The success of AEW would not have happened without the success of the All In event in 2019. Cody Rhodes and the Young Bucks co-promoted a massive independent show with the help of Ring of Honor’s production team. Dave Meltzer stating that he didn’t think a non-WWE show could sell out a major venue in the United States inspired the event.The momentum of The Elite was hot enough to help sell out the show within minutes of being released. Tony Khan moved forward with the idea to start AEW shortly after the event showed the desire from wrestling fans for more major league wrestling shows outside of WWE. Each of the following matches found their way on the biggest indie show ever, with some better than others.
9 Matt Cross Vs MJF
The opening match of All In featured one of the first high-profile appearances for MJF. Cody Rhodes was responsible for booking MJF in a match against the veteran independent wrestler Matt Cross in a unique battle of styles.
Cross winning seems surprising now, but the show was meant to be a feel-good night with mostly faces winning. MJF impressed enough with his character work to become a day one signing when Tony Khan was putting together AEW with the Young Bucks and Cody.
8 Jay Lethal Vs Flip Gordon
Ring of Honor having a huge presence on the show saw the ROH World Championship on the line when Jay Lethal defended against Flip Gordon. Lethal used his old Black Machismo gimmick from TNA parodying Randy Savage with Savage’s brother Lanny Poffo accompanying him to the ring.
Gordon was part of the Being the Elite YouTube series and forced his way on the show. Unfortunately, the match was an afterthought and just found a way to give ROH some attention outside of the Bullet Club and Elite members.
7 Christopher Daniels Vs Stephen Amell
The occasional wrestling matches of actor Stephen Amell saw him start in WWE and move to other shows with his friend Cody Rhodes. Christopher Daniels was placed in a match with Amell to help lead him as a respected in-ring veteran.
Amell did much better than the average actor would, but the match was just a fun mid-card spectacle. The presence of Amell certainly helped with the marketing of the show. However, few fans discuss this match from the historic event.
6 Tessa Blanchard Vs Chelsea Green Vs Madison Rayne Vs Britt Baker
The women’s match of the night at All In focused on talents from various promotions. Tessa Blanchard represented Impact Wrestling as the Knockouts Champion when defeating Britt Baker, Chelsea Green and Madison Rayne in a fatal four-way match.
All four ladies did their best to deliver a strong performance that brought positive attention to the women’s wrestling scene outside of WWE. Baker was the least known at the time, but she used that opportunity the most to become a huge star in AEW years later.
5 Kazuchika Okada Vs Marty Scurll
The most polarizing match of the night featured NJPW icon Kazuchika Okada facing Marty Scurll in the second to last match of the night. Okada and Scurll had a good match that kept the audience engaged for most of it.
However, it received a lot of criticism for going over its time and being the longest bout of the night. The main event lost time due to Okada and Scurll ignoring time cues to have a longer match than expected. Fans still enjoyed seeing NJPW’s top star win a big match on the important show.
4 Cody Rhodes Vs Nick Aldis
The biggest moment of the night may have come when Cody Rhodes defeated Nick Aldis for the NWA Heavyweight Championship. Both wrestlers did a great job during the build to have the audience on their feet before the match even started.
Cody winning the same belt that his father Dusty held was an emotional moment that will always be remembered from the show. The match was fine, but the ending was what put it over the top as one of the better bouts of the night.
3 The Golden Elite Vs Bandido, Rey Fenix & Rey Mysterio
The main event of the night featured the legendary Rey Mysterio involved before his eventual return to WWE. Mysterio teamed with fellow luchadors Bandido and Rey Fenix to represent the past, present and future of lucha libre.
Kota Ibushi and the Young Bucks scored the victory as the Golden Elite over the masked wrestlers in an action-packed six-man tag. The match may have been the best of the night if not for Kazuchika Okada and Marty Scurll cutting into their time and having to rush the ending before the PPV cut off.
2 Adam Page Vs Joey Janela
Adam Page had one of his first high-profile matches before breaking out in AEW at the All In event. The Chicago Street Fight stipulation placed Page in a brutal match against Joey Janela when he was making waves as the latest popular hardcore wrestler.
Penelope Ford managing Janela saw her playing an equally huge part in the match. All three parties put their bodies on the line for an incredible brawl. Hangman scoring the win helped his momentum and placed him on the priority list when AEW started later.
1 Kenny Omega Vs Pentagon Jr.
The reputation of Kenny Omega for having the best matches was true on the night of All In even facing Pentagon Jr. Omega was arguably the best wrestler in the world at the time going between his time man eventing New Japan and making appearances for Ring of Honor.
Pentagon was picking up steam on the indie circuit and Impact Wrestling to get the huge opportunity. Both guys left it in the ring with an instant classic won by Omega. The surprise appearance of Chris Jericho in Pentagon’s mask after the match was a fun moment that added to the show as well.