[9.0] "Just a great performance from both El Idolo and Darby. Loved the spots where Darby would punish Andrade for doing his little taunts (laying in the ropes & taking pictures ringside), easily a top 3 match of this event. [****.5]"
[6.0] "Way too long, but has moments like Andrade taking forever with his pants off setting up his double backflip spot. Bad finish. Darby is small enough to get some crazy spots out of Andrade. I have to keep typing. I like Darby. He is going down hard though. Maybe he could start submissions and these quick pins as his only offense. He will not be able to move at 40."
[10.0] "well done, this match didn't have a ton of heat, didn't really motivate the masses towards PPV buys I'd imagine, but regardless it's two of the most unique guys in the industry head-to-head. There was a lot of gold to be mined here, and boy did they. This is how you earn your place on a card and remind everyone it ie an AEW PPV they're watching. Clearly a class above, it's the best Darby has been in some time and he's never been bad. But this was to me, a career highlight for both men. Just an astounding display of what both could do. Between a 9 and a 10 for me personally."
[6.0] "Pretty damn good match. Darby as usual took some disgusting bumps, though the two dropkick spots were very stupid even for him. I wish they had wrestled longer, they were cooking and the match kinda just ended. *** 1/2"
[9.0] "Andrade being forced to move into the lunatic territory of Darby Allen was an incredibly fun story to watch, to see the handsome ladies' man become more brutal and have to fight in a way he usually doesn't. I'm somewhat critical of Darby sometimes, taking some risks I really think aren't necessary, sometimes risks that don't just put him in danger, but members of the audience as well. This match has a dropkick on the stairs, and it's not in the upper echelon of dangerous Darby moves; it is one of those nasty ones where I just see it and think, 'if that went wrong', and it's not even a big move during the match. They move almost into a crowd brawl, nd being used to the fed, I was thinking nothing was going to happen until they got back into the ring... and then Darby kicks Andrade down the stairs. A very good match, and I think both men sold everything really well. Darby fires up at the end a bit, but that's just Darby. Andrade was selling the hell out of those bumps like he was getting a Ziggler bonus or something. ****1/2"
[6.0] "Very reminiscent of how I have felt about other Andrade matches this year. Too much stalling, bland control work and a few minutes of great sequences. I thought they ended on a strong note but boy was it a drag to get to it."
[9.0] "[4.75*] Incredible match, great structure and utterly insane spots from minute one to the end. I mean these guys just kept going. And I loved a roll-up as the finish because it matched the chaotic energy brought by both wrestlers. Darby went absolutely crazy and Andrade was a great compliment to Darby's style."
[8.0] "Upon his return to AEW, Andrade has appeared rejuvenated both creatively and athletically, turning in performances that seem like he's comfortably found his rhythm and is in his prime. You pair this version of Andrade with Darby's underdog daredevil formula, and you get a thrilling match. A mix of insane stunts with some hierarchy in the mix with Darby portrayed as having escaped Andrade. ****1/4"
[10.0] "Awesome match. Andrade has been on a fire run since coming back to AEW and Darby, well, he's been the best wrestler of the year to date so yeah, this was a fantastic clash and I loved it."
[9.0] "What a match. Ever since Andrade started doing the heat spots lying on the ropes and outside the ring with planted fans I've been wanting someone to properly punish him for it, and Darby was finally the one to do it. Not only that, but he did it by LAUNCHING himself at him both times to great reactions from the crowd. Really brilliantly paced match going all over the ringside area. Almost the MOTN."
[8.0] "Darby Allin is the quintessential AEW self-made superstar, so his success is not really surprise. Overall, though, the match is very entertaining and quite innovative. While some of the standout moves do come at the expense of plausibility, everything is executed so cleanly and, at times, even surprisingly, that I'll round it up to eight points."
[8.0] "Impeccable performance and objectively the best match of the event. I loved that spot where Darby dives from the very top and crashes right onto Andrade. I'd definitely love to see Darby Allin as AEW World Champion in the near future."
[9.0] "Darby dropkicking Andrade on the balcony steps was horrifying. They had a phenomenal match and all but man that gash on his lower back was gross."
[7.0] "Andrade vs. Darby Allin was a solid match overall, but it didn't really stand out in a meaningful way. Darby, as usual, took some brutal bumps, but in this case it didn't have the impact it normally does. The intensity was there, but it didn't really add anything to the match because there wasn't a single standout moment that stuck with me. Honestly, a slightly slower and more structured approach might have worked better here. Andrade felt fairly unremarkable for most of the match. The spot where he catches himself in the ropes was a nice touch, and his "ladies' man" gimmick is still entertaining. Aside from that, though, there wasn't much that really stood out. In the end, it's a good match, but it lacks that extra something to make it truly memorable."
[7.0] "A competitive match to give Allin a big win to set him up for an AEW World Title match. Since Andrade kicked out of the Coffin Drop and lost to a move that was a creative pin attempt, it puts over Andrade as a guy who was hard to beat. Allin is insane as he reminded us throughout this match with some crazy bumps by him. Allin winning made sense."
[8.0] "everytime the screen cuts away darby allin just fucking throws his entire body at andrade, funniest shit ever. Very good match, not the greatest match of all time, but its a Darby Allin match, which is always a good match. Andrade's a good heel, psychology is good, overall very nice match."
[8.0] "[4.25 Stars] I recognise how great Andrade is in ring but he has been really hit and miss for me in his current AEW run. Some matches are great, some are just fine, some suck. He is consistently inconsistent. This match, thankfully, was terrific."
[9.0] "Holy hot damn this fucking kicked so much ass, I love Darby Allin I think he's one of AEW's best wrestlers on the roster and Andrade brought the whooping to him. Along with Darby also having no regard for his safety and I thank him every day for that we need more people willing to do reckless shit like him. I love how much of the traditional spots you see Andrade do get countered or attacked by Allin. And man that fricking back elbow from Andrade hit like crack. The only thing I didn't really like was that Darby didn't really counter that double moonsault spot Andrade always does and the finish was a little lacking because it wasn't really built up well, kinda came outta nowhere. But I still thoroughly enjoyed this match and is one of my favorites of the year so far. Four and Three Quarter Stars out of Five."
[7.0] "Another wild Darby match with some excellent spots from Andrade. The whole hitting on women gimmick is getting a little bit old. But it Darby coming out of nowhere to bomb that moment was awesome. It was a very cool ending as well. Hope this is Andrade leaving the DCF."
[6.0] "**** A good match. Andrade is consistently having good matches, but at the same time, his matches are stagnating at a level he should be able to surpass without problems. Good chemistry, they work well together, and Andrade really shines with his moves. Good sequences, good intensity, good consistent pace. Darby took a lot of punishment in this match (as usual) and helped Andrade look very good. Good ending. Darby wins by applying his roll-pin, and Andrade shakes his hand as a sign of respect, which makes you think that perhaps he will turn face in a few weeks"
[8.0] "Solid match, fast and easy to get into. Darby did his usual "I might actually die on this bump" routine. The sequences flowed well, a good match without overthinking it."
[7.0] "Decent match, hell of an articulate of moves, Not sure if Darby winning was the right move, Andrade clearly enjoyed the match if you know you know"
[8.0] "Dude they freaking cooked in this match. Very few things in the match that I feel are not necessary but also a lot of cool spots like the spot where Andrade is talking to someone in the crowd like he has been doing but then we get darby coming off the top and just having a crash of a collision with Andrade. This match has been very under the radar from this show and I think it deserve more talk. I do think Andrade should have won the match though. (****1/4)"
[6.0] "Total stunt match with very little in the way of actual wrestling and Darby cast as his own worst enemy before scraping an altogether implausible fluke. This crowd is proving to be hard work and I'm not sure the booking here is particularly favourable to either guy ***1/4"
[8.0] "This was definitely better than their matches in 2022. But it still had the stupid Darby stuff like fighting in the crowd were Darby dropkicked Andrade in the concert steps which was so stupid. But most everything else they did was good. Although, this ending was a bit abrupt. I think it would have been better if they used another minute just so they could have a better finish."
[8.0] "POR FAVOR, NO MORIS is my best try at saying Please Don't Die in Spanish. That drop kick on the stairs meant something and Darby has earned that title shot off the spectacular rub of matches he's on right now. Andrade perfect opponent for him and both worked this match great. Nice cock as well! [****]"
[10.0] "This match was everything it needed to be between these two world title contenders. Andrade and Darby managed to have amazing in-ring chemistry, which is shocking given the lack of time they have had in the ring together. Darby's in-ring game is continuing to improve, as in this match, he definitely rested less on the hardcore styles and wrestled a very strong technical match. Many of the Darby haters are claiming he relies on the hardcore game too much. Well, this match is in your face as an example of his phenomenal technical ability. This match was an absolute sprint and did not relent until the end. The fight goes up into the crowd with Allin hitting a scary dropkick on the steps sending both to the cement. The match really reaches an insane speed, and Andrade hits a bunch of signatures, hoping to put Darby away. Andrade connects with The Message elbow for a very near fall, but Allin manages to pick up the win in a roll-up attempt. This match in my opinion, is an instant classic between two of the current best wrestlers in the game. Rating: *****"
[7.0] "Not been the biggest Darby fan lately, but I have really been loving Andrade and I feel like this pairing strangely worked. Maybe could've been around 5 or so minutes shorter but it was fun for what it was. Odd choice for the winner too, not sure what the plan will be with that"
[9.0] "Another banger coming from what can be the best in the world so far this year, Andrade, what an fucking demon. Let me do a quick counting, so far this year I got Omega, Tsuji, Dorada, Bandido and now Darby, five matches rated higher than nine in just four months, what an fucking demon. I gotta praise here as well the wrestler who shared the ring with him, not only he is a better wrestler overall currently (which is damn hard) but also he is so good at his job that surprises me. He knows that his bumps are kinda obvious in the current modern wrestling, but he still surprises us with the moves he pull out of nowhere. Everything here worked, I do think they could have MORE wrestling, those guys don't exaust me in like, never."
[9.0] "I rated it a 9.0 The crowd didn't quite know what to do with Andrade El Idolo at first some cheers, some boos, and notably no Don Callis or entourage in sight but the energy flipped instantly when Darby Allin hit the scene to thunderous chants that never let up. From there, it turned into a beautiful kind of chaos: Darby throwing his body into pure destruction just to stay alive, while Andrade flexed his precision with brutal offense like the Flying Surfboard, a triple jump moonsault, and a nasty apron suplex that had the crowd gasping. The moment that stole the show came when Andrade went for an avalanche Samoan drop, only for Darby to flip it mid-air, spike him on his head, and snap on a crossface that nearly ended everything right there absolute madness. Even with Andrade landing double knees, the feint kick-back elbow combo, and those disrespectful Three Amigos that launched Darby into the corner, Darby just kept coming back like a human crash test dummy with a death wish, even fighting through a shredded back after hitting a drop kick on the arena steps. In the end, that reckless grit and slick counter-wrestling paid off, as Darby twisted Andrade into a pretzel-like pin to steal the victory, proving once again he's either the bravest man alive or just straight-up unhinged."
[9.0] "Amazing match, Darby Allin finally is out of the Death Rider, and Gabe Kidd vortex, because when he's doing sme interesting programs it always turns out to be fun, Andrade has been having a stellar 2026. He defeated Bandido, Kenny Omega & Swerve Strickland, fighting for the chance to get an AEW World Title opportunity. But this was so good, I was locked onto my TV watching this match. I'm a huge fan of Andrade. I think he has all the tools for the AEW World Title. I've been hearing that he could get a shot for the title at. Grand Slam Mexico against MJF, but right now, he's back to floating around. Darby Allin winning now secured him an AEW World Title Match this Wednesday against MJF. Also, we saw Andrade show a sign of respect, shaking Darby Allin's hand, showing signs of being a babyface, which he never was in AEW during his 1st Run, so if he's going to the babyface sign, I'm very interested to see how it goes."
[8.0] "Andrade is putting on one hell of a 2026 run, with standout performances against Swerve Strickland, Kenny Omega, Yota Tsuji, Mascara Dorada, Bandido and now Darby Allin, he continues to look like one of the best workers in the world right now. Darby Allin did well for his part too, selling like all hell for the snug and dynamic offence of Andrade, but I am still not too keen on the offence of Allin, and I do not quite see the future in him that AEW seems to. Allin got the win whilst keeping Andrade relatively strong, this was just another really enjoyable performance by Andrade and the match of the night to this point for me."
[8.0] "The best thing about Darby Allin is how he has chemistry with almost everybody. Maybe he is not a wrestler how's gonna deliver 5 stars matches, but he is capable to deliver a 4 star match with almost every wrestler. Pair him with an incredible Andrade and you have an stellar match. If Max is gonna retain at Dynamite, I'm not mad with Darby winning, even if the ending was the weakest part of the match and it kinda deflected how i felt about it. 4 stars."
[10.0] "Incredible match and great chemistry between the two, Darby is headed towards a World title win this week which I feel he has deserved for at least 2 years now, and yeah its a match between to of the top 5 best wrestlers of the year so far and it just delivered on all cylinders. *****"
[9.0] "On rewatch I dare say this is Darby Allin's best match since the 2024 C2 with Will Ospreay and this is probably my favorite Andrade El Idolo match yet. These guys gave everything to each other. Andrade was not only willing to self inflict damage for Darby's infamous car crash style but his natural abilities allowed Darby to have a more fleshed out technical showing rather than just watching him get killed over and over. The Avalanche Crucifix Bomb into a Crossface is the case and point of how well these guys worked together. Personally I'm happy with the result as it wasn't super definitive so Andrade still looks good and I don't see much point in Andrade being in a world title program until he turns face or MJF drops the belt. As for the minor criticisms, while the staircase spot was gnarly and sickeningly expected, I'm not huge on mid match walk and brawls nor did I think it added a whole to the match with it being a semi normal Darby match in the grand scheme of things and there still being a lot of carnage. Still I can't complain a whole lot when there's a surplus of crazy shit"
[8.0] "Darby came with the usual disregard for his own safety, and wow it serves to show that he's willing to sacrifice for the opportunity at AEW's top prize. The dropkick on the stairs and the top-rope counter into the cross-face were the pinnacle of a huge number of highlight moments in the early stages of the match alone, making for action that was impossible to take your eyes away from. Andrade's power and agility made him an ideal opponent for Allin, the delayed vertical suplex from the apron being a great example of such strength. The finish was disappointing, but protecting Andrade is absolutely a positive."
[10.0] "Genuinely exceptional match that didn't try to be anything more than a showcase opportunity for both of these men, and delivered on that beyond question. This match was the definition of how AEW PPVs elevate performances compared to TV. After all, we see Andrade deliver outstanding work on TV week to week since he returned to AEW. We see Darby frequently getting the crap beaten out of him. But this? This showed that both Andrade and Darby save their best work for the PPVs. They trulyh have another level of performance they can reach deep down and pull out as necessary. I wanted both men to win this match. I don't really care who ultimately did. So excited to see both of these men continue to deliver through the rest of 2026."
[8.0] "[4.0*] Yeah man, 2nd best match of the night in my opinion, this absolutely rocked. I just love these Darby matches, they're always so well structured in a way that it's different than the usual David vs Goliath match, I don't know why and how but they're like something of their own. He's just very, very unique. And the same goes for Andrade, this guy's one of the most charismatic wrestlers on earth and they meshed-up perfectly well. Insane bumps, crazy taunts, fantastic chemistry. Not a long match too, which is a great thing."
[8.0] "Spectacular match that was won by the wrong person, especially if Darby goes on to win against MJF later next week. HOWEVER, this match was insane and hard hitting from the very start with both men taking some insane bumps. Darby Allin has had a pretty good 2026 but I would love to see him have another classic sooner or later."
[8.0] "As someone who really dislikes Darby Allin's style of wrestling and a majority of his PPV matches, this one was quite good. Andrade and Darby are two contrasting characters, Darby's spots weren't exaggerated for wince-effect as they often tend to be, and Andrade was spectacular as usual."
[8.0] "Great match and Darby continues to take insane bumps I really don't know how he does it. I would have liked to see Andrade pick up the win but I don't really mind Darby winning. ****"
[10.0] "Loved this match, much better than Darby's recent efforts as they actually had a back and forth rather than Darby just getting battered before winning out of nowhere. Andrade may have even taken the scarier bumps, of which there were loads, in this one."
[3.0] "For a 2026 Darby Allin match, it was fine. Andrade did a lot of heavy lifting during this match, while Darby was fine. The spot on the stairs in the stands was risk that added nothing to the match. Darby makes his typical last minute comeback for the win. Unfortunately it fell victim to the Darby match formula, which made it very hard to even get into. Hoped for more from this match."
[8.0] "(8/10) Great match that showed off the best of both men. Andrade was on fire in 2026, and Darby was his usual self, taking insane bumps, but staying in the fight before pulling out the win. The handshake at the end was a good touch as well. I feel like this should've just been a #1 contender's match, as it would've made the outcome less predictable, but still a great match."
[9.0] "Colour me surprised, when you pair Darby with someone who's willing to do the crazy stuff *with* him rather than *to* him you get a stupendously good match. Andrade matched Darby every step of the way and it culminated in a fantastic bout. Still unsure about world champ Darby, though."
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