The final AEW PPV event of 2023 had some highs, but also low lows to go along with it — pretty symbolic of 2023 as a whole for AEW and a fitting way for the company to move into 2024.
The matches at AEW Worlds End that needed to delivered, delivered. It’s rare that the company misses on those, even if the builds to them are sub-par at best. The undercard matches on the show left a lot to be desired, lacked logic, and in one specific case, very much hurt the trajectory and presentation of one of the company’s most important 2024 stars.
Here are my Brass Ring Ratings for the show and here’s how they work … I call it like I see it. Period.
Jay Lethal, Jay White, Brody King, & Rush vs. Bryan Danielson, Daniel Garcia, Mark Briscoe, & Claudio Castagnoli
A decent opener. Tons of action, which you’d expect from this group. The idea of this match in general was a smart one since all participated, but didn’t advance in the Continental Classic. Overall, a lack of stakes hurt the ability to generate drama, but it got the crowd going, which clearly was the goal. Garcia as the victor was an interesting call. We’ll see if the push sustains itself.
Heydorn’s Brass Ring Rating - OO 3/4
Miro vs. Andrade El Idolo
Overly long and without logic. We’re supposed to believe CJ Perry had planned turning on Andrade for weeks? After all the back and forth between Perry and Miro, they’re all good? Just a silly finish to what was a fine match, but nothing more.
Heydorn’s Brass Ring Rating - OO 1/2
Toni Storm vs. Riho - AEW Women’s World Championship
Not a great match due to the psychology being thrown out of whack thanks to inconsistent booking of Toni Storm. Riho is a perfect babyface contender and the audience was behind her. Unfortunately, they were also behind Storm due to the impact of the “Timeless” gimmick. The result was a crowd that wasn’t sure who to cheer for. The action was fine, but Tony Khan needs to pick the babyface lane for Storm with this presentation. She’s setup to hurt herself and babyfaces she works with if she stays on the heel side of the ledger.
Heydorn’s Brass Ring Rating - OO 3/4
Swerve Strickland vs. Dustin Rhodes
Just an awful match. Strickland needing 10 minutes to beat an already beat up Rhodes was laughable, but worse than that was Strickland portraying a heel bad guy character in front of an audience that wants to cheer him. AEW has to stop doing this because it stunts growth of characters and talent that are ready for the next level. Swerve is undefined and wrestling a clear babyface in Rhodes when he himself is on the cusp was a bad call to make. He’d have been better off left the card entirely or working with a tried and true heel in the pivot away from Keith Lee due to Lee being pulled from the match with health issues.
Heydorn’s Brass Ring Rating - O
Chris Jericho, Darby Allin, Sammy Guevara, & Sting vs. The Don Callis Family
A mess. The gross Jericho NDA news ahead of the show drummed up rightful boos from the crowd and hurt the match. Blame Jericho. The guys also missed various spots and didn’t have much in the way of a story throughout either.
Heydorn’s Brass Ring Rating - O
Julia Hart vs. Abadon - AEW TBS Championship
Plodding. The match stalled out in second gear and quieted the audience. The women didn’t have much to play off of because nobody thought Abadon had the slightest chance in hell to win.
Heydorn’s Brass Ring Rating - O 1/4
Christian Cage vs. Adam Copeland - TNT Championship No Disqualification Match
Really good. The action was hard hitting and violent throughout, which the feud and the show itself both needed. Both guys took big bumps and got over their personal issue and grudge. The ultimate finish of Copeland winning, but then losing it back to Cage thanks to Luchasaurus was overbooked and illogical, but was the only way to get Copeland his W back without saddling him with the TNT Championship. It was wild seeing these two go at it the way they did at this point in their careers.
Heydorn’s Brass Ring Rating - OOO 3/4
Jon Moxley vs. Eddie Kingston - AEW Continental Classic Tournament Final
The match of the night. This didn’t have high flying moves or many moves at all, but it had intensity in a way that conveyed a fight with a lot on the line. The chops worked because they made sense within the battle and Kingston’s knockout blow to win seemed abrupt, but worked to make sure fans understand matches can end at any moment. AEW gave Kingston’s win time to breathe, which drove home the importance of the tournament and Kingston overcoming the odds within it. They need to do more of this where applicable throughout their shows.
Heydorn’s Brass Ring Rating - OOOO
MJF vs. Samoa Joe - AEW World Championship
A good match, but not a great one. Joe looked like a killer when targeting MJF’s hurt shoulder and MJF did a nice job selling for him in those moments. The match itself stayed in that gear — likely due to the injuries that MJF was managing going into the match.
All of that said, the finish of the match itself was wonderful. Joe making MJF passing out was the cherry on top of the feud and left the audience in disbelief. You could hear a pin drop in the initial moment. Really great stuff and proved how invested the audience was in the outcome.
The Adam Cole devil reveal was important business for AEW, but took a little away from Joe being the new world champion. The Devil group needed a stronger attack on MJF to close things out in order to change the perception of perpetual comedy figures like The Kingdom. Cole needs a strong promo on Dynamite this week to position his faction as serious threats.