[10.0] "I'm going to say it's a cinematic style fight and because of where it came out I felt it was special and unique as a closure to its epicness and I understand why it's hated but for me it was special and I would recommend it to anyone not related to wrestling."
[4.0] "What a sad way to end a great rivalry. The breakup of DIY was perfect and the subsequent story they had was awesome. The first two matches they had were amazing and then the LMS match they tried to do too much so they were already losing steam and then Ciampa got hurt for real. They should've just dropped the feud there. But then during COVID they picked it up again and completely killed it. This match was so awful it's kinda shocking. What a sad way to end one of the brand's best ever feuds"
[2.0] "What the fuck was this? Seriously, what the fuck was this? After a string of phenomenal matches that showcased the growing hatred these two former partners have had over each other, it ends in a cinematic match. Oftentimes, this is true on a metaphorical level where matches that don't have any story or context behind them compensate with over the top flashiness and athleticism. A midcard spotfest shouts because there's nothing to build on otherwise. In the case of One Final Beat, the culmination of the three plus year feud between Johnny Gargano and Tommaso Ciampa, this is true on a literal level. For forty excruciating minutes, Johnny Gargano and Tommaso Ciampa take turns explaining their feud to us in between all the spots they've strung together in order to remind us of all the rich cleverness that they've put into this feud. See, if they don't shout out the key themes, plot points, and lines they clearly wrote for promos that couldn't be filmed for one reason or another, then how are we supposed to ever understand the depth, the sheer genius of all these layers and callbacks that they've been building to for years. It's stunning how bad the production on this match is given that it is an edited piece of work. One of my favorite moments comes when Johnny slings himself over the top rope to dive onto Tommaso on the floor. Ciampa intercepts by braining Gargano with a trash can lid. A standard hardcore spot that we've seen multiple times before. It works because of the element of surprise. One man goes for a spectacular piece of offense only to be cut off with swiftness and brutality. *1/4"
[2.0] "This is not wrestling, not by a stretch. Even for a cinematic match, wrestlers wrestlers not just strike each other for 40 mins. They didn't utilise this opportunity at all. The match opens with a lot of hype. Triple h and candice's subtle performance helped build up tention even more. Based on this we would expect there to be some crazy and possibly brutal spots which actually showcased their hatred for each other. The most we got was them beating each other with a broken crutch for 10 mins straight. Now the production and cinematography of the match was amazing and had some great shots. I loved the 2 of them facing each other on top of the truck. The ending was great too but these are just too few things that went right in a really long match."
[9.0] "I really like this match, seriously, even the ending. I understand the critics, even if I don't agree with them. The hatred was once again so visible, incredibly brutal, that even the ring was no longer whole afterward. Not as good as their previous matches, of course, but still excellent considering the situation. The way it was shot is dramatic, esp. in an empty building, which provided a outstanding aura. Without Covid, I'm sure the match would have been better received. But such a poor reception for a Gargano/Ciampa match is really not serious."
[0.0] "This is probably me being extra harsh cause of how much I love the first 2 matches on takeover with these 2, and how much I love both of them but oh my god is this awful. This is a 40 MINUTE LONG CINEMATIC MATCH, AND THE MOST BOOOORING THING EVER! With the most anti-climatic ending cause oh no, Candice is a heel! Did the turn benefit her? I mean yeah. But as a moment to end the GARGANO AND CIAMPA FEUD THE BEST WWE FEUD OF THE 2010S AND THE BEST NXT FEUD EVER, its awful. Yeah I hate this match with a passion."
[0.0] "This is one of the worst matches I have ever seen in my entire life. Perhaps even the worst. Idk if this even counts as a real match, its more of a cinematic thing that just does not work at all. The entire match goes on waaaaayyyy too long its kinda ridiculous, especially for 2 guys just fighting each other in silence. The ending is horrible too, with Candice coming in and the whole cup fiasco. Please to not watch this. You will lose 30+ valuable minutes of your life. So boring, so slow, so many bad spots/moments (the brawl on top of the truck)"
[1.0] "Doomed from the start, this misses on just about every level. The production and tone are enough to seal this ordeal's fate, with the runtime ensuring its place in infamy. There are moments of action, but they are spread uncomfortably thin, being accompanied by excruciating dialogue. They are chasing drama to such a degree that it actively loops back around and becomes borderline comedic, collapsing from its own severity. Just a terribly unfortunate piece of business, somehow made worse by the ultimately wasted physical effort that emerges along the way. 1/2*"
[0.0] "WWE has done far more objectively terrible matches than this, but this represents so many bad things. The #DIY feud, for it being one of the all time best rivalries in both WWE and all of wrestling, had long since past it's originally planned blowoff match due to Ciampa needing neck surgery and everyone was cool with it not happening no more, especially with them reuniting at TakeOver: New York a year before, but they booked Gargano to turn heel on Ciampa, Covid came and killed so much of the Black and Gold Era of NXT momentum for good and backed themselves into a corner to end the feud for good and we get this cinematic mess. Just a trash match that showed the #DIY rivalry should've stayed untouched and just how much NXT Black and Gold was starting to sink beyond recovery."
[5.0] "These two have had an amazing multi year on and off rivalry with amazing matches together, and this was the final match to cap off their rivalry in NXT, a cinematic match. That being said, this was the worst possible way they could have done it. The match is definitely overhated but definitely bad."
[6.0] "The principle is not bad, the idea is good. However poorly done in terms of cuts and ad breaks. The rest of the sheave is truly impeccable. The match is really too long and sluggish at times. The finish is very good. It's still passable. (3*)"
[0.0] "This isn't a real match. It is shot as a movie, they do cut shots and so you can't tell how many takes it was taken in. If they botched or didn't get a move right they could just do it again. That is not what wrestling is. It is a live art, one that is done in front of people and not an action movie. Therefore this match shouldn't really be in the database at all. If people insist on it being in the database then i have to give it the lowest possible rating I can give. a big fat zero. It is a shame that the fued ended in this fashion"
[0.0] "From 3 to a 0. Im pretty confident this is my least favourite match of all time. Theres certainly more ostensibly bad quality matches, but this pissed away any good will NXT once had, and during the most depressing time to watch pro wrestling. Nothing redeeming about this. Just a bunch of cinematic drivel with the Gargano/Ciampa melodrama turned up to comical levels."
[0.0] "This Is match Is awful for various motivations: 1) the quality of the match itself was terrible 2) the end Is simply more than wrong: this rivalry ended with Lerea kicking the balls of Ciampa. Were you serieous HHH? 3) their three matches were batter (whyle their First Is overrated, the only of the three I don't think it's five stars) and their last man standing would be a Better ending of their epopea than this shit. The only very good think of the match was the avalanche White noise but ouside the ring. The rest of this Is nothink less terrible. 1/4* (0, 25*)"
[9.0] "This match is extremely overhated. Not as good as their previous encounters of course, but still a great match considering the situation at that time. Without covid i'm sure the match would be better, but 4.67 for a Gargano v Ciampa match is fucking hilarious"
[2.0] "Why did this happen? This was so so terrible. The fact that the turn at Takeover: Portland from Gargano meant that we will get another classic between these two, literally made fans explode from excitement. Unfortunately, a little thing called COVID messed it up. It really is unfortunate, because the possibilities with this match was endless without those restrictions. Instead, we got this long, dreadful, unexciting, mess of a match. LeRae turning heel at the end couldn? t even save this. It was just, awful."
[0.0] "This absolutely go awful, at least with their other singles matches they had a crowd reacting, but then they throw this pre-school play level acting at me! ? I usually don't gatekeep but this didn't feel like a wrestling match, it felt like a prolonged direct to dvd action movie fight scene. This match is one of the worst NXT "matches" of all time without a doubt."
[0.0] "NXT had already died a painful death. This match kicked its rotting corpse in the dick, put it 6 feet under before pissing on the grave. One Final Beat is beyond belief. The level of incompetence here is something to marvel at as the match fails on every level, with absolutely no redeemable qualities whatsoever. A bad piece of media is either awful to a comical extent or just boring. It's a real achievement that this match somehow manages to be both at the same time; offensive for treating us like children (as Gargano and Ciampa take turns shouting four at the screen instead of letting the viewers put 2 and 2 together) and an absolute chore to sit through. From the presentation to the meaningless spots (shot in the most Kevin Dunn of ways, mind you), to the countless exposition dumps peppered all throughout this near 40-minute fiasco, every last scrap of this misery feels artificial. They aren't mad at each other. They aren't fighting. They're working while not giving a single shit about the believability of said work. For proof, go back (if you dare) to the part where they fight on the truck and.....oh shit, is that a bird? Is that a plane? ! Nah it's a drone that was apparently there JUST IN CASE Ciampa and Gargano decide to fight on top of the truck? You can never know I guess! And this is one atrocity in a 36-minute match that committed 10 every minute of its existence. It bears repeating; this is damagingly bad, like "Candice low blowing Gargano as a ploy" levels of bad and, at a point in time, I actually didn't hate it because I was too into the Gargano/Ciampa feud (please slap some sense into me if I ever relapse). Perhaps in hindsight then, the only good thing about Gargano/Ciampa V is that it taught me a very important lesson i.e. not get attached to something to an extent that you ignore what is undisputedly shit about it. Throughout 2020, many people uttered the phrase "It can't get any worse, " and yet it did. It absolutely did. But as wrestling fans, at least there's some comfort in knowing that, in the world of professional wrestling, it cannot (and will not) get any worse than One Final Beat."
[0.0] "In a smoky, poorly lit room, Ciampa and Gargano hit each other for an hour. The ridiculous number of camera cuts made this nearly incomprehensible. The match was not just a step down from their other clashes. It was the worst match of either of their careers. LeRae's interference made so little sense that it was honestly baffling. Somehow, this went nearly an hour, and it did not have enough content throughout its run time to deserve 10 minutes."
[1.0] "Proof in my eyes that the NXT I knew and loved has changed for the worse. One of the best feuds in modern pro wrestling ending in a Shawn Michaels level of over-dramatization and an overall boring 'cinematic' match is disheartening to say the very least. I expected more from both guys, there was so much over-the-top storytelling with no room for subtlety, this is the bombastic grandstanding main roster WWE is known and despised for. This match is so disappointing and brought me down on both performers."
[0.0] "Gargano and Ciampa were the first feud I really cared about as a fan of wrestling, it was the narrative that lead to NXT being my favourite promotion in wrestling, the feud that encouraged a love for the business on an emotional level instead of just a physical one. The finish here was not just terrible and an insult to people who'd cared about the story since 2017, but it made me realise that the NXT I loved wasn't there anymore and it's never been the same since."
[0.0] "At one point this was one of the best rivalries that WWE has produced in the entire decade of the 2010s, but WWE has to be WWE and try to milk everything they can from it until it becomes tiring and something so enfurious as this match is. I don't want to go into much details here as is just garbage, there is nothing here that can be saved. The entire cinematic thing is awful, the wrestling is bad, the ending is a overbooked monstruosity."
[9.0] "Eigentlich wollte ich es schon 2020 sehen aber immer wieder verdrängt. Ich fand auch das hier sehr gut (****1/4). Der Hass war wieder so zu sehen, unfassbar Brutalität auch der Ring ist danach nicht mehr ganz. Fehlte noch das die Ringseile auch noch verwendet wurden. Ende war einfach nur genial. In der Singles Fehde erstmal das Ende."
[0.0] "2018 was one of NXT's best years and that was in no short part thanks to the rivalry between Tommaso Ciampa and Johnny Gargano, Say what you will of how the results to their matches got progressively worse and more convoluted, but it's hard to deny the success these two had when pitted against each other. However, 2018 wasn't that long ago at all, which is at least partly why I'm beside myself at how a feud that was the hottest thing only a couple years prior, ended with one of the worst matches I've ever witnessed. This isn't terrible in the same way that most other matches are; there's hardly any botches or miscommunication that could be pointed out. In fact, these two had the luxury of wrestling a "cinematic" match, where mishaps and overly long setup for spots can be fixed with some editing. No, this match is terrible in large part because of the intent for this match. How appalling must it be for wrestling fans to see a culmination of this stature not even try to capture the essence of wrestling? When wrestlers throw away such dated practices and opt to SHOUT EVERYTHING OUT VERBATIM. This isn't capitalizing on drama, but a cheap imitation that could never hope to realize its lofty ambitions with the tools and ability at their disposal. The fault isn't only on the wrestlers; oh no, there are several choices in production that make this mess so much worse. Awful audio design, unnatural camera angles, cuts that wind up showing just how fake the spots being done are (thanks Dunn) and of course the terrible decision to play this strait-laced like it were comparable to an Empty Arena stipulation. When there's a drone buzzing through the air, catching Ciampa and Gargano fighting on top a trailer, this isn't charming the way Matt Hardy strived for B-movie schlock appeal back in 2016. No, we're expected to accept WWE's clumsy approach as something legitimate to match the "legitimate" end to NXT's greatest feud thus far. This goes for nearly a full hour where both men take more than enough time to "play the greatest hits" and reuse more melodramatic parts from their previous matches. Not only is this done without a live audience in mind, leaving these moments to die a silent death, but repeating them does more a detriment to the value they once held than elevate the work being done. At one point, these emotional beats hit a sweet spot for fans. Here they rings hollow, much like the rest of the drama played out here. Whatever theme or symbolic representation you want to believe to justify their existence doesn't change how terribly these ideas have been told in the story, hence the term "storytelling". And spare me the addition of Candice LeRae, like her awkwardly standing in between the two is anything but icing on the s**t cake. Karrion Kross may as well be a despicable heel for not having stopped this abomination while he waited outside the building. The height of overindulgence reaches an all-time low. DUD"
[3.0] "I loved this rivalry. I hated this match. It was too long without the commercials but with it, the match was dreadfully long. The lack of a crowd really hurt it. It was basically Johnny and Ciampa trying to "play the hits, " in front of no crowd, with the opposite alignments that made them who they are today. The ending is not a satisfactory one, not for such a long match, and especially not for this otherwise epic feud. I thought about giving it a 4 but even that doesn't feel right. This was, by far, the worst "cinematic" type match I've seen to date, and it makes me sad that I'm saying this about an unforgettable feud involving two living legends, but I can't deny how I feel."
[7.0] "This match, if I could call it so, obviously cannot catch the level of the previous matches happend between these two phenomenal wrestlers. But I think it's ok to watch after all. The way it was shot is dramatic, esp. in an empty building, which provided a outstanding aura. And two wrestlers worked so hard to give the storyline a good ending."
[7.0] "Es war nicht das, was man erwartet hat und es war defnitiv nicht hochklassig, aber es hatte viele Momente, die zur Story passen. Leider verpasst es dabei, ein richtiges Match zu sein und so ist es ein Brawl XXL, der mich aber unterhalten hat und der gut produziert war. Dennoch irgendwie eine schwierige Nummer..."
[6.0] "Johnny Gargano vs. Tommaso Ciampa ist ja immer eine gute Sache, und auch hier ist es ein gutes Match. Dieses Mal sollte es aber wohl zu viel Drama sein und das hatte man zwischen den beiden schon zu genüge ***1/4."
[7.0] "It is too bad that this wa snow here near the level of their previous epics, but it wasnt. It wasnt exactly because they attempted to surpass all of their other classics, by making this very long, very dramatic, with many unnecessary interferences and extremely dramatic in general. After all giving us more made it mean less. It was just too much and it dragged at many moments. So why am I giving it a seven? Because even with all those flaws, it still was good, it just disappointed because the standards were set so unrealistically high."
[5.0] "Hat für mich leider als Match nicht richtig funktioniert. Klar, hier und da sind wirklich viel versprechende Ansätze zu sehen, doch insgesamt passiert mir hier einfach viel zu wenig Interessantes für eine so lange Zeit. Der Turn am Ende ist zwar ganz nett gemacht rettet aber nicht ein enttäuschendes Match."
