FULL GEAR VII - 11/22/2025

[AxB]

The O'Reilly arm injury angle is taking him out of the CC, so he won't be winning it.

It is theoretically possible to have both blocks of the CC be made up just of Callis family members, isn't it? It would require a couple of guys to make miraculous returns from injuries, but it's not impossible.

[John from Cincinnati]

Was just checking in to see how people were feeling about the King of Television Samoa Joe beating the “main character” for the world belt only to find people bickering about CM Punk in the AEW folder. Never change.  

Bandido for C2 winner please (I know that’s not happening)

[caley]

I'm of the opposite here, I am super excited to watch Samoa Joe in the World Title role again. My favourite run of AEW was the previous time he was champ. I was even excited when he beat Swerve the first time (Again putting me in the contrarian camp!). I think when you have guys having MOTYC all over the show, I think there's value in a big, mean world champion who maybe can't GO in the ring but is an endlessly compelling character holding the belt. Sort of like Taz in ECW, Vader in WCW, even Yokozuna in early 90s WWF. He's big, he's mean, he has a presence and you're going to have to do everything to dethrone him and it's still not enough. Now add in a team of, for lack of a better term, "lackeys" to help him. I mean it IS a little like going from Jon Moxley cheating to win in every match as champ to Samoan Joe Moxley cheating to win in every match as world champ but Joe's such a fun character that it works for me.

I have a funny feeling that before long we're gonna an Elite reunion on top (Bucks dethroning FTR and Omega taking the top title), which is not something I'm looking forward to at all, so I'm going to enjoy shit-talking, over-the-hill asshole Samoa Joe World Champion while we have it.

[John from Cincinnati]

Oh, let me clarify: Joe on top again rules. For a guy who has a clear upper limit on how long he can work singles matches these days, he still oozes presence. One of the all time great guys who can be slotted in credibly at the top at any given moment no matter how oddly he’s been booked prior. The true DNA of TNA. One promo and you’re good to go for anything. And my god that juice. 
 

Opps vs the Elite will at least feel fresh regardless of where you stand on the latter. 

[Niners Fan in CT]

There's six pages of discussion about this show and three posts about "CM Punk"  but sure the whole thread is just CM Punk.....Lol

[caley]

42 minutes ago, John from Cincinnati said:

Oh, let me clarify: Joe on top again rules. For a guy who has a clear upper limit on how long he can work singles matches these days, he still oozes presence. One of the all time great guys who can be slotted in credibly at the top at any given moment no matter how oddly he’s been booked prior. The true DNA of TNA. One promo and you’re good to go for anything. And my god that juice. 
 

Opps vs the Elite will at least feel fresh regardless of where you stand on the latter. 

Sorry didn't mean to imply my post was in reply to yours, it was actually a couple previous posts in-thread!

[SovietShooter]

On 11/23/2025 at 12:23 PM, SovietShooter said:

Bandido is winning the CC

 

On 11/23/2025 at 12:36 PM, Niners Fan in CT said:

Surely the CC Final will be Okada vs. Take,  no?  They've been building this feud for months 

My prediction is Take wins his block, but Okada is the runner up in his block, so they meet in the semi finals, that way it can be promoted as a match for the PPV. 

Bandido will be the finalist advancing from the other semi final. 

[SovietShooter]

1 hour ago, caley said:

Omega taking the top title

Eh, based on some of these recent interviews with Kenny, sounds like he does not think he can go at his old level anymore.  I'm guessing he is probably going to do a lot of tag and trios matches to take it easy on his body, with the occasional "dream match" on a PPV where he gives it everything that he can. 

[Cleavy]

3 hours ago, AxB said:

It is theoretically possible to have both blocks of the CC be made up just of Callis family members, isn't it? It would require a couple of guys to make miraculous returns from injuries, but it's not impossible.

might be the only way we get to see El Clon wrestle at the moment.

[Sublime]

1 hour ago, SovietShooter said:

Eh, based on some of these recent interviews with Kenny, sounds like he does not think he can go at his old level anymore.  I'm guessing he is probably going to do a lot of tag and trios matches to take it easy on his body, with the occasional "dream match" on a PPV where he gives it everything that he can. 

I agree unless Omegas health improves or he’s been working us, I don’t see him getting another run as a World Champ because it would be below his standard. Him and the bucks as trios champs is probably pretty likely though. 

[HarryArchieGus]

5 hours ago, Niners Fan in CT said:

Sorry for the double post but I LOVE when wrestlers beat the shit out of 10 security guys or stooges or whatever.  Sting killing the nWo B-team members was always good shit to me.  Also,  I grew up on Steven Segal movies.  If you don't love 'Out for Justice' or 'Under Siege' then we can't be friends. 

30 years ago when Sting beat up a bunch of wrestlers I was with it - even found it kind of impressive. Seeing Swerve close out a PPV beating a bunch of canon fodder wasn't my bag, but to each their own. Yeah, not so much a Steven Segal fan, but, I dunno, I think there's still a chance for us. A-E-Dub! 

[The Natural]

5 hours ago, Niners Fan in CT said:

I thought it was a very good match but I agree that I would rank it 3rd.  They have a much safer,  methodical match with a lot of limb work which is great but the first two matches had so many twists and turns, they were legit MOTYCs last year.  This was probably a 4-star match if I was rating matches,  still very good but different.  

They worked hard as hell to get the crowd back into the show and by the end they accomplished that.  

Agreed on all counts. I go back and forth whether I prefer their Full Gear 2024 or World's End 2024 match. Leaning to the latter.

[sabremike]

8 hours ago, Niners Fan in CT said:

I thought it was a very good match but I agree that I would rank it 3rd.  They have a much safer,  methodical match with a lot of limb work which is great but the first two matches had so many twists and turns, they were legit MOTYCs last year.  This was probably a 4-star match if I was rating matches,  still very good but different.  

They worked hard as hell to get the crowd back into the show and by the end they accomplished that.  

Yeah, I was there and it was getting near midnight and people were at the point of just wanting the show to end dreading the thought of rushing to catch the last trains home. Given just how hard they had to work to get the crowd into it made it every bit as impressive as their first two meetings IMO.

[just drew]

16 hours ago, Just Adam Bay Bay said:

I for one liked the card, and don’t recall anyone disparaging Hangman. If anyone’s an empty headed dumb fuck it’s probably the guy starting his millionth fight of the year here, because he has a hate boner for CM Punk.

Also since I saw the other day that Kyle O’Reilly is being badmouthed am I the only one that remembers the NXT Takeover he headlined against Finn Balor? That was definitely his best solo WWE match, and I’d say a top five match of the year candidate that year. 

My dude! What's up? I'm glad you're back. I'm being 100% serious when I say that I'm glad you turned up. We honor you in the Drew house. You're Priest Vallon to my Bill the Butcher. We raise a glass to the wars you and I once fought. You are truly a worthy opponent.

 

Fwiw, I'd like anyone to quote a post where I said KOR is a bad worker. He's fantastic in the ring. He just can't promo. He's devoid of qualities that would msake the average viewer seek him out. I agree that KOR has great matches on the reg. That was never the issue. he just couldn't be interesting if his life depended on it. 

 

Good to hear from you, my friend. 

[The Natural]

3 hours ago, sabremike said:

Yeah, I was there and it was getting near midnight and people were at the point of just wanting the show to end dreading the thought of rushing to catch the last trains home. Given just how hard they had to work to get the crowd into it made it every bit as impressive as their first two meetings IMO.

Didn't know you were there. Did you have a great time? Road Report please and thank you unless I've missed it.

[The Natural]

I'm very happy Samoa Joe is AEW Men's World Champion again. Always loved Samoa Joe. Joe was robbed of a WWE Universal Championship reign vs. Brock Lesnar and the WWE Championship vs. AJ Styles.

[HarryArchieGus]

Why the Young Bucks would have to choose between the money they just won and their old friend was ridiculous. Who forgot to make clear that they’d only win the money if they joined the family? Maybe there was a line in a promo to indicate this? Still, not exactly clear - relying on Excalibur to explain during a match is and has long been a. Poor choice. Unfortunately this is the kind of unclear/untidy/frustrating storytelling aew has been indicative of, and especially in the last year. The wrestling continues to be great, the stories a bit or lot more hit and miss.

[Curt McGirt]

13 hours ago, Cleavy said:

might be the only way we get to see El Clon wrestle at the moment.

This is funny but for a half a second there I thought it might actually be El Clon coming out instead of Swerve 

[Zimbra]

I feel bad for Arez because he rules and they have fucked up his debut in every way possible.

[Curt McGirt]

He was a smoker at the first DEAN show. What a weird style.

[Shartnado]

Not a great night for Don Callis Family, here! Seeing Mox and Mercedes actually give something back is so nice to see for a change. Both matches ended up being awesome, once they truly got going. Briscoe with another phenomenal performance and a well deserved victory.

National title being exactly what it was supposed to be was a wonderful touch, despite it being as unnessecary as Ricochet is, at this point. I was thinking Paul Wight would have been the third entrant in the Gauntlet to counteract the fact that Hurt Syndicate was in the ring waiting (like in Royal Rumble '89 with Demolition and Andre). Let't see what Pricochet can do with the title?

FTR winning the titles was a bit of a forgone conclusion but they kept you guessing until the end. Match was terrific, as one would expect.

Million dollar trios was excellent and Bucks turning afterwards was good, too.

Need to watch the first two proper matches again. Opening trios match going through the end of Tailgate Brawl isn't as novel idea if you do it on back to back PPV's. (Ok, PAC vs Darby was good until the finish, but obviously you can't trust any of the Death Riders when they say "no shenanigans") Women's 4 way tag was a good way to show that Blood and Guts is in the past and all teams are out for themselves. I see the finals being Babes of Wrath vs Bayne/ Safir, but if it happens to be Babes of Wrath vs Timeless Love Bombs, then the finish of this match was a nice little preview of that one. The match itself was action-packed and everyone got featured enough to give you an illusion that even Sisters of Sin have a shot at winning  the titles (narrator's voice: "Sisters of Sin had NO shot at winning the titles).

Adam Page having an epic PPV entrance music was great. This was goosebump-inducing. Anyone got an idea what that theme is called? Bloody brawl, but once again, overshadowed by the rest of the evening. Joe title win was a bit of a shocker, but what would have been the point of running the match again, if the end result was the same? Swerve coming back was this quickly was a surprise, a positive one. Seems like he lifted some weights again, while recovering. How much of a pussy is Wardlow, though? Swerve AND Nana are back and he still hasn't recovered from the beating HE gave THEM? Also, Hook, you son of a bitch! But I guess Joe choked some sense into you in that contentender's 4-way?

Edited November 25, 2025 by Shartnado
Watched the first two proper matches again

[The Natural]

[just drew]

2 minutes ago, The Natural said:

Is it Pantera that did the song “vulgar display of power?” Because Gahdamn….

[Shartnado]

22 hours ago, Just Adam Bay Bay said:

Also since I saw the other day that Kyle O’Reilly is being badmouthed am I the only one that remembers the NXT Takeover he headlined against Finn Balor? That was definitely his best solo WWE match, and I’d say a top five match of the year candidate that year. 

Wow, I seem to have forgotten about this ever happening. Was this during Balor's NXT comeback tour? And during O'Reilly's singles face run before he left? This was closing in on the time I switched over to AEW, but I still kept up with NXT until 2023 and this had to be well before that, right?

[Shartnado]

34 minutes ago, The Natural said:

Carry-on Cassidy?!?