AEW Announces World Title Match for AEW All Out (Updated)

For the first time in company history, All Elite Wrestling approached an upcoming pay-per-view without a title match. Following Interim AEW World Champion Jon Moxley’s successful defense over “Lionheart” Chris Jericho at AEW Dynamite: Quake by the Lake three weeks ago and Lineal AEW World Champion CM Punk’s return following the match, the writing appeared on the wall for Moxley and Punk to unify the AEW World Title next month at AEW All Out. That took a sharp turn the following week, as Punk and Moxley brawled in multiple segments and AEW President Tony Khan deemed that the unification match had to happen as soon as possible.

That unification match did go down last week on AEW Dynamite, but not in the way anyone was expecting. Moxley and Punk made their entrances halfway through the broadcast, leading some to believe that they would be going for 60 minutes, similar to how Bryan Danielson and Hangman Page wrestled for an hour months ago. In quite the contrary, Moxley defeated Punk in roughly three minutes, sending shockwaves throughout the wrestling world. The squash match played up Punk’s foot injury, with commentary speculating that the Best in the World might have returned to the ring too early. Punk was carried out by medical staff as Moxley celebrated, leaving many to wonder if this was him being written off AEW television.

With only four days until the pay-per-view, AEW finally announced who will face Moxley at All Out tonight on AEW Dynamite. Newly-unified AEW World Champion Jon Moxley hit the ring to kick off the broadcast, running down Punk for having a “fragile” ego and body before presenting an open contract title match. As Moxley revealed, anyone is free to sign the contract and face him at AEW All Out. Moxley teased this opponent being from anywhere, as he mentioned the AEW locker room, New Japan, or any other promotions.

As Moxley’s music hit and he left the ring, AEW producer Ace Steel arrived to pick up the contract off the mat and bring it backstage. Commentary teased that fans would find out who signs the contract tonight, but there’s also the chance that this mystery opponent won’t be revealed until this weekend at the pay-per-view itself. It’s worth noting that as Moxley made this announcement, the Chicago crowd chanted for MJF.

UPDATE: Later in the broadcast, Punk hit the ring to lament his loss, but Steel confronted him. From there, he commanded that Punk remember who he is and sign the contract, which fired Punk up. He then got on the mic to emphasize that he still knows who he is and walked into the Chicago crowd. In a sea of his hometown fans, Punk put pen to paper to make it official: he will face Moxley this weekend.

AEW All Out takes place this Sunday, September 4th.