The 2023 All Out was the fifth annual All Out professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) event produced by All Elite Wrestling (AEW). It took place during Labor Day weekend on September 3, 2023, at the United Center in Chicago, Illinois, breaking its tradition of All Out taking place at the Now Arena, located in the Chicago metro area—not including the 2020 event due to the COVID-19 pandemic that year.
Thirteen matches were contested at the event, including three on the Zero Hour pre-show. In the main event, Jon Moxley defeated Orange Cassidy to win the AEW International Championship. In other prominent matches, Konosuke Takeshita defeated Kenny Omega, Luchasaurus defeated Darby Allin to retain the AEW TNT Championship, and Bryan Danielson defeated Ricky Starks in a No Disqualification Strap match. All Out was also notable for an appearance by C.J. Perry (formerly known as Lana in WWE) in what was her first professional wrestling appearance since 2021. This was also the first All Out in which the AEW World Championship was not defended, although the reigning champion, MJF, did perform on the event.
Production
Background
All Out is a pay-per-view (PPV) held annually during Labor Day weekend by All Elite Wrestling (AEW) since 2019. It is one of AEW's "Big Four" PPVs, which also includes Double or Nothing, Full Gear, and Revolution, their four biggest shows produced quarterly. During the Forbidden Door PPV on June 25, 2023, AEW announced that the fifth All Out event would take place on September 3 at the United Center in Chicago, Illinois, breaking its previous tradition of being held at the Now Arena, located in the Chicago suburb of Hoffman Estates, Illinois—not including the 2020 event due to the COVID-19 pandemic that year. Additionally as part of All Out week, it was revealed that AEW's weekly television programs, Wednesday Night Dynamite and Friday Night Rampage, would be held at the Now Arena on August 30, with Dynamite airing live that night and Rampage airing on tape delay on September 1, and then Saturday Collision airing live from the United Center on September 2 the night before All Out. Tickets for all the events went on sale on July 14.
Storylines
All Out featured professional wrestling matches that involved different wrestlers from pre-existing feuds and storylines. Wrestlers portrayed heroes, villains, or less distinguishable characters in scripted events that built tension and culminated in a wrestling match or series of matches. Storylines were produced on AEW's weekly television programs, Dynamite, Collision, and Rampage.
On July 21 at Rampage: Royal Rampage, Darby Allin won the Royal Rampage Battle Royal to earn an AEW TNT Championship match against Luchasaurus at All Out.
On the August 12 episode of Collision, Powerhouse Hobbs said the next chapter of his book would be labeled "redemption". He then called out "The Redeemer", Miro, who came out but was attacked by Nick Comoroto and Aaron Solo. Miro cleared Comoroto and Solo from the ring, but then Hobbs put him down with a spinebuster and dropped his book on Miro's chest. The following week at Collision: Fight for the Fallen, after Hobbs' match, Miro appeared on the big screen and taunted Hobbs over his book. Later, a match between Miro and Hobbs was announced for All Out. During the All In Zero Hour pre-show, they signed the contract for the match, which ended in a brawl.
During Dynamite: Fyter Fest on August 23, Ruby Soho warned Kris Statlander that she would be going after her and the AEW TBS Championship. During that same week's Rampage: Fyter Fest, Statlander attacked Soho. The following night on Collision: Fyter Fest, Soho officially challenged Statlander for the TBS Championship at All Out, which Statlander accepted.
At All In, Konosuke Takeshita pinned Kenny Omega in a six-man tag team match to give his team the victory. During the All In media scrum, after Don Callis requested the bout, AEW president Tony Khan announced that Omega would face Takeshita at All Out.