9 Match Star Ratings For AEW Full Gear 2020

8. Kenny Omega Vs. Hangman Page

Young Bucks
AEW

A fantastic professional wrestling match, this was as phenomenal for what it wasn't, as much as for what it was.

It wasn't an epic, drawn-out melodramatic war. In a key story beat, one that will inform the future of this long-term legacy rivalry, it was among the shortest singles matches Omega has worked since he became a superstar. It was very stiff - they beat the sh*t out of each other at times - but it wasn't laced with hatred. That day will come. This was business to him. Quite efficient business. How must Page have felt in the aftermath is the sort of subtext only the Elite are capable of folding into their work.

A relentless pulsating sprint of a match worked within the trademark Omega vein, virtually all of this was blinding. The level of thought and attention applied to the work was great. When Omega launched himself from the barricade with a moonsault, Page for a split second looked back to the ring with one eye on the count. Omega's return trajectory caught his eye, and he got flattened. This was an unreal spot because it was as beautiful as it was impactful as it was convincing. You didn't catch the catch. They made it seem like it didn't happen.

Both were on another level, which elevated the story. In this match of two former partners who know one another intimately, the advantage was always so narrow. Omega ducked the Buckshot with heart-stopping timing and accuracy before the thrilling bomb exchange of the finish, which arrived when Page, after countering virtually everything else, had no answer for the One-Winged Angel. He could only claw desperately at Omegas' scalp. He was a way to go, but that's reassuring.

This arc has been so incredible that it's going to create an all-timer of a pop, when one day he kicks out of it.

Star Rating: ★★★★½

Contributor
Contributor

Michael Sidgwick is an editor, writer and podcaster for WhatCulture Wrestling. With over seven years of experience in wrestling analysis, Michael was published in the influential institution that was Power Slam magazine, and specialises in providing insights into All Elite Wrestling - so much so that he wrote a book about the subject. You can order Becoming All Elite: The Rise Of AEW on Amazon. Possessing a deep knowledge also of WWE, WCW, ECW and New Japan Pro Wrestling, Michael’s work has been publicly praised by former AEW World Champions Kenny Omega and MJF, and current Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes. When he isn’t putting your finger on why things are the way they are in the endlessly fascinating world of professional wrestling, Michael wraps his own around a hand grinder to explore the world of specialty coffee. Follow Michael on X (formerly known as Twitter) @MSidgwick for more!