All Elite Wrestling (AEW) Full Gear took over the Prudential Center in the shadow of New York on Nov. 22 with bloody action, title changes, and a big return.
Thousands flocked from Big Apple to Newark, NJ, on Saturday to witness the biggest stars in AEW battle it out for the company’s top championships. While the night saw high-octane, high-flying action in the form of the Young Bucks clashing with Kenny Omega, and Ricochet winning the inaugural National Championship, three matches in particular tore the house down to the delight of bloodthirsty fans.
Jon Moxley and Kyle O’Reilly commenced the bloodshed when Moxley brandished a fork, using the piece of cutlery to stab his adversary across his head and body. O’Reilly, however, had the last laugh when he made the leader of the Death Riders tap out. According to AEW CEO Tony Khan, the bout was so brutal that O’Reilly might now be on the injured list.
“I think Kyle’s probably not going to be clear, and will probably have to deal with some injuries coming out of what was an incredible no-holds-barred match. And I think, arguably the biggest win of Kyle O’Reilly’s career,” Khan said. “Kyle will probably not be clear, unfortunately.”
The following match between Mark Briscoe and Kyle Fletcher saw even more blood spilled as the two men fought over the TNT Championship. Both grapplers pulled out all the stops and all the weapons, with Fletcher jabbing his opponent with a screwdriver and pouring thumbtacks onto the ring mat while Briscoe introduced a table wrapped in barbed wire.
Both men were left wearing a crimson mask, but it was Briscoe who emerged victorious. He wore his wounds well into the night, when at the post-show press conference, he began spurting blood.
“It was humbling actually, because this is my childhood dream,” Briscoe said of his win as the blood trickled down his forehead, adding that after the death of his brother he almost never got back in the ring. “The first thing that popped in my head was I’ll never be able to wrestle again. It was a very short amount of time.”
The final match of the night pitted AEW champion Hangman Adam Page against Samoa Joe in a steel cage match. Like those before it, this one quickly turned red with Joe getting busted open.
Fan-favorite AEW wrestler Hook managed to make his way into the cage but turned on Page and untied Joe, ultimately giving him the victory. The night did not end there.
Former AEW Champion Swerve Strickland made his return to the thunderous cheers of fans and faced off against Joe to close the show.
