Montreal was a trial by fire
The inaugural AEW Redemption event at the Bell Centre on July 26, 2026, has firmly shifted the company toward All In London. While the card delivered on in-ring intensity, the tactical fallout creates as many problems as it solves. We saw Kyle Fletcher retain his International Title by pinning Bandido, a predictable outcome that keeps the belt on a reliable workhorse. Yet, the wider booking decisions suggest a messy transition period.
The most jarring visual from the night occurred during the No Holds Barred match between Chris Jericho and Tommaso Ciampa. The crowd actually chanted "This is Murder" when Ciampa revealed a power drill. While the spectacle of the Painmaker versus the Psycho Killer was intended to be a violent centerpiece, it highlights a recurring issue in AEW’s current reliance on high-gimmick violence to paper over stagnant narrative arcs.
The All In path narrows
The tag team landscape is finally clarifying, though perhaps not in the most creative fashion. Cope and Cage successfully defended their titles, setting the stage for a showdown against the Young Bucks. It is the logical "dream match" for Wembley, though the lack of true emotional investment in the challengers poses a risk for the London crowd. The booking is efficient but leans heavily on star power rather than momentum.
Meanwhile, the tag division saw an unnecessary mess in the Double Chain Match. The Bang Bang Gang fell to The Dogs, but the reliance on external interference from the Death Riders felt like a tired trope. David Finlay and Clark Connors secured the win, but the finish left the Bang Bang Gang looking like bit players in a much larger, overstuffed faction war. When you clutter a gimmick match with outside run-ins, you lose the narrative benefit of the stipulation itself.
The mid-card confusion
We saw some movement at the secondary title level, but the execution remains suspect. Andrade El Idolo captured the National Title from Mark Davis, yet the victory was overshadowed by bizarre presentation choices. Andrade brought an entourage of mystery women to the ring, a gimmick that felt entirely disconnected from his character’s established intensity.
On a more positive note, the women’s division provided a moment of genuine electricity. Maya World’s upset win over Hikaru Shida for the TBS Championship was the highlight of the night. It felt earned, providing a fresh face atop the division just weeks removed from the chaos of Forbidden Door. 1 specific title change that actually lands with purpose is better than 3 that feels like filler.
Final assessment
The promotion is navigating a difficult stretch, trading long-term story coherence for quick-hit moments. The attack on Will Ospreay by Kenny Omega is the only subplot with any real heat heading into the London show. Ospreay’s reaction was short, signaling that the silence needs to be broken in the coming weeks. The company has a 40,000 seat target to impress, but their current reliance on "murder" gimmicks and outside interference is an unstable foundation.
Prediction: The All In build-up will be plagued by constant faction-based run-ins through August, ultimately leading to a diluted main event card. Expect the Young Bucks to win the titles via a screwy finish to extend the Cope and Cage program. This is poor long-term asset management.
