All Elite Wrestling is set to descend upon Chicago once more for the fourth edition of its AEW All Out 2022 pay-per-view event this Sunday. Featuring a total of fourteen matches spread across the Zero Hour (formerly “The Buy-In”) undercard preshow and the main show, fans of AEW are sure to be all in for this show.
Joining me to preview AEW All Out 2022 are my RingCrashers cohorts Justen Jess, MK Fell, and Thomas Maluck as we give our insight on what’ll be the big matches for Sunday.
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Justen Jess: I think Toni Storm’s walking out of there with the gold. Toni’s had the best summer of anyone in the women’s division, and however many times we can run back Toni and Jamie, with gold on the line, the better for us as a society.
Marc Quill: Honestly, anyone but the Dentist should win this match. Much has been made about how the AEW Women’s Division has not been utilized all that well, and having Dr. Britt win the belt again would signify that things won’t be changing for the better. I think it’d be a good time for either Storm or Hayter to pick up the win.
MK Fell: Pretty sure it’s going to be Toni. I’d love it to be Shida, but I doubt they’re going to put the belt back on her when they could put it on Toni instead. I’m not unhappy with a Toni victory by any stretch of the imagination, mind you.
Thomas: In the absence of Thunder, there is only the Storm. (with apologies to the storm that is coming, aka Jade)
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MK: The Acclaimed are red-hot right now, and I think putting the belts on them would be a great move that could totally legitimize them. That said, with the build this match has had (none as far as I can remember, though I’ve missed the last few Rampages) I doubt they’re going to be taking those titles at AEW All Out 2022. Swerve in Our Glory retains… for now.
Marc Quill: Swerve in Our Glory will retain their titles, but not before a match that could easily steal the show in Chicago. Caster and Bowens are very talented and putting them together with Lee and Swerve can only bring great action for sure.
Thomas: I like Keith Lee, and I really like Swerve Strickland, but I also love pre-match antics, and The Acclaimed’s sense of humor has yet to let me down in that regard. Having said that, if belts will give them anything resembling legitimacy as MK put it, I would almost rather have them as the scrappy underdogs. That’s a fleeting thought, though! I’m sure The Acclaimed have brainstormed more and better angles as soon as they’ve got a title behind them. I want to see them get to that other side.
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MK: It’s time. Jade’s TBS run has been absolutely incredible and she’s not going to lose anything if she loses the belt now. Athena deserves this gold— the only other person who I think could have taken the belt instead was Kris, who is unfortunately not an option at this point.
Marc Quill: I think it’d be a big mistake if they didn’t give Athena the TBS Title in this match at AEW All Out 2022. Jade’s dominant run has been great for sure, and she indeed wouldn’t lose any credibility if Athena were to win. I think Athena’s win will easily move up Jade to fighting for the AEW Women’s World Title
Thomas: Which of Jade’s baddies is going to screw this up for her? I don’t doubt Athena’s moves at all, but I feel like there’ll be some special event that gives her an edge before the three-count.
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Justen Jess: I am going to go with whoever comes out of Best Friends/Dark Order. I think that either is a fan favorite that have not had titles on them before (unless we really want to push a Hangman vs the Elite storyline), and the trios titles would be a great way to do that as a crowning moment.
Marc Quill: The finals of AEW All Out 2022 will be Elite vs. Dark Order for that maximum drama between friends. That said, I think the Dark Order will get the win to be the inaugural Trios Champions. I know a lot of people are expecting the Elite to win, but I could see the angle of whether or not Kenny Omega is coming back way too early being a factor here.
MK Fell: The thing is… I think it’s the Elite. I want it to be, and at the same time I wish it could be the Best Friends or the Dark Order, who I think would be amazing with the titles (Best Friends especially, having been the cornerstone of the Trios division for most of AEW history.) But I think it’ll be the Elite who actually take it.
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Justen Jess: My heart wants to say Wheeler Yuta, but I want that rematch to be a little further down the road. I think the Joker is winning it, and I think that it is MJF. Is it maybe the most predictable answer? Sure. But I want it. I will speak this into existence.
Marc Quill: Whoever the Joker is, it probably isn’t going to be MJF. Gonna go way off field and say it’s the former Fiend/Bray Wyatt, Windham Rotunda who’ll be the Joker. That said, look for that Joker to win… whether it’s Windham or otherwise.
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Justen Jess: It’s AEW All Out 2022 Sunday, Danielson’s in the corner, revving up for the Busaika Knee. Someone from the JAS is trying to grab at Danielson’s leg, when – DANIEL GARCIA SAVES HIM! I expect Danielson to win this match for custody of his new son Daniel Garcia.
Marc Quill: Danielson probably wins this, on the account of Daniel Garcia finally choosing to go against the J.A.S., setting up his feud with Jericho for Full Gear or something.
MK Fell: If Danielson doesn’t win by Daniel Garcia interference I will… I don’t know… buy coffee for the entire Ringcrashers team. There we go.
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Justen Jess: I think “Jack Perry,” as he will be billing himself, is getting the win. It frees Christian up for other things (I think that he’s a very-needed top heel that can be used for a lot of feuds), and it gives Jungle Boy a big singles win.
Marc Quill: I’m gonna go the other way and say Christian sneaks away with the win here, largely on the basis of Jack’s best pal Luchasaurus doing a shock betrayal on him and siding with Christian. That way, you get a short feud with Jack fighting against his former friend and then you can do a rematch with Christian for another show, but with an added stipulation.
Thomas: For all the extremely personal insults these two have been slinging, I hope this is a meaningful win for the victor. Cage is a good heel in the sense I like watching him lose, but I will follow Marc’s lead and say he takes the W to extend Jungle Boy’s quest for revenge.
Justen Jess: Me. I win this. I will pick the team of Sting, Darby, and Miro, mostly because I will bet on Sting always until proven wrong otherwise. Sting is only doing three things in AEW, and he does them great: Run-ins, absolute guano spots that a 63-year-old should never attempt, and visiting the pay window.
Marc Quill: Expect Sting to do something really nuts to get the fans on their feet. I’m thinking that the House of Black will get a shock victory in this match.
Thomas: I worry (as a mark does) that Sting will position himself in Darby’s corner to protect him like usual, only to spit in Darby’s eye and wind up getting them both converted to House of Black. Miro had better have an antivenom move!
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Justen Jess: I’m going with Wardlow and FTR. This is the trio that we were destined to have, not the Bret Hart tribute show FTR was doing with Punk. The dynamic feels a lot more fresh. And, I’m sure we’ll get a nice match, but… FTR/MCMG rematch at Grand Slam, anyone?
Marc Quill: FTWard will get the win. Would really love to see FTR vs. the Machine Guns elsewhere down the line, for sure.
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Justen Jess: Ricky’s going to get that main event push, I can feel it, he’s winning this thing.
MK: This feud is so good I don’t know if I want it to end just yet. Either way it goes I want more of it.
Marc Quill: I think this’ll be a heck of a match. Both Hobbs and Starks are fantastic workers and they’ll be at their best on Sunday. Gotta say I think it’ll be Starks who gets the win here.
Thomas: Every Hobbs match is a squash match. Wear your pads, Ricky.
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MK: Can I dream? Can I dream for just one moment? I love both these guys a lot. Like, a lot. This match is going to rule so hard. But in my dream world, in my heart of hearts, Moxley retains this belt. I know it probably won’t happen. I know this is all set-up for Punk to take the belt back. But I can dream.
Marc Quill: The only way I’d want to see a CM Punk title retention is if a heel turn is involved. The idea of an increasingly desperate Punk deciding to rely on underhanded tactics just so he doesn’t get wrecked by Moxley again interests me.
Thomas: I like where MK’s head is – loving both guys a lot and knowing the match will rule as a result. The hot takes would tell us that the “best” way to sell this fight would’ve been to give Punk even more setbacks and villains to overcome and build up Moxley as more of a villain. Jim Cornette said as much, for example, and I have to disagree. Yes, people want to root for a hero against a villain, but rooting for two talented competitors can be great, too! They both cut great promos last Wednesday, and I wouldn’t mind either outcome, whether that means either one takes a heel turn or they have a clean match.
Personally, I think AEW All Out 2022 would be more interesting if Moxley held onto the belt, at least for a while, and overcoming Punk became other wrestlers’ rite of passage.
