Hikaru Shida (c) vs. “Timeless” Toni Storm (with Luther) – AEW Women’s World Championship
Both women open the match throwing bombs. Shida takes the wind out of Storm with a running knee strike. Shida drapes Storm over the top rope and lays in some chops. Mariah May is looking on backstage. She is concerned. Storm’s chest is just beat red. Storm fires back with chops of her own and a bulldog. A missile drop kick scores Shida a two count. Storm catches Shida on the second rope and slams her down hard. Luther hands Storm one shoe while putting another in the back of her trunks. Storm surrenders the one in her hand to the official and clocks Shida with the other. Shida kicks out. Shida kicks it into high gear landing strike after strike. Storm lands some of her own. Shida scores a two count with a Falcon Arrow.
Shida leaps off the top rope. Storm rolls out of the way. Shida comes up limping. Storm puts Shida into an ankle lock. Shida retrieves her kendo stick. Luther grabs the kendo stick. Shida kicks him in the “lower abdomen” and beats him with the stick. Storm puts a metal tray into her trunks. It is hanging out for all to see yet the official sees and does nothing.
Storm adjusts the tray before hitting her hip attack on Shida in a corner. When she comes out of the corner you can clearly see the tray hanging out of the back of her trunks again. Storm gets the three count. Mariah May brings a bouquet of flowers down to the ring for Storm.
Winner: …and new AEW Women’s World Champion, Toni Storm.
Match Rating: 3 / 10
Ricky Starks and Big Bill (c) vs. La Facción Ingobernable (Rush and Dralístico) vs. FTR (Cash Wheeler and Dax Harwood) vs. Kings of The Black Throne (Malakai Black and Brody King) – Four-way tag team ladder match for the AEW World Tag Team Championships
One big mess of a match but a good mess. What does anyone expect when it was made a ladder match literally hours before the show. Dax catches Black with a haymaker and that knocks him clear out of the ring. The ropes are used as a slingshot to fire a ladder into Dax’s face. Dralistico slings Dax off the ropes. He leapfrogs Dax. Dax flies through the ropes spearing Rush off the apron and into everyone else. Dralistico splashes everyone following that. Black does the same thing with a backdive off the ropes. Dax suplexes Starks off the top rope onto everyone as well. Dax and Rush joust each with their own ladders. Dax finally just throws his ladder at Rush.
Dax does the whole helicopter spot with a ladder around his neck until Dralistico drop kicks him. Wheeler comes running off the rope. Black springs the ladder off the ropes into Wheeler. Dax stands on a ladder in a corner. He low blows Black and piledrives him on the ladder itself which was the most impressive spot of the match. King dives through the ropes. Bill hits him with a ladder.
Brody climbs the ladder. Bill tips it over so Brody lands on some stacked ladders. Brody takes Dralistico and spikes him on a ladder that is bridged on the apron and a ringside barricade. Wheeler splashes Brody on the same ladder.
Ricky Starks and Cash Wheeler battle at the top of a ladder. Starks swings one of the belts into Wheeler’s head. Starks pulls down the belts for his team.
Winners: and still AEW World Tag Team Champions, Ricky Starks and Big Bill.
Match Rating: 8 / 10
Kris Statlander (c) vs. Julia Hart vs. Skye Blue – AEW TBS Championship
Statlander dares both of the challengers to bring it. She slams Blue onto Hart and tries to pin them both. Statlander kicks out of Blue’s pin. Blue lands near Hart. They stare at each other. Hart jumps on Statlander’s back. She just slams Hart down. Hart and Blue double-team Statlander on the floor. Statlander suplexes both of them though. Double super-kicks knocks Statlander into Dreamland. Hart and Blue shake each other’s hand in the middle of the ring. Hart headbutts Blue.
Statlander catches Blue slamming her on her face. Statlander climbs to the top rope. Hart pushes her. Statlander falls onto the apron and then the floor. Hart almost pins Blue with a moonsault but Statlander pulls Hart off of Blue. Statlander powerslams Hart on the arena floor. Blue lands two kicks on Statlander. Blue hits Code Blue for a two count on Statlander. Statlander gives Blue and Hart a series of Deadlift German Suplexes. Statlander hits Blue with Saturday Night Fever on Blue. Hart clotheslines Statlander off Blue. She pins Blue instead.
Winner: …and new AEW TBS Champion, Julia Hart.
Rating: 6 / 10
Tony Schiavone is in the ring. He introduces the newest member of the AEW roster for a “blockbuster contract signing”. It is Will Ospreay. Ospreay says he is going to finish up with NJPW first out of respect for the promotion and then join AEW. “I will be on the road to Revolution but more importantly I am All Elite!”.
“Hangman” Adam Page vs. Swerve Strickland (with Prince Nana) – Texas Death Match
Winner: Swerve Strickland
Match Rating: 9.5 / 10
The Golden Jets (Kenny Omega and Chris Jericho) vs. The Young Bucks (Matt Jackson and Nick Jackson)
Omega bumps fists with the Bucks before the match begins and during the match. Jericho has Matt Jackson beaten down in a corner. Omega tags himself in and backs Jericho off. Jericho is puzzled. They argue for a bit.
“CM Punk!” chants begin. They are followed by some boos.
Omega comes down hard with his Terminator Dive on Matt Jackson. The Bucks double team Jericho on the floor. Trapping and slamming his right arm into the steel steps. The Bucks work on the arm to prevent Jericho’s Judas Effect. Jericho’s arm is bleeding. Omega is hot-tagged in. Omega battles both of The Bucks.
Jericho has Matt Jackson in the Walls of Jericho. Nick looks to break it up. Omega pulls him off the apron. Matt fights his way out of the hold. Matt and Jericho throw hands while on their knees. Matt Double Northern Lights Suplexes Omega and Jericho. Omega is German Suplexed on the apron.
Nick Jackson kicks Jericho in the “lower abdomen”. Omega reads him the riot act. When he turns around Matt kicks him in the same place. Omega interrupts the pin attempt as Matt drops Jericho with his version of the Judas Effect. Nick shoves the official. As their back is turned Jericho punches him in the “lower abdomen”. Jericho tags in Omega. Omega enters the ring and isn’t sure what to do. Omega takes it to the Bucks. Omega kicks out of Matt’s One-Winged Angel. Jericho blocks the Meltzer Driver with a Code Breaker. Omega pins Matt with a One-Winged Angel. Nick Jackson smashes steel chairs at ringside. Matt does the same.
Winners: The Golden Jets (Kenny Omega and Chris Jericho)
Match Rating: 8 / 10
MJF (c) vs. Jay White – AEW World Championship
Winner: …and still AEW World Champion, MJF.
Match Rating: 8 / 10
Full Gear Summary
For all intents and purposes this show shouldn’t receive such a high score. The start to the middle of the show was mediocre at best and very poor at worst. However, the back half of the show was so strong that it compensated for the terrible start. While it may have been difficult for some to watch at times, Hangman and Strickland will definitely go down as one of the very best hardcore matches of this or any era of wrestling.
