How to Watch AEW Full Gear: B/R Live Info, Start Time and Match Card
Nov 8, 2019
All Elite Wrestling's first pay-per-view since launching its weekly television show,Dynamite, in October is Saturday, streaming live from Baltimore.
The stacked card features an AEW World Championship match between champion Chris Jericho and Cody and a non-sanctioned match between heated rivals in Jon Moxley and Kenny Omega.
Here is the full card, how to watch the PPV and four things to pay special attention to at Full Gear.
Where and How to Watch
Full Gear will be held Saturday at Royal Farms Arena in Baltimore.
Emi Sakura burst on to the AEW scene at Double or Nothing in May, when she participated in a six-woman tag match that featured women's world champion Riho. Although she may be relatively unfamiliar to many fans, she is known to Riho who began her wrestling training under Sakura in Japan when she was nine. In the proceeding, the two wrestled all over Asia together.
On Saturday, the student and teacher are set to face off in a singles match for the first time stateside—and for Riho's AEW women's world title, no less. What will the flamboyant competitors, more familiar with each other's work than just about anyone, do on a huge stage at Full Gear?
The rivalry between the Proud and Powerful Santana and Ortiz and the Young Bucks began when the former, previously part of LAX during their time in Impact Wrestling, debuted at All Out and attacked the brothers after their epic ladder match against the Lucha Brothers.
On the debut episode of AEW Dynamite, Chris Jericho unveiled Santana and Ortiz as members of his Inner Circle. Since then, they have helped the world champion terrorize Cody and his allies, including during their first weekly show match against Kenny Omega and the Young Bucks.
With a win over the Young Bucks, largely considered one of the best tag teams in the world, Santana and Ortiz could solidify themselves as one of the top duos in the company having only just joined AEW a little over two months ago.
Chris Jericho defends his AEW World Championship for the first time against Cody, who is undefeated in singles matches since the company's founding in January.
Late in the buildup to their highly anticipated meeting, Jericho and Cody agreed to a stipulation that there will be a 60-minute time limit rather than the typical 20-minute restriction. If the match remains a draw after an hour, a panel of three judges will declare the winner. This leaves a lot of opportunity for near-falls, not to mention a finish to a match not typically seen in wrestling.
Also of great interest is the three judges' identities. Could we be in for more than one surprise?
How Extreme Does Jon Moxley Get Against Kenny Omega?
The long-awaited match between Jon Moxley and Kenny Omega finally happens Saturday, and with the amount of compelling storytelling that came from this feud over the past six months, their in-ring encounter has a lot to live up to.
On Oct. 30, Moxley learned from AEW President Tony Khan that his match against Omega at Full Gear is non-sanctioned. To say Moxley was unhappy with the news is an understatement, as he aimed for a legitimate win against the man he believes to be the "top guy" at AEW.
However, this leaves a lot of opportunity for Moxley and Omega's hardcore creativity to rear its head. In fact, both men teased the use of spiked clubs, chairs and even brooms, a reference to Omega's Cleaner gimmick from New Japan Pro-Wrestling, in the buildup to Full Gear.
Obviously, though, expectations are at an all-time high for Moxley in this bout considering his long history of "death matches." What chaos awaits us?
AEW Full Gear: Full Breakdown of Every Feud on the Match Card
Nov 7, 2019
All Elite Wrestling's Full Gear, its third major pay-per-view event, is airing live on Saturday in Baltimore and features a stacked card.
Expectations are high for the AEW World Championship match between Chris Jericho and Cody Rhodes, the non-sanctioned bout between Jon Moxley and Kenny Omega, and a tag team meeting between the Young Bucks and Santana and Ortiz.
Five other bouts fill out the mid-card with intriguing stakes and storylines. Here's the breakdown of every announced match at Full Gear.
Where and How to Watch
Full Gear will be held Saturday, Nov. 9, at Royal Farms Arena in Baltimore.
The main card starts at 8 p.m. ET, preceded by a pre-show called The Buy In at 7:30 p.m.
Main Card (subject to change)
Chris Jericho (c) vs. Cody Rhodes (world championship)
Jon Moxley vs. Kenny Omega (non-sanctioned)
Riho (c) vs. Emi Sakura (women's world championship)
SoCal Uncensored (c) vs. Lucha Brothers vs. Private Party (three-way match for tag team championship)
Santana and Ortiz vs. The Young Bucks
Adam Page vs. Pac
Joey Janela vs. Shawn Spears
The Buy In (subject to change)
Britt Baker vs. Bea Priestley
Britt Baker vs. Bea Priestley
These two rivals have been at each other's throats since Fight for the Fallen back in July. After Bea Priestley gave Britt Baker a real-life concussion at the event, The Doctor has done everything she can to get her hands on the Englishwoman. This includes jumping out of the Casino Battle Royale at All Out to attack Priestley on her way to the ring.
During the battle royale, Baker eliminated Priestley. Then, the 23-year-old exacted revenge by holding on to Baker while Nyla Rose eliminated her from the competition as well, costing her a shot at the AEW women's championship.
"I got texts and calls from everybody after my concussion," Baker said in the latest episode of AEW Dark. "I did not get one text or call from Bea Priestly. It's an unwritten rule in our business that when you hurt someone badly, you follow up and make sure they're getting better. Some people are professionals and some people are pieces of s--t."
According to the latest episode of AEW Dark, Joey Janela once put out a cigarette in Tully Blanchard's soda. The result? Blanchard and his protege Shawn Spears cornered the Bad Boy, opened his mouth up with pliers and forced a lit cigarette down his throat.
Janela replied on the send-home episode of Dynamite by saving Brandon Cutler from a brutal chair beating at the hands of Spears after losing to the Chairman. Both men needed a sense of direction since All Out, and now they have one despite the seemingly rushed build-up to their match at Full Gear.
These two foes faced off previously during AEW's first weekly episode of Dynamite when Pac used a stealthy groin strike unbeknownst to the referee to earn the win.
After a recent show, Page confronted the Bastard and demanded a rematch at Full Gear. Pac, undefeated in singles matches since joining AEW, could be on the cusp of a world championship title shot with another win against Page.
This rivalry began when the debuting Santana and Ortiz, previously part of LAX during their time at Impact Wrestling, attacked the Young Bucks after their match against the Lucha Brothers at All Out.
On the debut episode of AEW Dynamite, Chris Jericho announced that Santana and Ortiz were members of his Inner Circle. Since then, they've helped the AEW world champion terrorize Cody Rhodes and his closest peers, including during their first weekly show match against Omega and the Young Bucks when they defeated the trio.
Jericho issued a challenge to the Young Bucks on behalf of Santana and Ortiz for a match all Full Gear, which Matt and Nick Jackson eventually accepted.
In an interview with Bleacher Report, the Young Bucks said their match won't be as flashy as a typical tag team contest of theirs because of how aggressive Santana and Ortiz have approached things.
"I think you're going to see a more aggressive side of us," Nick Jackson said. "We're excited to get in there with these guys because they're supposed to be one of the best tag teams in the world. We feel like we're the best, so when you get two of the best tag teams in the world in one ring, let's see who really is the best."
SoCal Uncensored vs. Lucha Brothers vs. Private Party (AEW tag team championship)
After SoCal Uncensored won the inaugural AEW world tag team championship the week prior against the Lucha Brothers, Private Party also earned a shot at the titles at Full Gear by finishing third overall in the tag team tournament. Now, the top three tag teams from said tournament face off as part of SCU's first defense.
Riho vs. Emi Sakura (AEW women's world championship)
The #AEW Women's World Championship will be defended at #AEWFullGear when @riho_gtmv puts her championship on the line against @EmiSakura_gtmv
Although Emi Sakura may be relatively unfamiliar to many fans, she is quite familiar to Riho. When the AEW women's world champion was 9, she began her wrestling training under Sakura at her dojo in Japan. In the thirteen years since, the two wrestled against each other numerous times throughout Asia.
Now, the flamboyant Sakura faces her disciple in a singles match for the first time stateside, and for Riho's AEW women's world title no less.
Although a couple of feuds on this card have gotten personal, none have as many layers to the rivalry as Jon Moxley vs. Kenny Omega. The feud began on AEW's first-ever show, Double or Nothing, where Moxley made his surprising debut last May. The storytelling for the match has been a major draw over the past few months despite a real-life injury from Moxley nearly derailing the feud in August.
A match between Moxley and Omega was announced for All Out, set to take place three months after their altercation at Double or Nothing. This layoff gave each wrestler an ample amount of time to build on the impending rivalry through action and, perhaps even more importantly, their words. Due to Moxley's injury though, the match was postponed until Full Gear.
Omega and the Young Bucks faced Jericho, Santana and Ortiz in the night's main event on the debut of AEW's nationally televised weekly show. After the ring was cleared out during a brawl, the Best Bout Machine remained the only competitor left in it. Then came an angry Moxley, who returned from his injury to ambush Omega. Throwing him out to the ringside area, the two rivals fought through the crowd all the way to the suite areas. There, Moxley got the better of Omega and delivered a DDT that sent his enemy head-first through a glass table.
The tension between the two continued for weeks, festering into a long-awaited unsanctioned match at Full Gear this Saturday. With the amount of compelling storytelling that came from this feud over the past six months, their in-ring encounter has a lot to live up to.
Chris Jericho defends his AEW world championship for the first time against Cody Rhodes, who is undefeated in singles matches since joining the company.
In his first match of the weekly show, the American Nightmare defeated Sammy Guevara. After the bout, Jericho jumped Rhodes and later announced that Guevara, along with Jake Hager, Santana and Ortiz, were members of his Inner Circle. Since then, Cody sought the help of brother Dustin, best friend MJF and longtime family friend Diamond Dallas Page to confront the Inner Circle.
After a massive brawl that saw Cody punch a hole through a suite's glass window to get his hands on Jericho, the two remained civil during their contract signing. Both men shook hands before a long stare-down ahead of their title match that can last up to 60 minutes and whose winner will be decided by a panel of of three judges if the time limit is reached.
Cody announced on the final episode of Dynamite before Full Gear that if he doesn't defeat Jericho, he will never challenge for the AEW world championship again.
Chris Jericho vs. Cody and Updated AEW Full Gear 2019 Match Card After Dynamite
Nov 7, 2019
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - OCTOBER 04: Chris Jericho attends the All Elite Wrestling panel during 2019 New York Comic Con at Jacob Javits Center on October 04, 2019 in New York City. (Photo by Noam Galai/Getty Images for WarnerMedia Company)
Saturday's Full Gear pay-per-view promises to be a huge event in the young history of All Elite Wrestling, as the top two matches on the card could have big-time implications for the company moving forward.
Chris Jericho will have his first pay-per-view defense of the AEW World Championship since winning it at All Out, and it will come against Cody, who announced on Wednesday's episode of Dynamite that he will never challenge for the title again if he loses at Full Gear.
In the other main event-caliber match, Jon Moxley and Kenny Omega will finally meet, but it will be lights out, meaning there are no rules and the match result doesn't count against their records.
Here is everything you need to know about AEW Full Gear, including when and where to watch and what matches you can expect to see Saturday night.
Where: Royal Farms Arena in Baltimore
When: Saturday, Nov. 9 at 8 p.m. ET (pre-show starts at 7 p.m. ET)
AEW World Championship: Chris Jericho (c) vs. Cody
Non-Sanctioned Match: Jon Moxley vs. Kenny Omega
The Young Bucks vs. Santana and Ortiz
"Hangman" Adam Page vs. PAC
AEW Women's Championship: Riho (c) vs. Emi Sakura
AEW Tag Team Championship: SCU (c) vs. Lucha Brothers vs. Private Party
Shawn Spears vs. Joey Janela
Britt Baker vs. Bea Priestley
Top Matches to Watch
Chris Jericho vs. Cody
There is no question that AEW has committed fully to the build toward Jericho vs. Cody and made it feel like one of the most important matches in recent memory.
In addition to the stipulation that Cody can never challenge for the AEW World Championship again if he loses at Full Gear, there are several other factors at play that will make the bout a must-watch match.
Among them is the fact that AEW announced the addition of three judges should any AEW World title match go to a 60-minute draw. Should Jericho and Cody fight to a Broadway, the judges will decide the winner, which would undoubtedly create a great deal of controversy.
Also, the feud between Jericho and Cody has involved several other stars. Jericho is backed by Inner Circle stablemates Jake Hager, Sammy Guevara, Santana and Ortiz, while Cody has the support of MJF, Diamond Dallas Page and his brother, Dustin Rhodes.
It is entirely possible that the aforementioned wrestlers could get involved, and viewers should pay special attention to MJF, who seems destined for an eventual heel turn on Cody since he is presented as a heel whenever he isn't backing the AEW executive vice president.
Regardless of who wins, the result figures to shape the direction of AEW programming for many weeks and months to come.
Jon Moxley vs. Kenny Omega
While Jericho vs. Cody is the biggest match on the Full Gear card, the unsanctioned match between Moxley and Omega could well go on last.
Since "lights out" matches have traditionally gone on last following the end of the regular show over the course of wrestling history, it stands to reason that Moxley and Omega will have the responsibility of sending the fans home happy in Baltimore.
Moxley vs. Omega was supposed to happen back at All Out after Moxley attacked Omega to close out Double or Nothing, but their match was put on hold since Moxley landed on the injured list with an elbow infection. As a result, Omega faced PAC at All Out instead.
Since the debut of AEW Dynamite, Moxley and Omega have gone at it physically or verbally on a weekly basis, and all signs point toward a heated and perhaps even bloody affair at Full Gear.
At the close of Wednesday's Dynamite, Moxley and Omega had a standoff in the middle of the ring with Moxley holding a barbed wire bat and Omega brandishing a barbed wire broom. It seems likely that those weapons will come into play at Full Gear.
Since there are essentially no restrictions and nothing stopping Moxley and Omega from doing anything they want, it would be a disappointment if they don't deliver the match of the night.
SCU vs. Lucha Bros. vs. Private Party
If any bout has a chance to steal match-of-the-night honors from Jericho vs. Cody or Moxley vs. Omega, it is the AEW Tag Team Championship match pitting the champions, SCU, against The Lucha Brothers and Private Party in a Triple Threat match.
SCU upset Pentagon and Fenix in the finals of the tournament to become the first AEW Tag champs, while Private Party beat Dark Order on Wednesday to get added to the title match at Full Gear.
It is safe to say that SCU, Lucha Bros. and Private Party are three of the best teams in the world, and their match should be a masterclass of athleticism and awe-inspiring spots. Because of that, the match is an ideal choice to open the show and get the fans involved.
Any of the three teams could conceivably come away with the titles as well, which adds to the excitement of what should already be an attention-catching match.
If the three teams get between 15 and 20 minutes to go all out at Full Gear, they have a chance to deliver one of the best matches of the year.
Tune in to TNT on Wednesday nights at 8 p.m. ET to catch all the action of All Elite Wrestling: Dynamite.
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Exclusive: AEW's Jon Moxley Dishes on Bumps, Bruises and Being Bigger Than Ever
Nov 7, 2019
Jon Moxley is a funny guy.
Some of the things he says are objectively funny, like referring to a recently excised bursa sac attached to his elbow as an "alien head" or describing himself as being "particularly bad" at coping with the inertia of injury. But what makes him funny is his droll delivery, as if he's simply searching for the right words and not even thinking about being cute or quippy. Because that's precisely what's happening.
Over two separate phone conversations this summer and fall, the 33-year-old All Elite Wrestling main eventer and star of its weekly two-hour TNT show Dynamite—not to mention former WWE world champion—never chuckled nor betrayed any real emotion other than some residual frustration over false starts and matter-of-fact recognition that these are exciting times. In the context of catching up with a journalist he hardly knows, he could best be described as ambivalent, which translates as roguishly charming in a Paul Rudd in Wet Hot American Summer kind of way.
The truth is, things are going really well for the Cincinnati-bred brawler. If he expresses wariness during interviews, that's a symptom of his own superstitious tendencies, shaped by 15 roller-coaster years of highs, lows, questionable contracts and infected elbows.
Moxley is one of the biggest names in the most popular new wrestling promotion to launch in two decades, is happily married to WWE correspondent and commentator Renee Young and—minor health snags notwithstanding—is primed to steal the show against vaunted adversary Kenny Omega at AEW's Full Gear PPV on Saturday. Ironically, that burdensome case of bursitis helped boost anticipation for their confrontation, which was originally scheduled to go down August 31 at the company's All Out event.
"It's more of a white-whale kind of thing now," says Moxley (real name: Jonathan Good). "I don't think anyone would have put us in the same universe in an obvious dream match, but 10 seconds after I walked into AEW, I'm throwing him off a 15-foot thing, and all of a sudden, you want to see it really bad. Now it's had time to brew and have a few more confrontations and promos and be in front of a new audience sampling the product on TV.
"There's an undeniable spark when me and Kenny Omega are in the ring nose-to-nose. I've been doing this long enough to know when it's not there, and I think November 9 is gonna be money. It was a big match two months ago. Now it's a huge match."
It's been a pivotal seven months all told for the volatile, reluctant superstar. Moxley—who stormed the indie circuit for several years with his current persona before signing with WWE in 2011, where he was re-branded as Dean Ambrose, one-third of disruptive faction The Shield, en route to ultimate singles success—left Vince McMahon's big tent of his own accord in April.
On May 1, a cryptic video premiered on his Twitter account, making plain that the Moxley persona—one marked by violent and unpredictable charisma—was back in some form or fashion. Fast-forward less than five weeks, and Moxley had laid waste to Omega at Double or Nothing, debuted in New Japan Pro-Wrestling by wresting the United States Championship from Juice Robinson, and set off on a summer slate of appearances for promotions including New Jersey-based Game Changer Wrestling and upstate New York's Northeast Wrestling.
It's all a blur in retrospect, but he does vividly remember how he and Young went for a hike on New Year's Day, and that "it was one of those clear-your-mind days, and I was like, 'Well, I'm leaving [WWE] in a few months.' My plan was to go to the indies and Japan, to take myself off-Broadway, so to speak, completely disappear from the national consciousness and revamp my style, look, find a new character, just disappear for a year to wherever. And then the AEW thing happened and Double or Nothing happened and [New Japan's] G1 [tournament], and I was almost like, 'F--k, I need to go away for a long time and come back later,' but timing is everything."
That impulse to go off-grid reared its head again once he started making the media rounds in what's become an ostensible rite of passage for WWE ex-pats looking to sedate the gossip mill while building buzz for what's next. Amid a wide-ranging appearance on Chris Jericho's eponymous podcast in late May, Moxley openly lamented his former employer's overly scripted approach to the business. The resulting blog-driven clickbait threatened to overshadow the fact that Moxley was back, blazing a global trail in the ring with his preferred method of gonzo storytelling and physicality. He was, at best, bemused.
"I could have a conversation on a radio show about, 'What's your favorite sandwich?'" he deadpans when thinking about the period immediately following his WWE departure. "And I'll be like, 'Oh, I love peanut butter sandwiches,' and then the headlines will be, 'Jon Moxley shoots on peanut butter sandwiches.' I just tell it like it is. I don't have any need for any drama."
And so Moxley lowered his media profile a bit as the dog days wore on, not necessarily walking back his criticism of WWE's approach and his tenure there, but insisting he was merely blowing off steam, bore no ill will and was single-minded about the future with AEW. (Moxley forfeited his NJPW title after failing to appear at a rematch with Robinson in October, purportedly due to travel-related issues.) He stayed the course in our talks, commenting at different points that, "I just want to wrestle, promote the wrestling matches, talk about AEW and the life that I'm living" and, "I'm just trying to roll with the punches and focus on myself, just enjoy matches and promos."
That's what made his infected elbow, and the operation to have that bulging bursa sac excised, so infuriating. At the time of our second interview, it was just shy of two months since he announced the injury and nearly three weeks removed from his return to action, but he was still stewing over the cosmic crappiness of it all.
"I was f--king bitter," he assures, lest anyone thought he was missing his match at All Out for some nagging but manageable ache (he rues not being able to share photographic evidence while on the phone).
"It took me a full day to process it. I was like, 'Of all times, of all stupid things.' Basically, that thing started trying to crawl out of my elbow. The first doctor could tell I was in denial. My wife was in there with me, and it was almost like he started talking to her, 'cause I had the wrestler eyes. He was like, 'This isn't getting through. This is not registering.' But if that s--t gets in your bone or blood, you could lose a limb. That would be one of the all-time dumbest ways to die, to put off something cause you wanna have a pro-wrestling match. There was nothing I could do, but it was hard. Ultimately, what are we talking about? One wrestling match? Big deal. Now everything's looking good."
And such is the paradox of pinpointing where Moxley's head is at these days. On the one hand, he's energized by revisiting wrestling as blood sport, but he's also seasoned with age and is able to put his professional twists and turns into perspective.
"For lack of a better term, I'm a grown-up now," he surmises, though it's hard not to imagine him shrugging with Doug-from-The State-like unease. "I have a house and a wife and dogs and s--t. Back then, I had a lot of rocket fuel and unworked-out, deep-seated emotional issues, and that went into a lot of character stuff. It was cathartic. Now I'm a pretty stress-free adult."
However, he does warn against mistaking his maturity for vulnerability.
"Now I can be more dangerous 'cause I have more experience," he emphasizes. "My style is still very aggressive. When I say violent, it means intent. When the bell rings, if you are my opponent, you are in danger. Afterwards, we can f--king shake hands and have a beer, but during this match, I'm going to try to physically hurt you."
Case in point: On the October 2 premiere of Dynamite, Moxley—largely healed from his bursitis procedure and lying in wait for the most of the show—brought the house down by sabotaging main event competitor Omega and crashing him headfirst through a backstage coffee table.
In subsequent weeks, he and Omega have teased the brutality to come at Full Gear by taunting each other with barbed wire-wrapped weapons, with Moxley flipping off and beating down his own tag team partner, Pac, for good measure. Dynamite is a two-hour powder keg, and Moxley is its quintessential loose cannon.
"That freedom to be yourself now on a national platform is super exciting," he says, calling back ever-so-subtly to his eight years assuming the character of Dean Ambrose. "The fans are gonna notice a difference. They're gonna see stuff that's not canned f--king horses--t. I think you're already seeing it in the shows we've already had."
Moxley is as surprised as anyone that this soon after earning his free-agent wings, he's already a willing and vocal ambassador for the upstart company that signs his checks. But it's that very newness, albeit sweetened by the vast resources of billionaire owner Tony Khan, that Moxley credits with the consensus good vibes.
"Everybody from the production people to the referees, the whole team is in their first few weeks of their jobs," he points out, audibly hyped by the razor's edginess of it all. "To be on a frontier, part of a team that's making their first expedition, like we're f--king Louis and Clark, is really exciting, because we have no idea what we're going to encounter."
He takes a stab at conveying what the atmosphere was like as that first episode of Dynamiteclosed out, though it's discernibly difficult to recreate.
"When we hit 10 p.m.," he recounts, "everybody backstage was high-fiving and was like, 'We did it. We did a two-hour show. We got one. It happened.' It was a celebration, like we won the game. The crowd knew, too, because they were booing the guys in the ring, and as soon as it hit 10 o'clock, all of a sudden the crowd started cheering. Now it's like an addictive thing to put TV together and make sure your deal comes off good. It's more in the hands of the performers than other places where it might be in the hands of 30 people who are coming up with this s--t in some office somewhere and you have to figure out how to make sense of it as a wrestler."
The question of how long Moxley plans on living life as a professional wrestler is a mystery even to him. As he reminds, "A few years ago, I was like, 'I wanna retire when I'm 35, f--k this s--t.' And now I'm like, 'Damn, I wanna wrestle till I'm 50.'"
He knows full well that an aura of death and decay colors his industry, and that his decision to re-embark on a more punishing style of performance will compromise his cognition and physical condition. Yet this unlikely and open-ended new chapter in his life and career feels less like a fresh start than the dawn of what he always set out to do. Picturing his sunset is the last thing on Moxley's mind.
"This is just my life," he concludes with more gratitude than resignation. "This is the thing I'm most passionate about. I don't see any end to the road until maybe one day the body breaks down and we gotta take him out back and put a slug in the back of the horse's head and put him out to pasture. I truly made it, not 'cause I made money or cause I'm some f--king star. I made it 'cause I don't have to have a real job. I get to do what I love for a living, and it's a hell of a blessing."
Kenny Herzog covers everything from wrestling to politics for outlets including The Ringer and Vulture, among many others. More on Twitter @kennyherzog.
Just days before the first pay-per-view of the Dynamite era, a report on the main event of All Elite Wrestling Full Gear headlines this week's collection of backstage rumors, but it is hardly the only newsworthy inclusion...
The Jon Moxley vs. Kenny Omega Feud Explained Ahead of AEW Full Gear PPV
Nov 6, 2019
All Elite Wrestling's upcoming Full Gear pay-per-view on Nov. 9 is the promotion's first since its weekly show on TNT began Oct. 2. The feuds developed over the first month of national television programming laid the foundation forSaturday's event, and expectations might just be at an all-time high for fans.
Although a couple of the feuds have gotten personal, none have as many layers to the rivalry as Jon Moxley vs. Kenny Omega.
The feud began on AEW's first show, Double or Nothing, where Moxley made his surprising debut last May. It's blossomed because of the intricate storytelling wrestling fans hoped to see from the upstart company, despite some unexpected wrenches being thrown into the mix during the buildup. It's maybe the best storyline that AEW has concocted up to this point.
Below is a breakdown of the rivalry until now. Watch their match and the rest of the Full Gear event Saturday on B/R Live at 7:30 p.m. ET.
Background
Jon Moxley
Before Jon Moxley stepped foot in an AEW ring, he was WWE's Dean Ambrose. Most well known for being a member of The Shield, one of the most dominant wrestling factions in recent memory, Ambrose earned a world championship on seven occasions and became just the eighth wrestler in WWE's modern format to complete the Grand Slam (winning a primary championship, tag team championship and both secondary championships).
Ambrose was one of the most recognizable names in WWE for the better part of eight years, earning the reputation for being a brash "lunatic" willing to take matches and his persona a step further than most wrestlers would. However, his dissatisfaction with the path his character took toward the end of his time with WWE drove him away from the company that put "Dean Ambrose" on the map and into the arms of a fresh start with AEW.
AEW's promise of more creative freedom, a lighter workload and the ability to work the occasional independent wrestling show was enough to seal Moxley's signature. He became the first wrestler in his prime to leave WWE for the new promotion, and his move could potentially leave a lasting impact on the business.
Kenny Omega
Omega made a name for himself stateside despite primarily wrestling for New Japan Pro Wrestling. A nine-time NJPW champion, Omega was considered one of the best wrestlers in the world during his time in Asia after putting on numerous match-of-the-year candidates. His knack for five-star matches even earned him the nickname of "Best Bout Machine."
Close friends with fellow AEW wrestlers Cody Rhodes and the Young Bucks, the quartet were integral in the formation of the company as executive vice presidents. Now, Omega appears eager to show mainstream wrestling fans stateside who may not be entirely familiar with his work what he's capable of.
Chris Jericho and Kenny Omega had just finished a thrilling match at Double or Nothing to decide who would participate in the first AEW World Championship bout. After clinching his spot, Jericho grabbed a mic and demanded thanks from fans for putting AEW on the map. The crowd, already hot, completely melted at the sight of a debuting Moxley entering the ring through the audience.
It was a surreal moment for fans. Moxley had been one of WWE's top stars for the better part of a decade, and now there he was in the middle of an AEW canvas ready to take out anyone and everyone.
He began his demolition with Jericho, another former WWE icon. Then came the referee, who was also greeted with a Paradigm Shift. Lastly, Moxley stumbled upon a woozy Omega, who had just lost his grueling match against Jericho. The two men brawled all the way to the entrance ramp, where Moxley eventually got the better of Omega and threw him off a large structure on to the unforgiving floor.
Moxley was back and changing the wrestling landscape as we knew it.
A match between Moxley and Omega was announced for All Out, set to take place three months after their altercation at Double or Nothing. This layoff gave each wrestler an ample amount of time to build on the impending rivalry through action and, perhaps even more importantly, their words.
After Omega retaliated against Moxley at Fyter Fest, the latter went into detail regarding his preparations for their match.
"Whether or not I buy the legend of Kenny Omega, believe me brother, I'm taking it very seriously. That's why I'm going all over Japan learning all your styles, all your tricks of the trade, what you do and where you come from," Moxley said.
Last July and August, Moxley participated in the historic G1 Climax tournament in Japan as part of his physical and psychological planning. During Omega's time at NJPW in 2016, he won the 20-man competition. Moxley believed that stepping into his opponent's shoes for a span of five weeks to take part in one of the most grueling wrestling tournaments in the world would give him new insight into the man he's going up against. That is some deep storytelling largely unheard of in wrestling today.
Soon after, Omega responded with a promo of his own that subtly touched on the G1 Climax.
"I know that you want to make a statement probably more than anyone, and that fuels me," Omega said. "You're willing to put your reputation on the line. That's great, but now you're going to have to step through the ropes, step in my ring and prove that you belong here. Are you ready, Moxley? Maybe mentally you are, but are you ready physically?"
It was this unexpected foreshadowing that would write the next chapter in their feud.
The Injury
I'm absolutely gutted to have to deliver this news but I'd rather it come directly from me. In a nightmare scenario, a serious case of MRSA has returned in my elbow. The timing couldn't be worse. In this circumstance I am forced to pull out of the fight 8/31 vs Omega at All Out .
On Aug. 23, less than two weeks after the conclusion of the G1 Climax, Jon Moxley pulled out of his match against Omega at All Out due to a staph infection. "This f--king sucks," the 33-year-old posted on his Twitter after the announcement.
In the span of a month, Moxley wrestled 18 matches in Japan ahead of All Out. Omega did not take kindly to Moxley pulling out of their match after wrestling as often as he did in Asia weeks prior. He had doubts about how Moxley would handle the physicality of Japan, and those doubts in some ways were warranted because of the injury.
"How did that tournament go in Japan," Omega sarcastically asked.
"Did you win? I know I did, got the shirt to prove it. Did I go to Japan and wrestle 24 days out of the month before fighting you? No, I did this thing, Jon, it's called being a professional. ... I was ready, I took you seriously, I never got myself injured. I got myself in the best shape of my life. You never took me seriously and you never took this pay-per-view seriously. ... You were careless. I blame you.
"You should really look in the mirror and ask yourself, 'What the f--k am I doing?'"
Instead of facing Moxley at All Out, Omega took on the debuting Pac. Moxley was nowhere to be seen for weeks while he recovered from surgery, that is until another important night in AEW's history.
On the debut of AEW's nationally televised weekly show, Omega and the Young Bucks faced Jericho, Santana and Ortiz in the night's main event. After the ring was cleared out during a brawl, the Best Bout Machine remained the only competitor left in it. Standing tall, Omega noticed the crowd growing louder despite nothing in his view happening. As he slowly turned around to see what was going on, an angry Moxley was there waiting for him.
Throwing him out to the ringside area, the two rivals fought through the crowd all the way to the suite areas. There, Moxley got the better of Omega and delivered a DDT that sent his enemy head-first through a glass table.
Two weeks later, Moxley and Omega got their hands on each other again when they met in a tag team match that included Adam Page and Pac. Omega and Page got the win after Moxley turned on Pac for stopping him from using a weapon on Omega, which would've automatically disqualified them. As a result, Moxley left his teammate to fend for himself.
Full Gear
On Oct. 30, Moxley learned from AEW president Tony Khan that his match against Omega at Full Gear is Non-sanctioned, meaning it will not count toward either competitor's win-loss record as the promotion does not want to take responsibility for what these men might do to each other during their bout.
Despite Moxley being unhappy with the news as he aimed for a legitimate win against what he believes to be the "top guy" at AEW, this leaves a lot of opportunity for Moxley and Omega's hardcore creativity to rear its head. In fact, both men teased the use of spiked clubs, chairs and even brooms in reference to Omega's old "Cleaner" gimmick from NJPW in the buildup to Full Gear.
The long-awaited match between Moxley and Omega finally happens on Saturday, and with the amount of compelling storytelling that came from this feud over the past six months, their in-ring encounter has a lot to live up to.
AEW, NXT Drop in Wednesday Ratings Amid Game 7 of 2019 World Series
Oct 31, 2019
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - OCTOBER 04: Jon Moxley attends the All Elite Wrestling press line during 2019 New York Comic Con at Jacob Javits Center on October 04, 2019 in New York City. (Photo by Noam Galai/Getty Images for WarnerMedia Company)
For the fifth consecutive week, AEW Dynamite on TNT came out ahead of WWE NXT on USA Network in the Wednesday night ratings battle.
Facing stiff competition from Game 7 of the World Series between the Washington Nationals and Houston Astros, as well as multiple NBA games, AEW Dynamite averaged 759,000viewers during its two-hour show, while WWE NXT brought in 580,000viewers, according to Wrestling Inc's Raj Giri.
AEW saw its viewership decreasefrom last week's963,000, and NXT went downfrom the 698,000 viewers it averaged last week.
Entering this week, AEW and NXT had each seen their viewership fall with each passing week. AEW debuted to tune of 1.41 million viewers this month, while NXT's debut on USA garnered 1.1 million viewers two weeks before that.
Several newsworthy moments occurred on both Dynamite and NXT this week to set the stage for upcoming pay-per-view events.
On Dynamite, Kazarian and Scorpio Sky beat The Lucha Brothers, Pentagon and Fenix in the finals of a tournament to determine the inaugural AEW Tag Team champions.
Also, Chris Jericho and Cody had a contract signing for their AEW World Championship match at Full Gear, and Jon Moxley cut a heated promo on Kenny Omega ahead of their unsanctioned match at Full Gear.
NXT featured Finn Balor's explanation for why he attacked Johnny Gargano and turned heel one week earlier, and two major announcements were made for next month's NXT TakeOver: WarGames.
After Io Shirai beat Candice LeRae in a singles match and The Kabuki Warriors retained the WWE Women's Tag Team Championships against Dakota Kai and Tegan Nox, a brawl broke out involving most of NXT's top women's wrestlers.
As a result, NXT general manager William Regal announced the first-ever women's WarGames match featuring Shirai, LeRae, Nox, Kai, Rhea Ripley, Bianca Belair, Shayna Baszler, Jessamyn Duke and Marina Shafir.
To close the show, Tommaso Ciampa suggested that he, Matt Riddle, Keith Lee and another Superstar would face Undisputed Era in a WarGames match at TakeOver: WarGames as well.
Next week will be the go-home show prior to Full Gear for AEW, while NXT will attempt to build on this week's announcements with TakeOver: WarGames still a few weeks away.
Listen toRing Rust Radiofor all of the hot wrestling topics. Catch the latest episode in the player below(warning: some languageNSFW).
All Elite Wrestling 's Dynamite had a big task in front of it for the October 30 edition. Not only did it promise to crown first-ever tag champions after a lengthy tournament, ...
History was made Wednesday night on TNT as AEW crowned its first tag team champions in Charleston, West Virginia...
CM Punk on AEW Mentioning WWE, Chris Jericho Responds to Seth Rollins, NXT TV
Oct 25, 2019
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - OCTOBER 18: Actor Phil 'CM Punk' Brooks attends the red carpet Premiere of
Bleacher Report catches you up on the latest news from the WWE Universe.
Punk Comments on AEW Acknowledging WWE
Former WWE Superstar CM Punk suggested Friday that All Elite Wrestling would benefit from focusing less on its competition.
In an interview with Zak Wojnar of Screen Rant, Punk expressed his belief that those involved with AEW would be better off honing in on what they're doing rather than WWE:
"I think AEW needs to focus on themselves and stop talking about WWE. Cody and The Young Bucks and Kenny Omega, Jon Moxley, all those guys have something great going on. I just think it lessens and cheapens what they are doing when they constantly attack WWE. There hasn't been an alternative to WWE in so very long, and I think they do a disservice to themselves when they're trying to be the alternative but constantly bring up WWE.
"But I understand, when people ask you the questions during the interviews you have to answer them. But that's just part of life. You have to learn how to navigate that. I would like them to just try to focus on their product and building it up and making it better. I think that would benefit all the fans."
AEW performers are often asked about WWE in interviews, and they generally haven't held back when discussing the world's biggest and most successful wrestling company.
WWE has also been mentioned multiple times on AEW Dynamite. A few weeks ago, AEW World champion Chris Jericho called Jake Hager's "We the people" gimmick a bad WWE creative idea. This week, Cody said the ring in AEW isn't an invisible barrier unlike "the other wrestling company."
While WWE references seem to pop the crowd since it creates the illusion of bad blood and a war between the two companies, it hasn't done much to boost AEW otherwise.
Dynamite has lost viewership in each of the past three weeks, and it dropped below 1 million viewers for the first time this week.
Punk doesn't have a horse in the race since he isn't signed to any wrestling company and has expressed an openness to work with either AEW or WWE in the future, but he is a highly successful figure in the business, and has generally had his finger on the pulse of pro wrestling and its fans over the years.
Jericho Responds to Rollins' 'Minor League' Comment
Plenty of shots have been fired between AEW and WWE since the debut of AEW Dynamite, and AEW World champion Chris Jericho had more to say during a recent interview.
Jericho previously referred to NXT as the "minor leagues," and during an appearance on Grado's Wrestling Daft Podcast (h/t H Jenkins of Ringside News), he further explained his stance:
"NXT is still the minor league. Those guys are still unknown performers, it's not a competition to us and I knew we'd win because we have more star power. When you look at the end of our first week of TV who was out there at the end? Chris Jericho—we know him! Dustin Rhodes—we know him! Jon Moxley—we know him, he used to be another name and but we know who that is. Jim Ross is commentating—I know that guy!"
Jericho's comment came after WWE Universal champion Seth Rollins called AEW the "minor leagues" this week when asked about a potential future match against Kenny Omega.
Like Jericho, Omega has criticized NXT and suggested that it wasn't at the same level as AEW.
Truth be told, WWE's main roster, NXT and AEW all have some well-known names in the wrestling business that even casual followers of sports entertainment are likely familiar with.
The likes of Jericho, Omega, The Young Bucks, Cody and Moxley would almost certainly be big stars if they signed with WWE today, while Adam Cole, Tommaso Ciampa, Johnny Gargano, Finn Balor, Shayna Baszler and Velveteen Dream are just a few of the NXT talents who would thrive in any environment.
Reported Future of NXT TV
Since moving from WWE Network to USA Network six weeks ago, NXT has continued to emanate from Full Sail University in Winter Park, Florida, but that reportedly may soon change.
According to Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter (h/t WrestlingInc.com's Marc Middleton), WWE is considering running some of its NXT TV events at Full Sail next year, while also touring and holding shows at other venues across the country.
WWE reportedly wants to still run some shows at Full Sail since it is cost-effective but also wants to broaden NXT's horizons in order to come across as more of a big-time promotion as it goes head-to-head with AEW Dynamite on Wednesday nights.
Meltzer also reported that the reason why NXT is still occurring exclusively at Full Sail, for now, is because it rushed to make the move to USA in order to combat AEW and didn't have time to negotiate with arenas.
It is reportedly expected that NXT will begin touring for weekly television as soon as January 2020.
Since NXT has sold out big buildings for NXT TakeOver events in the past, it should be a hot ticket on Wednesday nights, and that could help it close the gap in the ratings war after losing to AEW in each of the first four weeks.
Listen toRing Rust Radiofor all of the hot wrestling topics. Catch the latest episode in the player below(warning: some languageNSFW).
