AEW Full Gear 2023 - Best and Worst - Former WWE champion returns, Tony Khan's new signing revealed, multiple title changes

This year's AEW Full Gear pay-per-view delivered on a lot of promises, putting on some spectacular matches and moments. While not everything was a hit, the show was quite a success.

Below, we take a look at some of the best segments of the show and some which did not quite hit the mark.

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#6 Best: Two AEW title changes at Full Gear 2023

The TBS Championship and the Women's World Championship were at a strange place in the last few weeks. While both Kris Statlander and Hikaru Shida were very capable performers in the ring, they did not quite make for interesting characters. As such, the decision to switch the TBS Title and the Women's World Title to Julia Hart and "Timeless" Toni Storm, respectively, was a smart decision, considering both of them have gotten very over with the fans of late.

Moreover, the manner in which the heels won their matches also did not harm the momentum of Shida and Statlander since both losses were quite unfair in principle.

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#5 Worst: Surprise AEW signing

While Tony Khan's announcements are usually a major deal, this time, it failed to live up to the hype. Will Ospreay is certainly a fantastic addition to the roster, but the way the announcement was presented made fans think of someone much higher up the totem pole, like Goldberg. Naturally, it was a letdown when the New Japan Pro Wrestling legend walked in since he was already closely associated with the company and could have done without the signing being treated as a surprise.

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#4 Best: Jon Moxley pinned by Orange Cassidy for the AEW International Title

Jon Moxley, formerly known as Dean Ambrose, is one of the most formidable names on the AEW roster and is rarely pinned clean. This pay-per-view saw him losing in a rare singles match as he fought against Orange Cassidy for the International Championship. The bout was gritty, and it almost looked like Moxley was going to take the win. However, Cassidy was eventually able to prevail and retain the title, much to the pleasant surprise of fans.

The booking has again pushed Orange Cassidy on to a potentially dominant run and thus deserves a spot on the list.

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#3 Worst: Ric Flair trading blows with Christian Cage at AEW Full Gear

While Ric Flair being in any promotion is a welcome addition, it is quite clear that his experience is much more valuable than his physical presence. However, this week at the Full Gear pay-per-view, he got into a physical tussle with Christian Cage, which ended with him receiving a low blow. While the segment was quite tame, it did feel pointless and an excuse to involve Flair more actively.

Considering Ric Flair has stated that he would not mind dying in the ring, it is much more important to keep his booking cautious.

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#2 Best: Swerve Strickland's intense match against the former AEW World Champion

Swerve Strickland has been steadily climbing up the ranks of the roster over the months, establishing himself as a top star. His match with "Hangman" Adam Page is yet another testament to his talent. The bout was more intense than anything in the company for a long time, as both the stars took each other to their absolute limits.

In short, Strickland and "Hangman" Adam Page's match overshadowed a good section of the other matches, which leads it to being included on this list.

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#1 Worst: Adam Cole's return and MJF's title match for the AEW World Championship

While MJF is known to put on some of the best matches and promo segments in the company, Full Gear 2023 seemed like a rare miss for him. The booking during the zero hour made it clear that MJF would be out of commission for the pay-per-view. This opened up interesting possibilities about the masked Devil finally being unmasked.

Instead, fans got to see a decidedly slow match in which MJF hobbled to defeat Jay White. Adam Cole's return also did not serve much purpose, which may not have been the case if he was fully healed before returning. Moreover, the absence of any developement in the Devil story was a major disappointment.

Overall, despite the show having a few misses, one could call it quite a spectacle. It remains to be seen what the fallout will be from Full Gear 2023 pay-per-view.

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