Full Gear 2023: Swerve-Hangman Steals a Violent Show from an Overbooked Main Event

Eddie Kingston (c) defeated Jay Lethal (with Jeff Jarrett, Karen Jarrett, Satnam Singh, and Sonjay Dutt) by pinfall. The match is framed as Singles match for the ROH World Championship and runs 10:55. As a pre-show match, it has to create momentum before the pay-per-view proper while still feeling worthwhile on its own. The match is solid and useful, but it lacks the urgency or escalation needed to reach the top tier. The championship retention keeps the existing title direction intact while asking the match to justify the defense bell to bell. At 6.3 out of 10, the rating reflects how the match works inside Full Gear 2023 as a complete show rather than treating historical importance and immediate match quality as the same thing.

Claudio Castagnoli defeated Buddy Matthews by submission. The match is framed as Singles match and runs 10:30. As a pre-show match, it has to create momentum before the pay-per-view proper while still feeling worthwhile on its own. The match is strong rather than transcendent: its structure is convincing and its flaws never take over. The result does not rely on a championship change for its importance. At 7.2 out of 10, the rating reflects how the match works inside Full Gear 2023 as a complete show rather than treating historical importance and immediate match quality as the same thing.

MJF (c) and Samoa Joe defeated The Gunns (Austin Gunn and Colten Gunn) by submission. The match is framed as Tag team match for the ROH World Tag Team Championship and runs 9:25. As a pre-show match, it has to create momentum before the pay-per-view proper while still feeling worthwhile on its own. The match is solid and useful, but it lacks the urgency or escalation needed to reach the top tier. The championship retention keeps the existing title direction intact while asking the match to justify the defense bell to bell. At 6.6 out of 10, the rating reflects how the match works inside Full Gear 2023 as a complete show rather than treating historical importance and immediate match quality as the same thing.

Sting, Darby Allin, and Adam Copeland (with Ric Flair) defeated The Patriarchy (Christian Cage, Luchasaurus, and Nick Wayne) by pinfall. The match is framed as Trios match and runs 15:10. On the main card, its value comes from how well the wrestling, stakes and finish support the larger rhythm of the night. The match is strong rather than transcendent: its structure is convincing and its flaws never take over. The result does not rely on a championship change for its importance. At 7.4 out of 10, the rating reflects how the match works inside Full Gear 2023 as a complete show rather than treating historical importance and immediate match quality as the same thing.

Orange Cassidy (c) (with Hook) defeated Jon Moxley (with Wheeler Yuta) by pinfall. The match is framed as Singles match for the AEW International Championship and runs 12:05. On the main card, its value comes from how well the wrestling, stakes and finish support the larger rhythm of the night. Cassidy beating Moxley matters because the rematch reverses the All Out result without erasing the damage that made their first match memorable. Cassidy needs repeated Orange Punches and a Beach Break, making the win feel like an earned escalation rather than a simple correction. The championship retention keeps the existing title direction intact while asking the match to justify the defense bell to bell. At 8.4 out of 10, the rating reflects how the match works inside Full Gear 2023 as a complete show rather than treating historical importance and immediate match quality as the same thing.

"Timeless" Toni Storm (with Luther) defeated Hikaru Shida (c) by pinfall. The match is framed as Singles match for the AEW Women's World Championship and runs 10:25. On the main card, its value comes from how well the wrestling, stakes and finish support the larger rhythm of the night. Storm's championship win is powered as much by character momentum as by the match itself. The wrestling is good, but the lasting value comes from AEW recognizing that the Timeless persona has become big enough to carry the division. The title change gives the result lasting consequence beyond the immediate match. At 7.8 out of 10, the rating reflects how the match works inside Full Gear 2023 as a complete show rather than treating historical importance and immediate match quality as the same thing.

Ricky Starks and Big Bill (c) defeated La Facción Ingobernable (Rush and Dralístico) (with José the Assistant and Preston Vance), FTR (Cash Wheeler and Dax Harwood), and Kings of the Black Throne (Malakai Black and Brody King). The match is framed as Four-way tag team ladder match for the AEW World Tag Team Championship and runs 20:35. On the main card, its value comes from how well the wrestling, stakes and finish support the larger rhythm of the night. The score reflects an excellent performance whose central idea lands cleanly and whose finish gives the surrounding story useful weight. The championship retention keeps the existing title direction intact while asking the match to justify the defense bell to bell. At 8 out of 10, the rating reflects how the match works inside Full Gear 2023 as a complete show rather than treating historical importance and immediate match quality as the same thing.

Julia Hart defeated Kris Statlander (c) and Skye Blue by pinfall. The match is framed as Three-way match for the AEW TBS Championship and runs 11:20. On the main card, its value comes from how well the wrestling, stakes and finish support the larger rhythm of the night. The match is strong rather than transcendent: its structure is convincing and its flaws never take over. The title change gives the result lasting consequence beyond the immediate match. At 7.1 out of 10, the rating reflects how the match works inside Full Gear 2023 as a complete show rather than treating historical importance and immediate match quality as the same thing.

Swerve Strickland (with Prince Nana) defeated "Hangman" Adam Page by knockout. The match is framed as Texas Death match and runs 29:55. On the main card, its value comes from how well the wrestling, stakes and finish support the larger rhythm of the night. Swerve and Hangman turn personal hatred into one of AEW's most extreme matches. The violence is intentionally difficult to watch in places, but the structure never loses the feud underneath it, and Swerve's second victory permanently raises his ceiling. The result does not rely on a championship change for its importance. At 9.9 out of 10, the rating reflects how the match works inside Full Gear 2023 as a complete show rather than treating historical importance and immediate match quality as the same thing.

The Golden Jets (Chris Jericho and Kenny Omega) defeated The Young Bucks (Matt Jackson and Nick Jackson) by pinfall. The match is framed as Tag team match; Since The Golden Jets won, they got The Young Bucks' AEW World Tag Team Championship opportunity. Had The Young Bucks won, The Golden Jets would have had to disband as a team. and runs 20:45. On the main card, its value comes from how well the wrestling, stakes and finish support the larger rhythm of the night. The score reflects an excellent performance whose central idea lands cleanly and whose finish gives the surrounding story useful weight. The result does not rely on a championship change for its importance. At 8.2 out of 10, the rating reflects how the match works inside Full Gear 2023 as a complete show rather than treating historical importance and immediate match quality as the same thing.

MJF (c) (with Adam Cole) defeated Jay White (with The Gunns) by pinfall. The match is framed as Singles match for the AEW World Championship and runs 29:45. On the main card, its value comes from how well the wrestling, stakes and finish support the larger rhythm of the night. MJF and Jay White work through an intentionally chaotic story involving the champion's injury, Cole, the Gunns and repeated reversals. The crowd stays invested, but the overbooking makes the challenger feel less dangerous than a world-title main event should. The championship retention keeps the existing title direction intact while asking the match to justify the defense bell to bell. At 7.5 out of 10, the rating reflects how the match works inside Full Gear 2023 as a complete show rather than treating historical importance and immediate match quality as the same thing.