CLEVELAND, OH - JANUARY 26: CM Punk in the ring during AEW Dynamite - Beach Break on January 26, 2022, at the Wolstein Center in Cleveland, OH. (Photo by Frank Jansky/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
This year has been a successful one for All Elite Wrestling so far. The company generated its first million-dollar gate in May with Double or Nothing, and its partnership with New Japan Pro-Wrestling then led to a stellar cross-promotional Forbidden Door pay-per-view on Sunday, which drew equally impressive ticket sales and created hope for more shows like it.
For the first time, AEW hosted consecutive events a month apart, which wasn’t an easy task with a slew of injuries and scheduling conflicts to contend with. Nevertheless, the show must go on because All Out is just two months away.
The promotion hasn’t announced a venue yet, but the annual show is set to return to Chicago during Labor Day weekend. Although it has been a busy year, there are already some ready-made feuds in place for the upcoming event.
So, let’s take a look at what matches could land on the card for AEW All Out 2022. It will be hard to top last year’s iteration, but it could shape up to be another memorable night.
The Casino Battle Royale has become an annual tradition since AEW’s first PPV, Double or Nothing 2019. The stipulation match can be a bit confusing, but it has delivered some great moments.
Kyle O’Reilly won the latest men’s Casino Battle Royal on the June 8 episode of Dynamite. So, it’s safe to assume there will be a women’s version at All Out. To date, there have only been two editions featuring the female division and both took place at the same event.
Last year, Ruby Soho made her AEW debut as the joker in the match and another major free agent could do the same in September. After all, Dakota Kai and Candice LeRae could be available, and many fans are still speculating about Sasha Banks’ status with WWE following reports that she has been released.
Swerve Strickland vs. Keith Lee
Swerve In Our Glory have been a fun tag team, but they have seemingly had communication issues since Strickland eliminated Keith Lee in the recent Casino Battle Royale.
The two managed to get these back on track in time for a fantastic match with Suzuki-gun on The Buy-In ahead of Forbidden Door. Time will tell if they will be able to remain on the same page, but it seems like Swerve is itching to strike out on his own.
Honestly, a heel turn would be great for the 31-year-old and a feud with Lee would be a nice way to elevate both men. They are an entertaining tandem but we would much rather see them as singles competitors.
A showdown at All Out could be an excellent start for both.
Speaking of the traditional match, the 2021 men’s Casino Battle Royale winner could return ahead of All Out seeking revenge on Christian Cage.
The tension between Jungle Boy and his would-be mentor boiled over after he and Luchasaurus lost the tag titles to The Young Bucks at Road Rager on June 15.
Cage took the opportunity to attack the 25-year-old and put him on the shelf for a while. The former Impact world champion has apparently been harboring a grudge since the upcoming star eliminated him last May at Double or Nothing to earn a title match.
All Out seems like the ideal place for them to go head-to-head. However, Jungle Boy has suffered a shoulder injury, and it’s unclear when he will return. If he is back in time, we expect to see him take on Cage at the upcoming show.
The Blackpool Combat Club vs. Eddie Kingston and Santana and Ortiz
The build for Forbidden Door became convoluted at times because AEW was trying to set up this week’s Blood & Guts match at the same time.
The rivalry between The Jericho Appreciation Society and The Blackpool Combat Club even spilled into the main event of the PPV on Sunday.
This hasn’t always made for entertaining television, but it could lay the groundwork for a big trios match at All Out. It’s no secret Bryan Danielson and Eddie Kingston don’t like each other. Their failure to work together at Double or Nothing cost them the Anarchy in the Arena match.
As we saw at Forbidden Door, Kingston also has long-standing animosity with Danielson’s replacement, Claudio Castagnoli. This could lead to a showdown between the New Yorker and BCC later this year.
Castagnoli, Danielson, and Wheeler Yuta vs. Kingston and Santana and Ortiz makes the most sense.
Malakai Black vs. PAC: AEW All-Atlantic Championship
At Forbidden Door, PAC overcame the odds to win the inaugural AEW All-Atlantic Championship. It was a well-deserved win for The Bastard as his stint with the company has been marred by unfortunate events that kept him off of television.
At the event, Malakai Black seemed to have the title won before PAC interfered with a 450 splash and forced Clark Connors to submit with the Brutalizer. This acts as vindication for the Englishman after Julia Hart spewed mist in his eyes at Double or Nothing, setting him up for a devastating Black Mass.
Nevertheless, The Striking Man From Amsterdam now has a reason to seek a rematch at the next PPV. A one-on-one match with PAC would potentially produce one of the highlights of the night.
Scorpio Sky vs. Wardlow: AEW TNT Championship
Scorpio Sky is among the numerous AEW stars who recently suffered an injury. This could put his match with Wardlow on hold for a while.
Following his rivalry with MJF, Mr. Mayhem is one of the fastest-growing stars in the company. So, AEW should capitalize on his momentum by putting him in a title match at All Out. Sky also hasn’t had a major defense at one of the four main PPVs yet.
So, this would be a chance to showcase them both at one of the biggest shows of the year. It could be a proper setting for Wardlow’s first title win or a pivotal defense for Sky.
Athena vs. Kris Statlander vs. Jade Cargill: AEW TBS Championship
Ever since her debut at Double or Nothing, Athena has seemed destined to face Jade Cargill for the TBS Championship. Meanwhile, Kris Statlander has emerged as a favorite to dethrone the leader of the Baddies.
The newest addition to the AEW women’s division could be her opponent at All Out. However, a Triple Threat match could present an interesting challenge for Cargill because she has only defended her title in one-on-one contests so far.
This could be a way for her to lose her mantle without being pinned or submitted. That may sound like an anticlimactic end to her reign, but it would give her bragging rights. More importantly, it could set up her claim for a match against Thunder Rosa for the AEW Women's World Championship.
After all, the undefeated star beat Rosa in the semifinals of the TBS Championship tournament.
Hikaru Shida vs. Thunder Rosa: AEW Women’s World Championship
Rosa is waiting for a new challenger following two strong PPV matches. She and Serena Deeb stole the show at Double or Nothing, and Toni Storm forced her to dust off a new finisher at Forbidden Door.
At All Out, Hikaru Shida could return to reclaim her spot at the top of the women’s division. This year, the annual show would be a fitting place for La Mera Mera to prove how much she has grown as a competitor in her biggest test as champion.
Shida successfully defended the AEW Women's World Championship against Rosa in her debut at the event in 2020. We’ve been dying to see a rematch, and Labor Day weekend could be the right time to revisit this matchup.
FTR vs. The Young Bucks: AEW World Tag Team Championship
FTR have been on an incredible run this year. Their quest to become one of the greatest tag teams of all time has made them the most popular babyface duo in AEW.
Even more, Cash Wheeler and Dax Harwood have already racked up a few contenders for the match of the year and their share of championship gold. The triple champions currently hold the AAA, ROH, and IWGP heavyweight tag titles following their win at Forbidden Door.
They don’t plan to stop there, either, as they already have their eyes on the AEW World Tag Team Championship. During the media scrum after Forbidden Door, Wheeler and Harwood even joked that they are “the longest-reigning No. 1 contenders ever.”
To win the AEW tag titles for the second time, they will have to go through another team that has a claim to the best in the world: The Young Bucks. FTR tied their series of matches at one win a piece on April 6, less than a week after their acclaimed match with The Briscoes at Supercard of Honor.
We can’t wait to see the next chapter in this storied rivalry at All Out as FTR try to add a fourth set of titles to their collection.
CM Punk vs. Jon Moxley for the Undisputed AEW World Championship
CM Punk’s comeback has exceeded expectations so far. The straight edge star has delivered some excellent matches and traded words with two of the best talkers in the business.
His entrance at Revolution wearing an homage to his ROH gear complete with his old theme, AFI’s Miseria Cantare, was one of the coolest moments of the year. However, the highlight of his return to wrestling should’ve been his first world title win since 2011.
Yes, his victory over Adam Page at Double or Nothing felt special, but an abrupt injury put a dampener on the third Summer of Punk before it could even begin.
The Second City Saint was unable to compete at Forbidden Door at the United Center, the same venue where he made his AEW debut. It’s hard to imagine two consecutive pay-per-views in Chicago without the hometown hero.
It’s unclear if he will be able to return to action in time, but if he does, the interim AEW world champion will be waiting for him. Jon Moxley vanquished his dream opponent, Hiroshi Tanahashi, on Sunday as the crowd began to boo him.
That seemed like the perfect setup for Punk to return with the championship in tow as he did during his hottest run with WWE in 2011. Hopefully, this will be the main event of All Out 2022.
