[7.0] "Great triple threat with an unfortunately predictable winner. I think Nick Wayne and Mike Bailey had some pretty good chemistry with only their first sequence together looking slightly mistimed. MJF adds dimension to the match, breaking it up with his shit eating heel moments like his fake out suicide dive and cutting a mid match promo. I also loved his interaction with Wayne especially as it came full circle in the end. MJF picks up the scraps again which I think is exactly what he did last year in this same position but given the booking this made perfect sense"
[6.0] "It seems fitting for Nick Wayne to have tapped out here when he is in line to challenge for the ROH World Title with the way ROH is often booked on AEW PPV/TV. Felt like that could have been easily avoided. A solid triple threat but nothing that really stood out about it."
[7.0] "Whenever I watch an MJF match I'm always distracted by wanting to play connect the dots with his back acne. Guess he hasn't completed puberty yet. I mean what other reason is there for back acne?"
[6.0] "Fine match. Didn't enjoy MJF in this match tbh. Would like to see a singles between the other two at some point. Fine match but MJF being in the casino rumble think two years in a row is a little eh. (***1/2)"
[7.0] "What I really liked was that each of them had a little backstory. (MJF was the real champion; he had already beaten Bailey in a championship match. Bailey had beaten Wayne in a ladder match, and even though he lost to Fletcher, he came back motivated.) MJF used heel tactics (running away, threatening the announcer, betraying Wayne, giving the middle finger, provoking the crowd). We saw that Wayne could keep up with Bailey in leg wrestling. Don't underestimate him. Besides, he's the youngest champion in AEW history, and aside from potentially Brodie Lee's son in a few years, I don't see anyone capable of breaking that record. In the end, MJF wins, and Bailey is protected. The problem is that Bailey is protected, portrayed as the future, but never wins when it counts. I liked seeing MJF provoke Andrade after the match; it fits his character well."
[10.0] "You know, it would mean a lot more to see guys fighting for the first spots in these Casino Gauntlets if anybody ever actually tried to WIN in the opening minutes, instead of killing time until loads of guys can come in and do more spots... well putting that aside, I thought this was a wonderfully fun TV match. I am very, very much an MJF guy and he tickled me once again here, perfect top heel antics to infuriate everyone involved and use tricks from his dirty playbook, from taking up on commentary at the start to avoid the action to using Wayne as a henchmen to beat up Bailey and of course inevitably trying to big time the brash young wrestler out of his way. Speedball was wonderful as well, what a great run he has been having in AEW. Maybe he can win a singles title at some point? We can dream, anyway. He was the athletic spark to the match, while MJF injected a lot of character and young Wayne walked the line between them. I continue to see a lot of potential in Wayne as he embraces his hateable, cocky young heel character, it will take him a lot further than just relying purely on athletics since that's a field that's already much too crowded in the modern scene. MJF stealing the win was the expected result but well executed and I have no complaints about it, this was a hoot and a half. Would be pleased to see MJF vs. Speedball in singles at some point in the not too distant future. #65 on my running MOTY list."
[7.0] "MJF's character work was off the charts here as always -- This was a fun 1st match of the show mixing mostly high-flying with interesting storytelling and character work. We get some good moments like Bailey's moonsault to both men on the outside, MJF teaching Wayne in-ring and a lot of good back-and-forth. Great match! [***.75]"
[5.0] "This match was fun but just a regular TV 3 way overall. MJF tutoring Nick Wayne was probably my highlight of this match, especially with Wayne calling back to it later in the matchup. The post match promo was also great. 5"
[8.0] "But I don't really understand what people didn't like about the match. For me, it was absolutely fantastic. Sure, the result was predictable, but it was a really good, well-worked match. I'm not particularly fond of three-way matches, but this was a great example of how to do one properly. Obviously, there was also the pin on Wayne, but whatever, it's still a great match. And well, maybe I'm biased because I really like MJF."
[8.0] "I thought it was a thrilling match and exactly what you want from that kind of 3 way. Let me also say that I really enjoy watching Nick Wayne almost every week, he is having a really great year, and a good character post-patriarchy era. This match was compelling and smart, great wrestling and great moments, especially the MJF-Nick Wayne relation. Of course, MJF work from the entrance, to the ring and after the match is damn awesome. This guy is on another level as always."
[7.0] "A good opener that gets the show started on a positive note. The action is enjoyable, the pacing is well managed, and the chemistry between the competitors works nicely. It doesn't reach an exceptional level, but it provides a solid and entertaining beginning to the episode."
[10.0] "What a fantastic triple threat match, great three way contest with all incredible professional wrestlers, whenever MJF is in competition and going to be live on television of AEW, it's a literal must watch no matter what the case is, Nick Wayne simply is the future man, no doubt about it, so damn young and incredibly talented in that ring. Then c'mon, speedball, it's Mike Bailey, one of the best Canadian professional wrestling has to offer man, they all clashed against with each other so perfectly and put on one of the best performances in the entire show, in the whole broadcast, absolutely amazing work man, great stuff."
[6.0] "It was a fun match; it wasn't anything spectacular or eye-popping. We kind of knew who was obviously winning this match in MJF. I thought there was some nice in-ring work, counters, and MJF winning with a submission was cool. After securing the win, MJF did a fake-out as he played a ploy of Andrade El Idolo coming out, but he wasn't there. This was solid, and now MJF is the No. 2 Entry for the Gauntlet Match."
[7.0] "I mean it was a pretty fun match with some cool moments. But it is like every multi man match you have ever seen that MJF is in and also the result was a bit of a forgone conclusion. Purely based on the fact Andrade is in the #1 spot. Speedball and Nick Wayne had a pretty decent singles match at times as you would expect they would. They traded some nice strikes and dives and also some nice counters. But the stopping for Max to get in with his jibes killed the match a bit for me. When he did get involved towards the end it was a little better. The near fall where speedball broke it up with a running SSP was pretty cool. The finish with Max winning with the submission was nice. Overall a pretty solid match you could see with how it was booked they are protecting Max's knee so he can make it to Wembley but they did put two other guys in who can have a fun spot trade around it. (***1/2)"
[6.0] "[2.75*] Fun Triple Threat. Match wasn't anything spectacular but it was a satisfying contest. They played a lot with the crowd and the vibes were good."
[6.0] "It was a fun match, but it was still an MJF match. Where he lets 2 athletically gifted talents do good things before taking the spotlight doing by "MJF." Good action all around, and a good match. Despite the action, MJF made everything about himself by temporarily teaming up with another heel to stab him in the back. And then he steals somebody else's finish to win the match like he's done a lot of times before. Like he just pretends he wasn't world champion for over a year."
[7.0] "Really fun match, I had a great time watching this, even considering the purpose was kinda weird, the #2 spot at the Casino Gauntlet, don't think I've ever seen that before, but the match had a pretty cool dynamic. Bailey and Wayne are flashy acrobatic guys, and MJF contrasted well with them the entire time, sometimes mocking, and other times getting the classic heel beating or taking advantage of their good nature. MJF won the match as expected, and the chemistry between the three of them looked very sharp here the entire time - {***1/4}"
[7.0] "Good match, three really good talents and they made the most of it. Some very well executed moves and nice sequences in this one, quite enjoyed Bailey trying to get the win with the Spanish Fly again similar to how he beat Reed on Saturday, Nick got a lot of nice moves and kicks in, him and Max forming a very temporary alliance was well done, paying it off with the "Thanks for the tip, asshole" moment. Max getting the win using the Salt of the Earth is always nice to see, although don't think much was done on NIcks arm for it to end it as quickly as it did? Still though, fun match with some decent stakes"
[5.0] "[**3/4] Good action with the match playing to both MJFs manipulativeness, Wayne's naive sleaze, and Speedball's earnestness. Unfortunately the character work was too overbearing and the match, already a formality, became a background to theatrics. To top it off, the finish was my pet hate, the stolen finish trope."
[7.0] "A solid show opener. I enjoyed the chemistry between Speedball and Wayne, as well as MJF's measured interventions. My main issue with this match was how ultra-predictable the winner was--something that had been apparent since last week. Everything else was good. 7/10."
[7.0] "Speedball and Nick handle most of the work, with MJF coming in to seize opportunities where he sees fit. MJF uses his charisma to elevate the match in his own way."
[7.0] "A pretty interesting three-way match where every wrestler got a chance to shine. Mike Bailey is a unique wrestler, and I'm glad he's getting more time--though it was strange to see him in this match right after a loss to Kyle Fletcher, especially while many other wrestlers are just sitting backstage without getting similar opportunities. Still, the right person won, and it was a good match. I'm satisfied."
[5.0] "A decent match, but MJF's victory felt a bit too predictable for a spot that doesn't seem all that important to me. In-ring quality: 1.75/5. Stakes: 0.75/2. Justification: 1/1. Placement on the card: 1/1. Suspense: 0.25/1. Bonus/penalty: none. Total: 4.75/10. Match watched on MyAEW."
[8.0] "Good match with three very good workers and fun dynamics. Speedball with another excellent showcase and Wayne has been establishing himself as a good tv-wrestler lately."
[7.0] "A very good three-way match packed with action, speed, and constant movement. Nick Wayne and Mike Bailey brought plenty of athleticism, while MJF was excellent at controlling the match through his heel work and choosing exactly when to get involved. The finish was particularly effective, with MJF stealing the victory from Bailey in perfect heel fashion."
[6.0] "This started as a pretty snappy and enjoyable match between Mike Bailey and Nick Wayne, also MJF did some decent heelwork, although his schtick is getting a bit old at this point. Nick Wayne got some good shine and was a real highlight here, even if he still does not seem like a complete talent. MJF taps out Nick Wayne for the expected win, a very predictable match but decent nonetheless. Not a particularly special or exciting match, but a fun watch."
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