From Beth Copeland's debut to Kris Statlander's surprise title win to the reunification of The Jurassic Express, there was a lot going on this past Saturday at AEW All Out and that's not even mentioning the 40-minute world title match that closed the show! And yet, looking back three days later, it seems like a lifetime ago. And it's not just the fact that AllOut was immediately followed by (and for a while, ran concurrently with) WWE Wrestlepalooza; as we noted in our look-ahead column for Wrestlepalooza, the wrestling world moves fast no matter which three letters your fans chant. AllOut 2025 is in the history books now, and what has our attention this week is "AEW Dynamite," and the fallout from the latest AEW PPV spectacle.
What's next for the newly-returned Eddie Kingston? Is Tony Khan walking, running, or straight-up sprinting toward Konosuke Takeshita vs.Kazuchika Okada? And who will step up to AEW's current core of young champions? AllOut is in the rearview mirror where do we go from here?
While Christian Cage and Cope got the hometown victory at "All Out," things are not sunshine and rainbows for the veteran duo. After a match that saw the debut of Beth Copeland (formerly known as WWE's Beth Phoenix), The Matriarchy and FTR surprised Cage and Cope with an FTR alliance. By the end of the night, Cage and Copeland were laid out with two Spiked Piledrivers, and Cope was left alone. With Cage and Copeland out, who can Cope call on to even the odds against Dax Harwood, Cash Wheeler, and Kip Sabian? How long will Cage and Copeland be out? When AEW's patriarch and a former Glamazon ultimately return to AEW programming, who will even the score on The Matriarchy's side? After Canada's very own were humiliated at "All Out," where do we go from here?
The combined FTR/Matriarchy problem will undoubtedly be at the forefront of Cope's mind in the coming weeks. He is only one man. It doesn't matter how many world championships you've earned, or how tough years of travel and flat back bumps have made you: the odds are stacked when it's three guys at their physical prime versus you. Cope is in dire need of some backup, but AEW is, unfortunately, hurting for top babyface tag teams who can offer their energy to Cope's cause. Jetspeed might be able to even the odds against an FTR/Matriarchy alliance for Cope, but it is solely because they are the most consistently pushed face tag team outside of the champions. The newly formed babyface Jurassic Express may be Cope's answer to his FTR/Matriarchy problem, but that would require a lot of convincing and reconciliation between Cage, former "Jungle Boy" Jack Perry, and Luchasaurus (formerly known as Killswitch). Sure, it might be a starting point for a good, long, thoughtful feud about forgiveness...or Perry and Luchasaurus' beef with Cage might be swept under the rug in order to give Cope some allies for the booking corner Tony Khan has backed himself into. Who's to say?
Now, whenever Cage and Copeland come back, I can definitely see mixed match tag wrestling be on the table. Copeland feels like the answer to The Matriarchy's Mother Wayne, and while this match could be cool in theory, Mother Wayne has never wrestled a match. She's been a valet for her entire career, and at her age (no shade to older people, but wrestling is very demanding), I just can't see her lacing up a pair of boots. I don't see why AEW would bring back Copeland just to have a multi-time women's world titleholder not wrestle. If AEW don't bring in a legitimate, ring-ready female wrestler to face off against Copeland, the most I can see happening is Copeland issuing a Glam Slam to Kip Sabian. Okay, that sounds pretty awesome.
This is one of the post-match perspectives that is genuinely puzzling. As the days count down to WrestleDream and beyond, this feud will be one we should keep our eyes on.
Written by Angeline Phu
The "Mad King" Eddie Kingston returned for the first time in over a year at Saturday's All Out, resuming his career with a seven-minute tune-up against Big Bill. Coming back from any injury is an arduous task, but Kingston sustained not only a broken leg but also ruptured ligaments when he was sidelined last year, and while there will always be cause for him to get in the title hunt one would expect him to be eased back into the fold. With that, an opportunity arose, as following his and Bill's match he was attacked by the other branch of the "Learning Tree" in Bryan Keith. Only to then be saved by Hook, signaling they would be working together going forward.
It's hard to imagine that not leading to a tag team match up sooner or later, pitting Hook and Kingston against Bill and Keith always with the looming shadow of the absent Chris Jericho, their mentor before deciding enough was enough and disappearing in April. Assuming theirs is a collaboration that sticks, one could always argue for them to go after the tag titles, but it also seems very likely that they will be crossing paths with the Death Riders; Hook was taken out of action, thus supplanted by Powerhouse Hobbs in The Opps, by the Riders, while Kingston is a storied friend and rival to Jon Moxley and had developed a strained sense of camaraderie with Bryan Danielson prior to his absence.
This being an article about professional wrestling, it would be remiss not to consider the possibility that Hook and Kingston don't hit it off, and then they wind up feuding. Jericho has long been a fan of Kingston and Hook, having feuded with them previously, so if he were to return either for or against his wards that could land them in the proverbial "Jericho Vortex" once again, either as allies or enemies.
Kingston's last AEW match prior to Bill came as he lost the Continental title to Kazuchika Okada, who has since gone on to unify it with the International title to create the aptly named Unified Championship, so that might also be a goal in terms of singles pursuits for Kingston coming back. But as said before, it feels like he would be eased back into the fold long before being expected to wrestle for any title singles or otherwise. It definitely seems likely that he and Hook will be fighting Bill and Keith in the immediate future, and the rest should become clearer before we know it.
Written byMax Everett
The Hurt Syndicate's Bobby Lashley, Shelton Benjamin, and MVP took a surprising loss to Ricochet and the Gates ofAgony, now known as The Demand, at All Out, and with the loss, it doesn't seem like Hurt Syndicate will be back in the picture for the AEW World Tag Team Championships anytime soon. And honestly, they shouldn't be, as they shouldn't be losing any title opportunities.
There have been rumors abound, however, that the faction will possibly be getting a new, younger (no shade to Lashley, MVP, and Benjamin there) member, or even members. A previous report from Fightful Select even stated that the new guy could be a name debuting in AEW. It was MVP to take the pin off Ricochet's Spirt Gun at All Out, so in storyline, it could be Benjamin and Lashley who realize they need some new blood and go over MVP's head to find someone. It honestly would make a lot of sense if it was someone not yet signed to AEW. When the Hurt Syndicate attempted to bring in someone already in the company in MJF, it didn't exactly work out for them. That might also be why MVP would be hesitant in bringing anyone in at all, so the former tag champions decide without him.
As for Ricochet, Bishop Kaun, and Toa Liona, their victory over such a powerhouse trio has to have them on a course to challenge The Opps for the AEW World Trios Championships. I wouldn't be surprised if they have a confrontation with Samoa Joe, Powerhouse Hobbs, andKatsuyori Shibata on "AEW Dynamite" this week or next, setting up a match for WrestleDream next month. Ricochet would be an excellent character to annoy and challenge Joe and Hobbs, especially, and a trios match between these factions would be hard-hitting and a fun watch. The trios titles weren't defended on this pay-per-view, so a match between The Opps and The Demand on the main card of WrestleDream seems like a great fit.
If The Demand were to ever get their hands on the trios gold, when Hurt Syndicate gets themselves together, that would be a great title match. The Demand taking on Lashley, Benjamin, and the new member of faction, rather than MVP, for the trios title could be a very interesting storyline.
Written by DaisyRuth
Mercedes Mone continued her winning ways as a defending TBS Champion with her 21st title defense against Riho at All Out, adding the former Women's World Champion to her list of scalps including the likes of new Nyla Rose, Britt Baker, Hikaru Shida, the new World Champion Kris Statlander on two separate occasions, and the new WWE Women's World Champion, Stephanie Vaquer, since joining AEW.
I personally went and got my prediction entirely wrong when I reasoned that Mone would be the one to dethrone Toni Storm, even after her initial defeat against the champion at All In, but in an ironic twist now it is the only woman in AEW to stop the "CEO" who could step in as her next challenger. The "Timeless" one is already a record four-time World Champion, but has yet to hold AEW's midcard title and could easily leverage her position as the one in 29-1. So assuming she doesn't call for a rematch for the title she just lost, there is more than enough reason for her to focus on pursuing Mone in the weeks leading up to WrestleDream.
Mone has virtually ousted all of her other competitors, with an additional non-title win over ROH Women's World Champion Athena. So like with All In, and like Kyle Fletcher just attempted at All Out, she could always go on the hunt for a tenth belt for the collection the one she failed to get her hands on at the first time trying and both the ROH and AEW World titles sit on the waists of those she holds wins over
There was justification for a third Statlander-Mone match when the idea was the former would be challenging the latter again, but now once more the dynamic has shifted. Either one of or both of the titles could be on the line, and the "CEO" having the bargaining power that comes with two decisions already falling her way, definitely appears to tip the balance in her favor.
A name that has been out of action for quite some time, had been injured but has been healthy for quite some time now, is Mone's former enforcer and former NWA Women's World Champion Kamille. She was last seen being dismissed by Mone in her role, and would thus have the reasoning to return and demand penance. The fact of the matter is Mone's list of credible challengers has been worn down to single digits, while she has remained steadfast in traversing the world and collecting titles from different promotions, so the answer to where Mone goes from here, it would seem, is wherever she decides to go.
Written by Max Everett
There seems to really be only one direction that AEW can go with Kazuchika Okada and the UnifiedChampionship, and that's directly to a singles match with Okada's fellow Don Callis Family member, "The Alpha" Konosuke Takeshita. Even going in to their All Out triple threat match withMascara Dorada, it was pretty predictable that this was the direction things were going, and Dorada was there to take a pin in what ended up being an excellent match.
Over the next however many weeks, depending on when AEW runs the match, the tension needs to increase between the two men. The breaking point between them could be when they're put together for a tag team match, or even more likely, a multi-man All Star tag match,and something happens, leading them both to their breaking points, forcing AEW President Tony Khan to book the match. The brawl needs to be wild enough that Takeshita walks out on the Don Callis Family, which is something fans have been asking for, for awhile now, and it's also something that needs to happen to make this make a little more sense and really work. Takeshita doesn't exactly feel like "The Alpha" right in the faction with Okada in the group as well.
It's really just a question of when the match should happen.We all know it's going to happen, there's already quite a bit of tension there, especially after Okada and Takeshita faced off throughout the All Out match, so I don't see why it couldn't happen at WrestleDream next month. If AEW is building to an ever-bigger feel for Full Gear in November, that would work, too, as there are some weeks Okada isn't on "AEW Dynamite." If we know it's bound to happen it doesn't necessarily need to be rushed to be announced or anything. There also aren't any real other challengers for the Unified Championship that make sense right now, so no one is standing in Takeshita's way.
No matter what happens at Full Gear or before when it comes to the Unified Championship, either man can enter the Continental Classic for the chance to face whoever is holding the title at that point. Or, however the tournament is going to be run this year around theUnified title, maybe they're both in the tournament and meet at the end. Either way, Okada and Takeshita are destined to face-off one-one-one before the end of the year, and whenever they do, the match is going to be amazing.
Written byDaisyRuth
Saturday, Kris Statlander snatched a flash pin win on champion Toni Storm during a four-way match for the AEW Women's World Championship, effectively ending a "Timeless" era in AEW's history with an "All Out" upset. Moving forward, Statlander's inaugural women's world title reign is filled with equal parts potential and uncertainty. Who will step up to be Statlander's first challenger? Who will Statlander crush during her inaugural reign? Who will ultimately spoil the party and draw the curtain on Statlander's first-ever AEW Women's World Championship reign? After Statlander shocked the wrestling world at "All Out," where do we go from here?
There are plenty of women ready to lock up with Statlander on AEW programming, but two obvious candidates are the women who were not pinned or submitted in Saturday's four-way match: "The Toxic Spider" Thekla and former AEW Women's World Champion Jamie Hayter. Since neither woman was involved in the title-crowning decision, both of them have a pretty good case to challenge Statlander one-on-one. They're definitely not going to win it neither of them have reason to but I think they'll be able to pull out great matches. Hayter is a proven powerhouse in AEW's women division, and it'll be interesting to see her go blow-for-blow, tit-for-tat with Statlander. I'm still on the fence about Thekla, but given that she got her big break in STARDOM (NJPW's sister promotion), I can see her being a predictable but fitting choice to push ahead of AEW's upcoming WrestleDream event, a memorial show for late NJPW founder Antonio Inoki.
While she was not written off of television at "All Out," I just can't see Storm challenging again for the title so soon. It's a Roman Reigns situation: Storm was absolutely dominant, and the thought of having her lose twice in a row is absolutely ludicrous. Let her take some time off before bringing her back for a larger event befitting of a Statlander/Storm feud and match. Even then, however, I don't see Storm being the one to take the title off of Statlander.
If not the former champion, then who will dethrone Statlander? My money's on Willow Nightingale. Nightingale and Statlander have history, and if Nightingale's recent interactions with Harley Cameron, where she is cautioning the excitable Aussie against allying herself with Statlander, say anything, it is that Nightingale's wounds have not healed. Things may change if AEW manages to build a great feud between Statlander and a new challenge, but as it stands, Nightingale is the person with the most motive to go after Statlander and her title.
There are some other fun match possibilities for Statlander. I'd personally love to see her revisit her feud and match series with Mercedes Mone, and for Statlander to finally get one over on the women who kept the TBS Championship out of her hands twice. A title match against Cameron also sounds fun. The cosmos seem to be the limit for new AEW Women's World Champion Statlander, and we're about to blast off.
Written byAngeline Phu
All Out saw an explosive Ladder match for Brody King and Bandido's AEW World Tag Team Championships, but even after The Young Bucks, Jetspeed, and the Don Callis Family's Hechicero and Josh Alexander pulled out every spot in the book, King and Bandido walked out Toronto still holding tag title gold. Brodido, however, will not have much time to rest on their laurels, as WrestleDream will happen in only a few weeks' time. As AEW speeds towards St. Louis, the questions are endless. Who will step up to challenge Brodido for their tag team titles? What will teams like The Young Bucks do post-All Out Loss? Will Brodido have to worry about the newly-reunited Jurassic Express after former "Jungle Boy" Jack Perry and Luchasaurus staged a touching reunion after their match? With All Out's ladders and tables in the rear view mirror, where do we go from here?
While Brodido absolutely deserved the win they scored at All Out, a cynic may claim that they did not technically pin or submit any of the teams involved in Saturday's ladder match. With that logic, any the teams involved in All Out's Ladder match may be eligible to stake a claim on Brodido's tag gold, set for two-on-two action. As sound as that logic may be, however, it is highly unlikely that any of the teams involved will have the time to assert their rightful claim to a tag title match. The Don Callis Family is looking to begin a feud with The Conglomeration after Mark Briscoe's challenge to the stable was accepted. Jetspeed will probably move on to higher babyface aspirations as one of the few moral tag teams on AEW's roster perhaps lending their assistance to an outnumbered Cope in his crusade against FTR and The Matriarchy. With no real contenders in AEW and an NJPW-affiliated pay-per-view on the way, Brodido might find themselves defending their titles against any number of NJPW's finest teams. Only time will tell who Tony Khan introduces to AEW audiences.
The Young Bucks are preoccupied with Jurassic Express problem, as Perry and Luchasaurus' reunion came at their expense. This feud set-up, however, is a tricky one, as both teams are relatively fragile: Jurassic Express, by nature of being a newly-reunited team, and The Young Bucks, by nature of being ex-EVPs now finally getting their money back up. WrestleDream (or wherever they end up meeting) could be anyone's game, but with The Young Bucks' reputation just barely polished again after a humiliating loss against Swerve Strickland and Will Ospreay on the line, I can't see Jurassic Express going over. They may be newly reunited, yes, but to have The Bucks' upward momentum stop now wouldn't make sense.
The tag title scene has a litany of question marks plaguing its existence heading into a post-All Out AEW. Anything can happen in wrestling, but trying to see into the crystal ball for this is practically futile. We'll just have to put our hands up and enjoy the ride.
Written by Angeline Phu
It took 40 minutes, some blood, and some sweat to get there but "Hangman" Adam Page overcame the challenge posed to him by TNT Champion Kyle Fletcher at All Out, ensuring he will continue as the World Champion with three defenses logged against Fletcher, former champion Jon Moxley, and MJF. So naturally the question arises: Who's next?
For starters, MJF still holds a contract for a World Championship opportunity, and can thus declare his intent to challenge for the title as and when he feels the time is right. However, MJF was on the losing end of things not only against Page at Forbidden Door, but last Friday losing his CMLL World Light Heavyweight Championship to Mistico, and then on Saturday he lost to Mark Briscoe in their Tables & Tacks grudge match. So, while in theory he could be Page's next challenger, with WrestleDream the next pay-per-view on the schedule next month, one would expect him to try and get to winning ways beforehand.
Given that he pushed the champion hard, and still remains a champion himself, one could also make the argument that Fletcher should or will get a rematch for the title. Once again, it feels too fresh after losing, and he also has a title of his own to defend.
It feels inevitable that at some stage sooner or later, there will be another installment in the saga of Swerve Strickland and "Hangman," and considering their first battle came at the inaugural WrestleDream in 2023, it could be said that it's a perfect setting to run things back on a more respectful, competitive basis for the top prize in the company. Strickland ensured that he could still challenge for the World title when he and Will Ospreay beat the Young Bucks at All In, and hasn't been seen since losing to Kazuchika Okada in his attempt at the Unified title at Forbidden Door. But he is a former World Champion in his own right with a built-in story with the reigning champion.
Names that you could also make an argument for in the World title picture right now are Moxley, who did get a win back against Darby Allin in Saturday's Coffin Match though Allin would get his own fiery revenge later and their issue seems far from over as well as the likes of Chris Jericho, absent since April and naturally surrounded by WWE speculation, but still remains with the company beyond the next few months and is always a dark horse in these conversations, and Kazuchika Okada; Okada is the defending Unified Champion, but that in itself is a result of him adding the International title to his Continental Crown, he is Fletcher's stablemate and another would-be champion of the Don Callis Family, and has all but wiped his own field of competitors.
Ultimately, time will tell and "AEW Dynamite" will likely draw things into clarity, although it could be said that a lack of credible challengers is an issue.
Written byMax Everett
