AEW All Out 2021 Results: Winners, Grades, Reaction and Highlights
CM Punk was set to return to the ring for the first time in seven years Sunday when he battled Darby Allin at AEW All Out, the most anticipated pay-per-view in All Elite Wrestling history.
The match headlined a show that also saw The Elite's Kenny Omega and The Young Bucks defend their world and tag team titles, respectively, and Britt Baker face Kris Statlander for the AEW Women's World Championship.
Who emerged with their title reigns intact and what does it mean for the burgeoning company moving forward?
Find out with this recap of Sunday's extravaganza.
The Buy-In: 10-Man Tag Team Match
Jurassic Express' Jungle Boy and Luchasaurus, Best Friend's Chuck Taylor and Wheeler Yuta, and Orange Cassidy battled Hardy Family Office's Matt Hardy, Private Party and TH2 in a big 10-man tag team match to kick off the evening's festivities as part of the Buy-In.
The prehistoric luchador dominated early, using his size and strength to overpower and flatten anyone who took him on. A cheap chop block by Hardy to Luchasaurus and stereo kicks from Marq Quen and Isiah Kassidy of Private Party halted the babyfaces' momentum. The action broke down from there, with Taylor, Wheeler, Angelico and Evans all landing signature maneuvers.
Jurassic Express sparred with TH2 in a pool-less chicken fight, Marko Stunt wiped out The Blade at ringside to prevent interference, and Jungle Boy tapped Angelico out with the Snare Trap.
Result
Jurassic Express, Yuta, Taylor and Cassidy defeated Hardy Family Office
Grade
C+
Analysis
There wasn't much in the way of story here, but this delivered everything you would ask for from a big multi-man match aimed at energizing the crowd and setting the tone for the night.
Jungle Boy and Luchasaurus really should have been the No. 1 contenders entering this PPV. The crowd was absolutely red-hot for them, particularly the former. He continues to grow as a performer and his timing is undeniably great.
Coupled with Cassidy, this was a fan-favorite-heavy contest that continued Cassidy's ongoing rivalry with Hardy, highlighted young stars and gave Chicago the outcome it wanted. For a preview match on the Kickoff show, this was everything it needed to be.
TNT Championship Match: Eddie Kingston vs. Miro
Miro defended the TNT Championship in the main card's opening contest, a heavy-hitting showdown that saw each man seek an early end to the match.
After seizing control on the arena floor, The Redeemer maintained it and cut off every attempt at a comeback by his top contender. Eddie Kingston absorbed and advanced, though, fighting his way back into the match wiping the champion out with a tope suicida to the floor.
Miro regained the upper hand and applied his Game On submission finisher, but Kingston fought to the ropes, necessitating the break. Referee Bryce Remsburg removed a turnbuckle pad from the ring, missing a DDT and several seconds of a pinfall attempt by the challenger.
Remsburg prevented Kingston from throwing Miro into the exposed turnbuckle, allowing the champion to deliver an undetected low blow and score the tainted victory with a Machka Kick.
Result
Miro defeated Kingston to retain
Grade
B
Analysis
This was a hell of a Jim Ross-approved Slobberknocker.
Champion and challenger beat the life out of each other, with Miro showing his dominance and Kingston fighting from underneath like the gutsy antihero he is.
The finish was a bit convoluted and took away from the grade slightly, but it did protect Kingston and gave him a reasonable out. Furthermore, it sets up a potential rematch down the line if AEW prefers to go that route.
A solid, hot start to the night's show.
Jon Moxley vs. Satoshi Kojima
Jon Moxley sent an open contract to Japan in search of competition. The only man to test the unhinged former AEW world champion? The legendary Satoshi Kojima.
Much like the opener, the competitors engaged in a hard-hitting battle that left the chests of both men beet-red. Neither combatant earned a sustained advantage, but Kojima did deliver a big superplex and followed with a DDT on the ring apron.
The back-and-forth nature of the match continued, with Mox finding success with a cross-arm breaker and Kojima rocking his opponent with a lariat. The Japanese star delivered chops inspired by Hiroyoshi Tenzan but Moxley shook them off and delivered consecutive Paradigm Shifts to earn a grueling pinfall victory.
After the match, Minoru Suzuki debuted and came face-to-face with Moxley. They exchanged punishing forearms before The King caught him with a the rear-naked choke, then transitioned into the Gotch Piledriver and stood tall to close things out.
Result
Moxley defeated Kojima
Grade
B
Analysis
There was nothing pretty or flashy about this, but it was a fine physical match between two old vets who have done everything there is to do in pro wrestling. The physicality between the pair escalated until Moxley was able to put Kojima down for the count.
The arrival of Suzuki was met with a thunderous ovation of shock and awe, and their exchange was superb. A match between the two figures to be among the hottest on any card following this angle.
AEW Women's Championship Match: Kris Statlander vs. Dr. Britt Baker DMD
Kris Statlander challenged Britt Baker for the AEW Women's Championship in the night's third match. Rebel and Jamie Hayter accompanied the titleholder to the ring while Orange Cassidy seconded the challenger.
Statlander overwhelmed her opponent early with her strength and size advantage but Baker downed her and worked her over in the center of the ring. The challenger fought back and brought The Doctor crashing to the mat with a devastating superplex. She attempted the Area 451 splash but came up empty.
The challenger crashed to the floor moments later, and Baker made her pay for it with a stomp off the stairs. A fired-up Cassidy demanded she get back in the ring and she did.
Baker delivered the Pittsburgh Sunrise and added the stomp, followed by the Lockjaw moments later to retain her title.
Result
Baker defeated Statlander
Grade
B
Analysis
There were two big takeaways from this one: It was incredibly refreshing to see Baker win a match clean and this was easily Statlander's best performance to date in AEW.
Baker has won so many matches with the assistance of Rebel that to see her win without assistance from her or Hayter was welcome. It was the latest step in her evolution. She is a champion who can win on her own, is at peak confidence and fears no challenger. That makes her even more dangerous and an even more credible titleholder.
Statlander is going to be the champion one day. She's too good not to. Her time will come and management will feel even more confident in her in that role with performances like this one.
She left no doubt that she belongs in these title encounters. Like Baker, she has grown in leaps and bounds in a short period and should help become one of the pillars of the AEW women's division for the foreseeable future.
Steel Cage Match for the AEW Tag Team Championship: Lucha Bros vs. Young Bucks
Lucha Bros entered the Now Arena to pomp and circumstance, with Penta El Zero Miedo and Rey Fenix sporting headdresses as their theme song was performed live for the first time.
The Young Bucks followed, with the AEW tag team champions oozing confidence despite not having The Good Brothers, Brandon Cutler and Don Callis available for backup due to the steel cage stipulation.
The action was as fast, furious, innovative and creative as one would imagine based on their previous encounters. The Bucks dominated the action using their tandem offense to keep Penta and Fenix from mounting anything resembling a sustained comeback.
The Bucks attempted to dishonor their opponents by ripping at their masks. Penta bled under his shredded face covering, with his injury further exploited after the champs introduced a special boot adorned with thumbtacks. They used it on the challengers, but the Lucha Bros refused to stay down.
Bloodied and battered, Fenix mounted a courageous comeback, giving Matt and Nick Jackson some of their own medicine by way of the tacks. Penta and Matt delivered stereo package piledrivers on the ring apron, laying out each other's younger sibling. From there, Penta delivered an avalanche destroyer on Matt.
The challengers delivered the Fear Factor for a near-fall as Matt just broke up the pin. Fenix scaled the cage and Nick attempted to join him, only to bump to the mat below. Fenix soared off the top, wiping everyone out, then joining Penta for the spike piledriver on Nick for the win and titles.
Result
Lucha Bros defeated The Young Bucks to win the titles
Grade
A+
Analysis
And with that, we have our Match of the Year for 2021.
Anyone who has seen the Bucks and Lucha Bros battle before knew what to expect. We knew it was going to be wild and chaotic with feature spots fans could never dream of. We knew the two teams would go, pardon the pun, all-out to settle their feud.
A crowd extraordinarily into the challengers, spots impossible for any other performer to possibly execute and a stronger story than we have seen out of the teams before helped elevate this beyond even their greatest encounters.
The emotion of Penta protecting his young brother, only for Fenix's fearlessness to be the deciding factor in the match was a nice touch. The Bucks pulled out every trick they could, resorting to the underhanded tactics that have defined their reign. On Sunday, it simply wasn't enough to squash the spirit of the challengers.
What a match and an even cooler moment.
Casino Battle Royale
Order of entry:
Clubs: Hikaru Shida, Skye Blue, Emi Sakura, The Bunny and Abadon
Diamonds: Anna Jay, Kiera Hogan, Kilynn King, Diamante and Nyla Rose
Hearts: Thunder Rosa, Penelope Ford, Riho, Jamie Hayter and Big Swole
Spades: Tay Conti, Red Velvet, Leyla Hirsch, Jade Cargill and Rebel
Joker: Ruby Soho
The Casino Battle Royale for a future shot at the AEW Women's Championship saw strong performances from The Bunny, Jay, Rose and Rosa and forgettable appearances by others.
Jade Cargill looked impressive while delivering a gorilla press slam that sent Hirsch to the floor, and Hayter powered opponents out of the ring while resuming her rivalry with Red Velvet.
It was the arrival of Soho that drew the biggest reaction of the match, though, as the fans in Chicago embraced the former WWE star in her first night of action with AEW.
Rose hurled Cargill out to end their short-lived union. She added Conti to her list of eliminated competitors, leaving her up against Soho and Rosa. Rosa sent Nyla packing, dropkicking the former world champion to the floor.
A tense battle on the ring apron then ended with Soho kicking Rosa to the floor and booking a date with Britt Baker.
Result
Soho won
Grade
C+
Analysis
The Soho surprise was excellent, as was her finishing sequence with Rosa, and AEW continues to find ways to keep Rose relevant. The effort was there across the board and the crowd was into several of the participants, most notably Jay and Conti.
With all of that said, it was still clear there is a lack of direction for the women's division beyond the immediate title picture. We heard commentator Excalibur attempt to fill fans in on stories, like the one involving Big Swole and Diamante, but the division is so inconsistently presented that this felt a little too much like wrestlers fighting for the sake of punching and kicking and little else.
With Rampage presenting another hour of television, we have seen some more talent utilized. Hopefully, that helps bring some attention and vision to the division because the pieces are there and fans are invested.
Now it's time for those in charge to hold up their end of things.
The Final Fight: Chris Jericho vs. MJF
The yearlong feud between Chris Jericho and MJF came to a head Sunday in a match that promised the former would never wrestle in AEW again if he failed to defeat his rival.
Fighting like a desperate man, The Demo God took the fight to the stands in an attempt to pummel the heel into oblivion.
Wise beyond his years, MJF exploited an opening and targeted the arm of his opponent. He dominated the action and delivered a Heat Seeker onto the ring apron that nearly ended his rival's career. Jericho answered his opponent's use of his own Codebreaker finisher by delivering a Lionsault for two.
An avalanche Liger Bomb from MJF halted Jericho's momentum but further injured the loudmouth heel's lower back.
As Jericho delivered a Codebreaker, Wardlow entered the arena but was fended off by Jake Hager. The distraction allowed MJF to blast his foe with Floyd the baseball bat. He followed up with the Judas Effect and pinned the veteran for three, despite the Hall of Fame-worthy competitor draping his foot over the bottom rope.
Referee Paul Turner arrived, informed Aubrey Edwards of her error and the match was restarted. The Demo God escaped an armbar and applied the Walls of Jericho.
The torque on MJF's lower back was insufferable and he tapped out. The Inner Circle celebrated with Jericho after the match.
Result
Jericho defeated MJF
Grade
B
Analysis
Jericho and MJF have had better matches than this one, but it did have a hot crowd and two performers confident enough in their story to elicit the desired reaction.
The hope spots were great, with MJF manipulating the crowd when necessary and the Chicago faithful wanting to see Jericho win and continue his in-ring career. It was a masterclass in crowd psychology and knowing exactly what to do and when.
It will be interesting to see where MJF goes from here. The last time he lost a major singles match was a year ago at the same PPV and it gave way to the Jericho program. Look for him to recover and find his next feud fairly quickly, perhaps as soon as Wednesday on Dynamite.
As for Jericho, it would behoove him and AEW to go away for a while to rediscover that specialness that accompanies top stars. The Five Labors gimmick had him in the ring, wrestling main event matches almost every week.
He is too special for his star aura to be erased due to overuse. Let things breathe and bring him back for another high-profile feud.
CM Punk vs. Darby Allin
For the first time since January 2014, CM Punk competed in a pro wrestling match, squaring off with Darby Allin in the real main event of this year's All Out, regardless of where it occurred on the card.
The entrances, the atmosphere and the intensity with which the combatants approached the contest reflected that sentiment, too.
Punk weathered the early storm and cut Allin down with an Irish whip that sent his opponent crashing into the ring post. He manhandled his opponent from there, contorting him in an abdominal stretch, rocking him with a running knee in the corner and flattening him with a clothesline.
The resilient Allin fought back by throwing his body around the ring, and he rocked The Best in the World with a flipping senton. Punk suckered his rival into a failed Coffin Drop but quickly found himself fighting out of the Last Supper pin.
Allin tried for the poison rana, but Punk countered into the Go To Sleep for the pinfall victory.
Result
Punk defeated Allin
Grade
A
Analysis
Seven-plus years passed between Punk's last match and his performance Sunday night. It is almost incomprehensible that someone could take off after losing their passion for a sport they devoted his life to and come back able to have the sort of match he did against Allin at All Out.
Punk's entire return has been special but the real test was his ability to prove he could still hang with today's talent and the youthful energy they bring, not to mention an in-ring style that has evolved since he was last a full-time performer.
He did just that, though, proving he is still as smart and talented a worker as anyone. Allin is a pitbull of a performer and the elder wrestler kept pace with him throughout. Once the early rust was shaken off, he was the star of the match. As he should be.
Better yet? Allin looked like an absolute star hanging with one of the most prominent names of an entire generation. He will recover just fine and be more beloved than ever as a result.
Paul Wight vs. QT Marshall
Paul Wight made his first in-ring appearance for AEW in the buffer spot of this PPV, battling QT Marshall in a match that lacked spark and did not exceed expectations.
Wight dominated the leader of The Factory and stooges Aaron Solow and Nick Comoroto en route to a chokeslam and three-count victory.
Result
Wight defeated Marshall
Grade
D
Analysis
Wight wanted to prove he still has something to offer as an in-ring performer when he signed with AEW. Despite the effort and the passion, it was clear he is not moving nearly well enough to contribute as a wrestler right now.
That the 49-year-old didn't exactly have the strongest story, or the most electric dance partners in Marshall and The Factory, didn't help.
Despite his drive and determination to perform for the live crowd, Wight is better utilized backstage and on commentary.
AEW World Championship Match: Christian Cage vs. Kenny Omega
Kenny Omega entered the main event of All Out as AEW world champion, but he was on the defensive following his first loss in 18 months. The man who beat him? Current Impact world champion and his challenger Sunday, Christian Cage.
An early flurry by Cage was negated when Omega capitalized on Don Callis distracting the referee and delivered a double stomp that broke a table over his opponent's sternum and midsection. From there, the champion dominated the action, forcing Captain Charisma on the defensive.
Cage fought back into the match, but The Belt Collector halted his momentum with a knee strike to the face. He added a V-Trigger to the back of the head and a snapdragon suplex. Then another snapdragon. And a third. Another V-Trigger obliterated the challenger.
Christian recovered and delivered a Spear through a table, an emphatic announcement to Omega and the AEW fans that he was not going away easily. The titleholder survived two more Spears and delivered a ripcord V-Trigger. Christian answered with a Killswitch that Omega just kicked out of. The champion recovered, fought out of an attempted Killswitch from the top rope and delivered a One-Winged Angel for the win.
After the match, a braggadocious Omega cut a promo denouncing the idea that there is anyone who could possibly beat him, and Adam Cole made his debut to a thunderous ovation. A superkick to Jungle Boy led to him joining The Elite and just as the faction prepared to celebrate, Bryan Danielson made his debut, joining Cage and Jurassic Express in fending off the heels.
Result
Omega defeated Cage
Grade
A+
Analysis
And with that, a wrestling company completed the most substantial blow to WWE since the Eric Bischoff-led WCW came looking for a fight two decades ago.
In one night, AEW produced CM Punk's first match in seven years, stole a coveted free agent away in Cole and debuted one of WWE's top stars of the last decade in the former Daniel Bryan. While the intent to put Vince McMahon and Co. out of business may not be there, to suggest there is no competition after All Out would be to promote one's own obliviousness.
This was a statement night for Tony Khan and his company and the ending of the show, with the crowd chanting "AEW!" was reminiscent of the hardcore devotion fans once had for the movement ECW once championed. With the money to fund a star-studded roster, of course.
We will remember Sunday night as the emphasis for a new battle for pro wrestling supremacy, even if the sentiment isn't quite what it was before.
As for the match itself, kudos to Cage for doing what he has done his entire career by overperforming and earning every accolade ever given to him. Rarely is there a star who is the picture of consistency that he is but remains as undervalued and underappreciated as Captain Charisma.
He entered this show without a ton of buzz, and he had a killer main event match with the world champion to again prove why he belongs in the conversation with the best workers of his generation.