AEW RISING AND FADING STARS: Is Moxley right choice to headline All Out, Thekla was pushed too fast but fans have now embraced her, what’s holding back Gabe Kidd now

Welcome everyone!

Another week of AEW is in the books and it finally feels like AEW has landed on a good place for post PPV Dynamites, finally. It may have taken 6-7 years but they figured it out.

Last week we got a good recap of All In London 2026 to kick off the show. Will Ospreay gave a contradictory promo. There was plenty of in ring action across the 2-plus hours. Then, last but not least, we got two huge matches already announced for the next PPV, All Out.

• Christian Cage & Adam Copeland vs. FTR vs. The Young Bucks – Chairs, Tables, Ladders for the AEW Tag Team Titles
• Will Ospreay vs. Jon Moxley – AEW World Title match

One last thing before we get going. Rest in peace “The Butcher” Andy Williams.

Let’s look back at who I thought stood out last week and who didn’t.

RISING STAR OF THE WEEK

JON MOXLEY

Did you like how the AEW World Title match at All Out was announced? If you watched the Wade Keller Pro Wrestling Post-show after Dynamite last week, my immediate reaction was positive. Then the more I thought about it, the more I loved it.

Mox may have jumped the gun looking up at the big screen, but one thing I loved about it was the crowd reaction. The audible gasp is something that does not happen often, but always sounds great on television. Tony Khan has to announce 12-ish PPV main events per year, so doing something different should be applauded here.

Mox has always felt like he was going to be the first challenger when Will Ospreay won the AEW World Title. So the match reasons are right there. That said, I appreciate that Mox also feels worthy of the title shot and was not just given it.

Mox has been on a roll recently. Wrestling on 11 out of the last 12 Dynamites. Some of it was to push Mox’s total win numbers in AEW up above Orange Cassidy’s. Another reason Mox got this shot is he now has the most wins in AEW history. Just little things like that lay a great foundation.

I am curious how heel-ish Mox goes in the lead up to and in the match at All Out. Or maybe he doesn’t do any kind of mind games and just wrestles Ospreay. Yes, I agree, that doesn’t sound like Mox at all.

RUNNER UP – THEKLA

If you are new to watching this crazy world of pro wrestling, then this might be the first time you’ve seen someone who was a heel organically become a babyface. This is actually the second time in a year this has happened, having happened to the guy above Thekla on this list.

For me, having watched this sport since the ’80s, I have seen this plenty, but it never gets old. I like a good turn that’s been laid out over time. I am not for the overdone “it’s a swerve, bro” type of turns. That said, when you can do it organically, everyone wins.

Thekla is a wrestler who was, maybe, put in the main event scene before the crowd was ready to accept here there. Then she slowly started to get over more and more. So much so that by the time she lost the AEW Women’s World Title to Willow Nightingale, you could argue the crowd was split right down the middle.

I am glad to see her back on my television and hopefully she is on every week now. The feud between her and Mercedes Mone should be really good in the ring and on the mic, which is not something you always get with the AEW Women’s Division.

ARTICLE CONTINUED BELOW…

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FADING STAR OF THE WEEK

GABE KIDD

Gabe Kidd lands here because of how uninspired his work in AEW feels. It does not help that he has not been portrayed well at all in the last year. Honestly, it might be the last two years.

For me, Kidd’s biggest match was against Kenny Omega at WrestleDynasty 2025. A match that for almost as much praise as All In’s Will Ospreay vs. Kenny Omega. Unfortunately, it now looks like that may have been mostly Omega.

One big thing that doesn’t work with Kidd on American television is he has to be a PG-13 version of himself on the mic. Much like Jay White, Kidd cuts profanity-laced promos in New Japan. Take that away and we are left with Kidd constantly talking about wanting to murder someone. For me, that takes me out of the moment completely because that is not going to happen. Scott Hall always said to never say you are going to do something that can’t happen in pro wrestling – and he was right.

Kidd is one guy in AEW who needs a curator for his promos. I love that everyone in AEW feels like they are speaking with their own voice. Some just need to be edited. Others just need to find their voice and how to present themselves on American television. Thekla is the perfect example of that. Her early promos were meh, but now when she has a mic everyone shuts up and listens. Maybe Kidd just needs to find himself on the mic in AEW because he has the intensity down.

Unfortunately, Kidd is one of those wrestlers that you don’t really know when he will show up. Then when he does, you don’t know how long he will be around. So you are left with an uneven push.