Full Gear is officially AEW's most important night of the year

The foundation of a modern tradition

When AEW launched, Double or Nothing was the promise, but Full Gear became the delivery mechanism. Since 2019, this November event has consistently outperformed the rest of the calendar. It serves as the place where long-term storylines hit their boiling point while the in-ring output reaches a higher tier.

The inaugural 2019 show in Baltimore set the standard immediately. Jon Moxley versus Kenny Omega in an Unsanctioned Lights Out match was the moment AEW proved it was willing to embrace the ultraviolence that defined the independent scene. Watching Omega take that back-first bump onto a pile of barbed wire wrapped around a glass-paneled table redefined expectations for main events.

The Hangman evolution

If you want to understand the soul of the company, look at the arc of Hangman Adam Page. His journey culminated at Full Gear 2021 in Minneapolis. The match against Kenny Omega was the perfect payoff to a two-year narrative involving the Elite, self-doubt, and the eventual coronation of the company's first homegrown star.

It remains the most emotionally resonant main event the company has ever produced. When Page hit the Buckshot Lariat to secure the pin at the 29-minute mark, the crowd response felt like a genuine change in the guard. It stood in stark contrast to the bloated, overproduced title changes often seen in the previous decade of industry wrestling.

The critical blind spots

Despite the high highs, the event has suffered from pacing issues that plague most modern pay-per-views. Full Gear 2020 featured a frantic, disjointed undercard that felt like it was fighting for airtime against the main event. Keeping a show under 4 hours seems to be a struggle for Tony Khan, and Full Gear has been no exception to the rule of diminishing returns in the final hour.

The 2022 show in Newark also highlighted a growing problem with over-reliance on dream matches that lack adequate buildup. While Jon Moxley and MJF delivered a serviceable main event, the card felt like a collection of exhibition bouts rather than a cohesive narrative chapter. Sometimes, the desire to put on a work-rate clinic obscures the need for a compelling reason for the wrestlers to be in the ring together.

Defining the standard

The 2023 edition brought us the Swerve Strickland and Hangman Page Texas Death Match. It was a masterclass in modern storytelling. They used cinder blocks, chains, and a staple gun to brutalize each other, yet the psychology never wavered. The finish, with Swerve securing the win after a Curb Stomp onto a steel chair, solidified him as a top-tier main eventer.

As Wrestling Inc. covers, the company often leans on these high-stakes gimmick matches to define their identity. It is a risky strategy that works when the talent is as committed as Page and Strickland. When it fails, it feels like a hollow attempt to recapture the magic of 2019.

Full Gear is the litmus test for AEW. It doesn't always have the prestige of a thirty-year-old brand, but it provides the best snapshots of what this specific promotion is trying to accomplish. If you only watch one AEW show a year, this is the one that captures the best of their ambition and the worst of their excess.