AEW Full Gear Review - November 22, 2025

By Graham "GSM" Matthews

Tailgate Brawl: Bang Bang Gang (Juice Robinson and Austin Gunn) def. Anthony Bowens & Max Caster, The Outrunners, and Big Bill & Bryan Keith in a $200,000 Four-Way Tag Team Match

We've gotten so many "money" matches in AEW this year that it's virtually impossible to care at this point, not to mention we got one with a lot more (fake) money on the line later in the night. This was whatever and was clearly an excuse to get these teams on the card, but I would've preferred a future shot at the AEW World Tag Team Championship be at stake instead. As a match, it was perfectly fine and didn't overstay its welcome.

Tailgate Brawl: Boom & Doom def. RPG Vice

Big Boom! A.J. has been a treat to watch whenever he's been in the ring for AEW, and it was clever to have him team up with the guy who he beat at Full Gear a year ago. They worked well together and RPG Vice also excelled in their roles. Big Justice and Paul Wight getting involved was completely ridiculous, but the crowd ate it up and it was easily the best thing exclusive to the pre-show.

Tailgate Brawl: Eddie Kingston and Hook def. The Workhorsemen

Kingston and Hook had almost the exact same match on WrestleDream's pre-show where they won in a matter of minutes. This was even shorter and I genuinely have no idea why it existed, especially since they ended up splitting up at the end of the event with Hook turning heel to reunite with The Opps. Kingston has been completely wasted since returning from injury.

Tailgate Brawl: El Sky Team (Mistico, Neon and Mascara Dorada) def. The Don Callis Family (Hechicero, IWGP World Heavyweight Champion Konosuke Takeshita and AEW Unified Champion Kazuchika Okada)

This was similar to FTR vs. JetSpeed at WrestleDream in that it started on the pre-show but continued into the main card. We'll see if that becomes a regular thing going forward, but it made sense in this case with Okada and Takeshita deserving better than pre-show duty. This was a super fun match and I loved how Okada didn't show up until the main card kicked off. We found out later on that both Okada and Takeshita will be in this year's Continental Classic, so that has to be where they finally face off.

Pac def. Darby Allin

Pac challenged Allin to a straightforward wrestling match because he knows he excels in extreme environments, yet Allin took some stupid risks, anyway. Of course, I can't say I'm surprised. All in all, they had a good match and I didn't mind the finish with Pac cheating to win by using a weapon because he's a heel and he went against his word. I just hope this doesn't mean Allin will continue feuding with The Death Riders because that's the last thing any of us need.

Timless Love Bombs def. Babes of Wrath, Sisters of Sin, and Megan Bayne & Marina Shafir in a Four-Way Tag Team Match

By virtue of their victory, Timeless Love Bombs can now choose the stipulation for their semifinal match against Bayne and Shafir in the AEW Women's World Tag Team Championship Tournament. I would have rather the tournament semifinals on this show (or at least one of the matches), but whatever. This was a nice match and the crowd loved Timeless Love Bombs specifically. Them winning was logical after how Blood and Guts ended, though I don't think it's necessary for a tournament semifinal matchup to have a stipulation.

FTR def. Brodido to Win the AEW World Tag Team Championship

This was easily my favorite match of the show. I'd argue FTR are the best wrestling tag team of the year (not just in AEW but in general) because of how they've stayed busy all year in quality matches and elevating the division as a whole. And that's to take nothing away from Brodido, who have been one of the best makeshift teams I've seen in a long time. This was excellent and every nearfall felt more suspenseful than the last. FTR taking the titles sets them up perfectly to defend against Adam Copeland and Christian Cage when they're ready to return.

Ricochet Won a Casino Gauntlet Match to Become the Inaugural AEW National Champion

If you've seen one of AEW's Casino Gauntlet matches, you've seen them all, but that isn't to say they're not a blast. Bobby Lashley and Shelton Benjamin starting out as the first two entrants only to be laid out at ringside for a majority of the match was lame, but everything else was entertaining as they kept the pace consistent throughout and pretty much everyone had a chance to shine. Ricochet becoming the inaugural champ is cool, but I wish he didn't get squashed by Lashley on last week's Dynamite. He can't be losing so frequently going forward.

Kyle O'Reilly def. Jon Moxley in a No Holds Barred Match

I totally get the story they were telling here: O'Reilly tapped out Moxley in Blood and Guts and Moxley wanted to prove that it was just a fluke. That said, I don't think that story was worthy of a No Holds Barred stipulation or any of the excessive lengths they went to here. This wasn't going to be my cup of tea regardless, but it got to a point of being completely ridiculous. On the bright side, O'Reilly won decisively again, and realistically, Moxley's latest loss shouldn't sit well with the rest of Death Riders.

Mark Briscoe def. Kyle O'Reilly in a No Disqualification Match to Win the AEW TNT Championship

Had Briscoe lost, he would've been forced to join The Don Callis Family. First of all, putting a No Disqualification match right after a bloody No Holds Barred match (essentially the same stipulation) was the wrong call. There was way more plunder in this, and again, it's not like they've had such a ruthless rivalry that would call for such a stipulation. They've traded wins over the last year and that's about it. Nonetheless, Briscoe winning his first singles title in AEW made for a wonderful moment.

The Young Bucks and Josh Alexander def. Jurassic Express and Kenny Omega in a $1,000,000 Match

The crowd was obviously exhausted by this point, but I wouldn't blame any crowd for not being overly invested in this match because of how overdone the money matches are in AEW. I actually thought the one Jurassic Express and the Bucks had at WrestleDream was clever with the Bucks being "broke," but this was not needed. It was a solid six-man tag team match, but the focus was on the post-match angle with Omega and the Bucks reuniting. They can team up occasionally, but I'd prefer for Omega to not be solely relegated to the trios division like he was the last time when he teamed with the Bucks in 2022 and 2023.

AEW Women's World Champion Kris Statlander def. AEW TBS Champion Mercedes Mone (AEW TBS Championship Was Not Defended)

I loved the first two matches these two had last year. Unfortunately, I was not nearly as enamored with this match, but not because of anything they did in the ring. The action itself was top-notch (their chemistry together is so strong), but it was almost midnight by the time it ended and everyone in the crowd (myself included) was just ready for the show to be over. I feared Mone would win, but Statlander avenging her losses to Mone and retaining the title was the correct outcome. I get what they're going for with Mone, but why not have her lose the AEW TBS Championship first so it doesn't feel like a secondary prize?

AEW World Trios Champion Samoa Joe def. "Hangman" Adam Page in a Steel Cage Match to Win the AEW World Championship; Swerve Strickland Returned

This suffered from the same issue as Statlander vs. Mone in that it went on way too late in the show. It was after midnight by the time the bell rang, and as a result, the crowd was quiet for everything other than the final few minutes. Joe started bleeding a gusher minutes into the match and it meant nothing. AEW desperately needs to do a better job of not going overboard with that sort of stuff so it can stand out more. Despite there being way too much interference, Hook's heel turn was certainly shocking along with Joe regaining the gold. Strickland returning was a great way to close the show, but I can't say I'm looking forward to Joe vs. Strickland again seeing as how we just got that program less than two years ago. The main event needs some new faces and fast.

Overall Show

This was the first AEW pay-per-view I attended since Worlds End 2023, and although it was an enjoyable experience on the whole, Tony Khan insisting on stretching the show over five hours (if you include the pre-show) doesn't make me want to attend another one anytime soon. The last three or four matches were tough to sit through, and it's a shame because the wrestlers aren't at fault whatsoever. Full Gear was the usual thumbs-up event from AEW and I'm glad I went, but when it comes to the formatting of these shows (regardless of what day of the week they fall on), Khan really has to reconsider either making them shorter or holding them in the afternoons more often.

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