Tag: AEW preview

AEW Full Gear preview & predictions: One Title After Another

Posted on by Mike DellaCamera

Image: AEW

Editor’s Note: The following is an opinion-based preview that reflects the views of the author and not the website.

I can feel AEW’s autumn fog lifting.

They ripped off a killer Blood and Guts last week and followed it up with a mostly solid week of TV, highlighted by the announcement of this year’s Continental Classic: AEW’s reliable creative defibrillator. Every year, the tournament gives Tony Khan a stable, crowd-pleasing tentpole to book around, and I’m hoping this installment brings the same spark.

Historically, the CC has triggered a significant shift in how hot the product feels. Suddenly, the matches are crisper, the promos tighten up, and the entire show carries a renewed sense of urgency. It’s the closest thing AEW has to flipping the ‘ON’ switch.

Hopefully the switch gets hit this Saturday from scenic Newark, New Jersey. Let’s run through the matches and predictions for this Saturday’s AEW Full Gear (8 PM Eastern main card start on PPV) and see how things shake out

Jon Moxley vs. Kyle O’Reilly in a no holds barred match

Hopefully, the end of Blood and Guts reawakened something inside Kyle O’Reilly and reminded him of what and who he is — the violent artist. He felt unleashed and at home in that match, capped off by the full-on moment of tapping out Jon Moxley in a bed of broken glass.

As Moxley does with everyone, he dragged the violence out of O’Reilly, and I pray he dragged it out for good. I’m sure the Conglomeration version of O’Reilly has its fans, but I am not one. That’s not an act to be taken seriously. The post-show promo after that match was a great start, and this week’s Dynamite was an incredible follow-up.

I’m excited to see what the NHB stipulation brings. If this lands, KOR is suddenly, and unexpectedly, a key player in AEW’s upper mid-card. What a wonderful development that would be. Mox has done a remarkable (and honestly shocking) amount of losing for a company ace. If he loses again, O’Reilly might be making a climb up the AEW pecking order.

And I’ll end with a question: Is this a Roderick Strong heel turn?

Prediction: Moxley wins

Darby Allin vs. PAC

This is a match with two men who have no regard for the integrity of their spinal columns. Allin’s bump freak proclivities require no explanation or exposition, but PAC is right there with him when it comes to the willingness to being spiked on his head. An enthusiastic and frequent vertebrae compressor, his absence from TV allows us to forget that no one is willing to eat a DDT quite like our newly short-haired king.

This pairing is long overdue. PAC is at his best when he gets to be cruel; Darby is at his best when someone tries to kill him. Even if there was no story between these two, the pairing is one worth watching. Instead, we have something compelling: Darby’s continual antagonism of the Death Riders and PAC’s desire to bend him (and everyone really) into a pretzel.

Pencil in a few groan-inducing bumps, Darby nearly paralyzing himself, and the slow realization that AEW will absolutely let these two try to fold each other like beach chairs.

Prediction: Darby Allin

Babes of Wrath (Willow Nightingale & Harley Cameron) vs. Sisters of Sin (Julia Hart & Skye Blue) vs. Timeless Love Bombs (Toni Storm & Mina Shirakawa) vs. Megan Bayne & Marina Shafir

The winning team gets to pick a stipulation for their semifinal match in the Women’s World Tag Team title tournament.

A four-way like this should feel like a showcase of a thriving division and, in most cases, it does. The Babes of Wrath bring energy and personality every time they show up, even if they skew too close to a comedy act for my liking (Willow should be champion).

The Sisters of Sin know who they are and what the act should be while the Timeless Love Bombs (lol) are pure camp and charisma. Full credit to Toni Storm for effortlessly slotting down from the main event scene to lend serious weight to the tournament. Bayne and Shafir work well as two unique forces of nature thrown together by circumstance. With more time to gel and unite in storyline, the accidental pairing of monsters could realistically anchor the division through its infancy.

And that gets to the heart of it: this still feels like a collection of potential rather than a field of established contenders. There’s talent everywhere, but not enough definition. If even one or two of these teams had been given a month more build or a reason to exist beyond the bracket, this could feel like a true showcase instead of a promising sketch. This division certainly isn’t struggling; it sometimes lacks the connective tissue needed to feel cohesive.

Prediction: Bayne & Shafir

Kenny Omega & Jurassic Express (Jack Perry and Luchasaurus) vs. The Young Bucks (Matt Jackson and Nick Jackson) & Josh Alexander

This feels like it only exists to keep The Elite on the treadmill while AEW tries to figure out where the hell to point Kenny Omega next.

On Josh Nason’s podcast, we ended up talking about the diminishing supply of “true Kenny Omega matches” left, and he said something that stuck with me: every Omega match should feel like an event. Given the miles on his body, there’s no room for throwaways.

That’s why this match worries me. It doesn’t feel like it’s building to a spectacle; it just feels like a placeholder. Kenny doesn’t need elaborate stories or six weeks of promos. You can have him point at Josh Alexander, Kevin Knight, or Takeshita and say, “Let’s go” and boom, you’ve got something meaningful. Instead, we’re back in Elite-adjacent territory and the last time AEW went down that road, the returns were…uneven, to be kind.

Jurassic Express is here because AEW still thinks that brand has juice (they don’t) and think Alexander is excellent at professional wrestling (he is!). The Bucks seem like they won’t be joining the Don Callis family, and that’s what will cost them the match.

Prediction: Kenny Omega and Jurassic Express

Casino Gauntlet match for the inaugural AEW National Championship

My favorite part of writing these columns is the moment I hit “Submit Draft.” My second favorite part is coming up with the titles. And ironically, this column’s title was the only time I enjoyed referencing AEW’s ballooning championship collection (For my PTA heads, my other working title was ‘A Few Small Championships’).

Between AEW and the specter of ROH, there are simply too many belts for any of them to carry weight. Scarcity gives championships meaning and hierarchy gives a roster shape. AEW keeps adding gold like it has a hidden quota to hit, and every new belt chips away at the value of the others. The pecking order gets muddied as we inch toward a future where anyone even moderately competent has hardware. That’s not prestige, that’s clutter.

Prediction: I don’t know, probably Bobby Lashley? Don’t make me do this one.

TNT Champion Kyle Fletcher (w/ Don Callis) defends against Mark Briscoe in a no DQ match

If Briscoe loses, he will be forced to join the Don Callis Family.

Even though this feud still has a little juice left, it’s past its expiration date. This is their third PPV meeting of the year and while the first two matches ranged from good to genuinely great depending on your taste, the rivalry has been stretched thin. The heat just isn’t there anymore. If AEW wanted this to truly matter, the moment to put the TNT title on Briscoe was WrestleDream. That was the peak. Everything since has been diminishing returns.

The TNT Championship isn’t a title that benefits from a year-long saga and in this case, it’s been secondary to the feud the entire time. We’d celebrate a Briscoe triumph even without a belt attached. What people want is simple: Briscoe finally giving the smug prince of the Callis family his long-overdue comeuppance.

But stretching this any further won’t add meaning and continues to dilute what once could have landed with weight. Imagine if Briscoe had won the title months ago? That would have been ideal. Nevertheless, his time is now.

Prediction: Mark Briscoe

AEW World Tag Team Champions Brodido (Bandido and Brody King) defend against FTR (Cash Wheeler and Dax Harwood) (w/ Stokely)

This match rules on paper: compatible styles, clearly evident chemistry, and, most importantly, the existence of Bandido. The man is a pro wrestling treasure with so much physical charisma, it’s sickening. Everything he does is must-see (he pinned Okada for god’s sake!). If that doesn’t tell you what AEW thinks of his future, nothing will.

FTR has been in an almost endless holding pattern, and, at long last, it seems like they have real forward momentum. Brodido, meanwhile, is still fresh and fun. The problem with fresh and fun is that it has a finite shelf life. History tells us that thrown-together tag teams rarely sustain momentum forever, no matter how good they are. AEW also loves the quick-hit shock run to give the unexpected team a little pop, then slide the belts back to the long-term pillars when it’s time to resume the Serious Stories™.

Here’s the twist, though: Brodido is too fun and too popular to cut off this early…which is exactly why FTR needs to win. A heel FTR paired with Stokely Hathaway has infinitely more long-term juice as champions than as chasers and beating such a popular team cements them as heels. Brodido can stay hot without the belts; FTR needs them.

Prediction: FTR

AEW Women’s World Champion Kris Statlander defends against Mercedes Mone

This is the biggest test of Kris Statlander’s career. Can she go 15+ minutes with the women’s division’s version of the Best Bout Machine? Statlander has always been at her best when she’s pushed. When the moment demands something more, she finds it.

Winning the title was a genuine shock; the Toni Storm match at WrestleDream validated that surprise. But this? This is the one that seals the deal. A win over Mone establishes Statlander not just as champion, but as a made woman on top of the card for as long as she wants it.

As for the endless and agonising online whining about Mone collecting belts, please. Breathe some fresh air. Many of the titles she’s holding come from companies so small they barely have websites, let alone Wikipedia pages. The idea that putting their belts on a legitimate global star is “bad for their business” is galaxy-brained nonsense. If anything, she’s giving these titles oxygen and relevance they couldn’t dream of on their own.

More importantly, those complaints miss the entire point of the character. She’s collecting belts precisely because she can’t win the one that matters: the AEW Women’s World Championship. The overcompensating, the theatricality, the bravado are all armor covering the fact that she feels incomplete without that title. She’s chasing validation she can’t quite grasp, and she knows it. If you can’t see that this is interesting character work, try activating your frontal lobe.

Prediction: Kris Statlander

AEW World Champion Hangman Page defends against Samoa Joe in a steel cage

Samoa Joe brings a gravity that few on the roster can. The second he steps into a segment, the air gets heavy and the stakes rise. A steel cage is the perfect setting for him. When you wrestle Joe, there is no escape.

There’s a slight problem in this case: Page has his own propensities towards violence and a bloodlust all his own. He’s not afraid to be trapped in a cage with Joe, just like he wasn’t afraid to have a Texas Death Match with Jon Moxley. Sure, he’s the babyface champion now, but the other side of his coin is stained in blood.

Hangman’s reign has been good. Characterising it as boring might be a little short-sighted. No reign could ever match the catharsis of his ascent, capped by pulling the World title out from the briefcase and into the light. We’ll always remember that, but we need something to remember what happened after. 

It would be a remarkable surprise for Hangman to lose on Saturday, but there’s too much meat on the bone. He’s never better than when he leans into his brutal side, and the cage allows for that. Page’s run at the top continues.

Prediction: Hangman Adam Page

AEW WrestleDream preview & predictions: The autumn of our discontent

Posted on by Mike DellaCamera

Image: AEW

Editor’s Note: The following is an opinion-based preview and reflects that of the author and not the website.

We are, cats and kittens, in the annual fall malaise in AEW. The hangover from All Out lingers and won’t fully dull until the Continental Classic kicks off in December. This is the time of year when AEW unfortunately loses its way and becomes creatively dry.

This isn’t disastrous or an all caps CREATIVE EMERGENCY; it’s just dull. There is nothing that spurns me to movement or demands my full unblinking attention on my television or second screen.

Saturday’s card (7 PM pre-show on Max/TNT; 8 PM Eastern main card on PPV) is defined by what’s missing rather than what’s here.

Eddie Kingston, fresh off a welcome return, is buried on the pre-show. Orange Cassidy, another beloved wrestler back after a long layoff, is stuck in multi-person background noise. There are countless members of the Don Callis Family hanging out in catering that would love to be on a PPV. You’re telling me Kingston vs. Josh Alexander or Cassidy vs. Hechicero wouldn’t pique your interest? You wouldn’t raise an eyebrow and tune in?

There’s little doubt the in-ring performances will be excellent but, man, is this show creatively disappointing. Let’s run through Saturday’s AEW WrestleDream PPV card and see if we can find a little light amid the lull.

Thekla vs. Jamie Hayter - WrestleDream

Thekla vs. Jamie Hayter 

Hayter’s return has lacked substance. She’s been around, but not about anything. She was there in the All Out four-way title match; present, talented, but on the periphery. When healthy, the former AEW Women’s World Champion is one of the best workers in the company. Her offense has thump, her timing is tight, and her strikes remind us that her time in Japan was very well spent. But, AEW hasn’t given her anything to sink her teeth into — at least nothing that feels alive. 

Blood & Guts is coming, and she and Thekla will be front and center. The outcome is not inconsequential, but it doesn’t change the future. Both would be helped by a short sprint, but Thekla takes this one as we steam towards the AEW spectacular.

Prediction: Thekla 

The Hurt Syndicate (Bobby Lashley, Shelton Benjamin & MVP) vs. The Demand (Ricochet, Bishop Kaun & Toa Liona) in a trios tornado match

The Hurt Syndicate is a throwback act that actually works. MVP’s voice, Benjamin’s reliability, and Lashley’s sheer presence make them feel big-time in an era when few factions do. They aren’t ironic and they don’t wink at the audience. Rather, they are exactly what they claim to be: people who hurt people.

The Demand — Ricochet, Kaun and Liona — are the inverse, still trying to prove they belong in those bright lights. We know Ricochet does, but Kaun and Liona remain unproven on the biggest stages. They have some tools, but do they have everything required to become weekly staples? Matches like this are where The Demand can be elevated or have their ceilings exposed.

The result will let us know where AEW stands on The Demand. A win cements them as a group to watch, a loss promises a future in the lower mid-card.

Prediction: The Demand

AEW World Tag Team Champion Brodido (Brody King & Bandido) defend against Konosuke Takeshita & Kazuchika Okada

There are two things I’m certain of: Okada is not getting pinned in this match and neither is the new IWGP World Heavyweight Champion. The story isn’t about King and Bandido as talented as they are; it’s the storm brewing between Okada and Takeshita. They are the main characters of this story, but it needs time to reach a boil and this match turns up the heat. 

The question isn’t if Okada and Takeshita combust; it’s where. Worlds End is the logical AEW choice, but it must happen at Wrestle Kingdom. If this is going to continue to be a true partnership, AEW should do right by NJPW and give them a boost. What better way to restore global faith in both promotions than to let these two redefine what a modern main event looks like at the Tokyo Dome.

Since neither of them can take the pin, they’ll be the ones doing the pinning. More gold heads to the Don Callis Family.

Prediction: Takeshita and Omega win the titles

Jurassic Express vs. The Young Bucks for $500,000

There is no love in my heart for Jurassic Express. There is no hate, either. There is just nothing. They are perpetually fine — a perfectly acceptable tag team defined by their song and their limited upside(s). They fill a void in the sadly shrinking middle class of pro wrestling, but that is, generously, their cap as a team. Individually, the ceilings are much lower, so this is their proper alignment. At least Jack Perry is a big knife guy or something. 

The Bucks, meanwhile, are incapable of being boring, no matter how divisive they remain. This will be crisp, professional, and athletic, but it’s two teams existing on entirely different planes. The Bucks should win because that’s what stars do, but if Jurassic Express doesn’t win here, what is the entire point of them?

Prediction: The Young Bucks

AEW WrestleDream 2025 Darby Allin vs Jon Moxley

Darby Allin vs. Jon Moxley in an I Quit match

Somehow, their coffin match was subdued. Excellent, yes, but restrained. A silent agreement between two maniacs to save the real horrors for later. Later has arrived.

This will be vile, creative, and possibly deeply uncomfortable. The ‘I Quit’ stipulation is less a stipulation and more a dare. Will either of these two admit defeat or will they simply expire? AEW has always let its artists paint with blood, and these two will go through every color on the palette. 

Moxley’s tapped before, but not to Allin who will never, ever give up. His body will fail him before he gives up. That’s the difference here. Darby wins, Moxley bleeds buckets, and they add an outrageous chapter to AEW’s bloody history.

Winner: Darby Allin

TNT Champion Kyle Fletcher defends against Mark Briscoe

If not now, when for wrestling’s favorite chicken farmer? He beat MJF in a brutal (and very good!) match at All Out, which could have been a lightning bolt, a genuine surprise that promised even more. Instead, the following Wednesday, he was back to doing the same old thing on Dynamite. Another promo, another shrug, another bit of momentum not capitalized on. 

The charm of Briscoe isn’t just that he’s likable; he’s real. He carries an authenticity that AEW sometimes struggles to maintain amid its constant irony and in-jokes. But smiles and goodwill don’t pay off forever. He needs wins that matter, and the TNT Championship usually does.

Fletcher, though, is the real deal. He’s no longer just a promise, he’s arrived. His matches are clean, his confidence frightening. The truth is that he’s already outgrown the TNT Championship after two-and-a-half months. There’s nothing he’s not ready for, and the title is just an anchor at this point.

Still, something about Briscoe winning here feels right. It feels strangely necessary.

Prediction: Mark Briscoe wins the title

AEW Women’s World Champion Kris Statlander defends against Toni Storm

Statlander winning the title was a delightful surprise, something all too missing in modern wrestling. Finally, a payoff for years of near-misses and false starts. Winning the title is nice, but she desperately needs to make a statement here. She has been clearly outclassed on the microphone going head-to-head with Storm, so she must prove it in the ring.

A great performance here against a performer at the top of an industry can cement her as main event level talent. Be bold, Kris Statlander. Be audacious. Channel the energy and passion from that street fight against Willow Nightingale and be that person all the time.

The more interesting question is how does Storm move forward without the championship? For years, she’s anchored the division. Even when she lost the title to the since deceased Mariah May character, it was clear that her compass still pointed her towards the title. Now it’s not so clear. Make no mistake, she should lose this match and lose it clean, but how well the “Timeless” character works without a title adding gravitas to it is a pretty significant question.

Prediction: Kris Statlander retains

AEW World Champion Hangman Page defends against Samoa Joe

Joe is proof that gravitas still matters. The man walks into a segment and the air changes. With Kenny Omega, Will Ospreay and Swerve Strickland all still recovering, AEW needed someone who felt real to stand across from Page. Joe provides that in spades. He doesn’t need flips or metaphors. Catchphrases and deep lore are not required. Scowls and strikes will do just fine. 

Joe’s return to the main event scene is about reminding everyone he never went away — he just wasn’t around. Expect violence without spectacle, storytelling without pretense, and a finish that solidifies Page’s reign without hurting Joe’s aura. Sometimes, a match is just two men fighting because they’re the best at it. This is that match.

Prediction: Hangman retains

Wrestling Weekly: Seth Rollins & future plans in WWE, AEW WrestleDream thoughts

Posted on by Victor Sosa

Image: WWE

It’s time for a new Wrestling Weekly with Les Thatcher and Vic Sosa.

There are lots of questions in WWE with the apparent injury to Seth Rollins last Saturday at WWE Crown Jewel like where Bron Breakker and Bronson Reed go from here, plans for Survivor Series and beyond, and not to mention who is going to face off against CM Punk for the World Heavyweight Title.

We look at all those things and give our predictions for AEW’s WrestleDream.

Thanks for listening and have a great weekend~!

Click here to listen (sub needed)

AEW Forbidden Door preview & predictions: Please don’t die

Posted on by Mike DellaCamera

Editor’s Note: This is an opinion-based preview that reflects the views of the author and not the website.

This year’s AEW x NJPW Forbidden Door isn’t about checking dream matches off a list anymore. It’s about finding the right combinations using whatever top talent is available, regardless of how forbidden or permissible they may be.

The highs are certainly high. Kazuchika Okada vs. Swerve Strickland is an existing opposition of styles and ideas. ZSJ vs. Nigel McGuinness is a time machine. Mercedes Mone in a four-way is equal parts inevitability and chaos. AEW has stacked some of the card with collisions that don’t just sound good on paper — they carry some serious weight.

Not everything is a hit, however. Sure, you get MJF and Hangman tearing the house down, but can we also interest you in some Kip Sabian? I will politely pass and instead indulge in the rest of Forbidden Door, even though it’s really just a regular old PPV. I won’t tell if you won’t. 

Here’s my preview and predictions for Sunday’s Forbidden Door from London (1 PM Eastern main card start on PPV).

Adam Copeland & Christian Cage vs. Kip Sabian & Killswitch

Sure, whatever. Killswitch is back which is very nice for him, but I’ve never had a compelling thought about Kip Sabian. The Cope/Christian reunion tour should have come with more fanfare, but I suppose this is leading to something bigger down the line. Let’s not spill any more digital ink here.

Prediction: Cope and Christian

AEW World Tag Team Champions The Hurt Syndicate (Bobby Lashley & Shelton Benjamin) defend against Brodido (Brody King & Bandido) and FTR (Dax Harwood & Cash Wheeler) in a three-way

The Hurt Syndicate have been champions since January. It doesn’t feel like it! The most memorable thing they’ve done was engage in an unfulfilling and short-lived partnership with MJF. Their matches are impressive beatdowns delivered by two talented athletic marvels, but that’s all they are. There’s been nothing worth holding on to. AEW hasn’t exactly put forth a murderers’ row of opponents, but at some point, the common denominator in the question must be considered. 

A tournament final ending in a draw sure is something. Why even run the tournament if you weren’t going to have a clear winner? That said, the FTR/Brodido match on Wednesday was a certified ripper and significantly better output than anything from the Hurt Syndicate during their time as champions.

Brody and Bandido always deserve gold. Unfortunately, that’s not happening. They’re just here to eat the pin. They deserve so much more.  

Prediction: FTR wins the titles

TBS Champion Mercedes Mone defends against Alex Windsor, Persephone and Bozilla in a four-way

The more people in a match, the further we stray from God’s light. Maybe this is me getting old. Maybe this is me, in fact, already being old. But one-on-one matches are the purest form of pro wrestling (tag team wrestling notwithstanding).

I’ll allow for indulgences like the occasional triple threat or a cacophony of violence like Anarchy in the Arena. Still, by and large, multi-person matches are too contrived and too empty. There is too much waiting around between spots. If you pay attention, you can feel the space in them. They aren’t without their purpose, but these are fun, empty calories at the absolute best with a floor of something far worse.

Mercedes’ loss at All In shocked me. I was certain she was destined to add yet another belt to her always-growing collection. She didn’t, though that certainly seems to have done little to slow down the momentum of her globe-trotting success.

The rollout of Alex Windsor in AEW has been great, Persephone can work, and Bozilla is full of promise, but there is only one CEO.

Prediction: Mercedes retains

TNT Champion Kyle Fletcher defends against Hiromu Takahashi

Takahashi was a beautiful abnormality — a junior heavyweight force of nature and a ball of kinetic, unique charisma that was a magnet for willing and curious eyes. His self-produced videos, entrance gear, and devil-may-care style made him stand out. His return from a broken neck at Wrestle Kingdom 14 moved me. But fireworks, dazzling as they might be, burn fast and hot, but always blow out. Serious injuries have dampened some of Hiromu’s bombast and output, but his special light still shines. 

Fletcher has arrived — not just as a breakout singles star, but as someone who feels inevitable in pro wrestling’s next decade. His journey to the TNT Championship, capped by a stirring street fight victory over Dustin Rhodes, is proof of concept: youthful, athletic, and composed beyond his years, Fletcher has transitioned from an Ospreay-esque tag-team prospect into a headliner with frightening ease. His ceiling does not exist.

Prediction: Fletcher retains

AEW Unified Champion Kazuchika Okada defends against Swerve Strickland

Everything has already been said about Okada, a once-in-a-generation ace whose performances on the biggest stages are already part of modern wrestling history. Yet, here’s the thing: we haven’t gotten the full Okada experience in AEW yet. Since walking through the forbidden door full-time, the Rainmaker has felt like the trailer instead of the full movie.

He’s been dominant, sure, looking like a cool billion dollars and still hitting that dropkick like Zeus hurling lightning, but something’s been off. The mystique is there, but the matches haven’t caught up. Maybe it’s just that Okada, who, like any mythic figure, needs the right foil (see Bryan Danielson for evidence) to unlock his highest form. If that’s the case, Swerve might be the key.

This match isn’t just a collision of two stars; it’s a styles clash in the best way. Okada is the high-art technician with the mat as his canvas. Swerve, on the other hand, is a (better) Rick Rude wearing Supreme. He snarls and he seethes, all while being the coolest person in the room. He’s part style, part menace, and always in control. The best-of-the-best transcend wins and losses, and even if Swerve doesn’t win, he controls the conversation.

I’m jazzed for this one. Okada’s deliberate pacing and crescendo-building offense vs. Swerve’s penchant for brutality. Will Okada finally paint his masterpiece in an AEW ring? And if not now, when?

Prediction: Okada retains

IWGP World Champion Zack Sabre Jr. defends against Nigel McGuinness

Of the many, many wonderful ZSJ quotes, there are none better than when he said putting on a great technical match for the United States is “like reading Shakespeare to a dog.” Kings stay kings. The good news for ZSJ is that this audience, like his opponent, will largely not be from the United States.

Both of these beautiful Brits — a fact, not an opinion — will get every opportunity to wrench and bend and torque and twist each other’s limbs on their home soil. How incredible for McGuinness to get a proper singles match at the sold-out O2 Arena. How perfect that ZSJ gets to lock up with a British wrestling legend. How lucky are we, silly Americans, that we’ll get to try and appreciate what should be a technical masterpiece.

As compelling and interesting as this match is, there is no serious chance of the title changing hands. The potential addition of Daniel Garcia does introduce some intrigue. He’s been struggling, languishing even, for some time now. Does he flip the script and turn heel on Nigel? Tune in on August 24th (only on PPV!) to find out.

Prediction: ZSJ retains

Golden Lovers (Kenny Omega & Kota Ibushi), Darby Allin, Hiroshi Tanahashi and Will Ospreay vs. Death Riders (Claudio Castagnoli & Jon Moxley), Young Bucks (Matt & Nick Jackson) and Gabe Kidd in a lights out cage match

A man with no knees who can’t walk, a man with half his insides removed held together by duct tape, a man who publicly announced neck problems, a daredevil who climbed Mount Everest, and Ibushi walk into a lights out steel cage match.

Rarely, if ever, has there been a match that had a higher risk of a career-ending injury.

My choice for the winner of the “he really shouldn’t be doing this match” is the president of NJPW and the Ace of the universe, Hiroshi Tanahashi. A living legend and all-time big match performer, his bona fides are exhaustive and deserved, so far be it from me, a loser, to question him. But, man. It’s painful when he tries to move at anything with a pace brisker than a stroll, so how can he do a match like this? He just struggled through a six-man tag on Dynamite. I have a feeling I’ll be watching this one through my fingers, just hoping everyone comes out of it ok. 

Much of the intrigue lies in the logistics and layout of this match. There are a lot of people to be in one cage at the same time. The argument that this should be the annual Blood and Guts match is a sound one. Hopefully, the cage is more of a recommendation rather than a requirement, because a brawl all over the arena would be more fun than ten dudes bumping around in a cage trying not to kill each other.

Prediction: Omega, Ibushi, Allin, Tanahashi & Ospreay

AEW Women’s World Champion Toni Storm defends against Athena

To begin, a proposition for the sicko owner of AEW: be brave, Tony Khan. Be bold. Now is the time to be audacious. Let Athena soundly and quickly beat Toni Storm for the AEW Women’s World Championship. Don’t deprive your audience of a good match, but give us something different.

AEW leans heavily into the more sprawling epics littered with kickout after kickout after kickout. Imagine for a moment this is a ten-minute sprint, a slugfest between two of the best women workers of our generation with the governors completely removed from their engines. Let them empty the tanks quickly and viciously before going home with authority.

It took Storm hitting countless piledrivers to put away Mone at All In. How momentous and ground-shaking would it be if Athena beat Storm with one finisher? A star would instantly emerge. Athena has been that star for years, carrying a mostly unwatched brand on her capable back. It’s time to bring her to the front and keep her there. Few can do what she does in the ring, and it’s high time for the world at large to easily see it.

Prediction: Athena wins the title

AEW World Champion Hangman Page defends against MJF

The AEW World Championship is a heavy crown for any head. The burden of expectations, the burden of being the best every night, is never ending. There are no bye weeks with a roster overflowing with talent like Ospreay, Allin, Fletcher, G1 winner Konosuke Takeshita, Swerve, and, of course, MJF.

A conquering hero like Hangman should be up for the challenge. There’s nothing like returning to the summit in an act of cathartic triumph before having to deal with the devil all over again. There are no breaks, there are no skips, and for Hangman to have a lengthy run, he must always be at the top of his game. 

It speaks to MJF’s versatility and vulnerability as a performer that he can make whatever he does feel important. His time on TV and PPVs is almost always deserved. It’s been over a year since MJF has been involved in a title program of any kind, let alone the World title. Yes, he’s currently the CMLL Light Heavyweight champion, but in AEW canon, he’s been beltless.

But he’s never been an afterthought; he’s never been wandering the wilderness. The best continue to matter even if they aren’t involved in a top title program. Love him or hate him, whenever MJF is around, everything he does matters. 

Count me among those who did not like the added stipulations to this match. MJF and Hangman sold this program on their own with nothing extra needed. All this does is open the possibility for unwanted chicanery and lean into the worst part of MJF’s performances. Pulling the rug out from Hangman after he spent two years getting back to the top would be bold, but it would be unwise. He keeps the gold.

Prediction: Hangman retains

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