Casino Gauntlet Match 2024

[7.0] "A pretty fun main event that made good use out of AEW's extensive Tag Division. Ospreay & Fletcher getting the win is certainly interesting as well, and I'm really looking forward to seeing them challenge The Young Bucks, even if I don't think they're winning."

[3.0] "An almost unbelievable miscalculation from AEW thinking that booking a casino gauntlet for a division that everyone agrees is seriously lacking in star power was just idiotic. Made there tag division look somehow weaker then it is and a team that isnt even a permenant team won the match."

[3.0] "This match sucked so much and genuinely made me sad seeing the state of the tag divison. Will and Kyle winning was the right choice here giving the teams involved but Tony still needs to fix the division he can not just ask Will to save him every time."

[6.0] "While baffling from a booking point of view, this is very watchable. FTR and the eventual winners get things off to a good start, and the latter chip in with sharp action during the final third too. In truth, the work here is hardly ever bad, it's just so seldom accompanied by any heat. As a result, much of this comes off flat, with the reaction to The Outrunners being a rare exception. In a vacuum, a fine TV main event, but a pretty bizarre play call when considering the surrounding context. **3/4"

[2.0] "This was awful in my opinion. The match flowed extremely poorly, felt very staged/choreographed, and really highlighted how poor the AEW tag team division is right now. The Outrunners have provided a good jolt of enthusiasm, but outside of them the entire division is stagnant to say the least. The last thing AEW can afford with the casino gauntlet match is to drive it into the ground too. Theyve struck gold with this match type, so they hopefully will lay low on this concept for a couple of months. The young bucks desperately need to ditch the EVP gimmick, FTR doesnt need to turn heel but they do need a jolt. Acclaimed have been a lost cause to me for a minute."

[7.0] "Like I said about the Gauntlet Match stipulation at All In: A very cool and fun concept with its mix of the unpredictability of a Royal Rumble and a constant urgency to win the match. There is always something going on and it is never boring. This match was no exception, entertaining way to end the show! Yet overstayed its welcome for a few minutes. But AEW should be careful about not ruining the stipulation by booking a match like that every other week. This time they at least freshened things up with Tag Teams insteand of singles competitors."

[5.0] "A really fun and good match that could've been better and just disappointed overall. Although i was hoping for a crazy debut or return that's not the disappointing part is Ospreay and Fletcher winning. Bucks and Ospreay and Fletcher is probably gonna go crazy but it's also emblematic of the state of the AEW tag division which used to be a strength is now a weakness. It's not that there aren't any good teams every team in this gauntlet match is good but it's a combination of poor booking and a lack of top level main event talent but also they have plenty of pieces to make new ones. Private Party (I know they weren't in this match but they should've been) or Top Flight should've won it feels like they've been next up for a long time now. Even the Outrunners I saw a lot of people saying they should've won and I wouldn't have necessarily been mad at that but still would've preferred Top Flight or Private Party."

[5.0] "Personally I think this match type is pretty good, however there were way too many people in the ring at once making the match almost impossible to follow. Also its really dumb how they had ospreay win to protect him when they could just have him not take the pin."

[5.0] "This was a decent enough match, but definitely the weakest Casino Gauntlet match seen so far. There's some good teams in this, but AEW really needs to elevate some of their teams to being viable as potential winners of a match like this because there were very few options in this match that I thought could even have a slim hope of winning and it really dragged the overall match because of it in my opinion."

[6.0] "6.5 - Any big sprawling tag team match has issues, specifically that it's meant to be chaotic, but so much of the action revolves around teams pairing off. Dumbass Dutch put himself on the wrong side of the big suplex."

[6.0] "This would have been a better idea if the tag division weren't so heatless. It got kind of messy with all the people but it was still interesting enough, just that nobody cared about any of the teams except the Outrunners. Ending was really lame though."

[5.0] "A lot of talent here but it never really amounted to anything. Was hoping they wouldn't go to the Casino Gauntlet well again for awhile but even as a tag team version it's better not to tire out the match type."

[5.0] "Good on the Outrunners for getting those reactions but this match gave me a dreaded and foreboding feeling on the current state of the tag division. The action was pretty nice but nothing here lived up to the precedent the gauntlet at All In set. Hopefully, the winners go on to have a match for the ages, and I enjoy both competitors, but having them win is part of the reason why I felt the way I did about this match. **3/4"

"3/5 A riot in every sense that shows the state of the AEW tag team division. Most of the teams that entered did not receive any special reaction from the people, and the victory of Ospreay and Fletcher was a mistake. One of the few positive points of the competition was the great presence of outrunners."

[6.0] "im sick to my stomach at how many damn times AEW hys given us this exact match stipulation since they created it in april. Its great it really is but we do not freaking need one a month. That is ridiculous and makes nothing about this special. Its also incredibly annoying that ospereay wins every damn one hes in. Its incredibly predictable and makes it so boring. Theres zero reason why will and fletcher needed this win. Will needs to be going and building up his title and a feud for his title not in another nothing tag title match for the bucks. There was so many better options in this match."

[7.0] "Some of the crowd reactions -- or lack thereof -- to teams like the Righteous coming out says everything about where AEW's tag division is right now, especially with GYV never even making it to the ring. Ospreay & Fletcher winning is probably the best decision for Grand Slam but doesn't help the division long term. The match itself was fine -- some cool spots later in the match and the mechanical aspect of the finish I thought was well executed with Ospreay hitting a hidden blade then preventing their teammate from breaking up Fletcher's pin. Most of the moment to moment action was also fine to good, but the match lacked the dynamic excitement of the All In Gauntlet, and ultimately I don't think will be very memorable."

[7.0] "I get that the ending is not what people wanted, but the match was solid and is clearly part of an ongoing narrative. The only shame with that is that the tag division was desperate for a shot in the arm and is in no position to support other storyline at its expense. There are a lot of great teams being used in baffling and terrible ways and it needs to change. The Bucks should drop the belts as holding them hostage in this manner with limited defences and matches of diminishing quality are actively hurting the company. Also, the pop for the Outrunners was remarkable. What a team! Negative Nancy tantrums aside, I enjoyed the vast majority of this match."

[6.0] "It was good but just unnecessary. It is my own fault a bit as I was expecting some sort of surprise as it had seemed thats kinda of what the matches have been built on. The first didnt have any but the shockers there was that it was actually all pretty big starts in the match. Second one you had Shota, Mistico, Hechicero. All In of course with Nigel and Rico. So I was definitely expecting something. Again I admit my fault but nothing ever came. Which left me wondering why we needed to do this just weeks after the last one. It highlighted that you do have a bunch of good tag teams, but none of them hardly got any reaction aside from The Acclaimed and Outrunners bc you havent utilized half these guys for so long. Osperay winning all of these is a bit that pops me but again for the state of the tag division its also not a good look. Hopefully in a few months time we can mark this is when the tag division started to turn around but as of right now it doesnt quite seem like thats happening. None of these teams feel like they could be the tag champs right now. All that being said the actual contents of the match were quite entertaining. Everyone did get to shine a bit. Osperay is great as always. I liked the FTR/GYV deal with them fighting eachother off. And of course the Outrunners were the highlight of the match. Pretty good fun but just a lot of underlying issues and also me setting myself up for failure which I cant really fault them for."

[4.0] "Poor match that exposes how weak the AEW tag division is in its current form. Having the booker's favorite singles guy form a tag team right before the match then win over a bunch of actual tag teams is just nonsensical booking in my opinion. On top of that, most of the action wasn't even that good."

[6.0] "[6.2] The action here was good but this rating is more over the state of the tag division as a whole. Easily this stipulation's worst outing thus far. Even as someone who likes the act and thinks they could do really good, it's a bad sign when The Outrunners get the biggest pop of the match. The entire division is just desperately in need of a refresh on the level that we saw with the Women's Division over the last year. I also take issue with the decision to have Ospreay and Fletcher (a team that existed for about an hour and a half prior) win here, as even though I *love* both guys, it's just such a clear indication to me that TK learned nothing from how MJF got run into the ground last year. This accomplished nothing at best, and at worst, actively made the tag division look like they're in an even more dire state."

[7.0] "A bit rough at times but still very enjoyable. It takes a lot of effort and coordination to pull off an increasingly-crowded and complex match like this and for the most part they pulled it off well. The Outrunners' appearance was great and this honestly would've been the perfect way to get a massive surprise win and instantly get them over. Oh well. Certain spots were handled poorly though, like Dutch whiffing that multi-man suplex and completely forgetting where he was supposed to be positioned. Very awkward. The Righteous suck. Anyway, seems like the Grand Slam match is really just gonna be a vehicle for Callis and hopefully Fletcher finally turning on Ospreay for good and possibly (probably) recruiting Ricochet to replace him. Either way Young Bucks vs. Ospreay/Fletcher is bound by the laws of nature and physics to slap, so I'm fine with it. Still, it's kinda weird that people are treating Ospreay and Fletcher like some sort of slapdash team and not two dudes who have been portrayed as best friends and have been in the same stable(s) together for the last three years but I get it; people are yearning for the heyday of AEW tag team wrestling, back when only four tag teams were the ones who mattered and the rest were a bunch of meaningless fodder. Hey wait a minute...."

[10.0] "Can't say enough about how fun this match was. Felt like a PWG match except that of course they had more room to operate and so they were able to involve a lot more guys and do some unique and very memorable stuff. Absolutely loved the timing of The Outrunners entrance and the fact that they even got to shine a bit. Ospreay and Dante Martin squaring off felt like a special moment, as did the reigniting of the Undisputed Kingdom's rivalry with The Righteous. Every single guy rushing in to break up the pin following the Shatter Machine was a great visual, and the finish highlighted the way in which the Hidden Blade can be used to great effect as an "out of nowhere" style finisher."

[5.0] "As a match this was fairly decent but this highlighted just how barren AEW'S tag division is currently. 9 teams entered this match, and literally 90% of them came out to no reaction at all. The team that got the biggest reaction were the Outrunners who are a literal comedy, meme tag team who have mostly been used as jobbers. Then the team that wins the match is the thrown together team of Fletcher and Ospreay. Why would you book a match like this when your tag division is in this state? All this did was show that AEW have precisely zero credible teams on their roster other than FTR and the Acclaimed, who have both already had several matches with the Bucks. Idk how their gonna fix this division but it needs to happen fast because it's in the worst state that it's ever been in and this match showed it. **3/4"

[5.0] "[2.5*] This match was actually very fun for me but in terms of quality it was below average, specially in terms of surprises and stuff like that. All the entrants were ridiculously obvious and when they had the time to show a new era for AEWs tag division after the Lucha Bros left, they made a random team won. The funniest part for me is that Ospreay and Kyle were indeed the best team there to face the Bucks and give them a non heatless match."

[4.0] "A big let down in my opinion I thought an actual AEW Tag Team should've won. Like I know The Young Bucks & Will Ospreay, and Kyle Fletcher is gonna be a fun AEW Tag Team Championship Match, but I wanted to see The Outrunners win, or MxM, or Top Flight someone that deserves it like Will Ospreay, and Kyle Fletcher are heavily used in AEW I thought a very deserving team needed that opportunity to help elevate them, and also start putting focus again on the AEW Tag Team Division. This year being the worst year for the AEW Tag Team Division and it doesn't help that The Young Bucks defend the titles barely I know they started doing it now frequently but before it just never happens. Had high expectations for this match, but was huge let down."

[8.0] "I loved it. I will admit that I am not always a fan of matches of this style, but I thought the action was steadily paced and continuously produced massive moments. I try not to base match ratings on booking decisions, either, as that really shouldn't be the way we judge a match's quality, IMO. That established, every single team had moments in which they looked like genuine contenders. The crowd was hot for a number of teams, and those who worked against the grain did so incredibly well. Plus, that finish was absolutely devastating. 4 stars, 8 out of 10. I genuinely loved it."

[5.0] "This was fine, mechanically good but completely cold and putting this awesome gimmick at risk of losing its coolness and uniqueness way too early on. It's not a good sign for the division when the Outrunners get the biggest pop, and I like their act. Not much going on here."

[4.0] "The match action was fine, but overall this match did more harm than good for the tag team division in the current and gave no hope for the future of the division. Also, way to overexpose what should be a high-level featured match tpe to feature your worst booked division in a match that accomplished at best nothing."

[6.0] "Entertaining, but not much more. The in-ring quality is there, but it is so below the other gauntlets that clearly disappoints. Winners are a horrible option too imo."

[4.0] "Nothing quite sums up the state of the tag division better than this. No one was over except the jobber team and the team who had been thrown together an hour earlier in a segment that made little sense won it. The air deflated when the crowd realised no surprises and the Outrunners were not winning. An Outrunners title shot stolen in a match like this absolutely could have worked. Casino Gauntlets only work with strong vibes and this had no vibes."

[8.0] "AEW have found their trademark match with the Casino Gauntlet, and this tag team version was another good one - The Outrunners should have won, damnit! Even in the tag team format, Will Ospreay wins again, this time alongside his old United Empire pal Kyle Fletcher, and it furthered the rivalry between FTR and GYV."

[2.0] "Dreadful dreadful dreadful. A miserable watch, truly. A spotlight on the dying tag team division that once was flourishing under the white hot Lucha Bros/Young Bucks/FTR/Jurassic Express period. A bunch of dull as dishwater teams clash with the only hope of salvation being a debut of MCMG, who inevitably didn't show. Next to nothing innovative, doesn't put anyone new over, does nothing to help its division, does nothing to elevate the match type, and it isn't even won by an established team. What a fucking shitshow."

[5.0] "A match that seemed to be a turning point for the tag division going in ended up exposing how thread-bare it is. A bunch of teams that AEW fans (and especially general wrestling fans) have been seeing over and over for years now, with fresher teams getting shafted outside MxM & Outrunners (who both got pops, the latter being the biggest of the match) being relegated to a single sequence apiece. GYV didn't even take part in the match since FTR brawled to the back with them before they even hit the ramp. A lot of people were expecting MCMG to debut here, but they didn't, and they didn't even take the opportunity to make a new team with a shock win (MxM, Outrunners, GYV, or even Iron Savages & Private Party who weren't even in the match would've all worked) but to give Ospreay yet another world title match while International Champion with a team that basically formed on this show despite his friendship with Fletcher. The finish looked good and there were some solid sequences but it was all just in service of having the least-motivated Bucks I've ever seen take on a makeshift team; the BEST CASE scenario here is that this is an angle to bring Mark Davis back in and they're using the Grand Slam tag title match to do it. **1/2"