12 Ups & 5 Downs From AEW Full Gear

3. Student Defeats Teacher

What Riho vs. Emi Sakura lacked in build (and, to be fair, crown connection) it more than made up for in execution and storytelling, with student and teacher collided in an explosive, intense, and emotional clash that began with Sakura so consumed by the moment, she couldn't help but shed genuine tears during the introductions. That's pro-wrestling.

As Excalibur pointed out on commentary, these two hard shared a ring a whopping 286 times. They played into this throughout, with Riho harking back to her dojo days by executing a half-crab on her mentor (a staple hold in any young lion's arsenal), then bumping around like a maniac. That's the thing about her: she's such a great bumper and so, so small that literally every single move she absorbs looks like death. It's a great quality for any professional wrestler, and one of the main reasons why she has caught on so well in AEW.

An outstanding series of counter-pins brought the crowd to their feet late on. Finally, after a compelling chess battle, Riho put her former teacher away with another cradle. Smart and opportunistic rather than lucky, she had her arm raised by Sakura afterwards, making for the evening's most resonant feel-good moment.