LECLAIR’S AEW FULL GEAR 2024 REPORT: Alt perspective, detailed coverage of Moxley vs. Cassidy, Strickland vs. Lashley, Mone vs. Statlander, more

LECLAIR’S AEW FULL GEAR 2024 REPORT
NOVEMBER 23, 2024
NEWARK, NJ AT PRUDENTIAL CENTER
AIRED LIVE ON TRILLER.TV, PPV, & MORE

Announcers: Excalibur & Tony Schiavone & Nigel McGuinness & Jim Ross

-“It’s Saturday, you know what that means!” Excalibur shouted over fireworks and a sweeping shot of the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. He welcomed Tony Schiavone and Nigel McGuinness.

Several teams were already in the ring. Excalibur said they’re kicking the action off with the AEW World Tag Team title match. Private Party made their entrance, surrounded by bottle service girls.

Excalibur threw to Justin Roberts, situated in the ring. He announced the four teams competing. Only The Acclaimed received a somewhat negative reaction.

(1) PRIVATE PARTY (c) vs. THE ACCLAIMED vs. THE OUTRUNNERS vs. KINGS OF THE BLACK THRONE – 4-Way AEW World Team Championship match

All four teams stood in opposing corners as the bell rang. Malakai Black began the match with one half of the reigning tag team champions, Quen. Black and Quen traded some quick chain wrestling before reaching an early stalemate. Malakai went for The End, but Quen ducked it and landed on his feet. Black gave him a sly smirk. Black was tagged out by Anthony Bowens. They traded some quick words, then Bowens went to work. Quen managed to tag in Zay. Bowens maintained control, though, catching him with a Famous-er.

Truth Magnum tagged himself in on the back of Bowens. He and Turbo Floyd traded quick tags, working over Zay with a double body slam. Quen hit the ring to break up the double team. Black returned, too. Turbo clotheslined him over the top rope to the outside. Brody King took offense, stepping to Floyd. Turbo threw a punch, but Brody dropped him with a chop. King gave Turbo a number of chops, inviting him to hulk up. “That’s what Brody wants!” Schiavone exclaimed. Floyd hit the ropes, and King nearly took his head off with a massive clothesline. He tossed him to the outside and into the ring steps. King took Bowens down on his way back into the ring.

King delivered a Superplex to Bowens and Malakai followed up with a diving foot stop immediately. Black rolled to his feet, leapt the southwest turnbuckles and dove onto a cavalcade of wrestlers below as the match ticked toward 6:00. Kings of the Black Throne took on all comers in the ring, disposing of them with ease. The crowd gave them respectful applause as they looked around. The Outrunners and The Acclaimed decided to enter the ring together, double-teaming the Kings. Private Party joined the fold, working over King. The crowd booed. The group held Brody down while Bowens delivered Scissor Me Timbers off the middle rope. The Acclaimed then cleared the ring of the champions. Bowens offered a scissor to The Outrunners, but Max Caster cut it off. Quen returned and caught Bowens with a DDT off the middle rope. Caster dropped Turbo with a kick, then got taken down by Magnum. Private Party returned and dropped The Outrunners. They hit stereo 450s from opposing corners for tandem two counts.

The Outrunners recovered quickly, taking down the champions and sharing a turbo handshake in the center. Magnum tagged himself in, apparently legal. Zay slid free of a grip and caused the Outrunners to crack heads. King returned and cut off a returning Bowens with a spinning Sidewalk Slam just before 10:00. Bowens and Magnum were down in adjacent corners. Brody hit a cannonball Senton on Bowens, then went for one on Magnum. Caster cut it off. Max went for a cover, but Black broke it up. Caster gave Black a dropkick. A notable “f— you Caster” chant broke out. He tagged himself in off of Brody King. Bowens looked at him with some contempt. Billy Gunn emerged, leaping on the apron and trying to calm them down.

Caster realized that both he and Bowens were legal. Max dropped, asking Anthony to pin him. He did. Zay flipped onto both men, breaking it up. The announcers wondered what the result would have been. Bowens rolled Quen into a crucifix, but Caster had tagged in off his back. Bowens gave Quen the Arrival. Turbo blocked Caster from delivering the elbow drop. Zay and Quen caught Caster with the Gin and Juice for a cover and three count.

WINNERS: Private Partyu in 13:22 to retain the AEW World Tag Team Championships

(LeClair’s Analysis: Fine opener, though it devolved into the typical AEW tag team fodder where there’s absolutely no order, no one really seems to know who the legal man is, and the referee does nothing about it. Each team got a solid opportunity to showcase themselves. The crowd seemed most invested in Black and King, though everyone other than Max Caster seemed like a fan favorite. Private Party’s run, thus far, hasn’t brought any change to the AEW Tag Team division, but it is a good sign that they’ve been able to credibly re-establish themselves and come off like a championship caliber team.)

-Excalibur tossed to Lexy Nair, standing by backstage with Orange Cassidy. She asked about his line of thinking heading into the main event. Cassidy said the Death Riders sent a message on Wednesday, and tonight, AEW sends a message back. He said it already started tonight with Private Party. “AEW means everything to them, just like it means everything to me.” He said Jon couldn’t understand that, because he never needed AEW. “Orange Cassidy doesn’t exist without AEW,” he said. He repeated the line about taking the title from Moxley’s briefcase and putting it in his backpack.

-After a video package from Roderick Strong vs. MJF, the latter headed to the ring to a star reaction. A massive “Thank Me Later” banner dropped from the rafters as he posed in the ring. Roderick Strong followed, entering alone. Excalibur noted that this could have been a three-way match had Adam Cole completed his requirement of winning three consecutive matches.

(2) MJF vs. RODERICK STRONG

MJF rolled out of the ring as soon as the bell rang. He asked for a microphone. “Nobody asked you, you disgusting poors!” he told the crowd as they booed him. He said the crowd likes Roderick Strong because they’re just like him – white trash. He said he’s making millions shooting movies while “your mom is shooting your daddy.” MJF cracked a smile and posed. Strong left the ring and attacked him. Max tried to escape up the ramp, but Strong caught him to him and tossed him into the barricade. Roddy went for a chop, but MJF ducked. Strong’s forearm connected with the ring post.

Max stretched the fingers of Roderick across the ring post. then gave him a side-life Powerbomb onto the edge of the ring. Max pretended to file his nails, then tossed Strong back in the ring. He stepped on Strong’s hand and called him a bum. He told the crowd to shut up. Friedman looked for a Suplex, but Strong blocked it and fired off a few chops. MJF shrugged them off and twisted Strong’s wrist. He sat atop the southwest turnbuckles, pretending to look at his watch. “It’s too easy,” he said. Max grabbed a wrist lock and wrestled Roddy to the mat as the match approached 4:00.

Strong fought to his feet. Max countered the first Backbreaker attempt, but got caught by the second, a Half-Nelson. The crowd began a dueling chant. Strong caught MJF with two big dropkicks, then a spinning back elbow. He hoisted Max onto his shoulders and dumped him into the northwest corner. After a lifting knee strike, he hit an Olympic Slam and covered for a two count. Roddy hooked MJF for a Suplex, but Max twisted the arm to the mat again to break free. Strong rolled to the apron. MJF set up for the Heatseeker, but Roddy threw him off and then side-stepped him to the floor. Roddy dove through the middle rope onto Max, then gave him a back drop onto the edge of the barricade.

“Nobody’s safe at ringside,” McGuinness said as Strong rolled Max back in the ring. He sized him up from the corner, then hit a running knee. Max retreated to the corner. Roddy charged, but MJF lifted him in the air and caught him on the comedown with a back heel kick. Max set up for a Panama Sunrise, but Strong pulled him down and covered for a two count. McGuinness wondered if Strong may have broken fingers. Max leapt to the middle rope and jumped onto Strong’s outstretched arm. He gave him a spike DDT and covered for a near fall just after 9:00. Max spit on Roddy. Strong shot to his feet and began chopping Max furiously. Friedman stopped it with a thumb to the eye. He hit the ropes, but Roddy cut him off with a dropkick. He turned Max over into the Texas Cloverleaf.

Nigel noted that Strong couldn’t fully clasp his hands together because of injury to the fingers. As a result, Max powered out of the hold. Max gave him a quick forearm, then went for a Suplex. Roddy landed on his feet and threw a hard elbow. Excalibur said fatigue is becoming an issue for both men. Strong managed to hoist MJF up and deliver End of Heartache. He covered, but Max got a foot on the bottom rope at two. Max used the ropes to steady himself as Roddy began to charge. Max wisely slipped to the floor, necessitating a retrieval. Back in the the ring, the two traded small package roll ups for two counts. Roddy kicked MJF in the back, then hit a Gutbuster and Sick Kick. Roddy couldn’t cover, but he managed to deliver a Brainbuster.

Both men were down in the center. Strong managed to drape an arm over MJF. At the two count, Max rolled over and grabbed the outstretched arm. He applied Salt of the Earth and Strong tapped immediately.

WINNER: MJF in 13:41

The announces said that Strong must have a serious injury to his hand that caused him to tap out so quickly. MJF grabbed a chair from ringside and closed it over Strong’s arm. He stomped on it. Excalibur said that Roddy’s forearm could be shattered. Adam Cole’s music hit. He rushed to the ring with Kyle O’Reilly, Mike Bennett and Matt Taven in tow. MJF rushed out of the ring and escaped through the crowd.

Cole went to check on Strong. O’Reilly shoved him to the mat. “Go fight MJF! Go get him!” he told Cole. O’Reilly retrieved Strong and left the ring. Cole looked on, bewildered.

-Excalibur turned focus to the TBS Championship match and threw to a video package.

Kris Statlander headed to the ring first. Excalibur noted that she was the second ever TBS Champion. Mercedes Mone entered alone. Tony Schiavone noted that Kamille has to watch from the back, due to her multiple failures in preventing Statlander from becoming Mone’s challenger. Justin Roberts delivered Championship introductions.

(3) MERCEDES MONE (c) vs. KRIS STATLANDER – TBS Championship match

Excalibur called Kris Statlander the “defeater of the undefeated.” Schiavone noted her winning streak. The champion started on the offensive, working Statlander in the southwest corner and then tossing her to the mat for mounted punches. Mercedes Mone threw her hands out, soaking in a chorus of boos from the crowd before she wiped her hands dramatically. Statlander recovered quickly and transitioned a stalling Suplex attempt into a press slam. She hit a flipping Senton, then standing Moonsault for a cover and quick two count.

The champion rolled to the floor to regroup. Statlander gave her respite for a moment, but then rolled outside. Mone outsmarted her, sliding in the ring quickly. The two jostled on the apron. Mone climbed Statlander’s mid-section and gave her a Hurricanrana off the apron to the floor. Mone slid back inside, looking for a count-out. Referee Aubrey Edwards reached a count of five before Kris grabbed Mercedes’ feet from the floor. Mone took her down again and asked for another count, this time counting along dramatically with Edwards.

Mercedes caught Statlander with a basement dropkick to the outside, then tossed her into the steel steps. She delivered running knees, driving Kris’ head into the steps. Kris answered Edwards’ count at three, but was immediately swarmed by the champion. Mercedes covered for a two count just after 4:00. He gave Statlander a running Meteora for a double leg hook and two count. Mone worked Kris into the southeast corner and punched her repeatedly. Kris managed to duck out and whip Mercedes to the opposing corner. Mone leapt to the middle rope and delivered a Meteora. She covered, but grabbed hold of the bottom rope. Aubrey caught her and broke it up.

Statlander used Mone’s anger with the official to build some momentum with some punches. She looked for a Powerbomb, but Mercedes flipped all the way through it and brought Statlander’s body down on her knee. She followed up with a Sunset Bomb into the corner, then double knees. She covered for another two count at 6:15. Mone grew enraged. She mounted Statlander and grabbed a rear chin lock. Mone transitioned to a straight-jacket hold. Kris worked to her feet and backed Mone into the corner. Mercedes tried for a Tornado DDT, but Statlander tossed her away, finally creating separation. Mone leapt at Kris for another Meteora, but Kris caught her knees. She tossed her violently back into the southeast corner.

Referee Aubrey Edwards reached a double count of six before the two competitors came to blows in the center. Statlander caught the champion with a snap Powerslam, then a hip check in the corner. She hit a running knee, then rolled Mone into a Chaos Theory German Suplex. Statlander covered, but Mone got a foot on the bottom rope at the last moment just before 9:30. Kris popped Mone onto her shoulders, but Mercedes countered it into a Crucifix Bomb. She immediately turned it into the Crossface. Statlander escaped, but Mone stayed on her back and delivered the Back Stabber for a cover and near fall.

Mone dragged her challenger to the southeast corner. She climbed the ropes and Statlander exploded to her feet. Mercedes saw it coming and delivered another Meteora. She hooked the legs tightly, but Kris popped out. Mone threw a tantrum. Statlander caught the champion with a Tilt-o-Whirl back breaker, than a lariat for a cover and two count. Kris hooked the champion up for a Fisherman Buster. Mone blocked it the first time, but Statlander stuck with it and connected with Staturday Night Fever for a cover and near fall just after 13:00.

Kris called out to the crowd. She lifted the champion into the air, but Mone countered into a Tornado DDT for a cover and near fall. Mone shook with rage as the crowd chanted “let’s go Stat!” Mone gave Statlander her version of the Three Amigos. She pounded her chest and smiled arrogantly. Mone climbed the southeast turnbuckles, looking for a frog splash. She dove, but Statlander picked her out of thin air. She gave her an F5 for a cover and very close near fall just before 15:00. Stat dragged Mone into position and climbed the northeast corner, She went for the 450, but Mone rolled out of the way. Kris immediately grabbed for her knee.

The champion immediately went for the knee, dropping a number of quick elbows onto it. Mone turned it awkwardly, then stomped on it. She climbed the same turnbuckles, then hit a Frog Splash onto the injured knee. Mone hooked the leg, but Stat still kicked out. The camera zoomed in on Mercedes’ face. This time, Mone looked poised. She challenged Kris to stand up. She delivered another Backstabber. She lifted Kris and gave her another, then the Mone Maker. Mone hooked the leg for another near fall just before 18:00.

“Do you hear me? I’m the CEO!” Mone told Statlander has she pulled her to her feet. She set up for the Mone Maker again, but Stat turned it over into a Backslide for a two count. Mone slipped free. Stat popped her up for an Electric Chair. She dead-lifted Mone into position for Saturday Night Fever, but Mone punched at the injured knee. Kris fell forward toward the ropes. Mone used the leverage to get into a cover for a surprise three count.

WINNER: Mercedes Mone in 19:24 to retain the TBS Championship

Tony Schiavone said that Kris Statlander fought a near perfect match, but injury got the best of her. Mone gave herself various words of affirmation and nicknames as she caught her breath on the floor, draped in her titles.

-Excalibur tossed to a video for Adam Page vs. Jay White.

Jay White entered first, accompanied to the ramp by Juice Robinson. Excalibur talked over various clips of the rivalry with Hangman. Adam Page entered over additional clips, specifically the recent involvement of Christian Cage.

(4) JAY WHITE vs. “HANGMAN” ADAM PAGE

Jay White and Adam Page locked up in the center. Page worked White toward the northeast corner, but White immediately grabbed a headlock and brought the action back to center. White worked Page into the adjacent corner and caught him with several quick chops, then a kick to the knee. Back in the center, Page overpowered White and tossed him to the outside. White grabbed at his knee when he landed. Page immediately slid to the outside and attacked it. He broke the referee’s count, then dragged Jay’s leg toward the corner and slammed the knee against the ring post.

Back in the ring, Page laid down on the ankle of Jay White, twisting and and driving his forearm into the boot repeatedly. McGuinness said that Hangman is methodical once he has an advantage. Page worked White into the northwest corner and tied his leg up in the ropes. Referee Paul Turner pulled Page away and Hangman tried to intimidate him. White came after Hangman, but Page slammed him and covered him for a one count at 3:40. Jay dragged himself back to the corner. Page stalked him, stepping on the ankle and using the ropes for torque. Page gave White a hard chop, then hoisted him onto the top turnbuckle. White pounded at Page’s back to free himself. He succeeded, then delivered a basement dropkick to the shin of Page.

White worked Page in the opposing corner with chops and jabs. Page countered an Irish Whip, then got caught with a back elbow. White hit a DDT out of the corner and covered for a two count. He immediately grabbed at his injured ankle. Switchblade waited for Page to stand in the corner, then charged him with a back elbow. Page shook it off and gave White a Fallaway Slam into the corner, but White’s ankle clipped the rope on the way down. A loud dueling chant drowned out of the announcers as the match crossed 6:45.

Hangman hoisted White onto the top turnbuckle and gave double middle fingers to the crowd, ending their dueling chant. He and White teetered on the very top. Page delivered an Avalanche Fallaway Slam for a cover and two count. Both men battled to their feet and worked toward the corner. White tripped up Hangman, rolled to the floor and wrapped Page’s knee around the ring post. With both men favoring a lower extremity, White limped back in the ring and worked Page onto the top turnbuckle. He delivered a huge Superplex for a cover and two count. Page and White rose slowly. White gained control with a chop block to the back of Page’s injured knee.

“Two men with only two good legs between them.” McGuinness said as both Page and White limped toward center, trading chops. They transitioned to lariats, then, a Flatliner by White. He followed up with a bridging German Suplex for a cover and two count. Both men rolled to their feet. Hangman caught White with a sit-out Powerbomb for a cover and two count of his own just before 11:30. Switchblade rolled out to the apron, Page followed. He set up for Deadeye, but White rolled free. Page caught him with a boot. He went for a back elbow, but White caught him and turned it into a Half Nelson Suplex on the apron. Page collapsed to the floor.

Switchblade gasped for air and reached for his ankle. He followed Page toward the ramp way and delivered another Half Nelson. White rolled back in the ring, but quickly realized he wasn’t content with a count out. He told Paul Turner to come along with him. White tried to a Kneebreaker on the ramp, but White’s ankle gave out. Page shoved him down the ramp and into the barricade. Turner admonished Page, trying to get him back in the ring. Hangman wedged Jay’s ankle between two crowd barricades and kicked at it. He applied an Ankle Lock on the outside. Turner continued to argue with him, but eventually returned to the ring to begin a double count out.

With Turner counting, Jay White crawled toward the ring, Ankle Lock still applied. He used the ring to stand up. Page ripped him back to the floor, then slid in the ring to steal the win. White still managed to break the count at the last moment. Hangman was in position for the Buckshot Lariat. He flipped in, but White caught him again. Page telegraphed and countered, tripping White back into the Ankle Lock. Switchblade rolled through it, careening Page to the apron again. Hangman caught him with a boot. He went for another, but White caught the leg and delivered a Dragon Screw into the ropes.

Both men struggled to their feet in the center, trading back elbows. Page missed wildly with a lariat and White caught him with a Uranagi for a cover and two count. He called for a Blade Runner, but Page pulled him into the Ankle Lock again instead. White reversed into an inverted Figure Four. Page was flat out, reaching desperately for the bottom rope. He eventually got it. Turner forced White to break the hold just before 18:00. White set up for a Half Nelson again, but Page stomped on his injured foot. He fell to the corner. White caught him with another Dragon Screw. Page shrugged it off and hit the Deadeye. White rose slowly. Hangman gave him a second Deadeye. He covered lackadaisically for a near fall. McGuinness said Page has a “near super-human pain tolerance.”

After a swift roll to the apron, Page set up for the Buckshot again. He flipped in, but White caught him for the Blade Runner. This time, Page was ready. He slipped through, but White hung on, turned him back around and hit the move for a cover and three count.

WINNER: Jay White in 19:54

Hangman Page sat up, looking unhinged. Schiavone wondered if it was more anger or shock. White posed on the ramp and turned to leave. Page left the ring and attacked White from behind. Christopher Daniels rushed from the back, referees in tow. Page punched him in the face and left. Excalibur said there could be suspensions and fines in his future.

-Excalibur turned to a video package for Will Ospreay vs. Kyle Fletcher.

Will Ospreay was out first, dressed in black, Punisher inspired gear. Excalibur described his demeanor as “stoic.” Kyle Fletcher entered to new music and a new presentation, flanked by Don Callis and now nicknamed “The Protostar.” Callis joined the announcers desk.

(5) WILL OSPREAY vs. KYLE FLETCHER (w/ Don Callis)

The crowd sang to Will Ospreay as the match began. “It’s the sound of disappointment,” Don Callis said. Kyle Fletcher and Ospreay flew at each other immediately. Ospreay gave Kyle a ‘rana to the outside, then prepared to leap onto it. Fletcher side-stepped and tossed Ospreay into the barrier. He dragged the steel steps away from the post and tried to gave Ospreay a Suplex onto them. Will blocked. Fletcher whipped him toward the steps, but Ospreay leapt right over them. He jumped over the steel for another Hurricanrana on his former friend. Ospreay tossed Fletcher inside and gave Callis a stern lock.

In the ring, Ospreay gave Fletcher a pair of hard knife-edged chops. Fletcher whipped Ospreay hard into the corner, then gave him a spike DDT. Fletcher immediately went to work on the shoulder of Ospreay, riddled with KT tape. Fletcher tossed Ospreay to the apron and followed him. They teetered on the edge momentarily, but Fletcher shoved Ospreay into the ring post. Fletcher followed up with a Brainbuster on the floor. Fletcher tossed Ospreay in the ring and locked his hands for repeated covers, forcing Will to use the injured back and shoulder to power off the mat. He stomped at Ospreay, then teared at the tape. He gave him a weak kick to the chest.

“Look at Kyle, not even breathing hard!’ Callis heaped praise on his client, saying he’d prepared all year for “the eventuality of this match.” Ospreay blocked a kick, then tried to springboard off the ropes. He collapsed awkwardly onto his shoulder. Fletcher delivered another hard DDT and covered for a two count. “That trainer’s tape is like a target for us,” Callis said. Excalibur mentioned that Ospreay was forthcoming with the injury. Fletcher continued to stomp on the left shoulder and arm as the match crossed 8:00. He charged at Ospreay, but Will stepped away. Fletcher spilled to the apron. Ospreay kicked him to the floor, then leapt to the top and delivered a Sky Twister Press. Ospreay shook out his arm, trying to regain feeling.

After tossing Fletcher into the ring, Ospreay connected with a springboard forearm for a cover and two count. He hit some quick kicks to the face, then a hard chop. Fletcher invited more, then returned the favor. Ospreay put his hands behind his back, asking for another. Instead, Kyle kicked him in the face. Ospreay stumbled to the corner. Kyle charged, but Ospreay hoisted him up and delivered a spinning sit-out Powerbomb for a two count just before 11:30. Ospreay called for the Hidden Blade, but got caught with a kick to the face. Fletcher went for a half and half Suplex, but Will flipped through. He went for an Oscutter, but Fletcher picked him out of the air with his own neckbreaker. He followed with a sit-out Powerbomb of his own for a near fall.

Retreating to opposing corners, both men reset. Fletcher went for a Brainbuster but Ospreay countered into Stundog Millionaire. He set up for an Oscutter again, but Fletcher charged him and shoved him to the floor. Kyle followed him outside. Ospreay popped to his feet and delivered a Tombstone Piledriver. Both Fletcher and Ospreay were down and out on the floor. Schiavone used the opportunity to plug the Continental Classic, beginning on Wednesday. Ospreay rolled inside the ring at five. Fletcher answered it at nine. Ospreay was waiting on the top rope, catching Fletcher with a dropkick immediately upon re-entry. He leapt to the nearest turnbuckle and flipped onto Fletcher for a cover and near fall.

A resounding “this is awesome” chant broke out as both men rose slowly. Ospreay called for the Hidden Blade. Fletcher ducked it and went for a Powerbomb. Ospreay rolled through and went for a kick, Fletcher ducked that. Ospreay caught him with a Spanish Fly. He called for the Hidden Blade again, and this time, connected. Both men were down. After a six count, Ospreay rose, calling for the Oscutter. He leapt the turnbuckles, but Fletcher popped to his feet and shoved him. They jockeyed for position up top. Ospreay knocked Fletcher to the mat, but couldn’t recover quickly enough. Kyle returned with a kick, then hooked Will for a super Brainbuster. Ospreay flipped through it, pulled Kyle down and into the Styles Clash for a cover and near fall at 17:55. Ospreay removed his elbow pad and delivered a violent Hidden Blade, falling on top of Fletcher for a very close near fall.

Ospreay flexed his hand as Fletcher rolled toward the ropes for reprieve. Will punched at Fletcher’s neck. Schiavone called it frustration and anger, while Callis argued it was jealousy. Ospreay stepped to the apron, dragging Fletcher with him. He looked toward the steel steps. Ospreay lifted Kyle with the double underhook, but Fletcher slid free. He turned Ospreay over and hit a Tombstone off the apron, onto the stairs. Ospreay’s body slumped down the steps like mud. His left arm was shaking. Fletcher got in Ospreay’s ear, telling him he wants to prove he’s better than him.

Fletcher slid Ospreay back in the ring and caught him with a running knee. He gave him the Grimstone. Ospreay’s arm just dropped when he was inverted for the move. Fletcher covered, but Ospreay rolled a shoulder at the last moment. “This is Fletcher’s match to lose,” McGuinness exclaimed. Fletcher set Will up for the Tiger Driver, but Ospreay turned it into a roll up for a near fall. Ospreay popped to his feet, looking for another Hidden Blade, but he couldn’t launch. Fletcher just ate it and laughed. He twisted Ospreay’s arm, snapping it repeatedly over his shoulder. Kyle gave him a short-arm lariat and posed to the crowd as the match crossed 23:30.

“That’s a 1,000 mile stare,” Excalibur said of Ospreay’s gaze. Fletcher hit him with two kicks to the back of the head. He followed up with a Brainbuster off the top for a cover and three count.

WINNER: Kyle Fletcher in 24:14

Kyle Fletcher let out a primal scream as he stood, hand raised by Don Callis, over Will Ospreay. Mark Davis ran to the ring. Fletcher and Callis left him to look over his friend. “Take him home with you, put him in a bag, he’s done,” Callis said arrogantly.

-After a quick break, Mina Shirakawa danced onto the stage. She introduced the AEW Women’s World Champion, Mariah May. Her championship was posed atop a cocktail table covered in roses and candles. Shirakawa called May “the love of her life.” The champion said its been a long four months, but it was worth it. She said she’s stepped on, beat, and killed the entire women’s division. “There is not a single woman alive who can touch me,” May said.

She turned focus to Mina. She called her her only true friend and said she couldn’t have done it without her. Mina grabbed two glasses of champagne and the friends crossed arms for a toast. “Mina, let’s celebrate,” Mariah said. The two danced to Mina’s music briefly. May set up behind Shirakawa, glass in hand. She tried to hit her, but Mina ducked it. Shirakawa kicked the glass out of May’s hand, then speared her off the stage through a pair of covered tables set up below.

Referees surrounded the two women to check on them. Shirakawa rose, bleeding from the mouth. She rubbed the blood all over May’s forehead, then left screaming. McGuinness pleaded for some help for the champion.

-Excalibur tossed to a video for the TNT Championship match

An intro video for Daniel Garcia aired, featuring a voicemail from his mother. Daniel Garcia entered wearing a “restore the feeling” t-shirt. Matt Menard joined the announcers desk for the match. He noted that it’s Garcia’s second attempt at challenging for the TNT title on Pay-Per-View this year. Jack Perry followed, wearing his goat head mask.

(6) JACK PERRY (c) vs. DANIEL GARCIA – TNT Championship match

Jack Perry and Daniel Garcia locked up to begin the match. Perry worked his challenger into the southwest corner and broke cleanly. Nigel talked to Daddy Magic about Garcia’s mother and whether or not she was nervous about her son facing someone like Perry. In the ring, Jack shoved Garcia’s face and slid to the outside. He rounded the ring, but quickly slid inside when Garcia gave chase. They repeated this a couple times, garnering additional boos for Perry.

Back in the ring, Garcia took control with a wrist lock. Perry snapped free, grabbed a side headlock, then hit the ropes. Perry slid to floor again. Garcia grew frustrated, slapping the announcers desk. He tried to breathe, taking a lap around the ring. Perry tried to catch him off guard, but Garcia tossed him into the barrier. Danny threw a steel chair at the ring, then peppered Perry with some hard forearms to the chest. He booted him right into the crowd. Garcia punched Jack, then dragged him back to ringside by his hair. Garcia forced Jack’s face against the sharp edge of the ring post, then tried to drag him back inside by the hair. Perry held on, pulling Daniel back under the bottom rope and delivering a draping DDT onto the floor.

The TNT Champion tossed Garcia into the barrier. Daniel grabbed at his neck. Excalibur noted that, even at just 26 years old, Garcia’s history with neck injury could be a lifelong problem for him. Perry gave him another DDT on the floor, then tossed him back in the ring as the match crossed 5:30. He hit a dropkick off the middle rope and covered Garcia for a two count. Perry continued to work on the neck, applying a seated chin lock. Menard showed concern for Garcia’s neck. Daniel returned to his feet, but Jack dropped him with a toe hold into a Snare Trap. Garcia crawled toward the ropes valiantly, reaching them after a few moments.

“Garcia’s face is ruby red,” McGuinness noted. Perry tossed Daniel to the apron and gave him a back drop right on the edge of the ring. Jack sauntered to the announce desk, getting in Menard’s face. He shoved Daddy Magic. The other announcers begged Menard to let cooler heads prevail. Perry gave Garcia a Powerbomb over the timekeeper’s barrier, through a table. “I think I heard his mother scream at ringside!” Nigel said. Daddy Magic hovered over Garcia, willing him to life. In the ring, Perry looked on as the referee administered his count. Garcia just barely answered it.

Daniel exploded with a flurry of offense upon his return, punching wildly at Perry and tossing him by the hair into the turnbuckles. Garcia tangled Perry’s hair in the ropes and then gave him a dropkick. McGuinness said it’s about time we see some killer instinct from Garcia. Perry recovered and worked the challenger into the northeast corner. After a series of chops, he hoisted him onto the top turnbuckle.

Champion and challenger traded right hands atop the buckles. Perry slid Garcia onto his shoulders and lawn darted him into the opposing corner. Perry rolled to the outside and grabbed his TNT Championship. He tossed it at Garcia’s feet and knelt like a martyr in front of him. Garcia picked up the title. Referee Rick Knox begged him not to use it. Garcia tossed it aside. While Knox tried to get rid of it, Perry gave him a low blow. He kneed Garcia in the head and covered him for a near fall. Perry dragged Garcia to his feet, but the challenger exploded to life and pulled Perry in for a leg capture Piledriver. He hooked the leg for a very close near fall just before 16:30.

Both men rose slowly. Garcia gave Perry a number of big chops. Jack just laughed. Garcia gave him another Piledriver. Garcia turned Perry over into a Sharpshooter. Jack initially stayed up on his hands as he reached for the ropes, but Garcia pulled him back toward center. He leaned deep into the hold and Perry tapped out.

WINNER: Daniel Garcia in 18:15 to win the TNT Championship

Garcia retrieved an AEW flag from a fan in the crowd and draped it over his shoulders as he marched up the ramp with the TNT title in hand.

-Excalibur turned quickly toward the AEW International Championship match.

Ricochet headed to the ring, slapping hands with fans at ringside. Excalibur talked about the history between these two, most notably, Kinosuke Takeshita’s title win at WrestleDream. The aforementioned International Champion headed to the ring next, accompanied by Don Callis, who rejoined the commentary desk.

(7) KINOSUKE TAKESHITA (c, w/ Don Callis) vs. RICOCHET – AEW International Championship match

Kinosuke Takeshita and Ricochet circled one another and locked up. The champion forced his challenger toward the ropes, forcing a break from referee Aubrey Edwards. Callis talked up Ricochet, but spoke of his size disadvantage as the deciding factor in Takeshita’s favor. Ricochet worked Takeshita to the mat by the arm. Kinosuke rolled to his feet. Ricochet went for a hip toss, but Takeshita stayed planted firm on his feet. Ricochet delivered a dropkick instead, dropping the champion.

From the corner, Takeshita tripped Ricochet into the buckles. The two rose quickly and traded forearms. Ricochet caught the champion with a springboard cross body off the middle rope for a cover and two count. Takeshita stumbled toward the corner, then countered an Irish Whip. Ricochet went for a 619, but Takeshita caught his legs and booted him to the floor instead. Once outside, Kinosuke dumped Ricochet into the timekeeper’s barrier, then gave him a backdrop right on the corner of it. Ricochet grabbed at his lower back. Takeshita slid the challenger back in the ring and gave him a spinning back breaker, followed by knee strikes to the small of the back. Takeshita posed to the crowd as the match approached 4:30.

Ricochet battled back with some right hands, but Takeshita cut him off with more work to the lower back. Ricochet scored a two count off a roll up, but then immediately got caught with a Blue Thunder Bomb for a cover and two count by the champion. Takeshita ate a few chops from Ricochet. He whipped the challenger violently into the corner. Kinosuke dragged Ricochet up by the arm and gave him a cocky boot to the face, then another kick to the lower back. Nigel said that Ricochet has been completely unable to string together any of his signature offense. “Takeshita is brutalizing him right now,” Callis agreed.

A quick back elbow caught the champion by surprise. Ricochet elevated to the apron, but his lower back seized on a springboard attempt. He climbed to the top turnbuckle instead. The hesitation allowed Takeshita to recover and toss the challenger to the mat. Kinosuke drove his knee into Ricochet’s back. Ricochet fought back with a double boot out of the corner. He rolled into a dropkick. Takeshita missed with a lariat. Ricochet hit a springboard back elbow off the ropes. He delivered another weak looking chop, then a leaping lariat. He whipped the Alpha back and forth between corners, then hit another leaping lariat. The announcers noted that Ricochet is lacking power behind his moves because of his back.

With a low basement dropkick, Ricochet sent Takeshita to the floor. He hit the diving handspring back elbow to the outside, then tossed the champion back in the ring. Ricochet hit a 450 for a cover and near fall just before 11:00. Callis threw away his headset and moved to ringside to coach the champion. Ricochet went for another handspring back elbow, but the Alpha picked him out of the air for a Blue Thunder Bomb for a near fall. Takeshita called for the Power Drive Knee, but Ricochet caught it. Kinosuke begged off, then hit a knee on the rebound. Ricochet shrugged it off and gave the champion a hard strike. Kinosuke returned the favor, dropping the champion.

“In a striking exchange, I’m betting Takeshita,” Nigel said. Excalibur agreed. Ricochet flipped out of a German Suplex attempt, then rolled the champion up. Takeshita used his momentum to roll through, dead-lift the challenger and hit the German Suplex. Both men popped up. Ricochet hit a running strike, the Spirit Gun, leaving both men down just before 14:00. Ricochet ascended the southeast turnbuckles. Takeshita rose to meet him. He drove his elbow into the challenger’s lower back. Takeshita hit a release German Suplex off the top, then a huge lariat for a cover and near fall.

Takeshita called for, and executed the Power Drive Knee. He folded Ricochet up for a near fall. Callis barked orders from ringside. The Alpha climbed the northwest corner. Ricochet shot to his feet, leapt to meet the champion and hit a Hurricanrana off the top, He immediately followed with a Poisonrana, then a Shooting Star Press off the same turnbuckle. Ricochet covered, but Takeshita just managed to kick out. Ricochet called for the Spirit Gun, but Takeshita ducked it. Takeshita lifted Ricochet and turned him into the package Tombstone for a cover and near fall. He went for another knee, but it was ducked. Ricochet hit an Enziguri, then a twisting Brainbuster. He hit a side kick out of the Fireman’s Carry for a cover and near fall.

McGuinness wondered “how many degrees does he have?” as Ricochet climbed to the top again. Takeshita knocked him off balance and kneed his back. He gave Ricochet an Avalanche Falcon Arrow/Brainbuster for a cover and three count.

WINNER: Kinosuke Takeshita in 19:13 to retain the AEW International Championship

Ricochet looked on in disappointment as Takeshita celebrated with Don Callis at ringside.

-Excalibur tossed to a video for Swerve Strickland vs. Bobby Lashley.

Prince Nana led the way, dancing to “Big Pressure” as Swerve Strickland sauntered with purpose. Jim Ross had joined the announce desk. He talked about signing Bobby Lashley to his first pro wrestling contract and said we’re lucky he didn’t choose MMA as his full time career. “He’s that good.” Bobby Lashley entered, flanked by MVP and Shelton Benjamin.

(8) SWERVE STRICKLAND (w/ Prince Nana) vs. BOBBY LASHLEY (w/ MVP & Shelton Benjamin)

Bobby Lashley went for a quick clothesline right out of the gate, but Swerve Strickland side-stepped him and threw a punch. Lashley shrugged it off and delivered a scoop slam that rocked Strickland. Bobby over-powered Swerve into the corner and drove his boot into Swerve’s throat. Lashley lifted Strickland onto his shoulders and flipped him onto the mat. Lashley covered, but lifted Swerve’s shoulders at two. J.R. admonished him, “if you have a chance to win, win!”

Excalibur said it’s not clear whether or not Strickland would have kicked out of the move. Lashley lifted Strickland into a stalling Suplex with one arm, flexing with the other. “He’s trash,” Bobby said. Lashley continued to beat Swerve in the corner. Strickland caught Bobby off guard with a headbutt that briefly rocked him, but Lashley quickly overcame and slammed Strickland again. He grabbed a side headlock and settled in, talking to the crowd. Swerve worked to his knees, but Lashley’s weight kept him grounded. Excalibur said it’s “stunning” to see a former AEW World Champion man-handled this way.

Lashley whipped Swerve to the corner and charged. Swerve got his legs up, dropping his opponent for the first time. Shelton Benjamin grabbed at Swerve’s legs, distracting him. Prince Nana stepped in, jawing with Benjamin. Swerve struggled to his feet and rounded the corner, but was quickly flattened by a charging Lashley. Bobby smiled, toying with his opponent. He tossed Swerve into the timekeeper’s barrier as the match crossed 6:00. Bobby walked Swerve around the ring and tossed him inside. He bumped chests with MVP, who gave him some words of encouragement. Swerve managed to knock Lashley off the apron when the latter tried to return to the ring.

Swerve got a head full of steam, looking to charge. Shelton Benjamin tripped him up, but the referee saw it and ejected Benjamin. MVP calmed him down. Meanwhile, Lashley gave Strickland a Uranagi on the edge of the ring, then threw his limp body into the barricade. Lashley dragged the steel steps away from the ring post and then carried Swerve toward them. Swerve slid down the back and drove Bobby’s knees into the steps. He bounced Lashley’s head off the steps repeatedly, finally gaining some momentum. Lashley stumbled around ringside as Swerve looked to the crowd, feeding off their support.

Climbing back onto the apron, Strickland pulled Lashley in and hit a DDT on the edge of the ring. MVP looked on with great concern. Lashley tried to steady himself on the Spanish announce desk. Swerve charged, leaping off the steel steps and delivering a Swerve Stomp onto Lashley, through the table. Strickland, sensing blood in the water, tossed Lashley into the ring and hit the House Call. He hoisted himself to the top turnbuckle, looking for the Swerve Stomp. He connected, hooking the leg for a very close near fall at 11:10. Lashley rolled to the floor to recover.

“I need you to get up right now, Bobby,” MVP said. Swerve spun him around, coming face to face with Porter. The distraction allowed Lashley to recover and hit Swerve with an overhead belly-to-belly on the floor. He speared Strickland through the barricade, into the crowd. Lashley retrieved Strickland and tossed him in the ring. He sized him up, then hit another Spear. “That should do it!” Ross said. He pulled Swerve up by the hair and applied the Hurt Lock. Swerve passed out.

WINNER: Bobby Lashley in 13:24

Lashley stood over Strickland’s body with MVP while Prince Nana looked in on shock at ringside. Shelton Benjamin returned to celebrate with the Hurt Syndicate. He and MVP grabbed Nana and tossed him in the ring. Nana tried to cover up Swerve’s body. Lashley grabbed Nana and put him in the Hurt Lock, garnering huge boos from the crowd. Lashley dropped Nana next to Swerve and celebrated again. MVP looked into the camera as he backed up the ramp, “we hurt people,” he said, “that’s what we do.”

-Excalibur turned focus to the main event, tossing to a video package.

The Death Riders were shown arriving together in a truck. They marched from the parking lot to the arena. Jon Moxley’s music hit inside the Prudential Center and McGuinness said they could come from anywhere. Moxley arrived through a tunnel in the lower bowl, Marina Shafir behind him, carrying the silver briefcase. Moxley paced around the ring as “Where Is My Mind?” rang out. Orange Cassidy walked to the ring, carrying his backpack.

Shafir unlocked the briefcase from around her wrist and handed it to referee Bryce Remsburg. Justin Roberts delivered Championship introductions.

(9) JON MOXLEY (c, w/ Marina Shafir) vs. ORANGE CASSIDY – AEW World Championship match

Just as Roberts began to announce Jon Moxley’s name, Orange Cassidy exploded at him and delivered an Orange Punch. Referee Bryce Remsburg called for the bell immediately. Moxley stumbled around the ring, shocked. Cassidy hit him with a second Orange Punch. Moxley went down and rolled to the outside. Cassidy gave no quarter, he followed him to the floor and beat him around ringside, toppling him onto the announcers desk. Cassidy mounted Moxley for a series of ten punches, but finished the combination by biting his forehead.

The champion retreated, heading toward the Spanish announce desk wreckage. Moxley pulled Cassidy in and gave him a backdrop onto the edge of the barricade. He dumped Orange into the crowd, but Cassidy would not let up. He threw his body into the champion, punching wildly. Mox withstood the onslaught and tossed Cassidy back to ringside. He took a steel chair from security and sat Cassidy down in it. After a flurry of punches, he gave the challenger a boot to the face. Cassidy invited another. Moxley punched him to the floor. Moxley drove his boot into Cassidy’s ear, held Orange’s hair, and drove his head down into the steel steps.

“Freshly squeezed!” the crowd chanted as Moxley rounded the ring. The camera cut to Cassidy, writhing, forehead now covered in blood. The champion returned his challenger to the ring and then tossed him violently back to the floor. Mox moved like a man possessed. He dragged Cassidy up the steps and gave him a Paradigm Shift on the stairs. Bright drops of red dotted the silver steel. Cassidy grabbed at his neck. Remsburg begged Moxley off, trying to check on the challenger. Marina Shafir booted Cassidy in the face.

Cassidy answered Remsburg’s count relatively early. Moxley dropped him quickly with a clothesline. He cornered the challenger, then began biting the bloody head as the match crossed 6:00. Moxley snarled with Cassidy’s blood on his teeth. He drove his boot into Orange’s forehead, pulled him out of the corner and delivered a delayed Gotch-style Piledriver for a cover and two count. Moxley didn’t let up, immediately mounting Cassidy for punches. Mox’s entire forearm was colored crimson. He tossed Cassidy to the floor, then cleared the show banner plates from the announce desks. Mox tossed Orange onto the Spanish desk, then bit his fingers.

In sheer desperation, Cassidy put his thumbs in both of Moxley’s eyes. Mox kicked him in the gut, then tossed him into the steps. Mox’s chest was stained with Cassidy’s blood. “Moxley warned us of this, sometimes you’ve just gotta believe him,” J.R. said. Moxley shuffled his fists, mocking Cassidy. He booted him in the face. Orange kept rising to his knees, defiant. Mox kept delivering boots, each one sharper than the last. He kicked Orange in the rib cage, then gave him a hoist Suplex for a cover and two count.

Moxley applied a double wrist lock, but quickly broke it. Cassidy rolled to the apron and tried to stand, but Mox shouldered him to the floor. Cassidy collided hard with the barricade. Mox gave the crowd double middle fingers to a chorus of boos as the match crossed 10:30. Cassidy answered Remsburg’s count at 8, waving him off lackadaisically. “He wants more,” Nigel said. Moxley invited Cassidy’s offense, and cockily shrugged it off. He hoisted Cassidy to the top turnbuckle and scratched his back. The camera showed the marks his nails left behind. Cassidy returned the favor. Mox retreated to the mat. Cassidy tried to catch him with a leaping forearm, but Mox caught him out of thin air with one of his own right to the ribs. Cassidy crumpled in a heap.

The champion continued to toy with his challenger, grabbing a front guillotine and backing him into the ropes. Remsburg called for a break. Moxley obliged. He hoisted Cassidy to the top again, this time looking for a Piledriver from the middle rope. Cassidy fought it off, knocking Mox to the mat. Orange dove, connecting with a diving DDT. Cassidy dragged himself to his feet, hit the ropes and delivered a Tornado DDT. He called for the Orange Punch, but Moxley blocked it. He set up for Death Rider, but Cassidy slid free. Mox slapped Orange in the face. Cassidy returned with one of his own. Champion and challenger traded forearms. Cassidy begged off temporarily, tucking his hands in his pockets. He hit his signature barely kicks, angering Mox. The champion went for a clothesline, but Cassidy ducked and connected with the Orange Punch. Moxley shrugged it off and delivered a lariat.

Both men slowly rose to their feet, trading punches. Mox went for another lariat, but Cassidy ducked and caught him with Beach Break. Orange covered for a near fall just before 16:30. With both men down, Claudio Castagnoli and Pac emerged from the crowd. They circled the ring, then leapt on opposing aprons. J.R. begged Remsburg to throw them out pre-emptively. The Conglomeration spilled from the back to even the odds, attacking Pac and Castagnoli. Meanwhile, Marina Shafir entered the ring with the briefcase. She sized up Cassidy, but Willow Nightingale rushed to the ring. He pounced on Shafir and the two spilled to the outside.

Remsburg turned his focus to Nightingale and Shafir. Orange Cassidy grabbed the briefcase and clocked Mox in the head with it. He covered for a very close near fall. Moxley stumbled around the ring, falling into Remsburg and distracting him. Wheeler Yuta slid in the ring and hit Cassidy with a Busaiku Knee. Mox followed up with a Death Rider for a cover and three count.

WINNER: Jon Moxley in 19:20 to retain the AEW World Championship

Moxley talked trash to the ringside camera. He smacked it away. Yuta retrieved a bottle of green liquid. Excalibur said it’s the chemicals the ring crew uses to disinfect the ringside area. They poured it all over Cassidy’s head and tossed him to the floor.

Suddenly, Hangman Page ran to the ring with a chair. He cracked Yuta in the head with it, then turned to face Jon Moxley. They stared each other down, crazily. Christian Cage ran to the ring, contract in hand. He gave Moxley a Killswitch, then shared a stare down with Page. Hangman left the ring to him. Page looked poised to cash in his contract, but Jay White entered the ring. He gave Cage a Blade Runner, then left the ring with the crowd bewildered.

Backstage, Moxley and company rushed to the exit. As they approached their truck, a painted vehicle smashed into the truck’s side. The Death Riders stole keys from another vehicle and escaped in an SUV. Darby Allin emerged from the wreckage, begging Moxley to come back and finish this. He slammed his skateboard into the hood of the truck and came up bleeding from the forehead as the broadcast faded to black.