September 6, 2021 Observer Newsletter: All Out preview, more on NXT changes
It is largely predicted, due to C.M. Punk’s first pro wrestling match in seven-and-a-half years, that AEW’s All Out show on 9/5 in Chicago, that All Out will be the biggest PPV event in AEW history.
If that’s the case, it will be the biggest non-WWE pro wrestling PPV show since November 21, 1999, the WCW Mayhem show, which did 200,000 buys. AEW’s prior High Point was Revolution on 3/7 doing approximately 145,000 buys.
Tony Khan has stated he’s confident this will be the biggest even though All Out in the past has been traditionally the third biggest show of the year after Revolution and Double or Nothing.
Besides the debut of Punk, the biggest news involves the debut of Bryan Danielson. Unlike with Punk where it became clear because of then doing a special show, Danielson’s debut feels similar to the Jon Moxley debut on the first AEW Double or Nothing show. What’s notable is that in the past they built a PPV around a major debut announcement, which turned out to be Christian Cage, and people felt it under-delivered. With Punk, Punk had the insistence of not announcing it. With Danielson, any tease no matter how grandiose it was made out, would hardly be considered underdelivering to that audience. But there have been no teases, and as well, no denials either.
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Dave Meltzer is the founder and lead writer on the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, the weekly constant when it comes to news and reviews in pro wrestling and mixed martial arts for more than 40 years. Dave also co-hosts Wrestling Observer Radio with Bryan Alvarez and had had bylines for The National, Yahoo Sports, MMA Fighting and others.