Every Match Ranked & Reviewed

The eighth annual All Out PPV is officially in the history books as AEW took over the NOW Arena in Chicago, Illinois for a show jam-packed with world class in-ring work, championship showdowns involving the likes of Will Ospreay, Cage & Cope, Andrade El Idolo, Kazuchika Okada, and more, but which match was the best on this year’s All Out 2026 event?

TheSportster’s rating system will take a look across the entire match card of AEW All Out 2026 to determine the best bout of the night, the weakest showcase on the card, and how everything else stacked up in between too.

9

Darby Allin & Steven Borden Vs. Kyle Fletcher & Kevin Knight (Number One Contenders)

Overall Rating From TheSportster: 5.5/10

The first portion of this match developed in a very typical tag team manner, with the babyfaces running wild in the opening stages before Darby Allin was dropped on the steel steps, allowing the heelish duo of Kyle Fletcher & Kevin Knight to cut the ring in half and take control. Steven Borden eventually entered the ring for a hot tag, before the match broke down with some big moves on the outside of the ring before a scary moment took place in which the son of Sting & Knight flew at each other from opposite turnbuckles, leading to Borden suffering a harsh landing.

The referee very quickly threw the match out, with Borden not able to compete. This was a huge shame in the early career of Borden in AEW, and it generated an uncomfortable atmosphere. Although things started off well in the match, it was cut short.

8

Persephone Vs. Dani Luna (TBS Championship)

Overall Rating From TheSportster: 6.5/10

Persephone has been on a dominant streak ever since her TBS Title win at AEW All In: London 2026, and she looked to continue his reign in an open challenge at All Out 2026 against the debuting Dani Luna. Both women showed good intensity and power in this match, which was placed in an unfortunate position as it came immediately after Steven Borden’s worrying injury. Although the reaction for Luna’s arrival was subdued, she quickly won fans over with a vicious forearm to the reigning champion, stamping her mark as someone not to be messed with.

Britt Baker made her presence known throughout, and admittedly her interference was rather jarring after a certain point, but she did further the heat handed to Persephone and rallied the crowd behind Luna. Thanks to Baker’s incessant involvement, Persephone hit a big Razor’s Edge-style bomb to retain in a match that arguably dragged a little too long.

7

Andrade El Idolo Vs. PAC (AEW National Championship)

Overall Rating From TheSportster: 6.75/10

The opening match of AEW All Out 2026 fell short of expectations as Andrade El Idolo’s National Title reign was under threat from PAC. The match had a slow and steady start… and this pacing pretty much continued all the way through, impacting the energy and interest shown from the crowd (aside from the instances of Andrade teasing taking his pants off, which sparked big reactions).

Throughout, Marina Shafir made her presence known with a bunch of interference, which did get a little overdone by the end of the contest, as her distraction didn’t help PAC much at all as Andrade managed to grab PAC for a tight pinfall combination to retain the gold. The in-ring work has crisp execution, but the match did not deliver the excitement that many expected.

6

Will Ospreay Vs. Jon Moxley (AEW World Championship)

Overall Rating From TheSportster: 7.25/10

The opening portion of All Out’s main event saw Jon Moxley beat the hell out of Will Ospreay, bloodying him up, bullying him around the ring, locking in submissions, and more, methodically picking apart the AEW World Champion. Ospreay eventually fought his way back into the matchup, showing resilience in the face of Moxley’s attacks with his own punishing offense. Just as the match was improving in pace and excitement, a referee bump and involvement of The Death Riders & United Empire plunged the bout into shenanigans-central.

The final few minutes were an improvement, with Moxley selling his conflict at hitting Ospreay with a briefcase, and his later acceptance at the fact that he was beaten and about to lose, with Ospreay nailing a Hidden Blade to win the match. It was a mixed bag of a main event, but a big step down from their previous match at Dynasty.

5

Thekla Vs. Willow Nightingale (Number One Contenders)

Overall Rating From TheSportster: 7.75/10

With a shot at the AEW Women’s World Title on the line, Thekla & Willow Nightingale went to battle in a match full of strong psychology and intensity, with much of the contest focused on Thekla’s attacks on Nightingale’s injured hand.

The pair crafted a heated contest which was well-wrestled and featured strong selling and performances from both. The interference from The Sisters Of Sin was a little frustrating, leading to Thekla’s vicious stomp to stand tall. It was a step down from their previous match at Redemption, but it wasn’t bad by any means.

4

Brawling Birds Vs. Divine Dominion (AEW Women’s World Tag Team Championships, Street Fight)

Overall Rating From TheSportster: 8.5/10

These two rivals wasted no time in going at it in this Street Fight for the AEW Women’s World Tag Team Championships, brawling on the ramp to kick off this match which featured chairs, tables, kendo sticks, chains, trash cans, barbed wire boards, the ringside metal barricade, and thumbtacks.

With stiff strikes, bloodshed, wild brawling, and more, all four women in this match were made to look badass and resilient in a match that the audience were more and more invested in as the action continued. The Brawling Birds hit the Two Birds One Stone into tacks to retain the belts, ending this feud in a strong manner.

3

Cage & Cope Vs. FTR Vs. The Young Bucks (AEW World Tag Team Championships)

Overall Rating From TheSportster: 8.75/10

Much like all ladder matches, this triple threat for the AEW World Tag Team Championships involving Cage & Cope, The Young Bucks, and FTR was a fun spotfest that had plenty of memorable moments that kept the fans invested throughout the entire thing. There were brutal chair shots, falls from ladders, and crashes through tables, with plenty of rough landings and some bloodshed too.

All six men put in tremendous efforts to make this a barbaric, wild matchup that didn’t overstay its welcome, ending with a dramatic few moments in which all three teams came close to winning. The Young Bucks hit a BTE Trigger atop the ladder on Cage to become four-time champions in a very enjoyable affair.

2

Kazuchika Okada Vs. Tommaso Ciampa (AEW International Championship)

Overall Rating From TheSportster: 9/10

Kazuchika Okada and Tommaso Ciampa collided in a banger at All Out 2026, with the opening stages showcasing fast-paced reversals, mind games, and some hard-hitting strikes, generating good energy from the crowd. Things escalated upon Okada’s taunts towards Ciampa’s family at ringside, which resulted in his daughter flipping off Okada in a tremendous moment.

Ciampa & Okada continued to go back-and-forth with big moves, strikes, reversals, and electric near-falls, getting better as it pressed on. After a hard-fought and incredible contest, Okada’s Rainmaker allowed him to continue his International Title reign which began back at All In: London 2026.

1

Swerve Strickland & The New Level Vs. Adam Page & Brodido (AEW World Trios Championships)

Overall Rating From TheSportster: 9.5/10

Following on from some fun exchanges between Kofi & Bandido and Austin Creed & Brody King, the intensity of this trios contest rose with the first interactions between heated rivals Adam Page & Swerve Strickland, whose hatred was well felt throughout the entirety of this contest, adding several layers of storytelling in the process.

The whole match was full of stunning counters, brutal landings, intensity, high-flying excellence, power moves (Bandido even carried all three opponents on his back), and brilliant character work from all involved, giving this match so much to shout about. The final few minutes of this match were particularly great, with all men involved in the ring in a sequence that featured a whole host of huge moves, finishers, and more, all ending with a statement-making Big Pressure from Strickland onto Bandido to win the bout for his team, continuing their streak of fantastic defenses.