AEW holds itself to a high standard when it comes to their PPV events, with each show offering some match of the year candidates at the very least. With AEW’s PPV schedule increasing, it poses the question of whether this streak of incredible shows can continue.
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The show offered up ten matches, and whilst it will be objective, this will take a look at how good each match on the card was. With stars from AEW and NJPW, and with titles on the line from ROH too, there was variety and a lot of quality on show. Which matches were the best though, and which were the worst?
10 Young Bucks Vs. The Gunns Vs. Orange Cassidy & Hook Vs. The Lucha Brothers
This wasn’t a bad match by any means, but it didn’t feel like it should have been on a PPV. It was chaotic, fast, and free-flowing, but at times it did feel quite messy, especially in the final portion where it was hard to follow who was even legal.
It perhaps lacked a bit of investment from the crowd, but that is understandable given that it was just a number one contenders match with no title on the line, which made it feel more like a TV match. The Bucks winning was predictable but perhaps the right call, setting up another FTR match.
9 MJF Vs. The Righteous - ROH Tag Team Championships
This was what it needed to be. MJF’s crowd control was stunning, and it ensured that even though the in-ring work wasn’t anything special, the show was kicked off with a super hot match.
The Righteous didn’t come out of this looking great, being handily defeated by MJF, but they have time to rebuild. MJF’s bodyslam and Kangaroo Kick were the most notable moments of this pretty basic but good handicap match. Adam Cole’s absence was notable, but MJF did well on his own.
8 Ricky Starks Vs. Wheeler Yuta
Fans didn’t have too much interest in this match going in, but with low expectations these two men still delivered a strong match.
It was very physical with a whole load of stiff strikes, and whilst it would perhaps have been better suited for a weekly TV card, it was still a good match between two promising stars. Starks was the star here, but Yuta showcased a lot of that BCC resilience.
7 Eddie Kingston Vs. Katsuyori Shibata - ROH World Championship & NJPW Strong Championship
This was a great tribute to Antonio Inoki with this being a hard-hitting strong style bout which thunderous strikes, vicious chops, and every move felt as though it mattered.
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The men had a lot of respect for one another but this only led to it being more physical. The only argument against this was a lack of story perhaps taking away from it, and it could’ve been a bit longer. That being said, it was still a highly entertaining match that is only a bit lower down the list due to the high caliber of matches on the card.
6 Kris Statlander Vs. Julia Hart - TBS Championship
Both women brought their A-game to show what the TBS Title division should be all about. It was an athletic contest which was fluid and only got better as the bout went on. From entrances to character work in the match to some great sequences, the crowd grew with it too.
The latter part of the match elevated it a great deal with near-falls and big moves. Both individuals came out of this looking like bigger stars which is testament to a great match.
5 FTR Vs. Aussie Open - AEW World Tag Team Championships
This is the Aussie Open that fans have been waiting to see. Although the build to this match was a little lackluster, Aussie Open finally proved that they belong in AEW with a breakout performance.
The two teams went to battle here in a great tag team match, and even though it wasn’t an instant classic, it was a taste of what these two teams can do. It was among the better half of matches on the night for sure.
4 Chris Jericho, Kenny Omega, & Kota Ibushi Vs. Will Ospreay, Sammy Guevara, & Konosuke Takeshita
Much like the other multi-man tag earlier in the night, this match featured a lot of action and chaos, but whereas the other bout fell short, this one was far better done.
Everything in this match felt as though it mattered, and it flowed a lot more smoothly. The interactions between all these world class competitors were brilliant, with Jericho in particular shining with a great showing. Ibushi looked better than he had done previously, and it continued to give momentum to the Don Callis Family with a win for the heels.
3 “Hangman” Adam Page Vs. Swerve Strickland
This only got better the longer it went, and despite Adam Page working against the crowd, he still put in a gutsy performance, fighting through the pain in his arm caused by Strickland. The targeting of limbs and the growing frustration of Strickland led to an intense bout.
Strickland felt like a star coming out of this, rising to the occasion in a terrific back and forth encounter against a former world champion, and despite an arguably cheap finish, he had his coming out party here in one of the best matches of the night.
2 Christian Cage Vs. Darby Allin - TNT Championship
A big time main event with drama, extreme physicality, a major heel turn, and a massive debut straight after - what more could you want?
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Christian was his usual wonderful heel self, vindictive, slimy, and vicious in his assault. Allin took some unreal bumps once again, and played the underdog babyface to perfection. The steel steps, the exposed mat, and other moments really helped this match to have a big fight feel. Adam Copeland’s debut will be most remembered, but this match was still incredible.
1 Bryan Danielson Vs. Zack Sabre Jr.
Getting the billing of a “dream match” adds a lot of pressure, but these two delivered arguably the match of the night. It had world class technical wrestling, fluid mat wrestling, brutal submission moves, and stiff as hell strikes.
They went to war in a match that proved them each to be the best in their craft, and in front of his hometown crowd, Danielson’s victory was a great moment. It was a terrific match that lived up to the years and years worth of wait.
