The dream match we all thought we were getting at All Out will officially take place a few months later at All Elite Wrestling's Full Gear PPV. A staph infection prevented Moxley from competing at All Out. In his stead, PAC took over and he ended up defeating 'The Cleaner' Kenny Omega.
Since the matchup did not take place as originally planned, some different layers have been added to the fold in the build-up. PAC has still been involved in the feud, both as Moxley's reluctant tag team partner and as a foil for Omega and The Elite.
With Omega and Moxley trading post-match attacks, the match soon became unsanctioned or "Lights Out" as AEW likes to call it. It means that the outcome of the match won't count toward Omega and Moxley's overall record. It also means that anything goes. We've already seen what the two men may have planned, as Moxley has appeared with a Negan-esque baseball bat wrapped in barbed wire. Omega has followed suit with a broom wrapped in barbed wire.
As it is a Lights Out Match, the usual possible finishes of either a count-out or disqualification are out of the equation. It won't have a time limit either, so that finish is off the table. Despite this, there are other possible endings for this match. Here are four ways this showdown could go.
#4 No Contest
With each passing episode of AEW Dynamite, we have seen either Moxley, Omega, or both men brandishing personalized weapons. Those are just precursors to the carnage. We saw more of a preview when Moxley put Omega through a glass table backstage.
We've also seen Moxley toss Omega off the stack of chips at Double or Nothing. Having already seen an unsanctioned match, and one with Moxley, we can expect to see many crazy spots. There will likely be tables, chairs, thumbtacks, and other weapons used in the bout.
There might even come a point in the match where both men can't continue due to the damage they suffered in a dangerous spot. Maybe they both fall off a tall ladder through a few tables. Maybe they both go through the stage or some scaffolding. A disappointing no-finish might not be something fans want to see, especially after a particularly red-tinted match last month.
A no-finish, however, would be a good call to keep both men looking strong. There isn't a title shot attached to the winner, so it wouldn't be like someone is getting swindled out of a title opportunity with a no-finish.
#3 Kenny Omega wins
AEW's website lists Moxley as 1-1-1 overall and Kenny Omega as 5-4 overall. With Moxley already taking part in an Unsanctioned Match against Joey Janela at Fyter Fest, his record isn't as full as Omega's. Moxley also missed about a month due to his staph infection, so the fact is that he only has three bouts under his belt in AEW.
Omega has had a high-profile match almost every week on Dynamite and rightfully so. AEW management made this match unsanctioned and therefore it won't count towards overall records. That won't matter to Moxley and Omega. Regardless of who wins, they'll still have the right to say they beat the other man.
The most straight-forward finish in these types of matches is one man winning by pinfall or submission. Omega has still been going through his issues in singles matches, and he obviously needs a win.
Moxley needs a win as well, in order to solidify his standing as one of the top guys in the company. 'The Cleaner' could easily hit the One Winged Angel and pick up the win. Things could spill out of the ring for the majority, but a pinfall win is still a victory over the other man, records not withstanding. A win at Full Gear could also start Omega on his potential path to a title shot, depending on the plans for the title post-PPV.
#2 Someone interferes leading one man to victory
Whenever there is a No DQ Match, any number of things can happen. Crazy weapons are used, like when Seth Rollins used a forklift to beat Erick Rowan in a Falls Count Anywhere Match recently.
I always go back to the Casket Match between The Undertaker and Yokozuna at the 1994 Royal Rumble PPV. Nine wrestlers, including Diesel and Crush, interfered in the match in order to prevent The Undertaker from winning.
The Inner Circle has been causing chaos ever since debuting on AEW Dynamite's inaugural episode. While primarily targeting members of The Elite, they could also simply target anyone they choose. Omega is still a part of The Elite, so they could take out any frustrations on him during the match. Heck, the group even attacked the Rock 'N Roll Express.
PAC has been involved with both men and has a match with 'Hangman' Page at Full Gear. Will he still let things go after getting DDT'd by Moxley a few weeks ago? We're also still waiting for Wardlow to debut. While there isn't a real heel/face dynamic to Moxley/Omega, each man has his legions of fans behind him. Someone else could interfere in order to "call their shot" by attacking Moxley or Omega, leading the other to an inadvertent win.
#1 Jon Moxley wins
If this feud comes full circle from Double or Nothing, then Moxley should win after calling his shot at the pay-per-view. It was probably the most talked about moment in all of professional wrestling this year due to the nature of Moxley leaving WWE.
The best possible way (outside of a title run) to pay Moxley back for joining the company is by giving him a win over the biggest star in AEW not named Chris Jericho. The former Dean Ambrose is already a made man in the industry, but a win over Omega would further increase his star power.
It is uncertain if this is a one-off match or if they'll have another match that does count towards their overall records. Unless they have another match or series of matches, then Moxley picking up the win is a plausible outcome and should be the call.
It makes sense to have these unsanctioned matches, but instead of "not having them count towards the win/loss records", they should just call them something different. The system has already taken some heat due to others getting shots at titles (Cody) and "quality" of wins playing a factor. Who wouldn't be mad if their greatest potential win didn't count? Moxley might make a statement regardless of records and just pick up the win by destroying 'The Cleaner.'
We want to know what you think of the matches that you see on TV! Go to our WWE page here to rate them!