AEW Full Gear 2025: Attracts & Duds

[ad_1] This Saturday, AEW's seventh annual Full Gear pay-per-view kicks off from the Prudential Heart, in Newark, New Jersey, and whereas there are solely six matches on the cardboard as of this writing, there's already lots on the road — 5 championships and 1,000,000 {dollars}, to be blunt! Kyle Fletcher, Brodido, Kris Statlander and "Hangman" Adam Web page will all defend their titles, whereas a On line casino Gauntlet will decide the first-ever AEW Nationwide Champion and former stablemates Kenny Omega and the Younger Bucks will face off with their respective companions for the cash. Whereas extra matches will seemingly be added (and will have by the point you learn this), there are already loads of causes for us to get excited in regards to the card — and to take some problem with it.

As at all times, that is what the WINC workers are right here to do! Which matches have us overvalued for the present? Which of them do not transfer the needle? Which of them can we not even agree on ourselves? It is time to discover out the most important attracts and duds for AEW Full Gear 2025!

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Learn extra: Wrestlers Worse Off In AEW Than They Had been In WWE

Draw: Kris Statlander vs. Mercedes Mone Kris Statlander suplexes Mercedes Mone - AEW/Lee South

This yr's Full Gear shall be seeing a rematch from final yr's occasion with slightly little bit of a twist, as one yr on from Kris Statlander's unsuccessful problem for the TBS Championship held by Mercedes Mone, she shall be defending her AEW Ladies's World Championship in opposition to Mone in her newest try at belt-collecting. Fight sports activities and its little homunculus in skilled wrestling has typically had an affinity for a basic trilogy, and sticking true to type this would be the third installment to their saga beginning final yr.

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Statlander failed each of her earlier makes an attempt to wrest the TBS title from Mone at Full Gear after which Worlds Finish 2024, however like she promised she would at all times do, she stored transferring ahead and finally landed herself not solely the one title that had till the time eluded her, but additionally the one which Mone had suffered her one and solely singles loss attempting to acquiesce from "Timeless" Toni Storm. Statlander went one step additional after capturing the title in a four-way, defeating Storm as soon as once more in singles motion on the identical night time that Mone retained her TBS title to cement a report reign and added one other title to her assortment: the Interim ROH Ladies's TV Championship.

It is onerous to say who one may take into account the A-side on this struggle, as a result of one on one hand you've gotten the Ladies's World Champion who put an finish to the reign of the "Timeless One," one thing Mone had did not do. Whereas Mone herself could have misplaced to Storm, she has two victories over Statlander personally, and it appears like solely a matter of time earlier than she does finally get to carry the one belt she has but to. Statlander wants the win to take away the asterisk from her identify, Mone wants the win to maintain the gold prepare rolling, however just one can and can win at Full Gear. That is what makes a cash match, and that is the one this author is trying ahead to at Full Gear.

Written by Max Everett

Dud: Mark Briscoe vs. Kyle Fletcher <img alt="Kyle Fletcher holding the AEW TNT Championship" loading="lazy" width="780" height="438" decoding="async" data-nimg="1" class="standard-img" src="color:transparent;aspect-ratio:780 / 438" bad-src="https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/roeAZRuE9z91sM_UjNbtwQ--/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTk2MDtoPTUzOTtjZj13ZWJw/https://media.zenfs.com/en/wrestling_inc_articles_983/cac8dec8ede81eec12e024f0be62e9b1"/> Kyle Fletcher holding the AEW TNT Championship - Lee South/AEW

As we famous in final month's characteristic for AEW WrestleDream, the idea of Mark Briscoe vs. Kyle Fletcher sounds good on paper as each performers are thrilling to look at for various causes. The area surrounding that line on that paper, nevertheless, is stuffed with troublesome prospects that I merely cannot overlook.

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One month after Fletcher efficiently defended his TNT Championship in opposition to Briscoe at WrestleDream, he'll elevate it up as soon as extra in a no disqualification match at AEW Full Gear, with the added stipulation that if Briscoe loses, he'll be part of The Don Callis Household. The considered that alone is sufficient to make me shudder.

Upon present depend, the Don Callis Household has 11 energetic members, together with Don Callis himself. Even excluding the injured Brian Cage and Wardlow in addition to the legally sidelined Andrade El Idolo, a faction of 11 continues to be overwhelming, and admittedly, onerous to maintain monitor of as a viewer generally. So why would I need to see Mark Briscoe, one in all AEW's most free-spirited and electrical performers, confined to a gaggle that should struggle for particular person air-time? It is that very same free-spirit nature that will even be dulled if surrounded by heelish and extra severe faction members akin to Callis, Fletcher, Josh Alexander, and Lance Archer. For these causes, I do not need Briscoe to lose.

On the similar time, I do not need Fletcher to lose both. Fletcher has repeatedly been labeled as a future AEW World Champion. Proper now, it appears too quickly for Fletcher to pursue the AEW World Championship once more, on condition that he simply misplaced to reigning champion "Hangman" Adam Web page in September. With that in thoughts, it will be smart for AEW to set Fletcher up on a protracted, dominant run as TNT Champion with the top purpose of finally — emphasis on finally -- elevating him to the principle occasion scene on a extra everlasting foundation.

Ought to Fletcher fall brief to Briscoe (whom once more, he already defeated) at Full Gear, his momentum in AEW will seemingly be halted, and even worse, lose the religion of the viewers. Whilst a heel, many people are lowkey rooting for Fletcher just because he is that good, and when given the chance to set himself aside from Will Ospreay, has really shined as "The ProtoStar." So why put his reign as TNT Champion to an finish at solely 4 months?

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For sure, this match seems to be a lose-lose-lose scenario for Fletcher, Briscoe, and the followers, a lot in order that I am now questioning if a no-contest consequence is feasible below no disqualification guidelines.

Written by Ella Jay

Draw: Hangman Adam Web page vs. Samoa Joe Samoa Joe on AEW Dynamite - AEW/Lee South

AEW, however extra particularly Tony Khan, typically suffers from a case of what I wish to name "winter fatigue." January at all times looks as if an enormous reset in All Elite Wrestling, and with the mixture of the NFL and Premier League returning, that means that Khan's focus is usually on the Jacksonville Jaguars and Fulham FC respectively, numerous matches and tales in AEW really feel slightly inconsequential or predictable. With that stated, there's a nice equalizer to that drawback this yr, and that's Samoa Joe.

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The AEW Males's World Championship match between Hangman Web page and Samoa Joe on the upcoming Full Gear pay-per-view is a type of matches that on paper appears to be like precisely as I described earlier than, inconsequential and predictable. Nevertheless, I consider that this match goes to be slightly extra up within the air than some would suspect based mostly primarily on the truth that Joe, particularly as a heel, is somebody you possibly can by no means really depend out.

If you happen to suppose again to the tail finish of 2023, Joe was in a feud with MJF the place he stored saying that he desires a title shot, and after being cheated out of the title on the 2023 Grand Slam version of "AEW Dynamite," Joe made good on his promise and entered 2024 because the AEW World Champion. Nobody actually anticipated that to occur, however as soon as Joe locked in that rear bare choke at Worlds Finish 2023, it was curtains for MJF, because it ought to have been. Joe's finishers have typically been protected to an excellent degree the place when he locks one thing like that choke in, you lean in and suppose "wait...is Joe truly going to win this one?"

That's what makes this rematch between Web page and Joe so attention-grabbing. Joe as a babyface who was merely a bit disrespected by the champion was no match for Web page at WrestleDream and was crushed convincingly, however Joe as a heel, now that may be a totally different story. A heel model of Samoa Joe is among the most professional wrestlers of his technology and on his day, he can beat principally anybody he faces. He is proved it in TNA, ROH, "WWE NXT," and AEW along with his 2024 title reign. He is choked Web page out as soon as earlier than, and whereas which may have been extra so Swerve Strickland did not grow to be champion, Web page has tapped out by the hands of Samoa Joe. This match is much more unpredictable than one would suspect, and with the principle occasion slot this time round, it'll have everybody on the sting of their seats.

Written by Sam Palmer

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Dud: Hangman Adam Web page vs. Samoa Joe <img alt=""Hangman" Adam Page is helped to the back by two AEW officials following a post-match beatdown by Samoa Joe at WrestleDream." loading="lazy" width="780" height="438" decoding="async" data-nimg="1" class="standard-img" src="color:transparent;aspect-ratio:780 / 438" bad-src="https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/hNdmnDInXn820VcaAwZGLg--/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTk2MDtoPTUzOTtjZj13ZWJw/https://media.zenfs.com/en/wrestling_inc_articles_983/db20f26f0adaa9018a32f1ff63028a58"/> "Hangman" Adam Web page is helped to the again by two AEW officers following a post-match beatdown by Samoa Joe at WrestleDream. - AEW/Lee South

Whereas the heel flip of Samoa Joe and The Opps following Joe's loss to AEW World Champion "Hangman" Adam Web page at WrestleDream was thrilling and surprising, I am unable to say the identical, no less than in regards to the first half of that, in terms of their match at Full Gear. Perhaps that is as a result of this whole feud began with Web page by chance getting in Joe's means throughout a match that did not actually imply a lot on an episode of "Dynamite." Whereas there's no less than a bit extra substance behind the match this time round, it is nonetheless not as thrilling as a number of the others on the cardboard.

Outdoors of the heel flip, the one actually memorable bit on this feud is the enjoyable second through the "AEW Fright Night time Dynamite" particular when Web page was very cleverly disguised as Tony Schiavone and nailed Joe with a glass bottle throughout a toast.

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The week following the Halloween bit, Web page, HOOK, and Eddie Kingston challenged for the AEW World Trios Championships. That did not do a lot for me to hype up the Full Gear match, both. It was fairly apparent that The Opps have been going to retain the gold, even when they needed to do it by nefarious means, however ultimately, it was HOOK to faucet, and the match led to the announcement Web page and Powerhouse Hobbs shall be in a Falls Depend Wherever match subsequent week.

It appears like AEW is not precisely specializing in the Web page and Joe feud, particularly, after the heel flip. Properly sure, Web page is preventing Joe's teammates in The Opps, one thing simply feels off about it. A vicious heel Samoa Joe ought to really feel much more intimidating than he does proper now, and it could be as a result of he isn't on his personal preventing for glory proper now. And, just like the Trios Championship match, it does not really feel like Joe has any probability of securing the gold, which sucks, as a result of Joe is unbelievable and ought to be world champion once more sooner or later.

AEW hasn't given the followers an excellent swerve, in terms of the Males's World Championship, no less than, in fairly a while, until you are counting a not-so-great one with Jon Moxley retaining it over the likes of Swerve Strickland. The individuals love "Hangman," and whereas additionally they love Joe, the predictability of this match following such a lackluster feud, regardless of a couple of brilliant spots together with one actually enjoyable viral second, is what makes this sadly a strong "dud" for Full Gear.

Written by Daisy Ruth

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