Just a few days ago, I penned an article about the lack of an announced main event and thus the lack of overall build for the upcoming All Out pay-per-view, a show that will go head-to-head with Wrestlepalooza, next weekend.
On last night’s edition of Dynamite, a rather lackluster episode that booked a pointless Toni Storm vs. Skye Blue No DQ match, it was revealed that TNT champion, Kyle Fletcher will challenge Adam Page for the world championship in less than a week and a half. This can be taken one of two ways, either it’s a champion vs. champion match as a way to promote a super bout of sorts, or Tony Khan booked another champion against Page simply because there aren’t many credible challengers for the world title between the injury rate and Jon Moxley reign that more or less ruined any buzz around the title picture for months.
Unfortunately, it’s probably the latter, which means that Tony Khan doesn’t have much a plan beyond a superficial justification to book the match without any substance or long-term importance.
But, should Tony consider letting Kyle Fletcher run with it for the company?
As with almost anyone else in AEW, Fletcher got a disjointed push, as he worked against Will Ospreay earlier this year before he was shuffled back down the card and settled into a secondary spot compared to the momentum he had after the Ospreay feud. Still, there’s no doubt that Fletcher made progress as a performer and a character. He went from a rather innocuous Ospreay sidekick to a heel that stood on his own with the potential to become a guy that the company could focus on as a future star. Granted, the same thing was said about a lot of performers in the past and then it amounted to very little for most of them, but there’s definitely still an opportunity for Fletcher to be a guy that could draw for the organization.
As I said in the previous article, if it was my decision, I’d book Takeshita to beat Hangman Page, as I think that AEW missed the boat on the original chance that they had to truly run with him so at this point it’s a matter of diminishing returns. Plus, the way that he was switched between baby face and heel made him a lukewarm performer, which is the absolute opposite of how to draw money. If Tony Khan is set on continuing with Page in the role as champion, and there’s nothing that indicates that he isn’t, then the discussion about the booking decision for the main event of All Out is moot.
That being said, despite my lack of faith in Adam Page as the main event guy because of how he was booked and presented within the past few years, I can honestly say that I think there’s a case to be made for Fletcher to beat him for the championship at the pay-per-view.
The reason being is similar to why Takeshita would’ve also been a good choice, which is less about Page’s skill set, which is solid, and more to do with a way to ignite the product with something fresh. Regardless of Page winning the title at All In Texas, the argument could be made that something new is still needed after the drek of the Death Riders storyline.
At 26, Kyle Fletcher is a young athlete that theoretically has the prime years of his career ahead of him, and if management makes the decision to put the main event stock into him, it can create a level of optimism around the brand. Regardless of the lack of follow-up from the Ospreay feud, in some ways, Fletcher doesn’t have the “stain” of most of the typical AEW nonsense on him yet so his potential world championship reign could be a fresh start for the title picture after Moxley’s run was the subject of criticism from even the most diehard All Elite fan base. Even today, Daniel Garcia’s heel turn on this week’s episode of Dynamite was the only aspect of the Death Riders angle that has made some type of progress in several months. Everything else was rinse and repeat prior to the title change. As far as Garcia, he’s an example of someone that has been running in place for the vast majority of his AEW tenure. He has in-ring talent, but he’s also the blandest wrestler on the roster so it can’t hurt to align him with the heel stable in an attempt to add some sizzle to his presentation.
It’s disappointing, but the harsh reality is that Will Ospreay is going to be on the shelf for at least a year with neck surgery. As I’ve said before, I think Ospreasy should’ve been positioned as the franchise player for All Elite, but for whatever reason, it didn’t happen and now it’s not an option until at least almost 2027. This is not to say that Fletcher should be portrayed as Ospreay-lite, but instead to point ouy that he has a similar style and dynamic athleticism so at least in the short-term, if Fletcher is given the top spot, he could also be the type of performer to be a representative of the brand the way that Ospreay could’ve been promoted before the injury.
Does that mean if Kyle Fletcher is booked to beat Adam Page for the belt that it will solve AEW’s problems?
No, of course not. All Elite Wrestling problems, which are more or less undeniable based on the declining viewing audience, can’t be solved with one signing, storyline, or pay-per-view. It’s a multi-layered problem that will require a multi-layered solution. However, if Fletcher wins title, it’s at least something that can spark the product. It’s something new that will give the audience a reason to see where it goes, as opposed to the Death Riders angle that they were just waiting to be over.
In some ways, the main event of All Out will either be something newsworthy or nothing at all.
It’s either going to be a superficial champion vs. champion match because Tony Khan couldn’t build a compelling title contest just four weeks after the Forbidden Door pay-per-view, or there will be the surprise title change.
Sure, this would be another heel champion, but does it matter? The booking approach to the product is so slapstick that it wouldn’t be difficult to turn him baby face if needed, especially because the 38 other members of the Don Callis faction could be used as challengers for Fletcher to work with in the future.
Listen, I’m not say that Fletcher is the next Stone Cold or going to become a main stream star for All Elite Wrestling, but at this point, why not take a chance and see if the surprise title change can generate some hype? If Adam Page retains the title, it’s a flat finish because there’s less than two weeks of build behind it. Given that Brock Lesnar vs. John Cena will headline Wrestlepalooza, and AJ Lee will have her first match in a decade for the tag bout with CM Punk against Seth Rollins and Becky Lynch, if it’s business as usual for All Elite Wrestling, the pay-per-view will be forgettable in the grand scheme of things.
What do you think? Share your thoughts, opinions, feedback, and anything else that was raised on Twitter @PWMania and Facebook.com/PWMania.
Until next week
-Jim LaMotta
Email [email protected] | You can follow me on Instagram, Facebook, & Threads @jimlamotta89
