[9.0] "God, this Moxley arc is so infinitely more interesting than literally any single point in his recent title reign. Insanely good match, with some brutal bumps, wonderful selling, and fantastic pacing to build tension in the match and momentum in Mox's face turn. Fletcher was a perfect foil for Moxley here, coming out strong as the biggest Heel in AEW right now, bringing all the flamboyance, brutality, and ego he's known for in his quest for a new championship, letting him dominate Mox at points but very much leading to his downfall. I can't wait to see where he goes from losing back-to-back C2 Semis."
[10.0] "Another Match that shows Moxley is the wrestler of the year in 2025. They decided to go a different direction in the c2 this year and I don't hate it the tournament being focused on Moxley ended up being real great and looks like he can be back to a babyface in a short time. (****3/4)"
[10.0] "Oh man this was outstanding & is going to go down as one of the best heel turns face matches ever. Moxley was incredible in this, fletcher was great as well but I was really worried about his neck in this match i hope he slows down just a tad bit but overall this was amazing"
[10.0] "This is one of the best matches I've ever seen, I try to not give free 10's away but this genuinely had me jumping out of my seat at points. Jon Moxley is either the first or the second best wrestler of this year somehow and this run may have solidified himself as one of the all timers. Even though TK had to sacrifice a really good match in Okada/Takeshita to get the ending with the screwdriver, it may have been worth it. What. A. Match."
[10.0] "Moxley has done a complete 180, his matches are so much better and he's so much more interesting as a character within the matches, this match went hard and Kyle has come so far, he carried this ppv."
[8.0] "A fantastic match between two major characters of 2025 who hadn't yet crossed paths. Their styles meshed perfectly in a fight that proves once again that Fletcher can shine in any situation, even in defeat. It also provides an opportunity to further develop our sympathy for a combative Moxley. In-ring quality: 2.75/4. Stakes: 1/2. Justification: 1/1. Card placement: 1/1. Suspense: 1/1. Bonus/penalty: none. Total: 7.75/10. Match seen on Triller TV."
[8.0] "Man the bump Fletcher took on his neck from the top rope was scary I can't believe he got up. Would have loved to see him go over in this one. Either way this was a really good match. Lots of near falls and even Moxley losing a tooth pretty early into the match which is hilarious he's about to go back out later the same night and wrestle with a fresh missing tooth. Both guys looked good in this one and it was a very entertaining match"
[10.0] "For me this was a late Match of The Year Contender. Since losing the world title, Jon Moxley has been the best character in wrestling. It's simple character work, but sometimes wrestling doesn't have to be super complicated, sometimes less is more. And it feels like all that work culminated at this show. It was fascinating to watch Mox slowly go from the most hated heel in the company only a few months ago, back to the badass babyface with the fans screaming for him desperate for him to win. The top-rope sleeper suplex and apron brainbuster were brutal, and add this to the list of matches to disprove the "Mox can't have a great match without blood" slander. Mox's selling of the leg in this match was amazing btw. Fletcher was absolutely no slouch either. One of the most underrated wrestlers of the year for me. Fletcher should be world champ by the end of next year. He's ready. (*****)"
[10.0] "At the start of this tournament I never expected Moxley to make the semi-finals, let alone win the whole thing. Hell, I thought he might get swept with zero points as he seemed to be cracking up under the pressure, with several setbacks and submissions having piled up on his shoulders in recent months. What I surely did not expect is that he would reach this point and be greeted by the fans more or less as a face once again. I find his seeming turn rather... strange, clearly the fans are responding but I don't feel he's done enough to definitively reverse course on his long reign of terror, his cruel abuses of the roster and near murderous attacks on certain wrestlers, not to mention locking away the world title in a sign of disrespect to the company. Hopefully they will expand on this change of heart, I suspect it has something to do with Mox being forced to fight through this tournament without any Death Rider assistance and rediscovering both his own ability and his love of the game, but we shouldn't have to just assume that. Putting that aside, how great was this match? Moxley has been pretty consistently in contention for best wrestler in the world since at least 2020 so it's no surprise that he would produce a compelling banger, so pleased that he was able to bounce back from that seeming low point early in the year. But I must yet again praise Kyle Fletcher for his growth, the difference between his semi-final performance this year and last year is like night and day. He has truly grown into one of the most impressive guys in the world in his own right. While his fan support has been swelling recently, he leaned hard into the cocky heel persona in this match to assist in the dynamic of Moxley's face performance and it all clicked together beautifully. Not only was the action tremendous, that crazy sleeper suplex for one not to mention some other brutal bumps all over the place, but they also did a wonderful job with the selling and overall storytelling, leading us through a crazy sequence of nearfalls that never felt tortured. The whole battle just felt well earned, gritty to the core, a performance from the heart on both sides. Unsure what to make of Fletcher not finding the screwdriver at the end, I'm not especially interested in Don Callis Family drama. I do think Fletcher is well equipped at this point to be on his own, but at the same time I worry a face turn would strip some of his best tools away right when he is using them best. At any rate, this is a real classic. It's currently the #13 match of the year on Cagematch, that's just a smidge high for me but I have it comfortably in my top 40, just awesome stuff."
[9.0] "[4.5*] A late MOTYC and the obvious MOTN by a very large margin. I really wanted to see how a Fletcher vs Mox match would go, two of the best heels in the business who can work a pretty similar style when needed. It was a very bold match to make specially with the Mox underdog dynamic because Fletcher was getting a lot of positive chants during the tournament and Mox just terrorized everyone's favorites for more than a year, so it was a true experiment of how good both of them needed to be in order for Mox to get cheered and Fletch to get booed. With that being said, I think they absolutely NAILED it in every single aspect possible. The very long control segment at the beginning may have "hurt the match" for some people but it was essential for people to hate Kyle and love Jon, and the key for that was the super compelling limb-work + the absolutely astonishing selling by Jon in probably the best babyface performance of the year in the USA. It was a true beautiful moment, seeing him gaining the crowd's support during the match. It's proof that wrestling can still becaptivating and that -in my opinion, obviously - an engagement with the story being told with "Let's Go Mox" chants is just miles better than some fucking bullshit "Both These Guys", "We're Not Worth It" or "This Is Awesome" chants. It's just special when the crowd cares more about the characters than they do about star ratings. And, guess what: This is still getting a lot of "stars" or whatever and it's currently the highest rated match of Kyle's career. Anyways, it was just an amazing experience that new wrestlers need to study about. That's how you fucking do professional wrestling."
[10.0] "Jon Moxley's 2025 will be talked about for generations. The man went from being one of the most hated wrestlers in the world in early 2025, quite literally holding the AEW World Title hostage, to putting on some of the best character work in wrestling history. Kyle Fletcher's fantastic heel work also elevated this match tremendously, but I really want to focus on how much of an all-time performance this was from Mox. Instant classic."
[8.0] "This was phenomenal, the way Mox was able to get the crowd with him by the end was amazing the moves were good but the story told was the real highlight. Fletcher needs to win the big one soon."
[10.0] "Jon Moxley vs Kyle Fletcher was simply phenomenal with a compelling story, incredible selling and a gripping finishing sequence that gave the fans the most satisfying conclusion possible. The avalanche sleeper suplex was death defying and cringe worthy but added into how memorable and scintillating this match really was. Moxley overcoming his injured ankle to take down Fletcher, while the storytelling was simply magnificent with the finish to Okada/Takeshita playing into this match. It was set up beautifully. Perfection in every way (*****)"
[10.0] "One of the greatest matches in C2's history (up there with last year's final), the best match in this year's C2 and a late MOTYC. Moxley's 180 degree turn from the start of the year to now will be studied for years to come. From go away heat to babyface, in a incredibily organic way thanks to sheer dedication. His performance in this match was as good as it gets. Babyface 101. From the selling of the leg to his comebacks and hope spots, everything was top notch. Of course, it takes two to tango and Fletcher here was equally as good as the heel. The in-ring storytelling was insane; from Fletcher targeting Mox's previously injured leg, to Moxley learning how survive submissions because all of the stuff he has gone through during the C2 and Fletcher not finding the screwdriver. That's like 3-4 stories wrapped into one match. And not a single word was spoken to make all of them special. That's the level these two (Mox in particular) are on. The action was physical, intense, emotional; the big spots were big (the sleeper suplex off the top rope had me thinking Fletcher was gone), but it's the simplest stuff that made the match special; Moxley reaching the ropes to break the ankle lock/kneebar was met with a sense of relief and joy that it's hard to explain. Moxley was booed out of Chicago at All Out last year, he was the most hated guy in the company during Chicago's residency this summer and now he was the beloved babyface throughout the whole show. That's ace shit right there. His kickout at one made jump out of my seat; that's fighting spirit done right. It doesn't overstay its welcome -- it feels earned, it feels real. There's selling, there's intention, there's everything. Speaking of selling; Kyle's selling of the choke at the end was amazing and elevated the ending big time. He tried to stay alive for as long as he could, even using the ref to hang on, but, in the end, he parished. These two folks are the kind of guys you build a company around. *****"
[8.0] "Rejoice! Wrestling may live just yet. A tremendous mix of creativity, drama through great selling and energy in the performances, the crowd bought every moment, every beat. They were hooked as were I. Heel vs Heel doesn't always work, but they nailed this. Every bump felt crunching, every strike, every falter, every downtime felt meaningful, they paced themselves really well and did wonders to wow everyone. This should've been the final. ****"
[10.0] "WOW! WOW! WOW! Just wow! What a freaking match. The storytelling, the selling from Mox with his injured ankle from the O'Reilly feud, the character work, just honestly blows me away. Fletcher and Mox have this insane amazing chemistry, that just made me tear up and cry. Mox's Babyface turn and Babyface work in this match, especially after the start of the year is simply awe inspring. While Fletcher is amazing in the ring and the future, Mox is the ACE, the here and now! Mox has solidified his position in this match to winning WOTY. (*****+)"
[10.0] "This should have been the final. Kyle once again delivered what he always does another five-star match and Mox knew he was facing the most promising wrestler in the world, so he went all out like I haven't seen him do in a long time. It's a shame the title wasn't on the line, because this match was main-event worthy. Hopefully we'll get a rematch, because these two bring out 100% of each other and create another classic. Anyway, this is proof that Mox needs top-tier opponents more than he needs storylines. Give him the best in the company and I'm sure he'll deliver a spectacular match he's a guarantee. Curious to see the future of both Kyle and Mox. Match of the night and a must-watch match, without any doubt."
[9.0] "Match of the night. 9.5 probably. Incredible from a few angles: storytelling with Fletcher/Okada/Callis, storytelling with Mox unbelievably winning the crowd and turning face, and the wrestling itself. I thought Mox had 0 chance until Fletcher went for the screwdriver, then it all became clear. These are two tough SOBs and it's great how Mox can work different styles depending on the match. We get a much different Mox here than in the final. In this vs Fletcher, Mox is aggressive, confident, and on the attack right from the jump. He dishes out a lot of punishment to Fletcher over and over. I took note of a spot early in the match where Fletcher goes to the outside to get away and have a break. Mox doesn't wait - he rolls out and goes to get him. This is Mox in-ring at it's best. I recently heard someone theorizing that during Mox's title reign, he was intentionally wrestling more and more boring just to keep getting heat. After watching this match, I believe it. He is the opposite of that style here, and it works for the story as he turns into the hero of AEW. It also must be mentioned how good Bryan Danielson is on commentary for this. He always is, but he points out the specific aspect of this being the same building where Mox and the DRs ended his career and suffocated him with the plastic bag. So, when Danielson joins in with the excitement when Mox is doing his thing it magnifies the effect since this guy is almost pulling for the guy that almost killed him. I noticed live when Mox self-inflicted the lost tooth on the steps and couldn't tell if it was a work at the time. It's funny he wasn't even pushed - he just stumbled and hit his face off them on his own. The recent history of Mox losing matches and tapping out a few times comes into play here as well. Mox has been selling his ankle for awhile, so Fletcher focuses on it at the end. He gets Mox in a single-leg crab, and leans way back to put the hurt on more. But, Mox is then able to reach over and get his arm around Fletcher's neck for a choke because of it. The crowd is behind Mox when he does this. Fletcher then reverses that because he's able to grab the ankle and put on an ankle lock. Will he tap yet again? ! This is all great storytelling. Fletcher nearly breaks his neck when Mox has him in a choke on the top corner and flips him off. Fletcher lands right on top of his head and it looks bad on slo-mo. Thankfully he was ok, but damn be careful guys. Mox keeps selling the ankle and fighting the pain. He keeps fighting back and kicking out - including at 1 after a knee strike to the face. He takes a brainbuster and needs until 2.9999. Fletcher can't put him away and has to resort to the screwdriver...but it's not there. What a moment! He and Mox trade moves and pin attempts before Mox gets him in a choke that turns his face red then purple. The ref has to ring the bell bc Fletcher is out. Shock win and the crowd pops."
[10.0] "Coming into this tournament and match, i'd written Moxley off. I'd forgotten just how good he can be. I'd forgotten what that heart and that grit looks like. His sellign is exceptionla, the low point and bouncing back worked so well to turn him face. Doing it on his own. The shadow of Marina standing over him. Then we get tot his match, Kyle as MVP of the tournament. Kyle igiving one hell of a performance. One hell of a show. Moxley won. But moxley, really really won."
[9.0] "Although it did rock very much, there wasn't a single ''this is awesome'' chant. Just the audience rooting for the guy who worked his ass off to earn their support. Hell of a performance from both wrestlers, especially Jon Moxley. Clear match of the tournament for me."
[10.0] "Match of the tournament by far, beating the exceptional fletcher vs Bailey match. There arent that many wrestlers right now that work a kings road style as good as Moxley does it. He sold his injuries perfectly, and Kyle was the perfect dance partner to tunnel vision on these injuries. The transition to being a fleshed out babyface with the crowd chanting for Moxley was sensational, and shows how great the storytelling in this tournament was."
[10.0] "Jon Moxley's 2025 has gone from a frustrating title reign to absolutely generational. Setting aside his ability with a microphone in-hand, Mox has manufactured an immense storyline with a complex babyface turn without a spoken word being needed; the in-ring storytelling that hit its climax tonight is like nothing else in professional wrestling. The standard of wrestling was immense, the multiple overlapping stories happening, the raw emotion of Moxley, and the sensationally executed false finishes - this match had it all, and ended with a shocking and meaningful result. A last-gasp match of the year contender (probably around the 10-15th mark for me), and my first ten rating on the platform since joining the site a couple of months ago (my most recent ten would have been Takeshita's IWGP World Championship win had I been here)."
[9.0] "Another good match. Moxley continues to sell his injured leg well. I liked that the screwdriver was used in both matches. This weapon has symbolic and historical importance in the Don Callis family, and there's still some here. However, I'm not satisfied with the final. The logical final was Takeshita vs. Okada in my opinion; the other possibility was Fletcher vs. Okada. It's worth remembering that Fletcher beat Okada in the tournament, so it would have made sense. Moxley has also often lost, retired, etc., in recent months. Here, we have to pretend nothing happened. I would have preferred to see Pac or Castagnoli qualify instead."
[8.0] "This was fantastic. The best match of the C2 for me and likely the best match of Kyle Fletcher's career so far. He was pretty fantastic here in control and also took a few gnarly bumps, namely that Dragon Suplex off the top rope which looked insane. As good as he was here though, i thought Mox was the clear star of the show. It's impressive just how easily he's slipped back into a babyface role after excelling as a heel for so long. He was awesome here at fighting from underneath and also selling his leg brilliantly leading to some amazing submission nearfalls. The finish here was awesome too with Mox choking out Kyle with the Bulldog chioke after an absolutely spectacular comeback. So much great stuff here and both guys put in two excellent performances. Mox is the wrestler of the year and matches like this are the reason why. ****1/4"
[7.0] "Fantastic match, match of the year candidate, if it wasn't for too many unnecessarily dangerous neck moves. Kyle Fletcher nearly killed himself landing on his head from a dragon suplex from the top rope. I can't give this a 10, or a 9, because of this. It's not just that Kyle Fletcher didn't take it safely, this move should have never happened. A dragon suplex even in the ring is quite dangerous, but there is no way that it should be taken from anyone from the ropes. Let alone from Moxley who I don't ever remember seeing use the move.Tony Khan and the agents need to protect the wrestlers more by not letting them do moves like this. But man, other than that, it was a great match. I can't believe how good Moxley looked. The tooth chipping was unfortunate but that wasn't because of anything dangerous they did, just an unfortunate accident."
[9.0] "Likely the AEW match of the year for me. Mox is just a perfect pro wrestler and this might be his best performance. His tooth was busted out and he just never stopped. The lariats were sickening, the finishing stretch with the lockout and submissions was top tier. Just loved it. Want to watch it again tomorrow."
[7.0] "7.5 - Kyle Fletcher got to show off all of his best traits, like his power, speed, and facial acting. Bryce Remsburg being an idiot at the end spoiled it a but, and Mox chipping his tooth was an unfortunate distraction. Great submission spots though, and one of the craziest apron bumps in recent memory."
[8.0] "Shitty booking notwithstanding I really enjoyed this match. I don't buy Moxley as a babyface. I never have and never will. He looks and acts too much like a dick. Jon Moxley is in love with the smell of his own farts and no one benefits from feuds with him because the only ones who come out of a win against him looking better are people already established."
[10.0] "Best match in Continental Classic history. Even with the loss, Kyle Fletcher was the tournament MVP, but in this match the biggest highlight is Jon Moxley, the company's Ace, who delivered one of (if not the) best performance of his career. It's crazy to think that at the beginning of 2025 this same Moxley was the most hated heel in the company and ended the year as the most over babyface. Every nearfall, counter, and fighting spirit spot is worthy of driving the audience wild and making them even more anxious about what will happen as the match progresses. Not only the in-ring action, but the story told in this match is perfect (and simple): the rising star (Fletcher) tries everything to beat the company's Ace (Moxley), and when he realizes he can't win cleanly, he tries to cheat and use the screwdriver, which is no longer available because it was used in the previous match of the show (Okada vs. Takeshita). Because of this, the young man completely loses emotional control and becomes easy prey for the experienced veteran, who brutally finishes the match with a Bulldog Choke. Perfection in every sense [*****]."
[10.0] "An amazing war, the technical work was great and the kick-outs and high stakes bombs -especially the Avalanche Choke Suplex- kept me on the Edge of my seat. With some great striking poured in the mix and a strong finish you got a top three C2 matches ever. *****"
[9.0] "It gained it's high mark mostly for how engaging it was and how well each wrestler played their role. Admittedly, I haven't followed C2 this year, so the whole Moxley redemption caught be quite off guard, but he was a pretty good face in this match and Fletcher was excellent as a heel. As for the match itself, although there weren't many flashy moves, it was entertaining and greatly paced. Now, even if the way this played out it called for Moxley to win, I think it would have been better if Fletcher had moved on (and won), but they can tell a good story with the DR as long as they don't drag it for too long."
[10.0] "If you told people back in March after that awful match with Copeland that Moxley would end up having a huge collection of match of the year contenders for the rest of the year, they wouldnt believe you. Best match of the C2 tournament and ends Moxley's great year on a high. Fletcher has had the breakout year of his career and is at that point where they need to strap the rocket to him(just don't take anymore sick neck bumps. That was rough and could have easily sent him to early retirement)"
[6.0] "Decent match overall. The submission spot was easily the best part. The match itself wasn't bad by any means but the ideas behind it weren't necessarily interesting or engaging to me. There was also some really dumb stuff later like the kick out at one which I'm completely exhausted by at this point. I always go into AEW matches with high expectations but they keep doing things that just don't move me anymore. I keep hoping over and over again everytime K come across a highly praised match that this might feel different but none of them really hit or engage me the way I expect them to."
[10.0] "Best match of the C2 and one of the best of the year. The slow face turn of Mox throughout this tournament being capped off by this match was nothing short of brilliant. Him having to wrestle clean because of the C2 rules, his amazing underdog performance with his injured leg and broken tooth in this match AND the payoff of him not tapping to Fletcher after doing it so many times over the last 6 months was all the perfect recipe for getting every single person in that arena behind him again. And of course, Fletcher himself is just unreal. What an amazing heel. Legitimately could be considered the best wrestler in the world. That drop on his neck from the top was goddamn brutal. The twist of him looking for the screwdriver that Okada had already used was an amazing story development as well, can't wait to see where that goes. When we got near the end of the C2, once I saw the semis, I was all in on a Protoshita final. After this performance by both guys though, I couldn't help but root for Moxley. I'm still not a huge fan of Mox actually winning the whole thing, but I'm willing to go along for the ride and see how they follow up this amazing tournament. *****"
[8.0] "I dont know, everyone is so enthusiastic with this match and I just think it was very very veery overcooked. I mean I saw at least 3 different angles for this match to be an epic winning moment. I dunno. I dont like underdelivering, but overcooking takes some magic too. Also I dont like the winner here."
"[7.0] "Fletcher was a trigger waiting to be pulled here, but AEW seemed intent on using this show to go full circle. After a dead first half, the Mox face turn was so effectively executed that he didn't actually need the win to seal the deal with the fans. In fact, Moxley continuing to pursue his elusive redemption with the audience rabidly backing him. Anyway, this was a really good match - i cant give this match more than 7"
[10.0] "I was expecting the other semi final match to steal the show but this one blew it out of the water. I have no idea since when Jon Moxley is a babyface but he played it to utter perfection and Fletcher has to be top 5 in-ring performer of the year and this match very much helps his case. This is a last minute addition to my top 10 matches of 2025 list at #9. 9.5/10"
[9.0] "Match of the night and maybe even Match of the month. Jon Moxley was going into this after some weirdly face promos, talking about how important the C2 is and showing signs of a shredded ego. I was a bit miffed on this as it seemed out of nowhere when as it turns out all they needed to turn him babyface was this match. Moxley and Kyle Fletcher wrestled at a great pace straight out the gate with hard hitting strikes, Fletcher focusing on Moxley's bad leg and Moxley in turn wrestling with lots of desperation. It was very refreshing to see Moxley fight like this again. There's some gnarly spots with varying degrees of cleanliness. Fletcher gives Moxley a Brainbuster on the apron and it is about as safe that spot can possibly be, very nice. Later on however Moxley gives Fletcher a superplex which looks like it spikes Fletcher as he doesn't appear to tuck his chin enough. Luckily Kyle appears to be ok. There's lots of near submissions following Moxley's trend of losses since losing at All In but the reception is overwhelming support rather than the catharsis of seeing the leader of the Death Riders give up. Fletcher determining that he can't finish off Moxley on his own terms goes to the turnbuckle in an attempt to retrieve a screwdriver that Okada used in the previous match but obviously it's been disposed under the ring. This puts the puzzle pieces together. Moxley takes the opener and submits Fletcher with a bulldog choke to advance. Moxley gets his babyface win and the Don Callis Family further begins to fall. Not only has Okada prevented Fletcher from advancing but also Fletcher is exposed as being the reason Takeshita didn't advance in his match. It is fantastic storytelling from all ends and even reminds us that Callis has his own history with Moxley who now has another target on his back"
[10.0] "After that tremendous match between Fletcher and Speedball, I did not expect to watch a match of that calibre for the remainder of this tournament, but I was by some miracle mistaken. I had Speedball/Fletcher as the best match C2 history, but this match surpassed that for me; a common denominator between those two matches was Fletcher, inarguably one of the greatest wrestlers currently breathing. This was a barn burner enriched with story, incredible athleticism, and offence that wouldn't stop. There was not a single point of respite in this match, aside from Fletcher getting a brief period of breathing room in the very final stretch of the match, which was what led to Fletcher losing; meticulous and flawless storytelling. I absolutely loved how the screw-driver spot from the match preceding this tied into this match, which will for sure cause tension between the Don Callis family and made the spot earlier more sensible than it was. Moving on to Moxley, which frankly was the X factor as to why this match was as incredible as it was. The C2 has done a fantastic job of organically transforming Moxley into a crowd favourite; a mix of tweener and face at the moment. Moxley and Fletcher were easily the standouts of this tournament, both for severely different reasons. Moxley's confidence throughout this tournament was in doubt, which was apparent especially in the post match segments that were posted on twitter. With the crowd cheering him early on and the high stakes of this match, Moxley finally found his calling and showed out with determination that's palpable from continents away. The vehement determination caused Moxley to chip his front tooth badly, which Moxley sold fucking perfectly. Kyle realized that Mox was still able to beat his tenacity, so he began targeting the ankle; the achilles heel that has haunted Moxley since Texas. After several technical exchanges, Kyle finally put Moxley in a leg lock. This fully realized Moxley persevered and ended up countering the lock after a long struggle, to which the crowd erupted. This was a magnificent embodiment of a comeback story, which ended up with Moxley submitting Fletcher. Both this match and Fletcher/Speedball were fantastic for completely different reasons, but this was severely more cathartic and anthemic. A masterpiece on both in-ring and character storytelling. 10/10, and is a firm late contender for top 3 matches of the year."
[10.0] "The story of Mox's leg injury continues here, great work by Fletcher on attacking that and getting the crowd behind Mox. Godly selling of the leg from Mox. Fletcher took one of the nastiest neck bumps I've ever seen. In the end, Mox just had more heart. Absolutely incredible match, late MOTY contender."
[10.0] "THIS IS REAL BROTHER, THIS IS WRESTLING, an unbelievable babyface turn for Mox here, with the young lion Kyle Fletcher pulling it all out, only to be taken out by his own team's screwjob, and Moxley himself showing he is still one of the greatest wrestlers of allllll time."
[10.0] "A certified 5 star classic. Jon Moxley is truly the ace of AEW and it showed here. Fletcher with a brilliant heel performance to really put Jon over as a massive babyface in time for his bagging from the rest of the death riders. Near falls, iron wills and more were in this one."
[10.0] "Now that was a goddamn wrestling match. Fletcher is an ascendant star on a level that we barely even have to point it out anymore, but more than anything, Jon Moxley is one of my all time greats. The fact that he is fighting his way back into being the Ace Babyface of AEW yet again, after the Death Rider's run, is truly phenomenal, but he's just so great and so reliable and so talented that you can't help but cheer for him. This was a hard-hitting slug fest that made Moxley look like a resilient machine and Fletcher like an absolute killer who just got a little bit outgamed by a savvy veteran. He has "world champion" written all over him. Amazing stuff."
[10.0] "I agree with the sentiment that this match should have been the actual finals of this tournament. I've been vocal about not being that much into this tournament in general before but even I got invested in this match and the in ring work was really good. Best match of the tournament."
[10.0] "Sincerely, this might be one of my favorite match of all time. When they announced it, I was really really expecting that dream match. We all saw that Moxley was cutting some face promos, and was cheered again. Kyle Fletcher makes his entrance like the stud he is, then Moxley is entering with a lot of people cheering for him again, we can see him looking at the crowd, like Mox used to do before. Then the match was just perfect, I don't know how he broke his tooth but it added a lot. The work on his ankle was fantastic, Fletcher dominating made sense but it was brilliant. And then the match entered another dimension when Moxley fought as hell to not tap or get submit. After acting like a looser for weeks, the C2 helped him building confidence again, and he was a damn warrior against Fletcher, fighting for his life and using the support of the crowd. The kickouts were unreal from both of them. Fletcher looking for the missing screwdriver used by Okada was a fantastic moment and plot for the storylines after the ppv. The ending stretch was as great as the rest. I was like a kid for the whole match, cheering for Moxley and fearing the dominating Fletcher. This match is more than perfect. Moxley and Fletcher are two of the best wrestlers of 2025 and they proved again why, even tho they clearly didn't need to prove anything whatsoever."
[8.0] "****3/4 A truly great match, among the best of the year. Unlike the other semifinal, this one not only lived up to expectations but exceeded them. The chemistry was fantastic; they worked excellently together and complemented each other perfectly. The sequences were superb, featuring some reversals but mostly constant movement and endurance. Fletcher's limbwork on Moxley's leg was outstanding, as was Moxley's selling. The pacing was excellent; they controlled the timing brilliantly, giving each move and kick-out its moment. Kyle's kick-out of Moxley's Paradigm Shift was brilliant. The ending was very good, although it felt a bit strange or anticlimactic. After constant exchanges, Moxley caught Kyle in the Sleeper Hold, and Kyle was resisting. When he stopped moving for a second, the referee rang the bell. Kyle reacted and complained to the referee that he hadn't gone out, and Moxley advanced. I think they could have finished it better, but it was still good. Fletcher's detail of searching for the screwdriver (which was meant for him to use, not Okada) was perhaps a bit far-fetched, but it worked and will be useful in the future"
[9.0] "Crazy good redemption arc for mox. Kyle is being his very cocky self, plays it well. The leg is a great addition to this story. Mox is very much the focal point in this match, it's his way back to the hearts of the fans, after so many losses, big ones, and him tapping out multiple times. He was able to redeem himself and be asserted as a proper threat. The ankle lock to choke to ankle lock was a beauty. Top rope move was scary hope Kyle is good. Kyle's face is unmatched, really strong. Mox got one of the best fighting spirit spots this year. Great but where okada stole the screwdriver lmao"
[10.0] "Jon Moxley vs Kyle Fletcher: I LOVED this match. High paced, high drama, well worked, well structured, in my opinion a surprise winner. This match was a struggle, two men clawing at each other and that's exactly how it should feel. Moxley's face turn has been managed wonderfully and arguably nobody has had as consistent a year as Kyle Fletcher. BANGER."
[7.0] "Fletcher was a trigger waiting to be pulled here, but AEW seemed intent on using this show to go full circle. After a dead first half, the Mox face turn was so effectively executed that he didn't actually need the win to seal the deal with the fans. In fact, it would have been better for business in the long run to have Moxley continuing to pursue his elusive redemption with the audience rabidly backing him. Anyway, this was a really good match - especially Moxley's battered & beleaguered underdog performance - but I still have issues with Fletcher's unwillingness to portray the damage from some brutal spills ***3/4"
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