AEW PPVs feature too many matches

AEW Full Gear has nine matches slated with others expected and its packed with too much on one show.

AEW Full Gear is coming to wrestling fans full steam on Saturday, November 19. There’s a lot to look forward to on this show, with matches that feature titles on the line and the next steps for important stories. One thing about AEW PPVs is that the promotion packs its shows with many matches. So many that some voices think that the cards feature too many in one night. Full Gear is headed in that direction and AEW should begin to avoid that practice.

As of November 14, nine matches are scheduled for Full Gear. Big title matches like Jon Moxley taking on MJF, The Acclaimed versus Swerve in our Glory, Toni Storm versus Jamie Hayter, and Chris Jericho defending his Ring of Honor World Championship in a four-way match make perfect sense for this showcase.

Jade Cargill and Nyla Rose’s back-and-forth angle has been one of the best in the women’s division as of late. Plus, Britt Baker and Saraya is a big match for that very same division. The finals of the AEW World Championship Eliminator Tournament is another feature on this card to advance to the next phase of challengers for the champion for AEW Winter is Coming.

All these matches feel in place on the card and would keep the show tight with seven matches to end the day. However, the two recent editions to Full Gear are matches that should be on an edition of Dynamite or Rampage, rather than extending what is already going to be a long show.

Dynamite and Rampage should feature at least two of these matches

The tag match featuring Jeff Jarrett and Jay Lethal taking on Sting and Darby Allin, along with the steel cage match between Luchasaurus and Jungle Boy are two matches that could fit on weekly television.

The feud between Luchasaurus and Jungle Boy has continued, even though it doesn’t have as much momentum as it did earlier in the story. AEW has featured important steel cage matches on Dynamite in the past and those contests always came off well to the viewers. These two individuals could main event an episode of Dynamite, instead of being a footnote of sorts for this PPV in such a big gimmick match.

Opinions about Jarrett’s signing will differ based on who is asked, but AEW is treating him as an important acquisition. While some will see his debut match with the promotion as a PPV-quality contest, it isn’t as important as any of the title matches mentioned above. In many ways, it feels like a Rampage-quality contest that would fit as the main event of a Friday evening.

With two more shows before the PPV, fans shouldn’t be surprised if more matches are added to the card. Tony Khan has talked openly about the complaint that AEW features too many matches on its quarterly PPVs, and expectations are that it will not change any time soon. With so few big events a year, it is understandable that the company is attempting to maximize the time in front of paying fans. However, there is a point where quantity begins to impact quality and AEW continues to skirt close to that line with each PPV.