Last Word on Pro Wrestling’s series, War of the Words, explores the art and impact of the promo by looking back through the archives. This series will examine all kinds of promos, from the most memorable or ones that have been overlooked and are underrated, showing the background of the promo, the promo itself, the aftermath of the promo, and what came from it. In this edition, we take a look at the All In post-show promo, which laid the groundwork for Double or Nothing and AEW.
Wrestling history was made on September 1st, 2018 at the Sears Center. The independent wrestling supershow All In, produced by Cody Rhodes and the Young Bucks, laid the groundwork for All Elite Wrestling. After the show went off the air, the subgroup of the Bullet Club, The Elite took the ring. The promo that followed laid the groundwork for Double or Nothing and AEW.
Background: Going All In
While under contract with Ring of Honor, Cody Rhodes and the Young Bucks self-produced All In, which was billed as the “Biggest Independent Wrestling Show Ever.” All In’s storylines were largely built using the web series Being The Elite leading into the show. Featuring talent from ROH, NJPW, AAA, IMPACT Wrestling, NWA, CMLL, and MLW, All In sold over 10,000 tickets in around 30 minutes to sell out the venue.
The All In Post-Show Promo And Laying The Groundwork
As the pay-per-view live feed ended, The Elite took to the ring. The Young Bucks brought their families to the ring to celebrate. They also addressed Cody and noted how he came into their lives the year prior. Matt Jackson noted that Cody was just as ambitious as Matt and his brother Nick. Matt told the story of how Cody believed they could get 10,000 people in an arena; this led to the creation of All In. He then thanked the rest of The Elite, their families, and all of the fans. Turning the promo towards the fans, Matt noted that the fans are hungry for good professional wrestling, and that hunger is what made selling out All In possible. The promo continued with Matt explaining that All In is an example of what they can do with pro wrestling.
The crowd began to chant “All In 2” as Matt passed the microphone to Cody. Cody teased the crowd as he played off of Dave Meltzer’s tweet that ROH couldn’t put 10,000 people in an arena by saying “Sometimes when you make a bet, you go double or nothing.” He then addressed a question that was on a lot of fan’s minds at the time. Cody announced that wherever The Elite went next, they would go together. He then passionately exclaimed that no one person, company, or entity owns pro wrestling. He finished off his portion of the promo with the line “This group went from undesirable to undeniable!” The quote made an impact as Cody used it to say it didn’t matter that they didn’t fit the WWE mold. The group was happy to forge their own path and they did with the creation of AEW.
Aftermath: Double or Nothing and All Elite Wrestling
The months that followed sprouted plenty of rumors that the Bucks and Cody would start their own promotion. The New Years Day episode of Being The Elite premiered the first graphic for AEW and confirmed the rumors. The episode also announced the first AEW pay-per-view dubbed “Double or Nothing“. The name was a callback to the making a bet quote from Cody. The messaging of All In being an example rang true with the creation of AEW. Matt and Cody’s messaging that no one owns pro wrestling and that fans are hungry for an alternative wrestling product. This would become a roadmap for AEW.
The All In post-show promo hinted at what was to come for “The Elite.” From the creation of AEW to the inaugural Double or Nothing event, the promo gave fans hints at what was to come from the group. The promo had a very passionate tone from the Elite which carried over into the tone of AEW.
Stay tuned to the Last Word on Pro Wrestling for the latest wrestling content. You can always count on LWOPW to be on top of the major news in the wrestling world. As well as to provide you with analysis, previews, videos, interviews, and editorials on the wrestling world. Looking to talk wrestling, pro football, or any number of sports? Head on over to the LWOS Boards to engage in conversation with fellow fans!
