It’s AEW Full Gear season and you know what that means! The pay-per-view event is set to go down on November 18, Saturday, at the Kia Forum. Per the custom, Tony Khan has booked a huge line-up for the show – with nine matches made official at the time of the writing.
Full Gear is considered to be one of the most consistent PPV offerings of the year when it comes to in-ring storytelling. The November event has given fans many five-star classics during its young history.
With that said, let’s take a look at some of the best AEW Full Gear PPV matches thus far:
Chris Jericho vs. Cody (AEW World Championship Match – Full Gear 2019)
One of Cody’s biggest regrets from his time in AEW is never winning the world title. The American Nightmare fumbled the opportunity big time when he set a stipulation that would haunt him for years to come.
Cody met Chris Jericho for the world title at the inaugural AEW Full Gear PPV event in 2019. The match ended up being one of the best on the card. That said, the ending came off as a huge shock to the fans at the time.
Not only did Cody lose the match, he lost the opportunity to challenge for the AEW World Champion as long as he remained with the company. The match did turn his protégé MJF into the biggest heel in the company.
CM Punk vs. Eddie Kingston (Full Gear 2021)
It’s been two years since Eddie Kingston went full berserk on CM Punk at AEW Full Gear. Both men did some fantastic promo work in the build-up to their heated match at the November 13, 2021, pay-per-view event.
Punk telling Kingston he was not on his level only pushed the Mad King to prove his critic wrong. The match had shades of old-school wrestling, with the pair just beating the life out of each other to see who was the best.
Young Bucks vs. FTR (AEW World Championship Match – Full Gear 2020)
This match is for those who want Young Bucks off of the AEW Full Gear 2023 card. Matt and Nick Jackson are still one of the most popular tag teams on the roster. Their indelible contributions to the company cannot and should not be denied.
The brothers have been one of the most consistent acts in the company since its inception. They’ve put on classics after classics. Their outing against FTR at AEW Full Gear 2020 remains one of the best tag team matches in the company, let alone the PPV.
Both teams pulled out all the stops to craft a compelling match. Their contrasting styles perfectly complemented each other. In the end, the brothers defeated Cash Wheeler and Dax Harwood for the AEW World Tag Team Championship.
Kenny Omega vs. Hangman Page (2020)
Leave it to Kenny Omega and Adam Page to set the bar for the rest of the night. The real-life friends collided in the opening match of Full Gear 2020. The stakes were high as the winner would go on to challenge for the AEW World Championship.
Fans were teased to a heel turn from Page and Omega on multiple occasions during the match. The arrival of Young Bucks post-match only added to the anticipation of the things to come between the group.
Kenny Omega vs. Hangman Page (AEW World Championship Match – Full Gear 2021)
It’s no surprise that the best AEW Full Gear PPV match on this list involves Kenny Omega and Hangman Page. The pair tore the house down with their opener at Full Gear 2020. Omega would embark on a full-blown heel turn, eventually defeating Jon Moxley for the title at Winer is Coming.
Page, on the other hand, spent a full year recovering from the loss. The Hangman did find new friends in The Dark Order, but the thought of not being able to beat Omega at AEW Full Gear 2020 still ate him from the inside.
Come Full Gear 2021, Page had fully recovered from self-doubt. The Cowboy went on to defeat the Cleaner in arguably the best AEW Full Gear PPV match thus far.
Honorable Mentions
- Jon Moxley vs. Kenny Omega (AEW Full Gear 2019)
- Darby Allin vs. Cody Rhodes (Full Gear 2020)
- MJF vs. Darby Allin (AEW Full Gear 2021)
- Death Triangle vs. The Elite (Full Gear 2022)
Also read: Four-Way Tag Title Match Announced And More, Updated AEW Full Gear Card
