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All Elite Wrestling

After a soft launch that began with the incredibly well-received Double or Nothing pay-per-view card in May, All Elite Wrestling essentially enters Day 1 of its existence with Saturday's All Out show in suburban Chicago. The 10-match card will likely be headlined by the inaugural AEW world championship match between "Hangman" Adam Page and Chris Jericho, although a grudge match between Cody and Shawn Spears has been getting the most attention throughout the build. Either way, All Out will serve as the launching point for the promotion's weekly two-hour Wednesday night show on TNT that commences on Oct. 2.

Although an injury to Jon Moxley (f.k.a. Dean Ambrose in WWE), who is arguably the promotion's biggest signing, pulls him out of a featured match against Kenny Omega, he was replaced by PAC (f.k.a. Neville in WWE), who certainly upgrades the match's in-ring potential. There will also be a can't-miss tag team ladder match between featuring the AAA world tag team champions The Lucha Bros. defending their titles against The Young Bucks.

Subscribe to our podcast -- State of Combat with Brian Campbell -- where we go in depth on everything you need to know in pro wrestling each week -- and check out our preview of AEW All Out at the 1:36:49 timestamp below!

Below is a look at the complete match card set for AEW's All Out event on Saturday evening, which begins at 8 p.m. ET on pay-per-view, followed by predictions for a few of the marquee bouts from our CBS Sports experts. And as an added bonus for this particular event, our experts will also address the elephant in the room and predict whether a certain "Second City Saint" will make his AEW debut in front of his rabid hometown audience this weekend. 

AEW All Out match card

  • AEW World Championship: Chris Jericho vs. "Hangman" Page
  • Kenny Omega vs. PAC
  • Cody vs. Shawn Spears
  • AAA Tag Team Championship (Ladder Match): Lucha Bros. (c) vs. The Young Bucks
  • Joey Janela vs. Jimmy Havoc vs. Darby Allin
  • Best Friends vs. The Dark Order (Winners earn first-round by in tag title tournament)
  • Riho vs. Hikaru Shida
  • Luchasaurus, Jungle Boy & Marko Stunt vs. SCU
  • Private Party vs. Angelico & Jack Evans (The Buy-In pre-show)
  • Women's Casino Battle Royale (The Buy-In pre-show; winner receives women's title shot)

AEW All Out predictions

AAA Tag Team Championship: Lucha Bros. (c) vs. The Young Bucks (Escalera de la Muerte)

Brent Brookhouse, Brian Campbell, Adam Silverstein, Jack Crosby: This is a tough call, but I feel like the Bucks winning the AAA titles again makes less sense here than it did in March. The Bucks also don't need the win here, while the Lucha Bros. benefit strongly from a storytelling perspective heading into the bold new world of AEW television. This will be a barn-burner in every conceivable way, but I think the Bucks take their first loss in an AEW ring in this "death" ladder match. Pick: Lucha Bros. retain the titles

Cody (with TBA) vs. Shawn Spears (with Tully Blanchard)

BB, BC: The story here is solid, and Spears getting the win wouldn't be a shock. That said, Cody is 1-1-1 in AEW throughout both singles and tag competition, and one of the "faces" and executive vice presidents of the promotion having a losing record as TNT TV draws near feels off. This definitely has the feeling of a feud with some staying power, and the ending could feel a little less-than-satisfying because of it. Pick: Cody wins

AS, JC: Unless AEW has some grand plan for Cody going into the start of its television series -- and it's quite possible they do -- extending the Spears feud and potentially involving MJF and others is the way to go. With Blanchard stepping in as Spears' manager, it would make sense that he could sneak out a win and extend this rivalry. I think people may be buying into the dual Cody and Brandi Rhodes promos thinking this will go in his direction. At some point, Cody's going to have to lose a big singles match. Might as well start now. Pick: Shawn Spears wins

Kenny Omega vs. PAC

BC, JC: Moxley's injury put AEW in a precarious spot considering his run-in and subsequent attack on Omega at Double or Nothing was the viral moment the promotion needed to be seen as a legitimate competitor to WWE. Yet with the pressure on to find a suitable replacement from the standpoint of star power, AEW did well to instead upgrade the match in terms of being a potential classic. PAC, formerly Neville in WWE, is exactly the right dance partner for Omega to supersede the lack of a storyline and potentially steal the show. But would the promotion be crazy enough to put PAC over? Considering Omega is the best wrestler in the world and doesn't need a monster push, it might not be a bad move considering PAC originally appeared to be in the title hunt opposite Page until a reported dispute over booking forced him off the Double or Nothing card. Seeing Moxley appear to distract or aid PAC in some form also wouldn't be out of the question. Pick: PAC wins

AS, BB: This one is simple. All the attention for AEW may be on Cody and The Young Bucks due to their front-and-center personas, but the most important man in this company is Omega. To have him not only lose to Chris Jericho at Double or Nothing but follow that up with a loss to a replacement in PAC? Just don't see it, particularly now that PAC has dropped the Dragon Gate title. Omega is who AEW should be centered around; he should be the first challenger for the AEW world title, and having him lose here is nonsensical to me. Especially considering, you know, he's probably the best wrestler in the world. Pick: Kenny Omega wins

AEW World Championship: Chris Jericho vs. "Hangman" Page

BC: The aforementioned injury to Moxley, forcing PAC to replace him in the match against Omega, has allowed AEW to elevate this inaugural world championship match to the featured spot on the marquee that it deserves. What will be most interesting, however, is which direction the promotion goes in terms of booking. Making the 48-year-old heel Jericho its first champion ahead of such an important weekly television launch on TNT would certainly make sense given his crossover name value and ability to talk. But AEW has seemingly remained committed to building its company around its future, which would very much define Page, who turned down big money from WWE to work with the upstart promotion. Page will end up with the title eventually; that's not what is up for debate. It would make a strong statement that AEW isn't following the WCW model completely of relying on old names built up by WWE if it gives Page the early nod. Pick: "Hangman" Page becomes first AEW world champion

JC, AS, BB: Page is one of the brightest, most talented young stars in all of pro wrestling today, and he is without a doubt a future world champion and torchbearer. Just ... not yet, for a couple reasons. The primary reason you must give Jericho the distinction of going down in history as your first world champ is simple: TNT. Sure, it's a bad look to award this honor to the WWE legend, but at the same time, you need a big name at the top to help draw as many viewers to your upcoming weekly product on national TV as possible. Jericho can get that done. Secondly, I have to call back to a point made by my colleague Adam above. Eventually, for the time being, you want to build this promotion around Omega. Jericho's clean win to earn this title shot over his rival Omega at Double or Nothing made it clear that there is a story being told here. That story being Omega's eventual road to dethroning Jericho and taking that title. Pick: Chris Jericho becomes first AEW world champion

Will CM Punk make his AEW debut?

BC: CM Punk will not show up during the show. If he was going to play a part in AEW's future success, we would've already seen him by now. Punk's difficult relationship with the business that made him a star continues to mean he will live by the beat of his own drum. And because of that, Punk appears much happier these days doing anything but pro wrestling. 

AS: Look, if you are one who believes that AEW is in the lesson-learning phase of its development, then its biggest takeaway from Double or Nothing should have been that the appearance of Moxley made for bigger headlines than anything that happened on the rest of the show. With AEW's TV debut coming up in about a month, they need to maintain momentum and make another big splash. Jericho winning the title, the AEW debut of PAC or a five-star tag team title match is not going to matter long-term. What would make a mark is bringing CM Punk out of his wrestling retirement. And considering WWE has taught us that money talks and big names draw -- Tony Khan certainly has money, CM Punk is certainly a big name -- it almost seems like it has to happen.

CM Punk returning to wrestling in freakin' Chicago by possibly taking out Jericho? I can't think of anything that would give AEW a bigger boost. The fact that Punk is doing a signing at Starrcast and had a seemingly out-of-nowhere social media feud with Cody -- plus the fact that Dave Meltzer leaked Punk's agent pitched an opportunity to do studio work for WWE's show on Fox -- is all too fishy for me to believe anything else. I won't be surprised if it happens. I won't be disappointed if it doesn't because I ultimately believe Punk in 2019 is not nearly as important or exciting as he was a handful of years ago. But would it be great for AEW? You bet.

BB: I feel like the smart money is on CM Punk not showing up at the show. Even little things like rumors of Punk sending his agent to FS1 to inquire about a talk show would suggest he has no plans beyond showing up for his panel at Starrcast. What fun is logic, though? They're putting the panel on pay-per-view which could be simply because it will make some extra money. But what if it's something more? I'm not sold on Punk ever wrestling full-time again, but let's vote yes on him appearing at All Out.

JC: I have battled with this subject in my brain relentlessly throughout the last few months. On one hand, it just seems a little too obvious when you consider the location of the show, his scheduled panel at Starrcast as well as a solid opportunity ahead to prove that your TNT show is can't-miss viewing by having him make surprise debut on the first show on Oct. 2 -- if he is indeed signed to the company. On the other hand, though, this opportunity also seems too perfect to pass up. CM Punk, love him or hate him, making his return to pro wrestling nearly six years after he walked out on your main competitor in the city of Chicago where he is considered royalty would be a moment that goes down in the history books. I think the back-and-forth with Cody in the media was all a smokescreen to throw people off the scent, and AEW will ultimately give a majority of fans what they've long been craving in some capacity. So, yes, we will see CM Punk inside that AEW All Out ring in the Sears Centre.