AEW Full Gear 2020 Match Ratings From Sean Ross Sapp

NWA Worlds Women’s Championship
Serena Deeb (c) defeated Allysin Kay
6/10

• The PPV starts in 21 minutes, but they announced this as a 60 minute time limit lol.
• I love Allysin Kay’s blue gear.
• It’s weird to think Serena Deeb was out of the ring for so long.
• You could see Kay calling spots at times.
• AK lands a great choke bomb, it hits hard.
• Double clothesline spot that planted both.
• I can’t put over how good Serena Deeb’s offense is
• Deeb wins with the Tequila Sunrise. This was a good, solid match.
• Thunder Rosa is back in AEW and faces off with Deeb!
• NWA Women’s division gets more story time than AEW on AEW programming.

Top Contender Tournament Finals
Kenny Omega defeated Hangman Page
7/10

• Omega and Page get physical early. Omega changes the pace with an Asai moonsault off the barricade. Omega sells his knee after.
• This match has great psychology and huge moves. Powerbombs on the ramp, double underhook piledrivers.
• The Buckshot Lariat doesn’t hit for Page, but several V Triggers do for Omega.
• One Winged Angel and a pin. Wow.
• I expected this match to be a lot longer, but this left me wanting more.
• Page looks super frustrated and dejected after the match.
• I fully believe Hangman vs. Omega for the title main events a PPV in the future.

Orange Cassidy defeated John Silver
5.5/10

• John Silver tore the pockets out of Orange Cassidy’s pants! Amazing spot.
• Silver did his great tornado bomb.
• Orange Cassidy wins with an Orange Punch and Beach Break.
• This was solid, but I get the feeling it would have actually been better featured on the Buy IN

AEW TNT Championship
Darby Allin defeated Cody (c) (w/ Arn Anderson) to win the title
6.5/10

• Cody is announced as Cody Rhodes. He has a huge entourage.
• I thought Cody Rhodes being joined by a swelling Nightmare Family and Darby Allin just being out there by himself added so much more to both.
• There’s some great one upsmanship early on. The story here is solid too.
• That avalanche Cross Rhodes looked amazing. Breaking the plane instead of kicking out was a great way to avoid burying the move, too.
• Cody Rhodes does the ol’ Bam Bam Bomb!
• Cody does a press slam.
• When Cody takes off his weight belt, Allin trips him with it and almost wins with Last Supper. Coffin Drop for two.
• The two trade pin attempts, and Allin gets one for the win!!
• I didn’t think Darby Allin was going to win after going through all his signature spots and not getting the pin. Great swerve.
• Cody presents the title to Darby Allin and raises his hand.
• Taz comes out and talks trash. Brian Cage and Ricky Starks attack. Great way to get them on the show. Starks and Cage both want the title.
• They attack Darby Allin and Will Hobbs makes the save.
• Cody Rhodes has helped build and make MJF, Brodie Lee and Darby Allin all this year.

AEW Women’s World Title
Hikaru Shida (c) defeated Nyla Rose (w/ Vickie Guerrero)
4.75/10

• Aubrey is trying to keep Nyla from using the chair.
• Nyla works over the leg of an aggressive Shida.
• There’s a LEG CLAW. I didn’t expect to see that one.
• Shida fights back one-legged.
• Nyla lets Shida up at one point, which doesn’t make any sense. I don’t get the “let her up” spots. Had this been built more aggressively it would have made more sense. Shida does one too.
• Vickie whiffed on a trip. I’m emotionally out on this one.
• A Falcon Arrow and Avalanche hit, but again, it’s hard for me to care about who wins, when the characters didn’t care.
• A series of knees win it for Shida.
• Letting each other up undermined this match for me.
• Vickie screams at Nyla Rose.

AEW Tag Team Championships
If Young Bucks Lose, They Can’t Challenge For The Titles Again
9/10

• Matt Jackson starts the match with his injured leg. It will for sure loom huge.
• Dax messes up his thumb and the doc has to tape it up.
• Matt Jackson steals the Arn Anderson duck DDT spot from Dax!
• FTR bust out a Hart Attack.
• Cash Wheeler does a Big E YOLO Dive after a Steiner Bulldog!!
• They’re doing a lot of classic tag team wrestling finishers. I am adoring the love letter to the history of pro wrestling in this match.
• Dax connects with a right hand, Matt with a superkick at the same time.
• FTR do DIY’s finish!!
• Bucks have Sharpshooters on inside and outside the ring.
• Dax is begging Matt to hit him with a chair so he’ll win.
• Instead, Nick gets SICKLY powerbombed over an announce table while Matt eats a spike Tombstone.
• Cash Wilder hits a series of superkicks!
• Matt Jackson loses a boot, and superkicks Cash to win the titles after Cash misses A 450 SPLASH!
• Outstanding match.

Elite Deletion
Matt Hardy defeated Sammy Guevara
6/10

• Matt Hardy has a MONSTER TRUCK!
• Hardy uses a sceptor while he’s being drowned in a fountain.
• They have a full AEW ring set up at Matt Hardy’s compound, much like Ultimate Deletion.
• Ortiz and Santana jump Hardy, but Hardy radios in Private Party. A really fun way to get Santana, Ortiz and Private Party on the show. It also starts a feud with them.
• There are some nice suplexes from the former LAX.
• Matt Hardy is shooting fireworks at everyone. Sammy Guevara running from shit that Matt Hardy does will NEVER get old.
• GANGREL AND SHANE HELMS ON ELITE DELETION!!!! Hardy tells Helms he couldn’t save him after House Hardy Halloween until he got to AEW.
• Sammy throws Hurricane in the lake, but he comes back as reporter Gregory Helms, then back as Hurricane. Everyone is brawling.
• Hardy and Sammy go into the “dome.” Sammy does a Swanton off a ladder through a table, and they redo a version of the All Out spot.
• Hardy wins with a one main concrete conchairto.

If MJF Wins, He’s In The Inner Circle
MJF (w/ Wardlow) defeated Chris Jericho (w/ Jake Hager)
6.75/10

• MJF has a Jericho jacket.
• It’s not a full house, but it sure felt like it when they sang Judas
• MJF’s own cockiness and ego gets in his way.
• MJF dodges a Judas Effect and Jericho cracks the pole.
• “OH SHIT” – MJF getting back body dropped.
• MJF targets the arm and elbow of Jericho, he also runs Jericho into the corner on a bulldog attempt.
• They almost go into their own finishes, but MJF catches a Fujiwara armbar out of a Judas Effect attempt.
• Wardlow gives MJF the ring, but he misses. Jericho calls for a bat, but MJF acts like he got hit.
• When Jericho is arguing with the ref, MJF rolls him up for the win. MJF had the tights, too.
• Clever finish.
• Chris Jericho welcomes MJF and Wardlow to the Inner Circle.

Other Stuff

• After the match, QT Marshall and Dustin Rhodes trash talk Allie for leaving them. Dustin Rhodes wants a Bunkhouse match! Sweet!
• Lance Archer and Jake Roberts aren’t happy about not being on the show.
• Miro and Kip yell at Best Friends & OC. Kip slaps OC for almost running into Penelope. OC apologizes before the slap, but says “it’s cool.”

AEW World Championship
I Quit
Jon Moxley (c) defeated Eddie Kingston
6/10

• Big fight feel for this.
• They’re knocking the shit out of each other.
• Eddie breaks a bulldog choke by biting. There’s a gnarly roll into the barricade.
• Moxley brings a barbed wire bat into things, Kingston a chair.
• Kingston uses a barbed wire strip as well. He brings out rubbing alcohol! Nasty
• Moxley applies the Bulldog Choke with barbed wire.
• Kingston quits.
• This one was fine. This style of wrestling just isn’t for me. It hits reccomended for historical value alone, though.
• Omega comes out and looks at Moxley, and that’s about it.

Rating Guide
10- Perfect, 9- MOTY Territory, 8- Excellent, 7- Great, 6- Good, 5- Average to above average, 4- Slightly below average, 3 or below: Poor

Each match starts at a 5 and slides up and down based on entertainment, execution, time, environment, reaction and stakes. The ratings are in no way an indication of a “star rating,” which is a completely different system. A standard, non-offensive “TV match” lands at a 5. The gap between 5.75-6 is generally the largest, with anything reaching 6 being recommended viewing.
These are opinions, and incredibly inconsistent ones that may change upon a second viewing, or sitting on the match for a period of time. Don’t take them too seriously, and have (and share) your own!