Everything You Need To Know About 'All In'

On September 1, all eyes will be on the Sears Centre in the Chicago suburb of Hoffman Estates, as three members of the Bullet Club will be presenting what could likely become the biggest independent wrestling show ever. We are, of course, referring to All In, and for months, we’ve heard and read about the wrestlers who’ll be taking part, the wrestlers whom fans want to see at the event, and even some interesting facts about the business behind this show. That’s why we’ve decided to recap what we know about All In at the moment, and set your expectations as early as now, about four and a half months before it actually takes place.

It’s More Than Just Cody And The Young Bucks

So far, a plethora of names from the independent scene and New Japan have declared that they’re “All In,” and we’re not just talking about the men who are organizing the event – Cody Rhodes and the Young Bucks. Most recently, Nick Jackson announced that Rey Mysterio will be participating, and at last week’s press conference for the event, it was also confirmed that Rhodes will be facing reigning NWA World Heavyweight Champion Nick Aldis (fka Magnus) for the title.

Also confirmed for All-In are a number of people the organizers work with, or worked with, including the Rainmaker himself, Kazuchika Okada, and Arrow star Stephen Amell, who was involved in a number of segments with Rhodes, starting during his ill-fated WWE run as Stardust. Lucha Underground’s Pentagon Jr. and Rey Fenix will also be there, and on the women’s side of things, Deonna Purrazzo and recent Impact Wrestling signee Tessa Blanchard are confirmed so far. We’ve got another four and a half months before All In takes place, so more names should undoubtedly be expected at the event.

One name you shouldn't expect, however, is Vince Russo. According to the former WWE, WCW, and TNA creative team member, he truly wanted to be present at All In, but "others are already attempting to do EVERYTHING in their power to keep me from attending."

All In Sold Out In Less Than 30 Minutes

To be exact, it sold out in 29 minutes and 36 seconds, according to Cody Rhodes. There were 10,000 tickets put on sale on Sunday, May 13, and wrestling fans didn’t waste a second in buying those tickets as they prepare to witness independent wrestling history. One would think that the quick sellout might have been driven by scalper purchases, but Dave Meltzer noted that only 149 tickets were bought by these unofficial sources. And speaking of Meltzer, it looks like Cody can take that Twitter bet he made with the Wrestling Observer Newsletter editor to the bank – yes indeed, an indie show has sold out a 10,000-seat arena, and how.

It’s The First Non-WWE Show In The U.S. To Sell 10,000 Tickets This Century

Just how big is 10,000 tickets sold for an event like All In? Try this for size – it’s the first non-WWE wrestling event to sell 10,000 tickets in the United States since WCW pulled off the feat in 1999, according to Deadspin. Since WCW was a major promotion, and a formidable foe to WWE for most of the ‘90s, we can remove that company from the equation and also say All In is the first to achieve the feat since 1994. That’s a testament, no doubt, to how popular Rhodes and the Young Bucks are as non-WWE wrestlers, though there’s another WWE alumnus aside from Rhodes who might have driven those ticket sales, despite the fact he’s not officially “All In” and confirmed to compete at the Sears Centre on September 1.

CM Punk MIGHT Be At The Event

Now this one is something that neither the Young Bucks nor Cody Rhodes is confirming, and you certainly won’t hear it from the man in question. Ever since it was confirmed last week that CM Punk will be at an autograph signing event at Chicago’s One Hour Tees on the day before All In, rumors have been swirling that the former WWE Champion will also be appearing at All In, given the fact that Punk is a Chicago native. It’s been more than four years since Punk has been involved in anything pro wrestling-related, and you can’t blame wrestling fans for expecting the Straight Edge Savior to make a triumphant return to the squared circle, and at possibly the biggest indie show ever.

Again, we must stress that nothing is confirmed at this point, but Punk is friends with Matt and Nick Jackson, and they did have some playful exchanges in the recent past about wrestling, and specifically Punk possibly returning to wrestling. He may dislike talking bout wrestling in most cases, and his heart may currently be in mixed martial arts, but we have to remember that his beef is mainly with WWE, and not pro wrestling itself. TL;DR – Don’t be surprised if Punk is All In.