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The first edition of All In has just concluded and I could not be happier for Cody and The Young Bucks for making it happen. These men defied the odds and filled a 10000 seat arena. The wrestling lived up to the hype as well. It was a fantastic night for every single performer involved.
That said, this show wasn't without its share of hiccups. While the good outweighed the bad, this was certainly not a perfect show. I will list the good, bad and ugly here for your reading pleasure.
What did you guys think of the first edition of All In? Was it all that you expected it to be?
This is my assessment of the show that transpired...
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#1 Best: The quality of wrestling
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There wasn't a weak match on the card at All In, to be quite honest. Even Stephen Amell stepped up his game and delivered a fairly competent match against the veteran, Christopher Daniels. The standout match has to be Okada vs. Marty Scurll. What a fantastic story both men told in the middle of the ring at the supremely historic pay-per-view.
There was a fantastic air about the Omega vs. Pentagon contest as well. The crowd has never anticipated a dream match between two of the best in the world, and it was great to see how they took each other to the limit during this contest. I would love to see more matches between the two down the line.
Adam Page and Joey Janela also had a standout match, albeit in a completely different style to the two I've mentioned. As did the women who competed at the show.
If you are a fan of in-ring work, I'm certain that you were not disappointed.
#1 Worst: Tenille Dashwood on commentary
The commentary had some good and some bad moments through the night. Tenille Dashwood sat at the commentary booth for the match featuring the four women. While it was great to see her at such a grand stage, I daresay that commentary may not be her strongest suit. Not only was her delivery awkward, she made some supremely obvious observations.
The announcers also mentioned cutting away to Christopher Daniels, and then cut away to Nick Aldis. Both of these botches were black spots on an otherwise good pay-per-view event.
#2 Best: The surprises
What good is a wrestling show without its share of surprises, right? I loved seeing Chris Jericho show up, dressed as Pentagon Jr., to take out Kenny Omega when nobody expected it. I even loved the return of Joey Ryan, though I cannot talk about the nature of his return here.
I loved the parts with DDP, Bully Ray and Colt Cabana too. The performers were All In, in the truest sense of the word. Everyone had their moments in the spotlight, at this historic event.
This show was a victory for the entire wrestling fraternity. I am sure it will be recalled with pride, years down the line.
#2 Worst: The botched finish
I thought that the girls had a fantastic match at All In. The crowd was on their feet, giving them the ovation that they all deserved. And then, the finish happened.
Yes, Tessa Blanchard won the match, but it seemed like the pin was broken. The commentators seemed to be just as confused as the performers were. Even the referees didn't seem sure.
Christopher Daniels' botched moonsault was also something I did not care for. That said, these botches did not affect the overall quality of the show, which was quite exemplary.
#3 Best: A real feel-good moment
The grandson of a plumber finally achieved his destiny at All In. Cody Rhodes is your brand new NWA Champion. This is the same title that his father held, and one that I'm sure Rhodes will hold with just as much pride. There were goosebumps when Rhodes won the big prize.
Congratulations to Billy Corgan, Nick Aldis and everyone else that has made this title meaningful and relevant in the year 2018. I'm sure Dusty Rhodes is smiling wide from heaven.
#3 Worst: Rushed main event match
By the time the Okada vs. Scurll match had concluded, you knew that All In was short on time. This is because the announcers were rushing through their announcements. The main event match was way shorter than it should have been, I thought. Especially for 6 professional wrestlers as talented as the competitors were.
That said, it wasn't a bad match at all. It was what it was, really!
#4 Best/worst: The match placement
Should the NWA Title Match have closed the show? Should the tag match have been kept for the middle of the show? I guess we will never know. We were served an exiting few hours of wrestling, and we will have to make do.
I will certainly say this, in all fairness. It was hard being invested in the final few matches without any real stakes to care for, despite the fact that the matches were quite exemplary. Maybe the two title matches should have been kept for later?
All in all (no pun intended), All In was a success. I look forward to future editions of the event.
Especially if Brandi Rhodes is a part of the proceedings next year!
