A Handy Guide To: AEW WrestleDream 2026

Need to know when and where to watch an upcoming PPV? Need to know who’s fighting who? Need to know why you should care? Then, you’ve come to the right place!

“A Handy Guide” is a series on Dirt Sheet Radio where I run down an upcoming pay-per-view, and discuss the competitors and stories going into each match. For now, the focus is going to be on WWE and AEW, but if there’s interest, we may expand to companies like TNA, NJPW, and more. Additionally, I also give my picks for the SLEEPER HIT, the match that I think will over-deliver or be under-appreciated, and my MATCH OF THE NIGHT (self-explanatory).

Today’s edition is all about AEW WrestleDream 2026 taking place on Saturday, October 17th, at the Addition Financial Arena in Orlando, Florida. This event is an homage to the legendary Antonio Inoki, founder of New Japan Pro Wrestling, and someone that AEW owner Tony Khan called “wrestling’s greatest dreamer”. This will be the fourth annual production of WrestleDream and the third time AEW has held a PPV at this venue, the last time was Worlds End in 2024. 

The PPV will air at 4pm PT/7pm ET on major cable and satellite providers in the United States, Canada, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. U.S. and Canadian viewers can stream the event on YouTube, Prime Video, and DAZN. Additionally, U.S. fans can also stream it on HBO Max or catch it at select Dave & Buster locations nationwide. International viewers can view the event on PPV.com or MyAEW.com. 

This article does not cover any of the Buy-In (pre-show) matches, and as always the card is subject to change. But for now, these are the matches, and these are the stories: 

Thekla vs. Mercedes Moné—

Women’s World Championship Match

When Thekla returned to AEW at All In, she made it her mission to snatch the Women’s World Championship away from whoever held it. As fate would have it, Mercedes would be the one holding it high at the end of that night. The two went back-and-forth on the mic over the next couple of weeks, their egos clashing and their arrogance manifesting a potential match for All Out. However, Moné sustained a broken nose during her bout against Willow Nightingale, and instead we were treated to a number one contender’s match at All Out between Willow and Thekla. During that match, Thekla took advantage of Willow’s broken hand and picked up the victory, and afterwards, Mercedes appeared on the ramp to taunt the new number one contender. 

So far, it’s been a torrent of taunts war of words between The Toxic Spider and Big D Moné (I’m on board with this nickname, don’t @ me). Each verbal spar was more heated than the last, and they finally collided at Grand Slam France after Mercedes successfully defended her championship against Queen Aminata. Thekla interrupted Mercedes’s victory much like the champ did at Chicago, hit her with an emphatic spear, and swung Mercedes’s championship between her legs with more, uh, emphasis. 

I am thoroughly entertained by both these wrestlers. Thekla’s “drunk aunt at the family reunion” vibe that she brings to the function is a fun heat against Mercedes’s cocky superstar persona. Plus, their technical wrestling abilities are bound to mesh well with each other. I want Mercedes to have a dominant run with the championship, but Thekla is also such a fantastic foil for her challengers when she has the belt. No matter who wins, I hope this is the start of a star-making feud for the both of them. 

The Young Bucks (Matt Jackson/Nick Jackson) vs. The Don Callis Family (Kevin Knight/Kyle Fletcher)— Men’s Tag Team Championship Match

This is a match unfortunately born out of some controversy. At All In, Kevin Knight and Kyle Fletcher were involved in a grudge match between Darby Allin and the newly-debuted Steven Borden. The son of Sting was working his ass off to prove he belonged in the ring, and he took a big risk by intercepting Knight off the top rope with a coast-to-coast dropkick. Borden landed awkwardly, hitting his head on the canvas, and the match was immediately stopped. It was later reported that Borden had concussion symptoms, but he was otherwise feeling good and didn’t have any lingering headaches. However, their match was to crown a new number one contender for the tag titles, and with one team now out of commission, that left Don Callis’s golden boys with a golden opportunity.

On that same night, The Young Bucks won a wild three-way ladder match to become the AEW Tag Team Champions for a record fourth time. With two of their key challengers dealt with (for now), The Young Bucks could set their focus on Knight and Fletcher. Despite not being as time-tested as the literal brothers, Knight and Fletcher do hold a victory over the new champs. They’re also great wrestlers in their own right, with The Jet holding the record for the most successful TNT Championship defenses in a single reign, and The Protostar being a former Trios, TNT, and International Champion. 

The Young Bucks have a long, tumultuous history with Don Callis and his boys. It must be a little cathartic to have their first title defense be against two of the biggest egos in the DCF (which is saying something). Though, they underestimate the singles stars at their own peril. 

Mark Davis vs. Jon Moxley—

Continental Championship Match

It's been a hard few weeks for the Death Riders. PAC’s untimely passing left the group shell-shocked, and though the grieving certainly isn’t over, time goes on. Wrestling goes on. A beautiful tribute episode of Dynamite was held in PAC’s honor on September 30th, and the Death Riders were center-stage for most of the night. On this night, we saw Marina Shafir defeat former women’s champion Britt Baker with The Brutalizer, Moxley defend his Continental Championship against PAC’s long-time rival, Orange Cassidy, and Bryan Danielson bury the hatchet with the faction and join them in the ten-man tag main event. 

The Death Rider’s opponents in that main event were the beefiest members of Don Callis’s never-ending family: Jake Doyle, Josh Alexander, Lance Archer, a returning Wardlow, and Mark Davis. It was cathartic seeing The Death Riders pick up the win, but their business wasn’t finished with the DCF. A week later, Moxley teamed with Gabe Kidd to take on Davis and Doyle, and surprisingly, the big bruisers were able to get the win. Now, riding the momentum from his victory, Mark Davis has called out the Continental Champion for WrestleDream. 

It wasn’t too long ago that Mark Davis held singles gold, becoming just the third man to hold the National Championship before dropping it to Andrade at All In. He poses a credible threat to anyone, but Moxley isn’t just anyone. He’s a four-time AEW World Champion, the All Elite Ace (in my humble opinion), and arguably the most dominant Continental Champion so far. Davis has his work cut out for him in Orlando, though he does boast two victories over the Death Riders (including a pinfall victory on the champ!), so maybe it’s Mox that needs to watch his back. This is my pick for the night’s SLEEPER HIT. I think it’ll be a cathartic “reset” for Moxley and the Death Riders, and I think Mark Davis will bring his best against the Continental Champion.

Andrade El Ídolo vs. Tommaso Ciampa— National Championship Match

Tommaso Ciampa won the TNT Championship on his very first night in AEW, and that set him on a specific trajectory involving championship gold at any cost. Though, if you followed him during his NXT days when he clutched the NXT Championship and called it “Goldie”, you’d know this is a consistent character trait of his.

Ciampa made it clear that his quest for gold was not stopping, and was in fact continuing against the National Champion. In Paris, Ciampa planted a kiss on Andrade’s cheek, and then planted the champ onto his own title with a DDT. At this week’s Dynamite, Ciampa actually secured a victory against Andrade in a tag match and then planted the National Championship on the champ’s chest. Andrade has yet to get a proper leg up on the Psycho Killer, but you underestimate the National Champion at your own peril. Past the selfies with beautiful ladies and the tantalizing mid-match pants removals, Andrade remains a successful fighting champion. Over the past three months, he’s defended it six times, most recently against former RevPro Heavyweight Champion, Michael Oku. At WrestleDream, Ciampa looks to render Andrade unconscious, Andrade looks to make Ciampa lucky number seven, and we get to see who comes out on top.

Swerve Strickland and The New Level (Kofi/Austin Creed) vs. The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly (Hangman Page/Brody King/Bandido) —

Two out of Three Falls Match for the Trios Championship

It’s been three weeks since Swerve Strickland and The New Level successfully defended their Trios Championships against Hangman and Brodido. The animosity between these two teams— and specifically Hangman and Swerve— has not gotten any better. Ever since Swerve returned and immediately got into his old rival’s business, it has threatened to bring Hangman back to a darker, more unfocused place. That’s why they lost the Trios championships in the first place, and that’s why they lost the rematch for them at All Out. Though, I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention they may have won if Swerve hadn’t gotten Creed in the way of a Buckshot Lariat. 

Hangman and Brodido have one final shot at the Trios Championships, and maybe that’s for the best. Hangman and Swerve always bring out the worst in each other, and Brodido and The New Level have other teams they need to prove themselves against. Their final confrontation is a two out of three falls match, ensuring a definitive victor in this rivalry. Neither team will make it out of the ring until they can keep the other down for a count of six (cause that’s how math works). There’s levels to this rivalry (all puns intended), and most of them are personal. But above all else, both teams are looking to prove that they are the greatest trio in AEW, and at WrestleDream we find out who really deserves that accolade.

Dani Luna vs. Hyan vs. Queen Aminata vs. Persephone—

TBS Championship Match

A match built off a champion’s hubris. Ever since Persephone won the TBS Championship at All In, she has made a total of one ally and a great number of enemies. Hyan is the best friend and tag partner of the former champion, Maya World, who suffered an injury during her match with Persephone. Hyan came close to defeating Persephone for the TBS Championship, but Persephone used the ropes to help her retain. Dani Luna made her AEW debut at All Out by answering Persephone’s open challenge, and she too may have won the TBS Championship if it wasn’t for Britt Baker’s interference. Queen Aminata just plain doesn’t like Persephone and placed herself in contendership by coming to Luna and Hyan’s aid after their tag match against Persephone and Britt Baker. 

With three possible contenders with bones to pick against the champs— and Britt Baker continuing to be a factor in Persephone’s matches— the decision was made to give them all a championship match at WrestleDream. The odds are thoroughly stacked for Perse Dos Straps in Florida.

(Chris) Jericho vs. Nick Wayne

It was only a matter of time until this feud reached a pay-per-view. Chris Jericho and Nick Wayne had their first encounter at the Casino Battle Royale at All In. Nick Wayne’s cockiness amused Jericho, but he was much less amused when Wayne cost Jericho a future world championship shot by getting pinned by Andrade. Next week, on Dynamite, Jericho told Wayne that he still had a lot to learn and would gladly teach him a thing or two. And he could start by getting rid of the puka shell necklace. Wayne took offense to those words because it discredited everything he’d already accomplished before and during his AEW tenure. He’s a second-generation wrestler, a former ROH Television Champion, and a successful participant of NJPW’s Battle of the Super Juniors tournament. Plus, puka shell necklaces are cool (they’re not, especially on white guys sorry not sorry). 

The two faced off in September, and when Wayne’s necklace broke, Jericho rolled him up for a pinfall victory. Then, at Grand Slam France, Nick used a low blow to defeat Jericho and held a pompous victory celebration a week later. Now, Jericho just kind of wants to beat up Wayne, get his win back, and teach him a lesson or two. Wayne agreed to the rubber match on the condition that Jericho must apologize for disrespecting him if he loses. Whether that happens remains to be seen. 

Clockwork Carnage Match for the Men’s World Championship

Violence, chaos, and a wonderful excuse to showcase a talent of riches; Clockwork Carnage is tailor made for AEW’s brand of wrestling. It’s also why this is my easy pick for MATCH OF THE NIGHT. The brainchild of Will Ospreay himself, Clockwork Carnage was first used in Pro Wrestling Eve and is now all elite. 

The concept is a twisted love child of a gauntlet and iron man, and the rules for it are as follows: 

Ospreay is putting his world championship on the line in this match, and he can lose it without getting pinned. The eight men that qualified for this match are a who’s who of AEW, all with legit claims to the throne. Let’s look at the contenders and how they made their way into Clockwork Carnage. 

Samoa Joe

After spending some time away in Hollywood, the leader of The Opps returned at All Out, responding to Jack Perry’s goading with a headbutt. Then, he defeated Jack Perry to become the very first man to enter this match. This has given him a chance to rest up and watch the other competitors claw their way onto the mountain. Joe is one of the most dangerous men in this match. He’s a two-time AEW World Champion and only needs to catch you lacking for a second to lock in the Coquina Clutch and choke you out. If Joe has his way, he can choke everyone out before the match even reaches the second stage.

Will Ospreay

Despite being the champion, he was actually the second man to qualify for the match he created, because he needed to get past Kazuchika Okada first. Ospreay created and petitioned for this match, which is either very brave or very stupid. He’s going to have to be on alert the entirety of both phases if he wants to escape Florida with his championship. Though, if anyone can do it, it’s the Aerial Assassin. 

“Speedball” Mike Bailey

At France, Bailey defeated Lee Moriarty to become the third man to qualify for Clockwork Carnage despite being a part of Ospreay’s United Empire. Ospreay wanted the best for this match and he wanted the best for his faction, so Bailey’s placement in both makes sense. He has the stamina to go the distance in this match, and his devastating kicks make him a threat at all times. Ospreay and everyone else best watch their backs, and fronts, and heads.    

Adam Copeland

Earlier this week on Dynamite, Adam Copeland defeated Josh Alexander to become the fourth man to qualify for Clockwork Carnage. Right after the match, he announced that 2027 would be his final year in professional wrestling. He wants to start his retirement tour on top, securing another world championship in his already full trophy room. The Ultimate Opportunist is a former Money in the Bank, Championship Scramble, and Royal Rumble winner. If there’s anyone that’s equipped to survive multi-man madness, it’s him.  

Konosuke Takeshita

After coming to Copeland’s aid against the Don Callis Family, Takeshita found himself already in the ring with his opponent for his qualifying match: Brian Cage. Takeshita overcame the brick shithouse of the DCF and became the fourth man to qualify for Clockwork Carnage. The former International Champion looks to finally become the World Champion, and he will knee anyone in the head in order to get there.

Kazuchika Okada

The Rainmaker received a second chance to qualify for this match against Myron Reed, and he made the most of that opportunity. His victory over Reed meant he not only defended his International Championship, but it ensured he could get revenge against Ospreay for defeating him in Paris. Okada is the only hope for the DCF to secure the World Championship in this match, and he’s going to have to go through some old rivals to get it.

Ricochet

The first man of The Demand punched his ticket to this match by defeating Ace Austin. Ricochet is a wild card in this match, his high-flying ability and opportunistic nature means he can play spoiler to anyone. Especially the champion. Look for him to sneak some pins and smack people in the head with his forearm when they aren’t expecting it.

Darby Allin

The final man to qualify for Clockwork Carnage is the current TNT Champion. Just like Okada, Darby put his own championship on the line against Hechicero in order to punch his ticket to WrestleDream. Now, Darby looks to not only become a double champion, but to also win back the World Championship he lost this summer.

Other Important Things

- A match for the Women’s World Tag Team Championship was scheduled for WrestleDream between Wrathlander (Kris Statlander/Harley Cameron) and the Brawling Birds (Jamie Hayter/Alex Windsor). However, Jamie Hayter is not medically cleared for the event due to a lingering issue from their street fight at All Out. Therefore, the championship match is postponed.

- At this week’s Collision, a mysterious vignette was played that included a conductor, classical music, and some dude in a nice suit. People have speculated this could be a debut video for Ilja Dragunov. I, too, think this is a debut video for Ilja Dragunov because I am very smart. But what do you think, reader? 

- On Dynamite, FTR claimed they should be the number one contenders because they’re 3-2 in their series against the Young Bucks. The Motor City Machine Guns interrupted them, stating that it’s time for them to become the contenders for the tag team championship. So, a challenge was set for a Best of Five series between both teams. The first match in that series happens before WrestleDream at the Tailgate Brawl (the pre-show). 

- The Continental Classic starts next month, which is AEW’s annual round-robin tournament for the Continental Championship. Be on the lookout for an announcement about that during the PPV, and be prepared for a month or so of the best wrestling you’ve seen all year.

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Jhuvin P. is a writer for CBC/DSR. He has previous experience as a ghostwriter, has published several short stories, and is perpetually working on a novel. In addition to writing, he is also a comedian based out of Colorado Springs. He posts clips of his stand-up along with his other goofy antics on TikTok and Instagram. 

A Handy Guide To: WWE Money in the Bank 2026

Need to know when and where to watch an upcoming PLE? Need to know who’s fighting who? Need to know why you should care? Then, you’ve come to the right place!

“A Handy Guide” is a series on Dirt Sheet Radio where I run down an upcoming pay-per-view, and discuss the competitors and stories going into each match. For now, the focus is going to be on WWE and AEW, but if there’s interest, we may expand to companies like TNA, NJPW, and more. Additionally, I also give my picks for the sleeper hit, the match that I think will over-deliver or be under-appreciated, and my match of the night, which should be self-explanatory.

Today’s edition is all about Money in the Bank 2026, taking place on Saturday, October 10th, from the Smoothie King Center in New Orleans, Louisiana. 

The PLE will air on traditional pay-per-view and stream on the ESPN app in the United States. International viewers can stream it on Netflix; additionally, it will stream on SuperSport in Africa, and Abema in Japan. This article does not cover any of the Kick-Off (pre-show) matches, and as always the card is subject to change. For now, these are the matches and their stories:

Roman Reigns vs. LA Knight—

World Heavyweight Championship Match

One must imagine Sisyphus happy.

LA Knight is one of WWE’s most charismatic wrestlers, and has been for the last five years. He debuted in NXT in 2021, taking over the pre-show broadcast of the aptly named NXT Takeover: Vengeance Day to announce his signing to the world. Over the next year, he revived the Million Dollar Title in an entertaining feud with Cameron Grimes, participated in NXT’s last-ever War Games match, and helped the black-and-gold brand transition into the 2.0 era. For his main roster call-up, he was saddled with the gimmick of Max Dupri, the manager for a male model agency. The role was antithetical to everything that made LA Knight great, and mercifully he shed the Dupri coat nine months later and reverted back to being the Megastar. 

A chance feud with Bray Wyatt, made especially poignant due to Wyatt’s untimely passing, allowed Knight to cut a fantastic promo that still gives me chills rewatching it. The crowd was getting into LA Knight in a big way, he was often the most cheered for wrestler on any given night, and even received an in-ring endorsement from John Cena. WWE had stumbled with his presentation at first, but now they had a bonafide superstar they could build around, a future main eventer and certainly the next world champion. 

Certainly…

Unfortunately, every time Knight has gotten a shot at one of WWE’s biggest prizes, it’s been against people that WWE has deemed to be bigger draws than him. Drew McIntyre, Randy Orton, Jey Uso, Seth Rollins, CM Punk…and Roman Reigns. The OTC has been Knight’s most unconquerable mountain for the last three years. His first shot at major singles gold was a loss to Reigns at Crown Jewel 2023, and then he lost to him again in a Fatal Four Way match at the Royal Rumble. Since then, he has held an unending grudge against Reigns and his entire Bloodline (save for his new bestie, Solo Sikoa), and now that Reigns holds the World Heavyweight Championship, he gets another shot at knocking the Tribal Chief off his ivory tower. 

But the harsh truth is that Reigns clearly has his number, and Knight is fighting him at Money in the Bank, an event that also seems to have his number. This will be Knight’s first singles match at this PLE. The last three times he has been involved in the Money in the Bank ladder match, and every time he’s been fingertips away from grabbing the briefcase, he’s been tossed off and had to look up at the lights at the eventual winner. 

I truly, desperately want to believe this is going to be LA Knight’s time, and that WWE will strike while the iron is, well, lukewarm. But with reports of WWE already eyeing a potential Roman vs. Penta rematch, and the Wrestlemania 43 plans revolving around either Oba or The Rock, it’s looking like that boulder is going to roll down that hill again. And so…one must imagine Sisyphus happy.

Men’s Money in the Bank Ladder Match

A wise man once said that multi-man ladder matches are the bay leaves of pro wrestling. You don’t always need it, and you don’t know how it got in there, but man is it giving that stew the good spice. In this case, however, this entire PLE is built around the Money in the Bank ladder matches, so I guess this would be a stew that’s all bay leaves? I’ll work on the metaphor.

Regardless, the MITB matches are always fun car crashes and a great way to highlight potential main-eventers and exciting up-and-comers (except in 2013 when one MITB match was all main eventers and the other was just mid-card talent). Let’s take a closer look at the competitors this year and what it would mean for them to win the briefcase.

Bron Breakker

The Unpredictable Badass is riding high after leaving Oba Femi laying in the ring (with Bronson Reed’s help) at Sunday Night’s Main Event. The second-generation superstar, and one of the crown jewels of The Vision, recently became one half of the World Tag Team Champions. Now, he has a chance to add another accolade to his already impressive resume. He defeated Ethan Page and Rey Mysterio to become the first man to enter the ladder match. Now, he looks to skewer any competitor that gets in the way of him and the briefcase.

Je’von Evans

Because of his self-proclaimed bounciness (it sounds cooler when he says it), Evans is probably the man best equipped for this kind of match. The Young OG became the second man to win a spot in the MITB match by defeating the other half of the World Tag Champions Austin Theory and a returning Big Cass. He has been a wonderful standout since his days in NXT and has already gotten endorsements from the likes of Randy Orton and John Cena. He already has ladder match experience on the main roster, participating in the IC Title ladder match at Wrestlemania 42, and shone on the big stage. Look for him to do more of the same here.

Trick Williams

As soon as the “Whoop That Trick” chants began shaking arena walls, you knew Trick Williams was main roster bound. Trick is another gifted athlete who made the effortless transition from collegiate athlete to pro wrestler. After finishing his NXT tenure as a two-time NXT Champion, North American Champion, and TNA World Champion for good measure, he made his main roster debut in January. Since then, he’s competed in the Royal Rumble, Elimination Chamber, Wrestlemania, and also had Lil Yachty as his manager until recently. The current Men’s United States Champion took advantage of a distracted Randy Orton to pin the AAA Cruiserweight Champion Rey Fénix to become the third man to enter MITB. I’m sincerely hoping that, if he wins it, he also fur-lines the briefcase.

Penta

After a spectacular showing against Roman Reigns for the World Championship, Penta carried that momentum into a qualifying match against Dominik Mysterio and Dragon Lee. Now, Cero Miedo es la cuarta persona en el MITB. Penta already has ladder match experience in the WWE, successfully defending the Intercontinental Championship in one at Wrestlemania 42. The poise and grit needed to survive and outlast everyone in a multi-man ladder match is something he already possesses, so look for him to be a favorite to win the briefcase this year.

CM Punk

It’s been thirteen years since CM Punk was last in a MITB match. Though he’s the man who needs the briefcase the least, it would admittedly be cool to see him become the only three-time MITB winner. That being said, he will be going up against a plethora of young and hungry competitors who see the decorated former WWE Champion as a major target. Still, experience is a major factor for a match like this, and Punk has that in spades. He will look to exploit weaknesses and lapses in judgment from the other entrants, though he will especially have to look out for the final man in this match.

Kevin Owens

KO’s return at Summerslam was unexpected and cathartic. It’s always tragic when a wrestler’s career is cut short due to a severe injury— especially a neck-related one— and so it was great to see him back in the ring. He quickly entered a feud with CM Punk after winning a number one contender’s match at Summerslam, though he was unsuccessful in his attempt to win the WWE Championship due to interference by Sami Zayn. On his next attempt, he would lose to Sami Zayn for the championship due to interference by CM Punk. Though, the only reason Punk interfered was because Owens cost him the championship against Zayn. It’s a whole thing. Regardless, Owens looks to grab the briefcase for the first time in his career, and if he can do so while Punk is looking up at him, that would make it all the sweeter.

Oba Femi vs. Bronson Reed

As someone who’s never seen them, the best part about any Godzilla movie is the elite roster of kaiju he can fight and the carnage he reaps. “The Conqueror” Oba Femi put his feud to rest with “The Beast” Brock Lesnar at Summerslam, and then found himself locking horns with Bron Breakker next. At Sunday Night’s Main Event in September, the two faced off in a deeply physical match. As Oba looked to put away Breakker, however, he was attacked and thoroughly demolished by a returning Bronson Reed. The Aus-Zilla (oh hey, that’s fitting) was out of action for months with a severe biceps tear and returned looking slimmed down and angry at the world. He smashed a steel chair into Femi’s back, hit him with five Tsunamis, and stood tall with his Vision co-hort, Bron. 

Femi would not take this assault lying down. The very next night, he sought revenge against Reed and the rest of The Vision, taking the fight to them on Raw. However, the numbers would overwhelm him and Reed once again stood tall over the current King of the Ring. A few weeks later, Femi decided to talk business rather than brutality, and formally called out Bronson Reed for a match at Money in the Bank. Before signing the contract, Reed made it clear that he is dead set on “dethroning” The Ruler. After the contract was signed, Femi made it clear that he was a mountain Reed would not be able to climb. 

There’s not too much depth in this feud because there doesn’t need to be, it’s two alpha males going at it to prove who is the superior fighter. Reed and Femi bring an intensity to the ring that makes this basic feud not only work, but also makes it intriguing television. I cannot wait to see what these two do when the bell rings. Solely because of the time-tested method of “big meaty men slapping meat”, this is my pick for the match of the night. 

Stephanie Vaquer vs. Becky Lynch vs. Liv Morgan–

Women’s World Championship Match

At Wrestlemania 42, the Royal Rumble winner Liv Morgan defeated Stephanie Vaquer to become the Women's World Champion. She would go on to lose the Queen of the Ring tournament, defend the championship twice, and then drop it back to Vaquer five months later at a house show in Chile. It was an underwhelming run for someone who promised to be the greatest women's champion of all time. Now, however, she gets a shot at redemption due in part to the other two women in this match. 

Stephanie Vaquer has had a meteoric rise since joining the WWE in 2024. In just two years, she has become the only woman to hold the NXT Women’s and North American Championships at the same time, the first Chilean and South American woman to win a world championship in the WWE, and the second ever Women’s Crown Jewel Champion. WWE has trusted her to deliver, and every time she gets in the ring, that’s what she does. After losing the World Championship to Morgan at Wrestlemania 42, Vaquer took some time off and then returned to Raw in August to attack the Judgment Day and declare in the ring that she was back for her championship. However, she was not alone in that ring. 

Becky Lynch, the wild card of this match, returned from her own two-month hiatus on the same night as Vaquer to make her own championship intentions clear. The Man has had a perennial bone to pick with Liv Morgan, and Morgan declaring herself the greatest women’s champion made Lynch’s grudge that much stronger. At the Chile house show, Lynch inserted herself as spoiler and special guest referee, screwing Morgan out of the championship. Then, on subsequent attempts to establish herself as the new number one contender, Morgan stepped in her way. With tensions rising, Morgan and Lynch sqaured off to decide the definitive contender for Vaquer’s title, but Vaquer was so frustrated with both women’s egos that she attacked them both during the match and declared that she would face them both.

A championship match with three great workers that all have legitimate claims to the title. This is my sleeper hit for the PLE because I think it risks being overshadowed by the spectacle of the ladder matches, and I don't want to see that happen. Go out of your way to watch this triple threat, I'm certain it's going to be a good time. 

Women’s Money in the Bank Ladder Match

A wise man once said— oh wait, I already used this line. 

In all seriousness, this is shaping up to look like a much more intriguing MITB match given the women involved. The future of the women’s division is on full display. Let’s take a closer look at the competitors this year and what it would mean for them to win the briefcase.

Sol Ruca

Former Women’s North American Champion, former Women’s Speed Champion, former Women’s Intercontinental Champion, and a selected participant of John Cena’s “The Last Time Is Now” event. Suffice to say, WWE sees potential in Sol Ruca, and now she gets a shot to add another major accolade to her already impressive rookie year. She defeated Lyra Valkyria and Maxxine Dupri to become the first woman to qualify for the MITB match. Expect a highlight reel moment of her doing a Sol Snatcher of a ladder, and maybe turning the briefcase into a surfboard if she wins. 

Lola Vice

A fourth-degree black belt with a 4-1 MMA record, Lola Vice knows more than one way to kick your ass. She made her NXT debut in 2023 and gained popularity with her martial arts prowess, pride in her Cuban lineage, and nearly undefeated streak in NXT Underground matches. Earlier this year, Vice finally secured gold, defeating Jacy Jayne and Kendal Grey for the NXT Women’s Championship at Stand & Deliver. In her debut match on Monday Night Raw, she defeated Raquel Rodriguez and Kelani Jordan to become the second woman to qualify for MITB. 

Jacy Jayne

Another long-tenured NXT star, Jacy Jayne made her debut on the third brand all the way back in 2021. She was part of the highly successful stable Toxic Attraction before creating her own group called Fatal Influence. She is an expert on capitalizing on opportunities, winning the NXT Women’s Championship twice, the TNA Knockouts Championship for good measure, and the Women’s United States Championship on her first attempt. She sneaked out a victory against Alexa Bliss and Jade Cargill to get into the MITB match and looks to capitalize on one more opportunity in her already impressive career.

Roxanne Perez

The Prodigy was the fourth woman to win a spot in the MITB match, defeating the former Women’s World Champion Iyo Sky and the current AAA Reina de Reinas Champion La Catalina. This proves what Roxanne has known for a while: that she can hang with the best in the business. The two-time NXT Women’s Champion (and also the inaugural ROH Women’s Champion) put the third brand on her back, and when there were no more worlds left to conquer, the Tiny Chief made her main roster debut in 2025. She set the record for the longest time spent in the Women’s Royal Rumble, entered the Elimination Chamber, made it to the semifinals in the Queen of the Ring Tournament. Now a mainstay with the Judgment Day, Perez looks to bring the MITB briefcase back to the clubhouse. 

Lash Legend

A successful collegiate athlete, Lash Legend made her wrestling debut during the early days of NXT 2.0. In 2023, joining the eclectic stable known as Meta Four. Known for her impressive size and strength, it was only a matter of time before the main roster took notice. She showed out in the 2026 Royal Rumble by eliminating five women in a short amount of time, and then formed a team with Nia Jax known as The Irresistible Forces. She took advantage in a match involving Giulia and Charlotte Flair to become the fifth women in this year’s MITB. 

Tiffany Stratton

The final woman to punch her ticket in the MITB match is the decorated success story of the new NXT. Stratton is another athlete who made the transition to wrestling and took to the industry like a bedazzled fish to sparkling waters. She is not the only woman in this match with MITB experience, but she is the only one to win it. Back in 2024, months after making her Smackdown debut, Stratton won the briefcase and successfully cashed it in on her former ally Nia Jax to win the Women’s Championship. She defeated Candice Lerae and Tatum Paxley to return to this ladder match, and now she looks to become only the third person to win the briefcase multiple times (fifth if you count Edge and The Miz winning the briefcase in non-MITB matches). 

Other Things To Look Out For: 

I’m putting this guide out before Smackdown tonight because I always like to make sure you guys have these guides a day before a PLE. Chances are they’ll probably announce another match tonight, maybe something between Cody and Randy, because it feels like this card could use at least one more match.

Bayley and Lyra Valkyria have been engaged in a blood feud since Lyra turned on Bayley. They’re not scheduled for a match on this PLE at the time of writing, but I do think they will play some part. Maybe they brawl backstage, who knows? 

The 946, the badass group consisting of Royce Keys, Lucien Price, Bronco Nima, and Jaida Parker is also engaged in a blood feud with The Bloodline. People have been run over, things have been set on fire, bodies have been dropped. Last Monday, Solo Sikoa begrudgingly and temporarily rejoined The Usos to take the fight to The 946. Though, who’s to say that they don’t take the fight to New Orleans? Especially since The OTC is defending his championship.

Where is Danhausen?

Jhuvin P is a writer for CBC/DSR. He has previous experience as a ghostwriter, has published several short stories, and is perpetually working on a novel. In addition to writing, he is also a comedian based out of Colorado Springs. He posts clips of his stand-up along with his other goofy antics on TikTok and Instagram. 

The DSR Indie Wrestling Watch Guide: October 2026

Spooky Season is officially upon us, wrestling fans. It’s a glorious season to be a part of an industry that thrives on unnerving and sometimes terrifying hyperbole. This month, storylines are splattered with extra blood and gore. October indies have it all: jump scares, hidden identities, masks, gimmicks, and general fear.

As a lifelong and year-round spooky girl, I’ll be the first to tell you, no one needs permission to commune with the dark side, but Halloween sure gives us a fun reason to be a little extra about it. This month’s Indie How to Watch guide leans all the way into the season too, highlighting 13 featured shows with an intentional seasonal hook, followed by a regional roundup for anyone who wants more wrestling than one human being could reasonably watch.

Programming note: Streaming details are listed where they’ve been announced. Smaller promotions often add a live feed or VOD option late, so anything marked TBD is worth checking again the week of the show.

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New Texas Pro: Texas Contenders Series #69: Trick or Treat

Oct. 1 | Houston, Texas | Watch live on IWTV

New Texas storms into October by giving its prospect-heavy Contenders Series the Halloween treatment. Four matches have been announced, including Alexia Ivy vs. Kitti Hisatomi, Danny King vs. Buzzsaw Samuels, and Rudy Garza vs. Marvelous Mack. The match with the highest obvious stakes is Pac Ortega vs. Jak Calloway, another round in their Best-of-Five Series. TCS is a highly competitive promotion built around wrestlers trying to move up the New Texas pecking order, so it’s a great place to find people who may be much harder to see on an indie card a year from now.

Hoodslam × SlamTown: DOOMSLAM

Oct. 2 | Oakland, Calif. | Expected on TrillerTV+

Dirt Sheet Radio’s feature promotion for September, Hoodslam doesn’t really need Halloween to get weird. It already feels like a wrestling show broke into a nightclub after midnight and nobody bothered to call security before everyone morphed into shadow people. DOOMSLAM, however, brings the worlds of Hoodslam and SlamTown together at Oakland’s Crybaby for an adults-only show featuring a who's who line-up of the region's most electrifying talent, including the Stoner Bros, KEiTA, Sheikah, Mylo, Mike Rayne, Cereal Man, Lara and Anton. No individual matches have been announced yet, but with Hoodslam, the characters and whatever lunacy connects the matches are likely to be half the attraction anyway. Hoodslam’s current shows stream on TrillerTV+; the specific DOOMSLAM stream hadn’t been posted as of Sept. 30.

ATTACK! Pro Wrestling: Goosebumps 11

Oct. 24–25 | Cardiff, Wales & Bristol, England | Watch on ATTACK!’s Patreon

ATTACK! doesn’t just slap a pumpkin on the poster and call it Halloween. It commits. Goosebumps is the promotion’s annual Halloween weekend, which pairs naturally with a company already built around ridiculous characters, elaborate costumes, and wrestling that can veer from genuinely great to completely unhinged in a matter of minutes. This year has another reason to watch: Goosebumps 11 will celebrate 20 years of Mark Andrews’ in-ring career across two nights, Oct. 24 in Cardiff and Oct. 25 in Bristol.

The card is still in development, but ATTACK! has called it its biggest Halloween party yet. The promotion currently posts complete events through its Patreon, where recent 2026 shows and earlier editions of Goosebumps are already available, so viewers outside the UK should be able to catch the weekend on VOD.

PPW: House of Spells

Oct. 10 | Slatington, Pa. | Watch on YouTube

Pennsylvania Premiere Wrestling has gone with the beautifully basic with House of Spells for its October show. PPW is still rolling out the card, so there aren’t enough confirmed matches yet to hype anything beyond the event itself, but the promotion has already added it to its October schedule and is advertising match announcements through its site and social channels. The upside for anyone outside Pennsylvania is accessibility: PPW directs viewers to its YouTube channel to watch its events, making this one of the easier regional promotions to sample without first figuring out which wrestling streaming service acquired it six months ago.

EWF: Halloween Brutal 2026*

Oct. 10 | Porto Alegre, Brazil | Watch on EWF’s YouTube channel

Brazil’s Evolution Wrestling Force has been running Halloween Brutal long enough to have defined what “brutal” means here. The 2026 card hasn’t been announced yet, but the 2024 edition included a no-rules match and ended with Ryan O Patrão defending the EWF World Championship against KaoZ in a casket match. EWF’s YouTube has deep archives for international viewers: channel members can access recent complete events, older shows eventually become free, and individual matches are regularly released at no charge. Last year’s Halloween Brutal is available there in full, so there’s plenty of homework while the new card fills in.

* This one is in Portuguese, but if you, like me, are tragically monolingual, don’t let that turn you off to EWF. You can get everything in admittedly not great YouTube translation, but this is a really physical company; you won't necessarily miss out if you don’t subtitle.

JCW: A Nightmare in Bergen County (Jersey Championship Wrestling, not to be confused with Juggalo Championship Wrestling)

Oct. 18 | Ridgefield Park, N.J. | Watch live on TrillerTV+

JCW has two matches announced already, and both fit comfortably under the heading “matches you might watch between fingers with your hands over your eyes.” Long-standing rivals Bear Bronson faces Conor Claxton, while Charles Mason gets Gabby Forza. Kylie Alexa, SLADE and Sloane Jacobs are in for the show, though matches haven’t been announced. JCW’s current incarnation has become pretty adept at mixing strange recurring characters with wrestlers who could turn a match into a bar fight with very little encouragement, making A Nightmare in Bergen County one of the stronger actual wrestling cards in the Halloween pile. Better yet, it's already listed as a live TrillerTV stream.

MCW Pro Wrestling: Monster Mash

Oct. 24 | Joppa, Md. | Full-event viewing available through MCW online

Not everybody needs to bleed into a pumpkin to make the season festive. MCW’s Monster Mash is the family-friendly version of Halloween wrestling, with trick-or-treat stations, costumes, giveaways, meet-and-greets, and nine matches promised for the main card. Students from the MCW Training Center will also get preliminary “Breakthrough” matches before the main card. Specific pairings haven’t been announced, but MCW has been around since 1998 and still works in the classic regional-indie model: lots of matches, recognizable local regulars, and a show parents can bring kids to without having to explain the difference between razor wire and barbed wire afterward. MCW makes full events available online, including on YouTube.

UK Wrestling: Hallowed Ground, Nowhere to Run

Oct. 24 | Batley, England | Live worldwide on StagePlayer+ and YouTube membership

Sure, there’s something to be said for subtlety, but UK Wrestling isn’t particularly interested in listening. Every damn match happens inside a 15-foot steel cage. Hallowed Ground: Nowhere to Run will run entirely inside the cage, regardless of who winds up on the final card. The promotion hasn’t announced enough matchups yet to single out a headliner, but the stipulation itself makes this one of October’s easiest recommendations because there’s no wondering whether the Halloween name actually means anything once the bell rings. It’s also one of the easiest international viewing options: UKW says the entire show will air live worldwide on StagePlayer+ PPV and through its Level 2 YouTube membership.

Pro Wrestling Action: Monster Mash 4

Oct. 25 | Deltona, Fla. | Watch through PWA’s YouTube channel

Monster Mash 4 is another family-friendly option, complete with a costume contest and PWA’s brightly colored, comic-book-heavy presentation. As with most of these shows here, the card is still coming together, although Saieve Al-Sabah currently holds the All-Star Championship and Shelly Benson and Nick Turner are the inaugural Dynamic Duos Tag Team champions, giving the promotion a few established pieces to build the show around. Nothing’s been announced to suggest those titles will be defended, so don’t pencil those matches in yet, but, you know, it’s possible. PWA posts its wrestling through its official YouTube channel, though an Oct. 25 live stream hasn’t been posted yet.

GCW: Shotzi Blackheart’s Drive-In From Hell

Oct. 25 | Grindstone, Pa.g | Watch live on TrillerTV+

Professional wrestling at an actual drive-in followed by horror movies is the kind of idea that makes my own little black heart happy. Shotzi Blackheart (Naturally) hosts GCW’s Drive-In From Hell. The current roster makes the concept even better: Hallowicked, Frightmare, and Beastman are joined by Lio Rush, Megan Bayne, and Priscilla Kelly. Individual pairings still haven’t been announced, but this doesn’t need much salesmanship beyond “GCW at a drive-in on Halloween weekend.” Unlike a lot of the month’s smaller spooky shows, this one already has a confirmed national option and will stream live on TrillerTV+.

Labor of Love: Mischief Night Mayhem 5

Oct. 30 | Philadelphia, Pa. | Watch online via YouTube

A lot of October events focus on the the spirit of the holiday, but Labor of Love has actual stakes attached to its fifth Mischief Night Mayhem. The Outfielders, Shea McCoy and Weber Hatfield, face Citywide Street Gang’s Martin Hughes and Tom LaRosa in the Commonwealth Cup final, with the vacant LOL Philly Philly Tag Team Championship also on the line. Matt Mako will defend the Citywide Championship against Se Morrigan. That gives the show more to work with than Halloween costumes and a spooky font: there’s a tournament conclusion and two championships at the center of the announced card. The event is listed as an online stream through YouTube, with more matches still to come.

BZW: Scary Banger

Oct. 31 | Lyon, France | Watch on BZW+

Banger Zone Wrestling gets one of the month’s biggest visiting names in Jeff Cobb, who’s already announced for a BZW Championship match against whoever holds the belt by Halloween night. Calypso vs. Mila Smidt is also official. That’s enough to make Scary Banger more than an international curiosity, particularly for anyone who hasn’t spent much time with the growing French wrestling scene. The show takes place Halloween night at Salle de la Ficelle in Lyon and is already listed as an upcoming release on BZW+, the promotion’s subscription streaming service, so viewers outside France won’t need a plane ticket to find out what French wrestling looks like with the lights turned down.

IWA: Hallowicked

Oct. 31 | Sutherland, New South Wales, Australia | Watch later on YouTube

Halloween actually falls on show night for International Wrestling Australia, which will run Hallowicked at Club on East in Sutherland. The promotion hasn’t announced the card yet, so this is more of a bookmark than a match-specific recommendation for now. IWA has been running in Australia for decades, though, and its October branding tends to give the promotion room to lean harder into characters and spectacle than on an ordinary card. International viewers should eventually be able to see the results themselves: IWA says it regularly uploads both individual matches and complete event footage to its official YouTube channel.

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Around the regions

A few more October options, from tiny local Halloween cards to national indie anchors. A lot of these smaller promotions announce streams late, so TBD really does mean check the week of the show again.

This is not even close to an exhaustive list for events or streaming options. As always, check out ThrillerTV and IWTV for streaming options.

Please remember that the best way to keep your favorite independent promotions alive and thriving is to go to the shows, buy the merch, and spread the word.

Northeast

Oct. 18: Limitless Wrestling: Fresh Blood '26 (Portland, ME). JTG is advertised alongside Donovan Dijak, Maggie Lee, Manders and Thomas Shire. It isn't a Halloween gimmick show, but it's a strong wrestling-first option mid-month. Watch: IWTV archive; event stream TBD.

Oct. 24: Focus Pro Wrestling: The World in My Hands (Cambridge, MA). An afternoon show at Sonia makes this half of an easy Cambridge wrestling doubleheader for anyone planning to stay for the violence later that night. Watch: TBD.

Oct. 24: ICW No Holds Barred (Cambridge, MA). Same building, much rougher half of the doubleheader. If the Halloween mood you want is 'somebody may need stitches,' this is the option. Watch: check ICW's current streaming listing closer to bell time.

Midwest

Oct. 10: HAW: Never Surrender (LeClaire, IA). Leyla Hirsch and Masha Slamovich are among the names advertised, giving this one more outside-name juice than a lot of regional cards. Watch: TrillerTV PPV.

Oct. 23: AAW: Bourbon Street Massacre (Merrionette Park, IL). AAW returns to 115 Bourbon Street with a title that understands the assignment. The card is still filling in. Watch: TBD.

Oct. 23: New Edge Pro Wrestling: The Omen (Hazel Park, MI). The name does some October work on its own, and the announced card includes Marco Modello vs. Jake Omen and STXRM Garcon vs. Noelle Summit. Watch: YouTube bonus matches announced; full-show stream TBD.

Oct. 24: Pro Wrestling King: Halloweenmania XIII (South Bend, IN). Thirteen Halloweenmanias is enough to qualify as a tradition, and PWK gives northern Indiana its own annual spooky-season card. Watch: no confirmed stream is listed yet.

Oct. 24: NWF (Covington, KY). A Halloween Massacre Match gives this one a real seasonal hook instead of just an October date. Watch: check NWF's official channels; stream TBD.

Oct. 31: We Love Wrestling: Halloween Wrestleparty 2 (West Allis, WI). The Wisconsin deathmatch-heavy promotion lands on Halloween itself, which feels about right. Watch: WLW's recent full events are available on IWTV; exact release timing for Wrestleparty 2 TBD.

South

Oct. 2: The Establishment Wrestling: Monster Smash II (Casselberry, FL). TEW opens the month at EMPIRE Arena with Monster Smash II -- 'Smash,' not 'Mash' -- and gets Florida into the Halloween business immediately. Watch: TEW has streamed recent EMPIRE Arena shows live on YouTube; exact Oct. 2 feed TBD.

Oct. 3: Coastal Championship Wrestling (Miami, FL). CCW is a reliable Florida regional option and has been making major shows easy to find online. Watch: recent events have streamed free on YouTube.

Oct. 3: MLW Slaughterhouse 2026 (Atlanta, GA). MLW is the biggest promotion in this roundup, but a Fusion taping called Slaughterhouse belongs in October. The event is now listed for Atlanta after originally being announced for Philadelphia. Watch: footage airs through MLW Fusion on YouTube, VEEPS and beIN Sports; this is a taping, so don't assume the full event airs live that night.

Oct. 9: ProSouth Wrestling (Piedmont, AL). ProSouth runs often enough that it feels less like a monthly supercard promotion and more like a real weekly wrestling ecosystem. Watch: YouTube, including live/member programming.

Oct. 10: Viral Pro Wrestling (Augusta, GA). One of Georgia's better-established regional promotions, and an easy add for anyone trying to follow the Southeast beyond the biggest brands. Watch: TBD.

Oct. 11: Deep South Wrestling (Atlanta, GA). Yes, Deep South Wrestling is still around. That alone makes it a fun regional note for readers who remember the name from another era. Watch: TBD.

Oct. 24: Brawloween III: La Noche De Miedo (Lake Mary, FL). The title translates to 'The Night of Fear,' which is really all the justification an October roundup needs. Watch: no confirmed stream yet.

Oct. 24: AW: Halloween Massacre (Kissimmee, FL). Another Florida card that isn't being subtle about the holiday, this one runs at Sun on the Beach. Watch: no confirmed stream yet.

Oct. 24: Wrestling Revolver (Nashville, TN). Revolver is the larger-scale option in the South roundup, with a deeper traveling roster and a more national indie footprint. Watch: TrillerTV+.

Texas

Oct. 15: Dragonslayer Pro Wrestling (Fort Worth, TX). A smaller Texas stop that helps the roundup get past the usual Houston-Austin axis. Watch: WSN Plus has carried Dragonslayer programming.

Oct. 25: River City Wrestling (San Antonio, TX). A long-running San Antonio promotion and a solid regional anchor for the back half of the month. Watch: TBD.

Oct. 30: New Texas Pro: 8-Year Anniversary (Houston, TX). Shibata, Bryan Keith and Kylie Rae are among the advertised names, making this one of the easiest non-Halloween cards to recommend on name value alone. Watch: IWTV and YouTube are listed for the event.

West / Mountain

Oct. 25: Primos Premier Pro Wrestling (Denver, CO). Primos is back at the Roxy, giving the Mountain West a real October stop without pretending every region has 10 major indies running every weekend. Watch: TrillerTV+ carries Primos programming.

Oct. 31: Crimson Crown Wrestling: Festival of the Dead (California). This is the CCW in question -- Crimson Crown, not Coastal Championship Wrestling -- and its whole 'supreme violence' identity is already built for Halloween. Watch: Crimson Crown has an official YouTube channel and recent full events on IWTV; exact Festival of the Dead distribution TBD.

Have a show you think should be listed?

Send SHOW NAME, HQ POSTER, FULL CARD, LINK TO EVENT to DSRHowToWatch@gmail.com

#Indys4life

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For more promotions and ways to stream local, regional, and international independent wrestling, check out the September and August Guide.

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Jenny Catlin is a writer from the Square States, covering racing, pop culture, professional wrestling, country and western, and glam metal music, obsession, sex, pornography, the real working class, indie press, and other obsessions. An award-winning essayist, she is a contributing writer at The Athletic and Denver-based Denverse Magazine. Find her on Substack and Instagram.

Remembering PAC 11 Essential PAC Matches: Omega, Ospreay, Orange Cassidy and More

Benjamin Satterley, better known as PAC, passed away Sunday, September 27th, 2026, at 40 years old.

The Butcher and PAC in a photo widely circulated by fans in the wake of the passing of both legends within one month.

Benjamin Satterley, better known in the wrestling community as PAC, passed away Sunday, 9/27/2026. The loss is monumental and comes far too closely on the heels of Andy “the Butcher” William’s death earlier this month. Writing about either man in the past tense still feels unnatural. The back-to-back losses have shaken the entire wrestling community. The Bastard is gone too soon. The Butcher is gone too soon. It’s devastating, and these losses are felt across the entertainment world. Our hearts are with those who knew them, both inside and, especially, outside of the ring.

PAC spent more than two decades honing one of contemporary wrestling’s most distinctive styles. From Dragon Gate and early NXT to WWE’s cruiserweight revival and the first years of AEW, PAC wrestled like gravity itself deserved to be punished.

Technically airtight and explosive off the ropes, PAC could leave the ground with the best high-flyers in the game, but what made him inimitable was how brutally every move landed. PAC’s style was remarkably dense: aerial speed, stiff striking, and punishing submission work packed into a compact but brutal frame.

AEW remembered him as a wrestler who mesmerized fans with “innovative high-flying moves and incredible in-ring ability,” but that still undersells his range. PAC could fly, certainly. He could wrestle technically and work brutally stiff. He could play a brilliant heel, and his straight man work was among the best in the business. PAC made Orange Cassidy jamming his hands in his pockets feel like a mortal insult demanding swift, brutal retribution.

PAC’s early matches with Kenny Omega were vital to setting up the kind of in-ring action AEW wanted to be known for. Fast, physical, and technically dense, those early matches saw long periods built around counters, endurance, and escalation rather than quick gimmicks or spectacle alone. PAC's first singles match against Cassidy, combined with their long-term rivalry, helped legitimize one of AEW’s riskiest characters as someone who could work in a serious wrestling match.

Before either of those, though, Adrian Neville’s NXT run produced one of the defining matches of that era against Sami Zayn. Benjamin Satterley, PAC/Neville, is mourned, missed, and in all ways incomparable. As a PAC fan and a human being, I’m more interested in what PAC gave us than how he left us. I spent all night Sunday rewatching old matches and promos, and so many of them remain spectacular. As heartbreaking and inspiring tributes roll in from fans, promoters, opponents, and the entire wrestling community, may all of us find some consolation in the legacy he left us.

Far more than a handful are worth revisiting, but these are good places to start.

Adrian Neville vs. Sami Zayn, NXT TakeOver: R Evolution, Dec. 11, 2014

Before PAC became AEW’s permanently furious bastard, Adrian Neville was helping define what NXT could be. His title match with Sami Zayn is memorable, in part, because of Zayn’s long pursuit of the NXT Championship, but Neville is fundamental to the payoff. Zayn had promised to leave NXT if he lost. Neville, meanwhile, spent the buildup proving his willingness to use his friend’s decency against him.

The match drags the whole feud into the ring rather than just relying on bigger and bigger spots. Neville knows Zayn well enough to cut off his dives and exploit his kindness when Zayn stops to do the decent thing and check on a fallen referee. Late in the match, Zayn gets hold of the championship belt and could easily use it as a weapon, but, of course, he refuses. Neville nearly steals the match with a rollup, but Zayn survives and finally wins the title the clean way, with the Helluva Kick.

This match feels like, perhaps, the best demonstration of just how complete Neville was pre-PAC. The aerial offense is there, of course. But this match is legendary for its impeccable character work and match psychology. It’s a classic good vs. evil trope: pushing the limits, the growing pressure to cross a line that cannot be uncrossed. When it's perfectly executed like this, it’s a reminder of why.

Neville and Zayn’s embrace after the match is more noteworthy now than ever. Neville’s heelish edge never completely erases the man underneath it. He’s willing to bend the rules to hold on to the title. But he recognizes that Zayn earned it. A rare moment of sincere resolution in the rivalry before Kevin Owens arrives to destroy it.

PAC vs. Will Ospreay, RevPro High Stakes, Feb. 15, 2019

RevPro “High Stakes” 2/15/19 . Photo: Beyond Gorilla

PAC had just recently returned to wrestling after leaving WWE when RevPro put him opposite another one of Britain’s great aerial wrestlers in front of a sold-out York Hall. This wasn’t just two highflyers trying to out-flip each other, though. It was a full show.

PAC bullied Ospreay early, while Ospreay kept finding creative ways to escape and accelerate the match. By the closing stretch, they were trading Spanish flies, suplexes, and increasingly urgent counters. PAC eventually low-blowed Ospreay, climbed for the Black Arrow, and deliberately let the 30-minute clock expire rather than risk a loss.

The crowd demanded five more minutes. PAC left—extremely PAC.

PAC vs. Dragon Kid, Dragon Gate Dead or Alive, May 6, 2019

PAC’s post-WWE return also saw him back in Dragon Gate, where he’d already spent years developing prior to becoming a major American star. By Dead or Alive, PAC was the Open the Dream Gate Champion. Dragon Kid made an ideal opponent: compact, unbelievably quick, and easily able to turn a title match into an aerial sprint.

PAC answered Dragon Kid’s springboard hurricanranas and moonsaults with power, including a brutal sequence of backbreakers, powerbombs, and a middle-rope Tombstone before eventually retaining with the Black Arrow. This is an exemplary match for looking at what separated PAC from those who were simply spectacular in the air: when PAC came down, everything looked landed and landed hard.

PAC vs. Kenny Omega, AEW All Out, Aug. 31, 2019

PAC’s AEW debut came on short notice after Jon Moxley was pulled from the show with an MRSA infection. Instead of easing him in, AEW put him opposite Kenny Omega in their first-ever singles meeting, billed by AEW as a dream match. These two faced off in plenty of outstanding matches, but what makes this one a “best of” is how jjust quickly these two icons establish their contrast.

Omega repeatedly tries to accelerate; PAC repeatedly cuts him off, matches him in the air, and then turns the match closer and more physical. The exchanges get shorter and harder as the match progresses, with PAC using his brute force and submissions to keep dragging Omega out of the match he so clearly wants to wrestle.

Maybe most importantly, PAC doesn’t arrive as a showcase opponent who’s only there to make Omega look good. He wins cleanly and decisively, trapping Omega in the Brutalizer until he passes out. On one of AEW’s biggest early shows, PAC walked in as a replacement and left looking like someone who could plausibly beat anybody on the roster.

Kenny Omega vs. PAC, 30-Minute Iron Man Match, AEW Dynamite, Feb. 26, 2020

Probably the essential PAC-Omega match. Their rubber match went the full 30 minutes, then into sudden-death overtime, before Omega won 2-1.

PAC is especially spellbinding in this one because he keeps changing the shape of the match. He matches Omega’s speed, overpowers him, then shuts the pace down with the Brutalizer. Omega has to adjust constantly. By overtime, both men look like they're just trying to survive.

More than almost any early Dynamite match, this one showcased what AEW wanted its television main events to be: long, demanding, and technically ambitious. This is easily one of the fundamentals of AEW’s strategy for proving it could headline a pay-per-view.

PAC vs. Orange Cassidy, AEW Revolution, Feb. 29, 2020

Just three days later, PAC went from an exhausting Iron Man match to being the ideal fuming straight man for Orange Cassidy’s first AEW singles match. Cassidy’s hands-in-the-pockets routine could easily have floundered, but it works largely because PAC so convincingly reacts to it like it’s a personal insult to wrestling itself. And then they actually wrestle. PAC wins with the Brutalizer, but this match's importance in establishing Cassidy as a legitimate talent in the AEW stable can’t be overlooked, largely because of PAC's ability to sell.

Kenny Omega vs. PAC vs. Orange Cassidy, AEW Double or Nothing, May 30, 2021

PAC vs Kenny Omega vs Orange Cassidy at Double or Nothing

The two defining early PAC rivalries collide. Omega defended the AEW World Championship against PAC and Cassidy in a frantic three-way that consistently kept even the most cynical fan believing either challenger might steal the title.

PAC vs. Andrade El Idolo, AEW Rampage, Sept. 10, 2021

Pure, distilled, PAC. Violent and deliciously excessive, both men repeatedly transform spectacular offense into a match that feels convincingly dangerous. Andrade stomps PAC from the ropes to the floor; PAC answers with a top-rope moonsault, a 450 splash, and, of course, ultimately the Brutalizer. These wrestlers’ styles fit like puzzle pieces in this one.  Both can wrestle at high speed and in the air, but neither handles athleticism as decoration. Everything lands hard.

Admittedly, the finish is a bit of a blemish. Chavo Guerrero covertly smacks PAC with an iPad while the referee is distracted, allowing Andrade to steal the pin. Even Andrade rejects the assist afterward, decking Chavo once he learns what happened. The interference keeps it from being a definitive finish. Still, the match itself is an excellent snapshot of PAC at his most versatile: fast enough to match Andrade move for move, strong enough to make the exchanges physical, and dangerous from almost anywhere in the ring.

PAC vs. Will Ospreay, AEW All Out, Sept. 7, 2024

Ospreay kicking PAC at All Out

Five years after their RevPro meeting, PAC and Ospreay finally got another singles match. With Ospreay’s International Championship on the line, the rematch had none of the exploratory feel of 2019. The speed was still a staple, but PAC transformed almost every exchange into a test of how much punishment Ospreay could absorb. PAC German-suplexed Ospreay on the apron, dropped him with a poison rana there, repeatedly trapped him in the Brutalizer, and just kept finding ways to counter Ospreay’s speed with something violent. Osmike vbailey and opac preay survived the Brutalizer and multiple poison ranas, while PAC later kicked out after taking the Hidden Blade. Ospreay finally put him away with a Styles Clash followed by another Hidden Blade. Even AEW’s commentary abandoned restraint: Tony Schiavone called it “an all-timer.”

PAC vs. “Speedball” Mike Bailey, AEW Collision, Nov. 27, 2025

High-flyer’s Mike “Speedball” Bailey and PAC

The 2025 Continental Classic eliminated any Death Riders interference and returned PAC to straight singles wrestling against one of the company’s fastest and most athletic opponents, Mike Bailey. Two wrestlers with enormous kicking and aerial arsenals raced each other to the next opening. Bailey landed a poison rana and a barrage of kicks late but missed the Ultima Weapon; PAC answered with a lariat and immediately cinched in the Brutalizer until Bailey went out and the referee stopped the match.

More than just a great match, it proved that PAC still belonged in AEW’s top-level singles mix. PAC could still dictate the match, finish decisively, and look perfectly at home in a tournament built around elite in-ring wrestling. It’s less a career-defining classic than proof that, even later in his run, PAC remained elite.

PAC vs. Andrade El Ídolo, AEW All Out, Sept. 26, 2026

PAC’s final match came only a day before AEW announced his death. Challenging Andrade for the National Championship, PAC was still doing what defined him for two decades: a springboard cutter, a huge moonsault to the floor, a 450 splash, an avalanche hurricanrana, and the Brutalizer. Andrade finally escaped by rolling through the submission and pinning PAC. It doesn’t need to be retroactively declared one of his greatest matches to belong on a retrospective. The significance is simpler and sadder: PAC’s final match looked like a PAC match. There was no farewell tour and no visible winding down.

PAC had incredible range. He could work Omega’s long-form epics, play furious straight man to Orange Cassidy’s absurdity, and keep pace with Ospreay and Bailey. He made matches feel like a fight just by changing the pressure. Across promotions and eras, the constants were precision, speed, and an almost hostile physicality. What makes revisiting them harder now is that there is no graceful decline to trace, no obvious final chapter. There was no parting version of PAC. There was only PAC — until suddenly there wasn’t. And we aren’t sure what to do with that besides appreciating everything he gave us.

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Jenny Catlin is a writer from the Square States, covering racing, pop culture, professional wrestling, country and western, and glam metal music, obsession, sex, pornography, the real working class, indie press, and other obsessions. An award-winning essayist, she is a contributing writer at The Athletic and Denver-based Denverse Magazine. Find her on Substack and Instagram.

PAC Passes Away

All Elite Wrestling has announced the passing of Benjamin Satterley, known to wrestling fans in AEW as PAC and in WWE as Adrian Neville.

“All Elite Wrestling is saddened to announce the passing of Benjamin Satterley, aka Pac,” the company said in a statement. “A native of Newcastle upon Tyne, England, Satterley began his wrestling career in 2004 and went on to perform for wrestling organizations all over the world, captivating fans with innovative high-flying moves and incredible in-ring ability. Pac signed with All Elite Wrestling in 2019 and held multiple AEW Championships and competed in some of the most memorable matches in AEW history. Our condolences go out to Satterley’s family, friends and fans.”

Satterely first made a major name for himself on American television in NXT where his incredible athletic ability garnered him the name ‘The Man That Gravity Forgot,’ winning the NXT Championship and carrying the brand through the early stages of its television, culminating in an absolute classic with Sami Zayn. From there, his WWE run peaked as ‘The King of the Cruiserweights,’ becoming the most beloved Cruiserweight Champion of the second iteration of the belt, even as the top heel on 205 Live.

Satterley became an original member of All Elite Wrestling in 2019 under the name PAC, which was his ring name before signing with WWE in which he made his name under in promotions such as Dragon Gate. The run, which started with an early feud with Kenny Omega that helped AEW form its reputation as ‘where the best wrestle,’ saw him as the leader of Death Triangle and a member of the Death Riders, two of its most iconic groups, the latter of which he had been doing the last few years. But his AEW run goes beyond that, seeing as he had been the first All-Atlantic Champion, later becoming part of the International Championship lineage.

‘The Bastard’ gave professional wrestling fans memories for over 20 years of his life, and completely changed the hybrid style that professional wrestling fans had seen up to that point.

The details surrounding PAC’s untimely passing are currently unknown, especially seeing as he was just on television as recently as last night challenging Andrade for the National Championship. PAC had turned 40 last month.

DSR/CBC will keep you as up-to-date as possible.

The Mystery Wrestling Talent Initiative: What Is It and Why You Should Care

On September 25th, Mystery Wrestling might have launched a program that likely will change the game for Canadian wrestlers trying to break through on an international level. In a video posted to Mystery Wrestling’s YouTube channel, Evil Uno announced the Mystery Wrestling Talent Initiative in addition to several of the talents the promotion has signed to the company. 

Now, companies sign talent all the time. You may even be thinking why something like this matters? I’m here to break it all down and give you my thoughts as an avid Mystery Wrestling viewer as well as highlight some of the talent recently signed under this incentive to keep an eye out for a local independent promotion near you.

The Mystery Wrestling Talent Initiative

As announced across Mystery Wrestling socials, over two dozen of Canada’s top independent stars have signed to Mystery Wrestling through their new talent initiative. Through this, these talents are now available to not only be booked in Canada, but the United States and abroad. Headlining the group are the likes of Stu Grayson and Psycho Mike, both of whom are also signed with Maple Leaf Pro Wrestling. 

In the video debuting the program, Uno describes it as “a monumental day for a lot of Canadians who never could be able to enter America to wrestle” and I wholeheartedly agree with this sentiment. Time after time, the visa approval process hinders talent's ability to perform in the US. This impact can be felt on both the independents and in major US companies. Heck, very famously, Mike Bailey got banned from the US for 5 years for trying to cross into the US without a work visa for wrestling – and that was nearly a decade ago before border restrictions have somehow gotten even tighter. 

As a result of this initiative, we now have the chance to see so much amazing Canadian talent on local independent shows. Vets who have spent years working towards a moment like this to finally break onto a larger stage. A bevy of young talent whose ascension to that next level will likely be expedited as a result of this program. I believe that The Mystery Wrestling Initiative will play a massive part in shaping the next generation of Canadian stars for the better.

Although I am excited to hopefully see all of these talents soon at my local independent show, there are five specific acts that I think people should keep an eye out for.

Standout Talent

Psycho Mike

As mentioned early, I think Psycho Mike is one of the main talents that headlines this talent announcement. Not only is Mike signed to MLP, he also has wrestled several current AEW stars, most recently RJ City (yes, you read that correctly). Every time an international independent show comes to Canada, it feels like you will likely find Psycho Mike somewhere on that card. He is someone that matches up so well against any opponent and knows how to get a great laugh.

One might think that Mike easily could have chosen not to sign with Mystery because of all of this. However, signing one of the country’s top independent stars quickly legitimizes the program. I think this is an excellent opportunity to introduce Mike to the larger American wrestling audience because his style of wrestling translates fantastic across the border. I am still devastated that I didn’t get to see him live in Montreal, but who knows, maybe I’ll get to hear “Who wants to see a body slam?” live sooner than expected. 

TDT

Well, I said in my Mystery Wrestling 27 review that I would cross the border in a heartbeat to see these guys wrestle again live – looks like I might not need to. As both a trio and singles talent, Thomas DuBois, Mathieu St Jacques, and Benjamin Tull, known collectively as TDT are such a fun signing as a part of this initiative. I’ve caught up on a couple more of their matches post-Montreal and these guys still impress. Something about their hard-hitting style just connects with me and I think will impress crowds at a show anywhere across the US. I can’t wait to see these three represent Quebec proudly on an international stage. 

Fresh Air

Arguably one of the best young tag teams in Canada now gets to prove themselves on a larger stage. Junior Benito and Macrae Martin are staples of Mystery Wrestling so their signing isn’t a shock, but is vital to their growth together. Their chemistry is up there with some of the best teams, even holding their own against Daniel Garcia and Wheeler Yuta in Montreal. I’m convinced that they would get any independent crowd on their feet in a match of the night worthy contest. Even if a split may be in their cards in the future, both Benito and Martin I think are going to be faces of this initiative so be on the lookout for them soon.

Layla Wilde

Learn the name Layla Wilde now because when she eventually breaks out to a larger audience, you can say you bought in early. From the moment I saw her in a Mystery Wrestling ring, there was just something about her that screamed future star. “The Ultimate Woman”, despite being so new to wrestling, seems to understand wrestling so well. She can really do it all, comedy, brawl, tag, singles, you name it. I think her being able to work in the US and abroad will be a great opportunity to home in on her natural instincts as a wrestler and take a massive next step forward in her career.

London Lightning

I’m going to make a massive prediction right now: London Lighting is going to be signed to a major company by the end of the decade – and this incentive is going to be why. I think he is such a great talent, from his look to his gimmick to how he works in the ring. Bringing him in front of a larger audience will be a massive step forward for him in the next phase of his career. Him vs the likes of Jordan Oliver or Alec Price? Sign me up now! 

I said it before, I’ll say it again. London Lightning is the future of Canadian professional wrestling. I don’t know what it is, but something about him almost reminds me of watching young MJF clips. That’s high praise but I seriously think this guy has the potential to be that big. Now, because of the Mystery Wrestling Talent Initiative, he’ll be able to enter that phase of his career sooner rather than later.

To learn more or book any of the talent signed to the Mystery Wrestling Talent Initiative, you can visit their website or contact talent@mysterywrestling.com.  

Amanda Woods is an independent filmmaker and writer residing in the Green Mountain State of Vermont. She loves any medium that is able to tell a good story. Recently, she’s fallen in love with international pro-wrestling, having watched matches in three different countries and hopes to travel for more shows soon! Amanda really should have a website to view all of her work, but for now, her Instagram page will do. 

A Handy Guide To: AEW All Out 2026

Need to know when and where to watch an upcoming PPV? Need to know who’s fighting who? Need to know why you should care? Then, you’ve come to the right place!

“A Handy Guide” is a series on Dirt Sheet Radio where I run down an upcoming pay-per-view, and discuss the competitors and stories going into each match. For now, the focus is going to be on WWE and AEW, but if there’s interest, we may expand to companies like TNA, NJPW, and more. Additionally, I also give my picks for the sleeper hit, the match that I think will over-deliver or be under-appreciated, and my fairly self-explanatory match of the night.

Today’s edition is all about AEW All Out 2026— the company’s longest-running pay-per-view— taking place on Saturday, September 26th, at Now Arena in Chicago, Illinois. This will mark AEW’s first appearance in Chicago this year, and All Out’s return to the Windy City. All Out is to AEW what Backlash is to WWE, it’s a display of consequences from the company’s biggest show of the year. It marks a reset for some wrestlers and a new chapter for others. Over the years, it has been home to some of AEW’s most memorable such as the Chicago Street Fight between Willow and Statlander, the Lights Out Steel Cage Match between Swerve and Hangman (yikes), the debut of CJ Perry (yikes but in a different font), and of course the crowning of the inaugural AEW World Champion. 

The PPV will air at 4pm PT/7pm ET on major cable and satellite providers in the United States, Canada, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. U.S. and Canadian viewers can stream the event on YouTube, Prime Video, and DAZN. Additionally, U.S. fans can also stream it on HBO Max or catch it at select Dave & Buster locations nationwide. International viewers can view the event on PPV.com or MyAEW.com. 

This article does not cover any of the Buy-In (pre-show) matches, and as always the card is subject to change. But for now, these are the matches, and these are the stories: 

Kazuchika Okada vs. Tommaso Ciampa— International Championship Match

Given their career trajectories, you’d be forgiven for thinking this match could never happen. While Okada was the poster boy for New Japan and having seven-star matches with Kenny Omega, Ciampa was becoming the most despicable heel in NXT and putting on one of the brand’s first five-star matches with Johnny Gargano. During COVID, Okada was dealing with Ospreay’s defection from CHAOS, and Ciampa was teaming with Timothy Thatcher and trying to wrestle the UK Championship from WALTER (now Gunther). When Okada signed with AEW in 2024, it seemed like this match would definitely never happen because Ciampa was busy reforming #DIY with Gargano and winning the WWE Tag Team Championship. 

However, on January 28th, 2026, Ciampa made his AEW debut— a week after announcing his departure from WWE— and that forbidden door was busted wide open once again. 

Fast forward eight months later. Okada has allied himself with The Don Callis Family, sowed seeds of discord with Fletcher and Takeshita, and won the International Championship from the former. Ciampa already has one TNT Championship reign to his name and recently settled a blood feud with Chris Jericho. Hungry for gold and hungrier for competition, Ciampa calls out the new International Champion. Okada, of course, calls him a “bitch”, and Ciampa responds in kind. No more jokes and no more smiling. The Psycho Killer wants The Rainmaker at All Out, and he just might get him. Given all that, I’m calling this match the sleeper hit of the pay-per-view. The match to really look out for to steal the show.  

Andrade El Idolo vs. PAC— National Championship Match

To maybe no one’s surprise, Andrade El Idolo defeated Mark Davis at All In, winning the AEW National Championship and a cathartic ridding of The Don Callis Family from his life. Now, he finds himself in the crosshairs of a different, much more violent faction. The Death Riders have not taken kindly to Andrade’s arrogance and in-ring antics. Taking selfies with beautiful women, removing your pants, and posing in between the ropes are behaviors unbecoming of a professional wrestler. The Death Riders need to teach him a lesson, and The Bastard looks to be the guy who will do just that.

PAC has been a mainstay of the Death Riders since they were still known as the Blackpool Combat Club. The grumpy Englishman terrorizes opponents with his hard kicks and deceptive strength. Though he’s a smooth and graceful high-flyer, he often finishes matches with a tight double underhook crossface aptly called “The Brutalizer”. In Moxley’s gang, he plays the enforcer role well, often ending fights rather than starting them. That isn’t to say, however, that he doesn’t pick fights of his own. 

After successfully defending his championship against Daniel Garcia, Andrade was jumped by the rest of the riders (sans Mox and, technically, Kemalito) An irate PAC touted his former victory against the National Champion and vowed to do it again in Chicago. Before Andrade could respond, PAC kicked him in the head and left him laying in the ring. This will be a brutal exhibition. How I know?? Because Andrade and PAC are technically sound wrestlers, and their styles mesh well with each other. Expect to be entertained and wowed way before Andrade even takes his pants off.

Swerve Strickland and The New Level (Kofi/Austin Creed) vs. The Good, The Bad, And The Ugly (Hangman Page/Brody King/Bandido) — Trios Championship Match

Last month at All In, Austin Creed (formerly Xavier Woods) and Kofi (formerly Kingston) made their not-so-surprise AEW debut as The New Level. They became the new Trios champions with Swerve Strickland, and also secured the second catchiest theme music in AEW. First place is Orange Cassidy’s theme no I will not be taking any questions. The New Level have quickly ingratiated themselves to the AEW fans, showing off how they haven’t lost a step and why they were two-thirds of the subjectively greatest trio in WWE history. After being criminally underutilized in the latter days of their WWE tenure and then reportedly being asked to take a 50% pay cut, it was refreshing to see them win gold on their first day in AEW. 

Unfortunately, they had to step on many toes on the way to doing so. Even more unfortunate, those toes belonged to the last three Trios champions. The Conglomeration held the Trios championships for a substantial amount of time until a timely intervention by The Lethal Twist (Jay Lethal/Blake Christian/Lee Moriarty) caused them to lose the titles to The Demand. Ricochet and his guys could only celebrate being champions for a week before they also lost the titles to the makeshift team of Hangman and Brodido. Less than a month later, they, too, would lose the titles in that tumultuous Roulette Royale at All In. With so many teams holding valid claims for the championship, Tony Khan pitted them against each other. The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly defeated The Conglomeration, and Swerve and The New Level defeated The Demand, setting us up with this great Trios Championship match at All Out.

Who knows how long Swerve will stay allied to Kofi and Creed, and the same can be said for Page and Brodido. Regardless, both teams have great chemistry with each other and against their All Out opponents. Expect another stand-out performance by The New Level, fun shenanigans by Brodido, and palpable tension between Swerve and Hangman. 

TBS Championship Open Challenge

They don’t ask how you won, they only ask who won. At All In, Persephone defeated Maya World for the TBS Championship, but her victory comes with a big asterisk. An asterisk named Britt Baker. The Doctor returned in London and interfered in the TBS Championship match, securing the victory for and allying with Persephone. That isn’t to say that Persephone wouldn’t have won without Britt’s help, because she absolutely could have.

At just fifteen years old, Persephone started her wrestling journey in her hometown of El Paso, Texas. She’s powerful and charismatic, and just a few years into her career, she was picked up by CMLL where she garnered international attention. So much so that at Forbidden Door 2025, she was invited to compete in a four-way match for the TBS Championship. In the match, she came close on multiple occasions to winning the title off then champion Mercedes Moné, and AEW took notice.

Over the next year, she worked primarily in CMLL while making sporadic appearances in AEW until she officially signed with the latter in January 2026. Now, she reigns as not only the TBS Champion, but also as the CMLL Women’s World Champion (who she fittingly took off of Mercedes Moné). Perse Dos Straps has already retained her championship against Vertvixen and Hyan, now she’s going to Chicago to take on anyone else that dares to step in the ring with her.

Cage and Cope vs. FTR vs. The Young Bucks— Ladder Match for Men’s Tag Team Championship

At All In, Christian Cage used a screwdriver to help his team retain their championships against the Young Bucks. This complicated the tag team contender scene. After the match, FTR made their return to stare down Cage and Cope, the men who beat them for the titles. This complicated the scene even more. In order to un-complicate things, Adam Copeland laid down a monumental challenge for All Out: a three-way ladder match involving all three of these teams. For copyright reasons, AEW can’t call this a TLC match, but we all know in our hearts that this is what it’s going to be. 

There’s a lot of history between these six men going into the match. Cage and Cope, respected symbols of a bygone era, have to prove that they can hang with two of the best tag teams today in a match they made famous. They’ve made FTR say “I Quit” and they survived against the Young Bucks, but can they outlast both teams at the same time? FTR are 3-2 against the Young Bucks two-on-two, but they’re 1-2 against Cage and Cope. However, they’re the freshest out of all three teams, which could give them the edge in this ladder match. The Young Bucks also excel in ladder matches and can be just as opportunistic as FTR and the Attitude Era legends. 

There’s not much else to say about this match. TLC matches are car crashes in the best kind of way, and the six men involved are all prolific in their own rights. Expect a symphony of con-chair-tos, lots of broken wood, and high-dives that’ll make your palms sweat like crazy.

The Brawling Birds (Jamie Hayter/Alex Windsor) vs. Divine Dominion (Lena Kross/Megan Bayne)— Chicago Street Fight for Women’s Tag Team Championship

My goodness, do these ladies despise each other. At All In, these two undefeated tag teams went head-to-head for the very first time. All four women had something to prove and they couldn’t stand how much the other team was bragging about their successes. After weeks of blindsided attacks and brutal exchanges of words, things finally came to a head in London, and the Brawling Birds came out on top. No one expected Divine Dominion to take this defeat lying down, much less the new women’s tag champs. So, the rematch was set for All Out. 

This will not be just any match, though, this is going to be a Chicago Street Fight. These four women are no strangers to weaponized brawls. Last year, Megan Bayne won a hard-hitting, No DQ match with Penelope Ford against Anna Jay and Harley Cameron, and she was also in the first women’s Blood and Guts match opposite Jamie Hayter. Lena Kross helped defend the tag team championships in a bloody No DQ match against the Sisters of Sin (Julia Hart/Skye Blue). And speaking of No DQ, Alex Windsor made a name for herself with some excellent no disqualification matches in RevPro and Pro Wrestling Eve. In an already violent-looking card, this match had the chance to fly under the radar, but I believe these two teams will bring the violence too. 

Willow Nightingale vs. Thekla— #1 Contenders Match for Women’s World Championship

On the same night that Mercedes Moné defeated Willow Nightingale for the Women’s World Championship, Thekla stood on top of the Buy-In panel’s table and declared her intentions to get back said championship. In one night, we had two strong contenders for Moné’s championship, and all three women were on a collision course for All Out. Would Willow attempt to play spoiler on yet another Moné reign? Would Thekla’s massive ego attempt to eclipse Mercedes’s? Or would we get a styles-clashing three-way dance in Chicago? The possibilities— all three of them— were endless!

And then Mercedes was diagnosed with a broken nose and wasn’t cleared for this month’s PPV. 

In the business, we call this scenario a “real bummer”. However, the back-up plan is anything but. In a rematch from Redemption, the former champion, Willow, will face off against the woman she beat to become the champion, Thekla. The winner goes on to Wrestledream in October to face Mercedes Moné for the women’s championship. 

Willow is nursing a legitimate broken left hand going into the match, but she’s not counting herself out and neither should you. The Babe With The Power(bomb) knows what it’s like to get sidelined and relinquish a championship due to injury, she is refusing to let that happen again. On the other hand (no pun intended), The Toxic Spider is looking to rewrite history, avenge her loss from Redemption, and reclaim her place at the top of the women’s division. She has no love for Willow— and vice versa— and will look to exploit every weakness she can in order to get her title back. 

This is not a detour, this is a delight. Willow and Thekla had a great match at Redemption, and their contrasting personalities have made for great television over the past month. The winner, no matter who it is, will be a more than worthy contender for Mercedes’s championship. And no doubt the champ herself will be on hand to watch this match closely. 

Darby Allin/Steven Borden vs. Don Callis Family (Kevin Knight/Kyle Fletcher)— #1 Contender’s Match for Men’s Tag Team Championship

On March 3rd, 2024— two years ago— Sting wrestled his final match, defending his and Darby Allin’s tag team championships against The Young Bucks. During that match, we saw Darby fall twenty feet onto a sheet of glass, The Young Bucks superkick Ric Flair out of AEW, and Sting call on two special guests: his sons. Steven and Garrett Borden accompanied their father to the ring, decked out in his Wolfpac and Surfer costumes respectively. They also got physical during the match, taking bumps and breaking out Stinger Splashes that turned some heads. Could Garrett and Steven carry on their father’s legacy? Or, better yet, could they carve their own legacies in the wrestling ring? Well, at All Out, Steven gets his first shot.

Steven’s career trajectory has been fittingly catalytic as well. Not to brag, but I was able to see Steven wrestle in a dark match before Collision. During the match, my friends and I joked that this was akin to seeing pre-jorts John Cena answering Kurt Angle’s open challenge. Fast forward to six weeks later, and Steven has made his official AEW debut, allied with his father’s protégé, Darby Allin, and dived feet first into a feud with the Don Callis Family. Sheesh, I wish my first two months at any job were this eventful. 

Don Callis has major beef with Steven after the potential prodigy rebuffed an invitation to join the family. Steven also aided Darby in taking the TNT Championship off of Kevin Knight, which made him even less popular with the family. Don has now sicced Knight onto Steven and Darby, and has Kyle Fletcher aiding and tagging with Knight. Though, that might also be to distract The Protostar from dwelling too much on being defeated by Okada and losing his International Championship. Begrudgingly, Knight and Fletcher make a decent enough team, and they hold a tag team victory over the Young Bucks. They’re carrying that momentum into All Out to take down Darby and Steven, and get another chance at championship gold in the process. 

Darby’s involvement in this feud is a no-brainer. Sting penned him as his mentee on the icon’s very first night in AEW, and their careers are forever intertwined. Taking the Borden legacy under his wing is more than just a favor for Darby, it’s a duty. He wants Steven to succeed just as much as Sting helped him succeed. If his second reign as a tag team champion can be with the scorpion’s son, then that’ll make this match Saturday that much sweeter. Plus, it means he gets to beat Kevin Knight again. 

Steven said he hesitated joining the wrestling business because he didn’t want to live in his dad’s shadow. At All Out, he takes a definitive step out of it, but will it end with defeat at the hands of the Don Callis Family? Or will it catalyze into championship gold? 

Will Ospreay vs. Jon Moxley— Men’s World Championship Match

At All In, Will Ospreay had a simple yet poetic walk-out for the main event. Accompanied by his United Empire stablemates and Baba O’Riley by The Who, Ospreay walked through the backstage area and encountered figures in his career that have defined his journey. People like Michael Oku, Swerve Strickland, Mark Davis, Kyle Fletcher, and his wife, Alex Windsor. Right as he got to the apron, he was stopped by Jon Moxley, the final craftsman that molded Ospreay into the man he was today. Moxley handed him the Union Jack, and nodded with begrudging acceptance before walking away. As Ospreay looked back at Mox, you could tell things weren’t over between them. 

Three days later, after the main event of Dynamite, Gabe Kidd sought to take revenge on Ospreay and company for beating him and his team. But Moxley and the Death Riders showed up, and Mox got in the way of Kidd before could lay Ospreay out with a steel chair. Then, as Moxley handed Ospreay his title back, and the two had an intense stare down, a graphic appeared on the big screen: Moxley vs. Ospreay for the Men’s World Championship at All Out. 

If you’ve been following AEW for the past few months, you know of the history between these two men. Ospreay sought the guidance of Mox and the Death Riders to gain a killer edge, the ability to “pull the trigger”. Ospreay proved himself to the Death Riders and they aided him in winning the Men’s Owen Hart Tournament. However, when Mox tried to suffocate Omega with a plastic bag at Redemption, Ospreay intervened and ended his partnership with the Death Riders. No one expected to see the two side-by-side again, though we expected them to inevitably come face-to-face. 

Ospreay revealed that he was the one that asked for this match, he wanted his first championship defense to be against the man that helped him win it. The Ace of AEW, the man who has won every singles championship a man can hold in the company— including the world championship four times. Moxley has made it clear that he never expected to be given this match, but he knew it was an inevitability. He wanted Ospreay to be a leader but he can sense the doubts, and he wonders if Ospreay even feels like a champion. Mox may not be his teacher anymore, but he’s still giving Ospreay his first test. 

If you can’t tell by now, this is my pick for match of the night. Save for Darby tagging with Sting’s son, this match has the strongest story threads, and I’m a sucker for a good story in my wrestling. It’s one thing to win the championship, it’s another thing to hold it. I can’t wait to see how Ospreay responds to the pressure, and how Moxley responds to Ospreay.

Other Things To Look Out For

- Ilja Dragunov is reportedly heading to AEW after dealing with visa issues. Could All Out be the introduction to Unbesiegbar? And if so, where do you see him fit best in the current roster? Personally, I wouldn’t mind seeing him confront the National or International champion at the end of their respective matches. 

- Andrade won the Casino Battle Royale at All In and has also allied himself with the world champion (possibly in a bid to be part of Ospreay’s United Empire?). He still holds his guaranteed title shot and has yet to make it known when he’ll cash it in. Regardless, he’ll likely be watching the main event closely.

- I just…really think Steven’s gonna turn on Darby. I have no basis for this other than a gut feeling. If it happens, it’s definitely a big departure out of the shadow of his dad (infamously the target of heel turns from many trusted partners), but it also feels too easy. And if it means he joins the overbloated Don Callis Family, then I want this even less. But that’s just the mark in me talking.

- Jack Perry recently called out Samoa Joe, daring him to come back to AEW and fight him. It's a bold move— kind of a stupid move, but bold nonetheless. He will be wrestling Katsuyori Shibata— a member of Samoa Joe’s group, The Opps— on the pre-show. This should be a good match in its own right, but maybe we also see an appearance from the former AEW World champion to answer Perry’s challenge.

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Jhuvin P. is a writer for CBC/DSR. He has previous experience as a ghostwriter, has published several short stories, and is perpetually working on a novel. In addition to writing, he is also a comedian based out of Colorado Springs. He posts clips of his stand-up along with his other goofy antics on TikTok and Instagram. 

VALUABLE With Rami Afif #1: Andrew Cass

In the first official written interview of Valuable with Rami Afif, my guest was independent talent Andrew Cass, who has wrestled for West Coast Pro, New Texas Pro, PrideStyle Pro, and many other promotions throughout his young career, now, he prepares for another important match to add to his collection, but before that, we spoke about his upbringing, his training to become a professional wrestler, valuable advice and goals, plus dream matches. You can read the full interview below.

Rami Afif: Before you laced up the boots and stepped out into the squared circle, you were a kid that was just growing up in Greenfield, Indiana trying to find who you are. What was it like for you growing up and what kind of mayhem or discoveries were you up to as a young Andrew Cass?

Andrew Cass: I only actually lived in Greenfield for the first two years of my life, but as a kid I just kept to myself and played video games for the most part. I found wrestling when I was ten, so that’s pretty much when everything changed so to say.

Rami Afif: Once you decided on making your way into pro wrestling, you attended, learned and trained at West Coast Pro. What has that experience been like for you and was there anything that you caught your eye on in your first couple of classes that made you feel that you chose the right school to go to for your pro wrestling career?

Andrew Cass: My first day at West Coast Pro was pretty much everything I hoped it could be. We started with a lot of cardio and calisthenics, which as a lifelong martial artist was very reassuring to see and be a part of. I also definitely got the vibe that everyone there is trying to not only get better, but to help each other improve as well.

Rami Afif: Every day, you learn something new and you take it with you on the journey that you’re on. Growing up, what was some of the best piece of advice that you received throughout your childhood? Who made the biggest impact on you whether it was family, a friend or a role model that you looked up to?

Andrew Cass: I would say the best advice I got as a kid was from my track coach, he told me “The work only gets done if you do it.” That mantra helps to motivate me.

Rami Afif: Last October was a very special month for you. From defeating the likes of Atticus Cogar, Manny Lo and Danny Orion in singles competition to win the West Coast Cup, what were the nerves like for you that day to compete in three big tournament matches and how did it feel to then step inside of the ring with the current ROH Pure Champion, Lee Moriarty for the first time ever?

Andrew Cass: The end of last year still feels a little crazy to me. With the West Coast Cup, I felt honored to be given the chance to compete in the tournament. It felt a lot like regionals in track. I’d spent the entirety of my career to that point forging myself to be able to do this type of night. And I guess all that work paid off. Wrestling Manny, Atticus, and Danny is I’d say the single most formative day of my career to that point. I was on empty essentially heading into the finals, i had holes in my knee from skewers, I’d been body slammed out of the ring, my back was killing me, and I still did it. Danny Orion is one of the best wrestlers I’ve ever had the opportunity to fight. And then nine days later I wrestled the Ring of Honor Pure Champion Lee Moriarty. To be able to hold my own and give it my all against a wrestler of that caliber and skill level was just incredible. Those couple weeks really changed who I am as a wrestler.

Rami Afif: Last month, you were part of Pandemonium Pro’s JoJo event, a tribute show to Jordan Saint. I know you spoke about how much he lifted the energy in the room with how kind and friendly he was to everyone he was around. What was it like for you to step in that ring as part of that six-man alongside JT Thorne & Vishnu Akali against a trio of Cosmo Orion, Jey Sharpe & Pac Ortega and did you feel the energy of Jordan throughout that night?

Andrew Cass: Jordan Saint was someone I wish I got the chance to talk more with. He was taken from us all far too soon, and I felt privileged to be a part of Pandemonium Pro’s tribute show for him, and also that I got to represent West Coast Pro alongside JT Thorne and Vishnu Akali.

Rami Afif: On September 25th, you have a huge opportunity on the line when you compete against Adam Priest for his West Coast Pro Championship at BodySlams on Broadway. How do you feel heading into this big time matchup, how much tape have you been studying of Priest and do you have a message for the champion before you challenge for the gold?

Andrew Cass: This week’s match with Adam Priest is the most important match of my career thus far. To be able to fight for one of the top prizes in american independent wrestling means a lot to me. I’ve seen that title be held by some of the best wrestlers I’ve ever seen in person, and the fact that I have the chance to win that very title is something I take very seriously. Adam is an incredible champion and an incredible wrestler. His mind for the sport is something I take every chance to study, so naturally I’ve been doubling down on that in the weeks leading up to this match.

Rami Afif: If you could step into the ring with one pro wrestler out of the entire history of the sport, who would it be, plus why would you choose them and would you want a specific venue and/or stipulation added to the bout?

Andrew Cass: Bryan Danielson. Easy. He’s the man that made me want to wrestle. As far as the venue goes, I’d have to say either Turbinenhalle in Oberhausen or the United Irish Cultural Center in San Francisco.

Rami Afif: As always, thank you so much for the opportunity to chat. Before I let you go, my last questions of the day. What are the three things you are grateful for, what are the three things you are looking forward to and what valuable advice would you have for someone who wants to step into the world of professional wrestling just like you?

Andrew Cass: I’m grateful every day for my family, the fact that I get to both live and fight for my dreams every single day, and that I get to wake up every morning. I’m looking forward to going up to Oregon for POW Wrestling on 9/26 to team with my good friend Bryce Kouza, taking my dogs to the park this weekend, and to Bodyslams on Broadway. And finally, my last advice to anyone reading this is that the work only gets done if you do it.

You can follow Andrew Cass’s journey in professional wrestling through his social media pages: AndrewCassPW on X/Twitter, Instagram and TikTok.

Rami J. Hanna has written about combat and motor sports, as well as sports such as baseball and basketball for a number of publications over the last ten years. In addition to his role at CBC/DSR, Rami also writes for WrestlePurists and False Finish, and launched his own YouTube channel, VALUABLE with Rami Afif.

Photo credit: Paul Ponte.

The Extraordinary Life of Andy Williams: The Very Best of an Rock Star and Wrestlerwo

Writer’s Note: I wasn't entirely sure I wanted to write this article, as life moves fast and I didn't know if it was ever coming together or if I was too late to do so. But after finally catching up on Collision, the tribute show for Andy, I had to write this to help myself mourn such an important person and chapter of my life. So this is better late than never.

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I wake up and take on water, sink to the peak of despair. What I need is a cigarette, no more prayers - Map Change

The news of Andy Williams’ passing sent shockwaves through the wrestling world and the metal and hardcore (metalcore, for those in the know) world. Andy Williams has been a huge part of my life since the late 2000s, when I graduated high school and started college. I was lucky enough to see Williams play live with his band Every Time I Die a handful of times at Warped Tour, where they were a staple, and a couple of times at the Granada Theater in Lawrence, Kansas. I had an out-of-body experience.

If you aren't familiar with Every Time I Die, they were an essential band for any kid in the scene in the late 2000s and early 2010s. They were a powerful combination of groovy guitar riffs, witty, message-driven lyrics, and songs that could make you want to mosh and chug a beer with your bros at the same time. That's exactly who I was in college, so it was easy to see why ETID was such a big part of my life. Their sound was unlike any other band of the era, and even a decade later, no one has replicated it.

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When Worlds Collide

I was a lapsed wrestling fan for a good decade, and like so many, I came back when AEW was formed. So you can gauge how excited I was when my jaw dropped at the news that Andy was a pro wrestler. The Butcher felt like a throwback to the menacing wrestlers of the 1980s and 90s, and everyone knew the babyface would struggle to defeat such a mountain. You can't tell AEW's story without mentioning The Butcher. His work with his tag partner, The Blade, and their valet, The Bunny, was essential during the pandemic era at Daily’s Place.

That's why I will miss Andy. I did not realize until I heard the news of his passing how much his work was woven into my personal life. My experience with Andy was always in concert. Whether it was an ETID headlining tour, like the one in Lawrence or at Warped Tour, he always stood out. He looked terrifying. But every time he spoke to us or in any interview, he sounded so gentle, and that is exactly what he was: a gentle giant. Not a single bad word has been said about him over these past couple of weeks of mourning, and that is something I strive to be. When it's my time, I want to be remembered like Andy. Everyone should.

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My Favorite From Andy Williams

​I keep watching that Excalibur video and can't stop crying. I watch that Eddie Kingston tribute and I can't stop sobbing. To mourn Andy Williams with them, I want to remember some of my favorite things he ever did. So this list is my tribute to Andy, highlighting my favorite things he did in wrestling and in the recording booth.

Every Time I Die- Ex Lives (2012)

Although the first album I ever heard from ETID was 2006’s The Big Dirty, Ex Lives (2012) was when I truly fell in love with this band. While the previous two albums (Gutter Phenomenon and Hot damn!) had a much looser, party vibe, I think Ex Lives was the first time the band really expanded their sound into something heavier and more “serious.” Andy’s guitar playing really took another level on this album, and his sound and ability to play different genres of music really were exemplified here. This is the album that had the entire metal/hardcore community in love with this band, and where their status as the best band in the scene finally became consensus.

Some standout guitar playing from Andy on this album: Typical Miracle, Underwater Bimbos from Outerspace, Indian Giver.

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Bunkhouse Match: The Natural Nightmares (Dustin Rhodes & QT Marshall) VS The Butcher and The Blade (2020)

A pandemic-era banger match for The Butcher and The Blade, cementing their legacy as the era's heel tag team. First it was the Young Bucks, then Dustin Rhodes and QT Marshall, who took on the era's heel tag team. Not everyone gets these sorts of plunder matches, and not everything gets to face the son who made the match famous. Tony Khan trusted The Butcher and the Blade to put on a good match and put over Rhodes in a match that mattered to him and his family. Even though they lost, The Butcher was incredibly happy with the match. Here is a tweet from Dustin Rhodes remembering his experience after the match:

​In hindsight, we should have known how important The Butcher and The Blade were. They never fully got their flowers during their time in AEW, and certainly not after their contracts were not renewed. It's unfortunate it took Williams' death for us to acknowledge that, but there was no doubt — they were incredibly important. After hearing that Andy had been unresponsive, this was the first match that came to mind, and it will always hold a close place in my heart because it shows why they mattered.

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Every Time I Die- Gutter Phenomenon (2005)

This album is the peak of ETID's party side for me. Listen to the opening song and tell me you don't want to chug a beer and start headbanging. It mentally puts me back in a place where life was a little simpler. It was also the first album of theirs I couldn't stop listening to from front to back. I knew every word and air-guittared every lick; I knew. Even though they are from Buffalo, New York, the Southern Rock twang they mix with the heavy Metalcore tempo and lyrics makes this an all-time album—one of my personal favorite albums and one of the best in ETID’s Discography. This really made ETID a staple in many people's listening rotation and separated Every Time I Die from every other Metalcore act.

Some Songs to listen to: Apocalypse Now and Then, Bored Stiff, Tusk and Temper

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AEW World Title: Jon Moxley VS The Butcher (2020)

The match took place during the height of the pandemic, as AEW shot for a year straight from Daily’s Place in Jacksonville. When the match was announced at the start of the show, I was so excited. I knew the Butcher wasn't going to win the title, but I still thought, wide-eyed, “What if he does?!” One of my favorite musicians climbed to the top of the mountain and earned a world title shot during one of the most important title reigns in the company’s history. I felt like a little kid at Christmas, so I couldn't imagine how Andy felt.

That is why I love professional wrestling, and I thank Andy Williams for giving me that moment. This match exemplifies Andy Williams's importance in AEW, especially during the pandemic. He was the big bad during that era. Sure, this match highlighted some of the Butcher’s limitations, as it looked like he got gassed. However, look at his body and work rate after the match. Look at his match versus Danny Garcia, his next big solo match in AEW; tell me he didnt improve. You knew he loved this and wanted to be the best he could be, and that growth is part of why this match matters here.

Thank you, Andy, for one of my favorite moments in this company.

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Every Time I Die- From Parts Unknown (2014)

Replicating Ex Lives' musical and commercial success was always going to be hard. Still, From Parts Unknown is a great follow-up, largely because it showcases William's versatility as a guitarist. Its real strength is the dichotomy of songs: Decaying with the Boys returns to party anthems with a southern rock influence and tangy, juicy rhythm playing. At the same time, Moor is a piano-led somber song about revenge with a more straightforward guitar sound that is just as powerful. Even in the more straightforward songs, Williams' hooky riffs stand out, and regardless of the album's tone, Andy always made sure we remembered he is one of the best guitarists—just an absolutely fantastic album.  

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Falls Count Anywhere: The Young Bucks defeat The Butcher And The Blade (2020)

This is another example of how important The Blade and The Butcher were during the Daily’s Place days of AEW. This match was plastered all over social media as people remembered The Butcher’s time in AEW, and it might ultimately be the most memorable match he had in All Elite Wrestling. This match was such a fun way to give the Butcher and the Blade a different angle. As terrifying as it was to see both of them butchering meats before the match, it was also extremely funny. I loved seeing that side of the Butcher and the Blade. The Blade being super-kicked onto the escalator, then slowly, unconsciously taken up to the next floor, is a moment that will always stick with me.

This is another example of how valuable both the Butcher and the Blade were during this era. They had some of the most important moments of the period, and this match is one of the clearest examples.

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Every Time I Die- Map Changes (Low Teens, 2016)

“What I need is a cigarette, no more prayers”

Hearing this song in Andy/The Butcher’s video tribute on Collision hit me deeply and personally. I think this was the most appropriate song they could have used from Every Time I Die’s discography. This is the most somber, melancholy ETID has ever sounded, and Keith Buckley’s vocals and lyrics make you reflect on past or current difficult times — in this case, grieving and mourning. The hook between the chorus and verses is so catchy, and it proved ETID's versatility as a ballad band. The guitar playing between Andy and guitar mate Jordan Buckley was immaculate. Haunting yet catchy.

The song, as well as the music video, is also a critical yet honest love letter to their blue-collar, hard-working hometown of Buffalo, New York, which has become a very important city in AEW history.

“Hell is not a myth; we spend each winter there no one can prepare.”

This is ETID’s most popular song on Spotify, and I think it's for a reason; Map Change will be tied to a certain time and place with ETID and AEW for the rest of eternity. This was also, ominously, the last song they ever played live together as a band in 2021.

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Daniel Garcia vs The Butcher, The Battle of Buffalo (2024)

Even though Andy had a few matches after this one, this would go down as his AEW curtain call. Butcher served as the big-bad hurdle during Garcia’s massive push in 2024, and this match came before Garcia’s International Title shot and, at the time, a potential AEW World Championship shot. I’m sure Garcia would have loved to face no one else in this Homecoming match but the man he has called his “older brother.” It was a quick match, but one that will live in AEW fans' memories as they remember The Butcher's time in AEW.

The Butcher doing Garcia’s dance in the middle of the match was so out of character, but it fit the match and the environment perfectly. As fun as that moment was, the lasting image was the two hometown wrestlers embracing in the middle of the ring, celebrating that they had made it. I loved rewatching this match, and that first show in Buffalo, New York, after Williams's passing will be unforgettable. That city loves Andy, and this match is a prime example.

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Thank you for everything, Andy.

“Though it may haunt us and break our hearts. Death cannot tear us apart”- Fear and Trembling, Every Time I Die

The Pros and Cons of Bayley Possibly Staying With WWE

As a decorated performer in WWE's women's division, Bayley is admired and respected by plenty of her peers and fans in the pro wrestling industry for over a decade. However many fans do want her to have an on going push on WWE TV like her female counterparts such as Becky Lynch, Charlotte Flair and Rhea Ripley. Recently it was reported that her deal with WWE is expiring and there is back and forth speculation that she'll leave the promotion for an opportunity with AEW. There are plenty of pros and cons for Bayley's future.

Locker Room Leadership & Off-Screen Impact: Bayley is universally regarded as the foundational heart of the WWE women's locker room. Staying allows her to continue mentoring younger talent, with reports suggesting that a new contract could include an expanded off-screen role as a producer, trainer, or coach.

Legacy Security and Hall of Fame Status: As the first-ever Women’s Grand Slam Champion, staying with the global juggernaut ensures her status as a first-ballot WWE Hall of Famer. WWE provides the largest global platform to cement her legacy.Under the TKO Group Holdings era, WWE has significant capital to offer top-tier, lucrative main-roster contracts. Her leverage during negotiations likely guarantees a substantial pay bump. Having recently returned to target her former partner Lyra Valkyria, staying allows her to complete high-profile storylines and potentially chase the one accolade she has yet to achieve: main-eventing WrestleMania. 

Creative Ceiling: Bayley has accomplished practically everything possible in WWE. Some fans and analysts argue that WWE’s booking can occasionally plateau for veteran talent, meaning she risks being rotated out of primary title pictures to make room for newer faces. 

Missed Fresh Matchups: Re-signing means missing out on highly anticipated, fresh matchups in promotions like AEW against talent like Kris Statlander, Toni Storm, or Hikaru Shida. It also limits her ability to work the stiffer, acclaimed wrestling style found in promotions like Stardom in Japan. 

Intellectual Property Constraints: Remaining in the WWE system means she must continue performing under the "Bayley" brand. She wouldn't have the freedom to fully reinvent herself or own her likeness under her independent identity the way peers who left the company have done. 

Whatever Bayley does, we the fans have to trust her to make the best decision for her career wherever that is. Who knows, she could probably end up running NXT down the road as an executive like Shawn Michaels or even a head trainer grooming the next generation of WWE Superstars..

Do NOT Bask In His Glory: The Keith Lee Situation

When one of your favorite wrestlers retires, you hope they stay happy and live a long, fulfilled life. You hope they get their bag at conventions, maybe have a couple of songs named after them, and/or help pass the torch to the next generation. You certainly hope they don’t take a hard-right turn and get involved with a cult that deals with extrasensory drivel and pseudo-metaphysical propaganda. 

Apparently, Keith Lee didn’t get that memo. 

Seven years ago, Keith Lee was putting on a star-making performance at Survivor Series, taking a pre-OTC Roman Reigns to the limit, and nearly securing the win for NXT. He was an established main eventer in NXT during a time when they still had Johnny Gargano, Tommaso Ciampa, Finn Balor, and Adam Cole. He provided the Full Sail crowd with highlight reel moments (see: Keith Lee pouncing Adam Cole into the audience) and went nearly undefeated during his time there. 

He was the first and, so far, only man to ever hold the NXT and North American championships at the same time. 

When he debuted on the main roster, he was supposed to become WWE’s next big star, presented with the same gravitas that Bron Breakker and Oba Femi have now. Unfortunately, Vince McMahon was still in charge, and he repackaged the Limitless One with the vague outline of a “Bearcat” gimmick, cursed him with stop-and-start pushes, and ensured his rookie year was also his last one with the company. 

Fast forward to February 2022, when Keith Lee made his AEW debut by making quick work of Isiah Kassidy and securing his spot in the “Face of the Revolution” ladder match at that month’s Revolution PPV. We all thought Lee would finally get the recognition he deserves and show a mainstream audience what being limitless was all about. It started off well enough. He formed an exciting tag team with Swerve Strickland dubbed Swerve in Our Glory, and they won the tag team championships at Fyter Fest 2022. Five months later, they dropped the championships in a great match to The Acclaimed at Revolution 2022, and he and Swerve went through a rough breakup. All they needed to do was have their blow-off match, and the two could go their separate ways and become big singles stars. But lingering health issues, injuries, and feuds with other competitors got in the way of their big singles match. 

Finally, in December 2023, Swerve and Lee were set to face off at Worlds End. 

A week before the event, Lee would face off against Brian Cage on Collision and, though we didn’t know it at the time, this would be Lee’s final televised match. For undisclosed reasons, he was not medically cleared for the PPV and wouldn’t appear on AEW ever again. 

It was reported back in July that Keith Lee is, for all intents and purposes, retired from pro wrestling. It’s a tragic end for a wrestler with so much promise and I truly wish he can stay happy, healthy, and fulfilled. Now, I guess my fourth wish is that he stays away from cults! 

After almost a year of radio silence, Keith Lee returned to Instagram with a very puzzling post. He is smiling and seated next to a man named Darius Wright, and in the caption, he links to Darius Wright’s website. 

But who, exactly, is Darius Wright? 

According to his website, Wright is a “consciousness explorer”, specializing in out of body experiences and “awakening” the human body. He travels the world, teaching people how to awaken their “dormant abilities” such as sensing past lives and telepathy. On his website (which, in hindsight, I should have accessed in Incognito Mode), he invites people to follow him in his “Great Work” of bringing other suckers— I mean people— to the “other side” for a modest contribution of $300-$500. I refuse to link his website and give this grifter any more publicity. 

I hope it goes without saying, but cults are bad. Especially cults that ask for your hard-earned money in exchange for platitudes from a spiritual hack, and results better achieved through meditation and therapy. Their existence is inexcusable and dangerous, and they take advantage of the most susceptible members of our society. Members who are grieving, who have lost something important to them like a job, a partner (we heard about Michin), or a sense of purpose.

Mr. Lee, I’m not mad, I’m just disappointed. As someone with their fair share of religious trauma, it’s possible that I’m just projecting, but that also means I can empathize with someone who feels like this is the only path forward. If you’re truly all in on Darius Wright’s teachings, it is going to lead you down a path that is neither happy nor healthy, and it won’t be fulfilling for long.

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Jhuvin P. is a writer for CBC/DSR. He has previous experience as a ghostwriter, has published several short stories, and is perpetually working on a novel. In addition to writing, he is also a comedian based out of Colorado Springs. He posts clips of his stand-up along with his other goofy antics on TikTok and Instagram.

Indie Darling Issue #1: Commander Nova

Commander Nova unmasks in front of the IPW New Zealand crowd (photo courtesy of @dfuphotos)

The independents are the backbone of professional wrestling. Many wrestlers across the world cut their teeth in front of small crowds before finding stardom, cultivating relationships with audiences and chemistry with different stylistic wrestlers alike. DSR/CBC’s latest series, Indie Darling, aims to highlight the talents of different talents across the globe to show that pro-wrestling transcends physical borders. 

Our first featured wrestler, Commander Nova is a professional wrestler hailing from Auckland, New Zealand. In early July, Nova made the decision to turn on his Nu Blood brethren and former best friend Zac Kelly before unmasking in front of the live Impact Pro Wrestling (IPW) New Zealand crowd. 

I had the pleasure of watching both Nova and Kelly tag across three different shows during my semester abroad in Auckland last year. Going to my first IPW New Zealand show, IPW Reckoning, I didn’t know what to expect. One of the matches that had piqued my interest in the show was the 2-out-of-3 falls match scheduled between SAS and Nu Blood. I love tag wrestling, I love the stipulation, what could go wrong? Man, little did I know I was about to discover one of my favorite tag teams. From their first entrance together, I was Team Nu Blood. The chemistry these two men had together could only be crafted by years of friendship. Mix that with their fast-paced offensive style and natural fire, I could tell why the crowd loved this team. Hands down that match became my match of the night, a tough feat considering the main event of that show was a beautifully violent dog collar match. Still, a year and a half later, probably one of my favorite matches I’ve seen live.

Needless to say, I was shocked to see Nova’s decision to separate from Kelly, in a quite violent manner too. However, I knew that the two talented wrestlers were only going to be able to co-exist for so long before the inevitable split happened. Now you may be thinking, especially any readers back in Aotearoa New Zealand, “Why interview not interview Zac Kelly? His friend just turned on him!” Trust me, I am a Zac Kelly fan too (sorry Nova), but it has truly yet to be seen how these actions will change Kelly, for better or for worse. Instead, Nova has taken his actions, no matter how cruel, in stride to define a new era of his career. One where it is truly him vs the rest of the Aotearoa New Zealand wrestling scene. As Nova starts to venture down this path alone, only one thing is on his mind: to make Aotearoa New Zealand wrestling more serious as he sets out for championship gold alone.

Adding “Nu” Blood to the Aotearoa New Zealand Tag Scene

Zac Kelly (left) and Commander Nova (right) pose for the IPW New Zealand crowd (photo courtesy of @dfuphotos)

In order to properly understand this mission, I think some context in regard to the Aotearoa New Zealand wrestling climate is needed. As explained to me by Nova, the country originally was home to an NWA territory. Stars like Rick Flair and Dusty Rhodes frequently traveled to the country prior to the territory's collapse. By the 2000s, pro-wrestling began to reemerge as a handful of people taught themselves how to wrestle, passing it down from wrestler to wrestler. Today, new stars like New Japan’s HENARE and British standout Ringo Ryan bring experience to a burgeoning scene ready to raise the standard. This a scene ready to be taken seriously with talent capable of wrestling outside of the island country. 

No one wrestler, in my opinion, matches these sentiments more than Commander Nova — formerly known as Kid Nova. Together with Zac Kelly, the former friends came together to form Nu Blood with a mission to make tag wrestling feel important again. “We set out to make tag team wrestling not just a sideshow act but show everyone that it deserved to be at the top of the card…” recounted Nova as the two young men set out to make tag history.

As a duo, Nova and Kelly became one of the longest running and one of the most successful tag teams in Aotearoa New Zealand. During their over half decade as Nu Blood, the team’s 406-day long IPW Aotearoa New Zealand Tag Team Championship reign became the longest in the promotion’s history. Beloved by the Kiwi crowd, Nu Blood also claimed the title of “Best Tag Team or Faction” in the yearly NZPWI People’s Choice Awards from 2022-2024. Together, they proved that tag wrestling wasn’t only for “wrestlers who aren't good enough to be singles guys”, becoming trend-setters in the growing Aotearoa tag scene.

While finding success together as a tag team, both men would occasionally venture off into singles competition. In 2024, Nova would claim the One Above All Championship in Heathen Combat. During his almost year-long reign as the promotion’s top champion, he fielded challenges from some of the country’s top stars like former champions Vic Craig and Horus. Quickly, Nova’s reign as One Above All champion became a pivotal point in his career. “Having the confidence to know I was able to succeed at the top of the card in a highly competitive company like Heathen Combat was a huge boost in my confidence in singles competition,” expressed Nova.

His first challenger of his 357-day reign? None other than his best friend Zac Kelly. However, Kelly would ultimately get the upper hand in September of 2025 in a sold-out rematch against his Nu Blood stablemate, crowning him as the new and current One Above All Champion. This would mark the beginning of the end of their time together as a tag team and ultimately, their friendship.

Despite both men proclaiming for months that “Nu Blood is fine”, Nova would make the death of Nu Blood known at IPW’s yearly Fans Bring the Weapons event on July 11th – an event the two had main evented and sold out together less than a year prior. After their loss, Nova maimed Kelly in the center of the ring in front of a stunned Kiwi crowd. After being separated, Nova made the shocking decision to remove the mask he had worn for his entire career. The official start of a new era.

The New Nova

Nova attacks Kelly after their loss at IPW New Zealand’s Fans Bring the Weapons (photo courtesy of @dfuphotos)

Anger towards Zac Kelly and IPW management as a whole fueled Nova’s actions that night. Knowing that all tag team partnerships often turn sour, he made the decision to “trim the fat” and cut himself off from Kelly before it was too late. “What people don't realize are the small things behind the scenes, the arguments, the side glances, and the difference of opinion,” Nova explained. In his eyes, Nova only turned on Kelly to prevent Kelly from doing the same to him.

The decision to unmask, however, was much tougher. Prior to July 11th, Nova had only wrestled without his mask once during his career. Despite going back and forth on the decision, he ultimately decided that it was officially time for a change. “People had to know that this wasn't just a small lapse in judgment… [it] put a hard full stop on the chapter of Nu Blood,” described Nova. “I wasn't going to leave any doubt that I am a new me.”

Similar to when he and Kelly set out to form Nu Blood, Nova has one goal in mind for this new era: to restore real wrestling to Aotearoa New Zealand. The type of wrestling similar to the likes of greats like Bryan Danielson, Zack Sabre Jr, and William Regal – all of whom have influenced Nova’s style over the years. Making short work of this mission, Nova specifically called out Pariah and former IPW New Zealand Heavyweight Champion Jayrilla. Both men, from Nova’s perspective, embody the type of wrestling he wants to eradicate from the country due to both men’s outlandish, but entertaining, characters. 

When looking to the future, Nova knows that his former friend likely isn’t finished with him, despite his belief that he is done with his former tag partner. However, if Kelly does decide to “cling” to Nova, he stated he will “happily dislocate his other shoulder.” Beyond that, Nova has some other ambitions in mind like wrestling internationally, establishing himself as a singles competitor, reclaiming his One Above All Championship, and, most importantly, winning the IPW New Zealand Heavyweight Championship. 

Hearing this, I leapt at the opportunity to ask him about another friend of his, the three-time and current IPW New Zealand Heavyweight Champion, Horus. Another personal standout from my time abroad, the “Duke of Death” has solidified himself as one of the top singles talents in the country, a path he paved with the blood of his opponents. Before the Nu Blood split, both Horus and Nova have found themselves as teammates or opponents on many occasions. I wondered how the two stood now that Nova and Kelly had gone their separate ways.

Turns out their relationship had been on the rocks prior to Nova’s actions on July 11th, their desire to both climb to the top clearly taking a toll on their friendship. “[Horus] is a jealous, bitter man who can't handle the fact I'm pushing him out of the spotlight he's held for so long,” remarked Nova, believing that these feelings stem from their competition for the coveted spot of ‘Ace’ in Heathen Combat.

Moving forward into this next phase of his career, Nova has tough shoes to fill given the legacy Nu Blood as left in the Aotearoa New Zealand wrestling history books. As he ventures down this path alone, I believe he has the passion and ambition to succeed in the competitive environment the country has created.  However, I do wonder if in an effort to move towards his own endeavors, he has turned strong friendships into powerful enemies. With former and current champions in the mix across multiple promotions, the Aotearoa New Zealand wrestling scene is set for an explosive, and probably bloody, future. At its forefront, two former friends that redefined an entire tag division and, despite Nova’s wishes, are destined to meet across the ring from each other for years to come. 

To fans new to Commander Nova’s work, he recommends Nu Blood vs SAS at IPW Fans Bring the Weapons and himself vs Zac Kelly at Heathen Combat's heavydirtysouls as must-watch matches from his career. To stay up to date with Commander Nova’s work, you can find him on Instagram or follow IPW and Heathen Combat. He also wanted to highlight his partner’s podcast, Skull and Microphones, which can be found on Spotify. 

Feature images courtesy of @dfuphotos on Instagram

Amanda Woods is an independent filmmaker and writer residing in the Green Mountain State of Vermont. She loves any medium that is able to tell a good story. Recently, she’s fallen in love with international pro wrestling, having watched matches in three different countries and hopes to travel for more shows soon! Amanda really should have a website to view all of her work, but for now, her Instagram page will do.

Andy "the Butcher" Williams Dies At Age 48

Andy Williams, widely known to professional wrestling fans as "The Butcher" and to the heavy music world as the punishing rhythm guitarist for the metalcore band Every Time I Die, passed away this weekend at the age of 48. Williams suffered a fatal medical emergency and collapsed in the ring following a tag-team match alongside his longtime partner, The Blade, at an Enjoy Wrestling event at Mr. Smalls Theatre in Millvale, Pennsylvania. Despite immediate CPR from on-site medical staff and subsequent transport to a local hospital, Williams was pronounced dead, leaving both the wrestling and music communities in a state of profound shock and mourning.

Born and raised in Buffalo, New York, Williams first carved out a formidable legacy in the hardcore punk and metalcore scenes. As a founding member of Every Time I Die in 1998, his towering physical presence and crushing guitar riffs became the backbone of the band's chaotic, intensely energetic sound, helping to inspire a generation of musicians over a music career that spanned more than two decades and nine studio albums.

Yet, Williams harbored a lifelong passion for professional wrestling, a dream he fully realized when he transitioned to the squared circle in his late thirties. Making his national television debut in All Elite Wrestling (AEW) in 2019, he quickly established himself as an imposing enforcer. Alongside The Blade, The Butcher became a fixture of AEW's tag team division, renowned for his intense, bruising in-ring style, unmistakable monocle, and intimidating Victorian strongman aesthetic.

All Elite Wrestling released a statement honoring him as a "trailblazing musician" who made a "successful transition into the world of professional wrestling and was incredibly respected by his peers both in and out of the ring."

Williams leaves behind a legacy defined by his immense talent, his imposing yet beloved persona, and the undeniable impact he made on millions of fans worldwide who watched him shred on stage and dominate in the ring. He will be remembered not just as a titan of heavy metal or a dominant professional wrestler, but as a deeply respected artist, beloved hometown hero, and a passionate performer whose dedication resonated across multiple vibrant subcultures.

Next, It’s Your Turn: T4T Wrestling Restores the Fighting Spirit for LGBTQ+ Wrestlers

Photo by Esther Lin (@allelbows) on Instagram

On November 7, 2025, the co-creator of T Boy Wrestling, Adam Bandrowski, announced that the company was closing its doors. In a now deleted Instagram post, Adam alleged that his co-creator Mich Miller had “mismanaged organizational funds”, plunging them into hundreds of thousands of dollars in debt. Youtuber bittnia goes into much greater detail on the greater controversies surrounding T Boy Wrestling, and the consequences regarding its closure. Long story short, the allegations are horrific and all affected parties deserve justice. Unfortunately, the dissolution of a wrestling company due to carnie behavior is neither new nor rare, but T Boy Wrestling’s fate is especially consequential. 

Wrestling has a very dark past in regards to homophobia, transphobia, and the like. The early iteration of Goldust was flamboyant and erotic, and constantly hit on his male opponents to get a rise out of the audience. A 2002 episode of Monday Night Raw centered around the risque promise of ‘Hot Lesbian Action’, or HLA, by then general manager, Eric Bischoff. Sixteen years later, Sami Zayn interviewed his rival Bobby Lashley’s “sisters” on RAW, and they were clearly male wrestlers dressed in drag.

Bad drag, mind you. 

You can say wrestling is a product of its time, you can say these bits were pushed on the writing teams by senile old men and sex pests, and you can say it’s not that deep (it is that deep, but that’s a conversation for another time). The undeniable truth is that queer people— and the mere implication of queerness— have been the butt of jokes in wrestling for decades. Gay people were comedy acts and lesser than their hetero counterparts, trans people were only good for shock jock slop. It’s a miracle wrestling still has a queer fanbase today.  

Giving credit where it’s due, pro wrestling has taken greater strides for the LGBTQ+ community than most major sports leagues. Openly queer wrestlers like Anthony Bowens, Toni Storm, Mike Bailey, and Giselle Shaw, are proudly presented on screen and have won major championships in AEW and NWA. Iconically, Finn Balor utilized his Wrestlemania 34 entrance to make a “message of inclusion” and show off his support for the LGBTQ+ community. This year, there were over 50 wrestling events in the U.S. to commemorate Pride Month. But pro wrestling can always do more; provide more opportunities, have more conversations, create more spaces. 

Despite its many, many flaws, T Boy Wrestling was a prominent space for LGBTQ+ wrestlers to take center stage on the squared circle. The spirit of it is worth fighting for, and Kidd Bandit has the fighting spirit to do just that. 

Kidd Bandit is a trans wrestler and the self-proclaimed Protagonist of Pro Wrestling.

Photo by Esther Lin (@allelbows) on Instagram

She blended her love of martial arts, anime, and video games to curate a fighting style that entertained audiences and gave her opponents headaches. She wrestled against men like Zack Sabre Jr., Jay Malachi (Je’Von Evans), and Malakai Black, and against women like Miyu Yamashita, Allie Katch, and former TBS Champion, Maya World. If she continued to evolve and grow, I have no doubt we would have seen her kicking heads and taking names in AEW. However, back in April, Kidd Bandit wrestled her final match, and left her kickpads in the GCW ring. 

This was neither ‘goodbye’ nor ‘see you later’, instead it was more of a ‘stay tuned’. Kidd Bandit retired from in-ring competition to focus on a different facet of pro wrestling: promotion. A month before her in-ring finale, Kidd announced on X that she would be re-launching T-Boy Wrestling, cleaning up all the carny grime, and calling it T4T Wrestling. She wanted to create a space that would empower trans and nonbinary wrestlers, boldly declaring “if places ain’t platforming us, then we’ll make our own way”. Shortly after, she announced dates for tryouts and the first show. Over the next few weeks, prolific trans and nonbinary talent gravitated around this new promotion, and wrestling hopefuls put in the work in T4T’s training camp.

The stage was set for July 3rd, when T4T Wrestling would put on its first wrestling show— no, not just a show, but a showcase.

A recital. 

From the beginning, T4T Wrestling has separated itself from the mold. It marketed their debut as performance wrestling, a hybrid of wrestling, drag, dance, and theater. Some matches would be more about telling a story while others would be more about good graps and dope dives. At its core, though, T4T Wrestling stays true to its initials: it’s a show by trans people for trans people. 

Photo by Esther Lin (@allelbows) on Instagram

Their debut recital sold out fast, and it was a wild, unapologetic celebration of queer identity and pro wrestling— everything Kidd Bandit promised. Abigail Thorn, who plays Admiral Lohar in House of the Dragon, acted as a guest hostess for the event and got involved by hitting a competitor with a steel chair. There was a three-way match for the NWA Women’s Television Championship featuring three of the most prominent trans wrestlers on the scene today: Dark Sheik, Nyla Rose, and the defending champion, Gisele Shaw. And headlining the show was a FQ Princex Of Pride Title Match between trans wrestler Sonny Kiss and nonbinary wrestler Richie Coy.

The spirit of T4T Wrestling is worth fighting for.

It’s diverse, inclusive, and expressive, everything the LGBTQ+ community embodies. Kidd is doing everything that T Boy Wrestling failed to do. She wants T4T Wrestling to be a space where queer people can be their most authentic selves (and get paid for it!), and her pride for this company is well-placed. 

I haven’t gone out of my way to read any of the negativity and bigotry surrounding T4T Wrestling— I value my sanity too much to do that— but I can tell what the haters will say. They’ll say it’s doing too much, it’s too goofy, it’s excluding non-queer wrestlers. And if this is you, then I pity the misery you wallow in just for someone to remember you exist. Also, take a shower.

As a cishet man, I will never experience the level of plight and persecution that trans and nonbinary people do. I have never been shamed for being alive, the Supreme Court isn’t barring my entry into certain sports teams, the medication I need to stay alive isn’t being demonized and restricted (yet). In the grand scheme of things, my life is a luxury, one that queer people don’t have access to (yet). 

Photo by Esther Lin (@allelbows) on Instagram

Kidd Bandit is giving the LGBTQ+ community a taste of that luxury: a space just for them. It’s beautiful and badass. As a wrestling fan and ally, I hope that T4T Wrestling has a long and fruitful existence. At the time of writing, they are still expanding and improving. In August, they announced a collaboration with Swordplay LA to provide weekly wrestling classes for those in the Los Angeles area, and appointed Emmy-nominated filmmaker Vera Drew as their general manager. 

To keep up with news, follow T4T Wrestling on their official Instagram account, and also follow Esther Lin (@allelbows), who took many of the pics you see in this article. Follow me here on Dirt Sheet Radio as well. I have a feeling this won’t be the last time I write about T4T Wrestling, and I’m excited to see what the future has in store for Kidd and her vision. 

---

Jhuvin P. is a writer for CBC/DSR. He has previous experience as a ghostwriter, has published several short stories, and is perpetually working on a novel. In addition to writing, he is also a comedian based out of Colorado Springs. He posts clips of his stand-up along with his other goofy antics on TikTok and Instagram.

Andy "Butcher" Williams Suffers Medical Event During Match at Enjoy Wrestling Event

Former All Elite Wrestling star and independent competitor Andy "The Butcher" Williams suffered a terrifying medical emergency on Saturday night that resulted in him being rushed to a local hospital.

The incident occurred during Enjoy Wrestling's "Five Years" anniversary event at Mr. Smalls Theatre in Millvale, Pennsylvania. Williams, who is also widely known as the former rhythm guitarist for the metalcore band Every Time I Die, was competing alongside his longtime tag team partner, The Blade, when the frightening situation unfolded.

According to accounts from those in attendance, the tag team match was proceeding normally when Williams' legs suddenly buckled and he collapsed to the mat. The Blade quickly signaled for assistance and attempted to help him back to his feet, but Williams reportedly passed out again shortly after.

The situation immediately escalated as medical personnel rushed to the ringside area to provide emergency treatment. Paramedics administered chest compressions and utilized a defibrillator to stabilize him. Following the intense on-site emergency procedures, Williams was transported away from the venue in an ambulance for urgent medical care.

The obvious severity of the incident prompted Enjoy Wrestling officials to make the immediate decision to cancel the remainder of the anniversary show.

The promotion issued a statement on social media:

"Andy collapsed at the end of his match this evening," the promotion said in a statement on Twitter. "Our doctors on staff tended to him immediately, administering CPR until the ambulance arrived. We sent everyone home and are at the hospital now waiting for more information."

The DSR Indie Wrestling Watch Guide: September 2026

Why watch independent wrestling? TrillerTV won’t pixelate the blood, for one thing. That’s a joke, but only kind of. Indie promotions can take risks that larger televised companies can’t. They’re the closest thing wrestling still has to the territory days. Regional scenes develop their own ecosystems with unique crowds, personalities, and ways of doing wrestling.  Indie promotions have more freedom to take risks and fewer people telling them no.

That might mean building an entire promotion around unusual characters like JCW’s cocaine-addicted zombies, a niche style like Horror Slam’s collision of horror and deathmatch wrestling, a specific audience like Hoodslam’s fiercely loyal Oakland crowd, or an alternate universe where the local government is actually a wrestling faction and bureaucratic disputes can sometimes be solved with a moonsault.

Indie wrestling can collapse the distance between fame and fan. Danhausen is known to work national television one month and a no-ring show in a glorified backyard the next. The joy isn’t only finding tomorrow’s stars, though that's where they come from. It’s also seeing what wrestling looks like before anyone has standardized it.

I love the indies. If you don’t already, I think you will. Streaming options make it easier than ever to catch wild shows from all over the world. Plus, supporting independent artists is cool. Everyone’s doing it.

Favorites and B-Sides

Many watch guides eventually settle into a comfort zone, featuring a dozen or so of the easiest promotions to stream, find, and recommend. I love the kind of serialized storylines that require cult-like devotion, but I also love new gems, and you should too. September is a good time to break out of your comfort zone and check out a company you’ve maybe never even heard of.

Dirt Sheet Radio’s monthly how-to-watch can never cover everything happening in independent wrestling around the world. Instead, this month's guide focuses on promotions we haven't spent much time with before, from a three-night trios tournament in Philadelphia and a Toronto lucha program to a Newcastle company wrestling inside a brewery and one of Pittsburgh's best indies preparing to close for good.

And then there's our featured promotion, Hoodslam. The Oakland promotion gets this month's featured spot with a deeper look at the strange world the Dark Sheik has built around wrestling, performance art, nightlife, and Northern California counterculture in general.

Best Bets

Featured promotion:

Best wrestling weekend: Power Pro Lucha’s Attack on Trios, Sept. 4-6

Show with the most emotional stakes: Enjoy Wrestling’s Five Years, Sept. 5

Best deathmatch event: CZW Tournament of Death XXIII, Sept. 5-6

Best look at the next wave of indie talent: ETU Wrestling’s All I Want 4, Sept. 19

Best Canadian discovery: Demand Lucha’s Masked by Midnight, Sept. 17

Best international discovery: NORTH Wrestling’s Thunder Road, Sept. 19

Deep cut: Horror Slam’s Masters of HorrorCore, Sept. 4

Power Pro Lucha

Attack on Trios

When: Friday through Sunday, Sept. 4-6

Night One: Friday at 8 p.m. ET
Night Two: Saturday at 6 p.m. ET
Night Three: Sunday at 6 p.m. ET

Where: Arlen Specter US Squash Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Where to Watch: Live on IWTV

Cost: IWTV lists each night as a PPV available through a subscription or 1,000 tokens

Why Watch

Power Pro Lucha’s three-day event is an easy recommendation. This is a great promotion for anyone who misses wrestling with elaborate teams, masks, over-the-top characters, and complete earnestness. Over three nights, Attack on Trios, Triple Tech Tournament brings together 16 wildly diverse teams for a battle of “titanic proportions.” The enormous bracket pulls from lucha libre, joshi, and several generations and styles of American independent wrestling.

The structure is cool and fairly unique. Instead of assembling a card around a few big names and recognizable singles matches, Power Pro Lucha invites fans to follow teams across the entire weekend. This is a good pick for fans who like wrestling to feel like opening a comic book halfway through and making up the rest of the mythology as you go.

Can’t commit to the whole weekend? No problem. Each card has enough happening that viewers can drop in for one night and still get a full show. For example, Night 2 includes the six-person Ace of the Skies ladder match, which gives the tournament a break without abandoning the promotion's maximalist instincts.

Matches and Teams to Watch

The field includes Modern Age Violence (Jonathan Gresham, Dominic Garrini and Kevin Ku); Team Lodestone (Janai Kai, Amira and Gabby Forza); Spectral Envoy (UltraMantis Black, Hallowicked and Frightmare); GummiBurger (Cheeseburger, Boar and Erica Leigh); Team ChocoPro (Emi Sakura, Baliyan Akki and Mei Suruga); Mala Fama (Skayde, Toxin and Látigo); The Colony (Ultimo Ant, Electro Ant and Thief Ant); F.I.S.T. (Travis Huckabee, Ryan Mooney and Myung-Jae Lee); High-Flying Star Machines (Bojack, Diego Hill and BK Westbrook); The Delinquents (Josh Fuller, Saul Esparza and Mikey Banker); Wilde LLC (Dr. Ethan Wilde, Dylan Mesh and Journey Burke, Esq.); The Very Good State Champs (Avery Good Professional Wrestler, David Moses and Sal Mistretta); BIG League Chew (BIG CALLUX, Shea McCoy and Weber Hatfield); Thicc & Thin Party (Andy Brown, Billy Avery and Unicorn Party); The Tetrominoes (Z Block, T Block and O Block); and Hands of Fate (Nemesis, Moros and Eris).

Enjoy Wrestling

Five Years

When: Saturday, Sept. 5, at 7 p.m. ET

Where: Mr. Smalls Theatre, Millvale, Pennsylvania

Where to watch: No live stream has been announced. Enjoy has made most of its previous events available for free on YouTube, so watch the promotion’s official channels for an eventual release.

Why Watch

Enjoy Wrestling announced on August 26th that it will close after three final events. Five Years is the second of those events and the promotion's final show at Mr. Smalls Theatre, its long-term home base. The final farewell follows on October 4th at Tacomania.

Enjoy began during the pandemic, initially filming on a closed set. It grew into one of Pittsburgh's most distinctive independent promotions. By the time Enjoy closes its doors for good, it will have hosted 36 events, most of them available for free on YouTube. The company became particularly notable for consistently booking LGBTQ wrestlers and cultivating an explicitly welcoming audience. At Enjoy, inclusion never felt like a promotional gimmick. Five Years is weightier than a traditional anniversary card since Enjoy has already announced there will not be a Sixth.

Independent wrestling companies disappear all the time, sometimes without even getting the chance to say goodbye, and Enjoy is getting one last night in the building most closely associated with it. That alone makes it worth finding when the video becomes available.

Scheduled to Appear

Lee Moriarty, the Amazing Red, The Butcher and The Blade, and Dark Sheik are among the wrestlers scheduled to appear, but expect additional Enjoy Wrestling regulars and guests to be added to the card.

COMBAT ZONE WRESTLING

Tournament of Death XXIII

When: Saturday and Sunday, Sept. 5-6

·       Event begins: 2 p.m. ET

·       IWTV stream: Currently listed for 4 p.m. ET

Where: Townsend, Delaware

Where to watch: Live on IWTV

Cost: IWTV lists each night as a PPV available through subscription access or 1,000 tokens

Why Watch

Combat Zone Wrestling has been associated with ultraviolent wrestling for over a quarter century, and Tournament of Death, now in its 23rd “installment,” is the most distilled version of that. There’s no point pretending this is a recommendation for everyone. Tournament of Death centers on death matches: weapons, blood, and escalating violence. But in wrestling, as in all things, not for everyone doesn’t mean not for anyone. This is a great promotion with a pretty stacked card. The draw is getting to see some of the best deathmatch wrestlers pushed through multiple rounds over a weekend, rather than watching one hardcore match dropped into an otherwise conventional card.

IWTV has both nights listed live, with Night 2 carrying the survivors through the rest of the tournament. CZW has always been more varied than its deathmatch reputation suggests, but the balance has shifted considerably over 27 years. The promotion that once became synonymous with ultraviolence now runs a broader mix of conventional indie wrestling, younger talent, and occasional showcases of the extreme style that made its name.

Tournament of Death is a direct line back to the brutal identity that made the promotion internationally recognizable. For deathmatch-curious viewers or those looking for the style beyond GCW and the handful of names that dominate social media clips, this is a must-have historical rabbit hole.

First-Round Matches

Bear Bronson vs. Alex Colon
Nathan Mowery vs. SLADE
Nino Extremo vs. Joe Dred
Dimitri Alexandrov vs. Tim Strange
Jamesen Shook vs. Eric Dillinger
Eric Ryan vs. Toby Kline
SHLAK vs. Aeroboy for the CZW Ultraviolent Championship

CZW World Championship: Eran Ashe (c) vs. AKIRA, Exploding Barbed Wire Deathmatch

Horror Slam Pro Wrestling

Masters of HorrorCore

When: Friday, Sept. 4, at 7:30 p.m. ET

Where: Special Taste Hall, Livonia, Michigan

Where to watch: No live stream is advertised. Jobber Radio reports that matches are scheduled to appear later through Hardcam Frio’s channel.

Why Watch

Horror Slam is what happens when a Michigan regional wrestling promotion decides Halloween and underground horror shouldn't be confined to October. And I happen to agree.

The company has a devoted Livonia audience and shows built around cards that shift between conventional wrestling, hardcore matches, and genuinely gory deathmatches. Earlier shows have included everything from conventional title bouts to light tubes and weapons, as well as its annual Murder City Deathmatch Cup, which attracts wrestlers on the national deathmatch circuit.

Masters of HorrorCore is very accessible by Horror Slam standards. It’s also exactly the kind of promotion this guide is useful for. Horror Slam is not difficult to understand, but it is difficult to stumble across until somebody tells you about it.

Matches

Dean Hendrix vs. Matt Cross for the Horror Slam Heavyweight Championship
Terminate on Sight vs. Triple Platinum for the Horror Slam Tag Team Championship
The Pillars vs. Mickie Knuckles & Tara Zep
Dr. Redacted vs. Robert Katchem
Mad Man Pondo vs. Anakin Murphy
Breyer Wellington vs. TJK

DEMAND LUCHA

Masked by Midnight

When: Thursday, Sept. 17; hype-up party at 7 p.m. ET, wrestling at 8 p.m. ET

Where: Parkdale Hall, Toronto, Ontario

Where to watch: Demand Lucha has an extensive archive on IWTV, but a live IWTV listing for the Sept. 17 event has not been confirmed as of Aug. 28.

Why Watch

Toronto has its own increasingly crowded indie ecosystem. Demand Lucha is a user-friendly entry point to the parts of that ecosystem shaped by lucha. The promotion runs regularly from Parkdale Hall and has built its cards around masked wrestlers, Canadian indie talent and visiting luchadores rather than simply trying to reproduce an American televised product.

The main attraction announced for Masked by Midnight is Gringo Loco against Shotzi Blackheart for the Lucha Premier Championship. Both were advertised as featured guests before Demand Lucha confirmed the title match. Demand also has a sizable backlog on IWTV, including the 2025 edition of Masked by Midnight, which makes this a particularly easy promotion to sample while waiting for the September show release.

ETU WRESTLING

Marcus Mathers Presents All I Want 4

When: Saturday, Sept. 19, at 7 p.m. ET

Where: The Mecca, Ridgefield Park, New Jersey

Where to watch: Live on IWTV

Why Watch

ETU stands for Expect The Unexpected, but the promotion says it wants to build its own version of traditional Tri-State professional wrestling. All I Want 4 is presented with Marcus Mathers, and the card is essentially a snapshot of wrestlers moving between the regional independents, GCW, AEW, ROH, WWE’s ID system, and other larger platforms.

The appeal here is timing. Indie wrestling is full of periods when several wrestlers seem to be moving upward simultaneously, and ETU has assembled a card featuring a lot of people currently living in that space.

If the goal of an indie watch guide is partly to introduce wrestlers before everybody already knows who they are, this is exactly the kind of show it should include. I may talk ad nauseam about storylines, but every wrestling fan should appreciate a great match between up-and-comers.

Matches and Scheduled Appearances

Marcus Mathers vs. Tyler Breeze
Aaron Rourke vs. Billie Starkz
Dustin Waller vs. Gravity
Joey Janela vs. Avery Styles
Janai Kai
Cappuccino Jones
Additional matches to be announced.

NORTH WRESTLING

NCL.71: Thunder Road

When: Saturday, Sept. 19; doors at noon ET, first bell approximately 1:30 p.m. ET

Where: Anarchy Brew Co, Newcastle upon Tyne, England

Where to watch: NORTH releases complete events after they happen through Patreon, TrillerTV+ and YouTube. No live broadcast has been announced for Thunder Road.

Why Watch

British wrestling doesn’t begin and end with the promotions that regularly appear on American streaming schedules.

NORTH Wrestling has operated out of Newcastle for a decade. Its DIY identity centers on small-room crowds, a punk-rock atmosphere, and a willingness to put wildly different kinds of wrestling on the same card. Past NORTH events have mixed British technical wrestling, comedy, lucha libre, character-heavy storytelling and harder-edged matches, including an Ultraviolent Championship.

Its commentary team includes Veda Scott and Cultaholic’s Tom Campbell. A documentary about the promotion, Watch the Lights, won a Royal Television Society North East & Borders award in 2025.

Thunder Road returns NORTH to Anarchy Brew Co, a working brewery that regularly hosts the promotion’s rowdier Newcastle events. The full September card is still being assembled, but NORTH makes most of its shows available after the fact through multiple platforms.

If EVE, RevPro and PROGRESS are already familiar, NORTH is a good next stop for exploring the current British independent scene.

ALSO WORTH CHECKING

880 Wrestling’s Thursday Night Fights streams free every Thursday at 8 p.m. ET through IndyWrestling.US. The Pittsburgh promotion is especially easy to sample because it requires no subscription or PPV decision.

Returning Favorites in September

• Juggalo Championship Wrestling: JCW Lunacy continues free throughout September on the Psychopathic Records YouTube channel. Catch up on anything you missed at BloodyMania 19.

• Game Changer Wrestling: GCW has three September shows currently scheduled for TrillerTV+: Mind Your Business on Sept. 11, No Signal in the Hills 5 on Sept. 12 and Rock Bottom on Sept. 25.

• TNA Wrestling: Thursday Night iMPACT! continues on AMC and AMC+ in the U.S. and TNA+ internationally, including a live Sept. 24 episode from San Antonio.

• Primos Premier Pro Wrestling: Denver’s Primos returns to the Roxy Theatre Sept. 26-27 for Slave to the Deathmatch XVII; the promotion has streamed previous events through TrillerTV+, although a stream for this year’s tournament has not yet been announced. Read more about Primos Premier Pro Wrestling.

• Lucha Libre AAA: AAA continues its September programming, including TripleManía 34 events Sept. 11 and 13; check the promotion and WWE closer to bell time for final U.S. streaming information.

• CMLL: CMLL continues its regular Arena México schedule in September, highlighted by the 93rd Anniversary Show on Sept. 18, with programming available through its official YouTube channel.

• Major League Wrestling: MLW returns Sept. 12 with Fightland, while Fusion continues streaming free through YouTube and VEEPS.

Have a show you think should be listed?

Send SHOW NAME, HQ POSTER, FULL CARD, LINK TO EVENT to DSRHowToWatch@gmail.com

#Indys4life

For more promotions and ways to stream local, regional, and international independent wrestling, check out the August Guide.

Jenny Catlin is a writer from the Square States, covering racing, pop culture, professional wrestling, country and western, and glam metal music, obsession, sex, pornography, the real working class, indie press, and other obsessions. An award-winning essayist, she is a contributing writer at The Athletic and Denver-based Denverse Magazine. Find her on Substack and Instagram.

Hoodslam: Like a Comic Book Variety Show Where Wrestling Matters

Daniel Torch, “Champion of the entire Central Valley”

I like a great story as much as a great match, and Hoodslam is another promotion putting narrative in the center of the ring. For 16 years, the Oakland company has defied the notion that indie wrestling should look and feel like a small-scale version of the major televised productions. Daniel Torch, who currently wrestles there as Daniel T, knows that better than most. I got a chance to talk with him about his work with the bombastic Bay Area promotion, how it has changed over the years, and why some of its most devoted fans aren't really wrestling fans anywhere else.

DARK Sheik, Hoodslam’s founder, sets up an opponent for a piledriver during a Hoodslam show

Dark Sheik founded Hoodslam in 2010, initially gathering wrestlers at Victory Warehouse for shows built around creative freedom and adult content.  She was interested in ideas that didn't fit in with other promotions. Hoodslam quickly outgrew the Victory Warehouse and moved into the Oakland Metro Opera House, becoming part of the city's vibrant First Friday night life. Wrestling shared space with drinking, smoking, burlesque, and sideshow performances, plenty of profanity, and lots of oddball characters.

That reputation still follows Hoodslam, but veteran wrestler Daniel Torch says thinking of it only that way misses what the promotion has become. Torch has been wrestling around Northern California for more than fifteen years, and he’s followed Hoodslam from pretty much the start. Initially, he stayed on the outskirts. Straight edge and quiet, he was uninterested in smoky rooms packed with drunk folks. That version of Hoodslam didn't feel like his natural habitat. However, a venue change, which brought with it a no-smoking-inside policy, convinced him to take a closer look.

His first real foothold as a character came when Hoodslam needed somebody for a funeral. Torch remembers being told, “You're an emo kid; you love the dark. So he showed up, did the segment, and got invited back for three more dates. Soon he found himself alongside Rob Hands and Brooke Havoc during one of Hoodslam's periodic storyline resets. Dark Sheik's creative direction for him was less about inventing a wrestling gimmick than stripping one away. Stop asking how Torch the Wrestler would behave, essentially, and react more like Daniel actually would.

Promotional flyer for a 2025 event featuring Mayor Von Eerie and Brooke Havok.

That took some adjustment. Torch was accustomed to independent wrestling shows where the assignment was largely to go out and have a great match. He told me the match still matters, but Hoodslam might instead give him several story points that needed to land on a particular night because they mattered next month. Sometimes the wrestling is the center of the segment. Sometimes it's the mechanism that propels the storyline. More often than not, it’s both.

“Hoodslam has a Hoodslam crowd,” Torch said. Its fans will follow the story wherever it goes because they’re already invested in the characters and the world around them. Torch describes Hoodslam as “very comic book,” and that world has only become more elaborate over time.

Hoodslam's current mythology centers on Slamtown, an alternate reality populated by distorted versions of existing Hoodslam characters. Anton Voorhees claims to remember another world, and Brooke Havoc becomes a graffiti-tagging hoodlum. Dave Reckoning runs a dungeon that’s also a bar. Richard Shhhnary tended the library. Dr. Mehl and Prisoner 420 eventually recovered memories, which allowed the pair to re-identify themselves as the Stoner Brothers. Other characters have slowly begun to realize something about their reality is distorted, with some catching glimpses of their past lives.

The current municipal government is one of SlamTown's major factions: Mayor Von Eerie, her SlamTown Justice Security Force, and Daniel T (Torch’s SlamTown identity), a perpetually overworked assistant to the mayor. Hoodslam’s site describes  Daniel T as overworked and asks that you please be nice to him.

In that same comic-book style, people die, return, change identities and slip into alternate timelines. They also wrestle, occasionally because a supernatural or bureaucratic problem requires the kind of solution that can only be delivered with a powerbomb. The absurdity works because Hoodslam hasn't abandoned the wrestling underneath it.

Torch has watched the promotion move through several phases. The earliest warehouse shows were essentially wrestlers experimenting and entertaining themselves. Burlesque and sideshow acts later became part of the attraction. Torch says those elements helped bring people through the door, but the wrestling is what kept them around. Over time, Hoodslam itself became the draw: “The wrestling and the Hoodslam is why people are coming back,” Torch said.

The promotion has built enough loyalty around its characters and stories that the old party atmosphere no longer has to carry the show. In fact, some of Hoodslam’s regulars barely seem to belong to the larger wrestling ecosystem at all.

Fans crowding the ring during a live show in Oakland

Torch says he routinely meets people who don’t follow wrestling but know Hoodslam, and he sees fans at Hoodslam shows who never turn up anywhere else. Some are wrestling fans who happen to love Hoodslam. Others are simply Hoodslam fans. For them, Hoodslam isn’t a gateway to wrestling. It’s the destination.  Torch describes that last group as “I just go to Hoodslam” fans.

For a promotion whose long-term slogan is “Fuck the Fans,” it has built an unusually committed collection of them, making it a particularly good recommendation for people who like the idea of wrestling more than they like conventional wrestling television. The obvious audience includes fans of comics, anime, horror, queer performance, punk, and DIY art. It's for people who like elaborate characters and stories and are willing and eager to set realism aside. The promotion has always made space for queer and trans performers, intergender wrestling, and characters who would have been flattened into stereotypes or simply excluded in more traditional environments.

The overworked assistant to the mayor of SlamTown, Daniel T

This is a good promotion for that one friend who’s decided wrestling isn't for them. Torch says Hoodslam sometimes has to approach its audience differently because not everybody in the room is a wrestling fan. A spectacular sequence of moves means less if the viewer has no reason to care who's doing them. That's true throughout wrestling, but especially at Hoodslam.

“If they can identify with the character,” Torch said, “they're gonna attach to that faster than the wrestling.”

Fans who want their indie wrestling built primarily around great matches, recognizable feuds, and familiar wrestling logic may find Hoodslam a little hard to settle into. Hoodslam can deliver excellent wrestling, and often does, but it doesn't pretend that every match exists primarily to produce the best possible star rating. Sure, sometimes the point is the physical fight. Other times, though, the point is a man dressed as Sherlock Holmes needs to beat somebody into a position where he can interrogate him with a magnifying glass. Torch has done that too. Plenty of wrestling companies would consider that a problem, but at Hoodslam it's the show.

A map of Hoodslam’s fictional SlamTown universe.

Hoodslam: How to Watch

Hoodslam/SlamTown: Revelations 8:28

When: Sept. 1, 10 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. PT

Where: Continental Club, Oakland, California

Where to watch: TrillerTV+

Revelations 8:28 was held Aug. 28 at the Continental Club before its Sept. 1 streaming premiere. TrillerTV lists Anton Voorhees, Lara Frazier, Ricky and Scotty Stoner, KEiTA, Dave Reckoning, Cooper Contra Costa, Sheikah, Daniel T, Sheriff Boone, Deputy Regular Rob and SlamTown Justice among the featured performers.

Revelations 8:28 is a good entry point for newcomers because a lot of the story revolves around characters trying to understand SlamTown itself.

Revelations 8:26 goes live on ThrillerTV September 1st, 2026

Wrestle Detective Cooper Contra Costa has been following a progression of increasingly strange leads. First, Anton Voorhees showed up claiming to come from another world. The Stoner Brothers recovered memories of previous identities. Sheikah wrote a banned book whose readers supposedly went mad after finishing it and were committed to the Asylum. In typical politician style, former Mayor Mike Rayne seems to know more than he’s letting on.  

All those clues point to the same mystery. Residents remember another reality, and one word keeps surfacing from the alternate plane: Hoodslam.

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Jenny Catlin is a writer from the Square States, covering racing, pop culture, professional wrestling, country and western, and glam metal music, obsession, sex, pornography, the real working class, indie press, and other obsessions. An award-winning essayist, she is a contributing writer at The Athletic and Denver-based Denverse Magazine. Find her on Substack and Instagram.

Kofi and Austin Debut | Will Ospreay Wins the AEW World Championship| AEW All In: London Results August 30th, 2026

AEW All In: Buy In begins with Lio Rush and the Rascalz defeating the Opps as the clouds just open and it begins to rain at Wembley Stadium

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Kris Statlander helps Harley Cameron gain some revenge on the Sisters of Sin with a win in Wembley Stadium at AEW All In: Buy In

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If the Rizzler wants something done, it gets done. Bobby Lashley and Shelton Benjamin are presented with a $50k check by Big Justice on behalf of the Rizzler for getting the victory over Shane Taylor Promotions with Boom and Doom

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Bryan Danielson has returned to the commentary booth!!

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A masked woman shoves Maya World off the top rope, allowing Persephone to steal the win!! She takes off her mask to reveal herself as Britt Baker!!! Britt baker screwed Maya World out of the TBS Championship!!!!!

Britt Baker has returned to AEW after multi Years Long Absence!!!! Persephone is the new TBS Champion!!!!

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Thekla has returned for the first time since dropping the AEW Women's Championship. She says she will never forget what Willow Nightingale did to her. Thekla will be watching the show closely and shit will get Toxic

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Persephone has officially aligned herself with Britt Baker!!!! Persephone says since Thunder Rosa wanted to get involved in her business recently, Perse went an found an old friend of Rosa's

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The Unstoppable Force(Wife) meets the Immovable Object(husband) as Roddy and Marina Shafir come face to face!!!

Roderick Strong hits Marina Shafir with a backbreaker during the Trios Championship Roulette Royale

The former New Day, Austin Creed and Kofi have arrived in AEW!!!!! They are now in a faction with Swerve Strickland!!! The New Level!!!

The heels in the match had been overpowering the final remaining members of each Babyface trios, Hangman, Jay White and Orange Cassidy, when it's time for Swerve Strickland and the Wild Card team to arrive.

Swerve is out first with Nana. Who are his partners? Who? Who? Who?

THE NEW LEVEL!!! The New Level has arrived with A$ap Ferg's New Level as a theme song!!!

Kofi, the legendary king of the Battle Royale

Swerve Strickland and the New Level win the AEW World Trios Championships!!!

The first ever to win AEW Championships in their debut appearance!!!

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The Hometown girls get the win!!!!

Brawling Birds Jamie Hayter and Alex Windsor have taken down the undefeated Divine Dominion to become the new AEW Women's World Tag Team Champions!!!!

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On the 8th day, God created Jon Moxley!!!!! Nigel McGuinness is THIS CLOSE to the ropes to escape an ankle lock on his injured ankle but Jon Moxley never lets go and Nigel has to submit.

Excellent match!!

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"I do not forgive those who laugh at my family" Kyle Fletcher rocks some sick One Piece Donquixote Doflamingo gear complete with special entrance

Kazuchika Okada has recaptured his AEW International Championship!!!!!

An excellent Triple Threat match ends when Kyle Fletcher hits the turnbuckle Brainbuster on Takeshita and Okada hits the Rainmaker on Fletcher

Okada could have pinned Takeshita but he pins Fletcher instead. Post match, Fletcher doesn't want to give up his title but he does reluctantly.

Okada screams at Fletcher to raise his hand and Fletcher doesn't want to but Callis convinced him

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Komander makes his way out at number 7 for the Casino Gauntlet match but Justin Roberts announced him as MISTICO

Which the crowd absolutely would not let go off for a few minutes. You fkd up and Mistico chants went until Komander hit his signature Rope Walk

Andrade has earned a shot at the AEW World Championship!!!!! Andrade pins Nick Wayne after MJF low blowed Wayne and hit the heatseeker piledriver.

Andrade tossed MJF out of the ring and pinned Wayne for the win

Order of entry:

MJF

Andrade

Nick Wayne

Mike Bailey

Ciampa

Jericho

Mark Davis

Komander

Mistico

Daniel Garcia

Jungle Jack Perry

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Cross one more off the bucket list.

Edge makes his Wembley Stadium debut as the crowd serenades him with his theme music, Metallingus by Alter Bridge

Hes clearly emotional as AEW dumps the pyro budget on him and fireworks go off outside of the Stadium

What a freaking match!!!!! Edge and Christian retain the AEW World Tag Team Championships with a hidden wrench shot

Tag Team Wrestling LIVES IN AEW!!!!!

After retaining their Tag Team Championships, Edge and Christian are confronted by Motor City Machine Guns.

Then FTR returns to AEW TV. Then the Young Bucks get back to their feet. Finally the New Level comes back out and we are shown the STRENGTH of AEW's Tag Team Division!!!!

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ITS STIIIIIIING!!!! Metallica's Seek and Destroy blares over the loudspeakers as Sting returns to save Darby Allin and his son Steven Borden

Sting climbs a ladder to splash the Don Callis Family but his son Steve climbs up and begs him not to. Steven makes the splash off the ladder in the ring to the outside instead!!!

Darby Allin leaped off of the stage lighting rig at least twenty feet in the air THROUGH Kevin Knight and the stage!!!!! NO TABLE!! NO NOTHING!!

Paramedics are trying to save Kevin Knight when Darby leaps off the stage again onto Kevin Knight on a stretcher!!!!!

Darby Allin becomes TNT Champion for the third time!!!

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AEW Women's World Champion Willow Nightingale makes her entrance dressed as a knight with gigantic confett-titty cannons!!!!

Mercedes Moné has finally captured the big one in AEW at the biggest wrestling show of the year!!!!

Mercedes Moné is the new AEW Women's World Champion after a fantastic match against Willow Nightingale. Willow fought as hard as she could, even pulling out a Spanish fly at one point.

Willow hits a Moonsault (which she almost loses but Mercedes kind of saved it) Mercedes hits Willow's head into an exposed turnbuckle for the closest 2.9999 of the night.

Willow pounced Mercedes into Aubrey at one point and it looked bad but Aubrey seems to be ok.

Excellent back and forth between Willow and Mercedes that ends with Willow passing to an arm wrapped bank statement that Aubrey calls for the bell too early on

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One of the best entrances in AEW history did not involve special pyro or dancing. It was a retrospective video and tunnel entrance about Will Ospreay set to Baba O'Riley by the Who

As he walked to the entrance with the United Empire behind him, he passes Zack Sabre Jr, Michael Oku, Ricochet, Swerve Strickland, Mark Davis, Kyle Fletcher, his wife Alex Windsor and finally Jon Moxley waits for him at the front, with the Union Jack.

Moxley hands Ospreay the flag to carry his country on his back. Ospreay's time is now.

"The Flames of your Battle Cry haven't burned out yet. Young man you too, can be a hero. Kenny Omega, it's time to go Plus Ultra!!!!!!!!"

My Hero Academia fans stand tf up!!!! Kenny Omega just made his entrance to YOU SAY RUN with All Might himself, Kenta Miyake, narrating the video in Japanese

UNBELIEVABLE entrance from Kenny Omega.

Will Ospreay just became the first man to kick out of the One Winged Angel in over a decade!!!!

Absolutely incredible. Will Ospreay has done it.

Will Ospreay hits a DISGUSTING Tiger Driver 91. Followed by a One Winged Angel which Kenny Omega kicks out of at one.

Ospreay hits the Hidden Blade, Omega kicks out at one again!!! Ospreay hits the Stormbreaker and one final Hidden Blade to become the AEW World Champion.

Ospreay is in tears. The crowd is in tears. In front of his friends, family and countrymen

Will Ospreay is the first European to win a World Championship in England

Ranking the Top Ten All In Matches So Far

It is All In week, and I decided to go down memory lane and compile what I think are the ten best matches in the history of the pay-per-view. There have been enough editions of All In , and enough matches to sift through, to pick the ten best. Obviously ‘best’ is subjective. My definition is in-ring quality, importance, and legacy: matches that help tell AEW’s story, matches that rank among the best wrestling we have ever seen, and matches I’m especially partial to. All of these matches have carved their own little corner in AEW lore and have been immortalized.

Since the revival of the monumental PPV was announced in 2020 and it became part of the AEW PPV family, Tony Khan set out to make this event his own version of “WrestleMania.” A place where stars are born, moments are made, and AEW continues to grow. This list also gives me a chance to reminisce and see how far this company has come. While only four years old and with five different iterations of the event, All In has become the tentpole for the alternative company.

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Photo credit: ROH.

10. Kenny Omega vs Penta El 0 (All In 2018)

This match was a clear precursor to what AEW was all about in its early years. Everything that everyone loves about All Elite Wrestling was front and center in this match. Kenny Omega came into the match as the IWGP World Heavyweight Champion, but did not defend it. Pentagon, Penta El Zero, or whatever name you want to call him, came to play and, in one of his first big spotlights, performed as one of the best wrestlers in the world. This was the first singles match between two of the most important wrestlers in AEW history, and it became one of the best and most important matches of AEW's early years.

The crowd was so hot for this match, and they were loving every minute. Both Penta and Omega were fighting for the love of the game, and it showed. The entire event was the seed for what would later grow into something. The wrestling style, in-ring storytelling, and all of it was pure AEW. The match doesn't get talked about as much as other pre-AEW matches are, given its importance to the promotion's creation.

Just as important were the post-match developments, as Chris Jericho, dressed as Penta, attacked Omega, starting their path toward a historic rivalry that carried the baton between All In and Double or Nothing.

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Photo credit: AEW.

9. AEW World Championship: MJF def. Adam Cole (All In 2024)

100 years from now, when you're telling the story of All Elite Wrestling, you won't be able to tell the rise of AEW without talking about the main event between Adam Cole and MJF. Cole vs. MJF for the AEW Men’s World Championship is still one of the biggest main events in AEW history, and it looked massive. If you rewatch it, both entrances looked like the biggest deal in the world, and that crowd looked like an endless sea of people.

In retrospect, having Adam Cole main event this match was a bittersweet moment for a wrestler who might never get in the ring again, and he was able to share the spotlight with his '“best friend.” This is the original mega-match in AEW. While other matches have had better drama or better in-ring wrestling, this was the first one in AEW that felt like the biggest thing in the world. The presentation set the standard, and it also gave wrestlers a different path to their “WrestleMania” moment.

So while the match was fun, melodramatic, and goofy at times, the real success of this match, at least for me, was its presentation and the standard it set for the rest of All In.

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Photo credit: AEW.

8. Casino Gauntlet (All In 2024)

While AEW had had Casino Gauntlets before All In 2024, this was easily the biggest and most well-received of them all. There was so much going on in this Gauntlet that, on rewatch, you can see why so many people fell in love with this gimmick match that night. Nigel McGuinness made his return to the wrestling ring, Ricochet made his official debut in AEW, and Zack Sabre Jr. was able to wrestle in front of his fellow countrymen and women. By the way, before we move on, a small piece of me likes to think the Casino Gauntlet was brought to London just for McGuinness.

Christian Cage ended up winning the contract for the No. 1 Contendorship, and while Cage cashing it in was a big wet fart, it did set the tone for the rest of the Casino Gauntlet winners moving forward. All In 2024 was the one that shined the brightest and set the standard for the rest of them in the future. This Casino Gauntlet was so well received at All In 2024 that it has now become a staple at the biggest show of the year, and this year’s version might be able to top it.

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Photo credit: AEW.

7. AEW Women’s World Championship: Toni Storm def. Mercedes Mone (All In 2025)

Mercedes Mone vs Toni Storm at All In 2025 felt special. On a night full of megastars, it was mentioned as a co-main event alongside Kazuchika Okada vs Kenny Omega and Adam Page vs Jon Moxley. That shows how well these competitors were regarded and how important this match was for the women’s division. I think I like this match so much because we all thought we were going to witness Mercedes’ crowning moment, finally becoming AEW Women’s World Champion and adding to her 15 titles. Instead, it became a Toni Storm moment, as she was recognized as the cornerstone of the women’s division. Storm didnt beat Mone in a fluke way either; it was a deceptive pin to leave no doubt.

This loss started Mercedes's downfall; she went on to lose every single belt after this, then started the rise again after winning the Owen Hart Cup for the second consecutive year. This match not only cemented Storm as the best-ever AEW Women’s World Champion, but it smashed any notion that Mercedes was “Hulking” and politicking her way in the locker room. Most importantly, it was the ultimate showcase for two women who bet on themselves and went against the grain on AEW’s biggest stage.

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Photo credit: AEW.

6. AEW Unified Championship: Kazuchika Okada def. Kenny Omega (All In 2025)

When Tony Khan announced he had purchased the rights to Ring of Honor in 2022, and by default the rights back to the original All In, Kenny Omega vs. Kazuchika Okada was likely the match he had in mind. This was the biggest match, as far as lore goes, that All In has ever hosted, and AEW did a fantastic job recapping Okada and Omega’s past feud for an audience that perhaps wasn't fully dialed in. This is where AEW turned the corner in recapping feuds and storylines.

This was billed as the co-main event for the night, and with good reason. Both Okada and Omega received superstar entrances, and this was the biggest version of this rivalry to date. Was this match as athletic or physically impressive as their first four match-ups? No. That said, this was the most methodical, calculated, and thought-out match of the five fights. It was structured as though both men knew every move, with neither wanting to make a mistake. This was built up as the biggest match ever, as the winner would take home the International and Continental Championships as the Unified Champion.

Okada is now up 3-2 in the series. Still, this won't be the last match we see between these two bitter, lifelong rivals.

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Photo credit: AEW.

5. International Championship: Will Ospreay def. MJF (All In 2024)

In what might preview what happens this weekend, Will Ospreay vs. MJF was the original homecoming moment for the British wrestler. MJF had beaten Ospreay for the International Championship and renamed it the American Championship because, of course, he did. While it wasn't the main event of All In that year, it was treated like a co-main event, with fireworks and an over-the-top presentation for Ospreay. Ospreay still wasn't officially signed to AEW yet, as that announcement came four months later, in November 2024. Tony Khan pulled out all of the stops for Ospreay to make him feel at home in AEW.

This was one of many fantastic wrestling matches these two men have had against each other. MJF and Ospreay seem to bring out the best in each other, and this match, in the brightest of spotlights, proved that they need to keep this rivalry alive.

The Tiger Driver ‘91 was a big point of the storyline, and when Ospreay hit it on MJF, after some assistance from a returning Daniel Garcia, Ospreay got his International Title once again, and the hometown boy got his major moment.

Could this be how All In 2026 ends, with Ospreay standing over the ring with new gold above his head?

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Photo credit: AEW.

4. CM Punk vs Samoa Joe (All In 2023)

The opening match of the first reincarnation of All In was a great match between two old rivals set to kick off the biggest show in the young company's history. The pressure was on them, and because of their professionalism, they knocked it out of the park. Add in that CM Punk had just gotten into a ‘fight’ with Jack Perry in Gorilla, and Punk knew this was likely his last match for AEW and probably wasn't in the right mindset; still, with Samoa Joe, he had one of the more memorable in-ring matches in All In history. I couldn't even imagine what was going through Joe’s mind.

These two opponents were a great choice to reintroduce what All In meant. Both competitors had deep roots with Ring of Honor, had a deep-seated rivalry, and knew how to work a great match for the fans. The win for Punk was supposed to kick off his “Real World Champion” storyline, which was going to be a good one. Instead, with his left fist raised to the air, the last we ever saw of CM Punk in AEW was him leaving through the tunnel, back to the fans, with the “real” championship over his right shoulder—an iconic picture for an iconic match.

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Photo credit: AEW.

3. Young Bucks vs Swerve Strickland/Will Ospreay

Picture it: Arlington, June 2025, at Globe Life Field. I brought my AEW-agnostic brother for two reasons: he's my brother, and I wanted to show him what AEW was all about. He wasn't the biggest wrestling fan, but he was invested in WWE at the time, around Rock v. Cody Rhodes, so he tuned in. He also likes to troll me and rib me for liking AEW. That changed when Swerve/Ospreay vs. The Young Bucks started. He was already having a good time, but this tag match changed his view of the promotion. It is the perfect encapsulation of what AEW is all about in the ring.

There was so much to fight for, so I don't think many people believed Ospreay/Swerve were going to win, but they pulled it out, and this was the climax of the founding fathers gimmick, going out with a bang. In-ring, this is some of the best wrestling in an AEW ring. The jaw-dropping moves, acrobatics, and near falls are what make AEW so great, and in this match they were dialed up and baselined right into our veins. If it made a believer out of my brother, it still has a chance to convert hardened AEW skeptics.

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Photo credit: AEW.

2. AEW World Championship: Bryan Danielson def. (C) Swerve Strickland (All In 2024)

No wrestling promotion in the world tells a fairytale ending better. From Sting to Bryan Danielson, All Elite Wrestling knows how to care for its wrestling legends, letting them go out on top while they hold up wrestling gold and are carried off into the sunset by the fans and the locker room. Though not his official last match, this match will be remembered as his swan song, where, even if he didn't want them, he was given flowers as one of the best wrestlers of this generation and of all time.

From the get-go, the entire city of London could be heard singing The Final Countdown all the way to Neptune. What a feeling that must have been for Danielson. They were hot and stayed with the sentimental favorite for 30 minutes. The match highlighted what made Danielson one of the best of all time, as he took it to the ground and put on a masterclass in technical wrestling. Begrudgingly, Danielson won the title in front of his family and cemented his legacy as one of the best wrestlers of this, or any, generation. While he might make sporadic appearances here and there, this was the perfect send-off to the only best.

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Photo credit: AEW.

1. AEW World Championship: “Hangman” Adam Page def. Jon Moxley (All In 2025)

There might be some pushback to this, but I don't think AEW has ever done a better main event than this Texas Death Match. I know the double debut of Adam Cole and Bryan Danielson has been cemented in many people's minds as the best ending to an AEW show, but for my money (which is not a lot), it's when Hangman did his job and hung Moxley over the top rope. What a visual. Those moments are exactly why Tony Khan brought back All In and made it AEW's “WrestleMania.” If there were any questions about which PPV was the crown jewel, All In 2025 erased any doubt.

The match itself was historic, of course, and that is part of why it stands above the rest. Having a Death Match as your main event at your biggest show of the year was a risk, given how the Exploding Barbed Wire had gone, but it went off without a hitch.

Perhaps my opinion is colored, as I was there live in Arlington, but seeing the Cowboy lift the belt after his climb to the top and the belt being held captive in a suitcase for the better part of a year was deeply satisfying. Not only that, but seeing the return of both Darby Allin and Bryan Danielson, exacting their revenge on the same Death Riders that took them out, was cathartic.

This match will live in the annals of AEW lore, as there was only one result that mattered, and it is exactly what we got. All across the country, people could be heard cheering for the Cowboy finally freeing us from our Death Rider purgatory.

A Handy Guide To: AEW All In 2026

Need to know when and where to watch an upcoming pay-per-view? Need to know who’s fighting who? Need to know why you should care? Then, you’ve come to the right place!

“A Handy Guide” is a new series here on Dirt Sheet Radio where we run down an upcoming pay-per-view’s match card, and discuss the competitors and stories coming into each match. For now, our focus is going to be on WWE and AEW, but if there’s interest, we may expand to companies like TNA, NJPW, and more.

Today’s edition is all about AEW All In 2026, taking place on Sunday, August 30th, at Wembley Stadium in London, England. This is the third time All In has taken place at Wembley and the fourth iteration of this event (fifth, if you count the inaugural pre-AEW event held in 2018). It is AEW’s biggest yearly pay-per-view, their own Wrestlemania, Wrestle Kingdom, Starrcade, Bound For Glory, or Ultima Lucha (shout-out to Lucha Underground). 

Because this PPV takes place in the UK, it will be an early start time for US viewers. 
These are the start times for the following time zones. 

United Kingdom (BST): 4:30 PM
Eastern Time (ET): 11:30 AM (Pre-show) / 1:00 PM (Main card)
Pacific Time (PT): 8:30 AM (Pre-show) / 10:00 AM (Main card)

The PPV will air on major cable and satellite providers in the United States, Canada, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. U.S. and Canadian viewers can stream the event on YouTube, Prime Video, and DAZN. Additionally, U.S. fans can also stream it on HBO Max or catch it at select Dave & Buster locations nationwide. International viewers can view the event on PPV.com or MyAEW.com. 

This article does not cover any of the Buy-In (pre-show) matches, and as always the card is subject to change. But for now, these are the matches, and these are the stories:

Trios Roulette Royale (Buy-In Match)

Okay, so normally, I don’t cover preshow matches in my guide, but I’m going to make an exception due to who’s involved in this. When Hangman Page lost his World Championship rematch against MJF, it meant he could never challenge for that title ever again. When he returned a few months later, he vowed to be a man of his word, but that left him directionless. A ship without a harbor, a horse without a rider, a hangman with nothing to hang. Alright, the metaphor needs work, but you get what I mean. He offered his assistance to guys like Will Ospreay against the Death Riders, and Brodido against the Don Callis Family. The latter of which trusted him enough to join forces and go after the Trios Championships. The former World Champion and the former Tag Team Champions beat The Demand (Ricochet and GOA) for the titles in their first match as a team. 

No offense to the Trios Division, but it really seems like these three men are in kind of a holding pattern. In a promo on Dynamite, Swerve Strickland spoke the quiet part out loud, wondering if the end to Hangman’s story is really to “ride off in the sunset” with Brodido. Meanwhile, it’s been almost an entire year, and Brody and Bandido have yet to even challenge for the tag team championships they lost at Full Gear 2025. Regardless of their present or future circumstances, these three men will never back down from a challenge, and this time they’re throwing the challenge out themselves. Any trio that wants a shot at the gold can get it at All In. 

Who’s it going to be? The Bang Bang Gang is fully complete for the first time since their inception, and also one of the best Trios champions of all time (totally not biased). Gabe Kidd made a surprise return to Dynamite this month after rehabbing a shoulder injury, so The Dogs are also complete and could go after the Trios titles. Ricochet and GOA could look for their rematch at All In. Or maybe it could be Swerve Strickland who calls his shot. He’s got a vendetta against every one of the Trios champions, and it’s been far too long since Swerve’s House has put gold on display. Problem is, though, that Swerve is just one man. Who could he possibly find to be his partners? Who? Who? Who? 

Turns out it’s all of them and more! Tony Khan announced that the Trios Champions would be defending their championships in a Trios Roulette Royale. Seven trios will compete in a gauntlet until one trio, or members of that trio, are remaining. The confirmed challengers are The Demand, The Bang Bang Gang, The Conglomeration (Orange Cassidy, Kyle O’Reilly, Roderick Strong), Death Riders, The Dogs, and a Wild Card Trio. Tune in early to catch this chaotic yet highly entertaining match. 

Kyle Fletcher vs. Konosuke Takeshita vs. Kazuchika Okada— AEW International Championship Match

The turmoil in the Don Callis Family continues! The past, present, and future of Don’s endless stable will be at odds this Sunday in a guaranteed banger of a match. The intrigue and drama surrounding these three men is the closest thing AEW has to a Real Housewives series. Back in the far-away times of 2023, Konosuke Takeshita became the definitive head of Don Callis’s growing family. He achieved immediate success for Don by beating Kenny Omega twice in one week, and then used that success to become one of the most prolific International Champions of all time. Kyle Fletcher was the next to join and Don took no time at all to pair his two proteges together, dubbing their partnership as ProtoShita. Despite this, the two did become good friends and there was never any visible tension between them. The same cannot be said for Kazuchika Okada. 

One of the brightest stars in New Japan quickly became the Family’s new golden boy, and it created a volatile situation between him and Takeshita. Don tried pairing them up the same way he had with ProtoShita, but they barely communicated and constantly got in each other’s way. Things came to a head at Double or Nothing, when the two faced off for the International Championship. Takeshita exorcised his demons and defeated Okada, and Fletcher came out to celebrate with his friend…or so we thought. Fletcher turned on Takeshita, unceremoniously kicked him out of the DCF, and then defeated him for the International Championship a few short weeks later. In order to “stack the odds” against Takeshita, Don inserted Okada into his championship rematch, much to the dismay of Fletcher. Don wants to ensure the gold stays in the family, but Fletcher is more concerned that the gold stays with him. Okada is being— to borrow a phrase from the Brits— a cheeky bugger and is going along with this, surely in the hopes that the gold comes back to him. Takeshita wants to knee them all in the head.

Herein lies a wonderful conundrum. Takeshita has beaten Okada one-on-one, Fletcher has beaten Takeshita, and Okada beat Fletcher once upon a time (Continental Championship match in 2024). All three men have solid claims for the title, but only one can come out on top. It’s strong style graps with reality TV drama, what a delight. 

Cage and Cope vs. The Young Bucks

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AEW World Tag Team Championship Match

When you think of the Mount Rushmore of Tag Teams, you probably think of too many faces to carve into a mountain side. On that crowded mountain, though, there’s bound to be two of the most charismatic, synergistic, influential…istic duos of all time: The Young Bucks, and Edge and Christian. The Young Bucks defined the indie-rific style that you see shades of in WWE and buckets of in AEW. They flipped, superkicked, and piledrived their way into the hearts of every die-hard wrestling fan that was sick of how homogenized and “left behind” tag team wrestling was in the mainstream. They have won the tag team titles in pretty much every promotion not named WWE (or TNA, surprisingly), and catapulted that success into co-founding the second biggest wrestling company in the world today. 

The Young Bucks let their egos get the better of them, and they abused their status as Executive Vice Presidents of AEW to get title matches, top billings, and lots and lots of money. Then, at All In 2024, they lost their EVP titles in a genuine banger of a match against Will Ospreay and Swerve Strickland. They were swiftly and thoroughly humbled, first by losing their pyro and theme music, and then losing matches and money. At Full Gear 2025, they sunk to a new low by tagging with the Don Callis Family to take on their old friends: Jurassic Express and Kenny Omega. When they lost, they were paid to turn their backs on their friends as the DCF beat them down. It was here that Nick and Matt finally remembered who they were, and they dropped the money in order to save their friends. Since then, they have been on a path to redemption— a path to become elite again. The final step on this path is to regain the AEW Tag Team Championships, but another elite tag team stands in their way. 

Before they were Cage and Cope, they were Edge and Christian. And before they were hardened, crafty renegades with a penchant for swinging spiky bats and sleeping with the mothers of their enemies, they were radical ex-vampire thralls who did five-second poses and reeked of awesomeness. I wrote about Cage and Cope’s long-awaited reunion in my guide to Redemption, and at that pay-per-view, the Young Bucks stared down the retaining champions to plant the seeds for this match. The Young Bucks have been vocal about how much of an inspiration Adam Copeland and Christian Cage have been to them, and now these two revolutionary tag teams will go head-to-head in a match that used to only be capable with CAWs in a WWE 2K game. 

Casino Gauntlet Match

If you love chaotic spot-fests filled with exciting returns and tense previews of potential feuds, then this is the match for you. The Casino Gauntlet Battle Royale is AEW’s equivalent to the Royal Rumble, or Battle Riot, or Aztec Warfare (again, shoutout to Lucha Underground). It evolved from AEW’s Casino Battle Royale, a unique battle royale with 21 competitors that came out in groups of five every three minutes, with a final mystery entrant known as The Joker. In this modified version, the number of competitors is a mystery; the only people you know for certain that are in the match are the first two entrants. Each competitor enters the ring at random intervals, and instead of over-the-top-rope eliminations, the match goes until the first pinfall or submission. The winner of the gauntlet receives a World Championship Match at the time and place of their choosing.

Over the years, the Casino Gauntlet has been the stage for some of AEW’s wildest moments. In 2024, Nigel McGuinness made an emotional return to in-ring competition in the gauntlet after retiring 13 years earlier. In 2025, Toni Storm “reverted” back to her rookie year gimmick to catch everyone in the match off guard, including the current women’s champion, her former protege/traitor, Mariah May. Also in 2025, MJF won the gauntlet at All In and connived his way into winning the AEW World Championship a few months later. Speaking of championships, Ricochet became the inaugural National Champion by winning the casino gauntlet at Full Gear. At Dynasty, Kevin Knight ran the gauntlet to win the vacated TNT Championship. 

The casino gauntlet at All In is full of entrants that are sure to make this another must-see spectacle. MJF and the National Champion Andrade el Idolo are the first two entrants, and they have hated each other since Andrade returned to AEW. Tomasso Ciampa confirmed his entry into the gauntlet and vowed to go through anyone and everyone to win the whole thing. Speaking of which, his former rival Chris Jericho has also confirmed his entry, looking to ride the momentum of his No Holds Barred win against Ciampa into another shot at his long-lost AEW World Championship. Other confirmed entrants include young and hungry competitors like Speedball Mike Bailey and “The Prodigy” Nick Wayne. This will be an entertaining multi-man match, certainly, but be on the lookout for the winner. You might just be looking at the next world champion, after all. 

Brawling Birds (Jamie Hayter/Alex Windsor) vs. Divine Dominion (Lena Kross/Megan Bayne)— AEW Women’s Tag Team Championship Match

Is there a more feminine, respectful way to say “big meaty men slapping meat”? Because if there is, that is the best description for what to expect in this match. Lena Kross is a bruiser from Australia who got on AEW’s radar after taking the fight to then-women’s champion Kris Statlander earlier this year. She can knock you out just as well as she can throw you around, and at six feet tall, she towers over most of the female competition. The only exception might be her tag team partner: The Megasus, Megan Bayne. She made her AEW debut back in 2021, though her appearances were primarily on the minor shows Dark and Elevation. It wasn’t until her excursion to STARDOM in 2023 that she came into her own as a competitor, becoming the Greek Goddess that we know today. She re-debuted in AEW in January 2025 by dominating in the women’s casino gauntlet, and three months later, she was already challenging for the women’s championship. In March 2026 at Revolution, these two powerhouses formally joined forces and pried the women’s tag team championships from the hands of the Babes of Wrath (Harley Cameron and Willow Nightingale). 

Much like Divine Dominion, the Brawling Birds formed out of necessity and opportunity. They wanted gold, and the women’s tag team championships were right there. Jamie Hayter is a former AEW Women’s Champion who probably would have bulldozed through every contender forever had she not gotten injured. She’s strong, agile, and has a propensity for violence but in a cheeky, British kind of way. Alex Windsor (WINDSAAAH!) is the current NJPW Strong Women’s Champion who hits harder than the hangover after Newcastle loses the Premier League. The newly-crowned Mrs. Ospreay cut her teeth in Pro Wrestling: EVE for fifteen years before making her AEW debut in 2025, and she has been a strong presence in their women’s division ever since. 

These teams have been on parallel trajectories of dominance, and they are set to collide in London.

Jon Moxley vs. Nigel McGuinness — Continental Cup Finals

Full disclosure: I wrote half of this match’s description the moment this Cup was announced. Jon Moxley won the Continental Classic at World’s End, and he has held on to the Continental Championship ever since. Last year, he was in the main event of All In, defending the world championship in arguably the most emotional Texas Deathmatch of all time. There is no fathomable universe where he is not playing a prominent role in AEW’s biggest PPV of the year. And it does not make sense for him to drop his championship in a blind-draw tournament on a random Dynamite right before AEW’s biggest PPV of the year. The only thing in doubt was who would be his opponent. 

In the end, only one man could overcome their bracket and punch their ticket to Wembley, and that is Nigel McGuinness. Since returning to in-ring competition, many have wondered where Nigel would take his second run. Would he have a steady retirement tour like Sting (crazy dives and table spots included)? Or would he go all out and wrestle like his life depended on it like his perennial rival Bryan Danielson? Turns out, it’s been more of the latter. Nigel has shown he hasn’t lost a step and consistently wrestles circles around his competition. He took Danielson to the limit for the AEW World Championship, tested the mettle of ROH Pure Champion Lee Moriarty in an Iron Match, and battled Zack Sabre Jr. for the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship in a technical masterpiece. Though none of these bouts resulted in championship victories, Nigel remained determined and ready for more opportunities. 

The Continental Cup is Nigel’s best championship opportunity to date, but it comes with a major asterisk. In his first round match against Katsuyori Shibata, Nigel apparently injured his ankle. Despite this, he refused to pull out of the tournament and managed to power through his next two tournament matches against Hechicero and Kyle O’Reilly— two men known for their submission prowess. Meanwhile, Jon Moxley has defeated Jungle Jack Perry, Jay White, and his own stablemate, Claudio Castagnoli to get to the Finals, and he will have no qualms about exploiting Nigel’s weakness to retain his championship. The valiant yet injured underdog versus the sadistic champion is a textbook wrestling storyline, but it’s fine art when crafted by the right hands. Moxley and McGuinness, at Wembley, are the best hands you can ask for. 

Darby Allin vs. Kevin Knight (Falls Count Anywhere)

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TNT Championship Match

Last April at Dynasty, Kevin Knight took to the sky during the Casino Gauntlet Match (more on that later) and became the 20th man to hold the TNT Championship. This was a welcome surprise. Kevin Knight had a stellar rookie year in AEW, wowing crowds with his aerial prowess and undeniable charisma. He springboarded himself to an Owen Hart Cup berth, two Trios Championship reigns, and an impressive showing in the Continental Classic. So, when he won the TNT Championship, the crowd cheered— they were on his side and he had their goodwill and support. 

He lost all of that after turning on Darby Allin. 

The Jet’s heel turn was unfortunate yet inevitable. For the past few months, he fended off challengers such as Claudio Castagnoli, Brian Cage, Hook, and then-World Champion MJF, and his confidence was devolving into arrogance. Going into Double or Nothing, he told Darby Allin he believed he could beat MJF and retain the World Championship. After all, Kevin Knight did just that to retain the TNT Championship. At Double or Nothing, MJF beat Darby Allin for the world title and left him on a stretcher, and Kevin Knight came to his aid. But knowing that he could do what the former world champion couldn’t, Kevin realized he was— in many ways— above Darby Allin and above everyone else. He took to the skies once more to hit Darby with The UFO (a spinning frog splash) and then tipped the stretcher over with Darby still on it. 

Darby Allin, being the protege of Sting, knows how important it is to choose your allies wisely. The vindictive daredevil has not taken Knight’s betrayal lightly, and over the past few months, he has tried to get his hands on the TNT Champion through any means necessary. Like an explosive backpack, for instance (classic Darby). Darby has beaten Knight for the World Championship, Knight has beaten Darby for the TNT Championship. This will be the rubber match (if you don’t count their Thanksgiving Eve match in 2025), and it will be Falls Count Anywhere. They’ve already taken the fight to each other all around the arena, so might as well make it a sanctioned affair. Expect this match to be cringe-inducing in the best way, and wildly unpredictable. Kevin Knight could continue his record-setting reign and cement himself as a main-event star, or Darby Allin could become the winningest TNT Champion in history and find himself back on top again. Either way, this blood rivalry comes to an end on Sunday. 

Willow Nightingale vs. Mercedes Moné— AEW Women’s World Championship Match

Oh, what a difference a year makes. 

One year ago, the Owen Hart Tournament winner Mercedes Moné walked down the entrance ramp of All In Texas with every women’s championship under the sun, ready to add the AEW Women’s Championship to her collection. This year, she will walk into Wembley with only her Owen belt in tow, still looking to win the one championship that has eluded her. One year ago, Willow Nightingale was coming up short in the first-ever Women’s Casino Gauntlet match. This year, she is going into All In as the reigning Women’s Champion and with a renewed confidence in herself. 

The rivalry between Mercedes and Willow is a years-long story told with gold and grandeur. Their first battle was at the NJPW Strong Resurgence PPV in 2023, where Mercedes’s unfortunate injury kept her from becoming the inaugural NJPW Strong Women’s Champion. Their second battle was at Double Or Nothing 2024— two months after Mercedes made her official AEW debut— and Mercedes took her revenge on Willow by beating her for the TBS Championship. A year and a half later, they would fight for the third time at AEW’s TV special New Year’s Smash 2025, and Willow would defeat Mercedes again to end her record-breaking TBS Championship reign. 

Each time they have faced each other, they have been on vastly different sides of the proverbial mountain, and yet they still find a way to knock the other one down. Mercedes will never admit she’s jealous that Willow returned from her injury better than ever and won the only championship she hasn’t. She has blindsided, beaten down, and berated Willow every chance she gets, but Willow won’t stay down. In fact, two weeks ago, she recovered from a beatdown by Mercedes, drove her out of the ring, and proudly declared, “I’m still smiling, bitch!” 

This will be Willow’s first major test as the top woman in AEW. She is a proven champion, but Mercedes is her proven spoiler. With the history and talent on hand in this match, I expect nothing less than a Match of the Year candidate from these two.

Kenny Omega vs. Will Ospreay

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AEW Men’s World Championship Match

Wrestling is an anime. An endless shonen anime with big personalities, dynamic finishers, and long filler arcs so the manga can catch up. With that being the case, Kenny Omega and Will Ospreay are Goku and Naruto, respectively. 

Kenny possesses a Saiyan-like stamina and moveset that has propelled him to the top of NJPW and AEW, but that power came at a great cost to his health. Since his return from fighting life-threatening diverticulitis, he has vowed to recuperate and ascend to the “best version” of himself. His current run as AEW World Championship is a chance for us to see that. Will Ospreay burst into AEW with a dream to become the undeniable best wrestler in the company. Sure, he can take one too many risks, and maybe he’s a little too trusting, but he believes in himself, and he believes in his dream. Plus, he dresses up like a ninja sometimes. 

This will only be the fourth time these titans go one-on-one, but they have a decade of history together. Their factions went to war with each other in New Japan, Ospreay with CHAOS and Omega as the leader of Bullet Club. When Kenny left New Japan to help form AEW, Ospreay was one of the men he penned to become Japan’s next top gaijin, and he famously criticized Ospreay for not being able to “fill his shoes”. That sowed a seed of disdain in Ospreay that he carried into their epic duology for the NJPW United States Championship, first at Wrestle Kingdom 17 and then at Forbidden Door 2023. In AEW, Ospreay and Omega have been bitter rivals pitted against each other by Don Callis, shaky allies against the Don Callis Family and Death Riders, and now fierce opponents heading into the main event of All In: London. 

Despite Ospreay breaking ties with the Death Riders and coming to Omega’s aid at the end of Redemption last month, Omega still hit Ospreay with the One Winged Angel. He reasoned that the rescue was just a ruse, and the friend he knew— one who wasn’t so gun shy without help— was long gone. Ospreay says he can still pull the trigger, but he’s going to do it his way, and he’s going to do it when Kenny can see it. Well, Kenny will see pretty clearly under the bright lights of Wembley Stadium. And we will all see who is standing tall when these two goats lock horns. 

Other Things To Look Out For

• Last year at All In, Adam Cole had to tragically relinquish his TNT Championship due to injury, and he openly contemplated retirement. We have not seen him on AEW television since. Could he make an appearance on Sunday? If only to give us an update on his condition? Either way, we at DSR continue to wish him the best in his recovery.

• Where. Is. Toni. Storm. The timeless one has not been seen since being written off in March after a backstage attack. She is reportedly taking time off for a non-injury reason, so we do wish her the best. At the same time, though, if I see the screen go black-and-white on Sunday, or I see a foreboding stiletto come into view, I will lose my mind. 

• We’re plunging deep into rumor territory here, but Bayley has yet to renew her contract with the WWE. She hasn’t been seen on television since losing to Lyra Valkyria on Saturday Night’s Main Event. Could we see a reunion of the Boss and Hug Connection in AEW? 

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Jhuvin P. is a writer for CBC/DSR. He has previous experience as a ghostwriter, has published several short stories, and is perpetually working on a novel. In addition to writing, he is also a comedian based in Colorado Springs. He posts clips of his stand-up comedy along with his other goofy antics on TikTok and Instagram.