AEW Full Gear: Every match ranked from worst to first

#5 Riho vs. Emi Sakura

Emi & Riho not backing down from each other!#AEWFullGear broadcasts LIVE from Baltimore TONIGHT and is available on all major providers, @FiteTV @ITVWrestling @brlive pic.twitter.com/HN6rE0r9UU

— All Elite Wrestling (@AEWrestling) November 10, 2019

It's too bad that this match didn't have more build, because the teacher vs. student angle could have gone places on the weekly Dynamite episodes. The lack of build and the obvious winner didn't subtract from the action itself, though. Riho just has a knack for playing the babyface in danger and getting fans invested in her victory. Any time it feels like she could lose her title, you hold your breath. This is why AEW smartly made her their first women's champion, they knew what they had with her.

Riho was in peril more than once, falling victim to her old mentor's slams, but she kicked out each time. Her big knee strikes weren't enough to down Sakura, either. Ultimately, it came down to an exchange of pins. Riho eventually won with her own rollup, taking revenge for Dynamite earlier this week.

This match did what it needed to do.