From the first-ever Mimosa Mayhem Match to an ex-WWE Superstar debuting at the event, AEW All Out 2020 featured many contrasting moments.
The individual aspects of this pay-per-view were far better than the sum of its parts, as AEW showcased one of their least impressive events thus far. Some moments were better than others, but when compared to the quality of AEW pay-per-views in general, All Out could have been better if not for some unforeseen circumstances.
Tony Khan recently said that Double or Nothing excelled past WWE WrestleMania 36 in terms of quality, but the same argument cannot be applied to All Out and SummerSlam 2020.
Here are the five biggest news stories from AEW All Out (September 5, 2020).
#5: Matt Sydal (fka Evan Bourne in WWE) debuted with a massive botch during the Casino Battle Royale
AEW has been known for putting on some of the most structured Battle Royale bouts in the past, but the Casino Battle Royale at All Out 2020 wasn't one of them.
The concept itself is a hit in terms of creativity, but its success depended upon the winner and a major surprise at AEW All Out.
Lance Archer went on to win the whole match, which was the right decision since he needed a major victory to reclaim his status as an indestructible monster. But The Murder Hawk Monster's victory may have been overshadowed by a huge disappointment when it came to Matt Sydal's AEW debut.
Pro wrestling history has seen some cringeworthy debuts such as that of The Shockmaster. While that particular instance can't be easily topped anytime soon, Sydal still made the headlines for slipping from the top rope while attempting a shooting star press.
Let's hope that Matt Sydal's future AEW appearances aren't overshadowed by what happened at All Out 2020.
#4: Hangman Page and Kenny Omega lost the AEW World tag team titles to FTR
The buildup to FTR's battle against "Hangman" Adam Page and Kenny Omega at AEW All Out 2020 had been excellent. Omega and Page weren't on the same page heading into the pay-per-view, and the results of that, unfortunately, played out during the match itself.
Both teams fought tooth and nail for those titles, and even though AEW fans expected a little too much out of this bout, Hangman Page and Kenny Omega's match was still the best tag team clash from AEW All Out 2020.
The tables turned when Omega accidentally hit Page with the V-Trigger, and even though the latter remained resilient towards the very end, Omega just couldn't manage to prevent the inevitable from happening.
FTR became the new AEW Tag Team Champions after hitting a second Mindbreaker on Hangman Page. Omega didn't help his tag partner to get up on his feet. The Young Bucks couldn't prevent a frustrated Kenny Omega from leaving, as the latter said, "I'm done", to the Bucks.
This was the icing on the cake in terms of storytelling, as it looks like Kenny Omega will be the one turning heel sooner than later.
#3: Orange Cassidy defeated Chris Jericho to win their long-running feud during an impressive "Mimosa Mayhem Match"
In this writer's humble opinion, The Mimosa Mayhem Match between Chris Jericho and Orange Cassidy was the best part of AEW All Out 2020.
Usually, AEW's best matches excel strictly in terms of in-ring prowess. But All Out was an event that felt compromised during several instances, and Chris Jericho vs Orange Cassidy just lit up the entire arena at once.
A lot of it can be attributed to Chris Jericho's natural charisma in front of a live audience, but the bout itself had everyone by the edge of their seats. Both competitors tried to avoid falling into a giant vat of Mimosa cocktail in a way that reminded viewers of a nail-biting Royal Rumble Match.
At the end of the night, The Demo God didn't just come up with an exciting gimmick match in AEW, but he also put over Orange Cassidy in their long-running feud, which definitely captured Cassidy's transformation into a legit star.
The Mimosa Mayhem Match was perhaps the only bout of the night that met the expectations of most AEW fans, and one that people collectively enjoyed to some extent.
#2: Matt Hardy and Sammy Guevara's Broken Rules Match at AEW All Out was compromised due to a dangerous spot
Matt Hardy is not the young daredevil he once used to be back in the day. So seeing Hardy taking the fall in a dangerous spot, as linked above, was an uncomfortable moment for viewers during AEW All Out 2020.
Referee Aubrey Edwards threw up the 'X' sign, which seemingly indicated that the after-effects of Hardy stumbling backstage was no joke. Hardy and Guevara were allowed to continue with the match as the latter ended up taking a big fall - but a relatively safer one - towards the end of this bout.
Matt Hardy was declared the winner of the Broken Rules Match at AEW All Out, later in the night. He was also rushed to a hospital after suffering an injury, and let's wish Matt Hardy a speedy recovery.
Tony Khan cleared up some questions regarding this incident at AEW All Out, which can be read above.
Pro wrestling has a history of stunts resulting in a catastrophic outcome, so looking at the brighter side of things, the Broken Rules Match could have been a lot worse at the end of the day.
#1: Jon Moxley retained his AEW World title against MJF in a bloody main event
The main event of AEW All Out was certainly a decent fight, to say the least. AEW's frequent usage of blood in high-stakes bouts may have dampened the atmosphere a bit, but MJF vs Jon Moxley was a good contest in terms of storytelling.
Moxley was banned from using the Paradigm Shift against MJF in this match. But towards the end, the AEW World Champion beat MJF at his own dirty deeds. MJF couldn't catch the Dynamite Diamond Ring that Wardlow threw inside. Since the referee was distracted, Moxley grabbed the opportunity and spiked MJF with a Paradigm Shift for the victory.
Lance Archer, being the winner of the Casino Battle Royale earlier in the night, stared down Moxley from a distance after the main event. A future encounter between the two will most likely be a gruelling contest to watch. The initiation of Archer's rise back to the top was the right booking decision to make.
As for MJF, AEW teased a feud between him and his bodyguard, Wardlow, a while back. That angle hasn't been dropped yet, and the miscommunication between the two at All Out may have been the catalyst for their eventual showdown.