10 Ups & 1 Down From AEW Full Gear 2021
Downs...
1. Sapping, Long Match Times Detract Slightly From Overall Experience
AEW Full Gear 2021 was a 8.5/10 show that might have peaked even higher than that, had trademark indulgence not brought it down.
How much the following take actually matters is debatable. Previously, AEW's poor editing control has at times undermined the big match drama of the PPV main event, which has rarely - if ever - rang out as loudly as the various classics underneath. AEW reversed its least ideal trend at Full Gear. The headline match, and the most important moment in company history, was the loudest thing on the show. That's cowboy s**t. It's also a measure of how over Page is more than it is a result of an economic, well-sequenced card of action.
Nothing was remotely bad about it - other than a very questionable signing - but much would have benefitted with liberal use of the red pen. CM Punk Vs. Eddie Kingston was incredible. It was also the shortest match on the main card. There's a lesson there, but after two and a half years, will AEW ever learn it?
As an overall viewing experience, the show dragged at times, even if the main event was red-hot. Certain matches didn't need an extra three minutes of excess. Certain matches underwhelmed, if not enough to mark down individually.
Peak NJPW proved that it isn't impossible to keep fans invested throughout a major show. Some peak NJPW shows went five hours and still managed. The counter-argument here is that AEW PPVs only arrive four times per year. They are meant to be epic.
But shouldn't they feel like they've come and gone too quickly, if anything?