A new backstage report has shed light on the creative direction behind the AEW All In: Texas tag team match that saw The Young Bucks lose their on-screen Executive Vice President status—effectively ending their run as authority figures in AEW.
According to the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, the high-stakes stipulation match between The Young Bucks and the team of Swerve Strickland and Will Ospreay was carefully designed to mark the end of Matt and Nick Jackson’s television authority storyline.
“The feeling was it had run its course and it was time to get them back to being a great wrestling tag team,” wrote Dave Meltzer, noting that the decision came from a desire to shift focus back to in-ring performance rather than backstage drama.
Interestingly, an alternate outcome was heavily discussed behind the scenes. The idea of having Strickland and Ospreay lose—which would have resulted in both men being barred from challenging for the AEW World Title for a full year—was “absolutely considered” as a way to build long-term anticipation and drama.
“We do know The Young Bucks were pretty adamant about losing,” the report added. “But in the end, it was going to be [Tony] Khan’s decision.”
Ultimately, the decision was made to give Strickland and Ospreay the win, setting up Strickland as a top contender for the AEW World Championship.
The fallout from the match was immediate. On the following episode of AEW Dynamite, The Young Bucks were featured in segments showing their difficulty adjusting to life without executive power, teasing potential character reinvention.
Meanwhile, Will Ospreay—who was written off television during the same All In event via an injury angle—is expected to be out of action for the near future. That leaves Strickland free to pursue the AEW World Championship on his own timeline.
Stay tuned to PWMania.com for more AEW backstage updates and breaking news.
