The wrestling world witnessed an unprecedented night of counter-programming as AEW's All Out and WWE's WrestlePalooza went head-to-head. We watched both shows simultaneously to bring you the definitive breakdown of which company delivered the superior product.
AEW surprised us with what might be their best pay-per-view presentation of the year. Gone was the excessive blood, overbooked matches, and no-selling that plagued previous events. Instead, we got well-paced contests with meaningful storytelling. Adam Cole's John Cena tribute during the opener against FTR even generated a genuine Cena chant in an AEW arena – something previously unimaginable. Meanwhile, El Dorado emerged as the unexpected MVP, delivering jaw-dropping spots including a double hurricanrana that had us questioning if we'd witnessed the match of the night.
WWE's hastily assembled WrestlePalooza suffered from minimal production value and lackluster storytelling. John Cena vs. Brock Lesnar amounted to little more than a squash match with virtually no build, while the CM Punk & AJ Lee vs. Seth Rollins & Becky Lynch contest featured possibly the most bewildering officiating we've ever witnessed in professional wrestling. The referee completely abandoned enforcing tag rules, allowed illegal participants to remain in the ring for minutes at a time, and counted pins when the wrong competitors were legal.
Beyond the in-ring action, we explore Beth Copeland's surprising AEW appearance, the oddly intimate energy between Stephanie McMahon and Undertaker, and why counter-programming ultimately hurts fans who want to enjoy both products. Our lightning-round format gives you concise analysis of every match from both shows, complete with our unique grading system.
Whether you watched one show, both, or missed them entirely, this episode gives you everything you need to know about this landmark night in wrestling. The verdict? AEW significantly outperformed WWE despite the latter's star-studded lineup.
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