Grado Makes AEW Debut At All In At Wembley Stadium

Hamish Woodward

Grado made his AEW debut on Sunday at All In, making a shock appearance in front of 80,000 fans.

The Scottish wrestler came out with Paul Wight (Big Show) and Anthony Ogogo, to stop Jeff Jarrett and his team from taking shots at the UK and British wrestling.

Sadly, AEW could not secure the rights to Madonna’s “Like A Prayer”. This meant Grado did not get the huge pop her deserved, walking out instead to Paul Wight’s AEW theme.

Grado was a fun surprise for hardcore British fans, but missed out on the sing-a-long with the fans that he became famous for.

During the segment, he hit his trademark punches on Jarrett, before smashing Jarrett’s guitar on his head – getting revenge for Jarrett’s attack on TalkSport the week before.

It is unknown whether or not Grado’s debut is a one-off, or if he will be signed to AEW on a more permanent basis going forward.

The wrestler-turned-actor currently stars in BBC sitcom “Two Doors Down“, which draws more viewers weekly than any wrestling show in the UK today – even WWE.

Dave Meltzer recently reported Grado vs Jeff Jarrett “in some form” will happen at All In at Wembley Stadium.

Former World Champion Grado looks set to face Jeff Jarrett at Wembley Stadium.

The Scottish star was recently seen on Talksport, alongside AEW and TNA legend Jeff Jarrett.

After a mild disagreement, Grado ate a slap from Jarrett, who proceeded to smash his guitar over Grado’s head, much to the shock of the listeners.

This looks to set up a Grado vs Jeff Jarrett match at All In, hopefully bringing Grado’s iconic theme song (Madonna’s Like a Prayer) to Wembley Stadium.

In the early 2010s, Grado become an absolute force in British wrestling. As Insane Championship Wrestling became the biggest company in the country, they looked for homegrown Scottish talent to lead their roster.

While stars like Drew McIntyre, Mikey Whiplash and Jack Jester all holding the coveted ICW World Heavweight Championship, it was a young Grado who grew in popularity to become the biggest star in Scotland.

Originally, he was just a comedy wrestler who could not get on the card in ICW. It took a social media campaign to even get him booked, with the hastage “Get Grado Booked” getting his name out there to the masses.

His personality soon shone through, and Grade became a regular with ICW. His hilarious matches and promos had the crowd in stitches, but it was his entrance that really caught the people’s attention.

Grado’s entrance music was the 1980s hit “Like A Prayer”, by pop star Madonna. This is not your usual theme song for a pro-wrestler, bucking the trend of punk rock or rap songs usually used at these things.

The entrance soon took over wrestling, with fans all over the UK flocking to Scotland to sing along to Madonna, with some of Grado’s most iconic entrances.

He has since moved more into acting, following a stint in TNA in the United States. He recently returned to ICW for the first time in years, and fans will be hoping to see more of Grado back in wrestling.

Grado at AEW All In

If AEW All In was indeed the celebration of British wrestling that many fans expected, so Grado rightly deserved a spot on the card – even if on the pre-show.

He got to perform in front of 80,000 fans, a far cry from the years prior when he was simply fighting to get booked at the ICW promotion in Scotland.

Grado has shown just how far one can come with perseverance, and is an inspiration to budding wrestlers everywhere.

Other Englishman, like Will Ospreay and Zack Sabre Jr, are also slated to appear, while Nigel McGuinness has teased returning to the ring, for the first time in over a decade, for a match at AEW All In.

However, a star closer to home that would have the crowd erupting is Grado. The charismatic Scot is still well-known across the UK, considering his appearances in various TV shows and pantomimes.

With his iconic entrance, coming out to the tune of “like a prayer” by Madonna, the crowd are sure to erupt when they hear the first few notes, and the ensuing sing-a-long will create a fantastic atmosphere for the sing-happy British crowd.

Grado would also be a great signing for AEW, and could slot in as a lower-midcard heel very nicely.

With his recent appearances with Jeff Jarrett on Talksport, it seems likely that Grado will take on “The Last Outlaw” at AEW’s biggest show ever.

A tag team match against Jarrett’s band of misfits seem likely – this would also help get even more wrestlers on the card.

A three-on-three match seems most likely, with Jeff Jarrett, Jay Lethal and Satnam Singh taking on Grado and two partners.

In a dream world, these would be fellow comedy wrestlers, such as Danhausen. Adding Paul Wight (The Big Show in WWE) would also be a huge addition, giving the team a chance against the giant Singh.

Grado vs Jeff Jarrett in any capacity would be a wonderful thing, just to hear the 80,000+ British fans belting out “Like a Prayer”, as Grado makes his way down the Wembley Stadium ramp.

What do you think about Grado being at All In? Tell us your thoughts in the comments section below.

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