ALL IN 2018: Star Ratings For All 9 Major Matches

9. MJF Vs. Matt Cross

This was about the only misjudged segment of a card that proved, if the action is good, conclusive, and different enough, North American audiences are capable of sitting through a five hour epic. The opener however was unannounced, unmemorable and, gauging by the confused crowd reaction, unwanted.

At best, it was a nice nod in recognition of the victorious Matt Cross, whose painstaking graft over two decades paved the way for this exciting new road ahead. Counterproductively, much of the action once it heated up felt familiar, with Cross borrowing from the generation he inspired, which didn't really put him over to the new, huge audience as a trailblazer. Funnily enough, given it was the match nobody expected or really wanted, the storytelling felt unearned. MJF spat at Cross at the halfway point in a spot usually reserved for the heated grudge match which, again, underscored a lack of imagination.

We can't begrudge the work - there's a reason Cross has carved out such a tenured career - it was just fine. It was a back and forth effort typical of the Independents; fine, but a strange choice for an opener that was never above suspicion.

Star Rating: **1/2