Adam Page vs. MJF

[9.0] "Time flies when you are watching an excellent main event this did not feel like close to being a 50 minute match. MJF & Hangman went out there & had an insanely sick Texas death match. This match had everything you could think of from glass, light tubes, like even skeweres to the head, the finish of the match was poetic being the way hangman had won most of his big death matches before & the blood on the camera lens was so damn cool. Fantastic match"

[6.0] "At what point can you say it's way too much? Something like this, I think. The match has some intense moments that are genuinely entertaining, then it gets nasty with the syringe, and from there it just drags on, always searching for one more highlight, one more unchallenged cliché, more and more juice - and then a serious match quickly becomes silly or irritating. They miss the mark at the right moment, so that by the end I just can't take the whole thing seriously anymore. Forty-five minutes without a decisive finish is more of a dispensable art. The match has so much potential, so many ideas - if they'd just taken thirty percent of that to heart, the match would be much more serious. It's too much for me. Way too much."

[10.0] "What a match it had me on the edge of my seat I genuinely had no idea what they were going to do next and I thought they couldn't top what they just did and they did whether that be spikes to the head or dragging someone through glass. I don't think anything else this year will be as good as that match cause I'm a big fan of death matches or Texas death matches anything that involves weapons or some stipulation and that was match of year for me. Everything in this match made sense two people who hate each other genuinely trying to kill one another with anything and everything they can get there hands on. MJF and Hangman Adam page are AEW's first big stars that they have grown from the very start of AEW and for them to be putting on bangers like it just proves how far AEW has come since 2019."

[10.0] "Undeniably captivating. An ultimate babyface versus an all-timer heel worker. Not enough wrestling takes advantage of the fact it's a visual, filmed art most of the time, but this match certainly does. Hangman Adam Page passing out, hitting his head against the camera, and MJF reveling his guaranteed victory as his opponents blood covers the camera will, or at least should, go down as one of the greatest closing visuals in wrestling history."

[8.0] "****3/4 A truly great match, they managed to create a violent and stylish battle, although it had some details that prevented it from being a gem like Swerve vs. Hangman at Full Gear 2023 or Mox vs. Hangman at All In 2025. The chemistry was fantastic; they work together excellently, and here they meshed even better thanks to the stipulation. The sequences and spots were amazing; they threw everything at each other and practically did everything possible. However, towards the end, it does feel a bit saturated with spots or moments. The intensity was excellent; they held nothing back and were killing each other. MJF's Terry Funk-inspired outfit was a great touch. The pacing was great; surprisingly, at 46 minutes, it wasn't boring at all and flowed smoothly. However, after 35 minutes, it felt like they were using spots to artificially lengthen the match, and perhaps it wasn't necessary to go that far. There were also a couple of somewhat exaggerated false finishes where they didn't even move at the 8 or 9 count, and less than a second later... They were on their feet as if fueled by adrenaline, a truly magnificent ending. The use of the dog collar added a double layer of storytelling, recalling the match between MJF and CM Punk in 2022, and also the way MJF used it at the end, choking Hangman in the same way he did to Moxley at All In and Revolution. Although Page didn't submit, he collapsed to the floor, exhausted, and lost the match, unable to get back up before the 10 count. A fantastic match and one of the MOTYs, but I'd say it doesn't quite surpass (though it does equal) the Texas Death Match between Moxley and Page at Revolution 2023"

[9.0] "(**** 1/2) One of AEW's most significant rivalries--we could say these are the two most iconic faces of the company--reached its final chapter (or so TK has led us to believe) in one of the most brutal matches in wrestling history. Over 45 minutes of unfiltered violence. The only thing missing was for one of them to actually die. Good Lord! Both have lost a piece of their lives in this match, especially MJF. Several references to previous matches (Full Gear 2023 or Revolution 2022, among others) in an unprecedented bloodbath. Perhaps it was too long, and, as is usually the case in AEW, the selling is conspicuous by its absence. But without a doubt a must-see among Texas Death Matches and certainly a contender for MOTY."

[10.0] "Tony Khan have my babies. Literally felt like I was watching Punk VS Raven and a CZW deathmatch on drugs for those last 10-15 Mins. Sure, It was slow, but good god was it rewarding. Despite it being a pretty new bloomed and spontaneous rivalry from the ending of worlds end, the video package of MJF taking the absolute piss (literally) out of cowboys, adam page, and the entire city of LA in his in-ring announcement. the terry funk attire is also a class touch from Max that just makes the match feel a little more special. 'IM NOT DOING THIS INDIE BULLSHIT' got a chuckle out of me, MJF's wall breaks in super big matches are always priceless, similar to his Ironman match with Danielson, where he cowardly leaves the ring and says 'OH NO, IS THIS GOING TO COST ME A STAR, DAVID? '. I was a super big fan of the levelling and one-upping despite MJF's clear attempts to evade and duck away from Hangman's sick fuck antics with the barbed wire and the glass, wheelbarrowing him through the glass just because he did, ESPECIALLY with the hangman deadeye through the table on the right, being levelled with the tombstone piledriver from MJF through the table on the left. REALLY big fan of the callbacks to previous grudge match based rivalry's, both with the syringe through hangman's mouth, by the same token of which he did to Swerve during their rivalry. (yes, it made me incredibly squeamish.) as well as the dawning of the dog collar as a callback to four years ago between Max and Punk. I did really like the belly-to-belly off the stage and how you see MJF's desperation turn from 'I'm not doing this' to 'I need to do this right fucking now' is an awesome bit of storytelling that really shows his evolution, because old MJF would run and bury his head in the sand from his fears. I also don't think there's a better looking man with blood running down his face and eyes beamed open then hanger; after the light tube spot, after the deadeye through the barbed chair and whilst walking Max like a dog to the ring, we see that sick and primal look from Hangman that is just as heroic as it is scary. I don't believe anyone has hung the hangman before, but shit, if its going to be anyone give it to your company's quarterback. Whoever's idea it was to have hangers head clatter into the camera enough to have a cyst of blood embedded onto the camera for the rest of the show deserves a raise and a half. Now, how Tony and anyone else figures out how to make Hangman still a viable piece and still embed him as the heart and soul of AEW without the ability to get the world championship is going to be odd, but man did it elevate the weight and the rep of that belt, and MJF wears it smug as fuck with what i think is his 2nd best match, and Hangman's 4th. what a end to such a damn good PPV, worth a re-watch and will get the gears turning on the rest of 2026 in AEW, but more importantly, was a slow burn thriller of a main event and an absolute bloodbath. *****.5 (5.5 Stars)."

[6.0] "I am having a hard time really talking about this match without it devolving into the everpopular meta-discussion about the place for this type of hardcore wrestling in the mainstream wrestling nowdays.If anything, I am surprised MJF, the type of worker he usually is, would even engage with it so strongly. But I will mostly just talk about the match, attempting to judge it on it's merit, while still admitting to be not the type of person this thing is likely for. For what it's worth, MJF's dedication to Looney Tunes type selling and spots in this one did a lot for me. He brought a much needed character to this thing, without making a mockery of it. The irony is not lost of him coming out in badass Terry Funk trunks only to be absolutely manhandeld and run away as a traumatized little child for the rest of it. This is the type of thing I wish more people would bring into this, if people do decide to go into this type of hardcore stuff. Too often it is just this gruff two men exchange crippling shots of non-fake fake weapons that hurt them way too much to prove which one of them is more insane and uncaring about their health. In process, it turns into a showcase of violence and how far one individual is ready to go, while often times completely losing the charcter work or any technique that usually makes wrestling what it is. With that being said, I feel like Adam Page wrestled this match with exactly the attitude I critiqued beforehand. Lumbering walking around, searching for the next big thing to whack MJF with, while doing often times close to 0 selling and after every other spot turning around to the crowd or camera and being like "hey look how hardcore this shit is'. This did nothing for me. Most spots we have seen already, which is the hardcore inflation problem of this genre. On one hand why ought I watch this new hadrcore match if there is not a new boundry-pushing spot that gets viral online for the next week or two? On another, I have little desire to see my favourite wrestlers legitimately trying to cripple and mutilate themselves in escalating manner for vain and fleeting reaction that does nothing for them as characters of the story and is forgotten after a few weeks. Regardless, to sum it all up: MJF was fantastic and made it pallatable even for a man who usually is not into such things, Adam Page was in my view a weak link that did not do anything too engaging in the match. The whole thing was a bit tasteless and peculiarly both too far and not far enough and I am not sure which one of those is a worse thing to be. Still, the surprising finish, terrific character work by MJF that stole the match, makes this thing to be not half bad for me"

[9.0] "This was absolutely insane. The spots were sick, the match itself was fun, and I loved this. I don't think Hangman will keep his word, but god this was so much fun to watch."

[10.0] "visceral brutal violence, didnt think it dragged at all, a few spots that made me actually wince or turn away, Hangman is amazing at feeling unhinged and out of control while MJF steps up to the plate in every match that people think he cant do. The skewers flying as he killed him with the Buckshot ruled. The dog collar bit was incredible. The end coming with the bloodstain on the camera was perfect. Awesome, horrifying stuff, cant wait to see how they do the Hangman stip"

[10.0] "Call me psychotic but Maaaaaan, this match was nuts, especially in person. The spots are insane and it feels like a great conclusion to their rivalry thus far."

[9.0] "Tough match to rate man. They spend some of their time in spots which I don't think they were productive at all, did some greedy ass stuff they're world wide famous for and the pacing itself was weird. But, it is a great match. No flaws on execution, shocks whoever watch, had moments that we can separate and define that as a Texas Deathmatch different from the others, like the "smile MJF" spot or even the ending with Hangman headbutting the camera and letting his blood there. The callbacks with Swerve and Punk, from each side here, was great, the weapons they used in general got me atractive and for a bout that long, it didn't felt exausting, it is somehow an easy watch. Isn't perfect, don't deserve a ten, and now that I had time to think, I don't even consider match of the night. But it is pretty good, indeed. 46 minutes is crazy tho, should be lower. Way lower."

[7.0] "all of the unnecessary gore spots just to kip back up at the last possible seconds was unnecessary, also with this match being over 40 minutes long... the texas death stipulation is tired, these two are great wrestlers in their own right and don't need a gimmick stipulation to have a good match, literally look at their match last year at revolution"

[5.0] "This was far from being a total abomination, but it wasn't exactly great either. When you're doing desperation 9 counts from table piledriver variations at the 25 minute mark and then the match goes another 20+, you might be over egging your pudding, lads. I wish they hadn't bothered with the fake window because it was a cartoonish sore thumb amidst all the legit bloodletting punishment they were clearly willing to take. There were times in between the parade of gnarly deathmatch tropes that it felt like they'd forgotten they were supposed to be in a fight and there were other moments when the ref stood gawping at a plunder spot setup when the 10 count should've been in play. The commentary team missing MJF slipping the ring on right before the finish was a crucial fuck-up too **1/2"

[10.0] "Best match of the year so far. The way these two were able to create this intense and vile hate for each other that brought them to their limits was amazing. The death match aspect definitely delivered with gruesome spots like the syringe and also the plunge through the exploding electrical gear. This went on for a very long time but was insanely captivating as you hoped Page would end up winning the match. The broken glass spots were ruthless and the dog collar also was brutal. MJF choked Page with the dog collar to win as blood splattered on the camera which was an insane visual. One of the most brutal championship matches in recent memory just absolutely insane. *****"

[10.0] "This match was absolutely incredible, start to finish. I've heard that this match didn't have a story, but to me it was one of the best stories I've ever seen. The moment Hangman attached that dog collar to MJF, MJF paused and said, "Not again... Not again! " and in that very moment, I could see the story in MJF's eyes. 4 years prior, he was wrestling his idol in a dog collar match. The man in his eyes who abandoned him when MJF needed him most. It brought him back to a rivalry that was so impactful that it was the first time we had seen any vulnerability from MJF at all. It brought him back to the most bitter and angry night of his career, just to be stabbed in the back by Wardlow. It took him back to being a defenseless little kid who was bullied for no reason, attached to possibly the most dangerous man in AEW. So MJF did what he's always done. He tried to run away from that fear. He tried to run away from his past. Then once he realized it was impossible, he embraced it, not like the kid he was, but like the man he became. He then walked out on top, the only way he knows how. By being the most disrespectful scumbag that we all have known him to be for years, and beating Hangman the way he's beaten everyone else. By hanging him. As far as the match goes, it's incredible. The window spot, the broken glass, the dog collar, the light bulbs, the syringe, the pyro spot through the table, and Hangman's blood staining the camera told the story that all of it was necessary. The only criticisms I have are the syringe being sqirted out of Hangman's cheek because it didn't really make sense because it wasnt actually going into Hangman, so other than being a nasty spot, it didn't seem like much of a purpose behind it, and when MJF was running around the ring and didn't see Hangman standing there before getting smacked in the head. It just seemed a little silly in what shouldn't have been a silly match at all, but it didn't take away from how amazing the match was."

[8.0] "Great moments but not a great match. Yes I loved watching it but the glaring issues were definitely there. The spot, set up and spot method just isn't it for me even though all the spots were beyond entertaining. I'm not the squeamish type so they won't affect my rating but I just felt there was a little too much dead time to be a perfect match. On to the good things, the spots were absolutely cruel which is great for a Texas death. Never expected to see light tubes on a national program but I wasn't mad about it. I know Hangman's taking some time off but I hope this will lead to his eventual heel turn. Good main event ****(1/2) - Stars"

[6.0] "[3*] The match would have been so much better in my eyes if it were just a little shorter, as 46 minutes was just too long. The syringe spot was nasty and really didn't make any sense to me. The dog collar popped me, and I'm glad MJF retained, but I can't justify going any higher."

[6.0] "This is a great 25-30 minute match that was stretched out to 46 minutes. The beginning was too goofy. Once they went through an exploding table and still went on wrestling, it was tough to lock back into the action. The Hangman stipulation hanging over this also made the ending quite irritating. The middle of this match, though, was excellent and everything you want out of a Texas Death Match. So, I'm a bit torn about it all."

[10.0] "Lucha brutal todo lo que significa una texas death match lo malo para muchos fue el resultado y la decisión de alejar a Adam Page de la escena del campeonato mundial de AEW pero sin duda fue una gran lucha y buena manera de acabar el show que fue tremendo"

[10.0] "This deserves a 10 only for the Terry Funk tribute and the bloody camera bump to Hangman. The match itself was... a carnage, of course it was, Texas Death is no joke lol. People often say the syringe spot was just too much and probably bad taste, but I'm glad they did it. MJF in a Texas Death Match with no interferences all over the place? Heck yes! Sign me in"

[6.0] "Way, way too much of a good thing. If this were 20 or even 30 minutes shorter, it would have been way better. But at this point people expect a TDM to go a long time so I don't even really blame Max or Hangman."

[6.0] "6.5 - Bryce Remsburg is the biggest negative multiplier in wrestling history. The greater his involvement, the worse off we all are. He ruined their London match, and ruined this one. I'd wager it was his idea to do the 10-count. I don't remember that being such a prevalent thing in previous TDMs. It was so unwelcome here."

[6.0] "Just another over the top match of MJF trying to put himself in "legendary" matches that just coming off like a try hard. Too much setup and waiting for spots. No real flow between spots. The glass at the start of the match is exactly why CM Punk is wrong. Fake glass looks and acts fake. MJF taking most of the violence only setup that Hangman was going to lose. MJF wearing Terry Funk inspired gear is another perfect example of MJF being a try hard. The syringe was just dumb. Whats the point of the squirting if it's through his cheek? The length of the match was unneeded too. Just too much, too extra."

[8.0] "I think this was for me like a mix of Hangman vs Fletcher and Hangman vs Swerve Steel Cage where both were good matches, maybe great for some, but the lenght hurt this match a lot, and I think they did too much, and not in a sense where they doing a lot of violent sht, is just that I think for moments some of the spots just felt like they were there for the pop of the crowd, for example the Dog Collar was practically the reason Hangman lost, like, he put the Dog Collar on him and MJF throw him to the table with barbwire and thanks to that he got choked"

[9.0] "This was quite a slow, long, & dragged out match; but in a AWESOME way for me. All of that bit of hatred that both of these 2 developed for each other ever since the start of their rivalry was displayed here really well. The storytelling & the spots really felt real & authentic. I wanted to give this a 10, but it was too long & slow for me to be worthy of that. I'm not complaining however, these 2 did what they needed to do & the cherry on top for that was the ending. Hangman falling on top of the camera with blood being splattered in the lens & MJF choking out Hangman to get him to submit & him standing on type of Hangman's lifeless body on the stretcher was a sight to behold. What an ending to violent & ruthless match!"

[10.0] "brutal storytelling done right. Page brings raw cowboy violence while MJF leans fully into his cowardly, calculating heel genius. Every weapon spot means something, not just shock value. Hangman fights like a man trying to survive; MJF fights like a snake trying to steal victory. Blood, exhaustion, and hatred build the atmosphere until the crowd is completely locked in. It's not just violence--it's character. Hangman's stubborn toughness versus MJF's manipulative cruelty. The match feels dangerous, emotional, and earned, the exact spirit a Texas Death Match should have in modern wrestling."

[3.0] ""I'm not going to do that indie bullshit" *MJF then does 40 minutes of that said indie bullshit* I mean, if you dig this style cool. I'm sure you loved it. But for me it didn't flow like a wrestling match it was just here's all the hardcore spots we want to do, setup, do it, setup the next. There's no true heat here in this match, they just hit each other like Looney Tunes characters and pop up and go to the next. If you added a BOINK, ZAP, BONK to every hit in this match it would make it a 5 star match. And 46 minutes was just unneeded, I do not understand why these guys think that long = great. If this was under 20 it would have been borderline great, but reminded me of that really long Triple H/Shawn Michaels Hell in a Cell match that just wouldn't end."

[2.0] "So just so my biases are known going in, I love Hangman & strongly dislike MJF, that being said I thought their prior 2 matches were 3.25* (Rev 2025) and 2* (FD London) respectively. Basically my biggest issue with the match was how hollow and plastic it felt, just completely devoid of any sort of genuine emotion. It all felt so forced and fake, like WWE-esque attempts at emotion. There was no genuine hate or fire or passion driving the match to me. In addition, the pacing was just awful, it was a match that was simultaneously incredibly slow yet also did way, way, way too much in a maximalist sense. It effectively established a rhythm of 1 minute set up plunder for spot, 1 minute to do and sell spot, maybe do a 10 count, repeat. For 40 minutes without any sort of way to tie those spots together thematically or even within the match itself, there wasn't any sort of sense of escalation in the violence or anything, instead just going from random spot to random spot without any thought being given to the order they should've been done in. And there were just way too fuckin' many of 'em so that by the end I just didn't really care about a barbed wire table or glass on the floor because I'd already seen 18 other plunder spots. There was no creativity or central theme to the match that other TDM's have had, it literally felt like a WWE produced plunder match at many points. I don't know why this was a TDM at all, it felt more like a (bad) last man standing match. And while I will put a good deal of the blame on MJF because many of these things are his hallmarks, Hangman deserves a ton of criticism too, he's consistently had outstanding TDM's prior to this and should have known better than to think the way they laid this out was a good idea. I can't say this is the worst wrestling match I've seen all year, although it's certainly one of them, but it is undeniably the match I found least enjoyable to watch. It was, above all else, just depressing and boring."

[9.0] "Hangman Adam Page is king of the deathmatch in my opinion. Three of my favorite Deathmatches are built off of his back. I loved what MJF brought to this, not wanting t play along with the carny deathmatch spots but also not depriving the audience of crazy shit. Smashing the window himself and sweeping up the glass is perfect heel heat but they all built towards more gnarly spots. MJF bled like a stuffed pig here and the image of him with the barbed wire in his mouth while blood drips into his eyes will forever be burnt into my brain. Despite the stipulation I never thought Hangman was gonna win but the match was so grueling and action packed I didn't know when it was gonna end to the point where I was totally absorbed in the story. Very poetic ending with Hangman crumbling due to his own hubris. He wanted the stipulation, he made the gamble and he attached the dog collar that would hang him. Very excited to see where we go from here"

[9.0] "What a match! MJF started off reluctant to play along, but then gradually ramped it up to hardcore! Everything was great, right down to the little details: Adam Page's "dumb-ass" at the start of the match, the syringe--oh my god, the syringe! The baton spot, which is always impressive, the spots through the tables--the two wrestlers went all out to destroy each other, right up to that finish and Adam Page's comeback where you think he's finally going to win, but no, MJF uses his usual diamond ring. I don't know if it was on purpose, but Adam Page falling onto the camera after getting choked and leaving a trail of blood--I thought that was awesome! The match lasted 45 minutes, and it could have gone on twice as long and I wouldn't have minded. Well done, gentlemen!"

[3.0] "The best thing about this match was the end, firstly because it meant the match was over but secondly, because of that visual of MJF stood over Hangman's limp body viewed through a bloodied camera which was terrific. What came before that was dreadful. Start with the grotesque: no one wants to see a wrestler put a syringe through his opponent's cheek, which was obvious from the total disgust on the faces they cut to in the crowd after it happened. Then there's the illogical rubbish like the fact there's a loose window at ringside. Mixed in with these pointless stunts, you have MJF doing silly comedy spots like running around the ring before being hit on the head with a trashcan lid. This match was part Benny Hill, part the levels of stupidity that saw Nick Gage needing to be airlifted from an outdoor death match with severe blood loss. With this type of match my question is always if there are no rules, why not just repeatedly punch your opponent in the face until they are unconscious? I am 100% behind the idea of pushing the boundaries of violence in mainstream wrestling, but do it in a way which is grounded, logical and makes the competitors look like genuine hard men, like Piper and Valentine did, not like this."

[8.0] "This match will obviously be a mixed bag of reviews due to the style, I personally loved this and thought all the violence/deathmatch adjacent spots worked out very well. For this being MJF's first adventure into a deathmatch stipulation i would say he more than delivered on giving and taking his fair share of punishment, as for hangman? its hangman in a deathmatch...of course he did some wild shit like usual. First AEW MOTY contender on my list in 2026"

[9.0] "Pure maximalist payoff. Over a year of build and 3 full matches, this is MJF and Hanger throwing everything, the kitchen sink, the whole house, and a fucking meteorite just to be sure at us to make us feel fulfilled. I won't lie and say that it's perfectly paced, or argue that it isn't way too much, but with so much good in it (the delightfully slow paced methodical brutality of the first half, the implementation of the dog collar as both a callback for Max and Hangman's ultimate hubris, and the spot on final few near finishes) I can't help but sit back in awe of what these two accomplished both in this match and this story as whole. The blood on the camera, man. Perfection."

[8.0] "This felt so long. As someone who doesn't like hardcore matches with people being stabbed and bleeding profusely and whatnot, this was still a good match for what it's worth. Just insanity. MJF continues to excel in "cowardly heel gets abused by lunatic babyface with weapons" matches."

[7.0] "[3.5*] Super tough one to rate. This seems like the kind of match where you NEED to have a strong opinion about, whether it's a great one or a bad one. A 5-star match or a DUD. But, after thinking A LOT about the match, I ended up with the conclusion that I... liked the match. I thought it was very good and that's it. It wasn't awful, it didn't kill wrestling. but at the same time it wasn't the greatest thing ever nor a MOTYC. Hangman vs Moxley II, Hangman vs Swerve and Hangman vs Moxley I are three examples of Texas Death matches that are way better than this one, but it's another very good AEW Main Event that let me satisfied with the quality of the product. It was a very long and tiring match, specially on a rewatch, but there were A LOT of great elements. I personally loved all the comedy bits, that Looney Tunes spot where MJF ran right into the trash lid was fucking awesome. I really liked every single major dangerous spot too (despite the fake glass one, it didn't look good), these guys worked very hard and took some nasty bumps. A 45-min match really wasn't needed at all, it felt like they were try-harding way too much with the objective of being "the most dangerous Texas Death" rather than actually trying to fucking win the match, which makes the All In Texas psychology miles better. Overall, a very good Main Event that could have been great with around 30 minutes of ring-time, it'd have still been the longest match of the night comfortably."

[10.0] "A big part of me wanted to say this was my favorite match of the night because there was so much I liked about it... after much hemming and hawing I had to put Mox/Takeshita ahead of it because of a few lingering flaws in this one, however I still have to give it exceptionally high marks. What were the flaws? I think they are probably obvious but I'll spell it out: T-O-O. L-O-N-G. I'm not keen on super long matches in general, I think generally if you can't get there in 20-25 minutes tops then doubling that time isn't going to do you any favors. There are exceptions but especially with a violent gimmick match like this, it's so easy to justify a shorter run time because, duh, if you fell on a pile of broken glass or something it's gonna take a big bite out of your gas tank. Also in a match like this it prevents you from blowing through a whole bunch of match-ending spots all in one go. Ok, so putting that aside, I do have to say I loved this match. They were able to justify some of the increased ring time by having MJF play spoiler in the first half, defusing some of Hangman's more dangerous spots and trying to frustrate and draw him out. And once they really got into the tit for tat big spots, man, a lot of the stuff they did just looked phenomenal, and I will freely admit it was an effective way to build genuine "nearfall" like spots in a match where that can be hard to do. Folks who get queasy around nasty looking spots such as the syringe need not apply here, mileage will always vary on that but I'm just fine with it when used sparingly. I also disagree entirely with the criticism that a spot like that doesn't work in a match like this because it won't immobilize for a 10 count, anybody who has ever gotten even slightly hurt in real life has got to know it can only increase your willingness to just lie down and stop trying for awhile. It's cumulative damage, that feels so obvious to me that it hardly feels worth saying but apparently we need to. The final sequence, MJF hitting the sucker punch with the ring on the verge of defeat and technically winning clean yet in a way that feels implicitly cowardly was great, and I can't say enough good about MJF using Page's own hanging spot against him. And the crowning visual moment of Hangman's head bashing against the camera, leaving a perfectly framed smear of blood? Maybe they hoped it would go that way but only by good luck could it end up looking so perfect. Fantastic match in spite of its flaws. The stipulation of Page not being able to challenge again is one that has folks feeling nervous, since it went poorly last time with Cody. However I think AEW is a different beast today than it was 7 years ago and I want to have faith that they have something in mind to eventually get Hangman back in the title scene, barring your #1 babyface out of the main event seems like something that just can't stand long term. My #11 match of the year so far, could have been even higher if they trimmed it down a bit."

[4.0] "I was really looking forward to this, which makes it more disappointing. The stipulation probably should've been a warning. For how strong AEW's main event scene is right now, this leaned into some of its worst instincts. It felt like a disconnected string of gore spots with long pauses to set up the next one. I get there's an audience for it, and that's fine, it's just not for me. On the plus side, I found it less off-putting than the Swerve/Page Lights Out match. MJF works well as a counterbalance, kind of grounding the chaos while still playing along. It also improved as it went on, with some strong visuals toward the end. Still excited about the main event scene and where MJF goes next, just wish I liked this more."

[5.0] "I didn't like this match.I genuinely respect the effort by both men.MJF is great and Hangman is amazing but this wasn't much cup of tea.I enjoyed Page vs Swerve and Moxley vs Page All in my match of the year but this lacked that emotional investment for me just 2 men Trying to perform an indie circus but as long as the crowd was having fun we also have fun. The shock value lacked substance for me"

[8.0] "I'm not usually a fan of these types of matches (I think the overuse of blood is a problem in AEW) but damn if this didn't have me hooked for most of it. Great spots and great character work from both men, but god did it need to go 45 mins? It could be just the fact that it was 4am at that point where I'm from but it just felt exhausting and overly long and drawn out. Also some of the things they got up from just felt a bit silly like idk this match could've ended many times in the like 15 - 20 mins and would've made sense. That final shot is great though, no complaints there."

[10.0] "Death Match. Every big spot had people jumping out of their seats. MJF played the cocky villain perfectly, trash talking and cheating whenever he could, and the boos were LOUD. Hangman felt like the hero fighting through everything, and every comeback got huge cheers. The match was chaotic but in a fun way, with the crowd reacting to every near fall like it was the finish. By the end everyone was standing, screaming, and completely invested. It felt wild, intense, and honestly like one of those matches you just had to experience live."

[9.0] "The only criticism I have of this match is that it was way too long. One of the most brutal matches in AEW history with MJF taking a massive beating and winning."

[9.0] "Exceptional TDM. Brutal, breathtaking, and well-written. The match might have lacked a few combinations of holds and counters, but its many facets easily compensate for this minor shortcoming. In-ring quality: 3.5/4. Stakes: 2/2. Justification: 1/1. Card placement: 1/1. Suspense: 1/1. Bonus/penalty: None. Total: 9.5/10. Match viewed on MyAEW."

[10.0] "An AEW classic. Fantastic throughout. Using everything sparingly made everything feel big, and that's the beauty of death matches in major companies. The tables, the barbed wire, the glass, the light-tubes, the skewers, the double dog-collar, the exploding table; all genuinely significant. MJF takes another win without needing a "finisher", just doing what's needed of the match to get over the line as every all-timer champion can. The diamond ring, to the public hanging of the Hangman himself, to the bloodied camera lens as we watch a hero die a heroes death. Cinema."

[7.0] "A 46-minute main event is pretty polemic by definition, specially after a PPV where every match have thousands of elements and look like the main event, but this match was good, flawed but good. During basically, I don't know, the first half of the match, I was wondering why some friends didn't give a high rating to the match, because I was thrilled, everything was looking incredible, the violence was there, and we had many unique and brutal spots. But after the syringe spot (which I loved), it was obvious why many people complained about the match and yes, it was the duration as expected, the match was very long and in violent matches like this, you fold quickly, because the punishment is much higher than normal, and that's why hardcore matches are shorter than usual. As the time passed by, things got slower and repetitive, they could've pack it up in 25-30 minutes without a doubt, but even with the incredibly long duration, it's a great match with many many cool moments. You could see that they put a lot of thought into the match, as many things looked coordinated, and that's not bad, it was kinda perfectionist in some moments, it's always pleasant to watch stuff clicking with the stuff they did previously, and this match definitely told a progressive story, I didn't have the feel of 'randomic moves' at all. With all the flaws, I think I'm gonna remember more the incredible moments, because they were truly incredible, it was for sure the match where I popped the most the whole night, many spots were tremendous, but then you realize that as a whole, it wasn't an all-timer match - {***1/2}"

[10.0] "This match was incredible. You can tell both wrestlers tried their hardest to not give up since stakes were high going into this. I love how the stipulation added so much drama and tension to the match. Mjf started off as a coward, and progressively started taking it seriously. This felt like it was going to be the final texas deathmatch AEW does and what a way to end it off"

[10.0] "12/10! My God what a fucking match! I can't totally understand this not being everyone's cup of tea give by the reactions we saw but I loved it. Just when you thought it was over it kept going and going. The intrigue I have more now to see what they do with Hangman though. Thank you Tony for giving us this!"

[8.0] "If this was 15 minutes shorter than it ended up being I'd give this a 10. It was a violent, hardcore match with the story being told very well of Hangman knowing if he loses this match, he can't challenge for the title again. The issue was how dragged out this eventually got. I couldn't care for anything they did since I was just so worn out from also watching everything else for the past 4 hours. The finish to the match is very good but this went on for too long."

[6.0] "I really respect the effort that these two put in and all, but this was way too much man. 45+ minutes felt like a lifetime here and it made the match feel more forced than enticing. The blatant no-selling and lack of psychology really messed with me, maybe if AEW hadn't done THREE Ibushi/ Nakamura kick out a 1 spots prior in the show, than maybe Hangman just popping back to his feet at nine would've been more acceptable (the spots being in FTR/ Bucks, Brody/ Swerve and Takeshita/ Moxley). I genuinely feel like MJF could've been hit with a literal one-hit KO Fissure from fucking Groundon and still would've got up to his feet at 9, it was so unbelievable. I also think I'm maybe just getting tired of the AEW's over usage of hardcore-spots, as we've had so many thumbtack/ glass spots in the previous few months that it's impact has significantly dulled. Another example is the constant piledrivers, like why is Kenny Omega written off for a month after a Vertebreaker but Hangman Page is ok after taking a piledriver through a table? My suspicion of disbelief will only stretch so far and having both guys literally fall into explosions and then just be walking about fine five minutes later was too ridiculous. I'm not totally against these spots in general, but they're overdone here and the impact of them decreases for me everytime. The syringe spot was comical too, the weird liquid being ejected from the syringe made me flat out laugh and I don't think it was needed at all. It is a cheap-ass CZW bingo-hall spot and it just felt below both guys, even with the comparison to Hangman Pages feud with Swerve. Overall, I guess the match was just too overbooked, it was to the point where I was checked out after 30 minutes and was just waiting for the match to end by the final 5 minutes. We didn't need a dog-collar spot 35 fucking minutes in, like I get the reference to CM Punk and all, but they haven't brought this back up before and this show has had 12 matches in total prior and I was wanted to go back to bed. I do think that having MJF win was also so deflating, as they're completely wasting Hangman's potential as AEW World Championship for not a good reason, after all, we had fucking HOOK end the last championship reign of your companies MAIN CHARACTER and THAT is his last act as the top guy? How am I not to think that's bullshit, even if he does challenge for the AEW World Championship again, than that makes him seem less honourable as he's gone against his word, which was something even noted by the commentators. It just didn't feel worth it for MJF, and it makes Hangman's last few months seem meaningless. We had a perfectly told baby-face redemption angle for Hangman Page just for it to be purposely thrown away with that Samoa Joe/ Hook horseshit, where Hangman has never gotten revengue on Hook or Samoa Joe and now he can't even win it back without seeming like a heel. What a fucking bummer and I don't like MJF as champion even as a heel, he hasn't changed despite what everyone has said and it's a bunch of repetitive above-average story-telling with no end in sight and with such disappointing baggage. I will rate this match a six because I did like some stuff here, as a match between Hangman and MJF is never gonna be anything close to bad. Disregarding MJF's failed attempt at being a nurse, the spots looked great and the heat that the two had made things still engrossing for the majority of the matches runtime. Finally, I did like the ending even if MJF winning is still a bad decision which feels more like a cheap-shock than anything else. God damn it lads."

[7.0] "This was good but suffered from the usual MJF overindulgence. Great finish that will be such a strong image for some that it will outweigh the bad. Just too damn long with too damn much by the end where it felt less like a death match and more akin to Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck hitting each other with objects."