to retain the gold. Advertisement The Opps vs. Death Riders & Gabe Kidd for the AEW world trios championship PAC is out of action with an injury, so Gabe Kidd is joining up Claudio Castagnoli and Wheeler Yuta as they try to win back the trios titles from Samoa Joe, Powerhouse Hobbs, and Katsuyori Shibata. Is HOOK ready to return to AEW and play a role in the finish of this title match? Adam Cole (c) vs. Kyle Fletcher for the TNT championship I don't blame anyone who has a hard time remembering that Adam Cole is the current TNT champion. Meanwhile, the Don Callis Family is still trying to recruit former champ Daniel Garcia to turn his back on Paragon and join up with them. Kyle Fletcher might not need any help to win this match given he already has a PPV win over Will Ospreay. Advertisement The Outrunners vs. FTR (pre-show) FTR and The Outrunners used to work out and train together, but that was before Big Stoke entered the picture. Dax Harwood and Cash Wheeler have since turned on Adam Copeland and now try to spike piledrive anybody who has a bad thing to say about them. They already picked up a win over Turbo Floyd and Truth Magnum earlier this month on Collision. However, the rematch was made official after Dax took the fall in one of AEW's never-ending series of All-Star 8-man tag team matches. Big Boom AJ & The Conglomeration vs. Don Callis Family (pre-show) AEW is Where The Best Wrestle, so the Costco Guy is back for another match. This time he's teaming up with Hologram, Kyle O'Reilly, and Tomohiro Ishii to take on Lance Archer, Trent Beretta, Rocky Romero, and Hechicero. Hologram remains undefeated nearly one year after his AEW debut, so you already know which team is going over. Advertisement The Sons of Texas vs. Shane Taylor Promotions (pre-show) You can't run the biggest show of the year in Texas without including the Von Erichs and Dustin Rhodes, right? Shane Taylor Promotions lose nearly every match they have on AEW programming, and it sure looks like they are here to do the job as well. Summary The top four matches at All In Texas carry most of the intrigue and could deliver some of the best wrestling matches of the year. The booking decisions on Hangman vs. Moxley, Mercedes vs. Toni Storm, and the Young Bucks vs. Ospreay & Swerve will go a long way towards shaping AEW's creative direction for the rest of 2025. Can Tony Khan keep AEW's positive momentum going by nailing the booking on his biggest show of the year? Advertisement What will you be looking for at All In Texas? More from
New York Post
09-07-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Post
The potential home run and huge risk AEW is facing with pair of All In match stipulations
Two of the match stipulations at AEW All In could not be more different. If you want an example of the creative process AEW is making, just look at what's gone on between the Young Bucks, Swerve Strickland and Will Ospreay. If you want to see a potential necessary evil that could divide fans, look at the Texas Death match between 'Hangman' Adam Page and Jon Moxley. You knew the Young Bucks were going to need something substantial in return to agree to Strickland and Ospreay's request that they put their executive vice president titles on the line at Globe Life Field on Saturday (3 p.m., Amazon Prime). 4 Swerve Strickland and Will Ospreay Lee South/AEW And boy, did AEW pick something intriguing for a match that would have, in the early years of the company, likely been allowed to be just the five-star-level match we expect with little at stake. It was one of the bigger criticisms of AEW.
Yahoo
06-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
AEW Dynamite Viewership Increases On 5/28, Demo Also Rises
AEW Dynamite saw an increase in viewership on May 28 as it went head-to-head with the NBA and NHL Playoffs. According to Wrestlenomics, 636,000 viewers watched the show on Wednesday night, and it drew a 0.16 rating in the 18 to 49 demographic. The viewership is up from last week's episode, when 575,000 viewers tuned in. The demo also rose from last week's episode, which drew a 0.15 rating in the same demographic. Viewership for Wednesday's show on MAX is unknown at this time. What happened on AEW Dynamite this week? This week's show kicked off with a promo from Men's Owen Hart Cup Winner, Hangman Page. He was interrupted by Swerve Strickland and Will Ospreay, who wants to unite the three of them against The Death Riders heading into All In. Advertisement Jon Moxley, Gabe Kidd, and Marina Shafir defeated Mark Briscoe, Speedball Mike Bailey, and Willow Nightingale in a Mixed Trios match. In other action, Adam Cole defeated Kyle Fletcher by disqualification to retain his TNT Championship after Josh Alexander interfered. The closing segment of the evening had Timeless Toni Storm going face-to-face with Mercedes Mone in preparation for their title match at All In: Texas. READ MORE: Eddie Kingston Clarifies Comments After Claiming He Knows Who Leaked AEW Info What did you think of AEW Dynamite this week overall? What was your favorite match or segment? Let us know your thoughts by sounding off in the comments section below. The post AEW Dynamite Viewership Increases On 5/28, Demo Also Rises appeared first on Wrestlezone.
Yahoo
26-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
AEW Double or Nothing takeaways: Hangman Adam Page spoils the Will Ospreay party
AEW Double or Nothing 2025 delivered a packed show on Sunday from the Desert Diamond Arena in Glendale, Arizona. It also set the main event picture for July's All In, the biggest AEW show of the year. Mercedes Moné and Hangman Adam Page showed they're both ready to lead AEW into the next phase of the promotion's journey. Anarchy in the Arena also provided the expected chaos, plus Toni Storm continued her world championship run. With just a few months to go before All In, here are our five biggest takeaways from AEW Double or Nothing 2025. Will Ospreay and Hangman Adam Page gave us everything we expected in this one. Page, a former champion who lost it all, went a bit deranged and now is on a journey back to the top. Ospreay, the fresh star who hasn't had his taste of world championship gold just yet, came in hungry for his first opportunity. All of that background made for a really compelling match and the continuation of stories not quite at their conclusion. The drama and the stakes for both men built perfectly across the span of the match. At the end, it was Page clearing his redemption arc with a chance to win the promotion's biggest prize, while Ospreay is now left searching for answers yet again. Anarchy in the Arena was fun, chaotic and a brutal mess. The match was full of surprises and big moments, and the spotlight continues to follow Swerve Strickland in everything he does. He's a massive star for the AEW promotion, and it feels almost wrong that he didn't walk out of Dynasty a month ago as World Champion. Whether that's something that happens in the next month or next year, it's almost unquestionable that he'll continue to be the face of the company with or without the title. More than two years removed from what could have been a career-ending ankle injury, Mercedes Moné is on an incredible run. With her feet firmly back underneath her, Moné is taking on all challengers in organizations around the world and claiming as much championship gold as she can handle. Her showdown against Jaime Hayter may have been one of her best since joining AEW, with a blend of physicality and ring smarts. After doing essentially everything else she can do in AEW, Moné is next in line for an AEW Women's World Championship title shot at the biggest show of the year, All In. Toni Storm is one of the best gimmicks in all of wrestling right now, but it's hard to connect with what's going on in the world championship picture recently. Since winning the belt back from Mariah May in one of the promotion's best-ever rivalries, everything has felt a bit rushed. From Megan Bayne to now Mina Shirakawa, Storm has moved quickly through challengers that felt like they should have had more runway for a program. Now she'll face off against Moné at All In — and that at least should be a memorable one. When Ricochet joined AEW, there were questions about which version of the high-flyer we'd get. He appeared complacent at times in his run with WWE, and his arrival in AEW immediately looked pretty similar to what we'd seen in recent years. Since leaning into his baldness and a corresponding heel turn, Ricochet has been an unhinged nightmare in the absolute best way possible. His match with Mark Briscoe was violent and brutal. It provided another step forward in his evolution in AEW. It feels like Ricochet is finding unique ways to stand out, and that's significant for what's become an increasingly stacked roster.
Yahoo
26-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
AEW Double or Nothing takeaways: Hangman Adam Page spoils the Will Ospreay party
AEW Double or Nothing 2025 delivered a packed show on Sunday from the Desert Diamond Arena in Glendale, Arizona. It also set the main event picture for July's All In, the biggest AEW show of the year. Mercedes Moné and Hangman Adam Page showed they're both ready to lead AEW into the next phase of the promotion's journey. Anarchy in the Arena also provided the expected chaos, plus Toni Storm continued her world championship run. Advertisement With just a few months to go before All In, here are our five biggest takeaways from AEW Double or Nothing 2025. 1. Welcome back to the main event, Hangman Page Will Ospreay and Hangman Adam Page gave us everything we expected in this one. Page, a former champion who lost it all, went a bit deranged and now is on a journey back to the top. Ospreay, the fresh star who hasn't had his taste of world championship gold just yet, came in hungry for his first opportunity. All of that background made for a really compelling match and the continuation of stories not quite at their conclusion. The drama and the stakes for both men built perfectly across the span of the match. At the end, it was Page clearing his redemption arc with a chance to win the promotion's biggest prize, while Ospreay is now left searching for answers yet again. 2. Swerve is the people's champion Anarchy in the Arena was fun, chaotic and a brutal mess. The match was full of surprises and big moments, and the spotlight continues to follow Swerve Strickland in everything he does. Advertisement He's a massive star for the AEW promotion, and it feels almost wrong that he didn't walk out of Dynasty a month ago as World Champion. Whether that's something that happens in the next month or next year, it's almost unquestionable that he'll continue to be the face of the company with or without the title. 3. Mercedes Moné is the belt collector More than two years removed from what could have been a career-ending ankle injury, Mercedes Moné is on an incredible run. With her feet firmly back underneath her, Moné is taking on all challengers in organizations around the world and claiming as much championship gold as she can handle. Advertisement Her showdown against Jaime Hayter may have been one of her best since joining AEW, with a blend of physicality and ring smarts. After doing essentially everything else she can do in AEW, Moné is next in line for an AEW Women's World Championship title shot at the biggest show of the year, All In. 4. Toni Storm's program with Mariah May program spoiled us Toni Storm is one of the best gimmicks in all of wrestling right now, but it's hard to connect with what's going on in the world championship picture recently. Since winning the belt back from Mariah May in one of the promotion's best-ever rivalries, everything has felt a bit rushed. From Megan Bayne to now Mina Shirakawa, Storm has moved quickly through challengers that felt like they should have had more runway for a program. Now she'll face off against Moné at All In — and that at least should be a memorable one. 5. Ricochet has his fire again When Ricochet joined AEW, there were questions about which version of the high-flyer we'd get. He appeared complacent at times in his run with WWE, and his arrival in AEW immediately looked pretty similar to what we'd seen in recent years. Since leaning into his baldness and a corresponding heel turn, Ricochet has been an unhinged nightmare in the absolute best way possible. His match with Mark Briscoe was violent and brutal. It provided another step forward in his evolution in AEW. It feels like Ricochet is finding unique ways to stand out, and that's significant for what's become an increasingly stacked roster.
