Welcome to another edition of Triple Threat from Smark Out Moment, where three of us get together to discuss three questions based on one big topic going down in the week of professional wrestling.
This week, Dallas Allsopp, Callum Wiggins and Greg Coleman preview AEW All Out 2021.
AEW All Out 2021 is set to be one of the most hotly anticipated events in AEW history, aided in part by the return to awrestling ring for CM Punk. Will his return match against Darby Allin be successful? Will All Out be the last stand for Chris Jericho? And does Christian Cage have a realistic chance of becoming AEW World Champion?
Question 1: Will CM Punk's return to the ring against Darby Allin be successful? Should he go over Allin, or would Allin winning be a bigger statement to make?
ALLSOPP: Ultimately, I cannot see CM Punk failing upon his return to the ring, as I feel he will be proud enough of his work to ensure he is in tip top shape. Not only that, but if he truly wants to elevate younger talent, he needs to underline that he is still The Best in the World. Should he win though? That is hard to determine, but in order for his AEW tenure to mean something, he has to win now, before losing to Darby Allin further down the line. I’d love for Allin to win, but it’s not currently the most important outcome for the company.
WIGGINS: Make no mistake - Darby Allin has already won this weekend, because he gets to wrestle CM Punk in his first match in over seven years. A loss to Punk in Chicago will not do him any harm whatsoever. The quality of the match certainly has question marks surrounding it due to the potential of ring rust, but I have no doubt that Allin will do everything in his power to get as great a match out of Punk as possible. I'm incredibly excited to see how this unfolds.
COLEMAN: CM Punk and Darby Allin will be in the running for match of the night at this Sunday’s All Out. There is absolutely no way you debut Punk in Chicago and have him lose. Punk wins and then moves on to what is next. Allin won’t be hurt by the loss, and I’m sure Punk will make him look like a million bucks.
Question 2: Do you think Chris Jericho will lose to MJF in order to end his career in an AEW ring? If Jericho does lose, will his move to the announce desk be permanent?
WIGGINS: AEW has demonstrated they are serious about their stipulations, so if Chris Jericho does lose to MJF at All Out, I believe it will be Jericho's last match in AEW (until MJF turns babyface at some point and brings him in as a tag partner). However, because of AEW's strictness with its stipulations, I feel that Jericho will win this final match with MJF and prolong his career for a little longer - he still is capable of compelling matches and feuds, and I don't feel MJF will suffer greatly from a loss against one of the best of his generation.
COLEMAN: This the toughest match of the night for me to pick. MJF has clearly been unbeatable against Chris Jericho, and usually when a retirement stipulation is in play, the wrestler who would have to retire ends up winning, so initially I thought Jericho gets a much needed win at All Out. What gives me cause to pause is the recent announcement of Jim Ross leaving the commentary booth. It seems like a natural transition and fit that Jericho fills JR’s seat on commentary. I’m picking Jericho to win and stay on the active roster a little bit longer before fully transitioning to commentary. Perhaps he loses to Hangman Adam Page, Darby Allin, and Jungle Boy before calling it quits.
ALLSOPP: My head says no, but my heart says yes - Chris Jericho will lose yet another match to MJF. I do not expect this to be his final AEW match, but it makes sense to further build up MJF as the ultimate heel in the company by retiring Jericho. For a few months, that is. Jericho is gold on commentary, and I’m sure he can use the time away from the ring to heal any nagging injuries, and eventually set the stage for a triumphant return. MJF vs CM Punk would be money, so they both need to win on Sunday.
Question 3: Does Christian Cage have a realistic chance of defeating Kenny Omega for the AEW World Championship? Would it have been a better option to have Omega defend against Hangman Adam Page instead?
COLEMAN: There is no chance Christian Cage wins the AEW World Championship. I repeat, NO CHANCE! This is the match I’m looking forward to the least because it’s pretty much a foregone conclusion. Make no mistake about it though, this is going to be a hell of a match, with great false finishes. In the end, Kenny Omega will prevail and maybe end the night with Bryan Danielson arriving to confront him.
If the rumours and reports are true that Hangman Adam Page was removed from the match to be with his family for the birth of his child, you can’t be mad at him at all. Family first. Omega vs Page is still the best match AEW can make and that’s with CM Punk in the mix.
Page experienced his greatest loss at the first All Out by coming up short in his attempt to become the first ever AEW World Champion. It would’ve been a beautiful story to have him win the title at this year’s All Out. Since that isn’t going to happen, have Page return at Full Gear and win the title at Revolution!
ALLSOPP: No, and nor should he! I love Christian Cage as much as everyone else, but he should not be the face to dethrone Kenny Omega. That should be Hangman Adam Page, but it is clear that AEW feels that match should take place at the tail end of 2021. This means that Cage should put up a valiant, but ultimately unsuccessful fight at All Out.
WIGGINS: No, Christian Cage does not have a prayer of beating Kenny Omega for the AEW World Championship. Doesn't mean I'm not looking forward to the match itself, because they had an excellent match on Rampage and I think they will go even further at All Out. Is Omega/Hangman Adam Page the dream match? Absolutely. But with CM Punk/Darby Allin already the major draw for this show, I think it was the right decision for AEW to hold off on that match for either the Grand Slam or Full Gear shows.
Those are our thoughts on the issue, but where do you stand?
Let us know your answers to these questions in the comments below!
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