[1.0] "This is an absolute fail. Swerve Strickland has been the hottest star in AEW all year long -- he was the world champion, the top guy in your company. And now you take the title off him, handing it to someone who's about to hang up his boots. And you use him, just to give a win to some lumbering, rehashed WWE guy who'll only be remembered in your company for whining about how WWE underestimated him (you know, back when he was collecting titles by the bunch and doing long, terrible reigns with them). Lashley has never really learned how to put on interesting wrestling or how to dominate an opponent in a cool way. He's not Brock Lesnar. His in-ring work in this match looked like a noob controlling him remotely on PS4, pressing random simple moves as if he's playing WWE 2K24, managing Lashley. As for Strickland, I remember him as someone capable of putting on big, long, competitive matches against ring masters. But here, he suddenly looked weak, like he aged overnight and lost all his skills. The only spot I liked was the one with the commentator's table. That's why I didn't give this match a zero -- even though overall it was really bad. The bump on Lashley looked genuinely cool. And I'll even ignore that Lashley was slightly soft here, since he adjusted and jumped onto the commentary table himself just a second before Swerve jumped at him from the steps. That didn't ruin the picture. And I caught myself thinking that the match would've been so much better if, after Lashley's dominance, we saw an epic Swerve comeback -- him gathering himself and taking Lashley out with explosive attacks. That could've added some good karma for Lashley and rehabilitated Swerve a bit. But hey, this is what we got."
[9.0] "at first watch this match was really cool to me. so much has happened since that when i rewatched it was just having a great time. became my second first time almost. this match is sick. id love to see bobby lashley have more singles matches. he looked great. the hurt syndicate rules. this match rocks."
[8.0] "Swerve is probably the best wrestler in this entire world to put in a match like this, you need to present a guy like the All Mighty and show his dominance without making the opponent absolutelly weak. Bobby dominated basically the entire eight minutes of this match until Swerve take the lead for a bit and them got crushed for MVP interference and a excellent Spear into the barricade. Bobby used his Hurt Lock which I honestly think it's a shitty finisher, but well, it was good. Good match, with drama, storytelling and everything necessary to be super cool."
[8.0] "A match designed to make Bobby Lashley feel like the biggest star in the world, and very successful at that. A classic example of doing a lot with a little, every move and kickout felt big and had weight behind it. Swerve is top 3 on the roster right now, and can bump like nobody's business so he was the perfect dance partner to get Lashley over in an AEW context."
[4.0] "This was fine, nothing really special here, I mean what did you expect from this? This wasn't gonna be a 5 star classic. Bobby's first match in AEW was alright, but he could've done more since he's free, and Swerve did his job pretty good here I guess. Honestly, just skip this match."
[6.0] "This match worked really well as a storytelling device, but the match itself was hardly as good as that. Bobby Lashley is a pretty limited worker in terms of what he can do, though he worked with Swerve pretty well here."
[8.0] "This wasn't the greatest match ever, but it felt like 2 top guys doing top guy stuff. Every big move, kickout, and big spot in this match felt earned and well executed. It wasn't the best back-and-forth pure wrestling match, but that's not what it was designed to be, at least from my POV. This match was about establishing Bobby Lashley (and the Hurt Syndicate as a whole) as a top-tier threat in AEW, by having Lashley handily defeat Swerve. Writing this about 2 weeks later, it looks like they're set to have another match at World's End (which is where I assume Swerve gets his win back), so I'm not too upset about Swerve taking a loss here, on top of the fact that he lost for a good reason, I don't think it would've been the right move to have Lashley lose his first PPV match. Right winner, good spots, big match feel, neither guy feels like they lost anything coming out. Good stuff. (****)"
[6.0] "I think this was a better story beat than it was a match, but it was still an enjoyable match, and it made me more interested in the Hurt Syndicate arc."
[6.0] "First, I need to say that I don't understand hype about Hurt Business and Bobby Lashley, but anyway we are talking about new chapter, oh, stop, it's not a new chapter it's still the same Bobby, alright.Second, It so strange feeling, like you've seen that match before so many times. Bobby dominates and after that we see some big moves and nothing else. And it was a pre-main? It was match with a new big star? It was a PPV material? I think not. It was a Lashley's TV match and it's screwed me up. Bobby still the same, but Lashley not that good wrestler, who's can be the same for a long time."
[7.0] "Pretty dominant display here in Lashley's first (proper) AEW match. This picked up substantially in the second half. The stomp through the announce table probably the highlight."
[5.0] "Every AEW match I watch has the "throw-the-manager-out" trope and that pisses me off. Also, the amount of time they spend outside without the referee counting pisses me off. But it only pisses me off because I know this company can be good and different, but they rely on too much BS. Anyway, the match was decent enough. By the end, Lashley forgot to sell his head, but that's a minor point."
[8.0] "Great beginning with Lashley beating the crap out of Strickland followed by his comeback and ultimately by him passing to the Full Nelson. It was overall an excellent demolition derby to put Bobby over while not destroying Swerve completely luckly. ***3/4"
[6.0] "Solid match with a clean outcome that made sense but honestly I've never been a big fan of Bobby Lashley and what highlights this match had was mostly because of Swerve Strickland. It's a good dominant outing for a big signing like Lashley but just not a match that's anything to write home about. Hopefully we get to see Lashley out of his comfort zone soon but I'm not gonna hold my breath"
[10.0] "Even when he popped up first in WWE way back in the 00s I liked Lashley, but I loved it when he showed up out of nowhere in the mid 10s TNA scene and started looking like one of the best big guys in the world. I lost track of him in somewhat in WWE but was still feeling interested when it was rumored he'd come to AEW, and based on what we've seen so far Lashley has a TON left in the tank, it's quite amazing to think that he's 48 years old. Strickland has been one of the very best guys in the world this year for my money so obviously Lashley was going to look good regardless, but he went above and beyond and really convinced me that he will be a great player in AEW. I liked the structure of this, simple but effective, Lashley has both the power and the superior armor so Strickland had to get creative and at times brutal to break him down. The stomp through the table spot was beautiful, Lashley slightly hopping into it didn't faze me in the slightest as you could easily interpret that as a failed defensive move. I fully expected Lashley to win and I was right, I think in the long run Strickland will and should win the feud but putting Lashley over strong on his first big night was the right call. My 2nd favorite match of the night pretty comfortably and I clock it as my #56 match of the year, folks are sleeping just a little on this one I think."
[7.0] "Efficient. Lashley looks like a monster, Swerve still looks very capable of beating guys like... well, like Lashley. But at the end of the day, power and strength was just too much for Swerve to handle, very smart match and a great introduction to AEW, looking forward to a rematch, because this doesn't look like a finished deal to me. 3.75*"
[7.0] "****1/4 a very good match, at the beginning the match looked a bit slow and simple but after a few minutes it had an amazing climb, a great rhythm, it was chaotic for the most part, with very good spots and very good sequences , a perfect time for the match, Swerve looked good in that comeback he had but Lashley was epic with that ending applying the spear to the barricade, followed by another spear in the ring and making Swerve fall with the Hurt Lock in a very good ending"
[6.0] "*** (06/10) This was the smartest booking decision of the night! No it didn't come close to the common 20, and nearfalls never got to overkill, but Swerve, (who always looks gold, no matter if he's going over or not) did an A-class job of putting over the new juggernaut that is Bobby Lashley. People are going to look for problems with this one, and there may be some glaring issues with it as a whole, but the execution was second to none in making Lashley appear like a monster who's come to take over the game. Beating the former World Champion on your PPV debut puts you in line to take on the best that AEW has to offer. I'm just not sure with the momentum that HS is riding in right now of who might be able to stop the beast."
[8.0] "Wasn't really looking forward to this, but this overdelivered. Great match, told a good story, I'm excited to see what Lashley/MVP/Shelton can do with the guys on this roster."
[8.0] "An example of how story, managerial work, and aura can overcome average in-ring work to create an exciting match. As close to a squash match as you can get without completely undermining Swerve and sets Bobby up to be the absolute Beast of AEW. Swerve should get another pay raise for making Lashley look like a million dollars. Interesting to see where this goes from here. I hope egos wont prevent a meaningful Hurt Syndicate v Deathriders feud."
[8.0] "Fantastic setup, fantastic managerial work, and fantastic wrestling. Not much else you could ask for from this not to mention how well it does to rescue the crowd after some less-than-engaging segments. Swerve is one of the best wrestlers alive and Lashley more than puts himself over with his absurd power while doing nothing to undermine that prior fact. Good stuff."
[8.0] "A very fun match and a great way to debut Bobby Lashley. Swerve did an amazing job and Bobby proves that hes still got it. Overall an amazing match-up, but also a bit confused as of why this match was so late in the card. Still a fantastic match and also enjoyed Swerve's Chromakopia attire."
[10.0] "No joke, this is my match of the night. This match was absolutely incredible with some of the best moments of the entire show. The running Swerve Stomp through the table, the Spear through the railing, the incredible near fall of Swerve almost getting the win. This match was seriously incredible, and was a great showcase for Bobby Lashley on a major stage once again."
[7.0] "This was exactly what it needed to be. Lashley needed to show his dominance in his first match against an established main event star and former world heavyweight champion. This doesn't diminish Swerve in the slightest for me. He's never been in the ring with anyone even close to Lashley and on top of that some outside distractions. Hurt Syndicate is the best thing in AEW right now and they've done everythign right so far. This is the best match on the card by a bit of a margin but that's not saying much."
[7.0] "Good match, but one that's actively assisted by its surrounding pieces. In a vacuum, I don't think this ever fully catches fire but so deep in Full Gear, its heat and style were incredibly refreshing. This wasn't a back and forth match but instead, a one-sided destruction that brought the energy back up after a lull. That speaks to the presence of both men but perhaps more importantly: the build, making this a bit of an outlier on Full Gear. ***1/4"
[5.0] "This wasn't bad or something like this but I have one major problem with that match which is the fact that Swerve lost and that he lost in the really weak way, not being any threat to Lashley's dominance. That shouldn't be the way you book your last world champ. Unfortunately the in-ring wise aspects were put in the shadow of bad booking decisions but I know that's really unobjective opinion maybe due to my absolute love to Swerve last year's run where he proved that he can be considered as current best wrestler in the world."
[9.0] "I have never liked a Lashley match, ever. It turns out that wasn't his fault. He killed it here and Swerve was his normal excellent self, this was brutal and brilliant."
[8.0] "This was great man, I loved every bit of this, MVP is one of the best managers alive, Bobby still has it, and Swerve is one of the best in the world so you knew this was gonna wake this venue up, the crowd was really into this one and man I was too because this was a spectacular singles debut for Bobby, pretty interesting pick to have Swerve lose so definitively but he's a made man so he'll be just fine, one of my favorites from the night and overall really has me excited for what else Bobby and The Hurt Syndicate have to deliver in this AEW run... 8/10."
[6.0] "This was as much as I expected. Bobby Lashley isn't really anything special in the ring and your not gonna get much outta him in his 50's and this proved it. This was just fine, The story itself was fine but not anything to chew your teeth at and Lashley already making his debut last week on Dynamite took away the special factor with this match. [***1/4]"
[6.0] "(Grade:C-) Lashley was the clear dominator(jk) of the match showing off him being an unstoppable force and Swerve put in a valiant effort with some his offense. That horrific DDT on the apron follow by the Running Swerve Stomp on the announce table was a solid highlight of the match that kinda elevated the match before in my opinion felt kinda middle of the road and seeing The Hurt Syndicate get involve to a degree that wasn't obnoxious was neat(foreshadowing to the main event). Notheless it was good to see Lashley get the victory whilst making Swerve still come off as one of AEW top stars."
[8.0] "Bobby Lashley came in and demolished Swerve Strickland. After the match he continued his assault. I love how Bobby Lashley being booked, and the presentation for him has been excellent he feels like a major threat, and unbeatable person in AEW. Swerve Strickland & him are far from over but this was a very fun match."
[6.0] "6.5 - Felt early like Bobby wasn't too confident, but then they threw in a lot of big, interesting spots to settle them both. The stomp through the table was excellent, even if Bobby did set himself up."
[9.0] "A high octane match that was all about... well... hurting people. Bobby is over instantly, which sure, of course he would, but in a way that shows that even at 46, he's going to be a real threat and have a lot of world champion potential within the next 4 months easily. The hurt syndicate is going to go very far very fast and Im excited to see how it all translates in the new AEW environment and even more curious to see what is next for Swerve losing so clear and clean."
[8.0] "****. Lashley is off to a strong start in AEW, looking like a killer here. I believe Swerve has a shoulder injury, so perhaps he goes away to recover for a while (selling Lashley's power) before returning to win the rematch. Logical progression to me. This match did exactly what it intended to by making Lashley look like a monster, and had some exciting spots to boot (the Swerve Stomp through the table in particular)."
[7.0] "Not going to lie, I have only seen Lashley's work from 2018-onward and I don't really know how good was he was in TNA or anywhere else. I was a little afraid of how he'll fit into AEW. But here, my worries vanished. He did great with Swerve and established himself as a new Monster Heel of AEW. And, most probably, the best one AEW had to date. On his debut match, defeating the former champion - they definitely have high hopes for his run."
[8.0] "I am not sure how long I will enjoy his act in AEW but Bobby worked well here. He is looks like an absolute killer while Swerve keeps coming back at him and shows he is willing to do what he has to do to win. Just a proper solidly worked match that has a clear idea on what it is trying to achieve."
[8.0] "Swerve Vs Lashley 7.5/10 : really good match. They worked this exactly as they should have done. The swerve stomps through the table was delivered brilliantly. Bobby spearing Swerve through the barricade and destroying him with the Hurt Lock was good business. Lashley gave Swerve enough offence that this defeat wont hurt him long term and Lashley came out looking like a destroyer. Solid match. The aftermath with NaNa was a nice touch as well. This group will be money going forward."
[8.0] "Really fun, solid match. Goes to show how good Swerve Strickland is, while also showing the best of Bobby Lashley. The full nelson may not be the strongest finisher, but at least Bobby can do a very good one, as well as a spectacular spear. Very simple story that was told very well and effectively, and established the Hurt Syndicate well. Again, Swerve is incredible in this, and really elevated this match beyond what I was expecting. Hell, that table spot alone was fucking awesome, and seriously one of a kind. That alone gives an extra point to this match for me."
[8.0] "Good match, lots of fun stuff, Swerve continues to be capable of pulling off stunts without.a hitch that undoubtedly wouldnt be completed by a lesser wrestler. It was a good clean match with proper psychology. would have been a 9 if the ending was better, but unfortunately I"m just not a huge fan of the full nelson as a finisher, though i thought the match did exactly what it was supposed to do and was booked correctly. Wasn't a spectacular PPV level match, but just good, solid booking and a straightforward story told."
[7.0] "I'm a huge Bobby Lashley mark and will gladly admit that. Dominate display from Lashley to begin with. Swerve gets a hope spot which sees him stomping Lashley through the Spanish announce table."
[8.0] "Whipped ass. He hurts people. Goes out there and hurts the most important AEW star of 2024. Felt very quick and concise, gets its point across super quickly. Something a certain other few matches could've learnt from (talking to you Scapegoat). Keeps it fast, keeps it sweet, makes a new debutant look like the killer he is, and makes an actually good faction look actually good."
[5.0] "Full transparency - Im not sure Ive ever wanted to watch a Bobby Lashley match. I mean man what to say, I didnt like the match much & I guess it made sense for Bobby to win but they booked themselves into a place where they kind of had to do that. Beating a guy who did a really good job as champion with someone with little upside"
[7.0] "After 3 complete stinkers, the PPV finally picks back up again with this match. This was very fun. Bobby was very dominant early on but Swerve was able to find an opening and nail him with some huge shots like a very scary looking DDT on the apron and a Swerve Stomp through the announce table. Bobby soon is able to regain control after an MVP distraction and spear Swerve through the barricade before locking him in the Hurt Lock to get the win. Very fun match and huge breath of fresh air after the previous 3 matches. ***1/2"
[7.0] "This was a very good one, and rescued the spirit of the ppv after two really underwhelming matches. Lashley and Swerve brought back the energy, and consequently the crowd with them, the match had a much needed intensity, with a lot of physicality and nasty spots. I wasn't particularly in favor of Lashley's hiring and wasn't into this new Hurt Syndicate stable, but they're changing my mind, I'm super excited for this project now. Lashley started the match giving a beat on Swerve, I thought it probably could be a squash, to write Swerve off, but the match progressed well and had a lot of pleasant moments. Lashley ultimately won the match, which already establishes him as a major threat in the roster - {***1/2}"
[7.0] "A fun match between that could've been much more. It was surprisingly short which lead to it being a little too one sided. However Bobby's control segments were really good. The crowd was hot, loved the "we hurt people" chants. The final minutes were actually great. Bobby goes through a table after a swerve stomp but he's able to surivive the house call + swerve stomp. Bobby spears Swerve through the guardrail before spearing him again in the ring. He locks in the hurt lock and Swerve passes out. Great stuff. Bobby looked great and beating a former world champ already establishes him as one of the biggest stars in the company which was the main goal of the match and they achieved it. 7/10 - 3.5*/5*"
[6.0] "I'm glad they went for a mostly clean finish. Lashley looked really good, or better than I expected. He took the apron DDT which was a wild spot. I'm curious where this goes so I guess it did its job but nothing to write home about."
[8.0] "Exactly what I wanted to see. Lashley being introduced like a monster, beating the top star into a pulp. Swerve, on the other hand, had a couple of hope spots which looked tremendously like a double stomp through the announce table. Everything was just great to watch"
[5.0] "We get JR on commentary thankfully for this. And MVP ringside. I'm probably alone on this, but MVP is better than Paul Heyman right now. Heyman is heavily getting by on his aura of just being Paul Heyman. MVP is crushing it. Justin Roberts to Lashley coming near him was fantastic. What a pro, selling his fear. Benjamin gets tossed for tripping up Swerve. MVP reacts greatly. Some high impact stuff from both after this. We get a sideview of MVP with Swerve at one point and it shows MVP's 3 inch thick lenses which were just amazing. This is followed up with Lashley spearing Swerve into the crowd. Another spear in the ring is then followed with a hurt lock on an already rocked Swerve. This was fantastic booking. Lashley is booked like a monster handily taking care of the former world champ. **1/2 Average match with great booking."
[5.0] "In terms of executing on the vision and plan for the match, this was very good. Swerve and Lashley both did well to make Lashley look like an unbeatable monster. I just didn't think it was that interesting to watch. It wasn't a squash match but honestly, I think it would have come off much better if it was closer to a squash match. That's what they're going for, so go all in. But instead it was maybe 70% squash match which isn't as interesting. And I really don't like the idea of Lashley coming in from WWE with a WWE faction and destroying one of the best wrestlers of 2024."
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