The Young Bucks’ Quest to be The Best Brings Them Back to All In

The Young Bucks meet their rivals FTR at Wembley Stadium

The best in the world square off this Sunday.

In the center of Wembley Stadium, the Young Bucks will wrestle AEW tag team champions FTR at All In.

This will mark the third meeting between two of the best tag teams in all of wrestling. Their first took place in November of 2020 at Full Gear, when the Bucks donned Los Angeles Lakers purple-and-gold and defeated the green-and-white Boston Celtics-themed FTR. The rematch took place in Boston on Dynamite in April of 2022, with FTR’s Dax Harwood and Cash Wheeler evening the series at one apiece.

All In, a stage helped created by the Bucks’ Matt and Nick Jackson, will be the setting for the trilogy.

“The stakes really couldn’t be any higher,” says Matt Jackson. “We’re tied at one win a piece, we’ve had two matches prior that are critically acclaimed, and now to complete the trilogy, we’re performing in front of the largest paid audience in history for a wrestling show.”

Can the Bucks and FTR, Jackson was asked, meet the extraordinarily high expectations that have been set? Can they top their matches from the past?

“I love a challenge,” says Matt Jackson. “I’m most excited for the opportunity to feel what it’s like to perform at an event of such magnitude. It might be the culmination of everything we’ve ever worked for, and how I complete every future story I tell to my future grandkids about where my career climaxed.”

For Nick Jackson, it is a chance to rewrite the Bucks-FTR story. Even though the first match in 2020 validated a feud that had been ongoing for three years, and the rematch then afforded an opportunity to tell an entirely new story, a sense of disappointment still remains.

“Not many people know this, but I had a really bad case of Covid a month or two before that first match, and I had trouble breathing for a long time,” says Nick Jackson. “Cardio-wise, it took me a while to get healthy, so that match was probably the hardest match I ever had to get through. The second match I felt a lot healthier, but it was on TV so we didn’t get a lot of time. What excites me most is having that extra time and having a beat to be able to tell the best story that we possibly can.”

Genuine tension exists on-screen between the Bucks and FTR. Whether that is a manifestation over real-life issues, or simply because it is bred out of competition, the end result is that it has only further intensified the rivalry.

“It’s like the Celtics and the Lakers,” says Matt Jackson. “It’s a rivalry between the very best dynasty teams, but there’s an undeniable respect that is present. Any competitor who sees another competitor as a threat, aren’t inviting them over for a cup of coffee. At least not now, while we’re in the middle of it. Maybe one day when we’re all old men, we’ll sit down, reminisce and realize how much we all actually have in common. But for now, they’re the enemy and they’re after the things I want. And one of those things are the tag team titles, and the other is to be labeled the greatest tag team of this generation.”

“This is exactly what we envisioned for the tag team division in AEW,” says Nick Jackson. “Having generational talent and having them be able to hold the division at the highest standard and of course we’re competitive and we see that and it drives us to be better.”

Real-life complications have also found their way into the match. Last week, Cash Wheeler was arrested, casting doubt over whether this match would even take place.

“Any time distractions happen beyond your control, it’s a bit frustrating,” says Matt Jackson. “But we have a task at hand, and we plan on delivering.”

Just like the first Bucks-FTR bout, the AEW tag titles are at stake. That is a real significant factor, as all four of these men have helped distinguish AEW’s tag division as the best in the world. Unfortunately, WWE had a knack for years of undervaluing the tag team scene, yet it has always been a priority in AEW.

In addition to their incredible skill between the ropes, another real strength of FTR is their ability to convey emotion. When Dax and Cash hoist the titles in the air, there is no doubt they believe they are the best in the world.

Courtesy AEW

The Bucks share a similar confidence, also believing there is no better tag team than the two brothers from Rancho Cucamonga, California.

“I’ve watched wrestling for a long time, and I don’t think there’s better tag teams in any division,” says Nick Jackson. “Those titles mean a lot and I strongly feel like they’re the most prestigious in wrestling.”

“Dax said it best in our sit-down interview,” adds Matt Jackson. “When you have the tag team titles, you earn the right to call yourselves the best tag team in the world. For a while now, we’ve taken a backseat to the tag team stuff, and have been focusing on trios matches and eight-man tag matches. We sort of let them have their shine, and we watched them go on a run. I think it’s clear that it’s time to take back what belongs to us. It’s time to sit back on our throne.”

#AEW World Tag Team Champions #FTR and the Young Bucks exchange some heated words before they face each other in front of 80,000 people THIS SUNDAY at #AEWAllIn!

Watch #AEWDynamite Fyter Fest LIVE on TBS!@Youngbucks | @DaxFTR | @CashWheelerFTR | @ReneePaquette pic.twitter.com/9eYlyEpRsR

— All Elite Wrestling (@AEW) August 24, 2023

Another meaningful element is that the match is taking place at All In, a show the Bucks helped create in 2018. More than five years ago, when they were having early discussions with co-creator Cody Rhodes, they never envisioned the event materializing into what it became.

“Once the show sold out in a few minutes, we knew something was up,” says Nick Jackson. “We knew that show changed the wrestling business forever. I just don’t think we knew how much we helped change it. Now we kind of do and it’s insane to think about.”

Matt Jackson still recalls people questioning whether All In could fill a 10,000-seat venue in 2018. Five years in AEW, there is expected to be more than 80,000 people in attendance for All In at Wembley.

“Everybody said we were crazy if we thought we could ever put 10,000 people in an arena,” says Matt Jackson. “It was impossible, they said. Then, we did it. Fast forward to now, and we’ll be putting 80,000-plus people into a stadium. I mean, wow. I’m an ambitious guy, but even this is beyond anything I could’ve ever expected or dreamt of. I don’t know if it’ll really hit me until I walk that aisle.

“The first All In was a cultural event, celebrating independent wrestling. Three people–Cody Rhodes, Nick, and myself–were the promoters and match makers of that event. And the timing of the event was in many ways serendipitous and disruptive.

“Fans were clamoring for change in the wrestling they consumed. There were so many unsigned talent, white-hot on the scene. New Japan Pro-Wrestling was molten. And we so happened to be friends with everyone and invited everyone over. So, we gathered everyone together and threw a giant party. Cody just a couple of weeks ago recently shared that it’s still his favorite event he’s ever performed on. It’s definitely still one of my proudest contributions to the business. This time around, it’s not just three people. It’s not our show. It’s everyone’s show.”

https://t.co/VCLOcrKWbi pic.twitter.com/YHprGPKapF

— Matthew & Nicholas Jackson (@youngbucks) October 29, 2022

The spirit of the original All In was rebellious. It set out to prove there was more than one way to enjoy pro wrestling. As EVPS in AEW, the Bucks continue to breathe life into that mantra.

“Wrestling fans craved something new,” says Nick Jackson. “They wanted to see change. That’s what All In was. Giving wrestling fans an alternative. AEW is the alternative. It’s given jobs to hundreds of people who might not have income coming in every week. It gives fans a different look at how wrestling can be done on TV every week. In that regard it for sure has that spirit still.”

Considering the history with FTR, the significance of the All In event, and the enormous crowd at Wembley, it is possible that this will be the career-defining moment for the Bucks.

When reflecting on their journey to Wembley, it is only natural to think back on the long bus rides and time away from loved ones. The seeds of their creativity were planted decades ago, back when they were considered unfit for even a roster spot in TNA. But a lot has changed since, and the two brothers look back on the astonishing ride with a sense of pure joy.

“When you’re in the middle of something, sometimes it’s difficult to reflect and appreciate how far you’ve come,” says Matt Jackson, who is 38. “As my career begins to wind down and I get older and more mature, I’ve started to finally learn to stop and smell the roses. I try to take mental snapshots now when something significant is taking place. As a performer, we’re always thinking about the next town, or the next milestone, so we often don’t appreciate the moment.

“It’s not lost on me, only 19 years ago, Nick and I would pile into a car with our buddies and beg to get booked on a lucha show in Los Angeles for a pack of Chiclets gum. Or sweating atop a roof in 100 degrees, as Nick and I hammered down shingles, working for our dad, dreaming of one day dazzling arenas packed with people. We’ve come a long way. We hit the lottery.”

Nick Jackson echoed his older brother’s passion, sharing his own humble beginnings in pro wrestling.

“I got married at 21 and only had $2,000 in my account,” says Nick Jackson, 34. “My wife and I had no clue what we were doing. But she always believed in my dreams and always had my back and always supported those one and two-month trips to Japan. That’s what built our brand–never giving up and never saying no to a show. We worked 200-plus days a year for eight years straight and we loved every minute of it. I don’t regret any of this because it built who we are as human beings. Never back down. Never say die.”

No matter if you are backing the Bucks or FTR, the winner has already been determined. This match, without question, is a victory for professional wrestling.

For Nick Jackson, the match at Wembley is not an opportunity to prove the doubters wrong. Instead, he sees All In as his chance to create a masterpiece.

“I’m not looking to prove anything anymore,” says Nick Jackson. “If fans don’t like us, so what. We’ve proven to the most important people in our lives that we do matter, and that’s all that matters to me. But at the end of the day, I’m still gonna go out there and try to steal the show.”

Matt Jackson, however, has a specific objective entering this match. The stakes have never been higher, and he intends to perform his Magnum opus in front of the world.

“I’d like to remind everyone who the hell we are,” says Matt Jackson. “We’re the Young Bucks.

“I’m 38 years old now, so physically I’m definitely no longer young. But mentally, spiritually, I’m that same guy. The same person who had all of those great matches. The same person who sold all those t-shirts. The same person who helped create the first All In. The same person who stylized modern wrestling and the same person who helped revolutionize tag team wrestling.

“It’s time to remind everyone we are the greatest tag team of this generation.”