AEW All In: London

AEW All In: London

London, England - August 2023

CHAMPIONSHIP RUNDOWN: Coming into this show, MJF was the AEW World Champion, Hikaru Shida was the AEW Women's World Championship, FTR were the World Tag Team Champions, the TNT Champion was Killswitch (Luchasaurus), Kris Statlander was the TBS Champion, the International Champion was Orange Cassidy, and the House of Black (Malakai Black, Brody King, and Buddy Murphy) were the World Trios Champions.

The somewhat infamous All In: London kicked off with CM Punk defending his AEW "Real" World Championship against longtime rival and friend, Samoa Joe. Punk's claim that he was still AEW's "Real" World Champion (his title was graffiti'd with a huge black X) was based on the fact that he had never actually lost the title in a match but had to relinquish it due to injury. Like the Forbidden Door show from earlier that year, this was one of the rare post-"Brawl Out" shows that would feature Punk, the Young Bucks, Kenny Omega, and Hangman Page all sharing the same locker room, though I doubt there had been any warm conversations happening between them. Anyway...Samoa Joe controlled most of the match offensively, but Punk hung in there and got the occasional big shot in. It wasn't the most inventive match, but they hit the right notes and played-up their knowledge of one another's arsenals in fun ways. Like at Forbidden Door, Punk did a Hulk Hogan tribute spot, but unlike at Forbidden Door (which took place in Toronto), it made less contextual sense. The crowd was red hot for this and somewhat surprisingly pro-Joe on the onset. Looking back, I wonder if part of Punk's displeasure with the final stretch of his AEW run was that such a sizable part of the "hardcores" had turned on him. Despite knowing that this would likely be his last match in the company, Punk bladed from getting swung into the announcer's table and really gave his all, getting the W with the rarely-seen Pepsi Plunge. The historical significance of this match and all the callbacks to their previous matches make this match special, but if one didn't know those things, I don't think this match would be considered the near-classic that some make it out to be. A very good match, but a hair short of "must see." (3.5/5)

Next up - Kenny Omega, "Hangman" Adam Page, and Kota Ibushi teaming up to take on "Switchblade" Jay White, Juice Robinson, and Konosuke Takeshita. This was a rare miss, though still an above-average. They were given 20 minutes, which was just a touch too long for a match that featured so many convoluted spots and a noticeably not-as-great-as-he-once-was Kota Ibushi. The word "sloppy" is rarely used for a match featuring this amount of talent, but the delayed stereo moonsaults to the floor spot was just one clear example of a spot being tarnished by folks not being as "locked in" as they once were. Omega looked good, but spent a good deal of the match playing face-in-peril, which is maybe a role that Hangman would've done better at because, when Hangman got the hot tag, he doesn't have the same explosive offense and overness as The Cleaner. Takeshita was the MVP and I'm glad he got the W, but this just wasn't the home run I'm sure everyone was wishing it were. (3/5)

The AEW Tag Team Champions, FTR, defended their titles against The Young Bucks in the next match, the "rubber match" between two of the best tag teams of the past 20 years. As expected, these two teams put on a great, back-and-forth match with plenty of finisher stealing and intricate sequences. With these teams, there is a built-in expectation that you might get one of the best wrestling matches of all time and I'm not sure they've ever delivered it. I rated their Full Gear 2020 match at 3.5 and I'm giving this the same score. There's nothing outright bad (aside from a poor camera angle late in the match that makes it look like Matt Jackson has to lift Wheeler's arm to break a count because of late interference from Dax) but there was also no captivating drama or story beyond these two teams being incredibly talented and having a ton of accolades. This was a "Who's The Better Team?" match without the emotion pull that a "must see" match has to have. (3.5/5)

Chuck Taylor, Eddie Kingston, Orange Cassidy, Trent Baretta, and Pentagon Jr. teamed up to take on Jon Moxley, Claudio Castignoli, Ortiz, Santana, and Wheeler Yuta in a Stadium Stampede match. I wasn't expecting much here as the Stadium Stampedes tend to blur together for me after the first couple Pandemic Era ones. The first 2/3rds of this match were absolutely great, though, with some truly incredible and gory violence coming from Jon Moxley, Penta, Cassidy, and Barretta in the ring. Highlights included Moxley getting stabbed in the head by a handful of skewers (one of the gnarliest spots I've seen in some time) and then nearly getting his head superkicked off by Penta after kicking out of a slam, Barretta getting his legs pulled from under him while standing on a suspended ladder, barbwire boards and 2x4s being used to bust people open, Cassidy getting stabbed in the head by a fork, Kingston getting to have his big moment of marching down the aisle and taking everybody out with a barbwire-covered chair...just a feast of hardcore spots. Unfortunately, the match delved into silly territory towards the end with "Sue" (Trent Baretta's mom, but because they didn't show her on-screen, it's doubtful it was actually her) showing up in the Best Friends' minivan with cookie trays and trash can lids and the fight "pausing" for the entrance of Pentagon Jr.'s alter-ego. That silliness in a match this violent and serious is not my cup of tea, but I won't deny that it popped the crowd. All in all, a good and worthy edition of a stipulation that I feared had run its course. Here, they made it work by making it as violent and bloody as possible and the strategy paid off. (3.5/5)

The AEW Women's World Championship was on the line in the next match as Hikaru Shida defended the title against Britt Baker, Saraya, and not-quite-Timeless Toni Storm. Saraya came out to "We Will Rock You" and was accompanied by her family. Toni Storm was in the early stages of her transition to the "Timeless" character, but some of the elements - the Golden Era of Hollywood-inspired hairdo, the ultra-dramatic expressiveness - were there. Shida had won the title a few weeks before this event on the 200th episode of Dynamite. This was a mixed bag with some of the sequences looking loose and disjointed. The implosion of The Outcasts was writ large with some serious overacting/bad acting at times from Storm and Saraya, but there were also fun moments too - Saraya applying a deathlock onto Storm only for Baker to hit a wicked curb stomp, Storm accidentally hitting Saraya's mom with a forearm, some good superkicks getting thrown, the feel-good finish (at least for the fans in attendance). This match took a pillorying on Cagematch but isn't nearly as bad as its score would indicate with most of the criticism based on the outcome and not the actual match. (3/5)

Darby Allin and Sting took on the team of Christian and Swerve Strickland in a Coffin Match next. Cool pre-match video and entrance for Sting. Highlights included Sting putting Swerve through a table, Darby having to wrestle with his hands zip-tied behind his back, Allin performing a Coffin Drop onto a closed coffin...it was all good, fun action. Killswitch (Luchasaurus) eventually showed up to help out the heels and we saw a cameo from Nick Wayne (he was swiftly taken out and then carried to the back by Killswitch), but this was much more straight-forward and "traditional" than the Stadium Stampede match (with considerably less blood). (3/5) 

Chris Jericho vs. Will Ospreay followed. Jericho did a Freddie Mercury tribute bit with Fozzy before the match and then sang "Judas" on the way to the ring (accompanied by Sammy Guevara). Ospreay had a considerably "smaller" entrance, but it still felt like a big moment for him and he probably would've gotten an even stronger babyface response if Don Callis had not been at his side. This match could go down as Jericho's last truly great match to some fans (I actually think he had some after this) and he clearly went "all in" to try to deliver a performance that matched Ospreay's. Even in his prime, I'm not sure Jericho ever had the agility, speed, or high-flying arsenal that Ospreay has, but I certainly give him credit for working his butt off here. This still comes across, at times, as something of a "carry job" because Ospreay's bumping and risk-taking is tremendous. There was a touch too many false finishes for my liking with Jericho kicking out of Ospreay's finisher multiple times but this match was clearly designed with the intention of telling the story that Jericho was as good as he ever was. This was a "self-conscious epic," a concept/story that I've tired of but that Jericho obviously wanted to tell. A very good match, but it does lean towards overly-choreographed at times and, if you're tired of Jericho and not a fan of Ospreay's over-the-top style, this probably won't convince you of either's greatness. (3.5/5)

The House of Black's Malachai Black, Buddy Murphy, and Brody King took on The Acclaimed and "Bad Ass" Billy Gunn (commentary made sure to highlight that this was not "Daddy Ass," but a tougher, more serious Gunn) for the HoB's Trios Championships in the next match. The House of Black paid tribute to Bray Wyatt during their entrance as he had passed away not too long before this. This was "No Holds Barred" per the House Rules stipulation, but The Acclaimed didn't seem to have any reason to choose that particularly stipulation, which made them look kinda dumb. The match went 10 minutes but felt longer because of how much action they filled it with, including Anthony Bowens delivering a legdrop to the spread legs of Julia Hart, a trifecta of Fame Assers on Buddy Murphy, and Brody King getting a little bit of color before eventually falling prey to two Mic Drops. I didn't like Gunn kicking out Malachai Black's finish at all as Gunn didn't need "the rub" and Black's signature move should've been better protected than in a 10-minute filler match. (2.5/5)

Main event time - MJF vs. Adam Cole for the AEW World Championship. In the months leading up to this show, MJF had been turned face by building a friendship (and winning the Ring of Honor Tag Team Championships) with Cole and then, in a show of good sportsmanship, granting him this title shot on the biggest stage in the history of AEW (an astonishing 81,000+ were in attendance, a number that has since been disputed by the British government, who reported it was "only" 72k). Cole had also nearly defeated MJF on an episode of Dynamite, pinning him for a full 3 count...right as the 30-minute time limit expired. Anyway...they start things off with shows of mutual respect and straight-up wrestling before Cole starts to cut corners, pulling MJF's hair, hitting an awesome brainbuster on the steel steps there, and then, after MJF opts not to hit a piledriver on the table, Cole delivers one anyway. It's all very dramatic and, while the individual moves are executed well, they are often undersold and strung together without credible transitions or shifts in momentum. For example, after being dropped on his head on the steps - an undeniably incredible spot - MJF magically springs up at 9.5, dives into the ring, and then rolls back out to the floor. Why not sell the struggle of beating the count? And after rolling back out to the floor, seemingly exhausted and still suffering from the brainbuster, MJF is back in control, teasing a piledriver on the table within 40 seconds. From there, the stakes continue to be raised with nifty moves - like a Panama Sunrise on the floor - but the big false finish happens when they hit a simple clothesline, a cutesy reference to their "Double Clothesline" team that is just too precious for a match that also featured a straight-jacket suplex on the ring apron. Roderick Strong eventually makes an appearance, but its "subtraction by addition." While Strong was an important side character in the MJF/Cole story, his inclusion felt a bit like if Mr. Perfect or Earthquake had shown up in the main event in WrestleMania VI. Like the gratuitous ref bumps in the final act, the overbooking was unnecessary when, in the end, MJF winning with the inside cradle told the story that it needed to tell - that MJF was the better man that night, but that Cole was essentially his equal. The post-match drama got a good response and gave us the big "Hug It Out" moment, with MJF forcing Cole to prove, once and for all, that their friendship was real and not just a ploy to get to the championship. For the AEW fans invested in the Better Than You Bay-Bay storyline, it was a fitting capper to the show...but as someone who never really got into it, it felt a bit too goofy. (2/5)

Earning an average score of 3.06-out-of-5, All In: London was a step up from the lackluster Forbidden Door and Double or Nothing shows, but mileage may vary depending on one's appreciation for the work of guys like Ospreay, Adam Cole, Jericho, and the Young Bucks, some of the more divisive wrestlers of the past decade. The crowd, historical significance, and scope of the production makes this event special, but I wouldn't call a single match "must see," with Jericho/Ospreay and the Punk/Joe opener perhaps coming closest. 

FINAL RATING - Watch It...With Remote in Hand

Random Matches

Terry Funk vs. Barry Windham (09/19/1986, WWC): There's much to enjoy here - the atmosphere is terrific with the Puerto Rican crowd very much into the brawling style, Terry Funk's selling and wildman antics are brilliant from beginning to end, and while the story they tell is very straight-forward, there are memorable moments scattered throughout (Windham's piledrivers on the floor, Terry Funk flinging a chair into the ring and Barry catching it one-handed, a well-executed false finish leading to a cheap victory, and, of course, Funk's post-match promo). This isn't "must see" and probably wouldn't rank in either guy's Top 50 matches, but it's an entertaining 15 minutes of action (if you can stomach the over-the-top commentary team, which includes one guy who can't stop screaming "Woah!" every 10 seconds). (3/5)

Toshiaki Kawada vs. Gary Albright (10/25/1995, AJPW): A super physical heavyweight battle with Toshiaki Kawada putting on the type of raw, emotional performance that transcends the language barrier. Kawada is not small by any means, but this is a "man vs. monster" match because Albright is that much bigger and stronger. On Cagematch someone called this the best match of Albright's career and while I haven't seen enough from him to make that call, I don't doubt the suggestion. Kawada is has had more epic battles, but this might be an "Exhibit A"-type match for why I personally find him to be the most consistently watchable and enjoyable of the "Four Pillars" (based on my admittedly small amount of AJPW viewing). There's good psychology on display too as both men target the others' arm but also connect with suplexes, slams, and, in Kawada's case, signature kicks. (4/5)

Roddy Piper vs. Barry Horowitz (10/01/1989, WWE): This is barely a match and more of a "segment" to build up the Roddy Piper/Rick Rude match. Piper squashes Horowitz in under 2 minutes and basically beats him only using punches. Pretty lame considering Horowitz could actually bump and sell and Piper shows no creativity at all (though, to be fair, Vince might have told him to win with the simplest offense possible). After the match, Piper makes out with the woman who Rude had kissed earlier (and who had recoiled afterwards due to Rude's "bad breath"). This is more of a segment than a match so I'll give it some points for Roddy's charisma, but the "action" was very poor. (1.5/5)

Aja Kong and Bull Nakano vs. Eagle Sawai and Harley Saito (04/02/1993, AJW): I was surprised that this match - from Dreamslam I - did not have a thread on ProWrestlingOnly dedicated to it, but, then again, this did feel like something of a "slight" match on a card that looks pretty loaded. There were good moments in this match - Saito braining Nakano with a stiff kick to the head, Aja Kong no-selling a Sawaii slam and retalliating with a suplex of her own early, the double Uranakes towards the end, Bull Nakano hitting a ridiculous top rope senton/somersault double leg drop thingy - but also elements that I was less of a fan of, including the blatant use of weapons by Nakano and Kong (something that I understand is part of the genre, but I'm still not a fan of) and a sequence between Saito and Kong built around kicks to the head that felt a little "old hat" (and ended with Kong taking a back bump despite the force of the blow going to the back of her head, which, to me, means she should fall forward). The match didn't overstay its welcome, but it didn't hold my attention beginning-to-end and felt a little flat at times. (2.5/5)

Roddy Piper vs. "Ravishing" Rick Rude (09/30/1989, WWE): A couple days before the match I reviewed above, this wasn't anything too special in terms of in-ring action and story, but it does offer enough sports-entertainment to work as the build to their eventual cage match. Rude does most everything to give this match movement as Piper's offense consists of mostly punches and a swinging neckbreaker towards the end. The crowd was hot for this and the charisma and animosity between these two is enough to push into average territory but a non-finish keeps this from being even close to "must see." (2.5/5)

Manami Toyota vs. Kyoko Inoue (04/25/1992): The chemistry between Inoue, who comes into this match as the IWA World Champion (a title I'm not at all familiar with), and Manami Toyota is always fun to see, but what I enjoyed about this match more than their August bout was the much faster-paced opening minutes and the comparatively lesser focus on ground-based submission wrestling as compared to high-flying and suplexes. I'm a fan of Inoue's incredible arsenal of submissions, but I won't lie and say it doesn't sometimes get to be a bit much. Toyota is spectacular in this and I loved a particular sequence in which she came off the top rope to the floor with three different types of splashes. With both Toyota and Inoue, not everything is executed 100% clean, but I like the realism that imperfections can bring to a match, especially one as heated as this. (4/5)

Eric Embry vs. Tully Blanchard (01/31/1983, SCW): The story coming into this match is that Tully Blanchard was the Southwest Heavyweight Champion, having won the title in January, but had yet to defend the title and, according to the rulebook, this meant he needed to vacate the title (much to the delight of his rival Bob Sweetan). In a segment soon after, Blanchard reveals that he has spoken to Lou Thesz and that, as long as he defends the title that evening, he is still the champion - so he interrupts a scheduled Embry/Grappler match and then proceeds to bloody the hell out of Embry in route to retaining the championship. The match is more known for the "color" that Embry gets than it is for anything especially great in terms of back-and-forth action, but Blanchard's selling and character work is also on-point even before we get to the brutality. (3/5)

John "Nord the Barbarian" Nord vs. Nick Bockwinkel (08/30/1986, AWA): I wanted to enjoy this match more than I did because John Nord could be incredibly entertaining based on what I've seen of him in the WWE in the early 90s. Bockwinkel is almost always terrific and will give you at least one or two really clever moments, but this was mostly bland and has a finish that makes it all feel inconsequential. (1.5/5)

Devil Masami vs. Bull Nakano (04/08/1993, JWP): This has the powerbombs and the bridging suplexes and the flying legdrops and even Nakano getting sent into the guardrail with so much force that I was suprised she could even walk afterwards, but all of these highlights are spread across a lengthy 30+ minutes and the pacing does not make this as thrilling and exciting as it may have been had it been a touch shorter and streamlined. I'm also not a fan of the nunchuk use (and Masami goading Nakano into using them to prove her toughness). I was really surprised to see this have such a high score on Cagematch. (3/5)

Konosuke Takeshita vs. Orange Cassidy (12/20/2025, AEW): Lots to enjoy here as Takeshita and Cassidy put on a strong 17-minute match that featured everything one would expect out of these - complex sequences with lots of counters, stiff strikes out of Takeshita, Cassidy's usual hands-in-pockets shtick, and at least one or two nasty slams that look like they could've, would've, and should've crippled Cassidy. Like Darby Allin, Cassidy's willingness to throw himself into every spot is incredible but does not seem sustainable. If you're not a fan of Cassidy's gimmick or are especially critical of the fact that, after what seemed to be some character growth earlier in 2024 during his feud with Jon Moxley, he has seemingly landed right back to doing what he was doing before that stretch, this match will give you reason to be upset, but ignoring the context and just focusing on the 17 minutes of action we get (in front of a raucous crowd at the Hammerstein Ballroom), it's hard not to enjoy this. (3/5)

Stan Hansen and Gary Albright vs. Kenta Kobashi and Mitsuharu Misawa (11/29/1995, AJPW): This is noticeably "clipped" in the beginning as, when we join the match, Kobashi looks like he's already been beat to hell. Albright and Hansen continue to work on him with various submissions and stretches, building to a Misawa hot tag that blows the roof off the place. I really liked the realism of the finishing sequence with Misawa using all his strength and grit to restrain Hansen on the floor so that Kobashi could force a submission out of Albright. Inessential viewing and even kinda dull at times. Not my thing. (2/5)

Akira Hokuto vs. Manami Toyota (08/21/1993, AJW): This match kicks ass. If you're looking for extended selling after the initial damage that both women take to their legs, you're looking in the wrong place but I would suggest that the selling we do get in this match is more than you might typically see in a Hokuto or Toyota match and, in that regard, it stands out even more as a reason why this match is so excellent. Great powerbombs, great high-flying, real sense of struggle and urgency and, at under 18 minutes, it is perfectly digestible and enjoyable from the first second till the very end. I really can't believe Hokuto managed to wrestle another match later on this same night because it did not seem like her or Toyota had left anything in the tank. (4/5)

La Parka/Psicosis/Satanico vs. Konnan/Hijo Del Santo/Angel Azteca (02/11/1994, AAA): Pretty forgettable, but not necessarily because it's bad or the crowd is indifferent. In fact, Konnan was mega over and La Parka is always entertaining, but I was hoping for more dives and a faster pace. I liked the heels arguing with each other in Three Stooges fashion at one point. Konnan's arsenal of submissions was cool to see considering I don't recall him being nearly as watchable in WCW. Not bad, but not special either. (2.5/5)

Will Ospreay vs. WALTER (GUNTHER) (10/13/2018, OTT): The pre-match video package helped explain the importance of the match and how it got made, but anyone familiar with modern pro-wrestling won't need to see it to understand that these two guys were, at the end of the 2010s, arguably among the biggest names in international independent wrestling and that this was something of a "dream match" (though they had fought once before just a few months earlier). As expected, Ospreay has to use his high-flying, agility, and ability to take a tremendous of punishment to try to withstand GUNTHER's size and strength. They go to war for well over 20 minutes and there are some incredible spots in this, but I can see the argument that the overbooked false finish sequence and the maximalism of the entire match - with Ospreay busting every big move in his arsenal only for WALTER to cut him off at every turn - pushed things into "self-conscious epic" territory and away from the more organic type of classic match I enjoy more. A very good match, but maybe even a bit underwhelming in the sense that this was the exact match you'd expect - with all the bells and whistles and positives that one would hope for - but didn't transcend the admittedly high expectations. (3.5/5)

Devil Masami vs. Mayumi Ozaki (12/12/1993, JWP): This is good, though maybe a touch long. Devil Masami is way less animated in this match than in the other matches I've seen of hers from before she became something akin to joshi's version of The Undertaker. That being said, even if she has become a more stoic character and has adopted a more gothic look, its still Devil Masami we're talking about so you still get some absolutely sick powerbombs (there's a spot towards the end where she powerbombs Ozaki twice and then reverse-powerbombs her and it is unreal) and lots of impassioned shouting. I thought this was good but I can see why it didn't pop up on Cagematch or ProWrestlingOnly because it doesn't seem to have much significance and isn't the most impressive outing I've seen from either performer. There's enough good crowd-brawling and physicality from Ozaki and Masami to make this better-than-average, but this match probably would've been better had it been tightened up. (3/5)

Jushin Thunder Liger vs. Gedo (12/13/1994, WAR): This match starts off so cool with Liger absolutely punishing Gedo's arm with submissions and stomps. The way Liger works on Gedo's arm feels like something Bryan Danielson studied because it is so clinical and believable. Gedo is finally able to get some offense in after a low blow, which effectively made me stop feeling bad for him becaue Liger's dominance almost came across as heelish after awhile. Gedo hits a nice moonsault to the floor at one point but can't sustain his offense the way Liger did earlier in the match. Some good back-and-forth to build to the finish, but I did find the second half of the match to not be as interesting as the first half. (3/5)

Konnan/Octagon/Perro Agueyo vs. Psicosis/Pierroth/Cibernetico (03/18/1996, AAA): Another unremarkable trios match with the high points being whenever Psicosis and Perro Agueyo went at it. There was commentary for this match and commercial breaks, but either it is mis-dated on YouTube or Cagematch because the dates don't match. I'm going with the Cagematch date. Psicosis would get signed by WCW within a few months of this (he may have already been signed) and would become a regular there starting in October. Like the last trios match I reviewed, the action here wasn't super exciting and, as per the style, some of the clotheslines and strikes and even Psicosis' splash off the top look either light or sloppy. Sometimes lucha can be so spirited and energetic and fun that I think its great and sometimes I'm bored by it and feel like I'm missing what makes it great. This is an example of the latter. (1.5/5)

Barry Windham and Lex Luger vs. Arn Anderson and Tully Blanchard (04/23/1988, NWA): Luger and Windham came into this match as the NWA World Tag Team Champions having defeated Anderson and Blanchard for the belts sometime earlier (I think?). Luger and Windham had a long history with the Horsemen with Luger, at one point, being a Horseman despite Windham advising him against it upon his debut. Then, in the months building up to this, Flair and JJ Dillon had made overtures towards Windham, attempting to woo him into joining the Horseman. But, it is not until the final moments of this classic "southern style" tag match - with Windham handling the bulk of the in-ring work for a lengthy face-in-peril stretch after the initial babyface "shine" - that Windham, frustrated that Luger has been taken out on the floor and "lacerated" (I love JR's use of the word), turns on his partner and walks out of the arena with JJ Dillon. It doesn't make great sense to me that Windham, having wrestled a very, very heated battle against Anderson and Blanchard that involved low blows and cheap shots and big right hands, would immediately flash the Four Hoursemen sign as he left, but I'm guessing they wanted to tie things up quickly as opposed to stretching out the "Is He a Horseman or Not?" story (as we see with the post-match angle involving Dusty Rhodes, who was under the hood as the Midnight Rider at this point). As a match this is very good, but not necessarily great, but the post-match and the story it tells makes it a memorable title change. (3.5/5)  

  

Eddie Kingston vs. Chris Hero (09/29/2007,  IWA-Mid South): This was a "Last Man Standing" match between these rivals, getting started before either guy could even make it to the ring. The first big spot comers early with Kingston suplexing Hero onto a table that doesn't really break, making it even nastier. Kingston then sends Hero into a bunch of empty chairs and the gymnasium wall before throwing a chair into his face and trying to strangle him to death. They make their way towards the ring and trade strikes with Kingston going after Hero's eyes. Hero comes back with a running big boot but Kingston won't stay down for the 10 count. In the ring, Hero hits another big boot in the corner but gets thrown off by Kingston - so he hits him with another (cool spot). Hero stomps on Kingston's face and then delivers a senton before going out into the crowd and throwing a chair from the crowd into the ring at Eddie. He throws a few more and uses them, stomping one into Eddie's face and then using another to perfrom a front-flip splash onto Eddie. Hero applies a Boston Crab and uses the chair for extra damage, sitting back on it into the back of Kingston's neck! Holy shit. That was nasty. Kingston's nose is completely busted up, but he won't stay down for 10. Kingston comes back with a double-leg takedown and applies a guillotine choke but Hero fights out. Hero nails a ridiculous back suplex that puts Kingston down on his neck. The camera captures his face and it is a bloody mess. Powerbomb by Hero! Kingston's selling is brilliant and I'm not sure it's not 100% real. Hero stomps on Kingston's hand, trying to limit Eddie's striking ability. Hero continues to control the match for the next few minutes but Kingston fires back with some chops and an overhead release suplex. A strike exchange follows with both guys trading stiff slaps and chops and headbutts (the latter being particularly hard to watch as they went on). Kingston managed to land a German Suplex but Hero bounced right back and hit a suplex of his own (with Kingston landing on his feet this time). Dragon suplex by Kingston and then a ridiculous lariat! Hero barely manages to break the count, getting to his feet at 9. Kingston looks to end it with another Saito Suplex but Hero counters it and throws some chairs at Kingston's head before performing a "Cravate-O-Clasm" off the top rope with a chair wrapped around Kingston's neck. It doesn't look particularly great - the kind of move that was maybe too dangerous to even perform and, because it had to be done safely, didn't look as good as something simpler might've. Kingston manages to get to his feet, pulling himself up using the ropes. Hero, meanwhile, went back out into the crowd and grabbed a piece of the guardrail to bring into the ring. He drives it into Kingston's stomach and pins him into the corner. Kingston musters the strength to push back into Hero, driving him into the corner. Hero comes back with a big boot, though, stomping the rail into Eddie's face. Hero with a double stomp on the guardrail while it is laid on top of Kingston! Hero sets up the guardrial on the ropes and goes after Eddie, who comes back with some strikes. Hero goes for a powerbomb on the rail but Kingston manages to resist and hits him with a huge back hand. Kingston with a series of big back drops that put Hero on his neck! Kingston with a back drop driver into the guardrail! A "Holy Shit" chant starts up and it is well-deserved because that was nasty and an excellent finish to the match. Great performances from both men, some truly incredible hardcore spots, surprisingly good camera work for an indie match - this was excellent and deserving of its praise. (4.5/5)

Rock n' Roll Express vs. Randy Savage and Lanny Poffo (06/25/1984, CWA) - Not a lot of "meat" in the early going with Savage and Poffo regrouping on the outside after an initial flurry from the babyfaces. The Rock n' Rollers keep it basic but do hit some of their signature double teams on Lanny, cutting the ring in half and working on his legs. There's considerable "down time" in this match between bursts of action, but it doesn't dampen the spirit of the crowd. The Poffos take over when Robert Gibson misses a splash in the corner but then its right to a hot tag to Morton. All hell breaks loose soon after, with Angelo Poffo interfering on behalf of his sons on the outside. Morton takes some punishment and does his face-in-peril bit but rolls out of the way when Savage goes for an elbow from the second rope. In comes Lanny to cut off Morton's hope spots. Savage comes in and sends Morton back to the floor. Savage brings him back in the ring and prevents him from making the tag. Lanny comes in for a bodyslam and attempts a front flip senton - pretty ahead of its time for 1984 - but Morton rolls out of the way and makes the hot tag. Savage and Poffo get disqualified, though, when Angelo pulls the rope down and Gibson goes flying over the top rope. More brawling ensues with Savage piledriving Morton through the announcer's table! This started out unremarkable but ended up being quite entertaining. (3/5)

Devil Masami and Candy Okutsu vs. Mayumi Ozaki and Dynamite Kansai (02/11/1994, JWP): What a great match this is. Epic without feeling self-conscious. Fast-paced without feeling like nobody is selling anything. Cool, impactful spots but also nifty submissions and escalation of violence. I've read some things about JWP and how it differed from AJW with an in-ring style that was a little bit more "old school" and noticeably slower and while that is evident in this match, it doesn't mean it doesn't hold up to what the AJW roster was doing. There are good moments throughout the match but Devil Masami might be the MVP. Her press slam early on is awesome, the surfboard submission she applies to Ozaki is incredible (and I love Okutsu getting in some cheap shots while Masami has her suspended in the air), and, towards the end, she delivers a reverse powerbomb that looks devastating and leads perfectly to one of the better executed tag finishes I've seen recently. This was a terrific watch. (4/5)

Ted DiBiase vs. Dick Murdoch (12/31/1985, Mid-South Wrestling): A bloody and violent brawl that goes for 10 minutes and showcases how much fire Dibiase could show as a babyface. Not much technical wrestling on display, as Bill Watts repeatedly emphasizes on commentary, but that was to be expected. Speaking of Watts, his commentary lacks much enthusiasm or surprise or awe and it really hurt the match for me as it was hard to get excited with such a dry soundtrack. On ProWrestlingOnly, the lone review of this match describes it as a "classic" but I don't see it. Spirited brawl, crowd-pleasing finish with DiBiase using a loaded glove, effective straight-forward story - it's good, not great. (2.5/5)

Random Matches

Manami Toyota and Toshiyo Yamada vs. Dynamite Kansai and Mayumi Ozaki (11/26/1992, AJW): After I reviewed the Akira Hokuto/Kyoko Inoue match from earlier in this show (which I gave a perfect 5/5 score), I saw on ProWrestlingOnly that this match was even more beloved and was called, by more than one commenter, the greatest wrestling match ever....so, I figured I better check it out. It's a 2-out-of-3 falls bout for the WWWA World Tag Team Championships. From the lengthy introductions to the pre-match handshake, this one has "epic," "big fight" feel before the first strike is thrown - and the first couple strikes are brutal as Yamada basically punches Kansai full force in the face repeatedly. In comes Ozaki and Toyota, who takes the advantage with a big dropkick and then some boots on the bottom rope. Ozaki hits a flying clothesline and then tags in Kansai, who lands a kick and then a suplex before applying a dragon sleeper. She headbutts Toyota in the stomach to maintain control and Ozaki comes in and strikes her in the gut. Kansai unloads a bunch more stiff kicks to the back of Toyota after dropping her neck-first on the top rope and tags out. Ozaki applies a nasty STF and then a brutal-looking camel clutch. Holding Toyota up, Ozaki stretches her so that Kansai can come in and kick her full force in the chest! Oh god. In comes Yamada to try to break things up, kicking Ozaki in the jaw. In comes Kansai again to drive Toyota head-first into the mat. Kansai whips Toyota into the ropes and she comes back with a nifty dropkick before tagging in Yamada, who brutalizes Kansai with some hellacious kicks. Whoo. Yamada sits on Kansai's back and applies a headlock, cranking on Dynamite's neck. After a side suplex, Yamada applies a dragon sleeper. Yamada tags in Toyota, who comes in with a dropkick. Ozaki comes in and Toyota hits her with a dropkick but Ozaki evades the second one and lands a forearm and then a vertical suplex. Ozaki applies a half-crab, but Toyota won't give up. Ozaki switches gears to a bow-and-arrow but can't secure it. In comes Kansai, who takes out Toyota with a series of kicks and then a clothesline off the ropes. Kansai applies a half-crab of her own before pulling Toyota up by her hair and waffling her with a forearm to the back. In comes Ozaki with an axehandle and another ultra-painful-looking chinlock. Toyota manages to make a tag (it helps that Yamada is already in the ring) and Ozaki eats some kicks, a running clothesline in the corner, and a snappy DDT for 2. Yamada hits a side suplex and then its stereo time with a double dropkick and double atomic throw. Ozaki counters another attempted double-team with a headlock and then, again, with a pin attempt, and Ozaki and Kansai manage to hit a double stungun on Yamada and then a pair of topes to the floor. Back in the ring, Kansai hits a tombstone piledriver and then her and Ozaki come down with double headbutts from the top rope. Toyota prevents the pinfall but is sent to the outside corner by the ref. Kansai tries a powerbomb but Toyota breaks it up. German by Yamada and then, after a tag, another by Toyota! Toyota misses the moonsault, though, and eats a huge lariat from Kansai, but, again, the pinfall is broken up. Toyota hits a pretty weak DDT but gets hit by a dropkick from Ozaki off the top and then powerbombed by Kansai to end the first fall. Kansai and Ozaki do a small bit of celebrating while Toyota recovers, looking totally rocked. The bell sounds and the champs go right back on attack with Kansai attempting another powerbomb by Toyota countering it in a pin attempt. In comes Yamada, who hits a series of nasty suplexes onto Kansai, dropping her right on the side of her head repeatedly. Toyota hits a dropkick and then its another suplex by Yamada! Yamada hits a jumping kick from the top rope and takes out Ozaki with a clothesline. Yamada then hits a ridiculous move I'm not sure I've seen before, hooking Kansai's arms, turning her upside, and then dropping her neck-first with the impact of a powerbomb. Holy cow. That ends the second fall, tying things up. This time, when the bell rings, its Yamada who comes firing out of the corner with stiff kicks, but Kansai fights back and goes for a quick pin. Ozaki comes in and applies an armbar on the mat and will not let go, transitioning into an even harsher wristlock and then repeatedly stomping on Yamada's arm. Ozaki whips her into the ropes but eats a kick and in comes Toyota, who hits a beautiful series of dropkicks! One of them looks like it almost takes Ozaki's head off of her shoulders. Toyota hits a suplex but Kansai breaks up the pin. Toyota grapevines the leg and falls back repeatedly to wrench it. Indian deathlock time into a bow-and-arrow by Toyota! Snap piledriver into an odd submission by Toyota. Yamada comes back in and applies a Stretch Muffler. Kansai breaks it up with stiff kicks. Ozaki recovers, though, landing a german suplex of her own and then making a tag. Kansai with some clotheslines in the corner and then a Northern Lights suplex for 2. Kansai applies the Sharpshooter/cloverleaf, which brings Toyota out from the corner. Kansai maintains the hold, though, and Yamada is forced to try to reach for the ropes. Kansai gives up the move and sends Yamada to the outside to get tortured by Ozaki. A wild brawl ensues with Ozaki and Yamada both getting slammed onto the floor. Back in the ring, Kansai is kicking and stomping and kneeing Yamada llike nobody's business. She applies a modified bow-and-arrow before slamming Yamada to the mat so that Ozaki can hit her with a beautiful front flip senton. Ozaki follows it up with an awesome jumping powerbomb! Wow. Toyota breaks up the cover, though, so Ozaki applies another leg submission. To the floor they go, where Kansai smashes a chair over Yamada's head and into her back. Ozaki comes to lend support but then Toyota joins the fray with a chair in hand. Yamada gets rolled back into the ring and Ozaki applies another rear headlock/stretch before holding her up for a Kansai dropkick. In comes Toyota, but she eats a lariat too and then a high angle back suplex. And another! And a third! Yamada breaks up the pin attempt! Kansai applies a Sharpshooter, but Toyota reaches the ropes to break the hold. Kansai with a scoop slam and Ozaki hits a beautiful twisting splash for 2. Toyota hit a dropkick off the ropes, though, and then a series of diving tackles before landing a moonsault for 2. Toyota's momentum shift here was a bit jarring, but also very much "of the genre." Yamada comes in and nails a leg drop for 2. She sends Ozaki into the corner and in comes Kansai and these two go to war once more, stiffing each other with strikes and kicks. At one point, the ref even checks on Yamada because Kansai looks like she might legit knock her out with one of her kicks to the head. Brutal stuff. Kansai misses a spinning heel kick so Yamada lays in a series of kicks of her own, including one off the rope and another to the back of the head that puts Kansai out for 2. Yamada makes the tag and Toyota delivers a bunch more german suplexes for more nearfalls. Toyota goes off the ropes but Kansai catches her with a suplex and then tags in Ozaki, who hits a bridging suplex of her own and then a sit-out powerbomb for 2! Goddamn, that looked nasty. Ozaki hits a dropkick off the ropes and evades an attempt at one by Toyota. In comes Kansai, who brings Toyota to the mat, holding her down so that Ozaki can hit some stomps. Kansai applies a figure four and then Ozaki joins in with an armbar! Nice work, ref. Kansai maintains the hold after Ozaki returns to the corner. Toyota reaches for the ropes but Ozaki stomps on her foot! Eventually, she reaches the ropes anyway so Kansai releases the hold and repeatedly kicks her in the leg. Toyota rolls out of the ring and Ozaki whips her into the rail. Yamada makes the save, bringing Ozaki all the way into the stands. Yamada hits some big strikes on Kansai but Ozaki is back and the melee continues. Back in the ring, Ozaki applies a front facelock on Toyota and then transitions into a body scissors. Toyota slaps her way out of it, running on pure emotion. Toyota makes the tag and Yamada rallies, hitting Kansai with a big side suplex and then a few more kicks to the head off the ropes for another near fall. Toyota tries a tornado DDT from the top but Kansai catches her and suplexes her to the mat for 2. Toyota counters another suplex attempt into a rolling pin and gets another 2.8! A double clothesline attempt is thwarted and the champs hit stereo Germans with Kansai getting another very close nearfall. In comes Ozaki, who hits a back suplex with a bridge for 2. Yamada springs up, though, elbowing Ozaki in the face and then trying a backslide pin. Ozaki goes ot the top but Toyota grabs her by the hair and Yamada meets her up there, hitting a release belly-to-belly off the top! Pin broken up by Kansai! Toyota and Yamada hit double diving headbutts but it only gets 2! Ozaki hits a german on Toyota and then splashes Yamada on the floor. Kansai tries a suicide dive but crashes into Ozaki. Springboard moonsault to the floor by Toyota! She rolls Ozaki in the ring for a 2-on-1 double tilt-a-whirl slam! Scoop by slam by Yamada and a moonsault by Toyota...1...2...2.9! Toyota lifts her by her hair and whips her into the ropes. She catches her with a big body block for 2. Back on their feet, Toyota whips Ozaki into the ropes but Ozaki uses the momentum to boot Yamada off the apron. Kansai comes in and its 2-on-1 with Kansai hitting a scoop slam and Ozaki attempting another splash, but Toyota rolls out of the way! Yamada is back in the ring to take out Kansai! German suplex by Toyota...1...2...3! Everyone, including Yamada, looks shocked at the finish. At well over 30 minutes, this was an absolute epic and full of great moments and incredible spots. They absolutely loaded this up with action and I loved the dynamics at play with Yamada and Kansai serving as the big badass strikers and Ozaki and Toyota delivering the goods in terms of high-risk maneuvers. The amount of suplexes thrown in this match would make Brock Lesnar blush. That being said, there was a lot of repetition throughout the match and, like many other joshi matches, to enjoy this one has to not mind the blatant lack of extended selling and the bad refereeing. Pyschology-wise, this was 40 minutes of bomb-throwing but, knowing that this was an interpromotional "dream match" of sorts, that can be understood to a degree and, clearly, the audience loved every minute of it. This wouldn't rank in my personal top 10, but it was undoubtedly a great match and worth checking out if you're a fan of this style. (4/5)

Lex Luger, Sting, and Barry Windham vs. Ric Flair, Tully Blanchard, and Arn Anderson (03/31/1988, NWA): While I think the 8.38 (!) rating on Cagematch is a bit much for a "clipped" match from a random episode of NWA Main Event, if you're a fan of NWA wrestling, this is about as fun and spirited a 6-man as you'll likely find. They don't reinvent the wheel at all, delivering a straightforward match that gives everyone a chance to shine. The babyfaces control early before Luger plays the face-in-peril. The crowd is super hot for this, as one would expect giving the setting (Spartanburg, South Carolina). The wrestlin itself is nothing super special, but the pace is frenetic and we do get a bunch of "greatest hits" moments without it feeling like they're checking off a list (highlights include Sting press-slamming Flair off the top and Barry taking his signature bump over the top rope). Inessential viewing, but that doesn't mean its not good. (3/5)

Cibernetico/Fishman/Psicosis/Pentagon vs. Konnan/La Parka/Ultimo Dragon/Octagon (03/06/1996, AAA): This was a bit confusing at times, so I'm guessing that knowing the context would have helped me enjoy this more. That being said, La Parka is always a pleasure to watch. I felt like this lacked the big dives and high spots that I've grown to expect out of a Psicosis match in the mid-90s. The Pentagon/Octagon stuff is fun until Pentagon suffers an injury off of a back body drop and needs to be taken out of the match. I'm not sure if that was legit or an angle and I couldn't find much about it online. I was hoping this would be a funner watch. (2/5)

Akira Nogami and Shinya Hashimoto vs. Masahito Kakihara and Tatsuaki Nakano (10/28/1995, UWFi): Hashimoto is clearly the most over guy of the bunch as, anytime he does anything, it gets a loud reaction compared to the others. This wasn't as action-packed as I was hoping, which I probably should've expected considering this was UWFi match (which means that it was going to be more "shoot-based," emphasizing realism over theatrics and storytelling). Not my cup of tea. (1.5/5)

Randy Savage vs. Jerry "The King" Lawler (03/10/1984, CWA): This was a TV match that was clearly designed to whet the appetite of fans and build up the rivalry rather than deliver any sort of conclusion. In that end, it is effective, but there's really not much to sink into. The match itself goes about 10 minutes and ends with Angelo Poffo getting involved to cause the DQ. Not much to really say about this. (2/5)

Aja Kong and Akira Hokuto vs. Eagle Sawai and Shinobu Kandori (04/11/1993, AJW): This was an interpromotional battle between AJW's best - Kong and Hokuto - and Hokuto's nemesis Kandori and Eagle Sawai from the LLPW promotion but the real drama here is between Hokuto and Kandori, who had put on a classic match just nine days earlier (I gave it an ultra-rare 5/5 score on this very blog some time ago). There's plenty to love in this match as everyone gives a terrific performance, the crowd is hot, and the pre- and post-match promos by Kong, while given in a language I don't understand, came across as especially angry and passionate. Highlights included the ridiculous powerbombs Kandori delivered, Aja Kong hitting an Uranake out of nowhere to the back of Kandori's skull, Kong assisting Hokuro for one of her signature front-flip splashes to the floor early on, some seriously stiff kicks out of Kong, and an all-time great finish that only works because the intensity and "shoot" feel of the match was played to the hilt from beginning to end. Another great match that shows why at least 3-out-of-4 of these women are in the GOAT conversation for women. (3.5/5)

Shawn Michaels vs. Buddy Landell (08/04/1995, SMW): I checked out this Smoky Mountain Wrestling match as I saw it name-checked a few times on ProWrestlingOnly and have always found Buddy Landell to be an interesting and entertaining worker (albeit an inconsistent one). This isn't great and because the production value is low, it's not an easy match to get lost in. The story here is that Landell had turned a corner in SMW, denounced his old hard-living ways, and was trying to prove himself as a babyface despite still being managed by Jim Cornette (who he explicitly told not to interfere on his behalf). Because of this story, it's not so much a babyface Landell vs. heel Michaels match with Michaels as the centerpiece, which is what most would imagine this would be considering HBK's status even in 95' (a good 8 months before he'd finally win "the big one" at WrestleMania XII). I liked the story they told with the finish as Cornette ends up costing Landell the match against Buddy's wishes. (2.5/5)

Zach Sabre Jr. vs. Blake Christian (03/02/2023, ROH): This was for Sabre's NJPW Television Championship but took place on a Ring of Honor broadcast. The commentators play up the fact that there is a 15-minute time limit and that Sabre is well-equipped to go the distance, noting that William Regal used a similar formula to hold onto the TV Championship in WCW for months on end in the early 90s. This match didn't go the full 15, but it was almost got there as Christian put up a strong fight. Sabre got to show off his technical expertise early on and also his counter game. This fell well short of "must watch" territory, but was fine for what it was and did feature at least a few neat moments including Sabre countering a Fosbury Flop into a cravat and a whole bunch of unique submissions. (2.5/5)

Devil Masami and Jumbo Hori vs. Dump Matsumoto and Desiree Petersen (??/??/1984, AJW): I couldn't find much of anything about this match online, though I didn't exactly scour every website ever. Based on what I could find, Desiree Petersen worked in Japan in 1984 but was back stateside in 1985. This is a rough watch because the crowd noise and original commentary is dubbed over by what I believe to be an Italian announcer. This mostly a brawl but there is the occasional wrestling hold thrown in there from Masami. Speaking of Masami, her segments with Matsumoto are the better parts of the match which is a good thing because they also make up the lion's share of the in-ring action anyway. Bull Nakano makes a cameo as she was part of Matsumoto's crew. Pretty unremarkable but I could see superfans of this era and this style thinking this is terrific. (2/5)

Billy Kidman vs. Psicosis (09/27/1999, WCW): This was a Hair vs. Mask match. I forget if it was Bischoff in charge or Vince Russo at this point, but WCW seemed hell-bent on unmasking all of their luchadores to make their more "marketable," which was a very dumb strategy as, had they actually shown some initiative, they probably could've sold a ton of Mysterio, Juventud, Psicosis, and La Parka masks. Anyway...this wasn't as good as I was hoping for as a Psicosis fan and someone who looks back on the cruiserweight division with fondness. They do some cool moves, of course, but this suffers from a questionable heel/face dynamic. On one hand, Psicosis having Chavo Guerrero and Juventud Guerrera interfere on his behalf clearly makes Psicosis the villain and Kidman overcoming the odds is a classic babyface formula...but why are we rooting for the luchadores to lose their masks again? Kidman's motivation is never made clear so his determination to take away the legacy and cultural touchstone of Psicosis (and the rest of the luchadores) is off-putting. The weight of the stipulation hurts more than it helps an otherwise solid outing. (2.5/5)

Nick Gage vs. La Parka (11/23/2018, AIW): This match happened just a few miles from my house and, looking at the card, I definitely missed out as this show also featured Eddie Kingston, Danhausen, MJF (against Hornswoggle!), and Laredo Kid. Gage and La Parka have the kind of chair-filled brawl one would expect with Parka delivering an awesome suicide dive towards the end to show that he could still leave his feet when he needed to. I was surprised that we didn't get much "color" but I could also understand Gage and La Parka not wanting to go all-out with a true death match on a relatively small show like this. Inessential viewing, but not bad at all. (2.5/5) 

Kyoko Inoue vs. Manami Toyota (08/18/1991, AJW): This was the semi-finals of the Japan Grand Prix tournament so the winner would have to compete again, which explains why this is wrestled as a "sprint" and goes under 12 minutes. Still, within those dozen minutes we see a whole bunch of nifty submissions and Toyota deliver an insane springboard moonsault from to the floor. Inoue would likely be my older brother's favorite wrestler (if he knew who she was as a kid) because her submission game is ridiculous. Meltzer nearly gave this 5 stars in the Observer, which seems a little high for such a short match, but this is wrestled at a ridiculous pace at a time when this sort of match was not common at all in the US. (3/5)

AEW World's End 2025

AEW World's End 2025

Chicago, IL - December 2025

CHAMPIONSHIP RUNDOWN: Coming into this show, the AEW World Champion was Samoa Joe, the AEW Women's World Champion was Kris Statlander, the TBS Champion was Mercedes Mone, the TNT Champion was Mark Briscoe, the AEW Unified Champion was Okada (as he held the Continental and International Championships), Ricochet was the National Champion, FTR were the World Tag Team Champions, the Babes of Wrath (Willow Nightingale and Harley Cameron) were the Women's World Tag Team Champions, and The Opps (Samoa Joe, Will Hobbs, and Shibata) were the Trios Champions. 

Konosuke Takeshita vs. Kazuchika Okada in the first of two semi-finals of the Continental Classic was the opening match of the show. The match began with some tentative mat wrestling, neither guy taking any risks. A "Fuck Don Callis" chant broke out as they picked up the pace and we saw both guys swing and miss with signature strikes until Takeshita took Okada down with a flying clothesline. To the outside they went, with Takeshita winning Okada into the rail but Okada then bringing him into a chair with a drop toe hold. Okada maintained control for the next few days but Takeshita came back with a vertical suplex, a hurricanrana, and a beautiful tope to the floor. Takeshita slowed things down with a chinlock but Okada escaped and hit his signature neckbreaker. Okada followed it up with an elbow drop before playing to the crowd. A strike exchange followed and then we had both men attempting and countering piledrivers with Takeshita eventually delivering a package piledriver followed immediately by a wheelbarrow suplex. Takeshita looked to end it but Okada countered only for Takeshita to counter a Rainmaker into a Blue Thunder Bomb! That sequence brought about a "This Is Awesome" chant. Moments later, Takeshita ate a Rainmaker but didn't go down until he got nailed with a second one. He went for a third but Takeshita caught him with a forearm and we got another excellent sequence ending with Okada hitting a German suplex out of the corner. From here we got beautiful dropkicks, a reverse-rana, Okada kicking out at 2.9 after taking a nasty running knee - it was all excellent. Okada dug a screwdriver out from the corner of the ring and eventually caught Takeshita in the head with it to earn a very dirty win. This was a very solid match and while I didn't mind the cheap finish in theory, I kinda wish they had come up with a different way to do it as getting "knocked out" by a screwdriver (as opposed to, say, brass knuckles) seems a bit odd when using a screwdriver usually means you're opening someone up. (3.5/5)

The other half of the semi-finals - Jon Moxley vs. Kyle Fletcher - was next. Like the opener, this was technically a heel/heel contest but it was somewhat expected that Moxley would get cheered. After some feeling out, Fletcher tried to play mind games by spending time on the outside of the ring, which only drew Mox to him. Fletcher continued to play to the crowd, but did some land offense in the form of stomps and chops. Back to the outside they went where Mox whipped Fletcher into the guardrail and then sat him on a chair for a big boot. Fletcher fought back, trapping Mox's leg between the steps and the ring apron. When Fletcher pulled the steps away, Mox slipped and went mouth-first into the steps (chipping his tooth in the process). Back in the ring, Fletcher applied a leglock. Fletcher continued to work on the knee, wrapping it around the second rope and then applying a single-leg crab. Mox escaped and hit a neckbreaker out of nowhere, but Fletcher rolled to the outside. Mox came crashing into him with a suicide dive through the middle rope. Fletcher came back with a Michinoku Driver for 2 as Mox continued to sell leg damage. Fletcher went for a boot in the corner but Mox caught him with a clothesline, leading to a clothesline exchange that ended with Mox nearly taking Kyle's head off. A forearm contest followed and then Mox hit a dropkick and some punches in the corner, but Fletcher dumped him to the apron. Fletcher went for a running kick but Mox countered it. Back on the apron, Mox missed a stomp and Fletcher nailed him with a true brainbruster. Damn. Mox was nearly counted out and then pinned when Fletcher nailed him with a huge powerbomb back in the ring. Fletcher reapplied the half-crab but Mox would not tap. Fletcher pulled back too far, though, ending up caught in the Bulldog Choke! Fletcher escaped by grabbing an Ankle Lock, which seemed like it legitimately popped Danielson on commentary. Moxley was able to grab the ropes and the crowd began to chant his name, rooting him on as Fletcher booted him in the chest and face. Fletcher hoisted him up for a superplex but fought back, biting Fletcher in the head and then bringing him back into the ring with an Avalance Cutthroat Suplex (!). Fletcher took an absolutely nasty head drop. It was unreal that Fletcher could even move after it. Mox hit a stomp as Tenay noted that we were at 19 minutes (which would've been near the time limit in a typical CC match). Fletcher somehow rallied, landing a superkick and a half-and-half suplex, but Mox kicked out at 1! Fletcher hit the running boot and another brainbuster but, again, Mox kicked out! Fletcher sold the disappointment by nearly breaking into tears. Fletcher hit Mox with a big clothesline and then started ripping apart some of the turnbuckles, clearly searching for the screwdriver, but this allowed Moxley to rally and hit the Paradigm Shift for 1...2....Fletcher kicked out! Great false finish there. Mox fired up and hit the Death Rider...and again, Fletcher kicked out! Bulldog Choke by Mox! Fletcher was able to get to his feet but Fletcher, his face nearly purple, had no answer for it as his arm got raised and dropped 3 times. Another very, very good match. I didn't love Fletcher not selling the damage and exhaustion after getting put to sleep, his screaming at Bryce Remsburg coming across a bit too animated for me, but I did like him being an asshole and clipping Mox's knee after the match. This match clearly positioned Mox as the babyface heading into the finals. (3.5/5)

The AEW World Tag Team Championships were on the line in a Chicago Street Fight as FTR defended against the somewhat-makeshift team of Austin Gunn and Juice Robinson, two members of the Bang Bang Gang. Dax and Juice went brawling in the stands while Gunn and Wheeler fought up the ramp. The latter brought a trash can into the mix as Dax and Robinson made their way back towards the ring. Stokely set up a table but Dax couldn't put it to use right away. Robinson tried to put The Ax through it, but got brought down from the top rope with a back suplex by Wheeler. Dax worked on Gunn with the trash can and a cane got used as well, the champions in full control. The BBG rallied using their speed but Wheeler cut off their momentum by sending Gunn into the steps. Wheeler then brought a belt into the ring, which Dax used to clobber Robinson. Gunn got some offense in with a trash can lid, including a cool back splash while wearing it. Robinson got some "color" (presumably from getting hit by the championship belt) and tried to hit a DDT on Dax but Wheeler made the save the heels worked on Juice's leg, jamming it with a chair repeatedly. Robinson nearly caught them by surprise with an inside cradle on Dax, but then got his leg bashed again with a chair by Wheeler. Wheeler then came off the top rope with a stomp to the knee while Dax held Robinson down on the mat. Great heel work there by FTR. Dax applied a figure four and held onto it as Wheeler dove onto Gunn (and through a table on the floor). Robinson reached the ropes but there are no breaks in a streetfight. He got hold of a fire extinguisher, though, blasting Dax in the face with it to force a release and then hit a front face-driver-thingy for 2 with Stokely breaking up the count. Stokely grabbed a chair but Robinson blocked him and took it for himself, cracking Dax in the back with it a few times and waffling Wheeler with it too. Juice went to use it one more time but Stokely grabbed hold of it. Robinson shoved him off the apron and Stokely went flying into a table, but instead of crashing through it, he bounced off of it and into the announce table! Ouch. That was definitely a painful botch. Back in the ring, FTR hit a somewhat-awkward Shatter Machine for 2 (with Gunn breaking up the pin). Gunn hit a low blow on Wheeler and went for a Fameasser on the flattened trash can but Dax caught him with a piledriver instead. FTR hit a Spike Piledriver and then a second one "on" the championship belt (though, it didn't look too hot) to end the match. This started out a bit underwhelming, had some good work in the middle when FTR focused on Juice's knee, but then got a bit sloppy and messy towards the end with Stokely's bump and some less precise moments in the end. Not bad. (2.5/5)

Mercedes Mone and Athena challenged the AEW Women's World Tag Team Champions - The Babes of Wrath, Willow Nightingale and Harley Cameron. Athena came into this match as the Ring of Honor Women's World Champion, a reign that has lasted over 3 years at this point, while Mone came in holding a very respectable 10 Championships, including the AEW TBS Championship. Highlights included - Willow hitting a powerbomb on the apron to Mone but then eating a ridiculously forceful suicide dive from Athena, Mone delivering the double-knees in the corner off an Irish whip from her partner, and Athena somehow getting Willow up for a powerbomb-into-a-Codebreaker-type move that looked hellacious, and Cameron hitting a double crucifix-bomb. There were some awkward moments due to telegraphing and imperfect timing (Cameron's hot tag to Willow looked not a little bit silly), with even some of the better spots looking a tad bit sloppy, but they kept the crowd engaged and Athena looked particularly good here. I loved Mone and Athena inadvertently hitting each other with a splash and a forearm respectively but then combining their effort to hit a series of nifty double-team maneuvers. Though the result was what most fans predicted, I thought the actual finish was a bit of a surprise (and well-executed to boot). Not a Match of the Year candidate or anything, but an effective match and an improvement from the Finals several weeks ago that the Babes had with Storm and Shirakawa. (3/5)

Next up - a grudge match as Darby Allin took on the Death Riders' mercenary, Gabe Kidd. Before the match, one of Allin's weird videos aired, soundtracked by a "Hurt" by Nine Inch Nails soundalike and ending with a cryptic message ("I'll Remember You As You Were, Not As What You'll Become"). Allin took a nasty bump early, spilling onto the floor from a two-hand shove after being perched on the top rope. From there, Kidd continued to dominate, sending Allin into the steps and barrier. Allin hit a suicide dive from the ring to the floor to even things up, but then essentially got thrown into the timekeeper's table in another hellacious bump. In a really cool moment, Kidd set up Allin in a catapult position within the steel steps and dropped back, sending Allin face-first through the top of the steps. Allin managed to get back into the ring but was busted open badly. From there, it was basically a greatest hits of "Allin getting the shit kicked out of him" as we saw him hit the turnbuckles hard, get run off the apron and around the post, and getting blasted with strikes and tossed around by power moves with the occasional hope spot thrown in. It may be formulaic, but it's still captivating. Kudos to Kidd for the bladejob he took too, eating a chair to the face from a Darby Allin dropkick. Allin hit a Code Red from the top rope and then a Coffin Drop but couldn't get the cover as Kidd rolled to the outside, where Allin hit him with another Coffin Drop. At this point, Kidd was sporting the proverbial "crimson mask" as Allin rolled him into the ring and went for another pin but, when he couldn't get it, hit a Scorpion Death Drop and then locked Kidd in the Scorpion Deathlock. Allin couldn't maintain the hold, though, and Kidd came back at him with a series of strikes, including a nasty lariat, and then a classic piledriver for 2.9. Kidd rained down on him with more forearms across the chest but got caught in a pinning perdicament, his shoulders pushed to the mat with Allin's full weight across them. It wasn't a definitive victory so Kidd looked plenty credible even in the loss. That was ultra-violent and very good, maybe a hair short of "must see"/Match of the Year contender territory. (3.5/5)

Next up was Toni Storm teaming up with Roderick Strong, Orange Cassidy, and Mark Briscoe to take on Marina Shafir, Daniel Garcia, Claudio Castignoli, and Wheeler Yuta in a match dubbed "Mixed Nuts Mayhem" where no tags were necessary. Yuta got great heat early by tossing Storm out of the ring, but then got his comeuppance from Briscoe, who also took out Garcia with an awesome cannonball to the outside. Because this was wrestled under "Tornado" rules, it was non-stop action in the ring with lots of cut-offs and saves and unique pairings. Cassidy was over huge with the crowd and his sequence with Shafir got a big reaction. It eventually became 4-on-1 on Cassidy, with OC getting destroyed in the corner by all four heels until Strong tried to make the save and ended up eating chest chops from Shafir (Strong's real life wife) as well as another 4-on-1 relay of splashes and strikes in the corner. Briscoe came in next and got beaten down as well, the Death Riders once again crushing him in the corner with rapid-fire offense. Storm came in to make the save and we saw her and Shafir go at it with Shafir getting dumped to the outside with a Hip Attack. Claudio grabbed Toni's hair but Briscoe saved her and they hit Claudio with a double shoulder tackle to a sizable pop. We then got a really fun moment in which Cassidy and Storm performed a modified ballroom dance to take out the Death Riders. Briscoe hit the Froggy 'Bow on Claudio and almost got a 3 but Garcia and Wheeler made the save. Storm stood up to them, though, taking both out with German Suplexes. Moments later she hit a tornado DDT on Claudio but ended up in the Giant Swing, tossed halfway across the ring. This left Strong and Shafir in the ring, squaring off, the crowd popping huge. Another huge flurry of offense and saves and signature moves followed with Storm hitting a Storm Zero on Garcia and a Hip Attack on Yuta and Yuta then eating the Jay Driller to end the match. This wasn't Hackenschmidt and Gotch, but it was entertaining as all hell and the exact kind of match you won't really ever see in the WWE. Good stuff. (3/5)

The AEW Women's World Champion, Kris Statlander, defended her title against Jamie Hayter in the next bout. Good, physical wrestling to start with both women trying for quick pins and hitting impressive shoulder tackles. The stereo kip-up spot wasn't great and I'm not sure why they went for it considering neither one is particularly agile, but things got better from there when Statlander hit a cool leg drop on the apron and then a catapult into the steps. Back and forth it went with Statlander and Hayter both throwing all of themselves into every dropkick, knee strike, and forearm. This was not a "pretty" match, but it was stiff as all hell at times, which made it stand out from the fun, loose spirit of the previous match. The crowd wasn't 100% with them - at one point I think there was a "Green Bay Sucks" chant - but did come alive at times, including for Hayter's Avalanche fisherman's suplex, a sick-looking package piledriver by Statlander, and an absolutely insane Michinoku Driver off the top rope that drew a "Holy Shit" chant (and a considerable amount of ire from online fans who were legitimately concerned). Stat went for Hayter's Hayterade finish soon after but Hayter somehow managed to counter it into an awesome overhead suplex and then a Shining Wizard. This led to yet another impressive sequence of counters and reversals that ended with Hayter hitting a backbreaker and Statlander coming right back at her with a suplex, leaving both women on the mat. A forearm exchange followed with Statlander nearly taking Hayter's head off with a lariat (essentially a Hayterade) only for Hayter to hit her with the Saturday Night Fever! Hayter couldn't make the cover though, too exhausted to even drape her arm over the champion. While Hayter was able to land one more big lariat, Statlander managed to put her down with a Saturday Night Fever to retain the title in one of the most physical matches I've seen in some time. That was an absolute war and a career match for both women. (4/5)

After some backstage promos from the two finalists, it was time for Jon Moxley vs. Kazuchika Okada in the tournament finals of the 2025 Continental Classic. As Don Callis noted during the promo, Okada was looking to win back-to-back tournaments. Okada offered a handshake once the bell rang but Mox flipped him the bird in response. Okada gave him one in return after a lock-up. Mox applied a wristlock but Okada went after the heel and lower leg, sending Mox to the outside to recover. Back in the ring, Okada continued his work on the ankle but Mox escaped by grabbing the bottom rope and, moments later, Okada's eye. Okada's focus on Mox's leg didn't make for the most electric opening, but the logic was there. Mox ended up on the top rope and Okada hit him with a dropkick that caused Mox to fall to the floor, catching his leg on the top rope in the process. On the floor, Okada hit a DDT as Mox continued to sell damage to his ankle, stumbling around the ring. Okada hit a kneebreaker on the top of the steps and then a kick to the knee on the floor and back in the ring. Okada applied a leg lock, but Mox fought out with headbutts. Deuling chants started up, which was somewhat surprising. Okada hit an impressive senton by the ropes and then his signature neckbreaker for 2. Okada hit an elbow drop to the chest off the top rope and flipped off the crowd, but Mox grabbed his middle finger and did some joint manipulation before hitting a lariat. Mox went to the mat immediately after though, unable to stay on his feet. Mox applied a figure four, but Okada got to the ropes. Okada caught him with a pair of dragon screws and then applied a Texas Cloverleaf, forcing Mox to the bottom rope around the 13-minute mark of the match. Okada delivered some forearms in the corner and then attempted an Alabama Slam but Mox countered with a Gotch-style piledriver for 2. Mox went for the Bulldog Choke but brought Okada up to his feet to try a Death Rider. Okada managed to evade the move and, with the ref in the corner, hit a low blow on Moxley and then a Rainmaker...but only got 2.5! Another round of deuling chants started up as Okada went to the outside to grab hold of the Continental Championship belt. The ref grabbed it from him and handed it back to the timekeeper, distracted long enough for Mox to hit a low blow of his own. With both men on their feet, we got a strike exchange with Mox landing a series of punches but then eating a dropkick. Mox no sold it, though! Okada went for the backslide but Mox rolled through so Okada hit him with another Rainmaker! Okada kept hold of Mox's wrist, opting not to go for the cover, and got hit by a Paradigm Shift DDT for 2. Mox went for another choke but Okada escaped. Mox caught Okada with a Rainmaker of his own and another Paradigm Shift but only got a 1 count! Curb Stomp by Mox and a Death Rider to end it! I didn't love that the finishing sequence saw Mox stop selling the damaged ankle, which had been the story of the match up until then, but at least the commentators played up the idea that it was Mox's adrenaline that had carried him there. After the match, the rest of the Death Riders came out to celebrate with him. Mox then cut a promo essentially thanking all of the other Continental Classic tournament entrants, the fans, and the rest of the locker room. It was long-winded and repetitive and not his best work, but more oddly, it was antithetical to the Death Riders' established objective (which Danielson noted on commentary too). All-in-all, a good match, but not an all-time great one and a match where your "mileage may vary" depending on how into Mox you are. (3/5)

Main event time - Swerve Strickland vs. "Hangman" Adam Page vs. MJF vs. the AEW World Champion, Samoa Joe. With four guys in the ring and all sorts of history to play off of, this was non-stop action from the very beginning. One early highlight was MJF doing Swerve's dance to a big reaction but then getting a taste of his own medicine when Swerve thrust his crotch in his face. Moments later, Hangman didn't quite nail his moonsault off the top to the floor as he barely touched anybody but all three men sold it. Hangman made up for it with a really cool Buckshot Lariat off the back of Swerve, which led to a Swerve/Hangman staredown that got a huge reaction. Their sequence of counters and reversals was incredible, ending with Swerve hitting the Deadeye but then getting nailed by a Hangman Buckshot Lariat. Joe broke up the pin, though, and went for the Muscle Buster on Swerve but got stopped by Hangman. This led to a Tower of Doom spot in which Joe essentially powerbombed everybody into MJF. Unable to pin any of them, Joe once again went for the Muscle Buster, but Swerve flipped out of it, took out MJF, and then hit a German Suplex on Joe. Page came in, ate a backbreaker and then a wild powerslam out of Swerve for 2. Page hit an Angel's Wings on Swerve and then a moonsault off the apron on MJF but missed the Buckshot Lariat and had to settle for a pop-up powerbomb for another 2 count. Joe came in to take advantage of Swerve and Page's exhaustion, but couldn't get much going. MJF finally got a bit of offense in, stomping Hangman's arm, hitting Swerve with an Alabama Slam, and wrenching him into Joe in the corner. He couldn't hit the Heatseaker, but brought Page into the ring with a neckbreaker and then applied the Salt of the Earth. Joe caught Swerve in the Koquina Clutch, forcing MJF to break his hold to prevent Joe from getting a submission victory. Joe ended up applying the Clutch to MJF, though, a callback to the finish of their championship match two years earlier (which Joe won). Swerve broke it up with a Housecall out of nowhere, though, just as MJF's arm was about to drop for the 3rd time. This was followed by a nice sequence that left all four men on the mat and the crowd chanting "AE-Dub." MJF hit the Panama Sunrise on Swerve, a callback to his one-time partnership with Adam Cole. Page went for another Buckshot but Joe knocked him off the apron. Swerve looked to finish Joe off, but Hobbs, HOOK, and Shibata made their way to the ring and prevented whatever he had planned. HOOK rolled Page into the ring for a Muscle Buster but only got 2. When Hobbs and Shibata went after Prince Nana, Swerve took them out with a Swerve Stomp off the top. Back in the ring, Page went after HOOK but got caught in the Koquina Clutch. Swerve broke it up with a Swerve Stomp onto the shoulders of Joe and then went back to the top. Joe met him up there for a superplex attempt but Swerve climbed down and turned it into a nasty powerbomb! Swerve went back to the top once more, but MJF shoved him off and into the nearby commentator's table. Page knocked MJF off the apron and connected with two Buckshot Lariats (neither of which took Joe down), but when he went for the third, MJF met him in the ring and kicked him in the groin! Heatseeker by MJF onto Joe to end it! I liked that much but didn't necessarily love it. Everyone did their job well and had a chance to shine, but multi-mans are not my favorite type of match and I kinda wish they had found a more interesting way for The Opps to get dispatched (rather than just having the refs force them away from ringside). A very good match. (3.5/5)

With a strong Kwang Score of 3.28-out-of-5, AEW World's End 2025 was another excellent show without a single "dud" match and some very strong performances out of all four men in the main event, Jon Moxley, Kyle Fletcher, Kris Statlander, Jamie Hayter, and Athena. What I liked most about this show, though, was the variety it offered. Moxley/Okada was mostly built around a simple story involving Mox's injured leg. Darby and Gabe Kidd had an ultra-violent, bloody "spotfest." The Mixed Nuts match was great sports-entertainment. The main event had Big Fight Feel and though I didn't like The Opps' interference, because the rest of the show didn't have too many run-ins, it at least felt like something we hadn't seen earlier in the show. Statlander/Hayter was my match of the night, a highly physical title fight that exceeded my expectations and deserved bigger reactions from a crowd that didn't seem invested in its outcome or its participants' characters.

FINAL RATING - Watch It