AEW's latest PPV took place recently with the company having its first major event since the weekly television show, AEW Dynamite, launched on TNT, and it is fair to say that once again the company did a great job.
With major heel turns, fantastic wrestling, and a crazy deathmatch main event there really was something for everyone on this show as AEW once again continued to showcase why they are the hottest thing in wrestling.
However, as with any show, there were certainly areas for improvement, and within this article, we will break them down, as well as looking at five elements the show succeeded in.
10 Mistake: Bea Priestley's Loss
This moment took place on AEW Full Gear's Buy In show, but that doesn't mean that it isn't something that can't be analyzed, as it feels like the company pushed the wrong woman at this point.
The only match that took place saw Bea Priestley take on Britt Baker, with the Dentist picking up the victory with the Lock-Jaw finisher, but we have already seen Baker pushed to very little success. The fans haven't taken to her yet and with Riho as a top babyface, this felt like the right time to give Bea a major victory to start pushing her as a potential title contender.
9 Succeeded: Rock N' Roll Express
Using legends is never an easy thing to do as some fans will complain that they're taking up time and squashing the current talent, while others will just want to see even more of them.
However, AEW got it absolutely spot on with their use of Rock N' Roll Express at Full Gear, continuing their involvement in the storyline between Young Bucks and Proud and Powerful. Seeing them get physical and hit a Canadian Destroyer and a suicide dive left the fans utterly stunned in what was one of the best moments of the night.
8 Mistake: Awesome Kong
After not appearing on AEW Dynamite yet outside of vignettes, AEW made the decision to bring back both Awesome Kong and Brandi Rhodes at Full Gear, however, the only issue was that it happened during the pre-show.
While it is great that AEW values its pre-shows, as it will help bring in more viewers in the future, this felt like a mistake as it was missed by a large number of fans who won't have been watching. Even though it was recapped during the main show, if AEW had them appear during the main card then it would have become a more impactful moment.
7 Succeeded: Riho Continues To Impress
Another major positive from Full Gear was the fact that Riho continues to impress as one of the top babyfaces in the entire company, with her underdog story continuing to work to perfection.
She might be small in stature but that is no issue for her, as Riho continues to overcome every obstacle in her way, making her one of the most impressive and exciting talents in the entire company.
6 Mistake: No Tag Title Change
While SCU is a great tag team and they make worthy Tag Team Champions, the reactions that they have been getting in comparison to the Lucha Brothers has made it clear who the fans want to see with the gold.
Of course, AEW didn't want to do a quick title change as it would have diminished the tournament that they did, but the company has promised to listen to fans and this felt like the right time to do that change, despite all of that.
Once again it was the masked men getting amazing reactions from the fans, yet AEW keeps trying to push them as heels, despite the fact that the audience is rejecting that idea.
5 Succeeded: Incredible Wrestling
It should go without saying at this point that any AEW show is packed full of unbelievable wrestling, but it is certainly still worth mentioning that every single match on this show was fantastic.
In terms of bell-to-bell, this was a very solid show that did not disappoint at all. Everyone stepped it up, everyone brought their A-game and everyone on the roster made sure their matches were memorable. It might seem like something that is obvious but many wrestling PPVs do not have a full card of incredible action, including some previous AEW PPVs, but Full Gear certainly did.
4 Mistake: Every Match Is A Long Match
This is something that AEW has been criticized for from the very beginning, and once again it was an issue at Full Gear, with every single match going on for a lengthy period of time, even when it didn't need to.
There is a major benefit to having a few shorter matches on a show as it really does help with the flow of things and keeps the crowd engaged throughout, which is why WWE tends to have at least one on a PPV. Full Gear didn't do that, and while it's great to give everyone time to show off their abilities, a few shorter matches here and there would be the best decision for the shows in general.
3 Succeeded: Living Up To A Promise
AEW did a lot of hyping for the main event match between Jon Moxley and Kenny Omega, pushing the fact that it would be violent and bloody consistently, yet despite any worries people had, it really did live up to the hype.
The match was incredibly violent and it actually left a lot of fans shocked, with the two men using glass, barbed wire, screwdrivers and an array of other weapons in order to cause as much pain as possible. Fans were skeptical about what might have happened considering how 'extreme' WWE manages to get, but thankfully this really did live up to its billing.
2 Mistake: Lengthy Main Event
This is a prime example of some matches needing to be cut short, but unlike the previous mistake point, the reason for that isn't to benefit the flow of the show, but it was because of the stipulation.
This was classed as a 'lights out' match, but it was essentially a deathmatch, with Kenny Omega and Jon Moxley pulling out all the stops from glass to barbed wire spider webs, they really had everything.
However, this lasted for over 40 minutes, which made some of the insane spots that they were doing seem like they weren't having much effect, which was a shame.
1 Succeeded: MJF Turn
Without a shadow of a doubt, the biggest moment of the night came at the conclusion to the AEW World Championship match when MJF threw in the towel for Cody Rhodes, ending the match for him.
While everyone thought he was doing that as a good friend who was feeling for Cody, it actually turned out he was doing it to screw him, giving Cody a low blow to hammer that point home.
This was one of the most iconic moments in AEW's short history, with MJF being nailed by a fan throwing a beer to highlight just how much the crowd hate him, in what was truly an excellent moment.