Coronation Anthem | AEWeekly #225

Welcome to the #AEWeekly review discussion where PWM contributors reflect on the highlights of the last week in AEW. The eligibility week always includes the most recent episode of Dynamite and Collision, plus any social-media exclusives up until publication.

This week’s contributors are Abel [@loza3.bsky.social] covering Match of the Week and the week's MVP, Lauren [@sithwitch.bsky.social] exploring a key Story Beat, Peter [@peteredge7.bsky.social] talking about his experience at All In weekend live and about the MVP of it, and Sergei [@sergeialderman.bsky.social] talking about the Best Interview ond Moment as well as editing and organizing it all.

 A page of links to prior installments may be found here: #AEWeekly

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Kenny Omega vs Will Ospreay

“And Remember the Sound…”

by Abel.

Few matches make us feel – collectively as wrestling fans – the way that the match between Kenny Omega vs. Will Ospreay for the AEW World Championship at Wembley Stadium on Sunday did. It felt like not just the wrestling universe, but the entire world stood still to watch two gods of the squared circle beat the everliving shit out of each other in one of the best matches we have ever seen. This match is a living example of exactly why we love professional wrestling. There are things you can do in this art form that you can't do in any other form of media, and the pre-match production is one of them. Not only is this the match of the week, but this might also be the match of the year, decade, and century.

Evoking our emotions began before this match even started . Nobody will ever be able to talk about this match without bringing up how the opening videos and walk-ins set the stage. There will be dissertations explaining how special they are and how personalized they felt to each wrestler. [See Story Beat for more about Kenny's and MVP for more about Will's.]

The production was immaculate, from the camera work to the lighting, the stage, and the music. Every angle was shot with purpose to grab just the smallest, most subtle moments that only Anime or wrestling sleuths could find after a rewatch. AEW has never felt bigger than it did at All In 2026. While I know AEW has been a legitimate company for a while, this show felt like a threshold was crossed for a more mainstream audience, and the main event has a lot to do with that. I don't think a single word was uttered from the start of the video package until the match started, for about 20 minutes. Absolute perfection.

The pace of the match was fast, but it never felt rushed – for Omega or for Ospreay. Nobody controls the tempo of a match quite like Omega, and he controlled the pace for the better part of 30 minutes. Even in the slower passages at the start of the match, it felt evenly paced, never dragging or rushed – which demonstrates the competitors ring-shape and conditioning. Every move and action was meaningful. Each chop, punch, kick, and bump played a part in the ending. You can't make ground beef without grinding up the meat.

Omega is the absolute best when he is an absolute prick. The AEW World Championship talks to Omega like the Green Goblin mask. “Look, Mom, I'm on TV,” among other little quips, made Omega a hateable asshole. Kenny was able to turn the London crowd against him like the god damn master that he is. This same crowd was cheering him on all night, until they weren't. The Best Bout Machine beat the holy hell out of Ospreay, which is about the time he went from getting a face reaction to true heel heat. This is where Will Ospreay won the crowd over. London was chanting, “Let's go Ospreay,” with no counter chant for Omega. That NEVER happens in AEW. There are always those sections who will chant for the heel, but not this time. Everyone there wanted Ospreay to win.

Ospreay, by allowing himself to get absolutely walloped for 20 minutes, won over his fellow British fans. Part of his ass-kicking included the table powerbomb to the other table, perfectly executed and one of the most creative, gnarly spots I've ever seen. The V-Trigger that followed, as Ospreay crawled into the ring, is a highlight-reel knee. The Hidden Blade that turned the tide opened up Omega. That gash, which opened up halfway through the match out of the corner of Kenny’s right eye, was serendipitous. It gave us, the fans, a physical mark of the momentum change.

The ending sequence was so good, I don't think it could ever be replicated again. Every move built momentum toward the crescendo of that last hidden blade. The Tiger Driver 91 on Omega’s neck was one of the more visceral moments I have ever seen in a wrestling ring, and once he hit it, I knew it was over.

It was the absolute correct decision for the commentary team not to breathe during the OWA kickout, let alone say a word. That was one of the largest pops I've ever heard, and that truly spoke to the magnitude of that moment. That moment right there is why you protect some finishers. Omega was incensed, which ultimately was his downfall.

If this is how Omega goes out, as a main eventer, then there is no better way for a warrior to go out than on his shield. There will never be anyone else like Omega ever in this business, and we should all be thanking our stars we were born during the same era.

As for Ospreay… it's his company now. Let's see how far he can take it.

Will Ospreay

"...but I have promises to keep..."

by Sergei.

Leading up to the seeming-inevitable coronation of Will Ospreay as the Man of AEW, a lot of fans seemed to not be feeling the build to the climax. I wasn't in that category, feeling that (considering the unavoidable feeling of inevitability letting out some of the air on any suspense) the lead up was about as good as it could have been. But I seemed to be very much in the minority, so when Ospreay came out to the ring mic in hand in Scotland on Wednesday, he had some minds to change…

Not the almost-hometown fans in the building that night, note… and Will is very much at his best on the mic when feeding off the energy of a fired-up crowd. And the live wire Billy Goat version of Will Ospreay is what we got, much like the promo he gave on the night of his debut in AEW.

But when he got to the key point of his promo on Wednesday, I thought for a moment he might have made a big misstep: when Ospreay said “there is a debt that needs to be paid,” my immediate reaction was: “oh, come on!” Now, I'm not one of those “you have done nothing wrong ever in your life” people about Kenny… but for Ospreay to claim that Omega of all people owes him anything, (for a few mean words and a couple sideswipe attacks?) that would be ridiculous… But, as Will went on, I realized he didn't mean a debt owed to him at all….

https://youtu.be/0bduV-wWUvs?is=V_MhNS3W4dlHHv4-

There is a debt, for the ones that saw me from the start… for the ones that are here right now… to my Mum!... to my Dad! to my wife! and to my boy…

Will wasn't talking about a debt owed to him, but a debt that he owed to everyone in the world that had helped him get to this point – those who had supported him, those who had encouraged him, those who had given him grace when he'd made mistakes and had growing pains. And Sunday that debt would come due. And he was ready to pay with interest.

Some of his closest friends hadn't made it this far, but Ospreay had promises to keep…

The woods are lovely, dark and deep,   

But I have promises to keep,   

And miles to go before I sleep,   

And miles to go before I sleep.

Kenny Omega

"The rest is up to you..."

by Lauren.

These days, a lot of wrestlers wear their fandoms on their sleeves – literally: on their gear. In addition to paying homage to something that inspired them, their cosplay can give hints to their character: from Adam Cole's Handsome Jack gear, to Claudio Castagnoli's Warhammer 40k purity seals, to the Demand's One Piece Admiral coats, to Kenny Omega's Terminator. Or Kenny Omega's Sephiroth. Or, at All In, Kenny Omega's All Might. (Note: this will have spoilers for My Hero Academia.)I wish I knew more about My Hero Academia so I could really understand the nuances of everything here, but I understand the broad strokes of who All Might is in that story: the hero training his replacement, due to a devastating torso injury that results in loss of internal organs, which mean that he cannot use his powers for any length of time without further injury, and can no longer bear the burden of being the Symbol of Peace much longer and so now needs someone to pass his mantle to. The comparison is remarkably apt, as is what Kenny is trying to say by using it. I pointed out in my opinion for last week’s All In preview Roundtable that including the match where he won the Men’s World Championship, that it's noteworthy that Omega has only wrestled a handful of times since then – five including the match vs Will Ospreay at All In, and that includes two trios matches.

Personally, I've been both appalled and impressed by Kenny's return to the ring after his diverticulitis surgery. I know, everyone including Kenny is sick of hearing about it, but it remains true: that is a major surgery and lifestyle change. I've seen accounts from those who have had amounts of diseased intestinal tissue removed, and lots of them report still feeling pain and their lives being physically different years afterwards. As someone with chronic pain myself, I know what happens when I push past my own abilities; I did the dishes last week and am still recovering five days later. I'm both thrilled and terrified when wrestlers with disabling conditions do things that an everyday healthy human being can't do. Personally, I think that the past year and three-quarters have been an experiment to see what Kenny's body can keep up with. He's had sixteen matches in each of the past two years. The only year lower is 2022, with ten matches, all of which he wrestled after healing from several surgeries and only returning in mid-August.

Kenny and Ospreay have both made an effort over the past several years to tell the story of someone inspired by Kenny trying to become his equal and surpass him. They've had hints of this before: I will always remember them both kicking out just a little too late from each others’ moves in their matches for the IWGP belt: Will, to show that he was just on the cusp of being able to do so, and Kenny, to show that he was just a little too late and past his prime. Will becoming the second person (HEAR THAT, MJF?!) to legitimately kick out of the One Winged Angel on Sunday night was the handover.

So, we have: Kenny entering dressed in gear reminiscent of Armored All Might, with a voiceover from Kenta Miyake, All Might's Japanese voice actor, the music that plays while superheroic deeds are being done played before Kenny's own music, Kenny pointing in a similar manner to the character, and finally a tweet telling Ospreay that the rest is up to him. I hope Kenny returns to the ring soon, but I anticipate a break coming up. Thank you, Kenny, and we just hope that you're healthy and happy following such an emotional performance.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vyR0XyuGiC4

Kofi

"It actually worked this time!!"

by Sergei.

Obviously All In was packed with amazing moments: Kofi & Austin Creed being the least surprising Wild Cards ever… Ospreay kicking out of the One Winged Angel… Moxley giving Ospreay the flag… Fletcher giving Okada the bird… too many to list! But one stood out for me as adding value not just to one show, but as a demonstration of just how much the latest signings now calling themselves the New Level bring to the promotion going forward: Kofi’s battle royal elimination escape.

The Trios elimination match that kicked off All In had standard battle royal rules for elimination: you must go over the top rope and both feet must touch the floor outside for an elimination to count. When Kofi was tossed over he saved himself by catching the bottom rope with his toes, and when PAC knocked him the rest of the way to the floor, his landed on his back and his feet still hadn't touched, and manager Nana wheelbarrowed him back into the ring to avoid elimination…

https://youtu.be/MKbngHu7PG0?is=9OXNaoB1ui4UCOl1

Now, to some newer fan, this spot may seem innovative. But only if you haven't seen a WWE Royal Rumble since 2009, when TAFKA Kofi Kingston was first featured in a Rumble match. Since then, some form of escape artistry has been a signature of Kofi's and a highlight of the big battle royal each year. So for the rest of us, this was more nostalgia than innovation.

There were two aspects that made this elimination escape especially notable. First: it was something WWE had before now, and that AEW will have going forward. And the other is that it shows how AEW actually rewards bringing value. Kofi had always been a highlight of each year’s Rumble match, but in 15 dazzling attempts, he'd never actually WON. Whereas on his first night in AEW, his amazing efforts to avoid elimination actually led to winning the match and the Trios Championships. As Kofi pointed out in the post show interviews: “It actually worked this time!”

Will Ospreay

"Coronation Street"

by Peter.

Let’s get one thing straight. Kenny Omega was amazing at All In. He was out of this world and he’d be the MVP of any of the other 51 weeks of the year. But this was one man’s day – actually, it was one man’s weekend.

Will’s deep ties to British wrestling came to the fore this weekend. It’s a weekend that the scene in the country has tried to make the United Kingdom’s version of WrestleMania week, but despite having the huge advantage of not having Gamechanger Wrestling anywhere near it, it is still behind what the Americans are doing on their “Superbowl” of wrestling. But it’s catching up.

AEW stars played important cameos throughout the weekend’s events. Some hit… (Skye Blue becoming Carrie for the night in the Death Match three-way at EVE, and FTR showing that the three months away did them good in their tag match against One Called Manders and Thomas Shire.) Some didn’t… (I want the first 10 minutes of the PAC vs Luke Jacobs match back.) But an everpresent theme ran through the EVE: Riot Grrrls of Wrestling show, the Revolution Pro show, all the way through the All In main event – the journey of Will Ospreay.

At EVE on Friday, a women’s wrestling group set in North London, where he works as a producer, helps out with lay-outs of matches and helps with creative –  Staff Member Bill as the regulars among the fanbase call him was the Will that you see on any other show EVE puts on. He was the one that gave instructions to fans on what to do if the wrestlers get near them and after the Skye Blue vs Lucy Sky vs Emersyn Jayne bloodfest, spent half-time intermission helping sweep the ring of all the tacks that were used.

The next night, Will would be the surprise tag partner of CPF (Close Personal Friends) and Callum Newman in a 10-man tag against Trew/Lacey & Will Kaven and Ricky Knight Jr. and Sha Samuels. To do a match with so many bodies, the night before the biggest match of your life is insane, but to be fair we got ‘House Show Will”... but the 4,500-ish fans in the building didn’t mind and for Will to turn up at the promotion where he cemented his name on its 14th Anniversary show was cool.

Then came Sunday.

It's not often you can get 45,000 odd people going “aaaah” at the same time but we got that when Sue Ospreay introduced herself to the watching masses as “mom”.

https://youtu.be/_ZeLKN81Frg?si=PruzpG-c7AeP5sGx

To the strands of “Baba O’Reilly”, we saw a hype video of the path he took to this moment, then as the guitar hooks set in, we saw his literal journey to the ring, as passed backstage many of those he encountered along his journey. The men he fought for the British Heavyweight Title, the man who helped him divide the wrestling world with THAT match at Best of Super Juniors 2015, the teammates he had lost along the way, the soulmate that came into his life and – in the best international relations cleanser since the Allied Powers tag team of 1995 – Jon Moxley handed Ospreay the Union Jack to carry to the ring.

Once the bell rang, the match was everything we expected it to be. Kenny was immense but Will was spectacular as the babyface fighting from underneath. Holding on for dear life when Omega was trying to hit one of his death moves like he’s going down stream and he finally found a rock. The moments of hope Will produced were like that goal back in a soccer match under the arch of Wembley when he hit a hidden blade out of nowhere or hit the powerbomb and Styles Clash combo but Kenny was still in control. So in control that he hit the One Winged Angel,

The eruption of the patrons of Wembley Stadium was unreal when Will got his shoulder up before Paul Turner’s hand hit the mat for 3. I was one of those instances that just erupt. But the moment itself also told everyone that Will is indisputably the Chosen One.

Kenny was only going to give someone the kickout who he felt was the right person. Only one person has kicked out of the OWA properly (no, I’m not counting MJF) and that was in 2012 before the OWA became the super duper finisher in NJPW’s biggest and best matches and the person was Kenny’s best mate Kota Ibushi 

Like, I was surprised that Hangman didn’t kick out of the move at Full Gear 2021. But Kenny had this bullet in the chamber for future use and for someone to make. The match went from great to unreal from then on. The kickouts at one, the adrenaline in the crowd as this was happening. But in amongst the chaos, the one in control was Will.

A Hidden Blade won it and the cliches came out:

“It’s Coming Home”.

“First British man to win a wrestling World Title in Great Britain".

But this is actually more than that for Will and those that have followed him for a decade. It’s a chance to be The Guy. 

Being a babyface champion is really hard in 2026. It’s been hard for a decade now. Many men and women who have won a World Title, who have had crownings that will go down in the history of wrestling as all-time moments have had title reigns that didn’t live up to the moment of the coronation. 

The next one up to try and be the next great babyface World Champion is this native of Rainham. Will Will hit the heights that not many have before and have that great title reign? That is a debate for another time… but if we see matches even 75% as good as Omega and Ospreay under the Wembley arch, he’ll have a chance, even with the spectre of bad creative that has stalked him in the last couple of months (in my opinion) that threatens his ascent to being the top of AEW’s mountain of stardom.

But as I just said, that is a story for another time. Because on a Sunday night in London, the rain clouds that threatened to overwhelm Wembley stayed away for two of the greatest ever to do this beautiful art, and in the middle of a brisk wind that rapidly dropped the temperature, Will became the king of wrestling and helped AEW look like the coolest thing in the world.

Will Ospreay was the King of Britain and thousands came out to see a crowning that lasted an entire weekend.