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The seven days between AEW's All In and All Out have been tumultuous. Hurricanes and illness have thwarted booking plans. Oh, and of course, there was the minor news of CM Punk's termination. AEW parted ways with Punk while they were amid a five-day run in Chicago and a day before he was set to headline the All Out PPV. You can't write this stuff.
How would the live crowd at All Out react? Many fans predicted a full-fledged hijack. Outside the arena doors, a few depressed Punkers plotted a hijack. Here are some hidden details fans may have missed from watching AEW All Out at home.
CM Punk Signs Were Confiscated
In Chicago, fans were bound to show up with CM Punk signage. But as they were on Saturday for Collision, the AEW staff was ready. Security swiftly confiscated any signs praising the now-former AEW superstar, CM Punk. Some signs were confiscated at the door and atrium, while others had their signs taken away in their seats.
There were online rumors that AEW security was also asking people to turn their CM Punk shirts inside out. That was not true. There were hundreds of CM Punk shirts in the audience at All Out, and we saw none of them being asked to remove, replace, or invert their wardrobe.
RELATED: CM Punk Contract Terminated By All Elite Wrestling, Fired With Cause From AEW
"MEAT FOR-EVER!" Chants For Miro & Powerhouse Hobbs
The behemoth battle between Miro and Powerhouse Hobbs inspired a new movement. A meat movement. By the middle of the match, the crowd of 10,000 screaming fans had caught on to many "meat" chants. Those deafening callbacks were certainly heard on television.
However, fans may have missed some of the more creative chants and attempted callbacks during the first half of this war of meaty men. "We want meat," echoed through the rafters shortly after the bell rang. Miro's high-risk maneuver was rewarded with a "Holy Meat" chant. But the hilarity didn't stop there as we heard inventive takes like "Redeem his meat." Naturally, there were less subtle chants like "Slap that f***in' meat!"
In 2022, the All Out crowd in Chicago willed "Ohhhh Scissor-Me Daaaa-ddyy" into existence. In 2023, they may have popularized a new mainstay in wrestling callbacks. Welcome to the era of MEAT!
A Standing Ovation For Ricky Starks
Bryan Danielson and Ricky Starks put on a clinic in their brutal strap match. Fans hung on every twist and turn that the match delivered. The American Dragon came out on top and celebrated with the Chicago fan base as they sang "The Final Countdown" in unison.
While AEW's production team cut to a video package for the fans at home, Rick Starks stumbled up the ramp. Despite being the heel, the Chicago fans stayed on their feet and applauded his valiant effort. They chanted, "Ricky! Ricky! Ricky!" Starks was overcome with emotion and exhaustion. Big Bill wrapped his arms around Ricky as they disappeared through the curtain.
"Oh, Cry Me A River" Chants During The Young Bucks & FTR 8-Man Tag
The energy during the 8-Man Tag Team Match was electric. The Young Bucks were vehemently booed and then loudly cheered for. "CM Punk" chants (the first of the night) were quickly shot down and drowned out by jeers. Perhaps the most impressive and telling callbacks were the "Oh, cry me a river!" chants.
The Chicago crowd took even more shots at CM Punk with chants like "It was real glass!" It's clear many of the fans in attendance were transplants and not Chicago natives; it's still a telling sign of just how far CM Punk has fallen out of favor with wrestling fans and even his hometown natives. One year ago, anti-CM Punk chants would have been shot down and drowned in a heartbeat.
Orange Cassidy & The Best Friends Give The People What They Want
As the PPV went off the air, Orange Cassidy was left a bloody mess in the middle of the ring. The Chicago fans gave him a well-deserved standing ovation. After the broadcast, Cassidy was joined by The Best Friends: Trent Baretta, Chuck Taylor, and Kris Statlander.
His friends patted him on the back and crowned Cassidy's bloody face with his sunglasses. Then, the Best Friends pulled back into separate turnbuckles, ran towards Cassidy, and gave him an endearing embrace. "You've got to give the people what they want!"
The All Out show over-delivered on a lackluster build. Perhaps the most surprising element of the night was the lack of support for CM Punk. The show was not hijacked, far from it. Instead, the All Out crowd reminded the wrestling world that Chicago was an AEW city before CM Punk made his return.
