Kenny Omega vs. MJF

[3.0] "Very maximalistic, very bombastic, not much going on underneath. They try for a NJPW main event formula of meaningless chain wrestling into a lot of big moves kick outs. For whatever reason Don Callis comes out (it does not really matter, the finish will happen long after that and there are so many shifts in momentum that no single one seems to have that much weight to it). The pretended slickness of the clearly choreographed parts of the bout cannot be sustained as both men are hurt for real before the match even starts and they do slip up a fair amount without it being incorporated in any significant way into the match narrative. Just a pretense to show off, but not much else than moves signifying little to no thing."

[10.0] "This is a match that reaffirmed my love for professional wrestling at a time I was at risk of ditching this hobby. It means the world to me as a result, and is just a damn fine match that holds up on a rewatch every time. Omega was fantastic here, MJF got a lot of his fun character work in, and they delivered a banger in 30 minutes that never once felt like it dragged. Incredible work, if this is the only singles match they ever have - they nailed it all the same."

[10.0] "Best single match the Collision ever had the pleasure to present for us. It is super strange to watch a World Title match where the World Title belt wasn't even in the match. For the ones who don't remember, MJF was feuding with Switchblade and he stole the belt in one of those Dynamite shows. Back to the match, by itself had a so important meaning for any wrestling fan. If MJF won, he would officially become the longest AEW men's world reigning champion of all time, record at the time hold by Omega, who can beat MJF, get his title back and keep his high numbers. The match had a pretty modern structure, tons of reversals (Such as the Frankesteiner by Omega being reversed into a Powerbomb Backbreaker) and lot, I mean, LOT of spots. Such a joy for sure. The powerbomb Omega applied at MJF will always live into my head, this entire match will always be in my head. Something here and there felt off for me, Don Callis interference wasn't necessary and it is really a super forgettable moment, and that added with the strange feeling the ausence of the belt caused to us (or me, idk), this is NOT a five stars for me. But man, Kenny already was dealing with diverticulites (it was VISIBLE his pain during the match) and MJF had almost a broken elbow, so please shut up and praise those motherfuckers."

[10.0] "Knowing the medical ailments both of them were going through in this match makes it a tough watch and you respect both more after that"

[8.0] "Some cool shit in this, including a great table spot, but I can't stand the "fighting spirit" no-selling that goes on in these matches. The pace was very good and there is exciting stuff going on most of the time. Omega looks a step slower than he did a few years ago but it doesn't really matter and this delivers pretty effectively. The dynamic is face vs. face even though both guys pull off heel moves. The last quarter of this is a little silly with MJF kicking out of multiple knees to the head. Don Callis also comes out to spoil a finish for Kenny. Clean win for MJF."

[9.0] "Amazing, these guys put on a classic here. MJF and Kenny Omega stole the show with this AEW work title main event battle. Just a great match between 2 of AEW's best"

[10.0] "The best match I have ever seen live. Being able to see Kenny is an experience I'll never forget. Would typically give this a 9 but giving it a 10 cause I was there."

[9.0] "Omega vs. MJF war ein fantastischer Main Event und hätte eigentlich einen PPV-Aufbau verdient gehabt. MJF beweist mal wieder, dass auch er ein Topklasse Wrestler ist, das wird oft vergessen. Er und Omega haben eine hervorragende Chemie und wissen genau, was sie zu tun haben, um ein Match dieser Klasse auf die Beine zu stellen."

[9.0] "this is such an incredibly fast paced start! "Sportsmanship! ". the way MJF works the crowd is unmatched. These two just have great chemistry. Desperation point after the Table spot - beautiful. This was just a TV match? Even the run in , great action and so many close calls at the end."

[9.0] "Its a match with little lead in, but the crowd is into it. Scheduled for only the last 30 minutes of a collision for a match announced only a few days earlier. Simple lockup at the beginning shows both of these guys mat skills. Entertaining chain wrestling between the two to start out the first minute. Crowds so equally into both guys, not a split, everyone seems to love both guys, so its a clear face vs face dynamic for two guys who are both legendary heels. Side headlock takeovers and then a rare Kenny slip on a kip up that blew a spot that was a little too cute anyways. MJF does the sportsmanship eye poke spot for the thousandth time and somehow Kenny falls for it. MJF goes over the ropes, Omega does a Tope con hilo, and MJF does a Fosbury flop looking move over the top rope, first time Ive seen that from him. Sortve a sloppy exchange between the two and a little awkward backbreaker from MJF to Kenny. Five minutes in and we have a rest hold, but it does lead into a really great wrist lock duplex from MJF and then what looks like a suplex/ddt. These guys are trading offense back and forth, but through the first ten minutes theres no real story being told. Despite the stakes, theres not quite enough tension from the get go. Omega hits a gorgeous orihara moonsault to MJF followed by a brutal looking missile drop kick to the back that MJF sells the absolute heck out of. MJF hits the kangaroo kick. Brutal looking fisherman suplex/facebuster from omega. Omega pulls out a table to the outside. Theres another botch on a double bridge up on a kick out that wouldve been impressive if both guys pulled off. Pacing is a little weird and still 15 minutes in theres no real story here, with only 15 minutes to take it home. Omega and MJF are battling it out on the apron next to where the table is, omega hits him with a brutal snap suplex, then dead lifts him for a power bomb onto the table in an insanely impressive show of strength from Kenny. Somehow both of these guys arent dead, appreciate no rush from the ref to get these guys back in the ring or do a count out spot, theyre selling the hell out of the table spot, as they should. Both guys are acting totally punch drunk as they sell offense back and forth. First one winged angel attempt MJF reverses into a poikonrana, Kenny delivers his own. Crowds now totally on their feet 19 minutes in. MJF selling a neck injury now that hes been selling for a few months, I think he couldve helped himself out by selling that a bit earlier into the match. MJF hits a modified blue thunder bomb. MJF starts focusing now on Kennys arm. Kenny counters MJF into a beautiful suplex and then hits a gorgeous piledriver, goes for the cover and MJF gets his foot on the rope. Kenny starts working over MJF from the outside for a few minutes, then pushes him back into the ring while Kenny climbs to the top rope. MJF stumbles and hits the top rope so Kenny falls. 25 minutes in. MJF gyrates his crotch towards Kenny and then Kenny hits him so his face hits the turnbuckle. Gorgeous trio of v-triggers from Kenny. Goes up for the one winged angel, and don callis runs to the ring with the yellow screwdriver in hand as Kenny lets MJF go. Few roll ups and another v trigger as callis runs onto the ring apron, gets thrown out. MJF is on Kennys shoulder for the v trigger but rolls him up instead, a few more rolls and another kick out. 28 minutes in. MJF hits the heat seeker on Kenny, kick out at 2.9. This is awesome chant as we near the 30 minute mark, MJF goes up on the second rope to hit Adam Coles Panama Sunrise, cant hit it, a 2.999999 count on the pin reversal, MJF does a gorgeous kick on Kenny, hits the Panama sunrise, throws him out to the apron for a heat seeker and hits the 3 count on Kenny just before 30 minute time expires in a clean finish. Really great TV main event, though not the match these guys couldve had together and not what wouldve been an all time great PPV main event, but very good nonetheless. Backstage after they show all of MJFs enemies watching on. MJF offers Kenny a handshake in the middle of the ring and both faces hug. MJF raises Kennys hand as the show goes off the air."

[9.0] "MJF's title run is getting a bit stale at this point, with his defenses falling into the same tropes of the eye pokes and the winking at the crowd, but Kenny Omega pulled a great match out of him. This could have easily main evented a PPV, but it was necessarily a TV match because of how they set up the story of Kenny wanting to protect his title reign record. Lots of false finishes and it could have gone either way."

[9.0] "[4.25*] What an unbelievable and incredible bout. This match had everything you could ask for a big main event, could have even been a pay-per-view main event. The construction was very well done, Max showed us a lot of new moves that he kept as a secret for the big matches. There were no face/heel dynamic but they made it work out. I was afraid of the match ending with the Don Callis interference because MJFs reign has been very sports-entertainment-ish but fortunately it was just a nearfall. The kickouts were amazing and I loved the fact that they did not have to use 5 finishers to get h*ly shit chants. Best normal match of Maxs career. Respect Kenny Omega, hes the man."

[4.0] "I didn't enjoy this as much as the others. I like MJF and I can tolerate Kenny in small doses but this was quite underwhelming for me as this big dream matchup between two of the hottest internet darlings. The match started normally. Then it became very sluggish after a few minutes. Everything was alright upto that but in the last third act things went haywire. I don't mind explosiveness if proper psychology is being followed. But this was filled with no sells after no sells even after some of the most devastating moves. I wasn't impressed with all that no sell."

[10.0] "Great match but their were several sloppy moves that didn't look right in the beginning and the powerbomb looked botched af. However, they sold the moves well and I actually thought they got hurt during the powerbomb so thats why this is a nine. Alot of botches but this is a really good match and one of the rare times I tuned in live to see a match. Good stuff."

[9.0] "My favorite TV and one of the best overall matches of the year. This match felt like a passing of the torch from Kenny to MJF, with Kenny putting him over clean and referring to him as the face of AEW in his post-show comments. It was such a genuine, heartfelt moment and I'm glad I was able to see it. The match itself was great, based on the story of MJF showing he's capable of matching (and even surpassing) Kenny blow-for-blow. The match was well paced with MJF working at a slightly faster pace than usual, and really kicked into high gear with Kenny hitting a snapdragon on the apron. There were some incredible spots & sequences, some of my favorites were the Doctor Bomb through the table, the apron snapdragon, the v-trigger leading to Kenny trying to set up the one winged angel which MJF countered into a poisonrana, and the superkick into panama sunrise near the finish. MJF's versatility in-ring continues to amaze me, he's shown he can work a sports entertainment WWE style, an old school 80s NWA style, the 2010's indie style, and now working more of a modern NJPW-esque main event. On top of that he's a great technical wrestler, brawler, and showed he can even do some athletic flippy stuff while hanging with 2 of the best ever in Danielson & Omega. A 4.75* for me."

[6.0] "I genuinely can't figure out if the ratings for this match are clouded by the promise of a 30+ minute match between MJF and Kenny Omega on free TV. They're genuinely two of my favorites and while it was a net positive, this match was really disappointing to me and kinda boring actually. There were a few entertaining spots and in a shorter match that would probably count for more."

[9.0] "Good match, some light botches that don't detract from the quality of this one. The crowd is there. Don Callis' intervention had no effect on Kenny Omega and didn't bother me even if he brought a subtle touch of drama. The sequences are fast and the wrestlers don't leave room for simple classic pinfalls but rather for roll-ups. I don't think I saw any submission holds either. I liked the storytelling. (4*1/2)"

[8.0] "Two amazing wrestlers who weren't wrestling at their best. The story was Omega trying to protect his title record, which made sense, but the man was in a lot of pain, I didn't realize how bad it was, but Omega was clearly not at 100%. MJF was physically the best he's ever been but was in an awkward stage of his character progression where his babyface run was getting in his way. Still a fantastic match that I'm glad happened, but neither man could give it their all due to physical and character constraints."

[9.0] "That was a great match. Till' the day I'm writing this, definitely the best singles match in Collision history. MJF showed up an excellent move-set, some new and rare things to see, and Kenny is Kenny, incredible performance even if his body isn't the same a couple of years ago, he delivers greatly. The match had some awkward moments and mistakes, but nothing that spoil the match. There were some slow moments as well, but again, it didn't ruin the experience, it's just little things that made it not perfect for me - {****1/4}"

[8.0] "At first, I absolutely hated this match. But in hindsight? It's not all that bad! There are some massive issues, like Kenny getting his stuff in towards the end (doing WAY too much for the crowd to digest), MJF with his babyface shenanigans, along with the fact that this match happened on TV. Either way, this was still a great match, especially for Collision."

[9.0] "Great match, pretty good pacing, excellent false finishes and since Kenny Omega is featured in it, it's one of MJF's greatest matches. There was that little something missing that prevented this from being five stars but still pretty good either way. The wing falling to make a one-winged angle for Kenny while he was coming out was amazing. Planned or not. [****3/4]"

[10.0] "MJF's reign as AEW World Champion didn't that much of a last couple of months with his Full Gear (2023) match against Jay white being a sports entertainment let down and the Devil reveal ending his reign on such a whimper at Worlds End (2023), but before all that he and former champion Kenny Omega had an absolutely phenomenal match with them two battling it out for the title of longest reigning AEW World Champion. Phenomenal match between two of the all time best AEW wrestlers."

[9.0] "The match is built around MJF proving that he can rise to the level of Omega and get the longest title reign, while being in the middle of the best friends with Adam Cole story. Every element ties together great. Seeing MJF pull some moves out to keep up with Omega & seeing Omega do some of the more brutal moves from his time in Japan was really awesome, especially for a TV match. These two worked much better than they should've."

[7.0] "Omega, while he's aging, is his self, and MJF is MJF.They start with a bit of showmanship before getting into some nice grappling stuff, and then they start hitting bombs. The apron snapdragon, the gut-wrench powerbomb onto the table, a couple of brutal V-Triggers, the Panama sunrise, MJF hitting what looked like Takagi's Made in Japan, and more. The moves were there, they sold everything fantastically, and they had the crowd in their hand the whole time. MJF won fairly clean as well, which was a surprise, but Callis coming out helps Kenny continue that story. Certainly not a MOTYC, because this a flawed formula and strucutre, but man, it was good, especially for a MJF singles match. 3.5 Stars."

[10.0] "One of my favorite matches of 2023, was a contest between my two favorite AEW wrestlers, MJF who was still babyface and about to break the record for the longest world title reign, and Kenny Omega, who was also babyface trying to defend his record reign and re-win the world title from MJF."

[9.0] "Brillant match by two of the greatest AEW wrestlers of all time. It was not clear match, there where some slip up's but you can't say it wasn't a great fight. Big time feel slow build up, technical wrestling, near falls, drama this match had it all. Don Callis didnt messed up ending witch is great- MJF wining it clear is passing of a torch for the future of AEW. I love that both of the wrestlers showed some unique not typical moves in this match. I need to say something about that WangerBomb through the table, what a spot it was. MJF proved once again that he is more then just a good talker and heel, he really can go in the ring and match the greatest in the ring. ****3/4"

[6.0] "Kenny on his last legs here before going out for awhile. It's crazy how capable of a performer he is while being held together with duct tape. Still, this was pretty average stuff from both guys and there were some spots that just straight up didn't look good or didn't feel earned at all."

[8.0] "Definitely MJF's best title defense (up to this point at least), Omega mostly takes the lead and has MJF wrestle his usual epic big match style and it works in both men's favour."

[10.0] "There it was a lot of pressure for these two to deliver and they not only they delivered, they knocked out of the park. This is peak pro wrestling right here. MJF with this perfomance solidified his status as the best pro wrestler in the world. Omega looked like the best bout machine that he was in Njpw and delivered an incredible perfomance as well. The action was oustanding with lots of breathtaking moments and amazing sequences that had me on the edge of my seat. The powerbomb on the table was absolutely brutal. Omega's v-triggers were crazy. MJF pulling out a fosbury flop and a panama sunrise was great, too. The closing stretch had some incredible nearfalls and MJF final sequence was awesome. I was expecting a dirty finish due to an interference by Don Callis or BCG but they gave us a clean finish with a clear winner and I couldn't ask for something better. One of the best matches of the year. A truly Elite match. 10/10 - 5*/5*"

[10.0] "This match with more build is a bonafied 5 star classic it's just a shame it came out of nowhere like it did"

[5.0] "Strikes, exchanges, expressions, most moves overall looked great. The dives had pretty bad timing and the camera angles made it worse. Why am I looking at the back of the guy standing 3 seconds to catch the opponent, or running desperately to let the other guy land on him? Even though the latter was more of a botch overall to be fair, camera issue stands. The interference was ridiculous. Nothing was stopping Kenny from hitting the one winged angel. I also wish there was more variety in the punishment because MJF took a hell of a lot more than Omega and looked lifeless for a large section of the match. His durability didn't look believable. Fun match to watch mindlessly but I couldn't feel immersed in it or hold onto the impression that many of the moves mattered, even when they looked as good as they did. Though there are a lot worse matches in that department so I can't hate too much. MJF's hyping up the crowd was great as always. He translated the tweener leaning face Our Scumbag character really well to the ring."

[9.0] "Fantastisches Match.MJF funktioniert als Face ziemlich gut, auch wenn manches für mich eher albern wirkt wie der Kangarookick aber die Crowd geht drauf ab von daher in Ordnung.Mit 30 Minuten vielleicht etwas zu lang, aber über weite Strecken ein tolles Pacing. ****1/4"

[9.0] "[4.75*] This match was very good, MJF and Omega put on a show at Collison where Omega sought to win the title and stop MJF from reaching his record number of days with the belt. The match was exciting and well constructed, MJF and Omega tried hard to make it epic and the work was rewarded with a banger and the crowd extremely involved with the match. The end of the match was surrounded by drama, near victories and a kickout. MJF getting a clean victory over Omega finishing the match with a Panama Sunrise sequence and heatseeker was huge for his reign."

[9.0] "A solid match marred by such a short build. Both mens wrestling styles complimented each other perfectly. MJF tempering Omegas moveset to sell the devastation of a single dragon suplex and get much more out of one offensive move and halt Omegas want to spam them. Likewise Omega pushes MJF to go at a pace that makes the match cant blink. With exception of the post table spot rest this match is nonstop. I can only imagine what they wouldve achieved with a longer build leading in"

[9.0] "There were a couple of very minor slip-ups that prevent this from getting to that 10/10 mark for me, but this was incredible either way. This has to be one of the best TV matches of 2023, possibly only second to the AEW World Tag Team Title 2/3 Falls Match between Bullet Club Gold and FTR. I'm really glad we had this match and I think it was a great idea to do it right before MJF surpasses Omega as the longest reigning AEW World Champion in history."

[4.0] "MJF never fails to dissapoint in 2023. Hardly a single narrative thread beyond hitting cool moves and poorly built in a week just so that the graphic can pop people on twitter. None of the spots feel grand despite the obvious physical excellence that these two bring. Very unfortunate that Kenny has started to wear down and just hasn't been able to adapt to having a great match without nearly killing himself. He tries very hard to bring some substance out of MJF but if Bryan Danielson in the height of his powers and momentum was unable to, Kenny sure as hell can't."

[10.0] "I do not think this one was perfect but it was also probably the best 'free' TV wrestling match I have ever seen!"

[9.0] "This match had no right to be on free TV, but thank goodness it did. This was a nice blend of American and Japanese wrestling styles, and that Gutwrench Powerbomb through the table looked brutal. The only things I didn't like were Don Callis appearing for no reason and the questionable selling near the end of the match. Still, though, this is one of the best matches Collision has had in its short lifespan (second behind FTR vs BCG II)."

[6.0] "Not usually a fan of these kind of NXT takeover 2018/2019 matches but i actually had fun watching this match. The thing that bothered me was the ref not disqualifying Omega after the table spot an not counting them out while there was a visible clock with a minute and a half counting down. But still as i said i had fun watching the match it didnt really feel like 30 minutes so that was a plus. Overall a okay match but again as it is with all these big matches very overrated ***1/4"

[4.0] "For my understanding there is the story being played here about how Maxwell is in better condition than Kenny Omega is, at the beginning Kenny Omega isn't capable of doing his thing where he flips, may be unintentional but if definitely didn't feel out of tone for what they were going for in the next couple of minutes. Things start falling off when MJF gets hit with Omega's dive to the ouside, where he is able to respond to that with an attempt to a rare and a more exciting dive, except he almost hit himself in the apron because he hit the ropes while doing so, this was a hilarious bit. but what really makes the match actively worse is that the way MJF chose to tell the story was by no selling and this was so so stupid, specially after Kenny crashes him into a table and they get back in the ring at the same time and start to... trading strikes? why? But hey Kenny at least was trying a bit, when in the middle of the no sell sequences of MJF where would still try to sell exaustion and looked a far far better wrestler in comparison to this crazy clown running around and making faces to the crowd."

[9.0] "8.85/10: I haven't enjoyed a match like this in a long time. This is a well-structured, well-paced, main event epic done right."

[9.0] "Easily the best singles match in the history of AEW Collision. While I'm sure everyone knew who was going to win from the start, the crowd was into this from the time they walked down the Isle to the time they walked back up it. This match carried the entire show, PPV main event level match. Definitely something worth coming back to down the road. The only thing I could've done without is the Don Callis shenanigans that seemingly happen for no reason in every single Omega AEW singles matches, it's getting old and outstayed its welcome."

[9.0] "An excellent TV title match, not a MOTY but an exceptional TV one. MJF doing a Fosbury was one of the things I expected the less in 2023. It just clicked between the two and of course it is a classic fight to watch. That Gutwrench Sit-Out Powerbomb from Omega through the table was so impressive. I really liked the fact that the story between the two is simple, one guy is the longest world champion in AEW history, the other is the one who might dethrone him. They didn't had much storytelling in this one because it didn't needed it, they just gave their best to entertain us and that's pretty great. A little tough to rate but I definitely think it's a solid 9."

[7.0] "A bit of a strange one to rate. For a lot of the time it oscillated between really good action that you expect from big Kenny matches, and general MJF silliness (Kangeroo kick, mid-intense-sequence hip thrusting, comedic winking at the crowd eye poking etc) which is a real turnoff for me in a match that generally had a completely different tone. Then when things reached their climax it felt a bit excessive and move-spammy for the sake of move spammy."

[9.0] "This was an excellent TV-level title defense. I continue to be impressed by Omega's cardio in these long(er) matches at his age. His rope-running, and inside-to-outside-the-ring transitions remain as fluid and dynamic as they've ever been. The pacing of this match resembled NJPW layouts we've seen in the past from Omega, which is a fun format through which to experience MJF too. A couple of other small notes: (1) the table spot was very cool, and (2) the v-trigger after Don's appearance was phenomenally built and executed. If available, I'd go "9.5" on this, but I'll trend down to the "9" since there were two or three very minor slips in the first half of the match where the timing was just a *bit* off. That being said, still one of the best matches ever on Collision (with FTR vs White/Robinson being the other)."

[9.0] "What an exceptional TV match, really NXT TakeOver 2016-2018 like but it was amazing to watch. They delivered and MJF proves he's really becoming one of the very best."

[5.0] "Kenny Omega had one of my favorite matches of the year against Will Ospreay at the Tokyo Dome. Since then, it's just been a series of disappointments. MJF's frequent "I can totally do an epic match" never resonated with me. He's better when he sticks to his guns and doesn't resort to being excessive like he was here. I appreciated the opening 10 minutes but then they sorta lost me in search of doing more cool movez and combos. Both men took a heavy toll with the amount of bumps they took but it didn't really benefit the match. Omega is so broken down and he can only really do one type of big match and it takes away from how versatile he actually is as a performer."

[9.0] "Great match. A PPV main event match on TV. There isn't a big story build up but still they told a good narrative and the dynamic between MJF and Omega was fun. Great action, Great pacing, it was never dull, there were tons of cool sequences, good counter wrestling and the crowd was very invested in everything they did. Kenny is getting older and its noticeable here, there were slight missteps but overall it was still an excellent performance. As for MJF, Kenny gave him the ball to lead with it and he did a splendid job, he held his own in the presence of one of AEW's biggest veteran stars, not just in athletics but also in showmanship. Little cameo appearance by Don Callis but it didn't hurt the ending too much so I am fine with it. ****1/2"

[3.0] "Never felt the need to do this, but I had to make an account after this match. This match is no where near what it should be rated. Everything leading up to the powerbomb through the table was great, but for crying out loud it turned into a spot fest with little to no selling. No pin after the table spot is absolutely ridiculous and that is where I checked out. How on this site people can be so critical one match then go monkey brained the next is ridiculous. Can everybody giving this above a 5 take of the blinders ffs. I like both wrestlers but this was not a good match at all."

[10.0] "Easily one of the best matches I've ever seen on NA TV. The presentation was absolutely spot-on, from the entrance and the introduction, it had this big time feel. Was standing on my feet in the last stretch of the match. MJF is certainly up there with the bests in the world as he has proven time and time again since he won the AEW championship. And Omega passing the torch was the absolute right move for someone like MJF. An American classic."

[7.0] "Good, but ultimately felt like it had a shopping list of things that they felt like they needed to tick off for it to be a "good match", rather than something that organically came to be. Rare match where I think the schmozz finish would have been better for all concerned."

[6.0] "Kenny Omega worked hard here to get the most out of MJF, but unfortunately MJF is just not good in the ring as a babyface. His comeback spots are either cartoonish ("kangaroo kick") or tired (biting, ten count corner punches). He goes back and forth from a parody of Hulk Hogan to a parody of the Great Sasuke to a parody of Omega himself. Why is there a 50/50 strike exchange after a power bomb through a table? Another distraction spot for Callis. Stupid finish where MJF puts Omega on the apron to hit the heat seeker. Why wouldn't you just pile drive the guy in the middle of the ring? I get why people liked it, because MOVES and it was laid out as an epic, but it did not hit the mark for that style of match for me. **3/4 - *** range."

[9.0] "A tremendous main event that sits behind only Bullet Club Gold vs. FTR as the current Collision Match of the Year. The story of ego versus father time was captivating, with Kenny Omega needing to make peace with the limitations that age, experience, and wear and tear inevitably put on a competitor. It was crucial to the first half of this match, as the younger and less worn-down MJF got the upper hand in moments that Omega would previously never lose ground in. Truly tremendous. As the match progressed, Omega adapted to his physical limitations and embraced the vicious nature that made him an all-time great. Perhaps he could not do the things that he was once able to, but his mind was always his greatest weapon. Unfortunately, distractions reigned supreme and the ever-opportunistic MJF again exploited the openings presented to him. Look no further than Omega listening to Paul Turner instead of executing a Powerbomb to the exposed barricade, or even letting MJF out of the One-Winged Angel when he had the match safely in hand just because Don Callis walked down the ramp. This was not because Omega has lost a step physically, but instead because he's struggling to make peace with the version of himself that he currently is. Is he ready to have to rely on such violent tactics? Can he still not accept that Don Callis is no longer in his corner? All crucial story elements that drove the story home. It was a genuinely great story that had ebbs, flows, and a steady theme throughout. 4.5 stars, 9 out of 10. Yet another TV classic for Omega, and a firm display of why MJF is the franchise player in AEW."

[7.0] "Most of MJF's big matches seem to suffer from the same issue - everything is too telegraphed and each bout seems clearly delineated into chapters. This is the bit where we do dives, this is the bit where we do big nearfalls and so on. The work is typically good (not great) but they feel too stiff for me. His Fosbury Flop to the outside was rough too, which definitely docks marks here. A good match, ***1/2, but not as good for me as others are making out."

[6.0] "Reading these reviews makes me feel like im being gaslit lol. Seriously though I don't get then hype, this was a good match, but Seriously nothing special and definitely not in AEW's top 10. MJF's in ring work has gone downhill since his face turn and I don't get it, maybe its the heavier work schedule? Idk but hope he gets back to his better form soon. Kenny feels like he's been on autopilot for a while now and he showed it again here."

[8.0] "I really wish we could give decimal ratings on here this was definetly an 8.7 or an 8.8 very close to a 9 just not quite there some aspects of the match I didnt like some parts werent sold well enough for my liking but thats just my preference overall it was still an amazing match by MJF and Kenny omega."

[8.0] "I was engaged throughout which is my main barometer for judging whether a match is good. There were some good reversals and cool spots and it certainly felt like an epic match. Kenny was a step slower and stiffer than we're used to but nevertheless, his flexibility and athleticism allows him to perform spots that are enjoyable to watch in any match. On the other hand, there was too much sloppy execution, too many finishers, too little narrative and too many of those sequences where one guy gets hit with a period of offence and then suddenly recovers and springs into a comeback. MJF isn't a bad worker but the gulf between him and someone like Kenny was in evidence. A good match with an epic feel, but too flawed to be considered a classic."

"Horrible selling, no DQ/count out after omega powerbombs MJF through the table and they are both lying outside for 2 mins, commentators not acknowledging the only story of the match, MJF being a step ahead, then surrendering advantage by playing to the crowd, and this MJF character is too silly, even for someone who likes silly shit in wrestling; you are having the world title match, bring some gravity to it! Also please stop with the back and forth pins spot!"

[10.0] "genuinely spectacular match, one of the best AEW matches of the year. mjf and kenny add another classic, one of many for kenny, and one in a growing resumé for mjf. these guys got everything in, pulling out insane moves theyve never done before. a vertical suplex backbreaker/atomic drop hybrid from kenny, a modified blue thunder bomb & a (frankly sloppy but still incredible) shooting star press-ish plancha spot for mjf. plenty of good old fashioned rasslin, and even an off-the-apron table spot. felt like an NJPW match and delivered like one. basically everything you could ask for in a 30-minute mjf/kenny omega match. again, one of the best of the year."

[7.0] "I went into this pretty confident that I would enjoy it, since as bad as MJF can be with his hokey 80s WWF schtick, it seemed likely that Omega would mostly drag him away from that and force him to wrestle a standard 'big match', which is exactly what they did. Was it a classic? Obviously not. A very good match? Definitely. They did a standard feeling-out phase early on with basic exchanges and 50/50 stand-offs to play up to the crowd. MJF did lean a bit into his dorky and melodramatic WWE-style pantomime at points, but it thankfully never lasted long, and the match quickly picked up after that as they both started going for big moves and hitting but spots. MJF continues to impress whenever he wrestles seriously and stays far away from being a comical goofball, since he actually manages to get really good impact on some of his moves, a few of which can end up looking pretty brutal. It also helped that he had Omega to bump and sell very well for him, of course, though Omega wasn't without some of his own goofiness when it came to his few wretched cries of pain. MJF's cocky heel work was pretty good whenever he managed to avoid going into his over-acting routine such as when he went for the "Kangaroo Kick" and Ultimate Warrior hype-up spot, and I thought that was a nice addition to his control period. It was then Omega's turn for a control period, with him running through all his usual signature moves with good technique and getting good impact on all of them. Omega's early efforts here weren't nearly as impressive as what we'd see from him a few years ago in NJPW, but they did become noticeably more impactful and brutal as the match went on. The first time he really looked like classic, best-in-the-world Omega here was when he hit the combo of the V-Trigger, Dragon Suplex, and powerbomb on/off the apron, since those all looked genuinely great, especially that powerbomb. And props to MJF for his equally great selling and bumping in that segment. Their rapid 50/50 trades were very generic in structure, especially with their very overkill no-selling, but it was undeniably still really fun because of how good both men's execution was for each move. As usual with so many of Omega's matches, I really wish he wouldn't spam his V-Triggers so heavily. Most of them do look great, but their overuse reduces their significance more and more each time, and I found myself rolling my eyes by the time of what must've been his 20th or so V-Trigger. MJF deciding to finally return to targeting Omega's arm after seemingly having abandoned that already quite brief focus in the first half was pretty odd, though I did like the variety of all his arm-targeting attacks plus how he executed them. Both men throwing out big counters to derail the other's momentum was always really fun, and again each one of those counter moves was executed with very good technique and impact. The rest of the match featured a bunch more spots and sequences which were all very good, though they were definitely all things we've seen in many big NJPW/AEW matches before, especially, of course, Omega's NJPW and AEW matches. Callis' run-in distraction was aggravating and stupid but at least quickly forgotten about. They continued going for heaps of big moves and near falls, and in those final few minutes a few of them looked genuinely great, like MJF's superkick as Omega suspended himself on the turnbuckle. I also thought Omega's selling/bumping had become pretty great in that finishing stretch, and there was a genuinely convincing near fall as Omega hit that cradle pin. It's disappointing that MJF uses the Heat-Seeker Missile as a finisher, since I don't think it looks as typically "cool" compared to some of his other big moves or other AEW wrestlers' finishers, so that did make the finishing stretch slightly more underwhelming than it should've been, and I also wasn't a fan of the Canadian Destroyer making an appearance, since that move's credibility has fallen through the floor, but I was at least able to very much enjoy the intensity created by of all these interactions. ***3/4"

[10.0] "One of the biggest fresh matches AEW is capable of producing right now, and while they certainly could have approached it differently, the small amount of mic work we got between these two was plenty for my tastes (the fewer long Omega promos we have the better, in my view). Better in some ways to simply ring the bell, and when they did this turned into a hell of a battle. A very nice blend of styles, with MJF responding to Omega's go-go big bomb style and Omega, well, he just kind of did his normal thing but it worked well in this context, and that's from someone who isn't the biggest Omega fan. The crowd was hot for both guys, dare I say a little more pro-MJF? But it was just overall a very hot contest and MJF skirted the edges of the rules but didn't do anything overly dastardly, and pulled out some really impressive (and sometimes dodgy looking) stuff to combat Omega on his own ground. Two minor criticisms: it did inevitably turn into the usual Omega barrage, how many V-triggers must we see shrugged off before we admit that clearly this move does no damage whatsoever? And secondly, I would have been more than happy not to see Don Callis and his lame screwdriver come skulking around. Naturally they wanted to give a little protection for Omega's loss but this feud feels like it has already run out of steam with all the attention turned to a lukewarm Jericho storyline lately. But these are small nitpicks, a super fun match."

"As good as you would expect from these two, which is to say they delivered a very high quality match. Omega is Omega and speaks for himself but MJF continues to make a strong case that he's pound for pound the best professional wrestler in the business. Just a shame that the booking didn't fully support this big first time match up. I don't think it was egregious but it was far from optimal."

"Great TV main event and wouldn't be out of place as a good PPV match or main event. A couple of slightly shabby moments like the flip from Max, bridge spot and Kenny's kip up (still not sure if a work or not but if I had to guess then I'd say it wasn't) but is to be expected when these 2 have never wrestled each other. I'm sure any future contests between them with equal stakes will be cleaner. Nevertheless, still really enjoyed this match. The nearfall near the end when max kicked at 2.9 had me tricked, even though I knew who won the match. Loved Max almost missing Omega with his flip to the outside lmao, Kenny saved him bigtime there. Felt like Max was working Kenny's arm for his submission finish but this never came so was a bit disappointed in that. Callis interference was kind of lacklustre, although I guess it stopped the 1WA, just a bit short-lived for me though as he was instantly ejected. Great match though. ****1/2"

[9.0] "Ein super Collision Main Event, für den ich mir allerdings mehr Aufbaue in den Weeklys erhofft hätte. Der Ausgang ist leider relativ klar, da mit Jay White der nächste Herausforderer bereits feststeht, was immer schade ist. Dennoch unter den gegebenen Umständen ein richtig gutes Match auf Augenhöhe."

[8.0] "I liked this match, even though there really isn't much substance to this at all really. They did a pretty basic start that wouldn't be out of place in any wrestling match from most eras outside of some of the stuff they did at the end. After this, they had a match where they did a lot of moves for 30 minutes that were executed really well, and saw MJF take a hell of a beating. He took a dragon suplex on the apron and a doctor bomb through the table which was really cool. The selling here was decent enough, it definitely could've been better tho. Callis and Kenny have to continue their never ending feud so he had to get involved here obviously which didn't really add much. Mjf won after a Panama sunrise, and then a heat seeker.***3/4"

[8.0] "Why. The. Fuck. was this given away on collision? The in-ring quality was great, albeit i would have preferred a bit less of the 'AEW' style and their selling (or often, lack thereof). But again, why the hell did this happen on free TV with 3 days of build? With more story going into it, this would be an easy 10"

[9.0] "A long awaited match that took place without any hype due to it being suddenly booked. Don Callis should not have interfered in this match although Kenny ended up losing clean. The ending stretch was amazing with both wrestlers giving it their all. MJF hit some amazing moves in this match."

[9.0] "Ich fand das Match sehr unterhaltsam, mit ein paar erinnerungswürdigen Spots garniert, aber war bei weeeeeeitem nicht der Klassiker, zu dem es hier direkt hochstilisiert wird. MJF wirkt sehr motiviert und spielt den die Rolle des überheblichen Heels mal wieder hervorragend. Omega ist mit einigen harten Spots gut dabei, wirkt aber anfangs und auch zwischendrin überraschend unfit. Das Ende war cool. Insgesamt richtig gut, aber näher an der 8 als an der 10."

[10.0] "Habe ich hier mein AEW Match of the Year 2023. Geht es noch perfekter was für ein Title Match. Da hat einfach alles gepasst. Dann kam es halt nicht bei einem PPV sondern bei einer TV-Show. Wie will man das nun toppen das wird man dann noch sehen. Ich gebe (*****)."

[5.0] "It was a match where all the moves were executed well mechanically and the audience (all 3500 of them - SANADA vs EVIL was clearly a much bigger match) in the building clearly was very into the match, but for me it was an extremely dull showcase of all the negatives of the "epic" main event style with unnecessary no-selling and big moves not meaning anything to the match. The spot when Kenny hit the doctor bomb through the table was especially infuriating to me, because after such a brutal looking move they just sell for like less than a minute and then do a strike exchange in the ring for some reason, this coupled with the annoying MJF sports entertainment spots (kangaroo kick etc.) and a 3 day build results in a slightly below average match **1/4*"

[10.0] "I'm selfish asf and looking at two people trying to break their necks with Drivers no - stop is something I truly love, luckly for me they have gone to that direction I have no good feelings for MJF's vertebral spine. Anyway this is the TV MOTY so far and I don't think it 'll be beaten, everything after the Sit - Out Gutwrench apron Powerbomb on the table was goated; from the double Inverted Frankensteiner to the three brutal Pilerdrivers that ended this bout. Callis luckly didn't do anything really result - changing at the end of the day and I don't think that the Panama Sunrise was botched. *****1/4 (5, 25*/10.50 out of ten)"

[7.0] "Jim Ross got one thing right tonight - no one achieved a sustained advantage at any point during this match. Which is code for the bout being indie as fuck. JR also said it was for the AWA World title, bless him. So yeah, they leaned heavily into the overkill both ways with an abundance of no-sell fighting spirit and death-sell oxygen breaks with zero follow up counts from the ref. It was scrappy in several places and both guys appeared to get legit hurt on reckless spots, but the near falls kept you guessing and the possibility of an unlikely title switch was always in play ***1/2"

[8.0] "If you're into this kind of match then it was everything you'd expect. For my tastes everything was well executed but pulling out the table was just dumb and hate when guys do 10 moves that should kill their opponent just for another 2 count. I also thought Don Callis run in didn't serve much of a purpose since it didn't immediately affect the outcome of the match."

[9.0] "Super match overall, but it was not an all-time classic. Between the poor flosbury flop, the overly missed clothesline attempts, and the spouts of bad feeding by MJF, the first half of this match was rife with mild problems that nonetheless added up to harm my enjoyment. Kenny getting distracted for no material reason when he had the match won didn't help. But the absolutely fantastic closing stretch at the end of the bout saved this from being a relative disappointment. ****1/2"

[10.0] "This wes an incredible main event for a regular television show! I never considered MJF vs Kenny Omega as a dream match sence they have such different personalities and styles. Of course they are both great but I just didn't think it could end up being a MOTY like it was."

[9.0] "Once again, Callis almost killed this match, good thing he didn't. I was sad because Omega looked clumsy... yeah man, I'm not kidding! Omega tripped like 3 times! It wasn't anything too obvious but many of his best matches are picture perfect, so idk what happened to him... anyways, this was a cool match with MJF getting a clean victory"

"Was this the best match either have had this year? Not by any stretch. As far as a free TV main event for a world title? I thought it was a really enjoyable bout. The story made sense with Kenny wanting to stop MJF beating his streak as the longest reigning AEW World Champion. There were some great moves within the match, mainly taken by MJF such as the powerbomb through the table and the snapdragon to the ring apron. Probably one of the best matches Collision has seen outside of the FTR v Bullet Club Gold 2/3 falls affair."

[9.0] "this was a really good match, both guys showing why they're at the top of the game at the moment. My only negative is that every MJF match is increasingly predictable at the moment, at no point in this match did I ever think that Kenny Omega had a chance of winning and it effected my enjoyment of an otherwise great match."

[9.0] "This match fucking ruled. An instant classic TV main event with two of their biggest stars just tearing shit up. Max was wrestling like he read every single negative tweet about him over the last month just before walking thru the curtain. After 30 minutes Kenny puts Max over clean and they shake hands and embrace after the match. Babyface MJF is in full effect and feels so natural that thinking of his character for years before this past summer almost seems weird."

[8.0] "this is the first time i make a comment without CAGEMATCH forcing me to do so show how much i care about this match , first of all i love this two legends and AEW to death, but unfortunately this was a combination of zero storytelling zero effective selling zero strategy on both sides zero psychology and engless kickouts average spot festival match . I assumed with MJF in this match this doesn't turn into another typical Kenny Omega spotfest match but MJF himself kinda made things worse by no sellling and some oversellings at time and just doing spots without anny meaning so yes this was a bad time to have this dream match i hope to see this match in future again but way more structured And btw 90sec pic in pic countdown is a really really bad idea"

[10.0] "A wonderful, edge of the seat match. I bit on Omega winning at the Panama sunrise into roll up, even though I knew there was actually no chance. Nice mat work to start, brutal table bump that both men sold like death (Kenny possibly actually hurt his knee but was able to continue). A fire closing stretch with many false finishes. Minimal interference and clean win. There were some roughness early. Kenny had to warm up. Some of the roughness might have been planned (the kip up possibly), but Nigel on commentary didn't help pointing out every tiny slip Kenny had early on. Commentary in general was not good except shockingly some of JR, who was very passionate. Also funny how JR also disliked the stupid kangaroo kick being used in a match of this gravitas. MJF continues to pander too much to the crowd, but otherwise was excellent in this. All these flaws I pointed out but are very minimal to the overall epicness of the match. The post match comments uploaded to youtube were emotional and felt like a passing of the torch."

[5.0] "Let me preface this by saying that there were no moments in the match where the work was terrible or bad. At times it was slow or creatively dull or odd but bad this wasnt. Its just a style of wrestling that I am numb to. It felt specifically designed how youd write a great match in an e-fed. I get that this audience likes that. They like all the kick outs and no-sell spots that are only there to spark this is awesome chants. I get it. But it lacked that true quality attached to it opposed to the truly great Omega/Ospreay match from January. It also didnt help that Omega lacked that extra step of speed and explosiveness that accompanies the power that hes known for at times. It showed at times, such as the rolling pin reversals and the slow wrist lock kip-up spot where Omega couldnt even get to his feet. Omega goes through phases of great condition and him looking uncomfortable doing moves and this kind of links to the latter. However, I think hes still a good enough wrestler to carry the rest. MJFs main issue isnt his athleticism. Its his choices to play to the crowd every move that really detract from the match. At times it played into some sort of story where Omega would cut him off as a result but there would be any other time and it disrupted the flow for me at times. Additionally, MJFs master of all trades routine rings very hollow to me. Hes a crafty cheater (thats a face), hes resilient bad ass that can recover from being launched on his head, hes the next gen Great Sasuke, hes also a minimalist from the 1980s. He comes across as a mismatch of all you can possibly think about and its just..not that interesting. Its not as simple as picking one and staying with it but you gotta do these things well and in a natural way and its anything but. MJF presents himself as this genius of wrestling and the result is not that at all. Back to the match. There isnt much to say. I didnt care for it and Im not gonna pretend to so people can feel good about their own opinions (which are fair to have; you do you). Id rather watch most other matches these two have against other people. **1/2"

[9.0] "This was easily the best match in Collision's short run so far. Everything about it felt like a passing of the torch from Kenny Omega to MJF, right down to Omega being just a step behind the much younger champion. These two meshed well, and it was cool to see MJF bust out some moves I've never seen him use before. I'm surprised at the clean finish -- this might have been a good opportunity to do something screwy to get another match between the two, but alas. ****1/2"

[2.0] "In fact, there was no more desirabled match in AEW for me, if we keep in mind the active members of the roster, and the fact that their first collision took place at Collision, with no confrontation, no intrigue, and even no champion belt on the champion's waist, upset me, but, nevertheless, I was it's interesting to see this match and how these two will work together. The result for me was disappointing. The first three minutes were amazing, but then they came to an absolutely generic wrestling, built on spots, and as part of the fight, MJF behaved the way his opponent needed, doing things that he hadn't resorted to before. I would like to refrain from mentioning Punk, but he, a man who couldn't be called athletic even at the peak of his form, managed to get the best out of MJF and make an exciting match that attracts not only physical interactions and bright strikes. I know who Omega is, and I really liked him even before his ascent to NJPW, and even now I can enjoy some of his performances, and I was expecting this match because I believed that in this particular case they would combine all the best in each other and would be interesting to harmonize. In the end, it all came down to the fact that MJF simply became a convenient opponent for Kenny for the sake of demonstrating another epic match, with the absence of long-term selling and the most fake moments associated with false endings. If I had read the transcript of the match without names, I would have thought Omega was fighting Cole. A huge, total disappointment (*)."

[6.0] "MJF's reign is wonderful, he's the most interesting wrestler in AEW right now, and his match against Omega seemed to be great, but something went wrong. Yes, some spots from Max looked just WOW, so unexpected they were. But then something strange started happening. MJF usually works smartly, tries to tell a story even in a match with spots, but here they chose long tiresome nosell big moves sequences and overselling in other moments. It was really strange. And I don't understand who modded Callis to spawn in almost every Omega's match? 6 just because I enjoyed the first part and some things after, but, unfortunately, I can't rate it higher. And it's disappointing."

[10.0] "These two put on a classic! Each were at the top of their game, pulling out some insane moves. MJF hitting a backflip over the ropes was wild. The table spot looked insane too especially with the rock back before slamming down. Commercial spots didn't hurt this tv much as the wrestlers used it as a break, but when the show was on this was amazing. Callis getting involved isn't my favourite choice, and has been a theme in these great Omega matches, I don't think it's necessary but ultimately it didn't hurt this match much. I'd say both have had better matches this year but this is still a top tier match."

[10.0] "It makes this kind of game good. We knew the fight had to happen and frankly its nice to see good wrestling as we like it. We feel that Omega is diminished compared to before but it gave everything anyway. The reign of MJF is getting cooler but above all, the plot around Joe, Wardlow, Hobbs or the masked demon makes me want to do this program to the end"

[10.0] "One of the best matches I've ever watched in my life, it simply kept me interested in it from the beginning to the end, Kenny Omega did a phenomenal job while MJF was quite overshadowed in this match, even making some small mistakes. We won't have another Kenny Omega We won't have another Kazuchika Okada We won't have another Bryan Danielson Enjoy it while you still can."

[9.0] "very good as I was expecting! although we knew that Omega doesn't have a chance at this moment, but at some spots, I really thought that Omega is going to win! they put their full force and performed amazing to create a very exciting main event, which is probably the best match of the Collision history! MJF really needed this match, because his previous matches weren't feel like wrestling at all, and they were more like entertainment comedy show. (****3/4)"

[9.0] "Perfect TV Main Event Match. Plain and simple these guys worked perfectly together. The high-intensity bumps with great pacing & still manage to play to each other's characters. Even the Don Callis run-in was well executed. The only thing keeping this from being a perfect 10 is there was never any doubt that MJF would actually lose a title he was not physically in possession of. Aside from that small detail, I couldn't recommend this match enough."

[4.0] "Adequate. That's the perfect word to describe this match. I really didn't feel anything while watching this, everything felt like the same old shit I've seen and the chemistry between Kenny Omega and MJF is not the worst thing in the world, but I would rather not watch a math between them every again in my whole life. I wasn't expecting much, so I'm not disappointed at all. ***"

[10.0] "There is constant hyperbole in modern wrestling about the greatness of matches. This one is no hype. Its the best character in wrestling against the best between the ropes. And by the end, Maxwell Jacob Friedman will wow you with his prowess in the puro style, and Kenny Omega channels ultimate opportunist with his facials. I wish they would put this up on streaming for all to see *****"

[9.0] "9.5 - Really wasn't vibing with this early on. I feel like they lacked natural chemistry; MJF's tweener character was irking; and they had slip ups on their prime wrestling sequences, like the dual kip up, the gutwrench up to the feet, and the dive-off. They created a brilliant match through the physicality. The table spot was one of the most dangerous in recent memory, and I didn't love MJF's selling afterwards. But Kenny kept piling on the punishment, and it made for a very exciting second half. Amazing to think a match that had so much to criticise still deserves vast praise, which was mostly down the the execution of the spots and the action."

[9.0] "The most anticipated match of the last month for me personally. Despite the fact that I still think that all this was done untimely. I can't say I didn't want to see it. Of course I did. Kenny Omega and MJF are two people I associate with AEW and are one of the reasons I watch the promotion in the first place. Expectations were clearly high, but were they met? Hell, of course yes. It was an absolute banger from the first minute to the last. An equal start, slowly flowing into the dominance of Max, who was able to stun his opponent with new techniques that we had not seen in his performance before, and, frankly, after his flight over the third rope, even I sat with my mouth open, although it was far from completed not ideal. Closer to the middle, there was another equal fight and then the main spot with the table, which became such a connecting link in the fight. Because the first part was intense, but seemingly frivolous, because there Max was constantly doing his classic tricks to interact with the public, and Omega was taking breaks, but the second was simply uncompromising. No one there had a second to be distracted by any extraneous things. The second part followed Omega and there Max had to surprise with miracles of endurance. When Omega turned on his classic Terminator mode and began simply killing the champion with V-triggers, I caught vibes from the Osprey-Omega duel with Kingdom, and this is clearly a good sign. In the end, even the appearance of Kallis did not spoil the mood, because it was competent. He did not interfere, and the judge quickly sent him off, but he played an important role because he allowed Max to come to his senses, and this moment already marked the end, because here Max acted ruthlessly, carrying out all the signature moves that he could. And he won purely without open interference. Yes, the appearance of Kallis had an impact, but it did not have a direct impact. It was even more pleasing that after the match we were not treated to a classic brawl involving 500 people, but were simply shown how everyone involved with these two watched it on the screens. And MJF and Omega shook hands and went their separate ways. A great end to the show and a great fight."

[9.0] "This was Omegas best match since his match at forbidden door against Ospreay and MJFs best match since his match against Danielson at revolution. I went into this expecting a classic and it did not dissapoint in the slightest. This was very much the MJF we would have seen if AEW never formed and we were all still watching New Japan, a classic of a match worthy of praise for both men and their incredible in ring work."

"MJF vs Kenny Omega 1 will go down in history, best match on Collision so far. MOTY contender, and an outstanding joyful match to watch. There were a couple small misses, but the organic way they recovered from them made them irrelevant. That's how incredible this match was. I'm not sure Kenny Omega will ever get his proper evaluation until his career is over, but he is without question the best wrestler in the world, and MJF has shown a repeated and consistent growth pattern unlike anything we've seen since Kurt Angle."

"this match was a great showing of ringskills of mjf vs someone at calliber of kenny imo it is going to be as important as bryan match for mjf and help him cement it's great rieng so far the story that was told to build this match was short but pretty great and helped to shape a all timer match for both of them"

[10.0] "Everybody knows how great both of those guys are. Kenny will go down as one of the best to ever do it and I won't accept any other opinion in that matter. MJF is just getting started with his carreer and if I was Tony Khan, I would just focus on retaining MJF instead of signing 300 other wrestlers. He's one of a kind and they can't afford to lose him, he's their most important asset BY FAR."

"I'd consider this AEW's best TV match of the year. Kenny Omega looked like the Kenny Omega we used to see being boxed into a style more appropriate for the American style of matches. He gave a great performance. The Don Callis run in was fine and all, but seemed quite unnecessary. Though it might have effected my score, I think it would have been better for it to have a direct impact on the outcome of the match."

[10.0] "A 10/10 match for television which I think will be even better when they run it back on PPV. By this point everyone knows Max can work like the some of the best but for some reason when he goes crazy in the ring it's always a bit surprising. Kenny Omega is also 40 years old, has had a million injuries and is still absolutely incredible, simply the greatest wrestler of all time. The finishing stretch was incredible. ****1/2 or ****3/4 (Get Jim Ross out of this fucking company immediately)"

[9.0] "No doubt this was an absolutely fantastic match. MJF and Kenny went to absolute war here, hitting big move after big move on eachother, with each move that they hit being more brutal than the last, with neither man having the clear advantage over the other. But while the in ring action was downright incredible, the result was never in doubt which is my main issue with this match. I found it very hard to get invested in many of Kenny's nearfalls, apart from one really close one near the end, because I never bought that he was going to win. After all, we've been building to an MJF/Jay White match for a month, and Kenny is involved in his own story, so Kenny winning just made no sense to me. Aside from that though, this match is pretty much near perfect and worthy of being a PPV main event, let alone a TV main event. I just wish the result wasn't so predictable. ****3/4"

[10.0] "Really, really, really great match. But I was still disappointed when it was done and I had to realize why. As Nigel put it, this was NJPW-ized main event style against American-ized main event style, maybe the first time that this was made a topic in AEW. And the American style won. Not that MJF is bad, I think he is fantastic, but during the match I realized that I vastly prefer Kenny's style and what he represents. So I was disappointed that he lost, the underlying implication just bummed me out. It was still a great match and I would consider it a MOTY contender for sure, as it had all the hallmarks of it: great action, great crowd, great commentary, clean finish (well, the useless interference by Don Callis notwithstanding). Allow me to still be disappointed because of the implications, okay?"

[8.0] "The first half of this I didn't really get into, it felt far too much like MJF's current title match template where he has to get all his shit in which I am rapidly tiring of (if I never see a kangaroo kick again it'll be too soon). But it really picks up after that and the back stretch is fantastic. I also could've done without the Callis stuff again, but it didn't totally derail the match or lessen MJF's victory."

[9.0] "It was a very great match, I just wish it was in a PPV setting or a proper build up. I felt the crowd wasnt as into it as they shouldve been, and I contribute that to the TV crowd and lack of build, however the fundamentals of the match were absolutely extraordinary. The snap dragon on the side of the ring was absolutely gnarly, the one winged angel into the hurricanrana was incredible, and although it was somewhat out of place I enjoyed the panama sunrise finish. Not necessarily exactly what I wanted from this dream match, but still an incredible display of 2 of the best, and my 2 favorite workers in the world today."

[10.0] "This match was incredible. Probably the best free tv match of the year. MJF continues to prove that he's one of the best in-ring wrestlers in the world, shedding his reputation from years ago as a bland wrestler with an incredible promo. Omega gave everything here, and it felt like a passing of the torch moment from one elite wrestler to another. The post-match was perfect as well, with all of the different wrestlers involved in MJF's story watching on. Incredible match. Nothing more I can say about this."

[10.0] "Extraordinary. Two great workers put on a great, great display in the main event of a real decent show. Even though it was clear MJF was gonna win, I popped twice for a false finish. For a moment I was scared for another Don Calis finish, but thank god that did not happen. Great match between two greats."

[7.0] "This one didn't feel great at all for me. It had the right ingredients to become great but I felt that the match really dragged. Certainly would've benefited from trimming off 3-4 minutes. Everything else was great, just the pacing killed it for me. Nonetheless, very good match. ****"

[8.0] "Firstly, a lot of the tension of this match was taken away by fact AEW were too lazy to put Omega on the graphic alongside MJF for Full Gear. Lads, at least pretend he might be going into the PPV as champion! This had moments of brilliance but it was hampered by advert breaks and I am not always sure they got the flow right but when it hit it hit high. I fear we still have months of MJF on top with the December PPV in Long Island."

[10.0] "Great match. It's my second favorite title defense of MJF after MJF vs Danielson. I think Dave won't give it 5 because mjfs Botch when he tried to do panama sunrise. But still this match was great. Except don calliss interference, why they insist to continue the elite and callis family feud? , and thats it."

[8.0] "Ich finde, hier hat man zum ersten Mal gesehen, dass MJF zu den besten Wrestlern der Welt technisch schon noch was fehlt. Sicher nicht so viel, aber die Diskrepanz war gut erkennbar. Dazu bin ich einfach kein Fan von diesem Kangaroo Kick und ähnlichem Blödsinn, finde das übertrieben. Den Headlock Takeover damals hab ich ja noch gekauft. Das Finish war gut gemacht, und es hatte auch für knappe 30 Minuten tatsächlich kaum Längen, also ein starkes Match war das schon. Aber ich fands jetzt nicht so spitze wie andere Top Matches"

[10.0] "A fantastic match that felt like a total sugar rush, which is really all you could ask for in a match that carried little build nor story. Both Kenny and MJF pulled out all of the stops here, with MJF expanding his moveset in an effort to look as flashy as Kenny (naturally) is, and the outcome was great. Indeed, this was yet another example of the greatness of MJF. He went blow for blow with one of the most successful in-ring wrestlers of the last decade and performed at a level few can, again solidifying his reign and elevating the AEW title. The best part of this match, however, was the clean finish, which was a total surprise to me yet completely loved it and made this match even more important to MJF's career."

"This match was insane. Edge of the seat stuff throughout. MJFs flip to the outside thing in response to Omega's terminator dive popped me so hard. Glad the finish was clean because my heart actually sank when Don Callis came out. Two of the best in the world today and still managed to exceed expectations."

[7.0] "This had no creativity or innovation that a match of this importance should have. Kenny, especially, was just recycling spots from his Ospreay matches. This had big moves, close-near falls, and exciting flash pins, but it didn't move me. Both men messed up constantly throughout the match as well."

[8.0] "Kenny Omega vs. MJF rocked. Really liked they played up eachothers contrast/weakness. This match is the most MJF has connected in a championship setting. Kenny rules, the pink and black gear wore here reminded me of his DoN 19 gear (first AEW), also pink wings!"

[10.0] "One of the best match i have seen. After MJF match with Danielson at Revolution 2023. I didn't thought that MJF can top this match but he blew my expectations with this one. Kenny is Ace of this company(Sorry Mox) and i am just grateful for his every match as i know his career is winding down. He really is a Best bout machine"

[8.0] "2023 - a good match, nothing really there to send me over the top, not that bothered by it being on TV. I liked the story, love that Kenny put over MJF so strong especially with the ost match promo. Older Kenny Omega putting over the younger guys is very appealing. ****1/4"

[10.0] "The greatest wrestler of all time and currently the biggest star in AEW vs the champ in what was an epic for the ages. Kenny and MJF showcased their respective explosiveness, their chemistry causing more reactions, more flames, more firepower. The rolling elbows, V-Trigger spot was crazy, the faceplant onto the top turn buckle was nuts and the extreme storytelling ranging through the match - teasing Kota's finisher was a great touch. Kenny and MJF will likely have more matches in the future, and I will be seated for each and every one"

[10.0] "What a match, this was an absolutely extraordinary performance from two of the top guys AEW has on their entire roster. MJF brought out some offence that we haven't seen before and reminded us how amazing he is in the ring while Kenny Omega looked as great as he always does whenever he steps foot inside a ring. The powerbomb through the table was a great spot and the entire time they were in the ring I was on the edge of my seat. Kenny Omega is already considered by many to be the best wrestler in the world but MJF keeps showing us why he is also in that conversation. The ending to this match was also a pleasant surprise because I thought that this match would end in intereference from somebody so that both of these truly elite stars stay protected. ****3/4"

[10.0] "I know most people don't catch Collision live due to the time slot, but give this match a watch. They absolutely delivered in this match with the only build being that MJF is about to beat Omega's record. Sometimes you forget that MJF is a great single's wrestler when he has a serious singles match, and matches like this really make you remember this. This was almost a passing of the torch from Omega to MJF, for MJF to carry the company on this back with Omega starting to slow down his role as a full time wrestler."

[10.0] "This match was amazing 10/10 .mjf took waay too many bumbs on neck and head like the dragon suplex to the apron and the doctor bomb to the table.the reverse poisonranas are always a plus and here we got not one but two of them.the finishing sequence from the superkick to the adam cole homage then beating kenny omega CLEAN was truly special. Also another plus was the buckle bomb always been on of my fav moves.i was afraid that the match was not gonna get enough tv time but it got 30 mins and it was an all time tv classic."

[10.0] "10/10An outstanding representative of the recent competition, this is the best singles match since this program. Although OMG is a little old, it still has the style of five years ago. MJF's hiding skills have also been used, and he still bounces off after eating several pile drivers, showing his good plot strength. I hate the appearance of Tang, and every time he comes out, it will ruin the outcome of the competition, including the competition between OMG and Takeshita. This is a proper five-star weekly competition!"

[10.0] "I believe without a doubt, that this match solidified MJF as not only one of the top guys in AEW but in all of wrestling. This match delivered on the hype big time. It felt special and had such a PPV main event feel to it. Yeah, there were some rough spots here and there but that did not take anything away from this match. Ive been waiting for this match for a long time and its just crazy how in a year with already so many amazing matches that AEW continues to deliver consistently. I went in expecting some kind of screwy finish but Im actually astounded that we got a clean finish instead. It was the right decision. Although Omega has been losing on a regular basis (due to storyline reasons), hes been on an incredible run with some MOTY contenders. The table spot was brutal, the crowd was insanely hot and some of the moves were pretty brutal. The names on the marquee is enough to convince you to watch this match. Definitely one of the best matches in the history of Collision. 10/10"

[9.0] "The Hype was immeasurable and they had a lot of pressure going into it with little build, meaning they'd have to leave it all in the ring; they absolutely did. There were some nearly moves in this match, mjf's elevated ddt, The Powerbomb through the table and the dragon suplex preceding it made me cringe just watching. The match was paced really well and the crowd was completely into it which always elevates a match. Though there were some little mistakes here and there, most notably MJF nearly killing himself doing a backflip to the outside. And I really didn't like the Don Callis interference but it allowed the match to keep going to whatever. Regardless when you put the two best wrestlers in the ring they create an incredible match."

[9.0] "A match that delivered on the hype going into it imo. Kenny is still wrestling at a very high level and Mjf it feels like is just starting to hit a different level in the ring. A bit too goofy sometimes for my liking but I can let it slide if its getting a reaction from the crowd. Match went about 30 minutes long and they absolutely killed it the powerbomb to the outside on the table was insane and overall technical wrestling they did throughout was sweet. One of the best tv matches of the year no doubt 4.25/5"

[10.0] "I genuinely felt sad after this match. Kenny on such a massive losing streak while still in his prime - I get it, he's building up the future while he can still 100% deliver. But it still made me sad. This was not a perfect match - things started a bit clunky, just something a little off at first with the chemistry. Kenny seemed like he needed to warm up a bit, and MJF damn near broke his neck on that fosbury flop. I also could've done without the kangaroo kick crap in a match like this. But goddamn once this match got going I was on the edge of my seat. Some gnarly bumps, some amazing sequences, things get phenomenal from the powerbomb through the table onward. Although this match is imperfect, it was so balls out exciting that I'm still giving it a 10 because it was that exciting."

[9.0] "Pretty incredible that this was on free TV, but the allure of Kenny defending his distinction of having the longest reign on the last possible show to do it was a great hook. They really worked this like a PPV main event though. They pulled out everything possible to give the match a big fight feel and make you think Kenny could pull it off through his finish or flash pins. I'm getting all my negativity out of the way first because man these guys really killed it: this match definitely has some clear padding to hit the 30 minutes they were given, with some repeated sequences and other segments that were a little longer than necessary, especially how Callis just kind of stood around with the screwdriver just to stop a OWA attempt when MJF did a proper counter to the OWA like 3 minutes later anyway. I also think the table spot needed to be later in the match given how much they did after, though I do think they did a good job of making the big moves feel big and breathe rather than just do move after move. This broke the main event formula of both MJF & Omega while hitting all their signatures in a way that didn't require some crazy stipulation, it was just the urgency of the reign record. Max pulling out every stop and some new ones (Fosbury Flop out of nowhere and doing the Panama Sunrise for Cole) while Kenny just went Tokyo Dome Mode on him. Definitely delivered and put over Max huge while protecting Kenny and the OWA. Also shout-out to JR passionately saying this was for the AWA World Title, dude's confused but he's trying. ****1/4+"

[10.0] "Big match Kenny Omega is a legend on another level. There's just no one that can touch him in that. MJF has also proven to be amazing in matches like these so the two together made this more than live up to the expectations. Even though they didn't have the physical belt, the two fought for the AEW World Championship as if their lives depended on holding it. MJF taking a gutwrench powerbomb through a table, another on the rail and V-Triggers that rival the best from Kenny's NJPW days. Kenny himself getting spiked on his head more than his fair share. Just two of the best giving up their wellbeing to prove they deserve to be the longest reigning AEW World Champion. Don's interference put a little asterisk on MJF's relatively clean victory, so it protected Kenny, while still having MJF go over in a mostly fair way, is a win-win. It also plays into the long-term story of Kenny not being able to win the big matches since splitting with Don. I also loved seeing MJF give Kenny his flowers, both when talking to him after the pin and when lifting his hand. Hopefully, down the line we see a rematch where a completely focused Kenny Omega is gunning for MJF and we get a sequel to this incredible match. *****"

[10.0] "PPV level match, and moty contender, MJF title reign is the best AEW World title reign, its the present vs the future, MJF has a bright future in AEW, i know he always brings up the bidding war, but i doubt he'll leave AEW, this is one of the best title defenses in AEW."

[10.0] "Well just when I think I have seen it all, The GOAT Kenny Omega, steps it up again. Kenny is a transcendent wrestler, no one and I mean NO ONE makes you feel like him, he's the GOAT and MJF proved once again he really is THE generational talent in pro-wrestling. This was EASILY the greatest match in collision history and for me personally, the best AEW title match ever. They need to revisit this in the future and give them 60 mins next time to headline a PPV. The match itself was perfect. The selling from both men was just exemplary. The way Kenny sold the Panama Sunrise and the Heatseeker was incredible. The V-Triggers felt like they had an extra zip to them tonight also. The mat wrestling counters were also insanely crisp to start yhe match. Just an incredible match. Both men should be proud at what they accomplished."

[9.0] "Omega and MJF was a hyped combo that pretty much delivered. A match that should have been a PPV event. Omega brings his usual class and MJF proves he has the chops to stick with him, and in this case symbolically surpass him as the longest reigning AEW champ. The match is a little slippery at the start but the two get into a well-delivered proper war of both skills and toughness. Once the snap-dragon on the ring apron followed by the table slam happens the match is elevated to a new level.The intensity going into the final few moves, the roll-ups, and the believable moment that Omega has actually won make this one of the best TV matches AEW has had all year. And it THANKFULLY did not end cheap despite expectations for the obvious and the Callis run-in. Excellent match overall, and yet another stepping stone for MJF proving he's undoubtedly one of the best performers in the company. Though it's not a tip-top ring performance for Omega (who's put on several of the greatest ever), it's close to being tip-top for MJF."

[8.0] "An overall very good match that really should have been treated like a bigger deal rather than being announced three days ago. It was kept mostly clean yet the referee offered discretion at the likes of the table bump which Omega blatantly set up. MJF hit a good amount of offense that he normally doesnt hit although at least 3 in AEW alone use the Penta Driver so I was surprised when Tony acted like that is never seen. At least Paul ejected Don Callis before he got more involved. Very good but I expected a bit more out of this match just on paper."

[10.0] "The two biggest stars in AEW are Kenny Omega and MJF and they have an utterly magnificent match, one of the best AEW TV matches in a long time. It's probably the second best Collision match (number one is of course FTR vs. BCG 2 out of 3 falls). This match only had a few days of build but it hit like a match that had a month to cook. Most matches with this short a build can feel cold (even if they're technically great) but Omega and MJF have such great ring magnetism that that doesn't matter. I was on the edge of my seat for most of the match, a true masterpiece."

[9.0] "This was a damned good world title match with a great story behind it. Kenny Omega and MJF fighting for the right to be AEW's Longest Reigning World Champion. I'm glad they ran this match and I felt these men had a lot of chemistry and I'd love to see it ran back sometime in 2024. MJF took a lot of big bumps here to prove his spot as the Top Champ, the table crash and the apron snap-dragon were both sick. The Paul Turner stuff and the Don Callis stuff both slightly took the match down, and I think they *might* have botched that one roll-up. But this was a great match and MJF, to me, has solidified himself as AEW's best World Champion reign. Definitely check this match out."

[10.0] "After a rocky start with a few botches, this turned out to be an exceptional match, especially going into the second half of this 30 min classic. Great drama, Omega with the brilliant strikes and timing for reversals too, while MJF interspersed his antics, keeping it at a minimum. Some insane spots in this match, like the Doctor Bomb through the table from the apron, and Omega powerbombing Max on the barricade. The final minutes were electrifying as both men got some amazing nearfalls, with one of them getting me to bit on it, which is very very rare. Overall a brilliant match and one worthy of the title of Omega's title reign record!"