10 All Out Mistakes AEW Can't Afford To Repeat At Full Gear
1. General Sequencing Issues
Short of an intermission, AEW, and this wasn't just an issue at All Out, needs to sequence the card order perfectly to extract the maximum from the whole.
The opener was misjudged. The Casino Battle Royale was too static for too long when the show needed something relentless to maintain the energy charged by the Young Bucks and Jurassic Express. The placement of Mimosa Mayhem felt like a reach for importance.
It was really, really well done for what it was. Jericho was sensational in skirting the cocktail vat; you were certain he was going to botch it, but no, he was just masterful on the night. But the very words "cocktail vat" are as frivolous as the match was at its core. It tried to be something more weighty than it was by occupying the semi-main slot. It developed a weird tonal dissonance as a result.
At last year's All Out, Kenny Omega Vs. PAC went on so early, and the Cracker Barrel Clash that followed it was so totally demented, that two full matches functioned as breathers in their wake.
Here's how AEW Full Gear 2020 should go, in your writer's opinion, to address what is mostly a minor problem:
Shida Vs. Nyla Rose kicks off the main card to benefit from early excitement where there is no buzz. Chris Jericho Vs. MJF, teased to end in a shocking storyline development, follows. The buzz of the finish carries over to Cody Vs. Darby Allin, to which close attention must be made. The Elite Deletion acts as a buffer between the undercard and the business end; however you'll receive it, you'll be ready for something for more traditional when it ends.
Then it's time for Kenny Omega Vs. Hangman Page. Two long, elite-tier wrestling matches might undermine Jon Moxley Vs. Eddie Kingston, so that occupies the semi-main slot.
FTR Vs. The Young Bucks headlines the show. AEW has brought back tag team wrestling to a level beyond its lofty promise. This is the biggest tag team wrestling dream match in forever. The stakes are enormous.
The audience still needs to be trained. There can be no greater exercise than this battle of opposing curriculums.