Well that was certainly a shakeup. Maybe TOO MUCH of a shakeup.
AEW's Full Gear 2025 is in the books, and it was a long but very good night of graps. While it was missing the one must-see match most AEW PPVs come equipped with, there was nary a bad match in sight, almost everything on the show exceeded four stars, and it was quite eventful. I have mixed feelings about how things ended, which I'll get into, but hopefully there's a plan in place to make this all work. The New Jersey crowd was not the best, honestly, only responding to big things like WWE's audience tends to do. This lends further credence to the idea that all AEW PPVs should start in the afternoon. Make it happen, TK....
Things kicked off with a pre-show match already in progress, the second time they've done this. I hope this doesn't become the norm; it's fine once in a while but if you do it too much it'll get old fast. This was for the CMLL Trios titles, pitting the champions Mistico, Mascara Dorada and Neon against Kazuchika Okada, Konosuke Takeshita, and Hechicero. On the pre-show portion the heels had attacked Mistico backstage, and also Okada was running late to the arena, so the bout started as two on two. Finally Okada made his entrance, much to Takeshita's shagrin, and eventually Mistico joined the match, much to Don Callis's. In spite of the unorthodox start, this match turned into a lot of fun, with the main story being of course the continued degradation of Okada and Takeshita's alliance. Okada again "accidentally" hit Takeshita with a Rainmaker with Dorada ducked. Mistico then took Hechicero down with a spinning armbar for the quick submission. Okada-Takeshita is gonna fucking rule when it finally happens (and it seems a mortal lock to be the Continental Classic final at Worlds End, based on the block lineups). ***3/4
The first official PPV match was Darby Allin vs. Pac, in a match Pac had insisted would be a straight-up wrestling match with no interference or bells and whistles. And of course when it was all about the wrestling, Darby dominated. It was Pac who had to resort to moving things outside the ring, and when brawling and steps and ring posts factored into the equation, Pac dominated. At one point Pac gorilla press slammed Darby from the apron to the floor, but Darby later came back with a top rope dropkick to the floor as Pac sat in a chair. Pac ripped off Darby's bandages from the Blood and Guts flaming table spot and scratched at Darby's burns. Pac locked in the Brutalizer but Darby escaped, Pac went for Black Arrow but Darby moved and locked in the Scorpion Deathlock, and Pac motioned for Wheeler Yuta to help him, breaking his vow. Wheeler distracted the referee and Pac used Darby's baseball bat to win the match. Not the most satisfying finish but that was the point. We'll get a rematch in the CC. Overall though, this was great. ****1/4
The women's four-way tag was next and was a fun clusterfuck. Basically nonstop action for thirteen minutes, but they continued to build the respective semifinal matches. In the end though it came down to Toni Storm and Harley Cameron exchanging rollup attempts, and Toni finally scored the win with the Big Package. I look forward to seeing what stipulation she and Mina Shirakawa will choose for their match with Megan Bayne and Marina Shafir. The tournament final kinda has to be the two babyface teams I think. Timeless Love Bombs vs. Sisters of Sin is too much of a foregone conclusion, but TLB vs. The Babes of Wrath will get dueling chants and the crowd will be happy no matter who wins. Plus the promo battles between Toni and Harley will be fantastic. ***1/2
Up next was the Tag Team Championship as Brodido defended against FTR. This started out methodical but built and built and built, and ended up being one of the best-received matches on the show from a live crowd perspective. Everyone hit all their big moves but Bandido stole the match by being impossible to put down. FTR hit him with multiple Shatter Machines, a spike piledriver, a Power & Glory variation where Dax hit the rebound powerbomb and Cash came off the top with a splash (That should be one of their signature combos now), and he kept kicking out of them. There was a very cool Doomsday Device spot where Cash came off the top with a crossbody but Bandido countered it and landed on top for a nearfall. Finally after taking out Brody King with a spike piledriver on the apron, FTR doubled up on Bandido, who after numerous kickouts only had enough energy to flip them off before they finished him with one final Shatter Machine. FTR are three-time champs. I hope Tony comes up with a hook for this title run. All signs seem to point to FTR vs. Cope and Christian for the straps, but I really don't want to see Cope and Christian win them; we don't need anymore TNA-type honorary title reigns. If that rematch happens, FTR need to retain. Anyway this match was awesome, one of the best on the show. ****1/2
Probably the weakest match was the Casino Gauntlet, which wasn't bad by any means, but also didn't stand out from other Gauntlets. Things started as advertised with Bobby Lashley vs. Shelton Benjamin, but they barely got to do anything before Ricochet made his entrance. That was disappointing as I'd hoped to see the Hurt Syndicate guys do battle. Man, I have such mixed feelings about Lashley and Benjamin right now. On one hand they really seem to have the "We're from WWE" superiority complex where they barely even sell for anyone not named Gates of Agony, let alone do any jobs. On the other, they're hugely over with these live crowds. Benjamin is great in the ring, Lashley is just okay. Ironically Benjamin is the one who actually sells and occasionally loses. I'm just not sure what you do with them at this point, they only seem interested in feuding with Toa and Bishop. Anyway Gates of Agony attacked THS from behind and took them out of the match for the next fifteen minutes. Claudio, Daniel Garcia, Orange Cassidy, Wheeler Yuta, Kevin Knight, Roderick Strong, Mark Davis, Speedball, and Matt Menard all came out and got some good moments. Menard was only interested in chasing Daniel Garcia to the back. Finally after taking an asskicking from almost everyone in the match, Ricochet hit Kevin Knight wit Spirit Gun to become the first AEW National Champion. This was the right move anyway. ***1/4
The next five matches were all **** or better, which is a pretty astonishing stretch for any show.
Jon Moxley vs. Kyle O'Reilly was a fantastic old school bloodbath, that started out as two guys trading holds. Bryan Danielson on commentary made the distinction of what No Holds Barred was originally intended to mean - a match where choking and other illegal wrestling holds were allowed. But Mox couldn't get out of second gear due to KOR's superior grappling skills and therefore resorted to using his trusty fork to gain the advantage. The crimson quickly began flowing, and the match became a mix of mat work and sadism. I got flashes of Magnum TA vs. Tully Blanchard as these two carved each other up. Late in the match KOR introduced a chain, which he used to enhance his wrestling holds, finally snaring an anklelock with a leg grapevine. Moxley panicked once again and tapped out, giving KOR maybe the biggest win of his career. The crowd went nuts for this, as I don't think many (including me) expected Mox to submit yet again. This needs to lead to the Death Riders ousting their leader I think. Mox could then have a redemption arc (Hell, team him up with Hangman and Swerve and Eddie against The Opps). This might've been my favorite match on the show; after an early 2025 slump for Jon Moxley, the man has been reborn hard these last five months. ****3/4
Oddly they followed up one No DQ bloodbath with another, as Kyle Fletcher defended the TNT Title against longtime rival Mark Briscoe. Where Mox-KOR was old-school brutality, this was modern carnage. They beat each other with ladders, chairs, tables, barb wire and thumbtacks, delivering the most spectacular spots on the show. Both men bled pretty early, both men went through multiple tables, Kyle tried to murder Mark with the screwdriver. My favorite spot was Briscoe hitting the Froggy Bow from the top of a ladder onto a standing Kyle Fletcher, through a table. Just a really cool-looking spot. Briscoe ultimately escaped a Brainbuster attempt and hit a top rope Razor's Edge through a barb wire table, followed by the Jay Driller to win his first AEW gold, one of the biggest pops of the night. This was just as great as the Mox match but I rank a hair below since Mox-KOR had to deliver under more modest circumstances. But it's a pick 'em. ****3/4
The Young Bucks once again had to deliver a great match following a show highlight, but they pulled it off again, teaming with Josh Alexander against Kenny Omega and Jurassic Express. This was your classic Bucks trios special, with loads of fun action and their always great chemistry with Kenny and Jack. At one point Nick Jackson did a dive over the ropes but Luchasaurus was just slightly out of position and Nick landed hard on the floor. That looked scary but apparently Nick was fine. Kenny sold a leg injury throughout the match and as always blurred the line between a work and a shoot, limping along for much of his signature offense. Late in the match the babyfaces went for a double Doomsday Device on the Bucks, but they landed on their feet and superkicked everyone, including Josh Alexander by mistake, sending him directly into a One Winged Angel on the floor. But the Bucks hit Jack Perry with a BTE Trigger to win the match and the $1,000,000. Post-match Don Callis grabbed the money and led the Bucks up the ramp, while the rest of the Callis Family prepared to Pillmanize Kenny's injured leg. The Bucks hesitated, and finally ran down for the save, teaming up with Jurassic Express to clear the heels out of the ring. JE and the Bucks shook hands and then Matt and Nick offered Kenny a handshake, but he slapped their hands away and hugged them instead. The Elite is reunited. I assume we'll get Kenny/Bucks/JE vs. some five-man DCF combination. ****1/2
The semi-main event slot went to the Women's Championship, as Kris Statlander defended against longtime rival Mercedes Moné. These two started off fast and went back and forth until Stat took a bump on the outside that kayfabe injured her arm, bringing referee Aubrey Edwards over. Mercedes wasted no time in capitalizing, working over the arm for much of the match. At one point Mercedes hit Eddie Guerrero's Three Amigos but continued until she hit one suplex for every one of her thirteen titles. She then hit a fourteenth, symbolizing her intention to win this one as well. The crowd responded big to this but was pretty subdued for a lot of the match, which is unfortunate considering how good it was. Kris made a comeback and hit a Dean Malenko-esque top rope backbreaker, which looked spectacular. Kris kept going for Saturday Night Fever but the injured arm kept giving out. Both women tried to finish each other with Seatbelt cradles for nearfalls. Finally after numerous attempts and reversals, Kris hit SNF to earn her first-ever win over Mercedes. Another excellent showing from these two, and for the second time Mercedes is defeated to cement the current homegrown women's champion as the Ace. ****1/2
The main event Steel Cage match went shockingly short, at only 16 minutes. But it was the third bloodbath of the night, as Hangman Page rammed Samoa Joe's face into the cage early on, and Joe bled a gusher. This was another match that brought back memories of old NWA cage bouts. Until the end that is. The blood figured into the story as neither man was able to get a good grip on submission holds. Each man was able to escape a Coquina Clutch thanks to the flowing crimson. Contrary to what Page promised (an interference-free match), Shibata ran down, grabbed the AEW Title and tried to climb the cage, but was chased off by Eddie Kingston. The referee was knocked out and Page hit a Deadeye but there was no one to count the pin. Powerhouse Hobbs ran down, broke the chain on the cage door, and entered. Joe went for a choke but Page rammed him into an exposed turnbuckle and hit the Buckshot Lariat from outside the door. The ref was still down so Hook ran in to revive him, but instead bashed Page with the title belt, allowing Joe to hit a Muscle Buster for the win and his second AEW Title. As the heels celebrated the lights went out and Prince Nana emerged on the ramp, followed by the returning Swerve Strickland. Swerve sauntered to the ring which was now filled with Opps Dojo students, and Swerve took them all out as the actual Opps took a powder. Hangman then revived to help, and the show went off the air with the two former mortal enemies standing unified, glaring up at The Opps on the entrance ramp.
I said earlier I had very mixed feelings about all this. Hangman's quest for the title was such a long, epic journey it feels really chintzy that his title run only lasted four months. Page really should've kept the title for the better part of a year, particularly since he's hugely over and good for ratings. Also Samoa Joe is 47 years old and AEW should be distinguishing themselves from WWE by having young champions. Nothing against Joe, Joe is great. But why him again instead of someone younger? On the other hand, the return of Swerve (another guy whose title run got shortchanged in favor of a 40-something) adds an interesting wrinkle, as does the Hangman-Swerve alliance. I'll wait and see how they follow up on this before making a judgment, but my initial reaction is that it's way too soon for Hangman to drop the belt. Also the idea of a steel cage keeping anyone out is dead at this point; literally every cage match in any company involves outside interference. Hobbs and Shibata really should've been left out since it was stated ahead of time that Page had incapacitated them. Hook's run-in and heel turn would've been more significant that way. I'll go **** for the match.
So Full Gear was a pretty excellent show overall, definitely not an all-timer but really solid from start to finish, with a slew of ****+ matches and some big title changes. I'll be interested to see where Hangman/Swerve/Eddie/?? vs. The Opps goes, and the Continental Classic blocks will result in some hella bangers over the next few weeks. Worlds End should be a pretty great card.
Best Match: Jon Moxley vs. Kyle O'Reilly
Worst Match: Casino Gauntlet
What I'd Change: Not knowing where they're going with this, I wouldn't have taken the belt off Hangman so soon. I'd have also separated the two No DQ matches.
Most Disappointing Match: I guess the Gauntlet, which was fun but didn't have anything super memorable, plus Lashley and Benjamin didn't really fight each other.
Most Pleasant Surprise: Kyle O'Reilly winning - let's hope they follow it up with something good for him
Overall Rating: 9/10
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