AEW Full Gear 2024 Results & Review

ALL ELITE WRESTLING
FULL GEAR 2024
NOVEMBER 23, 2024
PRUDENTIAL CENTER
NEWARK, NEW JERSEY

Post-PPV Reaction Show: voicesofwrestling.com/2024/11/22/instant-reaction-live-aew-full-gear-2024/

MEET OUR REVIEWER

Suit Williams: You can read Suit’s long-form previews and reviews of wrestling from around the world here at Voices of Wrestling. You can also find his weekly reviews of AEW Collision over at F4WOnline. Check out his brand-new wrestling blog Williams Watches Wrestling, where he’ll engage in watch projects and review requests like Williams Watches Wrestlemania every Wednesday. This Wednesday, he’ll cover Wrestlemania 17, and he’s heard good things. Follow Suit on all social media platforms @SuitWilliams.

TALES FROM THE ZERO HOUR

Anna Jay def. Deonna Purrazzo (w/ Taya Valkyrie)
Buddy Matthews def. Dante Martin, Komander, The Beast Mortos
“Big Boom” AJ (w/ Big Justice, The Rizzler) def. QT Marshall

AEW WORLD TAG TEAM TITLE FOUR WAY MATCH
PRIVATE PARTY (QUEN & ZAY) (C) DEF. THE ACCLAIMED (ANTHONY BOWENS & MAX CASTER), THE OUTRUNNERS (TRUTH MAGNUM & TURBO FLOYD), KINGS OF THE BLACK THRONE (BRODY KING & MALAKAI BLACK) – ZAY PINNED CASTER

Suit: The Acclaimed continued to have issues starting with their entrance, as Caster finished his rap referring to himself as the Best Wrestler Alive instead of referring to the team. Those issues would lead to the end of the match, where a miscommunication between Bowens and Caster led to Private Party hitting the Gin and Juice for the win. In between was solid but uninspiring work, with Brody King being the most over person in the match by a good margin. There was a very dumb spot in the match where Bowens and Caster were legal, and Caster had Bowens pin him to try and win. I think it was a callback to a New Age Outlaws spot with Billy Gunn at ringside, but it was dumb then and dumb now. This was a pretty weak opener by AEW PPV standards. They’ve put some effort into the tag division lately, but it’s going to take more work to see that work pay off. **1/2

MJF DEF. RODERICK STRONG

Suit: MJF’s character in Happy Gilmore 2 must have a lot of backne because my brother was method acting tonight. When MJF leaves the overwrought schtick aside, his work is so smart and logical. This was a simple match where Strong worked over MJF’s back, and MJF worked over Strong’s hand after Roddy caught the post on a chop. The crowd was interested in the match, but there wasn’t a ton of heat on it. Roddy got a close nearfall on the End of Heartache, but MJF got his foot on the ropes. Roddy went on a flurry of offense that MJF cut off with a brainbuster, then MJF baited Roddy into pinning him so he could snatch on the Salt of the Earth armbar for the quick tap and the win.

After the match, MJF grabbed a chair and Pillmanized Strong’s bad arm before the rest of the Kingdom and Kyle O’Reilly ran him off. O’Reilly was angry with Cole and shoved him down, having warned him that someone would get hurt if he kept going after MJF. ****

AEW TBS TITLE MATCH
MERCEDES MONE (W/KAMILLE) (C) DEF. KRIS STATLANDER

Suit: Mercedes spent most of this match spamming Meteoras like she was Wrestling Observer Hall of Famer CIMA, building to a big comeback spot where Statlander caught Mone and powerbombed her back into the buckles. Mone tributed Eddie Guerrero like usual, but after Statlander countered a Frog Splash with an F-5, Mone went to work on Statlander’s bad leg and hit a frog splash to Statlander’s knee in an ode to Guerrero’s match at Starrcade 1997. Mone hit a pair of backbreakers and the Mone Maker on Statlander, but Statlander kicked out to a big pop. Statlander came back with a reverse Electric Chair before going for the Staturday Night Fever, but Mone punched and bit Statlander’s bad leg to get out before dropping her into the ropes and rolling her up for the win.

This was easily Mone’s best match since her debut against Willow Nightingale. Her work was tight, they earned the crowd, and they got me on a couple of nearfalls. Statlander was great here as well working from underneath, as she got the crowd quite invested in her. Mone’s been incredibly shaky since coming in, but if she can put a shift in like this on a regular basis, then she’ll silence her many doubters. ****1/2

JAY WHITE def. HANGMAN PAGE

Suit: This was a DOUBLE LEG MATCH, as both men went after the other’s ankle. Because both men are pros, the selling they did during the match was fantastic. There was one point where White was sending Page’s leg into the post, and he collapsed as he did it each time because his ankle was so beaten up. Page employed an ankle lock to weaken White, using it for a very close countout tease. There was a long back and forth in the ring that went maybe 2-3 minutes too long, ending with White catching Page with a Blade Runner and beating him again. I love White beating Page clean again and proving once again that he’s got Page’s number. The match was very good, although I would say the WrestleDream match was better as the end sequence went just a bit too long.

After the match, Page jumped White on the ramp. Vice Principal Christopher Daniels came out to calm him down and Page simply punched him in the face and left. ****1/4

KYLE FLETCHER DEF. WILL OSPREAY

Suit: Will Ospreay is a phenomenal pro wrestler. You don’t need me to tell you that for the 50th time, but the early stages of this match were a glimpse at just how well-rounded and detailed he has become. He didn’t make his usual entrance and hit his poses; he walked to the ring stoically with a deathly serious look on his face. When Fletcher started working on Ospreay’s already bad neck – from the Tiger Driver at WrestleDream – Ospreay’s offense was affected by it. He crumbled on a handspring attempt, and during Fletcher’s next few nearfalls, Ospreay weakly kicked out with his arm. Just phenomenal selling from Ospreay to start this match.

The rest of the match was as fantastic as you would expect. Ospreay’s first match on Dynamite this year was against Fletcher, and Fletcher proved there that he could hang with Ospreay. Now with the heat that comes with a legitimate push, Fletcher has taken the bull by the horns and earned a big-time spot in this company in the future. The end of this match was designed to show that.

After a phenomenal match where Fletcher kicked out of the Hidden Blade, Ospreay took Fletcher to the apron with the stairs nearby. Fletcher fought out of a Storm Breaker and hit Ospreay with a disgusting Tombstone from the apron to the stairs. Ospreay had a last gasp after Fletcher refused the countout, kicking out of a front-facing Tombstone. But Ospreay had no juice on his strikes, and Fletcher put him away with several Yakuza Kicks and a Generico Brainbuster.

This was a statement that Kyle Fletcher is to be taken seriously in this promotion. While follow up has always been an issue for AEW, this was an excellent first step. ****3/4

MARIAH MAY’S CHAMPAGNE GIMMICK WITH MINA SHIRAKAWA

This was a great choice for a cool-down segment. Mina and Mariah had champagne before they danced to Mina’s music. Mariah went to sneak attack her with a champagne bottle – I do think it was some of Jericho’s backstock – but Mina ducked the shot and kicked the bottle out of her hand. Mina was pissed and tackled Mariah off the stage to a big pop. Mina came up with a bloody mouth and kissed Mariah on the forehead to leave the blood there. A good angle with a smart babyface, and it had a good bit of heat to it. Ever since Mariah’s tweaked her gimmick from the ice-cold femme fatale, she’s done solid work as champ. This angle has some potential to lead to a highlight title match down the line.

Suit: I said in the preview that I was buying Jack Perry stock, as I believe him to have massive upside as a babyface in the future. That stock has to be at an all-time low right now, as not a soul in this building gave a fuck about Jack Perry here. The two worked hard, but Perry is just not meant to be a heel. He’s been this Scapegoat character for about a year now, and he’s just never found a pace in the ring to make it work. They worked hard, even throwing in a ringside table spot for a long countout tease. But this match had absolutely no juice until the finish, when the crowd finally woke up when it seemed like Garcia was going to win. And win he did, tapping Perry out with the Dragon Slayer sharpshooter. This was trending to a two-star special, but they willed this up to 2.5 with the finish. A disappointing ending to a disappointing TNT Title reign for Perry. **1/2

AEW INTERNATIONAL TITLE MATCH
KONOSUKE TAKESHITA (C) DEF. RICOCHET

Suit: This was a solid, well-worked pro wrestling match that was also wildly disappointing with the names involved. Takeshita worked over Ricochet’s back, Ricochet fought back, Takeshita was too much to overcome. It was perfectly fine, but far from what you hope for when you see this match on paper. But that’s the thing, our expectations may have to be updated when it comes to Ricochet. He’s talked a big game, recently talking about how he wants to be a World Champion and carry a company on his back. But his output has not stood out in any kind of special way since he’s come in. He’s had matches with guys who should be good style fits for him like Will Ospreay, Kyle Fletcher, and Takeshita, but nothing has really gotten over the top. And if you can’t have a capital-G GREAT with those guys, who can you do it with?

Takeshita won with an Avalanche Raging Fire. ***

BOBBY LASHLEY (W/MVP & SHELTON BENJAMIN) DEF. SWERVE STRICKLAND (W/PRINCE NANA)

Suit: This show was dying a slow death after the Ospreay match, but these two came out and had a match that got this crowd back hot and invested. They came out of the gates with a quick pace, Prince Nana and MVP engaged with the crowd, and the guys worked their asses off to keep the energy up. They used some shortcuts, like a ref ejection spot with Shelton Benjamin and breaking both the Spanish announce table and the barricade with their finishes. But at the end of the day, those spots worked and played part in an excellent PPV debut for Bobby Lashley.

Lashley speared Swerve through the barricade, hit another spear in the ring, and made Swerve pass out in the Hurt Lock. The crowd gasped at the finish, showing the respect Swerve has earned over the course of the past year and the shock at Lashley beating him clean. This was a great finish, it was the right finish, and they’re off to a very good start with The Hurt Syndicate. ****1/4

AEW WORLD TITLE MATCH
JON MOXLEY (C) (W/ MARINA SHAFIR) DEF. ORANGE CASSIDY

Suit: These two kept the energy up to start the match, as Cassidy drilled Mox with three Orange Punches to send him to the floor. They brawled around ringside Mox stomped Orange on the steps to cut him. The rest of the match was Orange fighting from underneath until he got some big hope spots with another pair of Orange Punches and a Beach Break. Castagnoli and PAC came out to menace Cassidy, but the Conglomeration came out to make the save. Marina Shafir got in the ring with the briefcase that contains the World Title, but Willow Nightingale made the save to a massive pop. Cassidy looked to have Mox dead to rights before Wheeler Yuta slid in to drill him with a Busaiku Knee. Mox hit the Death Rider to retain in a match that could have been a Match of the Year contender with a modicum of a better build. ****1/2

The post-match was even wilder. Yuta and Mox dumped a bottle of chemical cleaner into Cassidy’s mouth before Hangman Page came out to drill Yuta with a chair. Mox stared down Page before Christian Cage hit Mox with the Killswitch. There seemed to be a deal between Hangman and Christian where Hangman would help him lay out Mox and cash in his title shot, with Hangman getting the first defense. Christian went to cash in before Jay White, who still has an issue with Christian for screwing him out of the Owen Hart Memorial Tournament back in July, dropped him with a Blade Runner. Moxley and the Death Riders fled to the parking lot to ride away in their truck, but suddenly a spray-painted car flew into the truck and totaled it. The Death Riders stole another car nearby as Darby Allin crawled out of the wreckage, screaming for Mox to come back and fight him.

This was an incredible end to the show, with a ton of stories weaving together to make it happen. Yuta’s continued brainwashing, Christian continually getting foiled in cashing in his title shot, Hangman and Mox’s history of violence, Jay White’s path of revenge on Christian and Hangman, and Darby’s war against the Death Riders. A surreal final five minutes ends what was a great, if not top-tier, AEW PPV presentation.