AEW Worlds End 2024 - Best & Worst - WWE legend returns, Huge feud ends in disappointment, Ricochet humiliated

AEW Worlds End 2024 was a memorable pay-per-view with its fair share of highs and lows. While the high quality of in-ring action was maintained throughout the night, a few questionable booking decisions left a sour taste in the mouth.

The Orlando crowd had moments to shine, with returning stars receiving huge pops from the fans in attendance. While the show overall was decent, Tony Khan did not get everything right on the pay-per-view night.

So, let's look at how good the Florida pay-per-view was and what things could have been done differently. Here's a review of AEW Worlds End 2024, discussing the three best and two worst moments of the night.

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#3. Best: Mercedes Mone vs. Kris Statlander steals the show at AEW Worlds End

Mercedes Mone put her AEW TBS Championship on the line against Kris Statlander for the second time at Worlds End 2024. The match was confirmed at the last minute, and the onus was now on the two women to make up for a lack of buildup.

The duo did not disappoint the fans, as they stole the show with their magnificent performances. Statlander vs. Mone scripted history by becoming the first match in AEW history to go over 20 minutes.

It was undeniably the best match of the night, filled with innovative offense and breathtaking reversals. The CEO played the role of a cocky heel to perfection, while Statlander shone in her role as the gritty babyface.

After an intense contest that lasted nearly 27 minutes, Mercedes Mone retained her title via the inside cradle roll-up. With this massive victory, The CEO has now cemented her claim of being the greatest TBS Champion.

The contest was also a wakeup call for The Galaxy's Greatest Alien, who has now lost two matches against the reigning TBS Champion.

#2. Worst: Kazuchika Okada wins the AEW Continental Classic

The second edition of the Continental Classic concluded with an excellent final bout between Will Ospreay and Kazuchika Okada. Earlier in the night, The Aerial Assassin bested Kyle Fletcher in the first Semi-Final to qualify for the final round. Meanwhile, Kazuchika Okada defeated Ricochet in a rather underwhelming contest to set up a match against Ospreay.

The two stars lived up to the expectations, reiterating why they are among the very best in the ring. The match began at a surprisingly slow pace as Okada continued to target Ospreay's head, which was busted open during his Semi-Final bout against Fletcher.

The contest became extremely fast-paced in the final moments, pushing the Orlando crowd to the edge of their seats. After a hard-hitting battle, Kazuchika Okada emerged victorious, adding the Continental Classic to his list of tournaments won.

It was a rather disappointing decision, as there were far more deserving candidates to take the win home. The winner should have been either Ospreay or Kyle Fletcher, who have consistently delivered breathtaking in-ring performances over the last 12 months.

The finals of the Continental Classic could have been the perfect spot for The Rainmaker to lose the AEW Continental Championship, a title that has remained in his grasp for over nine months. After the match, Christopher Daniels came out to set up the return of Kenny Omega, who presented the Continental Classic Title to his NJPW rival.

Arguably, Tony Khan could have booked The Cleaner's return in a much more intriguing manner. With over seven months left till All In 2025, it would be interesting to see how AEW goes about retelling the iconic Omega vs. Okada story.

#2. Best: Swerve Strickland humiliates Ricochet at AEW Worlds End

Ricochet seemed a little too confident coming into the Semi-Finals of the Continental Classic. Unfortunately, The One and Only was convincingly defeated by Kazuchika Okada at Worlds End, ending his dream run in the prestigious tournament.

After the match, Swerve Strickland came out to confront The Highlight of the Night. A few weeks ago, Ricochet mocked Strickland for coming up short in the Semis of the AEW Continental Classic 2023. The former WWE star had arrogantly stated that he would establish his supremacy in the Continental Classic, which ultimately did not transpire.

The Killshot reminded Ricochet of his huge claims before Prince Nana came out with a trolley of toilet paper. The Realest One instructed the Orlando audience to throw the distributed rolls on the former WWE star, and the crowd happily obliged.

The Future of the Flight looked justifiably infuriated at the humiliation ritual, which is a sign of great character progression. After a forced attempt at being a cocky character, Ricochet is now left with no other choice than to embrace his ruthless side.

The former WWE United States Champion is now bound to turn heel, which may spell doom for Swerve Strickland. A new, relentless version of Ricochet could also draw the attention of The Hurt Syndicate, who recently refused to include him in their faction.

#1. Worst: The underwhelming conclusion to the MJF vs. Adam Cole saga

At Worlds End 2024, MJF and Adam Cole met in the decisive bout of their rivalry, with the Diamond Dynamite Ring being at stake. The buildup to this contest was atrocious, as the year-long storyline suffered from having several plot holes and inconsistencies.

Fans had expected the two former allies to end their long-running rivalry with a memorable performance. Unfortunately, the match was far from anything special.

Interestingly, the Orlando audience actively cheered MJF over Adam Cole, who was supposed to be the heel in this contest. In the final moments, The Salt of the Earth delivered a low blow to the Panama Playboy, ending the contest in the most underwhelming manner.

After the match, Roderick Strong and Kyle O'Reilly assaulted The Wolf of Wrestling, who has now finally reunited with The Star of the Show. However, the Undisputed Kingdom's reunion failed to make the desired impact, as the crowd did not respond positively to the group.

Thankfully, the disappointing storyline has finally concluded, and MJF and Cole can now go their separate ways.

#1. Best: Adam Copeland returns to assault Jon Moxley

At Worlds End 2024, Jon Moxley successfully retained his AEW World Championship against Jay White, Hangman Adam Page, and Orange Cassidy. The Purveyor of Violence pinned The Switchblade to win a decent contest, which was marred with numerous interferences from The Death Riders.

After the match, the heel faction attempted to further damage Jay White before FTR emerged to make the save. The veterans did not come alone, as a returning Adam Copeland helped Dax Harwood and Cash Wheeler clear the house.

The Rated-R Superstar then came face-to-face with Jon Moxley, who was startled to see Copeland back. The Ultimate Opportunist nailed The Ace of AEW with a Spear before executing his signature cross-face spot.

Copeland then declared that The Rated-FTR was ready to go to war with The Death Riders. The return of the former TNT Champion was arguably the moment of the night, as it instantly sent the Orlando crowd into a frenzy.

The stage is now set for a violent rivalry between Jon Moxley and Adam Copeland. Having delivered amazing matches against Roman Reigns and Seth Rollins, fans should expect the Rated-R Superstar to weave his magic against Moxley as well.