Austin Aries vs. Mistico

[6.0] "Austin Aries in 2025...don't know how to feel about it. He is clearly washed, even able to do some good moves and deliver some unpredictable sequences like the Death Valley Driver he did on Mistico, that was a weird match at all. Their chemistry never worked since the beggining and I guess that even Mistico notices it, starting to work much more like Austin Aries like an random competitor which actually made the match much better, somehow. An complete shame+disaster to see what happen with an guy that had an talent similar to Bryan Danielson."

[9.0] "Aries proved here that his performance against KUSHIDA wasn't a fluke and he delivered once again, plus this was a match that came across as an excellent symbosis of both pro-wrestlers' approaches and lead to a memorable affair simply because of the way it was structured and executed. In the moment I was underwhelmed by the finish because I obviously expected La Mistica, but after some thinking it actually made sense and worked out even better - it matters what you do, but it also matters what you don't do in order to get desired reactions. Personally, this is what I want to see more from modern pro-wrestling: experienced veterans crafting a match that makes their experience and uniqueness really shine, making it feels like something that's anything but formulaic and paint-by-numbers. ****+"

[6.0] "Aries is very very over as a heel here and that made this match better than it was. I was actually surprised that Mistico didn't get a bigger pop. Aries got the best out of Mistico by working being the heel and bringing some logic and psychology to this match. Mistico continues to be elevated by much better wrestlers."

[7.0] "Mistico playing the noble hero to a sea of boos and jeers aimed at Aries, the match itself clicked well. Aries working the back smartly while Mistico fed off the audience's energy. The crowd reactions made it feel bigger than it probably was and the finish landed well. The right guy won."

[8.0] "Very good main event/first time match in one of the best MLW matches of 2025. A clear dynamic helped with the fans fully behind Mistico and against Austin with a clear story of Austin targeting the back and neck of Mistico following his attack on Mistico at the end of Slaughterhouse. Mistico persevered with heart and honor. A very competitive showing that picked up in intensity toward the end with Austin doing what he could to win with his frustration of being unable to keep Mistico down costing him in the closing moments. Austin has had some good matches in recent years but this felt like his best in some time especially considering he hasn't been wrestling as regularly in the ring as he once was. A good win for Mistico to set up he and Volador in the finals of The Opera Cup."

[7.0] "A Double's Opera Cup run is over. He did much better than I expected in the ring. I'm meh on the character (feels five years too late to me) but he seems to get heat so I guess it's working. Mistico was great as always. ***1/4"