All in on All In
Have you heard of All In? It was the Woodstock of professional wrestling. A celebration of the independent scene. A show made for fans, and the best damn wrestling show I have ever seen. All In originally started as a bet. Famous wrestling critic Dave Meltzer challenged a young indy star named Cody Rhodes. He stated that Cody could not fill a 10,000 seat stadium. No easy feat. In response Cody teamed up with the popular indy tag team, The Young Buks, and together they funded what would become All In. 10,000 tickets sold out in under 29 minutes. Fans and Wrestlers alike loved the idea of a best of the independent circuit showcase, and an official 11,636 attendance proved the concept. All In was offered as a pay-per-view on the FITE TV app. The two hour long pre-show aired on WGN. The show itself lived up to the hype. There was something for any type of wrestling fan. A battle royal, a woman’s fatal four way match, a brutal hard-core street fight, two outstanding title matches, and much more made up an amazing card. The comedy was outrageous at times, the drama was intense, and the crowd itself was a character throughout the show. Most of all of the pay-per-view is now available on YouTube. My personal favorite match was Japanese champion Kenny Omega vs. Mexican Luchador Pentagram. A pairing so unique it could only work under these circumstances. All together All In was the pinnacle of professional wrestling. It has rekindled my love for the sport. A revolution in the industry whose affects will be felt for years to come. For more information on the topic listen to the Talk Is Jericho podcast or the Being The Elite YouTube channel.