The shadow of Chicago
AEW returns to the NOW Arena for All Out 2026, and frankly, the promotion is at a crossroads. The magic of the original 2021 event has faded into a repetitive loop of dream matches that lack long-term stakes. If Tony Khan wants to recapture the heat, he needs to stop relying on nostalgia and start building actual blood feuds that don't end on a TV taping.
The Main Event Dilemma
The rumored main event of Will Ospreay defending the AEW World Championship against a returning Kenny Omega is technically sound but emotionally hollow. We saw this dance in 2023, and while the work rate is guaranteed to be elite, it feels like a safety net. The company needs to pull the trigger on a younger star like Konosuke Takeshita or even a heel-turned Swerve Strickland. Putting the title on a veteran just because the crowd knows the name is why the mid-card talent feels ignored.
Predicting the rest
The International Championship picture has become a bloated mess of triple-threat matches that exist solely for high spots. I expect to see Ricochet hold that belt until September, only to drop it to someone like Kyle Fletcher in a match that hits the 20-minute mark. It is time for a clean finish that doesn't involve a distraction or a run-in from the Don Callis Family.
The tag team division needs a massive infusion of personality. Currently, the Young Bucks are doing the same schtick they perfected in 2018. They will likely face the House of Black, which is a stylistic clash that has been teased since the Forbidden Door era. If the narrative doesn't change, we are looking at a 3.5-star match that everyone forgets by Monday morning.
As Fightful Select recently noted regarding the shifting locker room morale, the talent is frustrated with the lack of clear direction. That tension needs to manifest on screen. If Blackpool Combat Club decides to implode, Jon Moxley should be the one to finally turn his back on the group, setting up a brutal encounter at Full Gear.
The women's division reality
The TBS Championship will likely anchor the women's portion of the card. Mercedes Mone is the current face of the division, but her booking has been disjointed since her arrival. A match against Jamie Hayter is the only logical path forward for a main event slot. If they give these two 18 minutes with no interference, they might actually steal the show from the men. However, if Britt Baker gets involved again, the crowd will turn faster than they did during the disastrous 2024 summer tour.
The missing urgency
The biggest critique of current AEW booking is the lack of stakes for the losers. When mid-carders lose at All Out, they just vanish for three weeks and reappear on Collision to start a new feud. This lack of consequence makes the entire PPV feel like a house show with better cameras. We need to see someone put their career on the line or a stable forced to disband if they lose.
If the 2026 edition of All Out continues the trend of 'just another great wrestling show,' the company will continue to lose the casual viewers they need to grow. The audience is tired of work rate being the only metric for success. We need characters, we need consequences, and we need to stop pretending that every pay-per-view is the greatest night in the history of the sport.
