Worlds End 2023: Kingston's Triumph and Samoa Joe's Title Win Outshine an Uneven Debut

Willow Nightingale pinned Kris Statlander after the Doctor Bomb in the opening Worlds End Zero Hour singles match. Statlander nearly turned a 450 splash into a victory but missed, while Nightingale had already countered Saturday Night Fever with a near-fall roll-up. Earlier, both traded hard throws and close covers, and Willow knocked Statlander off the top toward the apron before the finishing sequence. B- (7.2) gives this competitive opener credit for a specific decisive move and the two wrestlers' evolving rivalry, not a title exchange or interference by Stokely Hathaway, who was on commentary.

Killswitch earned a future TNT Championship opportunity by last eliminating Trent Beretta in the 20-man Zero Hour battle royal. Lance Archer briefly joined him in overwhelming smaller opponents, but Beretta and Danhausen ultimately threw Archer out. Beretta then eliminated Danhausen before facing Killswitch alone, connecting with repeated running knee strikes. Killswitch survived, caught Beretta with a chokeslam and knocked him from the apron with a European uppercut. C- (5.8) acknowledges the chaotic elimination structure while distinguishing a future title-shot contract from actually winning the TNT Championship that night.

HOOK retained the FTW Championship by submitting Wheeler Yuta with Redrum in their FTW Rules match. Yuta tried to wear down the champion with objects brought into the ring and even drove him down with a DDT onto a stop sign, but HOOK recovered through suplex counters. When Yuta reached for a wooden board, HOOK instead used a hockey stick and its broken remains to secure the final chokehold. B- (7.4) reflects the stipulation's use of improvised weapons and the clear tapout without claiming that Yuta's separate ROH Pure title changed hands.

Daniel Garcia secured the deciding pin for Claudio Castagnoli, Bryan Danielson, Mark Briscoe and himself by countering Jay Lethal's Lethal Injection into a roll-up. The opposing team had repeatedly cut Garcia off, including a figure-four attempt from Lethal, before Briscoe interrupted with a Froggy Bow. Castagnoli's Giant Swing on Brody King and Danielson's follow-up dropkick finally shifted the momentum. B+ (8.3) credits a busy eight-person match with a precise winning wrestler and losing opponent; neither the Continental Classic standings nor an individual championship was settled by this result.

Miro defeated Andrade El Idolo by submission with Game Over after CJ Perry unexpectedly interfered against Andrade. Andrade had caught Miro in a figure-four and bridged into the figure-eight, but Perry swept Andrade's arms while the referee was distracted and ended his leverage. Miro escaped, landed a kick for a near fall, and then applied his finish to force the tapout. B (7.7) recognizes a personal feud decided by Perry's actions rather than describing a straightforward technical submission or suggesting that either wrestler defended a championship.

Toni Storm retained the AEW Women's World Championship by pinning Riho with a DDT after her challenger had survived Storm Zero. Storm targeted Riho's back with a Texas Cloverleaf, and Luther tried to prevent Riho from reaching the ropes until the referee caught him and ejected him from ringside. Riho then rallied with a diving crossbody, an apron double stomp and a dragon suplex, but Storm pulled her from the turnbuckles and finished the defense. B- (7.2) credits Riho's comeback and the decisive pin while distinguishing Mariah May's rose-petal celebration after the bell from interference in the winning fall.

Swerve Strickland pinned Dustin Rhodes after a top-rope double stomp, ending a match that began with a pre-bell attack on Rhodes' ankle. Dustin had replaced the injured Keith Lee and insisted on wrestling despite damage to his leg. Rhodes briefly threatened the upset with a Canadian Destroyer, piledriver and Cross Rhodes, but Swerve escaped and attacked with consecutive House Calls before his final stomp. C+ (6.7) reflects a defiant veteran comeback under an evident disadvantage, not a competitive victory for Rhodes or a title defense.

Sammy Guevara pinned Ricky Starks with a shooting star press after the GTH, giving Sting, Darby Allin, Chris Jericho and Guevara the eight-man tag victory. Earlier, Don Callis distracted Allin and allowed Konosuke Takeshita to land a high-impact counter; Sting later threatened Takeshita with the Scorpion Death Lock before Callis interrupted. Big Bill and Powerhouse Hobbs also isolated opponents as the alliances shifted, but neither AEW tag championship was on the line. C+ (6.5) accounts for a crowded team showcase with Guevara as the actual winning wrestler and Starks taking the fall.

Julia Hart retained the AEW TBS Championship by pinning Abadon after a top-rope backflipping knee strike in a House Rules match that allowed biting. Abadon took advantage of the unusual rule and came close after a lung blower, while Hart answered with a superplex and repeated attacks. Skye Blue emerged from beneath the ring to interfere, only for Abadon to chase her away before Hart found the closing attack. C- (5.7) recognizes the stipulation and outside interference without implying that Skye was a legal opponent or that the TBS title changed hands.

Adam Copeland briefly won the TNT Championship by pinning Christian Cage after a Killswitch in their No Disqualification match. Nick Wayne and Mother Wayne repeatedly helped the defending champion, including pulling the referee away from a cover and attacking Copeland with the title. Copeland fought back with a spear through a table and stopped Christian's final attempt to use the belt, delivering the Killswitch himself for the deciding fall. A- (8.5) reflects the personal rivalry and sustained weapons-based escalation; the champion's loss was genuine, even though a separate contract cash-in immediately followed.

Christian Cage reclaimed the TNT Championship almost immediately after Adam Copeland's earlier victory by taking over the title opportunity that Killswitch had earned in the Zero Hour battle royal. Killswitch attacked the exhausted new champion, then surrendered his contract to Christian, who signed it and handed it to the referee. Once the new match began, Christian speared Copeland and pinned him. F (2.0) evaluates this brief contract-driven reversal as a separate match, not part of the previous No Disqualification bout, and keeps the two title changes in the correct order.

Eddie Kingston pinned Jon Moxley after a spinning backfist to win the Continental Classic final and become the inaugural AEW Continental Crown champion. Moxley had punished Kingston with a piledriver and attempted his own bulldog choke, but Kingston answered with a Northern Lights Bomb, repeated backfists and a successful final strike. Both wrestlers traded control through the match before embracing after the result. A (9.0) credits the tournament's championship payoff and the precise pinfall; Kingston's already-held ROH World and NJPW Strong titles were part of the crown, not separate new title wins in this bout.

Samoa Joe won the AEW World Championship when the referee stopped his sleeper hold on an unresponsive MJF. Joe had attacked the champion's injured shoulder throughout the match, survived MJF's Heat Seeker and escaped the Salt of the Earth armbar. MJF's late attempt to obtain the Dynamite Diamond Ring from Adam Cole never materialized before Joe applied the final hold. B+ (8.1) credits a credible submission-based title change with an exact referee-stoppage finish. Cole's revelation as the masked Devil came afterward, rather than influencing the winning hold.