Athena & Mercedes Mone vs. Hyan & Maya World

[8.0] "Another really good match with Mercedes Mone and Athena. This match has really hyped up the Finals at Forbidden Door. I am really looking forward to it. Hopefully this was just a sprinkle of what we are going to see at Forbidden Door. [****1/4]"

[7.0] "The narrative of this match, framed by the dynamic between Athena and Mercedes as Maya's mentor and the wrestler she idolized, quickly captivated me, immersed me, and made me anticipate their interactions. It's funny how the outline of this match, or at least two-thirds of it, can be classified as that of an 'old-school' touch in today's landscape because, to start the match, they quickly established the babyface-heel dynamics with Maya and Hyan running an offensive onslaught before the heels practically took control for two thirds working double heat, strategically cutting the ring in half until the final third, where you get the more modern, sprinty action. The mentor and idol vs. Maya interactions were supported by the framing which provided narrative enrichment, but Hyan wasn't just merely along for the ride; she got to throw some cool bombs out there and stood out. The spear she delivered was awesome! The crowd never truly chose a side, In fact, they favored the CEO, and due to that, somewhat hurt both of the babyfaces hot tags, and the angle afterwards, but I rocked with it. I thought it was a fantastic watch. I did think Mercedes and Athena could've done more in terms of heelin' to sway the crowd because it damaged the babyface-heel roles. My other nitpick, I guess, would be that there was a point in the match, and I noticed it at the start, where Athena was going a little too nutty with her bumping to showcase Maya, but at the same time, I found myself enjoying it. ***1/2"

[10.0] "Loved this match and it set up so many possibilities going forward. Athena needs to lose to Maya finally so we can see her on AEW tv regularly going forward. Mercedes and Maya have great chemistry together and Athena is just a magnificent wrestler; they both deserve to be champions."

[9.0] "Very good match. This was a great preview for Forbidden Door, and I loved all of the action in this match. Every woman did their big one here. ****"

[8.0] "Storytelling: 8.5/10 / In-ring Quality: 8.5/10 / Psychology: 8.5/10 / Crowd Reaction: 8.5/10 / Charisma: 9.0/10 Pacing & Duration: 8.5/10 / Originality: 7.5/10 / Impact & Importance: 8.0/10 / Selling: 8.0/10 / Crowd Control: 8.5/10 Execution & Technique: 8.5/10 / Ring Chemistry: 8.0/10 / Intensity & Stiffness: 8.0/10"

[9.0] "One of the best women's tag matches in recent memory than did a great job setting up Mercedes v Maya at Forbidden Door. Assuming they are setting up a ROH title match for Maya, hopefully she's the one to dethrone Athena, because she's clearly ready. Hyan was great in this match as well, but it was obvious that she was taking the L."

[8.0] "They had a mission to make the match on Forbidden Door much more interesting, and this tag match was that and more. An intense ride, Hyan really held her own with Mercedes and Athena, while making Maya look strong before the biggest match of her career. I wanna see more of Athena and Mercedes tag team too. My rating: **** (4.00)"

[6.0] "Solid match but never excited me. Was far from seamless at times and Hyan taking the fall was heavily forecasted."

[10.0] "A decent women's tag team match that put on the map both Maya and Hyan! Their chemistry was shown perfectly and both Athena and Mercedes proved why they should go after the AEW Women's Tag Titles in the foreseeable future! The match was well executed and story was told both between Mercedes and Maya regarding the Owen Hurt Cup as Maya and Athena regarding the ROH Women's World Championship which is definitely next!"

[5.0] "Pretty run of the mill go home tag match which got the main event spot. There were clunky parts but overall solid work and the crowd was up for it. The execution of the finish leaves a lot to be desired but still doesn't take too much from the overall work."

[7.0] "Solid and dense work from all involved and a very good place setter to lend credibility to Maya's run."

[5.0] "A worthy main event and a nice preview for Forbidden Door, which is more than can be said for the majority of matches on the night's card. Athena & Mercedes looked great as a duo and produced the match's best moments, however all four women were responsible for some poorly coordinated moments which took me out of the action at times. I'm really excited for Mercedes vs. Maya, but that doesn't automatically make this anyone's best work."

[8.0] "Maya World and Hyan continue to show that they are a very good team. Mercedes and Athena bickering was a bit worrisome but they did well with each other and all four of them had great chemistry."

[9.0] "Great main event. Mercedes and Athena always make such a great team that I wouldn't mind seeing them get a run as tag champs down the line. Maya and Hyan both looked very good."

[8.0] "Great main event. All 4 were impressive, a true coming out party for Hyan, her best TV showing yet. Likely Maya's too. Some sick bumps in here, among many other highlights. Most importantly, Maya and Mercedes did good work, so any questions about their upcoming match should disappear."

[5.0] "At least it was a match with a bit of a storyline, but it was sloppy in places; the result builds nothing toward the FD match and feels very much like a consolation prize for Athena. It was cool to see Maya & Hyan again, though, but I expected better. In-ring quality: 1.75/5. Stakes: 0.5/2. Justification: 1/1. Placement on the card: 0.5/1. Suspense: 1/1. Bonus/penalty: none. Total: 4.75/10. Match watched on MyAEW."