The line between AEW's perceived mid-card and main-event scene continues to become less clear by the day — and never was that more on display than at AEW All Out 2025.
AEW All Out 2025 emanated from Scotiabank Arena in Toronto on Saturday — and the women’s division got flipped on its head. Across the aisle in the men’s division, Kyle Fletcher showed he belongs in the main-event scene, Darby Allin once again pushed the boundaries with Jon Moxley, and Mark Briscoe finally got one over MJF.
Here are our 10 biggest takeaways after AEW put on another outstanding top-to-bottom show.
1. Expect the unexpected
With or without the surrounding noise in the wrestling world, AEW All Out felt like it needed an unexpected moment that would keep fans talking following the event. And now the entire landscape for the women’s division has been reset, as Kris Statlander finally claimed the AEW Women’s Championship — a belt that eluded her during her extensive AEW run thus far.
“Timeless” Toni Storm has long been the standard bearer for the AEW women’s division, but the fatal 4-way against Thekla, Statlander, and Jamie Hayter felt like a match with the potential to see the belt change hands. Thekla has hit the ground running in AEW, Hayter has been on a mission to reclaim her belt, and Statlander’s run-ins with knee injuries felt like they’d derailed an inevitable climb to the top of the mountain. Now is Statlander’s time, and when you mix in the tease of her joining the Death Riders, the future of this division should be fascinating.
It’s sink or swim time to see how Statlander can lead from the top.
2. Christian and Cope earn their rightful moment in the sun
AEW CEO Tony Khan’s record when it comes to paying homage and showing respect to his veteran roster is unmatched. Just as he’s done with the likes of Sting, Bryan Danielson and others in the past, giving Canada's own Adam Copeland and Christian Cage their moments to soak in a celebration in a place as meaningful for them as Toronto was almost a given.
The match itself wasn’t anything special, but served its purpose in moving their story forward. Beth Copeland was a gigantic surprise, evening the odds against Stokely Hathaway and potentially opening the door for more down the road. While Cope and Christian earned the win and gave fans a moment to rejoice, what happened after the match signals there’s much more to this story. After handcuffing Cope, FTR’s two spike piledrivers to Christian and Beth Phoenix threw gasoline on the fire and escalated this rivalry deeper into a true blood feud.
3. Kyle Fletcher has arrived
At just 26 years old, Kyle Fletcher has seamlessly filled the gap left with Will Ospreay and Swerve Strickland on the sidelines. Fletcher taking out Kenny Omega signified he’d be in line for a major run, and his match against Hangman Adam Page for the AEW World Championship gave him just the opportunity.
It was nearly everything Fletcher could have imagined it could be, as he pushed Page to his limit, coming up just short in the process. This one never felt likely to change hands, and the stipulation to strip his TNT Championship should the match have a run-in from the Don Callis Family gave Fletcher an opportunity to stand on his own. He lived up to the moment and more, blending the drama, energy and emotions that make up some of AEW’s most engaging matches. The future is bright for Fletcher.
4. Mark Briscoe gets elevated
The storytelling with Jay Briscoe, disrespect from MJF, and Mark Briscoe’s individual journey to the top was perfectly executed in what was a match of the night contender. Opening the "Tables 'N' Tacks" bout by spreading thumbtacks across the ring added a different element to this story, and Briscoe was exceptional. Thanks to some outstanding in-ring work from Briscoe and MJF, the brutality and blood from this one felt different. Every move and every ounce of blood dropped mattered as these guys put everything they had into the match.
From a macro perspective, the line between the perceived mid-card and the main event has continued to become less clear by the day, and that’s a positive for Tony Khan’s AEW. Instead of just a handful of top talents, AEW’s now operating with a blended roster of guys who could compete for a world title on any given night. Briscoe’s win over MJF feels significant from that perspective as well.
5. A moment to shine for Ricochet and Gates of Agony
On Wednesday night's "Dynamite," Toa Liona brought the fight to Bobby Lashley in a way we don’t often see. He was powerful and electric in the ring. And while he ultimately dropped their showdown, that match foreshadowed the toughness and physicality between these six men on Saturday.
Ricochet and the Gates of Agony are legitimate contenders in AEW, and their win over the Hurt Syndicate felt like a transformative moment for both trios. Ricochet and the Gates of Agony have earned the right to be considered among the baddest men in AEW. The Hurt Syndicate, for really the first time in AEW, look to be at a moment of reevaluation. If that means adding young talent to their roster, I’m all for it.
6. Darby Allin has to climb out of the coffin
Is this rivalry 2025's Hangman vs. Swerve (literal) blood feud? There was blood, brutality, a plastic bag, and insane spot after insane spot. Darby Allin continues to put his body on the line, as evidenced by a returning Pac throwing him over the top rope through a coffin on the outside.
Jon Moxley might be AEW’s most important wrestler on the roster as a guy who continues to have unbelievable matches. Despite not being in the world title picture right now, he’s a big name who can easily flex to essentially any spot on the roster and consistently helps to elevate talent. The question here is where Allin goes — you can point to the interference as the reason he lost, but outside of his two TNT Championship runs, it’s hard to remember when he won a “big one.”
7. Time for a long-term Brodido program
There’s something to be said for how successful this tag team is. Brody King and Bandido, on their own, are outstanding wrestlers. Together, their partnership makes a ton of sense and has really become a bright spot in a stacked tag-team division.
Brodido has the makeup of a team that was thrown together, but the match quality and cohesion of a team that could ultimately be together for an extended run. Saturday's fatal 4-way ladder match was a spectacle and gave each team an opportunity to get their stuff in. It now feels like the right time to see how these two will fare in a long-term program. Can Brodido put it together outside of a slew of incredible matches and show the same long-term storytelling that’s being put together across the rest of the AEW roster?
8. The levels keep rising
Mercedes Moné continues to set the bar with outstanding match after outstanding match. Like a veteran franchise cornerstone, expectations don’t faze Moné as she continues to smash whatever screen time she has out of the park. With her win against Riho, Moné is knocking on the doorstep of living up to her billing as the greatest TBS Champion in AEW history.
AEW's record for its longest title reign is currently held by Jade Cargill, but Moné now sits just a month out from overtaking that mark. It’s hard to imagine just a few years ago when Moné suffered what was thought to be a potentially career-ending injury. Now, she’s just a month from making AEW history — and wrestling at arguably the best and most consistent level of her entire career.
9. The Don Callis Family is at a breaking point
As soon as this one came together, it felt like we were on a collision course to Kazuchika Okada against Konuske Takeshita. Mascara Dorada’s inclusion always signaled he’d eat the loss, which he did. But the future fallout between Okada and Takeshita appears to be right around the corner, if not literally this week. Takeshita has big-time potential on his own, while Okada is playing a perfect role alongside the Don Callis Family. If they play their cards right, this has the potential to be one of the best rivalries of the year.
10. Welcome back, Eddie
What a joy it is to see Eddie Kingston back in the ring. As someone who feels like a foundational member of the roster, Kingston is a guy who fits into so many places, is consistent in the ring, and exceptional on the mic. With that said, this one felt like an odd fit for what was an already stacked pay-per-view. Almost each match on the card felt like it had purpose, whether a title was on the line or the showdown was a grudge match. But Kingston's return against Big Bill — which clocked in under 10 minutes — missed the mark and likely could've been better served as a television match.
Category: General Sports
