Wanna hear a first-person view of the ins and outs of last weekend’s AEW All In 24 London? Well, in doing so, I’ll also tell you a story of how a wrestling show strengthened the bond between a father and a wingman…
Date – Sunday August 25th 2024.
Place – Wembley Stadium, London, UK
Event – AEW All 24 In London
This was a show that I have been looking forward to for an entire year. In normal circumstances this would have been my second time attending an All In event.
But in August 2023, I was in Canada visiting Pro Wrestling Post’s very own head honcho, Marc Madison, eating Beavertails (not a euphemism), watching Edge say goodbye to WWE, and other such Canadian-isms.
I made a promise to myself after watching All In with Marc at his house, but more importantly to my wingman, that we would attend All In ‘24. We would have the best day and walk away from the show even bigger fans than before it started.
Some might say that’s a bold statement. A statement that a father shouldn’t say to his son (yes my wingman is my 12yr old son). But I was confident in AEW’s ability to put on an amazing show.
That the year between All In 1 and 2, would make the companies booking even stronger. Little did I know at the time of what would take place in that year…I see you Mr Brooks!
So let’s start at the beginning. My wife, wingman and myself at Wembley Stadium 3 hours before doors open.
We spent…OK I spent…an extortionate amount of money on merch (I have no regrets, I have a signed Bryan Danielson AEW All In turnbuckle) and played the T-shirt game. What I hear you ask?
You don’t know the T-shirt game? Let me inform you…You look around the crowds and you try to spot the most unique tee you can see.
We played for 90mins and I won with, what looked like a Jeff Jarrett Slap Nuts hockey jersey from the late 90s. Oh and if that guy is reading this, well played sir, DM me for your prize.
Doors open, and the crush begins. 50 thousand people are entering the hallowed grounds of Wembley.
As a proud Englishman it would take too long to explain the history and memories of why Wembley Stadium is so revered, so just trust me. It just is 😉 We get to our seats and drink it maaaan!
The set up of the ring and stage looked great, fellow wrestling fans were chatting and making friends.
It was honestly one of the best wrestling fan atmospheres I’ve ever been around. So if you were there, give yourself a Barry Horowitz pack on the back, you deserve it!
We see RJ City and the amazing Renee Paquette begin their stellar work on the Zero Hour preshow, I baulk at paying £22 for four, yes FOUR, donuts, and settle in for 6 hours of wrestling action.
ZERO HOUR
Jay Lethal, Satnam Singh, Anthony Ogogo, Ariya Daivari, Private Party, John Silver & Alex Reynolds vs. Tommy Billington, Kip Sabian, Rocky Romero, Kyle Fletcher, Action Andretti, Top Flight & Lio Rush
Ok real talk here. This is NJPW booking at it’s finest. There were no storylines between any of the competitors, no beef as my wingman said.
Tony Khan wanted to give the fans as much as he could, and to his credit, he wanted to give his talent as much exposure as possible. Hence, this match. But that didn’t stop a nice little spot-filled match at all.
It was great seeing Tommy Billington in front of the biggest crowd he’s ever performed in front of. It wasn’t that long ago that I watched him and his brother wrestle a great match in a nightclub for Genesis Professional Wrestling!
The ending, in which everyone involved hit their finishers and led to Dante Martin making the biggest frog splash in history (wingman’s words, not mine), was great.
He actually asked me if this was a hint of things to come. I playfully winked back and hoped that TK wouldn’t let me down. But seeing him keenly interested in the pre-show was a good sign for me.
AEW All In 24
Kris Statlander & Stokely Hathaway vs Willow Nightingale & Tomohiro Ishii
Now, I’m not the biggest Michael Jackson fan, but even I knew what Stokely was trying to recreate in his entrance here. And boy, did he impress my wingman with an impressive spinebuster to Ishii during this match.
Ok, Tomohiro absolutely no sold it but it was an unexpected show of skill from Stokely. Enough of him, our attention turned to Willow and Kris. Now, the wingman was engaged and enjoying their rivalry.
I on the other hand, was left feeling meh. Kris has been the one for the last few years with the “potential” tag. I’m still waiting for her to break through. And Willow? Well, that’s a story for another time…
AEW All In 2024
Dustin Rhodes, Sammy Guevara, the Von Erichs & Katsuyori Shibata vs Cage of Agony & Undisputed Kingdom
Dustin received a well deserved ovation from the Wembley crowd. The guy is a bone-fide legend and is now leading the charge with bringing youngsters through the system like the Von Erichs.
I include Sammy in that too. Yes he’s a Pillar, but he needs a guiding hand too, ala Chris Jericho. Brawl to start, naturally, and then my wingman sees Cage do his thing live. He too can’t understand how a dude that jacked can be so athletic.
One of life’s mysteries I exclaimed. Talking of athletic, Sammy hitting the Shooting Star to the outside was insane to see live! Usual 10 man tag antics ensue (see 16 man tag above for more details) until Sammy picks up the W with a Senton Atomico. Crowd is warming up nicely.
Until some idiot from production gave Saraya a live mic. What were they thinking?!? Yes I know she used it to gain heat but my ears were bleeding within seconds of her talking. Ouchie indeed!
But be still my beating heart…JAMIE HAYTER! She’s back to save the day by taking away that mic and giving a good ol’ fashioned beat down to Harley Cameron and the lackies. Hayter’s gonna hate you know.
All In London 2024
London Ladders Match
AEW Trios Championship
House of Black vs. Bang Bang Gang vs. BCC/PAC vs The Patriarchy (c)
When the mystery team was announced as BCC/PAC I asked my wingman if he wanted to change his pick of the winner.
He chose the mystery team on the most recent episode of the Pro Wrestling Post Podcast (available to download from your podcast provider of choice) before they were announced.
He said no as he had faith in PAC. His faith bled into me as the match went on. PAC looked great. Corkscrew moonsault anyone? I said that this match would be hard to keep an eye on and I was right.
Carnage everywhere, but in an awesome controlled way. Oh, one thing…Nick Wayne is going to be a star as long as he keeps away from injury. That kid is insanely talented. With him and Hook, AEW’s future looks bright!
The pop that PAC got for winning the match and grabbing that Trio’s belt was one of the loudest of the day. And it’s only match one! My voice at this point was around 50%, as I had spent the day so far chanting.
So losing my mind here and screaming for PAC to “climb that damn ladder” was a mistake. Only 8 more matches for my voice to hold out for.
AEW Women’s World Championship
Mariah May vs Toni Storm (c)
A star was born in this match. Mariah May, take the plaudits and the flowers, as you, my lady, have hit the big time. In this match, she showed what many of us Brits and fans of Stardom already knew.
She was ready. Now, can she carry the Women’s division and run with it? Based on this performance alone, I’m going to say yes. She dominated this match, and to gain even more heat, she slapped her own mother!
There are no depths she won’t go. This match was soooo good. The pacing, the style, the story….where’s my chef’s kiss emoji?! And the cherry on the cake? Storm Zero to pin Mariah’s mentor.
Even the wingman said he walked out of Wembley a Mariah May fan. But let’s not forget Toni.
The re-invention of herself as Timeless, the elevation of the women’s division, and helping shine that spotlight on Mariah? Amazing work from one of the most talented wrestlers on the roster. She’ll be back…
FTW Championship
Hook vs Chris Jericho (c)
More live mic time as Jericho sang himself to the ring. Again I know it was to gain heat but unless he’s in a studio, he shouldn’t be singing. His voice isn’t that great. Just something that grinds my gears.
But I will say that the rest of the band were great though. Anyway all of us here at Blake Towers are Hook fans and were keenly anticipating this match. Hook had to vanquish Jericho, surely?
Quick side note…I think I was the only person in the stadium who jumped to his feet when Taz’s old heartbeat notes dropped before Hook’s theme. Voice now at 45%.
Under FTW rules we knew that Bill and Keith (sounds like a Temu version of Bill and Ted) would get involved. We were waiting on a Samoa Joe run in and didn’t expect Taz to get involved.
That pop was huge! Nice little hardcore match to blow off this feud and seeing father and son share a hug in Wembley made this sentimental old fart shed a tear. Not the last tear of the evening but I digress…
AEW All In 24
AEW Tag Team Championship
FTR vs The Acclaimed vs The Young Bucks (c)
Here’s where my wingman locked in. A huge Acclaimed fan (who didn’t quite understand Max’s rap to the ring, phew) but appreciated how good this match was.
He knew that the YB and FTR had chemistry for days (and yes he does understand chemistry, he’s been around wrestling his whole life) but didn’t know if all three teams could work together.
Well, that mindset lasted around one minute. He was hollering and cheering so much and so loud to this match. We really enjoyed seeing members from each team mix it up and use each others finishers.
It’s not often seen in matches like this, so there are big props to the guys. He was even saying to me why tables were placed where they were, and that the Jackson’s have some of the best footwork around.
Watch the match back to see what he means, he’s not lying. I called a screwy finish and that’s exactly what we got. The Young Beatles retain to a chorus of boos from Wembley. Great match.
What I didn’t call was James Drake and Zack Gibson aka GYV arriving to stake their claim to the Bucks who powdered out the ring.
I’m a MAHOOSIVE Grizzled Young Veterans fans and I immediately lost my mind when they attacked FTR. Oh boy the AEW Tag division is shaking up really well with the addition of my boys!
Side Note: Anyone British on this card is my boy. I may not know them (but I do personally know a few), but they’re my boys.
AEW All In 24
AEW Casino Gauntlet Match
Ok shit just got real in this match as after the third entrant, I kinda forgot to take any notes.
Yes this match was probably the best of this kind that the company has ever done. Yes it was a good match with some amazing surprises. But damn, did I lose my mind and voice when Nigel McGuinness came out.
I grabbed my wingman and threw him around like a rag doll. I jumped up and down like Zebedee on drugs (Google him) in front of my wife, and I lost my voice. I legit had 0% voice.
I was screaming so much only the dogs at Battersea Dogs home could hear me. NIGEL EFFING MCGUINNESS baybay!!! And then…then it hit me. They’re pulling the trigger. They’re gonna do it! At some point it’s going to be Nigel vs Bryan. OMFG!!
I came back to reality when Nigel rolled out of the ring after some strikes from Kyle O’Reilly. I was spent. My wingman looked like he had been pulled through a hedge backwards, and my wife had her embarrassed face on. I composed and got ready for the next entrant.
ZSJ!!!! My boy is here!!! The number one contender for the IWGP Heavyweight Championship is here! Again, those dogs in Battersea were going crazy because of me. Voice level -10%
I wont go into detail, you’ve seen the show. But damn this crowd were HOT for this match and the surprises. So vocal and so loud. My ears are still ringing. I love British wrestling fans. Best in the world.
Scratch that! RICOCHET IS HERE!!! WHAAAAAT! Now the wingman is losing his mind. One of his guys is here and his voice is cracking. Watching the look of pure awe on his face as he watched Ricochet do his thing is something that I will hold close to me forever.
“Ricochet is pure fluid motion dad”, never a truer word said son. But it was all for naught as the worlds best father, Christian Cage, picks up the win with an assist from Luchasaurus.
For a moment we though Saurus was gonna chokeslam Christian, and the crowd were waiting for it. It’ll happen…it’ll happen.
AEW All In 24
AEW American Championship
Will Ospreay vs MJF (c)
Two hours. Two hours it took to find a BRUV football/soccer tee for the wingman. But it was worth it to see him slap his chest at the tee and cheering whilst watching Will walk down the aisle.
What an entrance and what an ovation from Wembley. Will is going to be THE MAN for the company going forward. He’s their franchise star. The boos for MJF were loud and proud, much like his entrance gear.
Apollo Creed, anyone? Remember I said that the wingman is well-versed and knows his stuff? He asked why a Tombstone, Spanish Fly, SSP, and Cross Rhodes, one after another, didn’t finish the match.
I couldn’t answer, but he’s right. Any one of them are finishers in their own right. But forgetting that, seeing Red Death himself, Daniel Garcia stop MJF from using his home-made knucks got a massive pop.
But not as much of a pop as what the Tiger Driver got. OMFG, Wembley went wild! Which then bled into the post-match victory. The wingman was now throwing me around like a rag doll, and I was all for it.
Seeing him see one of his guys live and win the championship? It was the second tear of the night for me and another moment I’ll never forget. I bloody love wrestling.
AEW All In 24
TBS Championship
Dr. Britt Baker vs Mercedes Mone (c)
Uh oh. The dreaded match after THAT match spot. Well, these women were hiding nothing, which is a shame as they’re both very talented. But…they didn’t help themselves here.
Yes, the crowd was blown up from the previous match, but Britt and Mercedes really didn’t go that extra mile to get us back on board until late in the match.
Talking of time, this match had way too much time given to it. Watch the match back. You’ll see people on their phones and doing anything else rather than watch the in ring action. Such a shame.
Big pop for the Eddie Guerrero fake belt spot that got Kamile ejected and that powerslam from the top rope. Now that’s a bump and a half!
But it wasn’t enough to save this match. Poor booking, suspensions, lacklustre mic work and a so so match. Just wasn’t meant to be.
AEW All In 24
Coffin Match
TNT Championship
Darby Allin vs “The Scapegoat” Jack Perry (c)
I said as Darby was making his way to the ring that he looked mad and annoyed. And looking back I know why. Time was taken from this match as the previous match overran.
I’m gutted for him, but both Darby and Perry had a good showing here. Yeah, it was rushed, but if you take it for what it is, it was good. The spots were there, using the coffin as a high-speed barrier, REAL GLASS.
The obligatory bump through a table after falling 18ft. The usual, you know. Wingman, at this point, was in a permanent state of shock from what he was witnessing. But the fun wasn’t over yet.
On the podcast, he called that Sting would be in the coffin to help Darby. But after the coffin was opened early on in the match, that theory went out the window. He wasn’t upset and carried on marking out for the match.
When the lights went out and Seek and Destroy played? Holy crap balls did he lose his mind!
His voice level was now 0%, but he kept chanting STING STING STING, interspersed with TOLD YOU DAD! For the entire duration that Sting was here, wingman didn’t stop chanting. Did I say I really bloody love wrestling?
AEW All In 24
Title vs Career
AEW World Championship
Bryan Danielson vs Swerve Strickland (c)
Wow, how do AEW top that for my wingman? By making me cry tears of happiness. For decades now, I have wanted to see Bryan wrestle live. I have had opportunities, but never at the right time.
If this was to be his last hurrah then I would move heaven and earth to be here. Oh, and if Final Countdown could be played, too, that’ll be great. I got my wish. 50K+ people in unison signing to that song as my GOAT came to the ring.
Looking down and seeing wingman, arms in the air, singing along with these thousands…I nearly burst with so much happiness.
Tears are down my face, my wife smiles at me, and I continue signing. The greatest wrestling moment in my life without a shadow of a doubt….so far. Swerve came out to an amazing ovation.
That guy has star power. His presence alone is enough for you to see that. I’m so happy he re-signed with AEW for the long term. He’s going to be a major player going forward.
The match itself? Perfection. I’ve seen many many many live wrestling matches. From local indies to national indies to the big leagues.
But that match will live in my memory as the ultimate 5* match (yup no Meltzer 7* here…bloody idiot). The usual hits and spots were there, but it was the little things that stood out to the wingman and I.
The positioning of both men, the selling (Swerve in particular), feeling the crowd, the perfect timing of the kickouts. It was a masterclass.
As it drew to its conclusion, I’m an emotional mess. The near falls have done me in. And seeing that JML Driver in slow-mo replay took it out of me. That was as sweet and snug as is humanly possible!
Swerve brushing off the Busaiku knee like it was nothing had the wingman in total shock. Again, I’m nearly at zero in the energy stakes now. But when Bryan “broke” the fingers of Swerve whilst in the LeBell lock, I knew it was over.
Mere moments later I’m standing, tears streaming down my face as Wembley is alive in pure unadulterated joy…Bryan Danielson is our NEWWWWW AEW World Champion.
My wingman is sat in his seat, emotionally spent as thousands around us are losing their minds. With the tiniest whisper in my ear he said, “He’s done it Dad. I’m so happy”, and began to cry on my shoulder.
I had never felt so close to my son as I did in that moment. Out of all the moments that had happened, this one right here? This was my greatest wrestling moment in my life.
———-
I said on the Pro Wrestling Post Podcast a few weeks back that wrestling is about moments, memories, and feelings. When those moments happen, grab them, don’t let them go. Remember that moment.
Remember how it felt. Those men and women in the ring, and it can be anywhere, any promotion. Those men and women in the back, behind the camera, in the office.
They work so hard to make these moments happen for us. For you. For me. And I will always be grateful for it.
On the drive back home, around 1am, my wingman said to me (very hoarsely) that the show and the whole day was the best of his life. He will never forget it. This is another moment that wrestling has given me that I will never forget.
I f**king love pro wrestling x
