AEW All Out 2026 Preview: Will Ospreay vs. Jon Moxley Headlines a Loaded Return to Chicago

All Elite Wrestling returns to one of its most important markets on Saturday, September 26, 2026, when AEW All Out takes over the NOW Arena in the Chicago area. Coming only four weeks after All In at Wembley Stadium, All Out features a deep card built around championship matches, violent stipulations, major contenders’ bouts and one of the biggest world-title matches AEW can present.

The official AEW event listing gives a 6:00 p.m. CT event time. AEW’s latest broadcast information clarifies that the Saturday Tailgate Brawl begins at 6:00 p.m. CT, followed by the main pay-per-view at 7:00 p.m. CT / 8:00 p.m. ET. The main card is available in the United States through HBO Max PPV as well as several other PPV providers.

Will Ospreay vs. Jon Moxley — AEW World Championship

The centerpiece of All Out is AEW World Champion Will Ospreay defending against Jon Moxley.

Ospreay arrives in Chicago as champion after defeating Kenny Omega at All In London on August 30. This will be Ospreay’s first defense of the AEW World Championship, and the opponent could hardly be more significant. Moxley defeated Ospreay earlier this year at Dynasty and has been intertwined with Ospreay’s journey throughout 2026.

Their complicated relationship has moved through rivalry, reluctant mentorship and eventually another collision. Ospreay spent time aligned with Moxley and the Death Riders before breaking away, and now he enters All Out attempting to establish that the world championship represents the beginning of his era rather than the continuation of Moxley’s.

AEW gave the match one final push during the September 23 Dynamite/Collision special. Moxley defeated Dezmond Xavier while Ospreay teamed with new United Empire member Mike Bailey to defeat Claudio Castagnoli and Gabe Kidd. Ospreay and Moxley then went face-to-face as the show approached its conclusion.

This isn’t simply champion versus challenger. It is one of AEW’s defining stars facing the man attempting to become the centerpiece of its next generation.

Cage & Cope vs. FTR vs. The Young Bucks — AEW World Tag Team Championship Ladder Match

Few matches on the card contain more history than this one.

Adam Copeland and Christian Cage defend the AEW World Tag Team Championship against FTR’s Dax Harwood and Cash Wheeler and The Young Bucks’ Matt and Nick Jackson in a three-way ladder match.

Copeland and Cage finally holding championship gold together has added another chapter to one of wrestling’s longest-running partnerships. Across the ring will be two teams that have helped define AEW’s tag-team division.

FTR and the Young Bucks have spent years battling over who deserves to be considered the premier tag team of their generation. Adding Copeland and Cage—and ladders—to the equation gives AEW a match capable of becoming one of All Out’s biggest spectacles.

The three teams confronted one another on the final Dynamite/Collision before the PPV, with the situation deteriorating into a brawl that even security struggled to contain.

The championship does not require a champion to be pinned or submitted, which adds another layer of danger for Cage and Copeland.

Swerve Strickland & The New Level vs. Hangman Page & Brodido — AEW World Trios Championship

One of the most intriguing stories entering All Out involves some very complicated history.

Swerve Strickland, Kofi and Austin Creed, collectively representing Swerve and The New Level, will defend the AEW World Trios Championship against “Hangman” Adam Page, Bandido and Brody King.

Swerve and The New Level secured their place in the match by defeating The Demand on September 23. After the victory, Hangman, Bandido and Brody King confronted the champions to officially set the stage for Saturday.

The wild card is the history between Swerve and Hangman. Their rivalry has previously become one of AEW’s most personal feuds, and now they find themselves competing in another championship match with four other wrestlers capable of completely changing the complexion of the contest.

With the athleticism of Bandido and Kofi, the power of Brody King, the versatility of Creed and the history between Swerve and Page, this could become one of the fastest-moving matches on the show.

Kazuchika Okada vs. Tommaso Ciampa — AEW International Championship

Kazuchika Okada puts the AEW International Championship on the line against Tommaso Ciampa in their first singles meeting.

Okada captured the championship at All In in a three-way match against Kyle Fletcher and Konosuke Takeshita. Ciampa subsequently made it clear that facing Okada was one of the matches he wanted most.

This matchup presents a fascinating contrast. Okada is known for controlling the pace of major championship matches and gradually turning them into battles of attrition. Ciampa thrives when matches become physical, emotional and uncomfortable.

Their confrontation during the build has also become increasingly personal, making this more than simply a championship challenge.

Andrade El Ídolo vs. PAC — AEW National Championship

Andrade El Ídolo will defend the AEW National Championship against PAC.

Andrade retained the championship against Daniel Garcia on September 19 before PAC confronted him and issued the challenge. The matchup also carries history dating back to their acclaimed AEW meetings in 2021. Each man owns a victory over the other, making All Out effectively an opportunity to settle an unfinished rivalry while championship gold is on the line.

PAC made another statement on the final show before All Out by defeating Austin Gunn before Andrade arrived and the two opponents fought into the crowd.

Stylistically, Andrade against PAC has the potential to be one of the pure wrestling highlights of the evening.

Brawling Birds vs. Divine Dominion — Chicago Street Fight

The AEW Women’s World Tag Team Championship will be decided under very different circumstances.

Jamie Hayter and Alex Windsor—the Brawling Birds— defend against Megan Bayne and Lena Kross of Divine Dominion in a Chicago Street Fight.

Hayter and Windsor defeated Bayne and Kross for the championships at All In, and their rivalry has only become more hostile since then.

Removing traditional rules should favor the physical nature of all four competitors. The championship rematch now has considerably more freedom to become a fight rather than a conventional tag-team contest.

Divine Dominion also gained the advantage in their final confrontation before All Out, leaving Hayter and Windsor down on the entrance ramp.

Expect this to be one of the night’s most physical matches.

Willow Nightingale vs. Thekla — Women’s World Championship No. 1 Contender Match

There won’t be an AEW Women’s World Championship defense at All Out because champion Mercedes Moné is not medically cleared to compete at the event. Instead, former champions Willow Nightingale and Thekla will meet for the right to challenge Moné at WrestleDream on October 17.

Willow has an especially direct connection to the championship picture after losing the title to Moné at All In. A victory would put her immediately back on the road toward a rematch.

Thekla offers a different possibility: a new championship matchup and another opportunity to place herself at the center of AEW’s women’s division.

That makes this one of All Out’s most important matches for what comes next.

Darby Allin & Steven Borden vs. Kyle Fletcher & Kevin Knight

Darby Allin and Steven Borden meet Kyle Fletcher and Kevin Knight of the Don Callis Family, with the winning team becoming the No. 1 contenders for the AEW World Tag Team Championship.

Steven Borden continues to step into increasingly important situations alongside Allin, and a victory at All Out would immediately move the pair into a championship program.

Fletcher and Knight, meanwhile, have gradually developed into a dangerous combination despite some initial tension between them.

The added possibility of facing whichever team survives the three-way ladder match gives this bout immediate consequences.

Persephone’s TBS Championship Open Challenge

One of the biggest mysteries of All Out involves TBS Champion Persephone.

After retaining against Hyan on September 23, Persephone announced that she would defend the championship at All Out in an open challenge. However, she specifically excluded Thunder Rosa, Hyan and Maya World from answering it.

That means AEW is heading into the PPV without revealing Persephone’s opponent.

Open challenges have historically provided wrestling promotions with an easy opportunity for surprise appearances, returns or debuts. AEW has not officially announced who will answer Persephone, making speculation just that until the challenger walks through the curtain.

Saturday Tailgate Brawl

The action begins before the main PPV with AEW’s Saturday Tailgate Brawl at 6:00 p.m. CT / 7:00 p.m. ET on TNT and HBO.

Two matches have been announced: “Jungle” Jack Perry vs. Katsuyori Shibata, with Perry attempting to continue his path toward Samoa Joe, and an eight-man Tornado Tailgate Brawl featuring Jay White, Ace Austin, Austin Gunn and Colten Gunn against Daniel Garcia, Wheeler Yuta, Clark Connors and David Finlay.

Chicago Remains Part of AEW’s Identity

All Out and Chicago have been closely connected throughout AEW’s history, and the company is leaning into that relationship again.

AEW is also holding a free All Out Afternoon Block Party on Saturday from 1:00 to 4:30 p.m. CT, with live music, talent Q&As, photo opportunities and additional fan activities before the wrestling begins.

AEW has additionally announced that KultureCity will have trained volunteers on site at NOW Arena with sensory bags available for guests.

Final Thoughts

AEW All Out 2026 has the feel of more than a transitional show following All In.

Ospreay’s first AEW World Championship defense comes against the man who defeated him earlier this year. Cage and Copeland have to survive two of AEW’s premier tag teams in a ladder match. Swerve Strickland and Hangman Page are again on opposite sides of a championship battle. Okada faces Ciampa for the first time. Andrade and PAC renew an unfinished rivalry. The women’s tag titles will be fought over in a Chicago Street Fight, while two separate contenders’ matches could establish AEW’s next major championship programs.

Then there is Persephone’s open challenge—and the possibility of one major All Out surprise still waiting to be revealed.

AEW All Out 2026 Date: Saturday, September 26, 2026 Venue: NOW Arena, Chicago area/Hoffman Estates, Illinois Tailgate Brawl: 6:00 p.m. CT / 7:00 p.m. ET Main PPV: 7:00 p.m. CT / 8:00 p.m. ET Main Event: Will Ospreay vs. Jon Moxley for the AEW World Championship U.S. Streaming: HBO Max PPV, with additional PPV providers available.

This card gives AEW a chance to make All Out 2026 one of the most consequential events of the fall, with multiple championships and the direction of several divisions potentially changing before the company moves on to WrestleDream.