The first episode of The Road to All Out hit tonight (July 17), and is embedded above. It’s the usual slickly produced piece of business we’ve come to expect from AEW’s “Road to” series. It definitely conveys a sense we’re building to a bigger show than the last two All Elite productions, and not just because it’s now coming to us from the company YouTube channel rather than Cody Rhodes’.
After some music video-like highlights of last Saturday’s Fight for the Fallen, Tony Schiavone moves the Control Center to AEW to hype All Out’s World title match. Hangman Page cuts a fiery promo about his opponent Chris Jericho’s actions in Jacksonville as they continue to try and build a personal issue into their championship feud.
Then it’s time for a program that’s all personal, as Jim Ross’ sits down with Shawn Spears to ask him about his steel chair attack on Rhodes from June’s Fyter Fest. The former Tye Dillinger talk up his history with Cody, who was one of his “five”. Spears confirms he’s angry about being called “a good hand” on an episode of The Road to Fyter Fest, and that he wants a one-on-one match with the American Nightmare in Chicago on Aug. 31. The video closes with Shawn revealing the ace up his sleeve - Tully Blanchard.
Bringing in a Horseman to counsel you for a match against a Rhodes? Shrewd move, Spears.
Unlike the quicker turns between their first events, All Elite has six-plus weeks to build to All Out. Let us know what you think of how they started here. These are the three matches confirmed, and two all-but-confirmed, for Chicagoland on Labor Day weekend:
- Chris Jericho vs. Hangman Page for the AEW World title
- Jon Moxley vs. Kenny Omega
- Best Friends (Chuck Taylor & Trent Beretta) vs. The Dark Order (Evil Uno & Stu Grayson) for a first round bye in the AEW Tag Team championship tournament
- Lucha Bros vs. Young Bucks in a ladder match for the AAA Tag titles
- Cody Rhodes vs. Shawn Spears