The Young Bucks Step Back at AEW

Behind the scenes at AEW All In: Texas, a pivotal decision shaped not only the outcome of a major tag team match but also the immediate trajectory of two of the company’s most prominent stars. The Young Bucks, Matt and Nick Jackson, not only agreed to lose the match that stripped them of their executive power on-screen, but were reportedly the most vocal advocates for that result.

According to recent reporting from the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, the creative direction behind the match between The Young Bucks and the team of Swerve Strickland and Will Ospreay had one clear objective: to conclude The Bucks’ run as on-air executives. The move wasn’t just a dramatic plot twist for viewers. It reflected an intentional shift backstage, with both AEW management and the Bucks themselves aligning on the need to refresh their characters and reposition the brothers where they shine the most, in the ring.

Sources familiar with the decision explained that there was a sense within the company that the storyline of The Young Bucks as authority figures had reached its natural conclusion. The backstage belief was that it was time to restore their primary identity as elite-level tag team competitors rather than corporate personalities.

Interestingly, a different outcome had been seriously considered. AEW officials explored the possibility of having Strickland and Ospreay lose the match instead, which would have introduced a stipulation preventing them from challenging for the AEW World Championship for one full year. That scenario was discussed internally as a way to plant long-term storytelling seeds, creating a sense of delayed gratification and raising the stakes for their eventual rise.

However, in the final days leading up to the show, it became clear that Matt and Nick Jackson were not only comfortable with the idea of losing, they were fully committed to it. Reports indicate that the duo pushed for the loss to happen, believing it would serve the larger story and the company as a whole. While Tony Khan had the final say, those close to the situation say The Bucks’ insistence played a major role in solidifying the match’s final direction.

The fallout from the match was immediate. On the following episode of AEW Dynamite, viewers saw The Young Bucks struggling to adjust to life without their on-screen executive power, emphasizing the emotional and narrative consequences of their decision. Meanwhile, Swerve Strickland now holds the right to challenge for the AEW World Championship at a time of his choosing, a massive boost for one of AEW’s fastest-rising stars.

As for Will Ospreay, his current status is uncertain. He was written off television with a storyline injury later in the All In broadcast, leading many to speculate about his short-term availability. Nonetheless, the duo’s victory stands as a major milestone in AEW storytelling and a critical endorsement from two of the company’s founding members.

This chapter closes the curtain on The Bucks’ authority era while potentially opening a new one for Strickland and Ospreay. Behind the creative choices was not just a business decision, but a calculated and selfless call by Matt and Nick Jackson to evolve both for themselves and for AEW’s future.