AEW All Out preview: Joey Janela vs. Darby Allin vs. Jimmy Havoc
By Paul Bradley
In what is set to be the most explosive match of All Out, three of AEW’s biggest wild cards look to settle their issues with each other.
Besides their short-lived alliance at Fight for the Fallen, the three men in this contest all have one very important issue linking them together — none have registered a win in their short time with All Elite Wrestling. Their frustration at this fact is what caused their aggression to burst out and focus on one another. But in the end of this issue, one of these men will finally get a coveted point in their win column.
Joey Janela is 0-2 with registered losses against Jon Moxley and the team of Shawn Spears, MJF and Sammy Guevara. Janela also has an unregistered loss in the Double or Nothing battle royal. Janela seems to be the man in this match who is allowing his amassed losses to affect him the most, as he was very vocal in the aftermath of his Fight for the Fallen tag match that he can’t keep losing and he has worked too hard to get to AEW.
Janela has shown he is the definition of the words “wild card” and with quite a bit of anger and motivation behind him, he is the man who needs to be watched most carefully in this match. Fans have seemed to assume that Janela will be the most likely winner of this match but his opponents may have something to say about that.
Jimmy Havoc is also 0-2 and is no stranger to either of his All Out opponents. Havoc had an alliance with Darby Allin in MLW and has had several death matches with Janela under the Progress banner. Havoc is known as a dangerous man, but the AEW fans have not seen the depths that his character will go to when he is backed into a corner. Expect Havoc to pull out something crazy in this match as he will be in his natural element.
Darby Allin is 0-1-1 with a draw to Cody in the record books, but he has still yet to secure a win. Allin has stated he is looking for a promotion that will allow him to be himself and if he believes that is AEW then he will not be holding anything back in this match. The man who brings bodybags and shovels to the ring is also in his element here and will be looking to bring his own brand of violent art to the August 31 show. Allin looks to be someone AEW has interest in making a big star in the future so a win for him is not something anyone should count out as an impossibility.
This match could be one of the best hardcore matches of the year if all three men come to play and aren’t slapped with restrictions. Things could get out of hand quickly.