Hello and welcome back to Babyface Editor Andrea’s World of Pro Wrestling. Let me talk to ya!!!!!

[Note: This edition of the Friday Know-It-All was written before the sad news of Windham Rotunda, known by the ring name Bray Wyatt, passing away on Thursday, 8/24. -Andrea]

Much of what I have written for Trivia Mafia about pro wrestling, either here in the Friday Know-it-All or in the form of actual trivia, covers the WWE, which only makes up approximately 40% of the wrestling I watch weekly. I’ve spent almost every Wednesday night of the past couple of years coming home late at night from my not-fun job that pays the bills when trivia writing can’t, watching “All Elite Wrestling: Dynamite.” Recently, I’ve also added “All Elite Wrestling: Collision” to my wrestling program queue. My mom told me that my grandfather apparently also did the same thing in the late ’80s — came home from his job to wearily watch wrestling at home alone — and this has to be one of the biggest ways in which I feel that pro wrestling has cultural significance to me.

All Elite Wrestling was founded in 2019 and quickly made an impact in the wrestling landscape as a breath of fresh air and main competitor to the giant that is WWE. AEW's roots in the independent wrestling scene resonated with fans like myself who appreciated its emphasis on exemplary athleticism (“flips and s#*%”), compelling storytelling, and character development. This approach to wrestling attracted a niche audience seeking an alternative to the often scripted and heavily produced content of sports entertainment. When AEW wants to differentiate itself from WWE, they swing for the fences and it doesn’t always work out. I’d say there are way more hits than misses, overall. All Elite Wrestling owner and president Tony Khan has taken some hits throughout the last year but week after week, we’re all tuning in to see what happens next.

Which leads me to this weekend. On Sunday, AEW will be hosting a pay-per-view called “All In” at Wembley Stadium in London. If you’re thinking, “I have never heard of All Elite Wrestling before right now… how could they possibly get over 80,000 people to fill this stadium?” you’re not alone. The full-page ad for the event literally says, “Yes, We Really Mean Wembley Stadium,” which feels like a gag from “The Simpsons.” Besides already breaking attendance records for any professional wrestling event, “All In” at Wembley Stadium is significant because it calls back to the first “All In” PPV that was held independently in September 2018, which inspired the formation of All Elite Wrestling in January 2019.

I think I originally planned to talk about the matches on the card, who will win based on past matches and where I think the story is headed, and predict the future of AEW as a whole. But honestly, none of that sounds fun to me. It’s the same reason why I hate sabermetrics or when someone shakes a gift and guesses what it is before opening it. So, I’ll skip it for now and report back before the end of year for my Wrestling Yearly Roundup.
One last thing: Rest in peace, Terry Funk. May the barbed wire-covered ring in the sky treat you well.