The Young Bucks have come a long way with AEW, but the
ride isn't over yet
Raj Prashad, Uncrowned
July 10, 2025 at 7:10 PM EDT
For Matt and Nick Jackson, their legacy as the Young Bucks
goes far beyond the squared circle. As they prepare to walk
into Arlington, Texas', Globe Life Field on Saturday for AEW
All In Texas, they’ll have yet another moment to reflect on
just how far they’ve come.
Less than 10 years after packing more than 10,000 fans into
the inaugural All In — an independent show in Chicago that
became the catalyst for the birth of AEW — more than double
that audience is expected to shuffle into the promotion’s
biggest North American show to date this weekend.
“From running that first event several years ago in Chicago,
when getting 10,000 people into an arena sounded impossible,
to seeing it grow into an annual stadium show, where this
year we’ll have 20,000-plus fans in attendance, it really
does blow my mind,” Matt Jackson tells Uncrowned.
“I’m humbled to have had the pleasure to take part in this
movement from the very beginning. To be able to say not only
was I there, but I helped it all happen, that’ll probably be
my biggest wrestling legacy. I get to perform on the show I
helped create, in the company I am a founding father of, a
company that has succeeded so much more than even I could
have ever imagined, company that forever will be called
Elite, long after I’m gone.”
Six years into its tenure, AEW has worked through the
growing pains that came with starting up a new promotion.
Weekly television is now humming along, and AEW has had one
of the best stretches in the promotion’s history. That’s
quite different from the early days of AEW, which Nick
refers to lovingly as a “mom and pop setting.”
“I remember early on, we’d help set up the merchandise
stands and help tear it down,” Nick said. “Now, of course,
we have an entire department for merchandise, so it’s so
funny to see how things have changed.”
At the beginning, AEW was finding its way, Matt adds.
“For many of us, we’d never worked on a weekly television
show. We weren’t necessarily all polished. But watching old
shows now, there really is a bit of charm to that. It made
the show feel a bit young and renegade,” he said.
“There were a ton of wrestlers who hadn’t yet been exposed
to that large of an audience, so there was a freshness to
it. Some of the first episodes could be all over the place.
I think we were figuring out which formula worked best. But
man, the excitement was incredible.”
AEW has evolved over time, taking lessons from wrestling
history, establishing firm international partnerships, and
carving paths that few could have anticipated at the start.
And while stars have come and gone since the very early
days, the two men at the top of Saturday’s card — Jon Moxley
and “Hangman” Adam Page — have been AEW staples since near
the very beginning.
Page was one of AEW’s very first signings, an Elite holdover
who had all the tools to be the face of the promotion.
Moxley was a shock debut at Double or Nothing, the
promotion’s inaugural pay-per-view event in 2019,
immediately adding even more credibility to the top of the
card as an established main event talent.
“Jon was one of the first people who came over and it was
truly shocking at the time. He’s been a locker room leader
the entire time, and has worked so hard from the beginning,”
Matt said.
“You talk about consistency, and drive, you’re talking about
Jon. Even times when we weren’t able to be around, Jon was
always there to help guide the crew. I don’t think he gets
enough credit for what he’s done to make AEW thrive.”
Moxley has been one of the most consistent top talents in
the promotion and is often referred to as a stabilizing
force both in the ring and behind the scenes. Nick
emphasizes Moxley’s contributions alongside the Death
Riders, calling them the “glue” that's helped hold AEW
together over the last year.
“Moxley is the MVP and he’s always been the playmaker when
we’re down a few points. You can always rely on him to get
us a bucket,” Nick said.
“Meanwhile, Adam Page is our main character. When he’s on
top and when he’s the main event, the show just feels right.
He’s grown so much as a performer and he’s literally grown
as a character in front of the wrestling world. At the very
first All Out, fans didn’t want to see him be the champion
then, and now they’re begging for it. When you’re able to
change the fans' perspective on things like that, you know
you’re damn good.”
Hangman, in Matt’s eyes, “was always supposed to be the main
character of AEW.” From the beginning, it was clear Page had
the chops to be world champion. The run to his first taste
of heavyweight gold was expertly curated. And only Page
could follow that up with easily the best long-term men’s
storytelling in the promotion’s history.
His journey has been scintillating, from a broken cowboy to
a lunatic obsessed with anyone who’d ever wronged him.
Eventually he came out on the other side, determined to not
just win the title, but also be the face of the company.
“His attention to detail, his patience and discipline not to
rush things, and his ability to captivate an audience are
all on another planet. I think he stands alone in that
field. He’s one of the chosen ones,” Matt said.
“Every now and again, someone comes along that fans imprint
themselves on. That person becomes ‘their guy.’ I don’t have
that. My brother doesn’t have that. We’re easier to root
against. Hangman has it. And I think the fact that he is an
AEW original really resonates with our audience. It’s almost
like we’re a sports franchise that luckily drafted a star
player. There’s extra pride that he’s only always worn our
jersey.”
Moxley and Page have all the tools to put on another instant
classic in their AEW World Championship Texas Deathmatch at
All In, taking the lead on what’s expected to be the
promotion’s best total show in its history.
The event will also include the Young Bucks putting their
onscreen Executive Vice President titles on the line against
Swerve Strickland and Will Ospreay, where a loss would block
both from world title shots for a year.
The match brings arguably the best tag team in the world
into the ring with two of the most talented individual
wrestlers. The fallout will be fascinating, potentially
drawing to a conclusion the dynamic that has seen the Bucks
seemingly call their own shots as the promotion’s onscreen
EVPs.
Nick says they’ve always known how to get under people’s
skin, to the point where, “people actually think we’re bad
human beings because we play these characters pretty dang
good.”
He says playing the EVP characters has been a blast, and is
maybe the most fun that he’s had since AEW started.
“It really has been incredibly fun leaning in on all the
things people accuse us of being. I remember back in the
beginning, arguing with someone that going public about
having a major job title in the company is probably a bad
idea if we want to be cheered ever again as wrestlers,” Matt
said.
“So using it in this way all these years later has
definitely made the most sense. It’s for sure helped us
garner more heat, and given us a new tool to work with the
last couple of years on screen. I think there’s so much left
to explore too, shall we have that opportunity to do so.”
Despite a catalog of matches, moments, and being considered
one of the all-time great tag teams even before AEW’s
formation, Matt says it feels like the last six years have
informed what they’re most known for.
“It feels like all of the stuff that happened before AEW was
just leading to everything we’re now doing,” Matt said.
“In wrestling, most people are insatiable and always looking
for more. Am I like everyone else? I like to think I feel
fulfilled and satisfied. That I can sit back on a recliner
with a cup of coffee, and tell old war stories to the kids,
and have a full stomach. But then at the same time, I still
have this drive in me to be the best, and have the most
incredible matches every time I’m booked. Clearly, there’s
still something deep in me that wants to prove something.”
For a tag team that’s done virtually everything — and
individuals who can hang their hat on being involved in the
development, launch, and success of AEW — the Young Bucks’
creative fulfillment continues to come from an involvement
in the promotion and weekly conversations with AEW CEO Tony
Khan.
“We collaborate with him all the time and I think he enjoys
it almost as much as we do,” Nick continues.
The passion for the business is overflowing for the Bucks.
Matt says he has ideas and thoughts around spots in matches,
lines in a promo, or a storyline beat that he has to get out
of his brain — or else he becomes so consumed he can’t
sleep.
At the root of their motivation is continuing to perfect a
craft that they can be proud of. Both Matt and Nick echo
sentiments of creating a body of work that they can look
back on and be happy about, and something their families can
appreciate as well.
“I still feel like a kid too, and getting the approval of my
parents is more meaningful than 10,000 strangers,” Matt
said.
“All of those reasons are why I’m always trying to step up
and reinvent myself. We’re always trying to change up our
look, and presentation. This time we decided to come back
looking different — both leaner, and moving younger. It’s an
ever-evolving business, and next month will be 21 years as
wrestlers, so we don’t plan on being left behind.”
Matt and Nick’s time as certified bad guys could be over at
the weekend’s conclusion. Or maybe their evolution will
continue to change the business in a way that’s completely
in line with the Young Bucks’ career trajectory.
For this moment in time, though, and before the weekend
whisks away another night of magic, the Bucks are grateful
for the ride thus far.
“Words can’t even describe the rollercoaster it’s been for
the last six-plus years,” Nick said.
“I think when you’re in the middle of it, you don’t realize
how big it is. But I’m so very blessed to have had this
opportunity.”
