AEW Full Gear had a strong start, a strong finish, and a mostly strong middle. Overall, AEW once again shows why they are the best wrestling promotion in North America and possibly the best overall in the world. If you want to avoid results, I say check it out. It’s worth the $49.99.
MJF defeated Darby Allin
This was my match of the night.
MJF is a great heal and Darby Allin is definitely a fan favorite. Going into the match MJF had declared himself the best of the 4 pillars of homegrown AEW talent, the other 3 being Darby Allin, Jungle Boy, and Sammy Guevera. The other big story leading in was that MJF claimed to be the better pure wrestle… which, leads to what made the match great. The only unneeded but constant presence was the interference prevented by the man called Sting.
This match was a fantastic wrestling match, as in actual in-ring wrestling. Both men put on their A-game and went hard. Highlights included some of the early chain wrestling, a spot where MJF dared Allin to hit him with his skateboard, and – with some help from the Dynamite Diamond Ring – winning with a side headlock takedown.
Grade: A
The Lucha Brothers defeated FTR
The Lucha Bros. are a major fan favorite and run a fantastic store in Los Angeles, Republic of Lucha. FTR recently beat the Lucha Bros. for the AAA titles and was headed for the AEW tag titles. This was certainly not the best Lucha Bros. or FTR match, but it was fun with a lot of action only marred by a few weird spots. Not top tier for either team, but still strong.
Grade: A
Bryan Danielson defeated Miro
Both of these men are amazing in the ring and on the mic, and both have reinvented themselves since leaving WWE. Miro has become something much greater than the man who I chanted for at Wrestlemania (Rusev Day!). Bryan Danielson was seemingly born inside a wrestling ring.
However, surrounded by some of the more spectacular wrestling of the first 2 matches, this felt a little… slow and lacking. That isn’t always a bad thing to have a slow, serious match. This, however, just needed an extra something. The finish with a tornado DDT onto Miro’s injured neck was great. I looked forward to more matches between these 2 living legends.
Grade: A
Jurassic Express and Christian defeated Superkliq
This match was a beautiful train wreck wrapped in some old Hart Foundation gear. Seriously, Superkliq could not be any more pink and black. And it was amazing to see gear so painfully colorful. It looked as if the 80s were transported to a street fight today.
Overall, lots of good action. Jungle Boy was playing off the over-the-top babyface that refused to use any weapons, even for a “con-chair-to” with Christian. The highlight was Christian doing a high-risk dive. The thumbtacks in Jungle Boy’s mouth and the thumbtack kneepads felt too silly, but hey, it was a match with a dinosaur man and pink tights.
Grade: B
Cody Rhodes and Pac defeated Malachi Black and Andrade el Idolo
This match was the worst match of the night. It wasn’t terrible, but it was just kind of boring and we were all desperately waiting for Cody to turn heel. Seriously. For half the match I was shouting at Cody to do the classic heel move and just leave Pac to get beaten up. Everyone expects it and everyone wants it.
Instead, we got mostly bored by 4 great performers hindered by a storyline and situation that didn’t give any may their moment to shine. The finish saw Pac hit the Black Arrow on Andrade instead of, you know, Cody turning heel. It was what it was. If it wasn’t for the amazing talent in the ring, I’d rate this match lower. If this was an average WWE match, it would be a D.
Grade: C
Dr. Britt Baker, DMD defeated Tay Conti
Dr. Britt Baker retaining the AEW Women’s Championship is not a shocking moment. What was shocking was that this match was another less than stellar match in a row for AEW. Considering the talent in this and the previous match, we should’ve seen 2 A or B grades. There were some weird moments and some weak-looking spots, especially by Tay Conti. I don’t know what happened, but it felt like they didn’t know what to do for some of this match. It’s a shame because both women are great.
Grade: C
CM Punk defeated Eddie Kingston
If you were expecting a mat classic, you came to the wrong match. If you were expecting a great story, this is it.
The build to the match was great and all about respect but in the best way. Punk is the legend. Kingston is the guy who sabotages himself and prevents himself from being a legend. Both men clearly had fun in this and there was a little nod to John Cena and the WWE in there. This was a good, short match.
Grade: B
Inner Circle defeated American Top Team and Men of the Year
This match was what it was. A match full of weapon shots that never felt extreme. It felt infinitely tamer than Jericho versus Nick Gage. It had some funny stuff and some good action but it was mostly a breather that could’ve been filled with a better match with a better reason for existing. Luckily the skill and athleticism of the men involved elevated it slightly, even ignoring the comedy stuff that felt out of place in a hardcore match.
It’s a match that features Chris Jericho stapling a man in the junk, so take it for what it is and move on.
Grade: C
Jay Lethal is All Elite
Black Machismo himself, Jay Lethal, showed up to announce he was All Elite and challenging Sammy Guevera for the AEW TNT Championship next week on Dynamite. Jay Letha is a fun performer and had a good run in Impact. Hopefully, he can do a bit more than being the parody guy in AEW as he has the talent.
Adam Page defeated Kenny Omega
I did not call this.
I expected the rematch between Adam Page and Kenny Omega to be a great match – and it mostly was – but I thought for sure Kenny Omega would retain somehow.
Highlights include Omega doing a springboard Liger Bomb, Adam Page hitting the One-winged Angel, and a brutal-looking Deadeye. Seriously, that springboard Liger Bomb was beautiful. Both men are top wrestlers in the world. That’s hard to argue after a match like this. The only issue is the same issue with most matches that are telling a story to the next show and the next PPV: the unneeded interference and outside actions. If these 2 men would’ve just battled and everything else aside from maybe the Young Bucks moment was left out, it would’ve been an A grade from me.
Still a fun match and, as I texted some friends earlier, only in wrestling can I say: I just saw a cowboy defeat an evil anime weeb and then gun his evil cult friends who are actually a nice cult. This makes me look forward to Bryan Danielson and Adam Page next. But what to do with Kenny Omega?
Overall, the show was a strong B. If you only watch some of it, catch the first and last matches. Skip the women’s title match and the Cody Rhodes nonsense. Or just watch the highlights of those, like Pac’s insane athleticism.
Grade: B
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