In 2017, wrestling journalist Dave Meltzer bet Cody Rhodes that a Ring of Honor event couldn’t sell over 10,000 tickets. Well, over 11,000 wrestling fans packed the Now Arena in Chicago in 2018 for one of the largest pro wrestling shows outside of a WWE event.
From there, the foundations for All Elite Wrestling began.
Now, over four years into its existence, AEW has produced high-quality matches and moments fans will never forget. It also just became a history-making company. By purchasing Ring of Honor, AEW founder, and co-owner Tony Khan took the rights to All In back. The second iteration of the show airs on August 27.
All In has gone from hosting the biggest independent event in pro wrestling to being the largest in pro wrestling history. Taking place at Wembley Stadium, tickets started selling out right away. At first thought impossible, AEW broke the all-time paid attendance record for a professional wrestling event with 80,846 tickets sold, surpassing WrestleMania 32’s record of 80,709 fans.
WATCH: AEW All In 2023, live on FITE
The parallels between All in 2018 and All In 2023 are clear, as there was something to prove. Just like the first event, AEW looks to show the hype is real.
Here’s a breakdown of All In 2023, its expectations, and its comparisons to the original.
All In 2018 vs. AEW All In 2023
At the first All In, MJF was a young punk ready to take over wrestling. He lost the first match of the night against Matt Cross. Fast forward to 2023, and MJF is the hottest act in the sport and the AEW World Champion. He’ll main event the show against Adam Cole for the title.
MJF will also pull double duty, teaming with Cole against Aussie Open for the ROH World Tag Team Titles on the pre-show. Some things never change.
I’ll take that bet Dave
I already gave them their biggest buyrate…put The Bucks & I on the card & 3-months to promote
CC @ringofhonor https://t.co/kDUqDqYdtL
— Cody Rhodes (@CodyRhodes) May 16, 2017
Dr. Britt Baker, D.M.D. was also trying to make her mark in pro wrestling in 2018, competing in and losing a four-way match against Tessa Blanchard, Chelsea Green, and Madison Rayne. At Double or Nothing 2019, the first AEW-produced event, Baker competed in another four-way, beating Nyla Rose, Kylie Rae, and Awesome Kong.
Now fully established, she competes in another four-way, this time against AEW Women’s World Champion Hikaru Shida, Toni Storm, and Saraya. Her role has reversed here, as she is the one to beat instead of being the hungry young gun.
MORE: Who will be competing at AEW All In 2023?
When AEW first started, trios matches were emphasized. Kenny Omega, “Hangman” Adam Page, and Kota Ibushi face Jay White, Juice Robinson, and Konosuke Takeshita this year. There are a lot of parallels here, as Page and Kenny, former Bullet Club members, fight current members White and Robinson. Ibushi was also involved in the first trios match, teaming with The Young Bucks against Bandido, Rey Fenix, and Rey Mysterio in 2018.
Can AEW replicate the magic of the first All In?
At the first All In, everyone got a chance to shine, from the biggest stars to those who just needed a chance but never got one. It was a show that changed the perception of what pro wrestling can be.
Unforgettable moments — Cody Rhodes winning the NWA Worlds Heavyweight Title, Flip Gordon sneaking onto the show after being told no several times, and freshly removed from WWE Chris Jericho appearing — all convinced the world that anything was possible.
This year, an established organization has brought some of the hottest acts in pro wrestling to the grandest stage.
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A storied rivalry in CM Punk vs. Samoa Joe will reach its apex, the legendary Sting will team with a young daredevil in Darby Allin, and Will Ospreay competes in front of his home crowd. Not only that, but the beloved Eddie Kingston goes from backyard wrestling to Wembley Stadium.
The show in 2018 felt like a breath of fresh air in a sport that needed it. In 2023, the energy is still there. There will be those that give the card slack, suggesting it was rushed, that the matches are not up to their standard, or that the event is just preparing everyone for All Out the week after.
While not 100% perfect, the first All In blew away expectations. AEW has a chance to do that again, which feels more like a dare than a challenge. Don’t forget, AEW loves to add surprises to its shows, whether a debut or return. With a show of his magnitude, one has to think Khan has a few tricks up his sleeve.
History has been made already. Now it is time for the cameras to roll and the first bell to ring. Can AEW knock this version of All In out of the park?
