Ricochet defeated 11 other competitors in a Casino Gauntlet match at Full Gear to become the first AEW National Champion.
The match, which featured intervals of random entrants, concluded when Ricochet pinned Kevin Knight following a chaotic sequence involving The Death Riders and The Hurt Syndicate.
THERE IT IS! Time to crown the FIRST EVER AEW National Champion!
Watch #AEWFullGear on HBO Max PPV pic.twitter.com/GR7wMuVihb
— All Elite Wrestling (@AEW) November 23, 2025
The contest began with a highly anticipated face-off between Bobby Lashley and Shelton Benjamin. However, the third entrant, Ricochet, arrived with a microphone to distract them, facilitating a ringside ambush by Gates of Agony (Toa Liona and Bishop Kaun).
While Liona and Kaun incapacitated Lashley and Benjamin, Ricochet struck MVP with the microphone, leading officials to eject the Gates of Agony and assist MVP to the back.
As the match progressed, The Death Riders (Claudio Castagnoli, Daniel Garcia, and Wheeler Yuta) used their numbers advantage to dominate. When Ricochet attempted to ally with the faction during a beatdown of Orange Cassidy, Castagnoli rejected the offer by striking him with an uppercut, allowing Garcia and Yuta to join in the attack.
The middle portion of the match saw a flurry of offense from subsequent entrants. Mark Davis executed piledrivers on Knight, Ricochet, and Cassidy in rapid succession. Roderick Strong delivered a uranage to Garcia on the apron and a Sick Kick to Ricochet.
A brief alliance formed between high-flyers Kevin Knight and “Speedball” Mike Bailey, who traded pin attempts before Garcia shoved Bailey into Knight and applied a Dragon Tamer submission.
The final entrant, Matt Menard, immediately targeted Garcia, brawling with him through the crowd and effectively removing both men from the finish. This opened the door for Lashley and Benjamin to return to the ring, where they cleared several competitors while the crowd chanted “We hurt people”.
In the closing moments, Wheeler Yuta neutralized Orange Cassidy with a running knee. Kevin Knight responded by hitting Yuta with a UFO Splash, but Ricochet immediately capitalized by striking Knight with his Spirit Gun finisher to secure the pinfall victory.
SPIRIT GUN FROM @KINGRICOCHET!
Watch #AEWFullGear on HBO Max PPV pic.twitter.com/W1j6LaNRQf
— All Elite Wrestling (@AEW) November 23, 2025
Following the match, Gates of Agony returned to the ring to celebrate with Ricochet, hoisting the inaugural champion onto their shoulders.
