‘AEW: Full Gear 2024’ PPV Review
Welcome to this review of AEW’s Full Gear, which looks to be yet another huge pay-per-view for All Elite Wrestling – with plenty of title matches, including both women’s AND men’s titles on the line. The Zero Hour portion of the show kicked off proceedings with a few pre-PPV matches that saw Anna Jay defeat Deonna Purrazzo, Buddy Matthews pick up the win in a 4-way match, and the godawful match that saw the “Costco Guys” Big Boom A.J. defeat QT Marshall.
Match #1: AEW World Tag Team Championship 4-Way Match – Private Party def. Kings of the Black Throne (Malakai Black & Brody King), The Outrunners (Truth Magnum & Turbo Floyd) and The Acclaimed (Anthony Bowens & Max Caster)
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Quen and Black went to a stalemate early on. Quen ducked The End kick from Black. Bowens tagged in and hip tossed Kassidy. The Outrunners used classic tandem offense on Kassidy and then flexed and posed. Brody nearly decapitated Turbo with a big time clothesline. Brody superplexed Bowens while Black followed up with a diving foot stomp! The Kings of the Black Throne continued to dominate the match by double teaming Quen. Bowens landed the Scissor Me Timbers on Brody as Brody was held down by the other wrestlers. Caster hit Turbo before Bowens and Turbo could shake hands. Bowens looked frustrated by Caster’s actions. Private Party landed stereo 450s on the Outrunners, but the Outrunners kicked out of the pin attempt. The Outrunners blasted Private Party with their bicep elbow drops. Brody tagged himself in and leveled Truth Magnum. The Outrunners hit the Total Recall on Brody, but the pin attempt was broken up by Caster. Bowens and Caster were both the legal men. Caster laid down, telling Bowens to pin him, but Bowens declined, not wanting the match to end that way. Caster called for the Arrival from Bowens. Caster went for the Mic Drop on Kassidy, but Turbo interrupted it. Quen and Kassidy served up Gin & Juice on Caster and retained the titles!
My Score: 2.5 out of 5
Match #2: MJF def. Roderick Strong
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Roddy jumped behind MJF and nailed him with an emphatic chop. Roddy stomped a mudhole into MJF on the ramp. MJF ducked a chop from Roddy and Roddy inadvertently smacked the steel ring post. MJF power bombed Roderick Strong on the apron. MJF yanked Roddy’s wrist and threw him into the turnbuckles. Roddy retaliated with a half nelson back breaker. Roddy countered a heat seeker and kicked MJF through the ropes, sending MJF into the barricade. Roddy rocked MJF with a back breaker onto the barricade. Roddy countered a Panama Sunrise with a back breaker for a near fall. MJF spiked Roddy with a DDT but Roddy kicked out at the two-count. MJF spat at Roddy and Roddy fired back with chops to MJF’s chest. Roddy locked MJF into the Texas Cloverleaf. Roddy let go of the hold because of the damage to his hand and shoulder. Roddy threw a hard elbow strike at MJF and MJF crumbled to the mat. Roddy stunned MJF with the End of Heartache, but MJF touched the bottom rope with his boot to prevent the pin. Roddy cracked MJF with a gut buster and then a sick kick right on target. MJF blocked the End of Heartache with a brain buster! MJF wrenched back with the Salt of the Earth arm bar and Roderick had no choice but to tap out!
My Score: 2.5 out of 5
Match #3: TBS Championship Match – Mercedes Moné def. Kris Statlander
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Mercedes grounded and pounded Statlander. The challenger got to her feet and press slammed the CEO. Stat followed up with a moonsault. Mercedes took down Kris with a hurracanrana off the apron down onto the arena floor. Stat immediately clutched her back. Mercedes crashed down with a meteora on Statlander. Mercedes whipped Stat into the steel ring steps and then charged at Statlander, driving her knees into Statlander’s skull. Mercedes stomped on Kris in the corner. After another meteora, Mercedes hooked Kris’ legs for a pin attempt, but Statlander kicked out. Mercedes countered a power bomb attempt with a neck breaker. Mercedes smashed Kris against the turnbuckles with a double knee strike. Mercedes was looking for a swinging DDT off the turnbuckles, but Statlander shoved her away. Statlander countered another meteora attempt with a buckle bomb. Statlander power slammed the champion. Statlander rocked Mercedes with a chaos theory suplex, and Mercedes kicked out at 2.99. Mercedes cracked Kris with a back stabber! Mercedes went for another meteora, but Kris kicked out at the two-count. Statlander retaliated with a discus lariat. Statlander hit the Staturday Night Fever for a near fall on Mercedes. Mercedes spiked Kris with a DDT! Mercedes was outraged that Kris kicked out. Mercedes stunned Kris with the Three Amigos suplexes. Mercedes jumped off the turnbuckles, but Stat caught her and planted Mercedes. Mercedes dodged a 450 splash. Mercedes attacked Kris’ right knee with elbow strikes. Mercedes landed a frog splash on Kris’ knee, but Kris kicked out of the pin attempt. Mercedes punished Kris with two consecutive back stabbers. She planted Kris and covered her, but Kris kicked out! The arena erupted in cheers. Mercedes escaped the Saturday Night Fever by biting Kris’ knee. Mercedes rolled up Kris and picked up the hard earned victory!
My Score: 2.5 out of 5
Match #4: Jay White def. “Hangman” Adam Page
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Hangman suplexed Jay out of the ring and Jay immediately clutched his leg. Page seized upon Jay’s injured leg. Hangman bashed Jay White’s ankle against the steel ring post. Hangman punched the ankle of Jay White. Jay White chopped at Adam Page, but Page retaliated with a belly to belly suplex. Jay White dropkicked the front of Page’s knee, looking to pick apart the Hangman. Jay White spiked Page with a DDT. Page planted White with a fallaway slam into the turnbuckles. Page followed up with an avalanche fallaway slam, but Jay White kicked out at the two-count. Jay White chop blocked Page. Jay White caught Page with a German Suplex. Page power bombed Jay White for a near fall! White regained momentum with a half and half suplex on the apron! Jay White nailed Page with another German Suplex on the arena floor. Page wedged White’s leg between the barricades and kicked the barricade. Page applied an ankle lock on the arena floor. Jay White and Adam Page jumped back into the ring just before the 10-count. Page tried for the buckshot lariat but White intercepted it. Jay White rocked Page with a dragon screw through the ropes. White planted Page with a uranage. Jay White reversed an ankle lock and applied an inverted figure four leg lock. Page inched to the bottom rope to force the ref to break the hold. Page connected with the dead eye! Page punished Jay with a second dead eye for a near fall on Switchblade! Page and White countered one another until Jay White blasted Page with the Blade Runner and scored the pin!
My Score: 3 out of 5
Match #5: Kyle Fletcher def. Will Ospreay
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Both men charged to the center and slugged it out. Fletcher knocked down Will with a shoulder block. Ospreay came back with a hurracanrana. Fletcher avoided a tope and sent Will into the barricade. Ospreay jumped off the ring steps and wiped out Fletcher with another hurracanrana! Back in the ring, Fletcher spiked Will on his head with a DDT. Fletcher blasted Ospreay with a brain buster on the arena floor! Ospreay immediately clutched his shoulder. Fletcher fired off a draping DDT on Ospreay. Kyle applied a dragon sleeper on Ospreay. Fletcher punished Ospreay with a Michinoku driver. Ospreay found the strength for a Sky Twister Press to Fletcher on the floor! Fletcher regained momentum countering the Os Cutter and following up with a power bomb! Will hit a Stun Dog Millionaire. Ospreay nailed Fletcher with a tombstone piledriver on the arena floor! Ospreay, on the attack, hit a blue tornado on Fletcher. Ospreay connected with a Spanish Fly. Will smashed Fletcher with the hidden blade. Ospreay planted Fletcher with the Styles Clash! Ospreay followed up with the hidden blade, but Kyle kicked out in the nick of time! Fletcher somehow managed to spike Ospreay with a jumping tombstone piledriver from the apron to the steel ring steps! Fletcher nailed Will with the grimstone! Kyle leveled Will with a short arm lariat. Fletcher planted Ospreay with a top rope brain buster and pinned Ospreay!
My Score: 3 out of 5
Match #6: TNT Championship Match – Daniel Garcia def. Jack Perry
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Perry kept avoiding Garcia at the start of the match, like a game of cat and mouse. Garcia wouldn’t back down. They locked up and Garcia applied a wrist lock. Perry escaped and once again retreated outside the ring, frustrating Daniel Garcia. Finally Garcia grabbed Perry by the hair and whipped the champion into the guardrail. Garcia charged at Perry and sent him over the barricade with a big boot to the face! Perry retaliated by planting Garcia with a draping DDT onto the arena floor. Perry drilled Daniel with another draping DDT off the barricade. Jack Perry hit a dropkick from the top turnbuckle. Perry clubbed Garcia with a comebacker lariat. Garcia dumped Perry on the back of his head with a back drop driver. Perry caught Garcia with a drop toe hold and locked in what used to be called the snare trap. Garcia reached the ropes, forcing the ref to break the submission maneuver. Perry shoved Matt Menard, perhaps looking for an easy way out of the match. Jack Perry power bombed Garcia through the timekeeper’s table, smirking at Menard. Daddy Magic encouraged Garcia to get to his feet and get back to the ring before the 10-count. Garcia made the desperate call and just barely beat the ref’s count. Garcia walloped Perry with a lariat! Garcia stomped a mudhole into Perry in the corner. Garcia followed up with a running boot slide. Garcia hit Perry with a butterfly suplex into the turnbuckles. Garcia dropkicked Jack Perry in the side of the head. Perry went back to attacking Garcia’s neck. Perry grabbed his TNT Championship belt and carried it into the ring. Perry dropped the belt at Garcia and invited Garcia to use the belt against him. Perry was looking to get Garcia disqualified. Garcia handed the belt to the ref and as the ref had his back turned, Jack Perry suckered in Garcia with a low blow. Perry nailed Garcia with a knee strike to the side of the head for a near fall! Perry was looking for another knee strike, but Garcia slumped down, his eyes closed. Garcia intercepted a thrust kick. Garcia spiked Perry with a piledriver but this time Perry escaped the pin attempt. Garcia blistered Perry’s chest with rapid fire chops. Garcia stuck Perry with a piledriver. Garcia locked on the Dragon Tamer and Perry tapped out!
My Score: 2.5 out of 5
Match #7: AEW International Championship Match – Konosuke Takeshita def. Ricochet
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Takeshita knocked Ricochet out of the ring with a running boot to Ricochet’s head. Takeshita rocked Ricochet with a backdrop onto the timekeeper’s table. Back in the ring, Ricochet caught Takeshita by surprise with an elbow strike. Ricochet climbed up top but Takeshita power slammed Ricochet. Ricochet flipped over the top rope, stuck the landing, crashing right onto Takeshita. Ricochet followed up with a springboard 450 splash! Don Callis threw his headset down and approached the ring, yelling words of encouragement to the champion. Takeshita stunned Ricochet with a blue thunder bomb for a near fall. Ricochet blocked a power drive knee, but Takeshita dished out an elbow strike in its place. Both men traded forearms, but Takeshita knocked Ricochet to the mat, getting the better of the exchange. Ricochet connected with a chopping elbow strike just beneath the jaw of Takeshita. The champion hurled Ricochet with a release German from the top turnbuckle. Takeshita folded the challenger in half with a power drive knee strike, but Ricochet kicked out at the two-count. Takeshita flattened Ricochet with a senton. Ricochet took Takeshita down with a hurracanrana off the turnbuckles followed by a poison rana! Ricochet landed a shooting star press and covered Takeshita for a near fall! Takeshita ducked the spirit gun. Takeshita blocked the Vertigo attempt and planted Ricochet. Takeshita lowered his knee pad, but Ricochet avoided him. Ricochet rocked Takeshita with a twisting brain buster. Takeshita managed to pull off the victory after planting Ricochet from the top rope!
My Score: 3 out of 5
Match #8: Bobby Lashley def. Swerve Strickland
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Bobby Lashley bulldozed Swerve and then slammed him. Bobby hit Swerve with a one-armed vertical suplex. Bobby Lashley powerslammed Swerve but Swerve kicked out at the two-count. Shelton grabbed Swerve’s boot and the ref saw it, so Shelton was ejected from ringside. Bobby caught Swerve who attempted a dive over the top rope. Bobby whipped Swerve into the guardrail. Swerve brained Bobby with a DDT on the ring apron! Swerve jumped off the ring steps and hit the Swerve Stomp, smashing Bobby through the Spanish Announce Table! Swerve followed up with the house call! Swerve climbed to the top turnbuckle and connected with another Swerve Stomp! Lashley kicked out at the last second. After distraction from MVP, Bobby sent Swerve soaring with a belly to belly suplex. Lashley speared Swerve through the barricade. Lashley speared Swerve again, this time inside the ring. Lashley applied the Hurt Lock and Swerve was out. The ref stopped the match, and Bobby Lashley was declared victorious!
My Score: 2.5 out of 5
Match #9: AEW World Championship Match – Jon Moxley def. Orange Cassidy
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Orange pulped Moxley with three consecutive Orange Punches during the ring introductions. Orange followed up with a tope suicida. Orange grounded and pounded Moxley on top of the announcers’ desk! Orange chomped on Moxley’s forehead and Moxley retreated. Moxley gouged at Orange’s eyes. Moxley set Orange on a steel chair and then booted Orange in the head. Moxley stomped on Orange’s head, sandwiching it against the steel ring steps. Orange Cassidy was busted wide open. Mox drilled Orange with a Paradigm Shift onto the steel ring steps, the blood flowing freely from his forehead. Marina kicked Orange in the head as the ref was distracted by Moxley. The champion spiked Orange with a Gotch style piledriver for a near fall. Moxley raked Orange’s back. Orange returned the favor, digging his fingernails into Moxley’s back! Orange jumped off the turnbuckles, but Mox countered with a strike to Orange’s jaw. Orange retaliated with a diving DDT. Orange rocked Moxley with another DDT. Orange charged but Moxley countered with a cutter out of nowhere! They traded strikes in the center of the ring. Orange connected with an Orange Punch, and then a second Orange Punch! Orange rolled up Moxley for a near fall! Orange popped Mox with a third Orange Punch and followed it up with a beach break, but Moxley kicked out at the two-count! “The Bastard” Pac and Claudio Castagnoli surrounded the ring. The Conglomeration came down to the ring to even up the odds for Orange. Back inside the ring, Marina was about to waffle Orange with the case when Willow Nightingale ran to the ring and began to brawl with Marina! As the ref had his back turned, Orange clubbed Moxley with the case, but Mox kicked out. Moxley held the referee while Wheeler Yuta nailed Orange with a knee strike. Moxley finished off Orange with the Death Rider and prevailed.
My Score: 3.5 out of 5
Final Verdict: 3/5
I’m sorry, but what happened here? From having a TERRIBLE gimmick match in the Zero Hour opener to some of the most mundane matches I’ve seen on ANY pay-per-view from AEW, this year’s Full Gear was easily the worst of these shows since the company’s inception. It was also probably one of the worst AEW pay-per-views of the year… Seriously. It didn’t feel like there were any consequences to the matches, even the title changes didn’t feel like they mattered. OK, so we got some good wrestling, actual wrestling, and there were some good matches amongst the mundanity. but this felt like somewhat of a fail for AEW.
