[8.0] "Hard to rate, parts of this I absolutely loved and others that really didnt work for me, the main thing being MJF working babyface for most of this. It doesnt play to his strengths at all and only seemed to happen to tee up the ending. Actual in ring work was a lot of fun, sequences that make sense and solid (if spotty) in ring psychology. Great selling from MJF too. But yeah this is made by the ending. Predictable, yes, but very well executed."
[8.0] "I actually think this match was better than most people do. A very worthy main event, finally crowning MJF as a champion after a certain instability with the title. The ring action was above average, I liked, even if some people say Max and Mox doesn't have a lot of chemistry, and that ending was perfect, peak cinema with that treason by Regal. And they say AEW doesn't tell stories - {***3/4}"
[6.0] "There is a lot of good and a lot of bad in this match. The in ring work alone was pretty passable with some great spots and Moxley's leg working looks great. The story of MJF needing to climb the mountain and beat Moxley clean to really cement himself is great on paper, until you realize he didn't do that, and Regal yelled at him for cheating once only to pass him a different way to cheat. This isn't explained well at all and looked really bad in hindsight. Likely, they just didn't want to have Mox put anyone over clean but then why build the story like that? Way overbooked when MJF should've gone over clean and it's as simple as that. Still a fun watch and the feel good moment of seeing MJF finally win helps, but a lot of flaws keep it from any higher than this."
[7.0] "I understand why so many were disappointed with this match, but I really liked it. There was an odd/inconsistent heel/face dynamic, and the crowd were going to do what they wanted to anyway, but I thought it worked well as a cocky ace vs cocky heel challenger. MJF doing babyface spots isn't his strong suit, and those Rock-esque punches should never be done again. Moxley stepped up his game and gave one of his best performances in awhile. Most of his offense looked impactful and he had energy and intensity. The Tombstone on the apron was a nice spot but it's still funny to me how the person giving the Tombstone gets hurt more than the one taking it. MJF sold his leg really well and Mox worked over it for awhile. The finish was predictable and had to be what it was. Not my my favorite type of finish to say the least, but hey we got the right result. ***3/4"
[8.0] "A great main event that was a bit hampered by a finish one really didn't need - especially given that the MJF/Regal storyline didn't really go much places after this. Still a real nice brawl, awesome physicality from both competitors, but there could have been some more magic to begin the title reign of Friedman. [4.00]"
[10.0] "Ein fulminanter Main Event, der sich richtig groß anfühlt. MJF wie Moxley sind hier die absoluten Stars und das Publikum feiert MJF frenetisch. Das Match ist hart und zu jedem Zeitpunkt der Ausgang offen. Spannend bis zum Schluss mit einem großen Turn am Ende - und sogar ohne Blut von Mox."
[8.0] "An entertaining main event here. I feel like these two are a bit of a weird match when it comes to their in-ring styles, but this was still good and I think both guys made the best of it. This was likely supposed to be MJF vs CM Punk III and it's shame we probably won't ever get it, but MJF winning the World Title was still awesome."
[7.0] "Good but nothing impressive. We pay tribute to Ric Flair and Bret Hart and that's what I loved the most about this match. Heel turn by William Regal at the end of the fight. A crowd behind the almost local MJF and booing the babyface Moxley. (3*3/4)"
[6.0] "This match was strange but overall good. It felt very slow at times and never got me truly invested. Some of the big spots didn't feel big, like the death rider from the top rope, and nothing really stood out until the ending. However the action was enjoyable. The piledriver through the table was cool and Mjf's selling of the knee was great as usual. Moxley's work as a heel in this match was really good and the ending was awesome with the refs bumps and Regal's turn. Crowning moment for Mjf. 6/10 - 3.25*/5*"
[8.0] "Ja, das war schon stark und fühlte sich auch richtig groß an, dazu wurde das Finish stark umgesetzt und MJF bleibt der absolute Heel. Der Turn von Regal kam natürlich nur auf dem ersten Blick überraschend. Das Match selbst war auch richtig gut, nur etwas lange, vor allem wenn man bedenkt, wie lange die Show bis dahin schon ging."
[6.0] "The dynamics here were completely off, and the ending was poorly executed, which ultimately leads to a pretty flat showing. Regal leaving AEW straight after this doesn't help the match in retrospective either. The action was slow and uninteresting, and neither gave anything creatively unique that a big PPV main event deserves."
[8.0] "Great old school title match played expertly by both MJF and Moxley. The finish is exactly what it should have been and shows MJF as not only as a top notch promo but an expert psychologist in the ring."
[7.0] "jon moxley gives MJF one of his career matches so far and reminds everyone why he's arguebly the best american wrestler in the world right now."
[8.0] "Guter Main Event und eines der besten Matches, die ich von MJF bei AEW gesehen habe. Endlich überzeugt er auch im Ring. Sehr runde Sache und ein interessanter Turn."
[8.0] "I need a Moxley heel run in the near future cause he was so good at playing into it here. Although this wasn't a particularly stellar match in terms of workrate, I enjoyed the drama, conflict, and the Regal turn a lot. MJF winning was necessary for the PPV and the company as a whole, and the way it was done created a lot of intrigue for me going forward. [8.5/10]"
[6.0] "I don't know, something felt off for me in this match. I really don't like wrestlers kicking out from piledriver on the apron or tables. It just felt too slow for my interest, I guess. The ending was good, though, with William Regal turning on Moxley. The crowd was pro-MJF, so kudos to Moxley playing along it and working as a heel through the match. **3/4"
[7.0] "I thought this was a decent match in terms of the work but a letdown as far as the story goes. Mox was a heel and MJF was a face for this match but in the end the heel is betrayed by a face. Just didn't work like it should have or could have."
[5.0] "Although they're two great wrestlers and by far two of the best this company has in its possession right now, as well as being two very hot crowd pleasers, this match was really not that and I really don't think Moxley & MJF are meant to work together, they will never manage to do great things in the ring simply because their styles don't allow it and they don't mix very well if you ask me. Which isn't really a criticism because it can happen even with great wrestlers, they're not the first or even the last ones to have it happen but as a comparison, their All Out match from two years ago was much better than what we had here. A decent main event with a pretty cool storyline but really nothing that excited me unlike other matches earlier in the night, the crowd was tired and just waiting for the final denouement with Regal so that explains it. A great finish to the match but completely forgettable action."
[8.0] "Sehr gutes Match.Bis auf den zweiten Ref Bump gabs hier nichts zu meckern, schöner intensiver Fight mit einem Ende, welches noch spannend werden könnte. ****"
[9.0] "I'm buying everything that MJF is doing 'cause the man is good as being old-school. I'm a big fan of his style and that surely pretty merged with Moxley's own. Friedman took a clear beatdown, but he showed all his resilience and also his intellect. MJF knows Mox's weaknesses and ultimately took advantage of it. A bout about sweat, bloods and surely tears, for both men. Moxley being ruthless as hell was something, he wanted to kill his opponent. Quite a bout where you don't know if there is a really a babyface and heel balance. I've really appreciated this side of the story. Finally, the finish was superb. Maybe expected, but that fucking ruled. Much freshness in AEW's landscape and surely a wrestling lesson."
[7.0] "If Moxley's character work was this good on a daily basis I'd like him a lot more. He was extremely cocky here and which for some great sequences. I'd call it a very good match for the most part. It had a cheap ending that was fitting for a heel like MJF, who only won because of two ref bumps and Regal helping MJF by giving him the brass knuckles to use. Even though the fans were solidly behind MJF, I really don't think we should consider him a babfyace because that was a very cheap win with Moxley getting screwed out of the title by Regal. They worked hard, there were lots of counters and good psychology throughout the match with MJF hurting the knee and trying to fight back. I think the result was the right call because Moxley has been champion several times now and it was the smart thing to put the AEW World Title"
[8.0] "It was a strong arrival to the end of Moxley's defiant run as the undeniable face of the promotion & a great start to MJF's enigmatic era as the face of AEW. The action was an all-round showing from both men who went to certain extremes but didn't kick up the notch of a main event. It's the presentation of the story that mattered the most as MJF finally delivered what he promised to do - letting the world know that the devil never existed! Regal's turncoat was mildly expected but pulled off in a marvelous way where the situation was right, the atmosphere transitioned to craziness & the end result was successful. I'm not sure what to expect from both MJF & Regal but it's set to be a massive timeline to get interested. Meanwhile, Moxley needs nothing but THE break he asked for after carrying the main event picture to heights of prominence when he wasn't supposed to do in the first place. 4 out of 5 stars!"
[6.0] "Not a match worthy of crowning MJF at all. The crowd didn't help by booing Moxley out of the building that he had to acknowledge it and work more heel. But MJF's whole gimmick is that he works ultra-heel so the dynamic was just strange and we were just sat around waiting for the telegraphed Regal betrayal, which was the right thing to do but could have been executed a bit better."
[7.0] "It was a good match. Nothing fancy, a bit too long for my taste; Normally I love long matches but the pacing kind of dragged here but the action was solid all around. The big elephant though will be Regal betraying the BCC but MJF winning was what mattered. Good match, good action, overbooked finish but the right winner. ***3/4"
[7.0] "AEW has some work to do reestablishing MJF as a heel after muddying the waters with his recent promos. Match was fine & will have served its purpose if the new champ can get his heat back."
[5.0] "The finish was predicted on Reddit, but anything with a double ref bump is always gonna be weird. Didn't care about the drama or theatrics until the big spots kicked in. A little disappointing the piledrivers and top rope DDT didn't actually factor into the finish. Also Mox was chatting while taking the final pin."
[8.0] "Pretty simple all things considered. Mox let MJF work an MJF match with the main wrinkle being that he worked face. Mox did simple things that were true to character but egged on the brief to root for Maxwell, dominated, worked the knee (after the apron tombstone he does every big match), and generally looked unstoppable. This lead to a really simple but effective finish where MJF goes back on his word in a way that was unexpected, tossing his weapon of choice aside to spite Regal only for Regal to finally accept him and hand him his own weapon of choice. I have to admit the first act of this match felt TOO basic for a major PPV main event, but by the end it felt like the ideal crowning of MJF as world champion Mox carried the company for half a year. Not an insanely good match, but the right one. You can get a lot more out of these two after Mox takes a vacation. ****"
[6.0] "There were good parts to this, but overall I wasn't a big fan. There were some real issues with selling, notably when Moxley took a tombstone on the apron then promptly hit a piledriver off the apron through a table as the very next move. Even with the leg injury, I thought that was just bizarre. Following this big move by starting to work over the leg with a figure four also struck me as pretty unusual pacing. I hated the finish and thought it was completely illogical - what exactly was the plan here? Regal stops MJF from using the diamond ring and nearly costs him the entire match so he can slip him the brass knuckles instead...? Why not just let him cheat in the first place? Dumb."
[6.0] "This felt more focused on storytelling than actual substance in the ring. The twist was pretty predictable, but I'm not a fan of the booking decision. Moxley also worked the crowd beautifully. We were going from sequence to sequence, and it felt too choregraphed, but I did enjoy it."
[8.0] "The MJF era has finally begun and what a way to kick it off, but with Regal betraying Moxley and basiclly the whole BCC! The match itself was good with some slow moments. It was fun seeing Moxley being booed out so much. I am certain that AEW originally planned Max to win the title in a more grand way and probablt vs Punk, but the drama happend, so we get what we get, Very happy for MJF and Moxley gets all the respects for carrying the World title picture for the past year."
[2.0] "I didn't get a full great main event feel from this match when it happened, and on rewatch, I really dislike it. I know you can't play against the crowd, but Mox being the guy who comes in on his days off and MJF being the ultimate coward and getting cheered for it made this a weird vibe, and the story at the end with Regal makes sense, but they should have just went with the face turn here in my opinion."
[9.0] "Awesome match. In what Bizarro world do we now live that an AEW crowd was booing Moxley and cheering MJF? Lol. Jumping piledriver through the table was insane! Everyone was wondering just how it would go down but I did not see that finish coming!"
[9.0] "The main event of Full Gear was just amazing! Thanks to build up it was big fight feel the whole damn time. Right choice to pull the trigger with start of MJF era. Moxley dominate quite the whole match and thanks to extraordinary crowd was heel in this fight. The end of the match just summarizes one of the best feuds of 2022, with two referies bumps and in a shocking terms Regal pass brass knuckles to MJF to turn on Moxley and cost him the title. Only time will tell, but for right now I cannot wait to see: 1.) MJF face of AEW 2.) Regal as a heel (It's been awhile)"
[8.0] "Erneut schafft es ein AEW Main Event die Fans fast unberechenbar zu machen, indem sie lauthals MJF anfeuern und gegen den eigentlichen Helden Jon Moxley turnen. Die beiden merken das sofort und reagieren im Match entsprechend darauf, was gut gemacht war. Aber auch das Match mit dem krassen Turn am Ende war super und hat mir insgesamt gut gefallen."
[5.0] "I expected a lot because of all the great promos MJF delivered and how I felt his character was developed but nope nope nope nope nope and nope it was another normal MJF match but without his "oh no you're strong I run away ! " It was a one sided confrontation where Mox was a monster and delivered great wrestling, of course MJF selling was perfect but damn... why all these great angles for a match like that, like I expected it to be like 2 to 1 years ago but again the same shit and no progression. The MJF era is here but at what cost ?"
[8.0] "Moxley worked this match as a heel due to the crowd deciding that they wanted MJF to be the babyface here, and he did a really good job here. Moxley had strong character work in this going viciously after MJFs, and in general, was just ruthlessly going after MJF here, that piledriver through the table was sick. MJF was good in this with his work, besides some moments where he decided to oversell, see his moments after hitting the tombstone piledriver and how he sold his leg. Ref bumps galore at the end before we got the swerve with Regal and MJF wins his 1st world title.****1/4"
[8.0] "Das Match war vielleicht ein bisschen im Aufbau aber es war auch nie langweilig und die Schlussphase war dann natürlich wirklich richtig stark mündend in dem Climax mit Regals Turn und MJFs Sieg. Das war halt ein gut strukturiertes und erzähltes Match, welches in meinen Augen 8 Punkte verdient."
[7.0] "Mox played the heel role really well but I feel like this match has been kinda a let down. Guess this holiday Mox is taking arrives at a perfect time since in the last weeks, he was getting stale both in the ring and as a character. It's still a fine match btw: the storytelling was really good, but, except the ending, nothing will be remembered about this match"
[8.0] "uncharacteristically great in-ring performance from mox was an unexpected benefit for this match. would've been great to see more offense from MJF throughout but he did get off some spectacular spots and his selling was top notch on everything, esp. the knee. not my fantasy booking finish, but it leaves a lot of avenues for stories which is great."
[7.0] "My expectations were pretty high for this and so I was a little let down. Wanted to see a real king making moment for MJF but it didn't happen like that. Still looking forward to the reign."
[9.0] "Just like the other MOTN for me, this was good as expected. Two of my favourite wrestlers going and one of my favourite personalities of all time in Regal, and he's a proper villain now. Splendid stuff. ****1/2"
[9.0] "This was an excellent main event that allowed Mox to do his thing, and MJF really sold every move Mox did. It was great storytelling for MJF to play fair until the end and Regal turning on Mox to help MJF was a very memorable way to close out the show. MJF continues to prove he is a heel and will remain that way, but we are seeing more and more glimpses that he may not always be that way. ****1/2"
[8.0] "Was everything expected to happen? YES, but it's still good and that's all I wanted to see in this match, Mox dropping the title (and please go rest), MJF world champion and William Regal allying with the devil, it wasn't as exciting as winning the Hangman, but the title is in good hands with the most fun guy to watch right now on PW (****)"
[8.0] "Not gonna complain about the "predictable" ending because it was exactly what I wanted to happen storywise. Wasn't some next level performance in the ring, but a respectable main event. The shenanigans and attitude from MJF is what elevates this one for me to a higher score."
[8.0] "Congratulations to MJF, but at this point AEW is more like ASW in my eyes (All Shenanigan Wrestling). They are getting lame by the passing month as 2022 has shown me."
[7.0] "In my opinion this match is perfect in terms of storytelling and booking, super solid from the wrestling pov. Their previous encounter (in 2020) was better in the ring for me. This is huge for the narrative of AEW."
[8.0] "Don't hate the Regal twist despite it being obvious, but if it's obvious to everyone it kind of makes Mox look dumb for seeing it coming.. I guess that's one of those suspension of disbelief things of wrestling but good match regardless."
[8.0] "A ***1/2 star match that gets an extra half star for the wonderful ending with Regal. It felt like a late 90s WWF Mcmahon style finish with a double ref bump and swerve, but it kind of works with MJF's character and the story."
[8.0] "a new era of AEW begins. we saw the finish from a mile away and it was still glorious. there was an interesting dynamic with MJF getting cheered and Mox getting booed. both men did a great job feeding off the crowd. the piledriver through the table was sick. not only one but TWO refs got knocked down. then Regal chucked the knucks and the rest was history. i didn't like Mox staring at the ref at the end but still a well-deserved moment for MJF. i'm very excited to see the pairing of Regal & MJF and what happens to the BCC. [****1/4]"
[2.0] "A boring slog of a match on an otherwise great PPV. The ending was never in doubt which did hurt the match but there were other major issues, mainly Moxley phoning in his performance, which makes sense somewhat since he was meant to take abreak months ago, and MJF, despite being the best promo in the business, not being anywhere close to a main event caliber wrestler. There was also the swerve with Regal telling MJF not to use the ring only to give him the brass knucks anyway and the double ref bump which feel very TNA-esque in the worst possible way. I really wish I could give this match a higher rating because I do like both guys but it just was not up to par with the rest of AEW's main events or even the rest of this card."
[7.0] "A good match with some questionable developments. Hard to say if they were the right move until it plays out, as it is it was solid action but underwhelming as a coronation for MJF."
[7.0] "I liked that Mox knew the kind of pro-MJF response he would get from the crowd and just leaned into it. It was a fine title match, but the main focus of the story was how the finish would play out. I was hoping Regal would throw his knucks in the middle of the ring and let the 2 scramble for it, but since he straight up handed it to MJF I'm interested in hearing what he has to say on Dynamite."
[6.0] "They say in screenwriting that a good twist ending should be obvious to about 30% or so of the audience because that's an indicator that the twist is logical and makes sense. I'm not sure that's entirely true, especially in pro wrestling where we can't help but expect certain cliches. This seemed to me like a pretty obvious ending after the promise about not using the ring, the lines about "The greatest trick the devil ever pulled" and so on, but it all facilitates a major change in the company so I'm largely okay with it. It doesn't really make sense that Regal forbode one method of cheating only to provide his own, but maybe he really wanted MJF to walk the Regal path and that was his way of showing it. The problem is, as good as Regal is at talking, MJF doesn't need anyone to talk for him and will only be weighed down by having a mouthpiece of any kind. I hope they're not linked together now. Maybe they aren't. The match itself was kind of basic until the end and felt like it existed to reach the twist. It felt like a WWE-style match to me, kind of like an Attitude era main event. A '6' or a '7' for me, maybe closer to the latter without it being at the end of a long show."
[5.0] "It's crazy how the only good AEW PPV Main Event this year was Mox vs. Punk because I've felt underwhelmed by Hangman/Cole, Hangman/Punk, Mox/Tanahashi, and now Mox/MJF. This was probably the most boring of the AEW Main Events but i wouldn't say it was the worst because Hangman/Cole is right there. But man I was not feeling this one at all, I liked the selling of MJF's knee and the tombstone on the apron was cool. Other than that this match was really forgettable until the finish which was the most TNA Jeff Jarrett style finish I've seen in a long time. And it made zero sense, I honestly don't care what their reasoning will be on Dynamite, William Regal siding with Max doesn't work for me. It's basically killed off the Blackpool Combat Club, which is a bonehead move. MJF finally won the belt but in the most contrived and idiotic manner."
[3.0] "For a high-stakes match between two such high-profile workers, I thought this match dragged horribly and was just plain boring to watch for the most part - it took me some two hours to get through it. MJF is supposed to be a heel but he gets babyface pops from the crowd and Moxley, who I always perceived as a babyface, gets heat - I just don't know what's going on here. On the technical level the match wasn't necessarily bad, but it never managed to surprise - if anything, it felt rather safe and by the numbers. MJF over-sold a few times which didn't exactly help and his hesitation as to whether or not use the ring for an unfair advantage came across as forced and not genuine. William Regal telling him off for thinking of using the ring made sense, but him giving brass knuckles to MJF later on just didn't. Also, two ref bumps in one match are too many."
[8.0] "Pretty wild to see Mox get booed but I guess that's how things go in wrestling sometimes. Glad he played the heel though as it made for a more interesting match."
[8.0] "Really good title match. I maybe didn't have the spectacular flips some people really go ga ga for but it was a great main event. MJF winning feels like some stability has been restored to the main event scene, I anticipate a lengthy reign for him. I'm ignoring the mess of a story told in the lead up to this, it's clear the All Out locker room fight threw out much of what was planned for the build to MJF winning."
[8.0] "Überwiegend ein schönes Ding, aber weiß nicht, warum Moxley beim Pinfall zunächst nach oben schaut und dann auch noch reden muss. Sah nicht geil aus, bis dahin passendes Drama und überwiegend sehenswertes Wrestling. Die Nummer mit Riegel war ja schon nicht ganz auszuschließen. Kann was."
[7.0] "I think this match was good on a technical level but I question the story and whether this was the best path for MJF. Will have to see going forward, but at the end of the show it didn't feel like the paradigm shift it should have to me."
[10.0] "The match with the biggest buildup and I'd say it really delivered, outdoing their also very good match from two years ago and showcasing both great action and some very interesting and not entirely predictable twists and turns. I'm all in (ha) on MJF as champion, excited to see what he can bring."
[8.0] "Very good match. While the story of the match was obvious it was done flawlessly by all 3 parties involved. I thought things were going to go truly off the rails when there was 2 ref bumps but they actually reigned it back in to a pretty standard cheaty finish which fit the story of the match and the characters involved."
[0.0] "I was there live and I can't begin to explain the disappointment with the story this match told. Your next big thing, your once in a lifetime talent, and your new face of the company has a garbage win like this where the entire match makes him look awful? The offense felt like 90% Mox and 10% MJF. He hit two piledrivers and a small number of other moves while Moxley absolutely destroyed him. Then TWO ref bumps were required before winning this match in the exact same way he wins all of his other matches and now he's the champ? He continually shows nothing. He's never booked to show off that he can wrestle. He wrestles so infrequently and has such a small legacy. And it doesn't look like that's going to change. The undercard of this show greatly out entertained the main event matches. I guess they really do want to be WCW.... While this wasn't the worst wrestled match on the card, it was by far the worst booked. The result isn't the issue, it's the story. You now have the flimsiest paper champ ever who can barely beat anybody. The title means the least since AEW's inception. I thought TK didn't like letting the audience go home unhappy. The brass knuckles got a good pop from the crowd so maybe AEW just isn't for me anymore."
[8.0] "Zum Schluss ein starkes das Main Event mit dem Schocker als William turnte (***1/2). Zwei Sick Momente der Apron Tombstone wo sich MJF auch am Knie verletzte und der Table Spot Piledriver den fand ich besonders sick."
[8.0] "This was a good match. Mox had to work as the heel with the crowd so behind MJF, but I think ultimately the fans will return to treating MJF as the great heel that he is. Great finish that I expected after reading it suggested elsewhere. I'm interested in where the era of MJF goes from here."
[4.0] "Mox went all in for an MJF style match cause he clearly wants his vacation. This was a nothing match with a predictable ending to put a title on MJF. Look forward to his reign being nothing and having to put it back on Mox."
[4.0] "Deflating. The one sour note on a great show happening in the main event is heartbreaking. Nothing about this match felt like we were seeing the crowning of a new world champion, and while I appreciate that Mox leaned into the boos, the lack of fighting spirit from MJF meant that his title win felt like a complete fluke, especially with how tepid and unremarkable the final shot leading to the 3 count was. MJF's not really my thing but I understood that he needed to win the title here, that it was the biggest thing they could do for the company at this point. But the way they've done it didn't feel huge, didn't feel remarkable and isn't building my anticipation for the rest of the reign."
[3.0] "I dont know what cult like Kool Aid the Dubbaloes drank for this show and specifically this match but this match Was easily Mox? s worst defense since reclaiming the title. This was / is every MJF match. The only difference is no dont use the ring (which he vowed not to) use the brass knucks - you get Regal betraying Mox for reasons Im sure will make no sense. ? i abandoned the BCC because well I want to be a lackey for MJF who cant win matches on his own? this whole devil thing is so cringe - MJFs character is the same dweeb hes been for 4 years - this match was boring, this was the 3rd outside interference title match and it ended the show, plus the losers cheered that ending. Yeah Iwould say its time for me to stip watching AEW for awhile."
[8.0] "A bit more of an old school vibe to it. Little weird seeing Mox work heel and be boo'd against MJF of all people. The Regal swerve wasn't TOO unpredictable but it's very intriguing and it creates interest and buzz for Dynamite which is a great piece of business. The result was the correct one, this was Max's moment and he fully deserves it. Not anything other worldly but a great match nonetheless. ****"
[8.0] "I enjoyed this a lot and reminded me again why Mox is so good. He knew exactly which way the crowd were going and leaned into it. This was structured like an old fashioned match with more modern elements. The finish was telegraphed but that is never a bad thing in pro wrestling if it is satisfying and I enjoyed it plenty."
[9.0] "Viel viel Sports Entertainment zu Beginn, danach pro Wrestling und dann Drama! Wirklich ein prächtiges Matchup mit klasse Weg dahin. Nachdem wohl aufgebauten Spot um den gestellten Tisch am Apron wurde das Tempo stark rausgenommen. MJF wurde von der Crowd seit dem komplett als Face wahrgenommen. Eine gehörige Portion Overbooking war dann der Schlüssel zum Finish und die Crowd kann es nicht fassen! Was für ein Ende!"
[7.0] "When Moxley acts like a heel in a title match when he's babyface, he's going to lose. Predictable winner, predictable outcome. Good match, but i find nothing special in MJF as a performer. Just a promo guy."
[9.0] "This was great, and I was able to easily recognize its greatness even after being completely zonked after 5 hours of amazing wrestling before this. But this match was another classic for this all-timer of an event, and I can't stress enough how excited I am for MJF's title reign. The prospect of him feuding with the Blackpool Combat Club sounds just wonderful. Anyway, MJF did great character work here as always, but I was actually even more impressed by his wrestling abilities. He's always a guy I consider more of a talker than a worker, but here he showed he has no problem doing either one. Him and Moxley beat the daylights out of each other, and it really felt like a psycho was fighting a cheating bastard. The match felt grimy but the work looked clean, and I love that MJF is champion. *4.5*"
[7.0] "2022 - A great moment for MJF to win and absolutely the right decision but the match never truly clicked for me. Hopefully there is no rematch. ***3/4"
[7.0] "Pretty disappointing given the big stakes and build, though still pretty good. The crowd was very pro-MJF, since even though they likely indeed respect Moxley for what he's done for AEW as (essentially) the company ace, they were also probably just sick of him being on top for so much of the company's short history, and wanted to see what a great talker like MJF could offer as the face of the company. As much as I enjoy MJF as a character and talker, I sometimes feel he tries way too hard with his actual in-ring work, which was the case here. His arrogant posing, mind games, and his signature sh*t-eating grin all made for good entertainment whenever he managed to dominate in the early periods, but I found him get quite overkill and cheesy as he hammed up his selling of his injured leg, since he was screaming his head off as if he was thinking "if I scream like *this* then people will DEFINITELY find it compelling! ", but it instead just felt quite melodramatic and forced. He does that quite often with his selling, I guess because he thinks that style of extra-animated selling is 'old school' or 'realistic' or whatever. It wasn't a major issue, but it did make it a bit hard to buy into MJF when he's supposedly a throwback to the days of the gritty old school territories "when men were men and they wrestled like burly fighters and didn't get all hokey and over-dramatic like that damn Kenny Olivier" and other such Cornette talking points. MJF was still good enough with his bumping and offence, but I thought Moxley actually outclassed him overall, since he fully dedicated himself to playing the situational heel with how vicious and impactful his offence was, especially as he went after MJF's leg. Him winding up the pro-MJF crowd was also pretty entertaining, showing us that endearing side of Moxley where he's just there to cause carnage and take pleasure in the spectacle that unfolds, which is always Moxley's coolest charm. Not only was Moxley's offence far better than MJF's because of him getting to be so vicious and methodical, but I also thought his character work was superior as well, since he just naturally emanates that "tough guy who will happily maul you" aura, and his offence thankfully never became overly weak-looking to detract from that character (as is unfortunately sometimes the case with some of Moxley's matches). MJF wondering whether he should use the Diamond Ring or not, Regal coming down to tell him off like a bad school boy, plus all the constant ref bumps, was all pretty unnecessarily overbooked, reminiscent of some very cheesy and over-the-top Attitude-era nonsense. Regal ultimately assisting MJF to get the win by handing him his signature brass knuckles was a finish that I (and I'm sure many others) saw coming a mile away, and it was thus quite deflating because of how relatively uncreative it was. I'm still happy with that result, though, and excited for what MJF can now do as the champ. ***1/4"
[8.0] "Moxley and MJF have their highly anticipated main event match, and I thought it was pretty good! Moxley leaned into the heel reaction wonderfully here, viciously beating down the "babyface" challenger. MJF's selling was good throughout the match. The piledriver on the apron looked like it actually spiked Mox on his head. I was not a fan of the one through the table. The Paradigm Shift off the ropes was cool too. William Regal's turn could be seen coming from a mile away, but it still was executed very well. I was very happy that they focused more on limb work here as opposed to a forced epic with blood and a million finisher kickouts. Though the finish felt a bit anticlimactic for what was supposed to be a big title change. MJF should have hit a finisher afterwards. Regardless the match was good, one of Moxley's better outings lately. Hopefully he takes his well earned time off after this. [****]"
[8.0] "Mox played heel wonderfully here, which was the right move given the crowd. Great limb work on the leg. Ending was what everyone predicted but not bad."
[7.0] "Everyone saw the finish miles ahead, but it? s still glorious to watch how it unfolded. Fun match, brutal one without anyone bleeding, which probably took a lot of holding it in for Mox. Most of the matches tonight triggers a lot of new development on their characters and this match is the one I am most about the fallout."
[10.0] "MJF is the best act in wrestling. The Regal turn made no sense and somehow, simultaneously, we all expected it. Give Mox his vacation, and let's hope Max has enough leverage so his title run is not as bad as the ones TK booked in the short past."
[8.0] "These two worked great together, especially with Mox playing heel. It all kind of amounted to the predictable end with Regal but I liked it. Maybe not the best way to crown MJF but it at least has some intrigue."
