AEW Full Gear 2024 airs tonight on pay per view at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey.
You can find all previews for AEW Full Gear by clicking here.
The Dream Match Era of AEW is over. We are now in the AEW World of Ruin.
The Balance of AEW has been broken due to Jon Moxley. He’s allowed monsters to roam free. He’s turned friend against friend. He’s caused so much chaos and destruction that some of the biggest heroes of the past, wrestlers like Kenny Omega, Eddie Kingston, and Toni Storm look at AEW and say you know what? I’m good. AEW doesn’t need me.
“AEW is fine without me. They don't need me.”
— Drainmaker 🌧️ 💵 (@DrainBamager) November 20, 2024
3 people have said this exact same thing in the past few days. GODDAMMIT. pic.twitter.com/YX5LxQEixr
They don’t say AEW doesn’t need them because everything is fine and dandy. They say it out of fear. They don’t want to enter this world after the injuries and injustices they’ve felt in the past because they know it’s going to get even worse in Jon Moxley’s Coliseum.
The World of Ruin hasn’t been smooth. For all of the hope people had that Jimmy Jacobs quitting would suddenly make everything great again, AEW has still had some of the same booking issues it has had in the past. Because you can’t fire one man and fix everything. AEW will always be Tony Khan’s company. He’s not going to stop booking no matter how much you whine and cry. You can influence him, you can provide him ideas, but he’s always going to book for what he wants to see in the end. As he should. You as a viewer can like it or dislike it, but there’s no, “Okay I have fired his Rasputin this will be good now” because your vision of good isn’t everyone else’s.
The wrestling week to week in the World of Ruin isn’t at the same level in the past for AEW, especially for Dynamite. This past week for AEW Dynamite with Claudio versus Darby and Orange Cassidy versus Wheeler Yuta was the strongest in-ring it has been in weeks. Maybe months. But that’s for the build up to this pay per view. We do have the Continental Classic coming up which might bring the wrestling quality up huge, but it’s a temporary boost.
There’s a focus on stories unlike ever before, partially due to that becoming a negative narrative about AEW and also because the Dream Match Era absolutely lacked quality stories to sink your teeth into. Now we have plenty of stories. We have a promotional story led by a strong Jon Moxley, we have Swerve versus the Syndicate, we have Jay White and Adam Page, we have Fletcher turning on Ospreay, we have Mina finally returning to Mariah, and so much more. That one isn’t even getting a match at the pay per view but just a champagne celebration.
There’s progress, and I’m hopeful of that progress. For as much as I hate seeing QT Marshall try to worm his way back onto AEW programming, or the way the Adam Cole/MJF story has limped its way onto this show, and how little of time Jay and Adam have got to build their story? The Swerve/Syndicate story has been rock solid every single week. The Death Riders are compelling every week. Fletcher is getting over against Ospreay. Garcia and Perry have built their program up to a crescendo.
I’m not letting my frustrations waver me from the fact that this is the right path. Eventually the heroes will return.
World of Ruin is from Final Fantasy VI (it’s the 30th anniversary so you have to deal with me constantly going back to it even though Tony Khan has never said this is about the game. This is my thing) where Kefka literally destroys the world and becomes a god. When you start it, you’re stuck on an island and your friends are gone. You have to get off the island and find your friends one by one before you can get strong enough to face Kefka on his tower.
When you do this the world is destroyed, the music is depressing, everything is shattered. But you find hope after each friend is found, and in that time you heal old wounds re-opened by the ruin. You do more than just save the world. You save yourselves.
Toni Storm, Eddie Kingston, and Kenny Omega said that AEW is fine without them. It isn’t. They just need to find themselves in this new world. When AEW Dynamite goes on MAX? Expect them to be found there.
Until then? Enjoy the new era. It’s hopefully the last time for a while AEW has to trot out a “new era” “restored feeling” with the new TV deal in place.
Full Gear Zero Hour
BIG BOOM! A.J. versus QT Marshall
As I expressed, this match feels like QT Marshall finding his way to backdoor his way back onto AEW programming. On AEW Dynamite it felt like the company was acutely aware of this too as they made sure he wasn’t on the show at all to promote the match. The promotion instead focused on BIG BOOM! A.J. of the Costco Boys to promote the match.
I thought he did a great job of it too. Are those guys goofy? Sure, but it’s a goofy that fits for pro wrestling. I hope their fans enjoyed it and maybe some who don’t watch AEW consider buying the pay per view, even if BIG BOOM! is on the pre-show.
How will the match go? I’m sure QT will do his competent heel schtick with mediocre wrestling that allows A.J. to shine and QT can go on Twitter and tell everyone how valuable and important he is when all anyone remembers is BIG BOOM! A.J. doing a good job cross promoting with All Elite Wrestling. Hopefully this is the end of QT Marshall threatening to get on AEW television but I hope A.J. comes back. Especially if he’s bringing The Rizzler.
Winner: BIG BOOM! A.J.
Deonna Purrazzo versus Anna Jay
Winner: Anna Jay
The Beast Mortos versus Dante Martin versus Komander versus Buddy Matthews
Welcome back to 205 Live, Buddy Matthews!
Winner: Buddy Matthews
AEW Full Gear 2024
TNT Championship
Daniel Garcia versus Jack Perry (c)
There is no doubt in my mind that Daniel Garcia is walking out of Full Gear 2024 as TNT Champion.
When Adam Copeland was TNT Champion it felt like the plan was for Copeland to essentially pass the torch to Daniel Garcia to make him champion. I’m glad that didn’t happen. That was Dream Match Era AEW where half the programs had no heat and were built up to just be nice matches. We didn’t need a nice match to make Daniel Garcia champion. We needed a program that he could sink his teeth into and mean something.
That’s Jack Perry. Jack telling Daniel, “They used to dance for me too” was just perfect. It was a former golden boy of the AEW fans telling the current golden boy that the road to the top isn’t kind. If you let it twist you it will.
There’s a lot of people who didn’t like the Pillars match at Double or Nothing 2023 and I understand why since the program was terrible. But it was also salvageable. A bit part of salvaging it was MJF and Jungle Jack Perry. Max was basically telling Jack that if he wanted to win the AEW Men’s World Championship he’d have to become him. Perry refused.
It helped shape my theory that Jack Perry was going to become The Devil. He didn’t. The angle decided to go the most obvious and disappointing route. But eventually he became The Devil in his own way by becoming The Scapegoat. As The Scapegoat he has essentially become like Maxwell Jacob Friedman. He’s extremely obsessed with the way people feel about him and takes everything personal.
This program is really about Daniel Garcia becoming TNT Champion on his own terms and proving he doesn’t have to become someone else to accomplish championship gold in the company. Jack had to become someone he isn’t to move up. Garcia can prove he can stay himself by beating Perry and becoming TNT Champion.
Good reign, Jack. Enjoy the Continental Classic.
Winner and NEW TNT Champion: Daniel Garcia
AEW International Championship
Ricochet versus Konosuke Takeshita (c)
I had planned to write this weeks ago and had it on my schedule. I figured after everything that happened at Maple Leaf Pro it would be easy to announce. And then it wasn’t announced. I had to go back to my hometown on Thursday so I wrote everything ahead of time in preparation and figured if it wasn’t announced Wednesday it wasn’t happening. And now it’s happening.
Winner: Konosuke Takeshita, who if Tony Khan gave a little more respect to it would go an immense amount of way in calming down the most cynical of AEW fans.
AEW World Tag Team Championship
4 Way
The Outrunners versus Kings of the Black Throne versus The Acclaimed versus Private Party (c)
There are a few questions going into this match.
Question One: How will FTR factor seeing their buddies The Outrunners get an AEW World Tag Team Championship shot when they lost their match?
Question Two: How will Brody King accept another loss from Malakai Black? Buddy Matthews hasn’t been winning. Malakai Black isn’t winning without Brody. Brody lost to Darby Allin at WrestleDream but at least he was on pay per view. Kings of the Black Throne are only here due to the win against FTR with Brody King. Does this match lead to a split?
Question Three: Max Caster and Anthony Bowens look to be on shaky ground due to Max Caster’s antics, their lack of recent success, and the card given to Acclaimed by The Hurt Syndicate. Is this the Breakup night for The Acclaimed?
Question Four: How will Private Party stand out in a four way match as their first defence after defeating The Young Bucks?
The most important question is the fourth question, which is the one least asked. The focus has been on FTRunners, Kings of the Black Throne, and The Acclaimed. Some focus also on LFI not winning their match and Top Flight not getting in this as well. I’ve heard more people talk about The Outrunners getting this shot than if Private Party are ready to be the top tag team in AEW.
But I have hope that despite these questions swirling, Private Party is prepared to answer their question and silence critics again. They don’t have the best tag team of the 21st century to set them up for moments of success anymore. They have to steal the spotlight for themselves. They have the gold. Time to shine.
Winner: Private Party
Hangman Adam Page versus Switchblade Jay White
Page versus White was my favourite match from WrestleDream 2024 and one of my favourite AEW matches of the year.
I’m definitely looking forward to this rematch, just on a wrestling standpoint, but I think the story deserved a lot more. Both guys should have got a lot more time to build it up in promos instead of random matches. I thought Jay White and Juice Robinson versus Adam Page and Christian Cage was a great match, but I also feel like Christian Cage and Hook are getting just as much TV time as this match, and why?
It’s a whole different topic when it comes to Christian Cage’s title shot briefcase and what a mess that has been, but it still has weaved itself into a good chunk of this story build up.
There’s not much I can say about this aside from I wish they got more time to truly build it up to the viewers and I expect Page to avenge his loss and move to something else. My hope of course is Adam Page entering the Continental Classic and winning it. You could also run essentially a rubber match at World’s End, but only if they actually commit to giving them proper TV time for this. If it hasn’t happened now, I doubt it happens ever.
Winner: Hangman Adam Page
Roderick Strong versus Maxwell Jacob Friedman
I said pretty much everything I needed to say in the match preview. This program stinks. It reeks of nobody caring about anything happening week to week.
MJF didn’t need to come back yet if he isn’t going to be available week to week.
Having Adam Cole beat 2/3 of House of Black and then pivot to Don Callis Family made no sense.
MJF choosing Konosuke Takeshita when he had just got pinned in a tag match made no sense.
Roderick Strong also working for three matches to get a shot at MJF on the side was heatless.
Adam Cole working two mediocre matches and finishing with a mediocre performance against one of the best wrestlers today has caused the crowds who used to be ravenously loyal to Adam Cole to not care about him anymore.
This is a bad program and the fact it is leading to Roddy versus MJF only gives me hope that at least we get one good match out of this whole debacle. It doesn’t seem to be ending at Full Gear so we likely get Cole vs MJF at World’s End. Yippee.
This is dangerously close to the worst program in AEW in 2024 (Billy Gunn embarrassing Jay White) and the longer this runs the more damage it does to everyone. End it at Full Gear. Act like this never happened.
Winner: Maxwell Jacob Friedman
Will Ospreay versus Kyle Fletcher
The finish on Dynamite in which Kyle Fletcher put Mark Davis in harm’s way of Will Ospreay to hit him with the Hidden Blade?
Interesting.
It’s the classic pro wrestling setup of Mark Davis not being mad at Fletcher for putting him in the line of fire but for Will Ospreay taking the shot. Is Mark Davis going to have a cool head about this or is he going to feel like Ospreay went too far? Is this the kind of thing that can corrupt Davis?
I of course pushed for Aussie Open to reunite and I still feel that way. That can happen regardless of how this finish comes down. Kyle Fletcher could pin Will Ospreay due to Davis interference, or Ospreay can win and Davis can still turn on Ospreay.
Either way I can see Will Ospreay winning this because Kyle Fletcher winning pushes him into a level I don’t know if the company is ready to push him at. I will say though that every time I watch Fletcher in the ring? I wonder if I’m being too conservative with the kid. He’s got it. He absolutely does. And once it’s properly refined, steel in fire pounded into form? He’s going to be a top guy in AEW. He’s close, but time and experience is what will get him in finished form.
Winner: Will Ospreay
Swerve Strickland versus Bobby Lashley
When I was originally writing my preview I leaned towards Swerve Strickland winning this so Bobby Lashley and Shelton Benjamin could jump Swerve after the match. Basically make it a, “It doesn’t matter if you won we’re still going to kill you” so Swerve realizes the only way he gets the Hurt Syndicate out of his way is to find a tag partner.
I don’t know if that’s the goal anymore. I think the goal is to keep Shelton and Bobby separate. I thought Shelton and Bobby as a tag team would be the true goal, having them face Private Party down the road. Shelton and Bobby as AEW World Tag Team Champions would be awesome.
I think they stay singles. I’ll probably regret zagging ont his, but now I see Bobby Lashley beating Swerve Strickland now that he doesn’t get use of the chain. Swerve is going to get dominated by The Almighty, and it’s going to be about building Bobby Lashley into a top guy for the final years he can perform at that level. AEW could use a big guy like him and his power around the top.
I already had sugar plums (Darby Allin versus Bobby Lashley) dancing in my head. I expect Lashley and Swerve to be brutal and violent just like New Jersey likes it.
Winner: Bobby Lashley
TBS Championship
Kris Statlander versus Mercedes Moné
Whatever plans AEW once had for Brickhouse Kamille? Boy those feel out the door. She feels like the most incompetent bodyguard now in a sling barely able to protect Mercedes.
That’s actually a good way to make it feel like Kris Statlander is in position to win the TBS Championship and I wouldn’t be surprised if Kamille takes off the sling and helps Moné win, but there’s also a feeling that she’s just on her way out of this position after a poor showing against Statlander on the Fright Night Dynamite. If you can’t perform against Kris? You might not be cut out to be All Elite.
Mercedes needs a statement match. She had a great match with Willow but that was back in May. She had good matches with Stephanie Vaquer and the first match with Hikaru Shida but I feel like she needs that match that puts her TBS Championship reign on the map. She could have that tonight against Kris Statlander. I hope afterwards the goal is for her to face Jamie Hayter. It should have been the match here and wasn’t for whatever reason.
Either way? The road forward should be to Athena.
Winner: Mercedes Moné
AEW Men’s World Championship
Orange Cassidy versus Jon Moxley (c)
I commend AEW for the work they put into AEW Dynamite making you think there’s a chance that Orange Cassidy ends this reign early.
When writing the match preview I had that feeling that maybe OC does it. Maybe this ends in the valley instead of up on the mountain. Darby Allin lost to Claudio. He’s back at the bottom. Orange Cassidy though? Maybe he proves he can’t be broken.
But Jon Moxley doesn’t have to break Orange Cassidy’s soul to win this match. He just has to pin or submit Orange Cassidy. He’s beaten him before.
For this Crusade to mean something the Death Riders need a win beyond beating Bryan Danielson in his final full-time match in front of his family. It can’t just be about Danielson. It needs to be about more. Having the scalp of Orange Cassidy on your first defence is a good way to get the ball rolling.
This match can effectively work for two purposes. The first is to make it clear that Orange Cassidy, even if he loses, is on Jon Moxley’s level. There’s a future where OC wins, it just isn’t in 2024. The second is to establish Jon Moxley as a fraud. This crusade? This isn’t for anything other than to keep Jon Moxley at the top of the foodchain as the cliché goes.
Moxley doesn’t have to win a hard fought match which would deserve a handshake in the end. He needs to be a villain. He needs to do all the cheap shit we hate. He needs to get the AEW fans hating him in the end. He doesn’t deserve a handshake. He needs to deserve our scorn.
If Moxley is a valiant warrior in the end then this just turns into us loving Jon Moxley again. He’s a loveable cat. We don’t want that. We want the vitriol. We want that taste of acid when you have a cavity in your mouth. That’s what the Death Riders should feel like.
The Crusade rides to victory.
Winner: Jon Moxley
In the words of Ian Riccaboni? Happy Wrestling everyone.
