Yet another match that remained fun and functional without ever ascending to the type of classic status the build might have tried to project, Jon Moxley and Hiroshi Tanahashi's victory over Chris Jericho and Lance Archer was a worthwhile exercise in showing off just enough of what 'The Ace' still has in his locker for those that might not have seen it before.
That it existed to be a backdrop to show-closing chaos will alienate some, but if anything, the Forbidden Door build needed a little bit of this. The spiralling sprawling nature of the build to the show has opened up a space for these kinds of brawls to exist in, even if the optics about AEW spinning out are less than ideal.
Tanahashi and Moxley staring, unmoved by the drama around them, was good f*cking sh*t too. It's a shame AEW couldn't quite time this all out right that the pair only locked eyes with seconds remaining. Exposed ever so slightly by wonky production, the epic visual to send us off the air was as cool as the two men themselves, even if it accidentally ran a touch long.
Michael is a writer, editor, podcaster and presenter for WhatCulture Wrestling, and has been with the organisation over 7 years. He primarily produces written, audio and video content on WWE and AEW, but also provides knowledge and insights on all aspects of the wrestling industry thanks to a passion for it dating back over 30 years. As one third of "The Dadley Boyz", Michael has contributed to the huge rise in popularity of the WhatCulture Wrestling Podcast, earning it top spot in the UK's wrestling podcast charts with well over 50,000,000 total downloads. He has been featured as a wrestling analyst for the Tampa Bay Times and Sports Guys Talking Wrestling, and has covered milestone events in New York, Dallas, Las Vegas, London and Cardiff. Michael's background in media stretches beyond wrestling coverage, with a degree in Journalism from the University Of Sunderland (2:1) and a series of published articles in sports, music and culture magazines The Crack, A Love Supreme and Pilot. When not offering his voice up for daily wrestling podcasts, he can be found losing it singing far too loud watching his favourite bands play live. Follow him on X/Twitter - @MichaelHamflett
