AEW All Out 2026 predictions: 6 big questions as AEW and WWE go head-to-head in the Chicago area

Chicago will be the center of the wrestling world this weekend as AEW and WWE both hold major events in the surrounding Windy City area.

The biggest draw, AEW’s All Out 2026, comes on the heels of an all-time great All In London show last month and is headlined by the first AEW World Championship defense of Will Ospreay. While this year’s All Out isn’t expected to be at the same grandiose level of All In, AEW’s track record with pay-per-view events speaks for itself at this point.

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WWE, meanwhile, is holding its Worlds Collide event, featuring a slew of talent across WWE, NXT and AAA. It’s not a full-blown PLE, but is bigger than a standard house show.

With such a big weekend on the horizon, the Uncrowned Horsemen — Kel Dansby, Robert Jackman, Drake Riggs and Anthony Sulla-Heffinger — have gathered to do a deep-dish dive (see what we did there?) into the slate, with a focus on AEW.

Let’s ride!

1. After an all-time show at All In London, what are your overall expectations for All Out?

Dansby: All Out will deliver because AEW pay-per-views almost always do.

The Chicago crowd is going to be red-hot, and most of the matches on the card further meaningful storylines. It’s a bridge pay-per-view in every sense of the word, especially coming off something as massive as All In, but that doesn’t mean the wrestling will feel secondary.

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On paper, there are more than a few matches capable of reaching that five-star level. I’m expecting another really strong in-ring show, even if All Out doesn’t have the same magnitude as All In.

Jackman: By its nature, All Out always feels like a coda to the larger All In show, but that feels more so this time around. It doesn’t help that there are a number of matches which are basically rematches from last month. You also have some title matches which feel like foregone conclusions, not least the probable main event in Ospreay vs. Jon Moxley.

At the same time, this is AEW we’re talking about. At this point, it would be a actual surprise if they put on a lame-duck show after 12 months of solid bangers. For me the actual test for All Out won’t be whether it pleases the hardcore wrestling fans — the famous “sickos” of AEW lore – but whether it adds up to something bigger than the sum of its parts in terms of progressing the major storylines.

Riggs: Expectations are through the roof every time there’s an AEW pay-per-view on tap. They simply don’t miss. While this weekend is somewhat like AEW’s version of “Backlash,” there’s still a lot to be excited about.

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For me, just bypass the main event for a second, because — by default — you know it’s going to slap. Kazuchika Okada vs. Tommaso Ciampa is a match I legitimately never would’ve foreshadowed. That should be the sleeper match of the night. And, of course, seeing what chaos is concocted in the TLC match has me salivating, while also hoping that Cope and Cage survive without any serious injuries.

If we’re lucky, we’ll even see that massive rumored AEW arrival: Ilja Dragunov.

Sulla-Heffinger: Is it a cop-out to just say really great wrestling?

Like the gang has all said, AEW doesn’t miss anymore with pay-per-views. If you’re a wrestling fan — casual or sicko — it’s appointment viewing, every time.

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In addition to great wrestling, All In was super narrative-driven with the coronation of Ospreay and Mercedes Moné, the inauguración of The New Level and more. I don’t expect All Out to carry that same kind of story-driven weight, simply because it’s been four weeks since that absolute banger of a show.

Not every show can have a massive title change or narrative twist, and that is totally fine.

2. Kenny Omega, MJF and Andrade El Idolo (who actually has a guaranteed shot) all have claims to take on Ospreay for the AEW World Championship. What’s the upside/downside of going with Jon Moxley for this first title defense?

Jackman: The upside was getting to do that awesome reveal shot that they ran on “Dynamite” a few weeks ago — the one where Moxley was cupping Ospreay’s chin while making him look at the newly-minted match graphic on the jumbotron. I really hope whoever came up with that idea got some extra perk backstage, or at least the right to clock off a little earlier on Friday.

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The downside is that the broader feud feels a bit rushed and it slightly undermines another awesome visual moment AEW had recently — namely the moment when Moxley emerged from the tunnel during Ospreay’s All In entrance to hand the Union Flag to the challenger. That was a powerful moment and felt like Ospreay’s equivalent of when Brock Lesnar held up Cody Rhodes’ arm after their trilogy feud in 2023.

That said, Moxley and Ospreay’s storyline is baked deep into the AEW product at this point, and I’d be surprised if Tony Khan is going to rush to an ending just yet. You can bet your bottom dollar this won’t be the last time they meet. An Ospreay victory is a near certainty this time around, but that won’t necessarily be the case in the long run.

Sulla-Heffinger: Shout out to Jason Solomon from the Uncrowned Wrestling Show (listen every Tuesday!), who pointed out that Moxley hasn’t lost a singles match so far in 2026.

That’s about to change, and that’s the upside.

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Moxley has been as pivotal a figure in the history of AEW as anyone. Has he been polarizing? Yes, but his body of work and role as a leader in the company — on-screen and off — is undeniable. Ospreay getting a clean win over him is a huge validation of his first world championship run.

I don’t see any actual downside here — for reasons the gang has/will point out. Ospreay wasn’t going to drop the belt after less than a month, so the other challengers can wait. Moxley won’t be any worse off with a loss, and his special moment at All In with Ospreay still stands up because I believe it exists both in and out of kayfabe.

Dansby: I mean this in the best possible way: Jon Moxley is AEW’s version of The Big Show.

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For years, WWE could put a new champion against Big Show early in their title reign. He was credible enough that beating him meant something, but established enough that another world title loss wasn’t going to hurt him.

Moxley can fill that same role for AEW, just for a completely different reason. With Big Show, the credibility came from his enormous size. With Moxley, it comes from his résumé and everything he has accomplished as one of the foundational stars of AEW.

A quick feud with Moxley is a great way to stamp Ospreay as the company’s top guy. Let him beat a former world champion with Moxley’s credibility, then send Ospreay on his way to bigger programs with Andrade, MJF and the rest of the contenders waiting for him.

Riggs: In a roundabout way, I was still right with my prediction from All In. Moxley gets the first crack at Ospreay despite not winning the Casino Gauntlet. Just saying.

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That said, I think the downside is delaying the options listed above from challenging. But at the same time, it’s a much bigger upside because Ospreay simply was never going to lose his first title defense, and putting him against Moxley to easily extend their ongoing story makes for much better long-term results.

3. Assuming Cage and Cope are on your Mount Rushmore of tag teams, who joins them? If you don’t have them there, who replaces them?

Dansby: Cage and Cope [Edge and Christian] are an amazing tag team, but the bulk of their careers were spent as singles stars. They’re legends, but if we’re talking strictly about tag teams, there are others with more longevity and stronger résumés as a unit.

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My Mount Rushmore right now consists of The New Day, The Young Bucks, The Road Warriors and The Hardys.

FTR is sitting right outside looking in, and another few years at this level could make that conversation even more difficult.

Jackman: You won’t be surprised to find that you’ve assumed correctly there. In fact, I don’t think you’d find many 1980s- and 1990s-born wrestling fans who don’t have the Canadian duo in their list of all-time greats. You could see that in the reaction they got at Wembley last month, where you had a lot of casual fans just absolutely losing it when they heard Cope’s theme.

As for my other Rushmore picks, mine are the usual suspects. The Hardy Boyz, The New Day, The Young Bucks, The Steiners … maybe MCMG too at a squeeze. To have two of those in one match this weekend (alongside FTR, who are also superb) is a serious treat as far as I’m concerned.

Riggs: Man, it’s tough for me because my true childhood fandom really began right after Edge and Christian went their own ways. I didn’t experience any of their seven reigns, which feels crazy to say. So historically, I always view them much more for what they’ve done as solo acts, but I still understand their importance in the tag scene alongside the Dudleys and Hardys.

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Personally, I’d be doing myself an injustice to include them for that reason. And maybe that feels mighty evil when I’d still include the Dudleys and Hardys, but just look at the freaking longevity and success they had comparatively as teams. Next to those two, I’d absolutely have The Young Bucks, rounded out by Legion of Doom.

That last choice may contradict my exclusion of the current AEW Tag Team Champs, but it’s my list, alright?

Sulla-Heffinger: I think there are two ways to identify the mark of a truly great tag team. The first is the most direct — be a really damn good tag team for a long time, a la The New Day and The Young Bucks. So, for that reason, those two are on my Mount Rushmore. (I also agree wholeheartedly with Kel, FTR is knocking on the door here.)

The second way is to get really over as a tag team and then be able to successfully transition into singles stars. That’s where Cope and Cage come in. With all due respect to Drake and Kel, the fact that these guys had such a prolonged run as top singles guys, and then 25 years later reunited and have had this kind of run, is exactly what puts them on the mountain. I’d put the Hardy Boyz in this same boat, especially after the Broken Dinastía completely changed how we look at Matt Hardy as a star (in a good way).

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Cope and Cage, The Hardy Boyz, The New Day, The Young Bucks. Lock it in.

4. Who makes for the better AEW Women’s Championship match at WrestleDream: Willow Nightingale or Thekla?

Jackman: Willow has the benefit of having history with Mercedes, but it feels too soon after their All In match to do something substantive between the two of them. If Mercedes were to win, it would just feel like a retread of what they did back in August. In the same vein, switching the belt straight back to Willow would take the sting out of Moné’s big heel victory at Wembley.

For that reason, I’d be tempted to go with Thekla. She’s been a star of AEW’s women’s division for the past year and there’s a golden opportunity to use a serious feud with Moné to elevate her star to the next level. That doesn’t mean you need to have Thekla beating Mercedes anytime soon, but just showing that the two of them are on par would pay dividends for “The Toxic Spider.”

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Riggs: I certainly agree with Robert here. There’s no need to rush back to the Willow well so soon, especially when Thekla was done so wrong by being left in the exacto rafters at All In. That alone tells you she’s winning this match and very well deserves to for what she did with her reign.

Mercedes and Thekla make for a very fun, fresh new match, with Willow always being able to get back in the mix at some point down the line.

Sulla-Heffinger: I wouldn’t complain about a triple-threat between these two and Mercedes Moné, but I think the match we have been clamoring for all year in the AEW women’s division is Moné vs. Thekla.

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Right now, in my opinion, Moné is the best women’s wrestler on the planet. Her AEW run has been remarkable and elevated her into an entirely new stratosphere when it comes to legacy. She’s as big of a name as anyone in the company right now.

That being said, Thekla has been the MVP of the AEW women’s division this year. Her promos have been refreshing in a way we have rarely, if ever, seen from the women in AEW and her match quality backs it up. Her vs. Moné one-on-one needs to happen soon.

Could you talk me into protecting Thekla by having Moné pin Willow in a hypothetical triple-threat and continuing the chase? Sure, but I got talked into a Yahoo Fantasy Hockey league off of one text message two weeks ago, so the bar is low. 

Dansby: Can we book this with a little bit of WWE brain?

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The best outcome is Mercedes Moné ruining their No. 1 contender match and forcing AEW to make it a triple threat at WrestleDream.

That allows Mercedes to finish her stories with both Willow and Thekla at the same time. Give all three women a meaningful title match, let Mercedes escape with the championship, and then send her into her next feud with a clean slate.

5. Steven Borden gets his first AEW pay-per-view match this weekend. How would you book this match and the next year of his career?

Riggs: I want to see him start going by “Steve,” first and foremost. “It’s … Steve!” We can hear Tony Schiavone now.

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All (partial) jokes aside, Steve and Darby lose the match. Darby somehow sacrifices himself in typical fashion, leaving Steve outnumbered and getting destroyed by Kyle Fletcher and Kevin Knight — he goes down, but he doesn’t go down easily. Think about it. One of the many traits of Sting’s career was being nearly invincible. We know about the many no-sell spots. To start Steve off that way would be wrong and set him up for failure. You have to build the second-generation talent into a character of his own, so he isn’t soured on quickly as a knockoff. I mean, this feels like basic comic book stuff, folks.

From there, Steve and Darby continue on trying to be a tag team for a bit, but they can’t find consistency. Steve eventually gets frustrated by that, particularly thanks to Darby always risking too much of himself. They break up, but not without any turns or animosity. Steve just wants to be his own man and get out of his father’s shadow, and eventually circles back to Darby in a time of need for either man to hit an evolution point as a wrestler.

Could it be … the Revolution evolution?

Sulla-Heffinger: Two things — Borden should take the pin on Saturday and Sting should not get involved.

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If this is going to turn into a true mentor-mentee relationship between Darby Allin and Borden, we need some adversity and learning moments at the very beginning. Borden has the look and pedigree, but if he starts winning right away or always leans on the Sting pop/advantage, it might do him more harm than good in the long run. 

As far as the next year of his career, I think tagging with Allin for the majority of it makes a ton of sense — with the ultimate goal being a stint as tag-team champions as Borden’s first AEW title run, potentially at Double or Nothing in 2027. I also don’t think you shy away from Sting entirely — make the nods to his father subtle until it’s time for his first true singles push (TNT title?).

The potential here comes a bit further down the line and hinges wholly on how Borden pans out. There would be SO MUCH HEAT if he were to win the AEW World Championship and then turn on Allin and Sting in the celebration. Selling jealousy as he watched Sting and Allin is an easy villain origin story, if we’re sticking with the comic book tropes like Drake pointed out.

Dansby: Borden is connecting with the crowd, but doesn’t it feel like almost every new AEW act gets this honeymoon period?

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Remember Wardlow’s first year? The summer of “Send HOOK?” Daniel Garcia’s gyrations getting massive pops? AEW fans have always been willing to get behind something new when they see potential.

The key with Borden is making sure he eventually becomes more than Sting’s son and an extension of the Darby Allin-Sting story.

There’s nothing wrong with leaning on those connections early. In fact, AEW should. But over the next year, Borden needs to slowly stand on his own two feet, develop his own identity and prove he can carry a meaningful singles feud without Sting’s legacy being the primary reason fans care.

That’s when we’ll actually know what AEW has in Steven Borden.

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Jackman: Where do you even start with this match? I mean, when was the last time you saw a tag match loaded with so much potential? I wouldn’t be surprised if we look back in four years’ time and all four of these guys have enjoyed a run as AEW world champions. Obviously, Darby is already on that list, but the other three all look like solid contenders for the gold at some point in their future.

As for the match itself, I’d be looking at giving Borden and Darby the win on Saturday, and then having them embark on a conventional tag-team run. We’ve all been caught up in the “El Hijo de Sting” hype — with good reason — in recent weeks, but it’s worth remembering that Borden Jr. has only been wrestling for a few years. For all his obvious charm, he’s still relatively green by the standards of this business. Teaming with Darby gives him the space to learn on the job.

6. WWE and AEW are going head-to-head in the Chicago area on Saturday night. Is this healthy competition or unnecessary gamesmanship? And what would constitute a successful night for either company?

Sulla-Heffinger: I am going to say healthy competition, mainly because of the ticket sales. All Out is sold out — and has been for weeks, according to reports — and Worlds Collide has reportedly distributed more than 12,000 tickets. We’re looking at 20,000-plus wrestling fans attending shows in the same city on the same night. No matter how you cut it, that’s just good for the business.

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For AEW, as long as everyone comes out healthy, it will be a successful night. Between the ticket sales and where the company is as a whole right now, it’s hard to see how Saturday could be a disappointment.

For WWE, I think we need to see where this event streams (if it does) to call it a success. If this streams free on YouTube, getting more exposure for the AAA brand will be great and continue a recent trend of integrating the promotion with more mainstream WWE fandom. If it’s held for Club WWE (again h/t Solomonster), there’s value in seeing how many subscriptions it can drive. Adding a layer of value with exclusive shows to the Club WWE membership is a gamble worth taking, and with social media, if there’s a truly major moment a la Stephanie Vaquer beating Liv Morgan in Pimiento, it’ll get eyeballs regardless.

Dansby: Every month that passes, it feels like the gap between the WWE and AEW fan bases gets wider.

I don’t think WWE is going to steal many fans away from All Out. Those AEW fans are still riding the high from All In and have been waiting to see the next chapter unfold back in the United States.

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WWE will attract its usual mix of families and casual fans. They’ll also get some interesting matchups because of the Worlds Collide format, but I don’t expect the event to match All Out in terms of overall in-ring quality.

More importantly, I don’t think WWE’s focus needs to be on counter-programming AEW.

WWE has increasingly prioritized corporate partnerships, mainstream exposure and celebrity involvement alongside its wrestling product. If that’s the direction the company wants to continue moving in throughout 2026 and beyond, then success should be measured by how well it executes that strategy rather than whether it can take a few viewers away from an AEW pay-per-view.

AEW’s goal is different. Give its core audience another great wrestling show, capitalize on the momentum coming out of All In and make sure fans leave Chicago excited about what’s next.

Jackman: I’m torn whether this is an escalation in WWE’s counter-booking tactics or just a shift in tactics. We’ve seen over the past year how WWE deliberately has booked secondary shows alongside AEW pay-per-view as a way of — presumably — denting the viewing numbers and the social media buzz for its rival’s shows.

Of course, this weekend is the first time we’ve WWE go to the lengths of booking its show in the very same city, seemingly with the intention of reducing AEW’s live crowds. So far, though, the tactic looks to have backfired, given that All Out was announced to have sold out last week. That looks like a good result for Tony Khan, all things considered.

As for what success would look like for WWE, making their minds up about where to broadcast Worlds Collide would be a good start. Not only has the show had zero television time on “Raw” and “SmackDown,” but we don’t even know when or where we can even watch it.

Riggs: Unnecessary gamesmanship. Realistically, WWE fans don’t care about AAA just because the company struck a deal. Sure, the exposure has been helpful, fun, nice, all the things. But take Rey Fenix’s cruiserweight title run, for example. The man has been putting on some banger defenses on “SmackDown” since he became champion, yet those audiences couldn’t care less, and the matches are effectively pointless because an AAA title simply won’t change hands on a WWE program. It’s an exposure tactic. This is almost like WWE putting up a random NXT show against an AEW pay-per-view.

Again, as Robert said, AEW has already had its business success with the sell-out. Now it’s on to delivering in the ring, which is never a problem. For WWE, grabbing big headlines with surprise appearances — like teasing CM Punk on the show — is nice, but it’d also be a good move to let people know how they can tune in before it’s too late.

Predictions

• AEW World Championship: Will Ospreay (Dansby, Jackman, Riggs, Sulla-Heffinger) vs. Jon Moxley

• AEW Tag Team Championships – TLC match : Cage and Cope vs. The Young Bucks (Jackman, Riggs, Sulla-Heffinger) vs. FTR (Dansby)

• AEW Women’s Tag Team Championships – Chicago Street Fight: The Brawling Birds (Dansby, Jackman, Riggs, Sulla-Heffinger) vs. Divine Dominion

• AEW International Championship: Kazuchika Okada (Riggs, Sulla-Heffinger) vs. Tommaso Ciampa (Dansby, Jackman)

• AEW Trios Championship: The New Level and Swerve Strickland (Dansby, Jackman, Riggs, Sulla-Heffinger) vs. “Hangman” Adam Page and Brodido

• AEW National Championship: Andrade El Idolo (Dansby, Jackman, Riggs, Sulla-Heffinger) vs. Pac

• No. 1 contender’s match: Willow Nightingale vs. Thekla (Jackman, Riggs, Sulla-Heffinger); DQ finish (Dansby)

• Steven Borden and Darby Allin (Dansby, Jackman) vs. Kyle Fletcher and Kevin Knight (Riggs, Sulla-Heffinger)

2026 standings

• Anthony Sulla-Heffinger: 65-30