Full Gear may go down as one of AEW’s more frustrating pay-per-views.
There was some true brilliance, some head-scratching decisions and maybe a case of trying too hard on a card from Prudential Center on Saturday night that might have been better off spread out over a few Dynamite and Collisions.
One thing is certain, while not everything clicked, AEW is making a concerted effort to push some fresher faces up the card and feel committed to Death Riders and Hurt Syndicates stories and that’s a good thing.
Here are five takeaways from Full Gear.
Too Much of a Good Thing
AEW tried to do too much at once after Jon Moxley finally put down Orange Cassidy to retain the AEW world championship that it kind of undid some of the good that came from the match. But thank God for Darby Allin
After a flurry of Orange Punches from the challenger right at the bell, Moxley beat down and bloodied Cassidy — biting him and racking his nails into his back. Cassidy’s strikes didn’t seem to faze the champ, but things turned after he defiantly put his hand in his pockets and delivered his signature shin kicks.
Three more Orange Punches and a Beach Break couldn’t keep Moxley down before the rest of the Death Riders came to the ring only to be cut off from the Conglomeration. Marina Shafir was set to hit Cassidy with the championship briefcase but Willow Nightingale, back from injury, ran down and speared her to a big pop — knocking the case to Cassidy.
The challenger smashed Moxley with it, but the champion still kicked. As Cassidy was set to deliver another Orange Punch, turncoat Wheeler Yuta took him out with a Psycho Knee. Moxley hit a Death Rider DDT to win it. The fans care about Cassidy and this leaves things open for him if need be — like Solo Sikoa costing Cody Rhodes at WrestleMania 39.
Then things got weird.
“Hangman” Adam Page came out to hit Yuta with a chair as the Death Riders looked to do more damage to Cassidy. Then Christan Cage smashed Moxley with his AEW championship contract case but failed to cash it in because Jay White stopped him. White has been out for revenge on Cage, but the crowd was pretty silent trying to process the three story arcs AEW tried to squeeze in.
As the Death Riders ran to the parking lot, Allin saved things by ramming a car into their car as they jumped into another vehicle. It left things pretty clear who will eventually end Moxley’s reign.
Hurts So Good
AEW got everything right about Bobby Lashley’s first pay-per-view match with the company. He looked every bit the powerhouse he needed to, dominating early then ending things by spearing Strickland through the barricade, spearing him in the ring and having the former AEW World champion pass out in the Hurt Lock.
Strickland got just enough in between to give the fans hope. He even ran up the positioned steel steps to leap and Swerve Stomp Lashley through the Spanish announce table. A House Call and another Swerve Stomp back in the ring still wasn’t enough to keep Lashley down.
AEW feels correctly committed to building the Hurt Syndicate as a major heel faction and Lashley beating Strickland is another brick. Lashley also put Prince Nana in the Hurt Lock. Strickland is going to need some friends — maybe Will Hobbs.
New King in Town?
Will Ospreay was limited at times as Fletcher took advantage of a storyline shoulder injury and complaints of numbness. The 25-year-old Fletcher, who wore a crown to the ring, went toe toe-to-toe with Osepreay in every way and did some tremendous storytelling yelling at his former friend.
Late in the match, Ospreay delivered a Styles Clash and hit a stiff Hidden Blade, but a flimsy pin allowed Fletcher to kick out. Fletcher would pile drive Ospreay from the apron to the steel steps on the outside — telling him “I’m better than you!”
Fletcher hit the Grimstone pile driver with Ospreay’s left arm limp but the Aerial Assasion got a shoulder up. With no power in his arms, Ospreay could not hit meaningful strikes.
Fletcher overpowered him from there, laughing at him before connecting on a Brainbuster to the top turnbuckle to put Ospreay away from the biggest win of his career.
Vintage Performance
Mercedes Moné and Statlander had the match you’d hoped for and the crowd dug it. Statlander’s power, Moné’s agility and both’s pure wrestling ability made for the TBS champion’s best match in AEW.
At one point, the challenger Statlander caught a meteora attempt and slammed Moné into the turnbuckle. She later countered a Statement Maker, and rolled Moné — who was selling her butt off throughout — into a Samoan drop.
Mone worked Statlander’s knee during the match, even landing a frog splash on it. The challenger showed tremendous resilience, getting her shoulder up at the last second after two backstabbers and a Moné Maker finisher.
A frustrated Moné went from a Statement Maker submission, but Statlander picked up her and dropped from an Electric Chair position. She pulled the champ up nearly flat from the ground to prepare for Saturday Night Fever and the biggest pop of the match. But Moné bit Statlander’s knee. The champ delivered a cazadora to drive the challenger’s throat into the ropes, allowing her to roll her up for the win.
This was a vintage match for Moné, who thankfully banished Kamille and the chance for interference to backstage after a confrontation early in the night. AEW is also telling the story of the quick erosion of the Moné-Kamille partnership.
Oh Danny Oy
Daniel Garcia had one of the most anti-climatic championship wins ever, tapping out Jack Perry by cranking back on a sharpshooter to become new TNT champion. The match was laid out fine. The crowd clearly didn’t like Perry during the match but never got behind Garcia, who got very little pop in the match’s classic babyface spots until the surprise of his title win. This match was in a terrible spot on the card at match six of nine following Ospreay-Fletcher
Perry kept playing into the fact that Garcia wasn’t ready to be champion, At one point he handed Garcia the TNT championship and dared him to hit him. Perry then hit a low blow in and a running strike but Garcia kick to a tepid reaction. AEW is clearly pushing some new faces, but the moment felt like a waste of all the energy the company put into building Perry.
Other Matches
Jey White over “Hangman” Adam Page
The Blade Runner is over. It took only one from White, after a tremendous series of counters that started with Page trying for a Buckshot Lariat, to put the cowboy down. It was White’s fifth career singles win over Page. White let Page know it after his win to spark a post-match attack. Page even decked Christoper Daniels, who was trying to intervene. It is a huge momentum win for White — who also kicked out of two straight Deadeyes at one point, over a former AEW World champion.
MJF over Roderick Strong
Strong was relentless on MJF’s back with backbreakers, strikes, submissions and tossing him into the barricade. There are no wasted moves with Strong. All of that proved for naught as MJF, turned Strong’s one mistake on a pin attempt into a Salt of the Earth submission. After tapping Strong out, MJF smashed his arm in a chair, It brought Adam Cole from the back. But Kyle O’Reilly lost it on Cole after he was too late getting out and blamed his dealing with MJF for Strong getting hurt after previously warning him.
Konosuke Takeshita over Richochet to retain the International championship
There is not much to say about this match other than it probably shouldn’t have happened. Takeshita pretty much ran over Richochet — who was selling a back injury — in the shortest match of the night. There is no reason to make fans feel like Richochet is still stuck in WWE. Maybe he comes back from this to eventually become champion, but then do this match on Dynamite. Takeshita sure looked like a powerhouse.
Private Party over The Acclaimed, The Outrunners and Kings of the Black Throne to retain the AEW tag team championships.
Max Caster and Anthony Bowens continue to not be on the same page since MVP and the Hurt Syndicate made the former an offer. That continued here and the last one cost The Acclaimed the match. After a blind tag to Bowens, Caster got strung out on the top rope before Private Party hit Gin and Juice to retain in a less-than-high energy opener.
Notes
AEW launched Mariah May’s next feud as the Women’s World champion tried to attack friend Mina Shirakawa with a champagne bottle during their celebration. Shirakawa drove the champ off the ramp through a table and got up and gave her a bloody kiss on the forehead.
“Big Boom” AJ defeated QT Marshall in a pretty entertaining Zero Hour match, but the kids stole the show. The big pops were for Big Justice’s spear on Marshall and anything done by The Rizzler, who even climbed the ropes to celebrate.
Biggest Winner: Kyle Fletcher
Biggest Loser: Ricochet
Best Matches: Will Ospreay vs. Kyle Fletcher, Kris Statlander vs. Mercedes Mone.
Grade: B
