AEW All In London 2024: The Hits & Misses

AEW hosted their Super Bowl-esque event called All In London 2024 on Sunday afternoon at Wembley Stadium in London, UK. This event had some great storytelling and lit up the stadium which had more than 50,000 in attendance. Here is a recap of the matches, along with some “hits” and “misses.”

Swerve Strickland (c) vs. ‘The American Dragon’ Bryan Danielson (AEW World Championship)

They led in with the Bryan Danielson video package, making it feel like the end is near, and the fact that Swerve kayfabe signed an extension with AEW in the “Zero Hour” pre-show, made it feel like the champ was favored to retain. Swerve Strickland enjoyed a huge entrance complete with hip-hop royalty and a nod to Texas legends. That also set the tone for the match and kept the momentum growing swiftly into Swerve’s hands. Swerve worked the match as a heel, and he took advantage of a small ref bump by having Prince Nana place the ring bell on the ring apron as Swerve dropped Danielson’s head on top of the foreign object.

Then, Swerve dragged a bloody Danielson in front of the challenger’s kids and wife and dropped vicious repetitive stomps before verbally lambasting the family seated ringside as Nana disgustingly danced to the side. After Bryan was physically punched, he was taken to the top and dropped to the mat before the camera cut to his little girl with her head down, seemingly crying. After all that, Danielson masterfully reversed the champ’s high-risk maneuver into a submission and, from there, grabbed ahold of the match’s offense, highlighted by some ‘Yes Kicks’ playing into the nostalgia of it all. Danielson capped off the offensive run by landing a reverse butterfly suplex from the top of the turnbuckle.

However, the next chapter of the match was all survival for Danielson as Swerve unleashed a hellish attack that led to several nearfalls. Swerve tried delivering some “yes kicks” of his own, but that left an opening for Danielson to regain offense until he attempted a knee that Swerve simply shook off. After delivering a knee, it felt like the end, but Danielson kept kicking out, though he could barely stand.

It appeared as though Swerve needed only to land the right move with the right timing, but Danielson was able to survive long enough to pick his moment. That moment came after ‘Hangman’ Adam Page led to Bryan catching Swerve in his LeBell Lock, at first without the right arm, but ultimately securing it. The tension between the time Bryan locked it on and the time Swerve tapped was painful and stressful, but we have a new champion.

Hits

• Brie Bella and the kids really helped the match’s intensity, even if it was squeamish to watch a little girl cry as her dad is stomped into a pool of his own blood—INTENSE.
• Bun B in the BUILDING! Wow, what a moment for AEW and Hip Hop. Having Bun B walk you out makes you instant Hip Hop royalty. UGK for life!
• Bryan got the ‘Bret Hart Mania X’ face treatment as his Black Pool Combat faction members in London made their way out with their newly won Trios titles.

Miss

• It is sad to know that Swerve will no longer have championship entrances, and it will likely be downgraded for now, but what a way to go out!

MJF V Will Ospreay (INTERNATIONAL/AMERICAN CHAMPIONSHIP)

MJF came out in an Apollo Creed-style entrance gear before shedding the gear for a Lex Luger-inspired trunk set complete with tights, knee pads, and matching boots. Will, on the other hand, ran a commercial during his entrance, like his entrance was a YouTube video, and the ad just popped up for the latest video game release.

In a program where MJF called out Will’s use of the ‘Tiger Driver,’ a move deemed too dangerous to use (for a face), MJF brilliantly used piledrivers in the ring and out of it. Piledrivers were public enemy number one in the ’90s and into the 2000s as more and more kids attempted to perform the moves they saw on TV. The piledriver was never banned until the deaths of several kids within a specific time frame, and the infamous move was a direct cause in at least one of those instances. There were amazing displays of athleticism as well as technical achievements, complete with nail-biting near falls, but the match hit another gear once referee Bryce Remsburg went down from accidental contact.

It seemed like MJF had the momentum, but then, before he could use the foreign object to secure the victory, Daniel Garcia came out to stop him in disguise at first. That direction seems like where they’re going with MJF, but Ospreay was booked to be launched into a new level. Following Garcia’s interference and a failed tiger driver attempt from MJF, Ospreay would set the champ up to land one of the most devastating tiger drivers in a world title match of this magnitude.

Hits

• The right man won; Will Ospreay got his moment and earned it.
• The match, to that point, was one of the two best matches on the card.
• MJF’s Apollo Creed-inspired intro with his trunks paying homage to Lex Luger circa ‘93/’94.

Misses

• It is hard not to love the UK and respect their fight fandom, but this match felt like a point needed to be made. MJF did not let me down as a fan because losing to Ospreay is nothing to be ashamed of, but he did let us ALL down as Americans.
• It is disappointing how many people don’t understand wrestling, and while it is toxic to associate yourself with the Hulkster at this point, it was unfortunate that MJF received criticism for his RevPro appearance.

Mercedes Mone vs. Dr. Britt Baker (AEW Women’s TBS Championship)

Mone received the elaborate entrance fit for a moment of this magnitude, but it would certainly be tough following up Ospreay-MJF, and though it shouldn’t be, it will certainly be compared to the other women’s title match on the card that stole the show. It was clear what the roles were in the match, and Mone did a great job working heel, but Baker’s performance felt stuck between the hostility felt towards the champ and her place in the match as a face. In fact, the match as a whole did not have a clear-cut narrative. Mone won in a shorter match than expected.

Hits

• The entrances were great.
• Mone was in great shape

Misses

• The match lacked direction
• The stakes were missing
• It was outshined by an earlier match

The Young Bucks vs. FTR vs. The Acclaimed (AEW World Tag Team Championship)

The Young Bucks retained their tag titles against the odds of two other teams.

Hits

• The match was solid, and everyone got some time in
• The Acclaimed entrance was great, and Max Caster dropped a sick verse with a Bret Hart line that really “stuck.”

Chris Jericho vs. HOOK (FTW Title)—FTW Rules

There were pool sticks, cricket balls, and cricket sticks, but I’m told you need to know what a ‘crumpet is’ to understand cricket. The match paid early homage to traditional English sports and games, though they forgot the footballs. It was obvious that Hook would need some help if he were going to be successful with Big Bill and Brian Keith ringside. The storyline of Taz sitting at commentary watching his son outnumbered and beat up while refraining from getting involved. Taz got involved. The storyline came full circle, and the father-son duo came alive when it counted, too bad for Big Bill, it happened after he went through a table with barbed wire boards placed on top.

Hits

• The right man won, and it further got over the ‘Hook’s a bad a**’ gimmick that his father made a career of in ECW.
• Hook came out to Taz’s old music, the same theme played in Taz’s home state of New York when he debuted in WWE.

Misses

• It was great seeing Taz get involved, but ‘calling in a favor’ to help even the odds would have been more believable than the youngest dude in the ring and the oldest getting over on three other athletes in their prime… well, 2 out of 3.
• Enzo would have gotten a huge pop.

Jack Perry vs. Darby Allin in a coffin match for the TNT title

Jack Perry needed to separate himself as a ‘ruthless heel’ in ways that past Darby opponents have, and he did that despite Darby coming out with thumbtacks (assuming) glued to his face. Jack seemed to forget at one moment and actually delivered a right hand that he regretted. Then Perry brought out the glass, referencing the issue that caused the former ‘Jungle Boy’ and CM Punk’s backstage brawl at the same event a year ago, and the crowd went insane! Yet again, you could tell it was ‘real glass’ as the shards created a dust storm.

Casino Gauntlet—21 entrants, and the winner is first to pin/submission

They want it to be the premier number one contender’s match in AEW, and the company certainly needs one with a clearer continuity. Many names were heading into this match as potential surprises and returns, but names like the recently signed Ricochet and his former Hurt Business faction members Bobby Lashley and MVP. The match started with Orange Cassidy and Okada, but the biggest pop came when the third entry made his way out, the Ring of Honor legend himself, Nigel McGuinness, who made his return to the ring. Fresh off his G-1 win, Zach Saber Jr had an incredible moment. In the end, a Luchasorous face change was teased, but he ultimately helped Christian to pick up the win

Hits

• Ricochet debuted, and it felt huge… glad he can use his own name
• Orange and Okada was a great way to kick things off
• Great for Nigel
• The rules were clear and easy to follow

The Patriarchy vs. House of Black vs. Bang Bang Gang vs. Claudio, Yuta Wheeler and PAC (AEW Trios Championship)- London Ladder Match

We would find out on Collision what constitutes a “London” Ladder match and how it differs from a regular ladder match. It turns out that this one has tables and chairs, and the spots were expected to be in abundance. That said, the overarching narrative in this match was amazing as Christian tried to come to terms with his desire to be in the lead role versus his need to make a crutch out of the ‘young guys’ around him, and he leaned on his partners as much as possible to the point of sitting on ‘Killswitch’s’ shoulders in his final ascent to the ladder. Before that, however, there was a clear moment that ‘The Patriarchy’ could have won before Christian Cage’s ego got in the way, costing valuable time that allowed Claudio, Wheeler, and Pac to take the titles. They are an amazing team.

Toni Storm vs. Mariah May (AEW Women’s Championship)

There was intensity in this match; there were spots, and there were birds. It is difficult to produce a truly great match when the booking feels more 90-10 than 50-50, and in this match, it was difficult to see Storm’s 280-plus-day reign ending in London of all places. Yet, these two wrestlers said let us cook and eat this 5-star humble pie. In one of the best women’s matches in company history, both Storm and May delivered a classic in front of the best crowd imaginable. It was physical and bloody as May displayed color that only worsened as the match continued.

There was a near-fall off a devastating piledriver on the steel stairs and ariel work from May in-between ‘strong’ work. Then, in the match’s climax, May slapped her mother ringside, fulfilling a storyline that started as a deep friendship between champion and challenger. It was a powerful moment, and it got May ALL THE HEAT. After Storm got revenge and checked on Mommy May, she was even more sympathetic.

Mario Mungia

Mario Mungia Jr. has a decade worth of experience as a combat sports journalist and correspondent which began with ThaBoxingVoice (TBV) as a podcast co-host, writer and editor-in-chief. Aside from his online resume, Mario spent a fair portion of his early career working for Spanish/English magazine Premier Round and the Mexican website Izquierdo. Mario has also contributed to NYFights while simultaneously working for MIC Sports Network as part of the broadcast crew covering local high school sports. Since then, he has launched his own podcast/live stream (Infighting/Work In Progress) and is covering pro wrestling for FightsATW.

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