Worlds End recap & reactions: Hope to end the misery

AEW Worlds End (Dec. 28, 2024) emanated from Addition Financial Arena in Orlando, FL. The PPV event featured Jon Moxley retaining the world championship with help from his friends, Adam Copeland returning to bring hope at finishing the Death Riders, Kenny Omega returning as EVP, and much more.

Get caught up on all the Worlds End details with the excellent play-by-play from Claire Elizabeth.

Let’s run down the card from top to bottom, but a little out of order for continuity sake on the Continental Classic.

AEW World Championship: Jon Moxley defeated Orange Cassidy, Hangman Page, and Jay White to retain the title. Four-way bout. The 3-on-1 plan to eliminate Moxley was quickly stifled with the Death Riders came to his aid. The brawl erupted through the crowd. Security eventually corralled Claudio Castagnoli and Wheeler Yuta. The challengers regrouped for an assisted powerbomb to Moxley through a table.

Mission accomplished. Moxley was down and out. It didn’t take Hangman two seconds until he attacked Cassidy and White.

Moxley eventually returned to eat a superman punch from Cassidy. 1, 2, Hangman pulled referee Bryce Remsburg out of the ring. The cowboy connected on buckshot lariats to Cassidy and White. Deadeye piledriver and buckshot lariat to Mox, but there was no referee to count. After a merry-go-round of moves, White hit the Blade Runner on Moxley. Paul Turner was on the spot as backup ref, but Yuta steamrolled him to prevent the three-count.

Switchblade had his head on a swivel to hit Marina Shafir with a Blade Runner. Unfortunately for him, Yuta blasted a Busaiku Knee. Moxley struck with the Death Rider finisher. Claudio revived ref Remsburg to count the pin. Match over.

In terms of action, not bad at all. There were lots of cool moves, wild exchanges, and mayhem in general. The flow played into the 3-on-1 plan and egos out of control. In terms of the finish, stinky. It came down to another boring numbers game. I suppose Yuta had redemption in the Busaiku Knee on White. Last time he did that, White recovered quickly enough for a Blade Runner. This time, no such luck. The problem is that Yuta is the lowest man on the totem pole, so nobody cares about him looking strong, especially in this main event match. Moxley continues to look like a poser with all these cheap wins. All bark, little bite inside the ring. Frankly, the Death Riders story stinks. It’s funny when they murder people. Other than that, the story is a dud.

The show didn’t end there.

Adam Copeland returns! The Death Riders wanted to make a statement to injure White. FTR arrived on the scene, and so did Copeland returning from injury. The heroes cleaned house. Copeland used a chair leg to wrench a crossface on Moxley. Copeland is coming to take it all from the Death Riders. This was basically to hype up the Fight for the Fallen simulcast special with Copeland & FTR versus Moxley, Claudio, & Yuta.

In terms of excitement, I’m totally sold on Copeland’s rage. He had crazy eyes. The energy in his encounter with Mox felt like PPV main event level. Give him the world title and end Moxley’s reign of misery.

Continental Classic semifinal: Will Ospreay defeated Kyle Fletcher. Beautiful match in the opener. The closing sequence was a doozy. Fletcher was caught red-handed grabbing the ropes on a roll-up. Fletcher lashed out to shove referee Paul Turner. That distraction worked to Ospreay’s favor to blast a Hidden Blade. Fletcher kicked out on the cover. Ospreay sized up another Hidden Blade, but Fletcher pulled the ref in front to block the path. That distraction allowed Fletcher to take control for a brainbuster. Kick out by Ospreay. After an elevated powerbomb and rugged kicks in the corner, Fletcher went to finish with another brainbuster. Ospreay countered into a rana, then he hit the Styles Clash to win.

Another quality match for this rivalry. Two takeaways. First, Ospreay was a bloody mess. The impact to cut wasn’t all that impressive on a lawn dart into the barricade, but the crimson visual throughout the match added a savage element. Sometimes blood is meaningless, sometimes blood elevates the art. Blood worked well here. The mat was splattered. It stained Fletcher’s white gear. Not to mention Fletcher going feral to lick the blood. It also played into the story of Ospreay wearing down, which enhanced the emotion of his subsequent rallies. Second, the Styles Clash actually won a match. Talk about a swerve. I was shocked on that finish.

Medical update on Ospreay for a classic babyface promo.

Continental Classic semifinal: Kazuchika Okada defeated Ricochet. Ricochet controlled the pace with cool flips and fancy dips. He went a little too hot with trash talk, and Okada fired up. The story came down to Ricochet unable to hit the Spear Gun finisher. On the first try, Okada ducked and came back with a dropkick. On the second try, Okada caught him for a spinning body slam. That set up the Rainmaker lariat to win.

Solid match. Heel versus heel dynamic, so the hook was carried by the tournament concept to see who advances. Okada and Ricochet had chemistry as swing dance partners. There were some nifty movements and footwork. My favorite moment of the match was Okada’s expression of intensity on the winning pin. He’s been coasting so far, and this finally felt like the win meant something to him. It was also a funny face to make.

Continental Classic final: Kazuchika Okada defeated Will Ospreay to retain the AEW Continental Championship. The semifinal bouts were one and two on the lineup, so Okada and Ospreay had time to rest when the final went on next to last. Ospreay’s bloody head was bandaged for the match. Okada went to the head with heavy strikes and DDTs on the floor. Ospreay got his knee hung up in the corner, so Okada focused on attacking the knee as well. Ospreay still had the wherewithal to hit flashy moves.

In a call back to the semifinals, Ospreay connected on the Styles Clash, but Okada kicked out. Okada countered Ospreay into a tilt-a-whirl slam and a Rainmaker, but Ospreay kicked out. Okada headbutt Ospreay to re-open the wound. Ospreay ducked the Rainmaker to counter into a standing Spanish Fly. Okada avoided the Hidden Blade by delivering a dropkick. The back and forth intensified in speed. Ospreay hit the Stormbreaker! Okada kicked out at 2!

Okada flattened Ospreay with a short-arm lariat. Both men were down to reset for the finish. Okada hammered lariats. Ospreay answered with kicks. Counter dance to escape the Hidden Blade, Rainmaker, and Stormbreaker. Ospreay ran the ropes. Okada caught him for the Rainmaker. 1, 2, 3. Win!

Mighty fine match and a fitting conclusion to the Continental Classic. Ospreay performed at his usual high level of excellence. Okada rose to the occasion. That was probably his best match since becoming All Elite. The flow of action was a steady uphill climb of excitement. Kicking out of the first Stormbreaker had the crowd rowdy. The closing sequence of dodging finishers was electric.

Kenny Omega returns! After the Continental Classic final, Christopher Daniels entered on stage as temporary EVP. He would like to hand the title to Okada, but he is no longer in that role. Enter Omega. The crowd went nuts. Omega handed the championship to Okada. Tension was thick to share a mild staredown.

AEW has missed Omega. His return feels like a big deal. I like that he dressed the part in a sharp suit. It will be interesting to see if he flexes his EVP power in a good way on evildoers running amok. Or, perhaps he comes straight for payback on Okada.

TBS Championship: Mercedes Moné defeated Kris Statlander to retain the title. Statlander had power control until Mercedes powerbombed her off the turnbuckles onto the apron. Statlander’s spine was damaged for the rest of the match. Statlander returned fire by catching a meteora to counter for a powerbomb. Statlander executed a sweet rolling German suplex that folded Mercedes in half.

The CEO would have her turn to showcase suplexes for Three Amigos to a seven count, i.e. Seven Amigos. The action spilled outside a few times with Mercedes connecting on crushing moves to the floor. There was a long tease toward count-outs. At one point, Mercedes wedged Statlander’s boot into the ring structure. Statlander had to untie her shoe to get back in the ring and wrestled without foot protection for the rest of the bout. Another close call came on a belly-to-belly piledriver from Mercedes on the apron. Statlander barely beat the ten count back into the ring.

Mercedes worked submissions. Statlander had one more rally left in the tank. Mercedes extinguished that fire by hooking roll-ups on the mat. The CEO secured a crafty crucifix pin to win.

Thumbs up for the rematch between Mercedes and Statlander. Even though Statlander is bigger, they plotted the match well to make her the underdog frighting from underneath. For example, they did the work on count-outs to make that last one feel like it could genuinely be the finish. The camera shot was great in catching Statlander pop her head up alongside Mercedes to beat the count. The CEO unleashed a vicious streak that makes me doubt if anyone can beat her in AEW. The winning pin wasn’t the cleanest, but it got the job done in a believable method. Statlander was too tough to stay down on a move, so Mercedes trapped her in a position that she couldn’t escape.

AEW International Championship: Konosuke Takeshita defeated Will Hobbs to retain the title. Powerhouse muscled his opponent early, so the champ went low on the knee to weaken the base. Hobbs was limping for much of the match. As the bout progressed, huge moves erupted. Takeshita had a blue thunder bomb that Hobbs kicked out at 1. Takeshita also executed a superplex. Hobbs came back for an avalanche powerslam. In the end, Hobbs made a strategic error. He removed his knee brace. Takeshita went back to work with kicks to the knee. He snatched Hobbs’ neck for a guillotine choke. As Hobbs faded, Takeshita switched to the Raging Fire driver to win.

Slower pace with popping near falls. There were a handful of ‘oh’ and ‘ah’ moments. Even Don Callis almost had a heart attack on commentary thinking Takeshita was on the verge of defeat. On top of that, I love the ‘meat’ chants for Powerhouse lariats. Hobbs looked good in his first big match since return from injury. Takeshita earned a quality win to establish himself as champion. He did it without any funny business.

Dynamite Diamond Ring: MJF defeated Adam Cole to keep the prize. Cole tweaked his ankle, so MJF focused on targeting that injury. Cole grit through to hit the Panama Sunrise. Here comes the boom! MJF kicked out of that finisher. When Cole wound up for a second boom, MJF chop blocked his leg. The finish was full of tricks. MJF went out to get the Dynamite Diamond Ring, but the Kingdom were blocking it. MJF slapped the ring steps and faked being attacked. Referee Bryce Remsburg fell for it and ejected Matt Taven and Mike Bennett. MJF snatched the ring to use as a foreign object, but Cole was waiting with a superkick. Cole took the ring. MJF was quicker to the draw to land a low blow kick. The scumbag hit a heatseeker piledriver for the win.

Afterward, MJF brought in a chair with intent to damage Cole’s ankle. Roderick Strong and Kyle O’Reilly made the save with a high low attack. Cole popped a loaded punch with the ring to stand tall and hug his friends.

Yes! This feud appears to be over finally. I had zero interest coming in, and this match didn’t hook me at all. I’m happy that MJF kept the Dynamite Diamond Ring. I like the idea of mystique building each year to see if anyone ever beats him for it. After all that fussing, I would have preferred MJF and Cole unable to fight their feelings of love as brochachos and hug it out. Close with a double low blow, sort of like the final scene to Rocky III. Then, move on from each other in separate directions. As for the Undisputed Kingdom reunion, whatever. If they are being presented as a super group, then I hope it gets relegated to Rampage. I’d much rather see Roddy focused again on recruiting the Beast Mortos.

For the Ospreay match, I mentioned how sometimes blood is meaningless, sometimes blood elevates the art. This match was a case where the blood was meaningless. Blood is certainly valid for the story. The execution was weak. Cole hit the steps, and MJF hit the ring post. Both spots were more like accidentally wounds rather than intentional violence from a devil grudge. It added nothing to the story of the match.

AEW Women’s World Championship: Mariah May defeated Thunder Rosa to retain the title. Tijuana street fight with anything goes and falls count anywhere. Wild ride. Thunder choked Mariah with a chain. Mariah reached into a black sack to throw graveyard dirt into Thunder’s eyes. Mariah hit a piledriver off the apron through a table to win.

This was an enjoyable filler defense for Mariah. The Tijuana street fight was a spectacle. There were neat decorations, plunder aplenty, a piñata full of tacks, and tequila. Thunder’s father was in the front row for an added element of drama when Mariah mocked him. All in all, this match was vicious fun.

Swerve’s House. After Ricochet lost, Swerve came out on stage to rub it in. He was tired of Ric running his mouth. Swerve is a man of his word, and he said that he would embarrass Ricochet if he lost. Prince Nana handed out toilet paper rolls to the crowd. Swerve counted down for a coordinated TP’ing of Ricochet in the ring. Ric stewed in anger.

This feud went from 0 to 100 in an instant. Swerve was so disrespectful that it demands Ricochet to get serious for payback. This could be Swerve’s next blood feud, and I can’t wait for it.

There were three bouts on the Zero Hour free pre-show.

Lio Rush, Action Andretti, Brian Cage, & Lance Archer defeated Top Flight & Outrunners. 8-man tag. In the closing chaos, Cage and Archer combined for a powerbomb chokeslam to Dante Martin. The Outrunners made the save to break the pin. Cage and the Outrunners tumbled over the ropes. Archer was ready to murder Dante, however, Lio tagged himself in for a frog splash to pin Dante. Tension brewed among the winning team. Afterward, Private Party danced on stage as tag team champions. This bout offered a boost of action before the big show, and it teased a variety of matchups between participants. Outrunners versus Murder Machines needs to happen.

Jeff Jarrett defeated QT Marshall. Jarrett hooked the sharpshooter, so Aaron Solo came down as a distraction. QT hit the Stroke, but Jarrett kicked out on the cover. Solo tried to pass the guitar to QT. Jay Lethal ran out to stop that plan. Jarrett scored a few back slides, then he popped up for the Stroke to win. Basic match to get the crowd churning. They worked in Jarrett’s strut and the Boom dance for added fun.

Backstage, Jarrett said he will make an announcement on Dynamite about his future. It sounded related to retirement.

Toni Storm defeated Leila Grey. Storm was playing the ‘rookie’ for this match. The action was even. Grey had momentum on a flipping neckbreaker. She followed for a suplex and rolled through for a second suplex, however, Storm countered for an inside cradle to win. Storm is climbing the ladder or until her memory comes back. Grey did well in the ring. She mentioned that she spent three months training at the NJPW LA Dojo.

Backstage, Deonna Purrazzo proposed a match on Collision. Storm was humble and excited for the opportunity.

Stud of the Show: Adam Copeland

Kicking Jon Moxley’s ass is no big feat these days, but Copeland did more than that. He gave me hope that he can be the chosen one to end Moxley’s reign.

Match of the Night: Will Ospreay vs. Kyle Fletcher

Bloody banger.

Grade: B+

Excellent wrestling for the most part. Two stories drag the grade down. You know which ones.

Share your thoughts about Worlds End. PPV replay is available through Triller, PPV.com, YouTube.