AEW returned to the Prudential Center in Newark, N.J., for its final tentpole pay-per-view event of the calendar year, “Full Gear.”
The road to “Full Gear” has been brilliant, building towards some of the most unpredictable matches in recent memory.
Was the show as exciting as we anticipated it would be? Let’s dive in.
HIT: Private Party [c] defeats the Acclaimed, Outrunners, and Kings of the Black Throne
This was a really enjoyable multi-team match for the AEW World Tag Team Championships.
Private Party successfully defended their titles for the first time, despite the disadvantageous conditions, against three highly-capable tag teams. Still, this was a tale of four tag teams. The Outrunners are one of the hottest commodities in AEW. While the Kings of the Black Throne didn’t seem like the odds-on favorite, they brought a new dimension to this contest — thanks to Malakai Black and Brody King’s brilliance. The former tag team champions, The Acclaimed, often seemed like the focal point of this match; thanks to the deteriorating relationship between Anthony Bowens and Max Caster. The latter of which was universally maligned by the audience.
Ultimately, Isiah Kassidy and Marq Quen capitalized on the Acclaimed’s discord, punctuating the affair with a Gin & Juice for the three count. This was a really fun match, between four very talented teams with drastically different styles. Hopefully Private Party can move onto more story-driven programs from here-on-out and begin to carve their own niche out in the tag team division.
Rating: ***
MISS: Maxwell Jacob Friedman vs. Roderick Strong
In principle, this was a good wrestling match. MJF targeted Roderick Strong’s hand throughout the match, while “Messiah of the Backbreaker” befittingly targeted MJF’s back. Ultimately, Strong’s efforts were for naught. MJF’s concerted effort to target Strong’s injured hand paid dividends; culminating in MJF forcing Strong to submit with his patented “Salt of the Earth” Fujiwara-armbar.
After the match, MJF used a steel chair to crush Strong’s injured hand — forcing Adam Cole and The Undisputed Kingdom to intervene. MJF quickly escaped, leaving Cole, Bennett, and Taven in the ring with Strong. Kyle O’Reilly joined them shortly thereafter and attacked Cole, further complicating this program.
This feud will inevitably continue until “World’s End,” but this just continues to feel soulless. At this point, Adam Cole’s indignation seems self inflicted. MJF’s absence has been a detriment to this program and Cole is the least inspiring babyface in AEW. Not to mention, this match didn’t deserve its pay-per-view billing. This would have been a great main event for Wednesday Night “Dynamite.”
Rating: **¾
HIT: Mercedes Moné [c] defeats Kris Statlander
Mercedes Moné successfully defended her TBS Women’s Championship against Kris Statlander, in what proved to be one of my favorite women’s matches in AEW history.
This was easily Moné’s best match in AEW thus far. Much of that can be attributed to Statlander, who is one of the most gifted in-ring workers in women’s wrestling today. Still, the double-champion’s contributions to the match can’t be understated. Moné grew increasingly more exasperated, each time Statlander kicked-out of a pinning predicament. Eventually, Moné’s offense began to reflect her frustration, trying to pin Statlander more hastily.
However, Moné relentlessly targeted Statlander’s knee throughout the contest, which severely limited Statlander’s mobility. Statlander was poised to deliver a devastating Tombstone Piledriver to Moné, but the “CEO” began pounding at Statlander’s knee; creating an opportunity for Moné to send Statlander flying into the ropes and rolling her up for the three-count.
This match lasted 19 minutes and 25 seconds, making it the longest women’s match in AEW history. While the ending was a little bathetic, there’s no denying that this was a phenomenal contest — deserving of the time it was allotted. I just hope that it doesn’t take another five years for that record to be broken.
Rating: ****
HIT: “Switchblade” Jay White defeats “Hangman” Adam Page
Both “Hangman” Adam Page and “Switchblade” Jay White are on a shortlist of the most beloved wrestlers in AEW. They’re both generals in the ring and sensational on the microphone, with larger than life personas that resonate with fans. So, it’s not surprising that neither man was universally approved nor disapproved by the audience.
Both men attacked each other’s lower extremities throughout the match. For Page, it was his knee — a preexisting injury stemming from his last encounter with White. For White, it was his ankle that Page used the barricade to injure, and repeatedly attacked.
Both men hobbled to an exciting finish, in one of the night’s most unpredictable matches. In the end, it was White who captured yet another victory over Page.
Neither man seemed interested in stealing the show with breathtaking offense. Instead, this was a classic tale of two men trying to wrestle a methodical match. In that regard, this was a strong outing from both men.
Rating: ***¾
HIT: Kyle Fletcher defeats Will Ospreay
In professional wrestling, superlatives are often used in a way that unintentionally exercises hyperbole. This was genuinely a star-making performance for the “Protostar” Kyle Fletcher.
When Will Ospreay first arrived in AEW in March, his first match on “Dynamite” was against Fletcher. It was a phenomenal main event and a wildly frenetic contest, between two friends who knew each other so intimately. In comparison, last night’s match couldn’t have been any more dissimilar.
Few wrestlers can make their opponent look as daunting and imposing as Ospreay can. Fletcher’s onslaught was precise and methodical, steadying the pace and grounding the “Aerial Assassin.” The damage that Ospreay incurred at “WrestleDream” from Fletcher’s Tiger Driver ‘91 hampered him throughout this match, preventing the use of his left arm. Ultimately, it was a Tombstone Piledriver to the steel steps that marked the end for Ospreay.
The “Protostar” had doused the embers of Ospreay’s fighting spirit, until his eyes were lifeless. Fletcher punctuated the affair with a Brainbuster from the top rope, earning the most important victory of his career.
While Fletcher’s star shone in this match, Ospreay’s immense contributions can’t be understated. This was yet another masterclass from the “Aerial Assassin.” Ospreay has strung together one of the most impressive catalogs, in a single calendar year, in wrestling history. Maybe the most impressive.
Rating: ****
MISS: Mariah May & Mina Shirakawa’s Champagne Celebration
In complete fairness to Mariah May and Mina Shirakawa, this was a very entertaining segment and a nice reprieve from the action. May betrayed her longtime friend, which resulted in Shirakawa tackling May off the entranceway and onto a pair of nearby tables.
The fact of the matter is, that there’s just no proper justification for May not defending the AEW Women’s World Championship at “Full Gear.” This was a glorified “Dynamite” segment.
HIT: Daniel Garcia defeats Jack Perry [c]
The sixth match saw Daniel Garcia defeat Jack Perry for the TNT Championship.
Garcia is one of the most proficient, young technicians in wrestling today. Unfortunately, this type of contest just didn’t accentuate his immense talent. This match began at a slow pace, building towards an exciting climax that never came to fruition. The crowd seemed rather disinterested in this match until near the ending, when the momentum finally swung in Garcia’s favor.
Garcia clawed his way back into the match, punctuating his comeback with a Dragon Tamer that forced Perry to submit. Unfortunately, due to time constraints, Garcia’s celebration was brief — robbing him of a beautifully cathartic moment.
Rating: **½
HIT: Konosuke Takeshita [c] defeats Ricochet
I expected this match to be comparable in quality to Will Ospreay vs. Kyle Fletcher. Instead, it was a rather unextraordinary contest, failing to accentuate either men’s respective strengths. Fortunately, given Konsouke Takeshita and Ricochet’s immense talent, this was still an entertaining match nonetheless.
Takeshita successfully retained his AEW International Championship, finishing Ricochet with an Avalanche Falcon Arrow.
If this match had just been a little bit shorter and a little bit faster-paced, I think it would have resonated with the audience far more than it ultimately did. Still, this was a fine contest, and yet another fantastic defense for Takeshita.
Rating: ***
HIT: Bobby Lashley defeats Swerve Strickland
This match exceeded my wildest expectations.
If Swerve Strickland is an instrument of explosivity and precision, then Bobby Lashley is a smashing machine. Strickland has developed one of the most malleable and effective arsenals in AEW, yet Lashley managed to absorb it all and counter with munitions of his own. Ultimately, Lashley speared Strickland in the center of the ring and quickly transitioned it into his patented Hurt Lock, forcing the referee to stop the match.
While this was a phenomenal match, I’m confident that Strickland and Lashley’s feud is far from over. I would wager that this is only the first installment, in what will become a series of matches between both men.
Rating: ***¾
HIT: Jon Moxley [c] defeats Orange Cassidy
Few opponents can conjure a memorable performance from Jon Moxley quite like Orange Cassidy can. Like their matches at last year’s “All Out” and “Full Gear,” this was thoroughly entertaining.
Cassidy brought the fight to Moxley early, stunning him with a series of Orange Punches and a Topé Suicida. However, Moxley quickly took control, busting open Cassidy’s head. Both men vied for supremacy, until members of the Death Riders descended on the ring like hyenas. Claudio Castagnoli and PAC were neutralized by members of the Conglomeration: Kyle O’Reilly, Tomohiro Ishii, and Rocky Romero. Soon afterwards, Marina Shafir tried to intervene, but was attacked by Willow Nightingale.
Galvanized by his comrades, Cassidy began to mount a significant counterattack. Unfortunately, Wheeler Yuta intervened before Cassidy’s offense could accumulate — stunning Cassidy with a Busaiku Knee. Moxley quickly capitalized on Yuta’s intervention, retaining the AEW World Championship.
This was a fun main event and one of the better matches that Moxley has had in recent memory. While the ending was predictable, the match generated more than enough excitement to hook me in.
Rating: ***¾
HIT: Post-Match Hullabaloo
After the match, all hell broke loose:
- The Death Riders doused Cassidy in some sort of cleaning solution, pouring it over his open wounds.
- “Hangman” Adam Page hobbled down the aisle with a steel chair in hand, attacking Wheeler Yuta and standing face-to-face with Moxley.
- Christian Cage entered the ring, handed his contract to Page, and delivered a Killswitch to Moxley.
- Before Cage could cash in his contract, Jay White intervened — hitting Page with a Blade Runner and forcing to retreat.
- The Death Riders used the distraction to retreat.
- Jay White grabbed a steel chair and hobbled backstage. Why did he grab a steel chair? Who knows.
- Before the Death Riders could escape, a car crashed into their parked Dodge Ram.
- The Death Riders stole another vehicle to escape.
- As they drove away, the driver was revealed to be Darby Allin. Covered in blood and hobbling away from the wreckage, Allin is still hellbent on ending this war with the Death Riders.
While this was certainly overbooked, the future is clear: the Death Riders tried to murder Bryan Danielson at “WrestleDream.” Now, it’s open season and the hunters have become the hunted.
Final Verdict
As always, AEW delivered a fantastic pay-per-view. However, the show was far from perfect. MJF’s match against Roderick Strong and the TNT Championship match both could have been cut, in favor of a Women’s World Championship match. Even Konosuke Takeshita’s title defense was a little too long for my liking.
Regardless, several matches more than made up for this show’s shortcomings in spades, resulting in one of the year’s better shows.
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