5 Burning Questions Heading Into AEW All In and All Out

When will CM Punk confront MJF on the road to AEW All Out?Photo credit: All Elite Wrestling

The next few weeks will be crucial for All Elite Wrestling before the highest-attended event in the company's history.

All In London at Wembley Stadium on August 27 has generated a justifiably preposterous share of hype as its first international show. The colossal five-year anniversary celebration billed as The Biggest Event in Wrestling History is a fitting ode to the birth of AEW.

Tony Khan took a risk, as The Elite initially did, and successfully broke the attendance record for a professional wrestling event in Europe. That's such a major accomplishment that it has nearly overshadowed All Out, which will take place the following Sunday.

The Labor Day weekend tradition is usually AEW's most significant show of the year. However, this year's iteration will have a tough act to follow, leaving many fans wondering what to expect during this important stretch of programming.

Luckily, the product is hot again thanks to the debut of Collision and an unexpected but fruitful storyline on Dynamite.

These are five burning questions heading into AEW All In London and All Out.

Straight away, the most inescapable question concerns the build of these two prominent events, which has already received criticism.

How will AEW put together a noteworthy card for these shows in two weeks? Some online fans and critics were already restless at the beginning of August when the company hadn't announced any matches.

Nevertheless, All In is quickly coming together with an irresistible main event and renewed rivalries befitting a larger stage. It may not be enough to please everyone, but there are plenty of reasons to believe this minimal lead-in could set the table for an excellent show.

Still, it's hard to believe this huge event can seamlessly transition into another pay-per-view in seven days. Khan has produced worthwhile showings in the final hour before, but this is risky.

ROH Death Before Dishonor drew similar discussion, but the last-minute additions to the card ultimately panned out. That's not exactly the same, but time will tell if AEW can deliver two must-see outings back-to-back.

The AEW women's division is the weakest aspect of its programming, and that isn't due to a lack of talent or quality matches.

There have been highlights such as Jade Cargill's rise to prominence, Thunder Rosa vs. Britt Baker, or Hikaru Shida's trilogy with Serena Deeb. But the company has been inconsistent overall, and the women deserve better storylines and screen time to develop.

During the July 26 episode of Dynamite, a sign in the crowd saying "Book the women's division better" appeared on television long enough to spark even more discussion. It was a low point for AEW despite some of the strides it has made since its inception in 2019.

Lately, Shida has become a bright spot again, winning the women's title for a second time. This was the perfect way to close the 200th episode of the flagship show and effectively reset the division.

Toni Storm was a competent heel champion, but The Shining Samurai is the right star to greet the crowd at Wembley. The unsung ace of the division did the heavy lifting during the pandemic, and this is her chance to prove she can help to lift it out of a creative rut.

Early on, viewers lauded AEW for its showcase of tag team wrestling.

Although the division stumbled a bit due to injuries and forgettable feuds, it has been exciting to watch again. Surprisingly, the Blind Tag Team Eliminator tournament was a success because it introduced pairings like Adam Cole and MJF, and Big Bill and Brian Cage.

Collision also reinvigorated FTR's current reign with the tag titles. Dax Harwood and Cash Wheeler had an incredible year in 2022, and they've quickly reminded us why with a slew of amazing matches on Saturday nights.

Now, it's the ideal time for them to challenge The Young Bucks again for bragging rights. Wembley will host two of the best tag teams in the world and everyone will rejoice.

Meanwhile, Cole and MJF will continue their quest for championship gold when they take on the hottest up-and-coming duo on the roster, Aussie Open.

This matchup may not have as much history or the same wealth of experience, but it's nice to see tag team wrestling at the forefront of a major event again.

Speaking of everyone's new favorite bromance, Adam Cole and MJF are the principal selling point for All In.

Who could have guessed this reluctant pairing would become so popular that fans would be hoping to see them win the tag titles? The "can they co-exist" trope is such an overused plot device, but AEW has managed to keep us guessing ahead of its biggest show of the year.

The two are even pulling double duty on the card, competing in the main event and on the pre-show. Nonetheless, everyone wants to know if these brochachos will remain friends walking out of Wembley.

Adding Roderick Strong and The Kingdom to the story was a stroke of genius because it unlocks the door for more potential outcomes. Maybe Cole will side with his old friends and betray Friedman. He did just warn him that he would do any and everything to win his title.

MJF could also be playing the long game, though, and always planned to strike when The Panama City Playboy least expected it. It's going to be fun to see how this plays out.

Meanwhile, MJF still has unfinished business with CM Punk following their feud in 2022.

It has been almost a year since The Salt of the Earth returned at All Out to win the Casino ladder match. In the process, the 27-year-old earned a shot at the most prestigious prize in AEW and the chance for revenge.

Unfortunately, Punk suffered a torn tricep, and the aftermath of the accompanying media scrum robbed us of the third match we were all waiting for. Instead, MJF defeated Jon Moxley at Full Gear and started a reign of terror in his former idol's absence.

Still, there was hope when The Second City Saint finally reemerged on the series premiere of Collision carrying a mysterious bag. He later revealed that it contained the AEW world title belt that he never lost and proclaimed himself the real champion.

This will obviously set up his next encounter with MJF. After all, the polarizing star has been taking shots at him since he returned, and it's only a matter of time before they share a ring again.

Although Punk seems destined to face Samoa Joe again at All In, don't be surprised if he confronts The Devil at the end of the show ahead of All Out.