AEW FULL GEAR

 

Jacksonville

SEREENA DEEB vs. ALLYSIN KAY (10:25): This was a really good show, which isn't too much of a surprise since the card, save for the main event, was stellar. They had a crowd, too, although they sold 1,000 seats but didn't sell out. You can probably blame the fact that it didn't sell out to a) they've had crowds at their shows every other week at the same building in Jacksonville for the last three months so anyone living nearby probably wasn't going to attend every show and b) it's the middle of a pandemic, so smart people didn't want to attend. There was enough of a crowd, though, to chant Jericho's theme song and to cheer during the matches so that helped the atmosphere. Nothing helped this match, the pre-show match for the NWA women's title. The NWA doesn't really exist now since they haven't had a show since the pandemic started and might not ever start back up. Why an NWA women's title match was even on this show is beyond me. It also was totally boring so that didn't helped. The AEW women's division has never really turned into anything exciting. It didn't help that Riho left to go to Japan and Britt Baker got injured. 1/2*

KENNY OMEGA vs. HANGMAN PAGE (16:25): This was a phenomenal match, one of the year's best and the best singles match that Omega and Page have had in AEW. This reminded me a lot of Omega/Okada 3. If you recall, those two had 2 really epic, long, dramatic matches and then their 3rd match in the G1 was short but was just all action and fast paced from start to finish. This was similar. It was short but from the opening bell they just went full speed and non-stop and it was awesome. A ton of near-falls, big moves, and no slow spots. I think this would have been perfect and gotten 4 stars if it was a main event for the title and a sold-out, packed crowd was there. Alas, these are dark times so that didn't happen. Still, this was Omega at his peak and Page has never looked better. Omega won so he gets a title shot. ***1/2

ORANGE CASSIDY vs. JOHN SILVER (9:40): Silver is hilarious...and he's showcased that on Being the Elite, the weekly comedy show that I rarely watch. He was so great on Being the Elite that they've pushed him and now he's on the PPV in a singles match. This match was great. Besides both wrestlers being fairly comical, they both deliver the goods in terms of quick action and big moves. This was a lot of fun. Cassidy is the one wrestler that's really hurt by not wrestling in front of large, raucous crowds but this was so entertaining I didn't mind. ***

DARBY ALLIN vs. CODY RHODES (17:00): Allin won the TNT title here. I'm sorry...but shouldn't the TNT title only be defended on TNT? And I still have a hard time watching Cody matches now that he has that God-awful tattoo on his neck. It's so distracting. I still wonder how stupid he is to have made such an awful mistake. Does he realize it? He had to. Can he get it removed? How far has tattoo removal technology advanced? See? I'm not even thinking about the match! This was a good match albeit not spectacular or anything. They did a bunch of roll-ups at the end and Allin pinned Cody on one of of them. Allin is usually only good in hardcore matches, but Cody knows how to create drama and put together a good wrestling match. **1/2

HIKARU SHIDA vs. NYLA ROSE (14:10): As noted previously, the women's division has never amounted to much. It seems like the roster constantly changes and there's always new faces every week. Nyla Rose was gone all summer and returned only to lose. This was sloppy and kind of boring. Shida did pick up Nyla twice to slam her which was impressive. Vicky Guerrero is Nyla's manager for some unknown reason. This was pretty bad. *

THE YOUNG BUCKS vs. FTR (28:35): This started out kind of average but eventually turned into an excellent match. FTR have been very disappointing so far in AEW and I think even they realized that because they tried literally everything to make this great; spearing guys through the ropes to the floor, doing 450 splashes. The story in this was that everyone was doing moves from the great tag teams of the past...like the spear through the ropes that the Steiner brothers used to do. The other story was that the one Buck had an injured leg that FTR worked on during the match. This culminated in FTR taking off the one Buck's boot and sock to damage his foot. And of course the Buck did a superkick with the injured foot to win the titles (I still haven't attempted to differentiate Matt and Nick Jackson...nor do I know who's who on FTR). This was long and brutal and dramatic and the kind of match when it's over you just exhale. This was spectacular stuff. ***1/2

MATT HARDY vs. SAMMY GUEVARA (19:39): This was a taped match at the Matt Hardy compound. It was kind of like all the other "Deletion" matches that TNA used to show years ago. Hence, we've kind of seen all of this shit before and this went on too long. I did laugh when "Hurricane" Helms got beat up and then came back as the reporter to ask questions, a la Clark Kent. Grendel, from WWE's The Brood, also showed up. Private Party and Santana and Ortiz also brawled in a ring set up outside. They eventually went inside where Guevara did a Swanton Dive off of a ladder through a table. Then they did a spot in really poor taste where Hardy put Guevera through two tables and there was fake blood where Guevera's head landed on the concrete. After their last match at All Out, I never wanted to see these two wrestle again. That match should have been stopped because Hardy seemingly got knocked out. To use fake blood and a fake injury type of spot in this match that played on their last match was a real low point on this show. Guevera's great and Hardy should just retire. *1/2

MJF vs. CHRIS JERICHO (16:10): MJF won with a sneaky roll up and is now a member of the Inner Circle. This match was just okay and kind of boring. Both guy's are terrific on the mic and in skits (their musical routine on Dynamite two weeks ago was one of the best segments in wrestling all year) but both are pretty dull in the ring. I'm guessing that eventually MJF will lead the Inner Circle and Jericho will retire or take time off or go and tour with his band. At least MJF in the IC sets up some interesting stuff they can do on the TV show every week. Otherwise, this was pretty forgettable. *

JON MOXLEY vs. EDDIE KINGSTON "I QUIT MATCH" (17:35): This card was great...except for the main event. Moxley defending the title against a guy that just joined AEW like a month ago? Lame. Both of these guys used to be in CZW years ago...so this was set up as the guy that made it and became a star (Moxley) against the loser that never got a shot (Kingston). I kind of thought that this would be more brutal and more hardcore, considering they were in CZW and also because the last time Moxley did a hardcore match it was fucking insane (against Omega at last year's Full Gear). They used barbed wire, thumbtacks, rubbing alcohol, and chairs. Kingston wrapped the barbed wire around his fist to punch Moxley and cut his forehead. Moxley got slammed on the thumbtacks. Kingston got suplexed onto a sitting chair. Kingston poured rubbing alcohol on Moxley's back. Moxley wrapped barbed wire around his arm and choked Kingston out until he quit. This was just okay. It was at least entertaining, as I do love deathmatches (though since I watch Big Japan a lot...this kind of shit seems tame to me), though Kingston is not a very good wrestler (he's good on the mic, though, which is probably the only reason they signed him). Moxley tends to only be good in hardcore matches, though even this was kind of slow and methodical and not particularly exciting. Moxley will face Omega for the title next, which may or may not be good. The last time they wrestled it was certifiably insane. Good luck following that one up. *1/2