[9.0] "A fantastic match between both men with really amazing in ring action and chemistry between them, they both played their greatly in the match and showed just how much Buddy should've been a singles champion in a major promotion more in his career."
[9.0] "Anyone who watched Buddy Murphy/Matthews fight Mustafa Ali for the Cruiserweight Championship in WWE knows the guy can GO if you let him, so I was pleased to see him get this opportunity. I don't know if he really matches the House of Black aesthetic but hey, whatever gets him on my TV! Orange Cassidy has been on a tremendous run lately as well, so I knew this one would slap. And it truly did! I loved that in addition to the predictably great action, they also told a tremendous story around Orange's injured hand. This even exceeded expectations I'd say, and on a normal Wednesday would have been Match of the Night save for Darby and Swerve stealing that spot."
[8.0] "OC vs. Buddy war ein wilder Ritt, der mir unglaublich viel Spaß bereitet hat. OC ist so unfassbar gut geworden in Storytelling, was das Match nochmal aufgewertet hat. Die Schlussphase war fantastisch, aber auch der Weg dahin war ziemlich gut. Buddy durfte auch mal wieder zeigen, wie verdammt gut dieser Mann im Ring ist."
[8.0] "Great match: Matthews' work on his opponent's hand was great and Cassidy's selling was excellent, loved the beginning where Cassidy couldn't capitalize after the orange punch because he was hurt. The action was very good all throughout the match with going back and fourth and with a couple of great moments like the titl-a-whirl ddt from the top rope or the beach break on the apron. The ending was also very good as I actually thought Buddy could win the match. 8/10 - 4*/5*"
[8.0] "Another pretty good match for this episode. Love that Matthews was able to get a spotlight like this, even if he took the loss. He still has the Trios Titles with House of Black, so he's not too bad. As for Cassidy, it's crazy to see how far he's come since everyone thought he was nothing more than a joke character back in 2019. Now he's on a hell of a run and putting on some great matches along the way."
[8.0] "One of the best title defenses by Cassidy where the doubt of him losing the title was actually there, courtesy of Matthews' incredible limb targeting. His unapologetic demeanor in almost destroying OC's injured hand was annoyingly impeccable whereas the latter retaliated from the it in a really good comeback pattern. The fast-paced movements & the enticing finishing stretch took the bout up a notch which is loving. Once again, great use of ring awareness on the way OC won the match as it suited the onslaught he was stuck before. 4 out of 5 stars!"
[8.0] "Matthews was a serious threat to Cassidy's reigns and showed it instantly. The lad went all out on OC's injured hand while the latter had the occasion a really fine babyface performance. I'm talking about it every damn time, but Cassidy's selling is a thing of beauty. Matthews' work sublimates it, obviously. A TV banger."
[9.0] "Really enjoyed this match, great chemistry between the two of them, told an excellent story, some killer near falls, it felt like they really earned the heat theyd built by the end of it."
[8.0] "A fast-paced and exciting match that continues Cassidy's title reign. Lots of cool spots and good psychology with OC's hand injury. This was just a ball to watch and the fans were really into it by the end. The swift pace kept it exciting and the flashy offense coupled with the storytelling made for an excellent encounter."
[8.0] "I enjoyed this match a lot. It was a little repetitive but a lot of it worked well with the story they told. Cassidy sold the hand well. The doctor checking Cassidy out mid match stopped the flow of the match a bit. The action in this match was great as was the story"
[8.0] "Match of the night for me. If Buddy had more character and charisma then he could be a breakout in the singles division in the midcard as he is great in the ring and has a great look. Orange Cassidy wrestling every week hasn't got tiring yet and his title reign has been very strong so far."
[6.0] "Very story heavy match, with a slow pace and long moments focusing on the state of Orange's hand and a possible doctor stoppage. The story being told over the last couple months is the degradation of Orange's body as he continually defends his belt every week and accrues damage. This week it's revisiting his hand and Buddy targeting that is the thread of the match. Can he hit the superman punch? (Answer: yes, multiple times) Most of the match is built around reversals. Either Buddy is catching Orange off a jump and preventing his power moves, or Orange is reversing a move of Buddy's into a ddt. The match was solid. My complaint circles around to - why is Orange being so heavily protected? A man who is supposed to be severely beaten down, and has been for WEEKS now, can still defeat a full power Buddy Matthews? I'm not buying it, sorry."
[7.0] "These Orange Cassidy matches are usually good, but I'm tired of seeing him wrestle every single week. He sold well, and both guys' offense looked well, and this was a well-wrestled match.***1/2"
[7.0] "Solid match. Very competitive. Incredible athleticism and resilience by both competitors. Incredible tornado DDT by Cassidy off the top turnbuckle."
[8.0] "Lackluster lead into these title matches are what leave me from giving a higher rating. With that being said this was a great matchup and another good defense by OC. From the selling of the injury to the focus Buddy had the entire match. Solid showing for both men, went the perfect amount of time as well."
[8.0] "OC is the best TV champion in 30 years. This match didn't show what I wanted out of Buddy - I'd like to get a sense if he can still go at speed for a prolonged period of time, or if his extreme body change has limited his stamina - but he played the part of an aggressive, arrogant heel playing with his food well. Very good stuff."
[8.0] "Experiencing this live was amazing and OC sold his injured hand very well. These two could have a trilogy and i wouldn't be upset because they're jus that damn good. Matthews definitely deserves to be champ somewhere down the line. Only take away from this match is the ending basically ending in a rollup like the opener, overall great 4.5 star match"
[8.0] "OC's reign is surprisingly good, and this match just adds to that level of greatness that he's aiming for. I expected Matthews to be quicker, but that was quickly compensated by him being really aggresive towards the champ. If the stars permit it, I hope a member of HoB can have this title soon. It would fit them well, specially Malakai, considering he's dutch; same goes to Buddy."
[7.0] "A damn good match to continue an outstanding title reign for Orange Cassidy. Buddy Matthews is still one of the best-kept secrets in professional wrestling, but I smile at the fact that the secret is getting out. I thought the all-out assault on the injured hand was captivating and further established that you do not need crazy moves to build a great match. It also opened the door for those big spots to feel all the more desperate and significant. The crowd was a little underwhelming, but the wrestling itself was beyond satisfactory and really helped drive home that Cassidy and Matthews are two of the best wrestlers in AEW. 3.5 stars, 7 out of 10."
[8.0] "A good title fight that although the ending is a little strange seeing everything that was done in the match, I think it was a good way to justify Orange's victory. For me, Buddy was quite superior and that's why they did that ending."
[6.0] "At no point has Orange Cassidy ever expressed whether he cares about being champion or not so I am not sure why I am meant to care if he wins or not? This match was like every other defence he has, it was fine. At some point, they need to put the title on someone who can at least pretend how important the title is to them. Better yet, get rid of it."
[9.0] "Outstanding title match between Cassidy and Matthews right here which should have a much better rating than this if you ask me because the storytelling around Cassidy's hand, Matthews' work on it and the back-and-forth action they offered us during those fifteen minutes was absolutely fantastic. Everything made sense, everything was perfect in the storytelling of the match and both of them developed one hell of a chemistry, Matthews is incredible and Cassidy really has the best mid-card title run in AEW history."
[7.0] "Diese International Title Matches werden einfach nicht langweilig. Gute Chemie zwischen beiden, sehr gute Leistung von Matthews, der sich echt bemüht hat. Die Matchstory war aber auch sehr gut. 7/10 Brote"
[8.0] "This was a good match. The story with Orange's hand injury and his desperation to retain his title was good to center around and is very likely leading to the end of his title reign."
[7.0] "7.5 - not quite the PPV-level action of the opener, but still very good. Buddy Matthews' strikes are incredible. Great competitiveness down the stretch, felt like either could win. Roll-up felt a bit same-y."
[9.0] "This is one of those matches where the story extremely benefitted the action in the ring. Awesome selling from OC and great match overall. ****1/2"
[6.0] "The execution of moves and style throughout the match was great, but the pacing felt super weird. It felt like the lull that happens when a match goes to commercial but spread out across six minutes."
[6.0] "A decent story being told here but it feels a bit long when Buddy Matthews hasn't really been built as anything special. The spammed finisher kickouts also hit diminishing returns by the end."
[8.0] "This was yet another great Orange Cassidy title defense. I still personally enjoy the average OC match and the shenanigans that occur. Very fun stuff here."
[7.0] "Yet another solid TV title match from OC. This wasn't as crazy as I expected but it was pretty fun regardless, a lot of hot back and forth. A little formulaic as has been said but when you defend every week it's hard not to have stuff recur. The work on the hand was pretty gnarly at least. ***1/2"
[7.0] "OCs matches continue to really feel indistinguishable to me due to how formulaic they are. It isnt bad necessarily but does not feel like there is much variation and most of his matches play the same way."
[9.0] "didnt thought this match will have a different outcome, but this match have delivered. not the best finish but still great performance from both."
[7.0] "While the match is great in isolation, its score is lowered due to Cassidy's overexposure and general refusal to deviate from the formula that has been the structure of almost all of his international championship defenses."
