5 Things You Probably Don't Remember About AEW All Out 2019

The 2019 All Out had a tough act to follow in AEW's inaugural pay-per-view, Double or Nothing. You could also say that it had a lot to live up to in terms of its weekend placement, seeing as it came one year after the transcendent All In, which was a game-changer in more than one sense.

When the dust settled on All Out, most agreed that it was a pretty great show, with a killer tag team ladder match, a well-received debut (Santana and Ortiz), an excellent singles bout (Pac vs. Kenny Omega), and the right choice for a first-ever World champion in Chris Jericho. AEW continued to make a lot of positive moves in anticipation of their debut on TNT, as this very young wrestling promotion appeared to have a solid plan for success in place.

Watching All Out in its encore viewings on YouTube, there were a few things that struck me as odd or unusual, just one year removed from the event taking place. Here are some of my observations.

The 2019 All Out had a tough act to follow in AEW's inaugural pay-per-view, Double or Nothing. You could also say that it had a lot to live up to in terms of its weekend placement, seeing as it came one year after the transcendent All In, which was a game-changer in more than one sense.

When the dust settled on All Out, most agreed that it was a pretty great show, with a killer tag team ladder match, a well-received debut (Santana and Ortiz), an excellent singles bout (Pac vs. Kenny Omega), and the right choice for a first-ever World champion in Chris Jericho. AEW continued to make a lot of positive moves in anticipation of their debut on TNT, as this very young wrestling promotion appeared to have a solid plan for success in place.

Watching All Out in its encore viewings on YouTube, there were a few things that struck me as odd or unusual, just one year removed from the event taking place. Here are some of my observations.

5. Just How Much The Roster's Changed

Not many people have left AEW in its short existence, outside of Kylie Rae, Jimmy Havoc, Bea Priestley, and a short list of others, so most of the wrestlers on All Out (especially on the main card) are still with the promotion today. But boy, have they acquired in a year.

The show felt so different without WWE escapees like Brodie Lee, Jake Hager, Matt Hardy, Matt Cardona, and FTR on it, not to mention notables like Sammy Guevara, Brian Cage, Ricky Starks, Lance Archer, Kris Statlander, and The Butcher and The Blade. They've certainly grown.

4. The Wardlow Vignette

The unholy fusion of Luther Reigns and Roman Reigns that is Wardlow was introduced to the AEW audience at All Out, but not at MJF's side. Instead, Wardlow first appeared in a vignette where he and a date are accosted by a group of punks, and he destroys them all.

First, it feels weird now that Wardlow was being set up as a bad ass hero type. Secondly, unbeknownst to most of us, a few eventual AEW regulars appeared in the vignette, including Anna Jay as his date, and undercarders Lee Johnson and Alan Angels among the rogues.

3. Mercedes Martinez In The Casino Battle Royal

In January of this year, Martinez signed with WWE, appeared in the women's Royal Rumble shortly after, and has been a fixture on the NXT brand, where she's currently a part of the Robert Stone Brand. It's enough to make you forget she briefly wrestled for AEW.

By entering the 21-woman gauntlet match in the desired "Joker" spot, one might've figured Martinez was being set up for a prime role in AEW's women's division. Instead, the veteran only appeared for AEW once more (on an episode of Dark), and wound up with WWE months later.

2. Shawn Spears - Pushed Iceman Heel

A violent chair shot on Cody Rhodes, an eerie stoicness, and Tully Blanchard dictating his every move. The former Tye Dillinger was off to a strong start in AEW as a bitter sociopath, and a match with former friend Cody at All Out was heavily built.

The match was pretty good, but since then, Spears' relevance as an AEW character can best be described as "stop-start". Roster expansions and the pushes of others have left Spears lost in the shuffle at times, even when they've teased new directions for him.

1. Adam Page - Earnest Do-Gooder

Like Steve Austin and The Sandman before him, Adam "Hangman" Page's career really took off the moment he started drinking heavily. His dry sense of humour and little quirks (those lower thirds!) melded well with Page's rustic hero shtick to create a popular character.

Until then, he was a cowboy without much of an edge, just a wrestler's wrestler without many other defining characteristics. To see Hangman face Chris Jericho at All Out as a white meat babyface (albeit one that can brawl) for the World title feels rather strange now.