ALL IN Match Ratings, Podcast Notes From Sean Ross Sapp

Cold open

• The visual of all of those Bullet Club shirts is something to behold. Matt Jackson asks if the crowd wants pyro, but it doesn’t go off. Then it does. Fantastic.
• Road Warrior Animal is in Chicago! They give away merchandise and we cut to a PWT commercial.
• Colt Cabana having to shill CM Punk’s shirts in the commercial shew.

SCU defeated The Briscoe Brothers
6.5/10

• Justin Roberts, who does our intro for List & Ya Boy Wrestling Podcast, handling ring announcing duties. 
• Scorpio Sky’s gimmick is working, The crowd recites his “worst town I’ve ever been in” saying.
• SCU have Rocky-inspired gear.
• The ring canvas is beautiful. It’s a different look and presentation than we’re used to seeing. Very cool.
• Scorpio fits in with Kazarian so well. Their double team offense was fantastic.
• Jay wallops Sky with a clothesline, and they work him over.
• I want the Briscoes vs. The Usos so bad.
• Kazarian does a slingshot rana to the outside and Sky follows with a tope con hilo.
• The ring side area is wider, the crowd is lit better, the ring looks better than in ROH.
• A couple of cutters hit, then Dragon Sleepers in stereo. Briscoes claw their way out and get Redneck Boogie on Kazarian for two. 
•  A Jay Driller and Froggy Bow almost beat Kazarian, but Scorpio breaks it up.
• Kazarian turns a Doomsday Device into a Flux Capacitor!

Backstage Crappenings

• Alicia Atout talks to Kenny Omega backstage without a mic. Omega tells her to stop standing spread out like they do in WWE.
• Fat Ass Masa and El Chico Loco get a good reaction shown in the crowd.

ROH Title Shot
Over Budget Battle Royal
Flip Gordon Wins
6.75/10 

• Dalton Castle gets on commentary. Bully Ray joins and yanks people out of the ring.  
• He puts a guy through a table (barely). Trent saves Chucky from a beatdown
• The dude Shane Helms is in the battle royal!!! Shane Helms literally sent me a text during the 5 oclock hour lol.
• This is just a brawl.
• Marko Stunt is having himself a month. He eliminates Moose and does a backpack dance.
• Ethan Page does an awesome step up RKO. 
• This is sloppy. Brandon Cutler and Marko are out. 
• Best Friends take out Zombie Princess and Ethan, but get eliminated by Punishment Martinez. 
• Bully Ray still selling Rocky Romero’s clothesline spot when he probably wasn’t supposed to be there was great.
• Cage F5’s cheeseburger out. 
• Punishment Martinez and Cage. Certified Sirloin Beef Sunsabitches. They both get chokeslammed by Hurricane!!! Helms and Page are out. 
• Tommy Dreamer brings in weapons. Marko Stunt comes after Bully Ray, but the Gunns save him.
• Austin Gunn eliminates Punishment and embraces his dad, before Bully tosses him.
• Billy Gunn is enormous and eliminated by Cage.
• Marko Stunt hits an insane freefall and gets heaved out by Bully Ray.
• What an insane pop for Jordynne Grace eliminating Cage!!! Bully Ray pushes her out after a WAZZUP headbutt from Grace and Colt Cabana.
• Colt Cabana gets eliminated by Bully and a hush comes over the crowd. Chico emerges and tosses out Bully. It’s Flip Gordon!!!
• Brothers and Sisters I had a BALL watching that Battle Royal.

Matt Cross defeated MJF
6.5/10

• Shout out to the Fite app and Honor Club being down. 
• They probably should have let MJF heel the crowd before this match. 
• Matt Cross deserves to be on this stage. He hits a big cross body.
• MJF lands a double stomp and a package shoulder breaker.
• Cross wins with a shooting star press. Unfortunately I missed much of this excellent match due to streaming issues.
• MJF is a sure fire star.

Christopher Daniels defeated Stephen Amell
5.5/10

• I love that Amell using Bullet Club’s theme.
• Jerry Lynn, the New Reffin’ Show. Wow. 
• Amell really isn’t that bad. He takes a back suplex moonsault style. Daniels gets an Arabian Press moonsault.
• Amell doesn’t have great instincts, but a lot of potential. He hits a modified Falcon Arrow for two. 
• Stephen gets a coast to coast, but can’t get the win.
• Amell is way too close to the corner on a BME. 
• Daniels baits Amell into jumping through a table ringside. Jerry Lynn throws both competitors back in the ring.
• Lynn gets in Daniels’ face and Amell punches him RIGHT IN THE PENIS. Amell reverses Angel’s Wings and almost gets the pin
• Daniels wins with BME. Not a great match, but that was Stephen Amell’s first singles match ever. If we’re grading on a scale, that’s an amazing first match.

Tessa Blanchard defeated Chelsea Green, Madison Rayne and Britt Baker
7.75/10

• Special guests here: Magnum TA and Tully Blanchard walking Tessa out. Tenille and Mandy Leon on commentary.
• Chelsea Green is using her Laurel Van Ness persona, which I think was a good move for this show. 
• Green does a lucha arm drag and gets intercepted by Tessa and clotheslined over the top rope. 
• Tessa body presses Rayne over the top onto Britt and Chelsea. 
• Suicide dive from Chelsea, happy accident on the Tessa dive, and Madison jumps from the top rope onto the pile.
• Britt, Chelsea and Tessa caught Madison better than six men caught Brandi on ROH TV last week.
• Chelsea Green did the goddamn Broski Boot!!! Fantastic. 
• A Britt Baker ripcord cutter, Blanchard half nelson flatliner, Rayne tornado DDT and Green missile dropkick. 
• The Unprettier hits for Green, but Blanchard flies off the top with a flying Magnum! Rayne almost gets a pin on Blanchard with a crucifix hold bomb! 
• Blanchard barely escapes an Unprettier and gets the win just barely with a Hammerlock DDT. 
• Hats off, what a good match that was. Tessa, Britt and Chelsea are all big parts of the future of women’s wrestling

NWA Worlds Heavyweight Championship
Cody’s Ring of Honor
Cody (w/ Brandi Rhodes, DDP, Glacier, Tommy Dreamer & Pharoah) defeated Nick Aldis (c) (w/ Tim Storm, Shawn Daivari, Jeff Jarrett)
6.25/10

• Tommy Dreamer, DDP, Glacier and HIS DOG are in Cody’s corner!
• Brandi Rhodes is such a great, important part of the Cody act.
• Shawn Daivari, Jeff Jarrett, Tim Storm are out with Aldis! The walkouts were great.
• Bros this crowd is HOT.
• The two trade holds and Cody lands a dropkick that leads to a suicide dive. 
• Aldis suplexes Cody on the floor and works him over inside the ring. A double cross body separates the two. 
• Aldis catches Cody flying over the top rope with an elbow. He’s bleeding. He had to bleed in this. 
• Daivari pushes DDP. DIAMOND CUTTER! Place comes unglued.
• Cody fires up and catches Aldis with a Goldust powerslam, but Aldis throws Cody off the second rope with a fallaway slam. 
• Aldis reverses a Figure Four and does a powerslam outside the ring. 
• Cody’s back is hurt, but he does the Alabamaslam. Always liked how Cody adopted and integrated moves in his arsenal from people he teamed with.
• A powerbomb from Aldis sets up a cloverleaf. I really would have hammered it home that the Cloverleaf is Aldis’ finish on the broadcast, because I’m not sure a lot of people know. Cody makes it to the ropes though. 
• Aldis piledrives Cody, and Brandi covers Cody up. Aldis jumps off the top rope not realizing and elbow drops her and Cody. It’s a two count. 
• Disaster Kick and Cross Rhodes, but Aldis kicks out!! A series of reversals leads to Cody winning with the Bulldog pin.
• Great reaction and moment. The color commentary wasn’t great.

Chicago Street Fight
Adam “Hangman” Page defeated Joey Janela (w/ Penelope Ford)
7.25/10

• This gets an extended video package.
• They trade suicide dives, only Janela flips off Hangman while he does it.
• Page uses a moonsault, and then fallaway slams Janela on a chair. They bust out an actual Cracker Barrel and Janela somersault sentons off of it.
• Janela is turned inside out with a Buckshot Lariat! Janela recovers and kills Page with a Death Valley Driver into the corner. 
• A ladder bridges between the apron and the rail, and Page does a freaking Torture Rack slam off the apron onto the ladder!
• Penelope gets involved and attacks Page! She flips out of the way of a Hangman clothesline and hits a Stunner and a huge flying body press to the outside. 
• Janela flies off the top with a huge elbow through the table. 
• They end up on the stage with two tables set up. Page powerbombs Janela through roughly 25 percent of the available table space.
• Rite of Passage hits, but Penelope breaks up the pin. Penelope has a bag with the cursed boots of Page’s. He freaks out!!!
• Page superkicks Penelope. Janela walloped Page with one of the best Superkicks of the year with Page’s boot caught him too. 
• A ladder is set up, but Page grabs the phone he used to kill Joey Ryan and blunt force traumas Janela. RITE OF PASSAGE OFF THE LADDER THROUGH A TABLE. That’s it.
• Really though the ghost of Joey Ryan should have cost Page the match, but how can I dislike that finish?
• The room goes dark and we see video of Joey Ryan…..rising. Penis druids come out. 
• Joey Ryan is here to a huge pop. He beats up Joey Ryan and they carry Hangman off. 
• I’d just love to see how a WGN exec backstage at All In reacted to seeing a penis druid. 

ROH World Championship
“Black Machismo” Jay Lethal (c) (w/ Lanny Poffo) defeated Flip Gordon (w/ 1st Lt. Brandi)
5/10

• Lanny Poffo out with “Black Machismo” Jay Lethal, 1st Lt. Brandi out with Flip Gordon.
• Lethal grabbing Brandi like she’s Elizabeth. Brandi chops him and Lethal turns back into himself in time to eat some offense from Flip.
• This isn’t a very wild match. Flip Gordon does his Flip Gordon thing, eventually gets Torture Racked by Lethal.
• Poffo wants Lethal to do the Flying Elbow Smash, and chops him back to Black Machismo. The elbow lands but Flip goes all Hulk Hogan and Warrior and does their spots. 
• Star Spangled Slingblade lands, then a Samoan Pop and standing star press to set up the Tornado press.
• Lethal gets the cutter and Lethal Injection for the win. This match wasn’t for me.
• Bully Ray tries to come out and attack, but Colt Cabana makes the save and all three powerbomb him through a table. 

Kenny Omega defeated Pentagon Jr.
8/10

• NJPW & ROH vs. Every other goddamn promotion that isn’t WWE in this match.
• Kenny Omega quickly learns to put respect on the name of Pentagon. Pentagon lands his corner lungblower.
• Omega recovers and does Rise of the Terminator.
• Omega gets knees on a moonsault, but comes back with a tornado DDT and a springboard body press. 
• I don’t like that Pentagon fed his leg on the Aoi Shoudou, but Omega follows up with the snapdragon.
• A power lungblower from Pentagon doesn’t stop him from getting a V-Trigger. Omega does a powerbomb, and rolls Penta up for the knee.
• Pentagon Driver! Omega is able to get his shoulder up. Fear Factor on the apron looks NAAAAAASTY.
• Back in the ring, Omega does a spinning Fear Factor of his own and a V-Trigger!
• Pentagon busts out of a One Winged Angel and breaks Kenny’s arm. Fear Factor, but it’s a two after a lazy pin!!
• Omega is selling the arm WONDERFULLY and chases Pentagon down with a V-Trigger. The One Winged Angel gets it done!
• The lights go out and come back on. Chris Jericho is dressed as Pentagon and attacks Omega!!

Kazuchika Okada defeated Marty Scurll
6/10

• Not super thrilled so hear someone say “kayfabe!” on commentary during a wrestling show, even when there have been penis druids on it.
• The crowd is really into this, and Okada gets a huge ovation.
• Marty gets some offense in, but Okada starts bulling him around. This is really methodical, but they hold onto the crowd. 
• Marty gets a tornado DDT for 2. He tries to trade strikes with Okada and it doesn’t work well for him, but a brainbuster does. 
• Scurll does an avalanche brainbuster and powerbombs Okada! He’s hitting a lot of power moves on the big man. 
• Shotgun dropkick is good for two. This is not clicking for me yet. Would have rather seen a ten minute spring ala Scurll and Punishment Martinez.
• Scurll stops a Rainmaker with a finger break, but also gets dropkicked. He reverses another Rainmaker with the crossface chickenwing and holds on. By far the best part of the match. 
• Scurll wallops Okada with an All In umbrella and does a Rainmaker of his own. 2.9! This match has finally picked up.
• Three Rainmakers win it for Okada. 

Golden Elite defeated Bandido, Fenix & Rey Mysterio
6.75/10

• They seem pressed for time. They’re starting out fast. Bandido gets his ass kicked proper.
• Fenix tags in and does like a quintuple springboard arm drag.
• Kota Ibushi and Rey Mysterio tag in and face off and immediately get “Holy Shit” chants. This probably should have been a singles, but given Rey’s injury history I see why it wasn’t.
• This isn’t the 2008-2016 Rey Mysterio. He’s in good shape, doing incredible stuff at high speeds.
• Ibushi uses great moonsault knees on Bandido, then a double Pele on Bandido and Fenix.
• I appreciate the technical prowess Nick Jackson has with his kicks.
• We have our dives that are as breathtaking as ever. Matt does a cannonball off the stage.
• The Bucks hit their Buckle Bomb/kick, one of the more brutal ones I’ve ever seen. 
• A TRIPLE HURACANRANA from Bandido. 
• Rey sends Matt into Nick, but Matt caught the 619. FENIX ROPE WALK KICKS Matt off the apron!!
• 619 on Matt, followed by Mexican Destroyer. Bandido and Fenix take out Nick and Ibushi, and a frog splash from Rey can’t pin Matt. 
• Bandido almost wins with a fallaway moonsault, but it’s broken up. He gets superkicked on a headstand, though. 
• A Golden Elite style More Bang For Young Buck but Fenix fucks up and breaks it up. They hit a Meltzer Driver instead for the win.

Rating guide

10- Perfect, 9- MOTY Territory, 8- Excellent, 7- Great, 6- Good, 5- Average to above average, 4- Slightly below average, 3 or below: Poor
Each match starts at a 5 and slides up and down based on entertainment, execution, time, environment, reaction and stakes. The ratings are in no way an indication of a “star rating,” which is a completely different system. A standard, non-offensive “TV match” lands at a 5.