Mark Henry recently shared his thoughts on the AEW World Championship match between Jon Moxley and Powerhouse Hobbs during the AEW Dynamite Maximum Carnage special. While Moxley successfully defended his title, Henry wasn’t overly impressed with the match, calling it “only okay.” On Busted Open Radio, he laid out how he would have structured the match differently.
“If I was going to structure the match, I would’ve had Hobbs not get jumped,” Henry said. “I would’ve had him go at Claudio. I’d have had him go at them guys and then in the process when he came in, the referee is getting everybody back and Marina throws the briefcase, he gets hit, briefcase slides, Moxley hits him with the finish and then you get a better finish.”
Henry’s suggestion involves creating more chaos and drama, with Hobbs being distracted by the interference but still fighting back, leading to a more impactful and engaging finish. The actual closing moments of the match featured Hobbs being struck by Moxley’s briefcase and taking Moxley’s Death Rider finisher, only to kick out and eventually fade to a Bulldog Choke. Henry felt that this finish didn’t serve anyone well, bringing up another AEW star to drive home his point.
“I love how fast Darby [Allin] moves and how interesting his look is,” Henry said. “But, if you don’t put a good story around Darby, it looks like, ‘Why did he bump off of that thing he did jumping backwards?'”
Henry’s co-host, Nic Nemeth, echoed Henry’s sentiments, suggesting the match would have benefited from a false finish, with the conclusion coming after Hobbs was hit by the briefcase and the Death Rider.
“I was waiting to see last night, because we knew they’re going to have a great match. You knew they were going to beat the hell out of each other,” Nemeth added. “You knew there was going to be everyone involved.”
Henry’s critique highlights his experience and insight into match booking, emphasizing the importance of structure and storytelling in delivering a more satisfying and memorable finish.