Jon Moxley has successfully retained his Continental Championship at AEW Double or Nothing.
In the fourth match of the night, Moxley faced Kyle O’Reilly in a no-time-limit match with the Continental title on the line. After their previous time-limit draw on Dynamite, AEW announced them both for a no-limit title match at Double or Nothing.
In their five previous singles matches, Moxley won one in 2022, while all their recent ones were either won by O’Reilly or ended in a draw. Tonight at Double or Nothing, Moxley trapped O’Reilly in an ankle lock and made the AEW Trios Champion tap out.
After the match concluded, the Death Riders (Marina Shafir, Claudio Castagnoli, Daniel Garcia & Wheeler Yuta) came out to celebrate with Moxley. At the same time, The Conglomeration (Orange Cassidy, Mark Briscoe & Roderick Strong) helped out the defeated O’Reilly.
Moving past their rivalry, Moxley and O’Reilly displayed a mutual show of respect as they shook hands with each other, while both of their factions looked on.
Moxley has been the Continental Champion since December 2027, winning the title from Kazuchika Okada.
A match for the AEW World title and a new title eliminator match is set for Wednesday’s AEW Dynamite & Collision three-hour special.
During Saturday’s AEW Collision, it was confirmed that Speedball Mike Bailey would challenge the winner between Darby Allin and Sammy Guevara. Allin emerged victorious, hitting the coffin drop for the win. As a result, he will add yet another challenging match to his grueling schedule just days before he is set to face MJF at Double or Nothing next weekend.
It was also announced on Collision that Jon Moxley will face Kyle O’Reilly in a title eliminator match where if O’Reilly wins, he will earn a future shot at Moxley’s Continental title. The show opened with Moxley cutting a promo hyping the the match, saying he won’t make excuses about losing twice to O’Reilly before, but he was not the same Jon Moxley he was six months ago. He warned O’Reilly that he better be prepared for a Moxley he’s never faced before.
O’Reilly later cut a promo promising to beat Moxley on Wednesday and take his Continental title.
Orange Cassidy & Roderick Strong of the Conglomeration will also be in action on Wednesday, taking on FTR for the AEW Tag Team titles. Meanwhile, the match between Mark Briscoe and Tommaso Ciampa will now be an Anything Goes match. The two were seen brawling on Saturday and ended up in the ring. Mark went for the Jay Driller on top of a chair but Ciampa countered with a low blow. Cassidy and O’Reilly eventually came down for the save, with Briscoe getting on the mic and establishing the new stipulation for Wednesday.
Elsewhere, Will Ospreay will take on Kaysuyori Shibata, Divine Dominion will continue their 5-minute Women’s Tag team title eliminator series, and an eight-woman tag team match will take place where Triangle of Madness and Athena will team to take on Mina Shirakawa, Thunder Rosa, and the Brawling Birds.
Swerve Strickland will also appear for the first time on Dynamite in months, having returned at Supercard of Honor on Friday after taking out Bandido with a cop killer on a chair.
AEW Dynamite & Collision (May 20)
AEW World title: Darby Allin defends against Speedball Mike Bailey
AEW Continental title eliminator: Jon Moxley vs. Kyle O’Reilly
Anything goes: Mark Briscoe vs. Tommaso Ciampa
AEW Tag Team titles: FTR defend against Orange Cassidy & Roderick Strong
Divine Dominion 5-minute Women’s Tag Team titles eliminator
Triangle of Madness & Athena vs. Thunder Rosa, Mina Shirakawa, and the Brawling Birds
Will Ospreay disclosed how Adam Copeland and other AEW stars supported him during recovery from neck injury.
In an exclusive interview with Rob Wolkenbrod of Forbes, Ospreay recalled Copeland telling him of his experience with a triple fusion neck surgery. He comforted and encouraged Ospreay to reach out to him if it became mentally challenging. He also cited support from Kyle O’Reilly, Roderick Strong and Bryan Danielson during the trying recovery period.
“Yeah, I spoke with Adam Copeland quite a lot about it, just because I guess he’s kind of the godfather of this surgery. He’s had three of them. I think he’s had a [triple fusion neck surgery]. I remember when I got told how severe it was because I didn’t realize how bad it actually was. I’d been wrestling on it for like 10 months. It only really started getting bad around May, and then it started f****** destroying me.”
“But I spoke to him, and he gave me the whole backstory of when he found out about his surgery and what was going to happen. He gave me his number to keep in contact because he knows it can get really depressing at times. So if I ever needed to vent or bullshit, he was always a great person to call or text about stuff.”
“There were a lot of times he was in London too, so I got to chat with him during good hours. I never felt like I’d text him and have to wait until the next morning because of the time zones. So he was really good.”
“I spoke with Kyle O’Reilly as well. He was great. I spoke with Roddy and Bryan Danielson a little bit, but not much. Everybody’s just been super cool because it really is such a good group of people backstage. I feel like news got around very quickly, and it was one of those things where it was really lovely having the support of my peers and everybody wishing for me to come back.”
Ospreay suffered two herniated discs and was written off AEW TV from August 2025 until his return at Revolution this year. He continued to wrestle through the injury which worsened over time forcing subsequent surgery and time off.
“It’s hard to say. I think the most important things is that wrestlers, we look at ourselves as professional athletes now. It wasn’t always like that in a bygone era, and so, we put a lot more into our recovery, into our rehab. I work with a strength and conditioning coach now who does all my programming and all my rehab,” O’Reilly shared.
O’Reilly, 39, reflected on his health challenges and the stress it puts on his body. However, fighting the “grind,” he still wants to continue his in-ring career.
“I don’t have to think about that now, so I can just think about my rehab and things like that. So I think that does add years to your career. It is a grind; the travel’s hard. Being away from your family is hard. I’m a Type 1 diabetic as well, so that puts a lot of stress on my body as well. Lifelong diabetic on top of being a wrestler. That said, I would love to wrestle into my 50s. I’ll be 40 next year,” he added.
Recovered and back from his neck injury, O’Reilly heaped praise on Adam Copeland, Christian Cage, and Chris Jericho for wrestling at their ages.
“I’ve been in the business since 2005, so 21 years this year, which blows my mind to even say. But yeah, it’s an inspiration seeing guys like Edge — or [Adam] Copeland and Christian [Cage] and [Chris] Jericho still going and still putting out amazing matches. That’s awesome to see, and so yeah, and the thing about wrestling, you’re involved. Doesn’t mean that I would always have to remain a wrestler. There’s producing jobs, there’s coaching jobs, and I could open a school. I think in some way, I’ll always be involved in the business, whether it’s as a wrestler or in another capacity.” (H/T Fightful)
Making his return at AEW Dynasty, O’Reilly teamed up with Roderick Strong and Orange Cassidy to defeat Clark Connors, Gabe Kidd, and David Finlay to win the AEW World Trios Titles.
Tagging alongside Roderick Strong and Orange Cassidy, O’Reilly proceeded to trap Clark Connors in an ankle lock and tap him out to secure the titles for his team.
Hours after his championship victory, AEW released backstage footage from Dynasty showcasing O’Reilly’s emotional championship win moment. The video began with O’Reilly reflecting on Rogers Arena and his history with the building.
“My dad brought me here to a show, and since that moment, I knew this is something that I had to do. So now I’m here. I’m in Vancouver at Rogers Arena, and I’m about to make my return, and it’s been an emotional roller coaster the last month or so. And my father passed away about 2 weeks ago. So, the weight of that on my shoulders, the weight of coming back to wrestle, I’m feeling it all, man. Nothing in life is guaranteed,” O’Reilly noted. He then proceeds to express his gratitude and not take anything for granted.
The video gradually progresses to the end of the night, where O’Reilly won the titles for his team. A visibly emotional O’Reilly is seen backstage with his teammates and AEW President Tony Khan. Wanting to recover from his loss to Adam Copeland in front of his father, O’Reilly claimed that he wanted to have his father see his title-winning moment.
“I wish dad could have seen that. Thank you [to Tony Khan] for giving me a second [inaudible],” O’Reilly claimed.
“Since teaming with these guys, the thing that I’ve learned the most is that when my friends are count on me, I refuse to give up. I’m so willing to give up on myself sometimes, but when I got my friends counting on me, man, there ain’t nothing that’s going to stop me. These guys have built me up and tragic loss of my father. I mean, friends are who pick you up off the ground and support you, help you achieve a dream. This is the first championship win in Kyle O’Reilly’s AEW career, and I couldn’t be more proud to have his teammates,” O’Reilly shared.
“Being by your side as long as I have been. And I know I continuously tell you, but you are just the strongest, most thoughtful human being I’ve ever met. And I know your parents are so proud of you. And they were watching you tonight. And you helped us become champions. I can’t thank you enough,” Strong opened up to O’Reilly after the match.
The most detailed look at how the Pat McAfee angle developed, its goal, why so many in the company are unhappy with it, where it is leading, addressing the biggest WrestleMania questions, what CM Punk aid, where Paul Levesque and Ari Emanuel fit in, as well as an update on WrestleMania tickets compared to last year, discount offers cutting price back and more
Preview to AEW Dynasty, matches and business notes as well as updates on Double or Nothing direction and business, as well as All In at Wembley Stadium.
Favorites for WrestleMania and Dynasty
Lots of business notes on WrestleMania
Callum Newman wins IWGP title and review of Sakura Genesis, what we learned, business, Best of the Super Juniors and Dontaku notes
NXT Stand & Deliver. Match rundowns and stories as well as business notes on the show
Texts from Paul Levesque to Nick Khan released in discovery regarding Vince McMahon’s involvement in booking when talent was told McMahon was out and Levesques frustration at the time
A detailed look at TNA pulling talent from advertised indie events that they had previously approved and a better way of handling it
A look at the career of 60s and 70s star Flying Fred Curry, one of the major stars of The Sheik’s heyday running Michigan and Ohio, son of Bull Curry and nine-time world tag team champion.
The arrest of Alberto el Patron, lots more details and his history, shows he’s been pulled from, an ironic aspect of this story n a reality show in Mexico late last year
The most detailed look at the ratings for all the television shows of the past week, with comparisons with last week, last year, demos and other stats, male vs. female percentage
More stats regarding the audience at Arena Mexico shows as well as a look back on a major week last week.
Saya Kamtani has major goal for Stardom’s big show later this month
Japanese television in 1985 and who were the draws
Ric Flair upset over WWE costing him a major merchandise deal
Mysterio talked about his relationship with Liv Morgan: “Man, she’s the absolute best. She brings out the best in everybody because she’s always just so positive, very encouraging, honestly, just a joy to be around and absolutely blessed to be able to work with her. I started off with Rhea Ripley, went on to Liv Morgan. Two of the best of the best. Honestly, I can’t say enough good things about Liv, and I hope that we stay together. We work for a reason. There’s lots of gold around the Judgment Day, and it’s thanks to her.”
Liv Morgan talked about her upcoming match against Stephanie Vaquer: “I love it, because honestly, Stephanie and I really have no business together other than: I want your championship. And so I think that we’ve made it really personal and really physical. They know we do not like each other. I think they know it’s on site when we see each other. Like, I’m talking about her mother. I called her mother trash last week.”
Drew McIntyre has released a PSA ahead of WrestleMania week.
Kyle O’Reilly is back in AEW, and that too in winning ways.
In the second last match of the night in Vancouver, Canada, at AEW Dynasty, O’Reilly appeared as the mystery partner of Orange Cassidy and Roderick Strong’s The Conglomeration.
As the crowd cheered along, O’Reilly made his way to the ring and participated in a short yet hard-hitting contest. In the final moments of the match, O’Reilly secured the victory for his team when he trapped and tapped out Clark Connors of The Dogs.
Also, in a report shared by our Bryan Alvarez, it was noted that Gabe Kidd suffered an injury in the match. However, it did not affect the ending of the bout, as The Conglomeration was always supposed to win.
This was O’Reilly’s first match since AEW Full Gear, when he defeated Jon Moxley in a No Holds Barred match. Shortly after the match, he was announced injured. In December, he revealed that he was dealing with a bulging disc neck injury. Months on the sideline and recovered, O’Reilly returned tonight and secured the Trios titles from The Dogs in his hometown of British Columbia.
Connors, David Finlay, and Gabe Kidd had earlier won the titles a few hours ago on the April 11th edition of AEW Collision in Edmonton.
Kyle O’Reilly’s father, Rick Greenwood passed away on March 27, 2026.
O’Reilly shared the news of his passing via Instagram. He penned a tribute noting that his late father passed peacefully, surrounded by loved ones with his favorite Pink Floyd album playing. He appreciated everyone who extended support during the trying time.
“My father, Rick Greenwood was the kindest man around. He passed peacefully March 27, 2026 surrounded by loved ones listening to his favorite Pink Floyd album. He was born on Valentine’s Day in 1952 and grew up in Penticton, BC a sickly child with 6 siblings. They all had paper routes and worked the cherry orchard, learning the value of hard work.”
“Later they moved to East Vancouver, and as a teenager Rick entered an apprenticeship program becoming a cabinet maker by trade and eventually a master craftsman. There was no limit to Rick’s ability to take something out of the imagination and use wood to craft it with his bare hands.”
“He met his spouse and my mother, Janie McLoughlin in 1975 and to know they are now reunited beyond this earthly realm gives great comfort to myself and my family.
“Rick became a father in 1982 when my sister Kelli was born and I came around in ‘87. Rick was a devoted father and ran his own business building staircases and handrails, he also built the cribs and the house that his children lived in.”
“Rick later became a shipwright for BC Ferries where he ran maintenance and refits on an entire fleet of ships, adding his perfected handiwork in the most unlikely places gone unnoticed by the daily passenger, but Rick made sure every job was meticulous and beautiful. He was a true artist.”
“When we look around his home now we see his fingerprints everywhere. From the dinner table we shared memories as a family to fine china cabinets to the cedar strip canoes and kayaks he built with his brother, Steve when I was a kid.”
“The greatest lesson he taught me was that “if you do something you love, you’ll never work a day in your life,” and Dad worked relentlessly hard simply because that’s what he loved to do. It gave me the courage to pursue a seemingly impossible dream in the name of love.”
“Lastly, we are so pleased to see how many messages came from people who knew my Dad saying what a kind and gentle soul he was. I’m so proud that in a world full of malice and hatred, Rick always chose to be kind. Be kind and create; must’ve been his mantra.”
Reilly last competed on AEW at Full Gear 2025 in a No Holds Barred match against Jon Moxley. A month later he was backstage for a December edition of Dynamite, confirming that he had a bulging neck disc injury and arm fracture. And was sidelined from in-ring action.
After nearly a month’s absence, AEW star Kyle O’Reilly appeared for the first time on a televised program tonight during Christmas Collision.
Last seen beating Jon Moxley at Full Gear in a No Holds Barred match, O’Reilly appeared tonight in a backstage segment with Roderick Strong. O’Reilly confirmed himself to be suffering from a bulging neck disc injury and arm fracture, which sidelined him from in-ring action. The former WWE NXT tag-team champion provided a pep talk and hyped up Strong during their backstage segment. Reflecting on his own matches with Moxley, O’Reilly motivated Strong ahead of his high-stakes match.
“If you knew how close I was to giving up in those matches with Jon [Moxley], you’d be looking at me the same way I’m looking at you right now.”
Strong used the motivation and successfully defeated Claudio Castagnoli during their Continental Classic match later in the night. The final moments of the match saw The Death Riders and Marina Shafir attack Strong, before Mark Briscoe and Toni Storm ran down to make the save.
O’Reilly was earlier expected to be a part of the Continental Classic tournament; however, following his match at Full Gear, he was ruled out of action.
Swerve Strickland would love to have one-on-one matches against Kyle O’Reilly and Buddy Matthews in the future.
Appearing on Insight with Chris Van Vliet, Strickland was asked to name some AEW dream opponents he hasn’t gotten the chance to face yet. Strickland said he’s wanted to wrestle O’Reilly for a long time, with them only having been opponents in one battle royal before. He’d also like to have a match against Matthews once Matthews returns from injury.
“Kyle O’Reilly, man. I’ve been asking for Kyle O’Reilly for so long,” Strickland said. “We interacted in the battle royal, the two-ring battle royals and stuff. But that was it. And that was when Bobby Fish was still here [in 2022], you know?
“And Buddy Matthews. Like, rest up, hope he comes back soon, man. Because he’s a beast.”
Matthews is still recovering from an ankle injury that he suffered in February. While there was initially hope that he wouldn’t be out of action for too long, the recovery ended up being more complicated than expected and Matthews had to undergo surgery to repair the issue.
Strickland himself had been sidelined for four months prior to making his AEW return this past weekend at Full Gear. In addition to potential O’Reilly and Matthews bouts, Strickland told Van Vliet that he’d like to have another match against Kyle Fletcher now that Fletcher has leveled up into a new version of himself.
“He’s grown so much more since then. He’s grown, like, immensely since then,” Strickland said about how much Fletcher has improved since their April 2024 meeting. “So another match with him would be incredible.”
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.
A brand new violent match has been added to the Full Gear 2025 card.
For several weeks now, fans have been witnessing Kyle O’Reilly engaged in a rivalry against Jon Moxley. O’Reilly and Moxley have faced each other twice in the past month, but without a concrete result each time. Looking to finally settle the score, O’Reilly and Moxley are now set to meet once again in a No Holds Barred match at Full Gear 2025.
Following Moxley and Claudio Castagnoli’s win over Roderick Strong and Orange Cassidy, fans saw The Death Riders launch a violent attack on the duo before Kyle O’Reilly ran out to make the save. Locking in an ankle lock on Moxley and refusing to release it, O’Reilly escalated the confrontation and ultimately challenged the former World Champion to a match at Full Gear.
Shortly after the challenge was issued, the match was officially confirmed. On November 22nd, O’Reilly and Moxley will collide for the third time this year to decide a definitive winner.
AEW Full Gear 2025 match card
Set to take place from the Prudential Centre in Newark, New Jersey, here is the complete updated match card for Full Gear 2025.
Boom & Doom (“Big Boom!” A.J. and Q. T. Marshall) (with Big Justice) vs. RPG Vice (Rocky Romero and Trent Beretta)
Max Caster and Anthony Bowens vs. Bang Bang Gang (Austin Gunn and Juice Robinson) vs. Big Bill and Bryan Keith vs. The Outrunners (Truth Magnum and Turbo Floyd) – $200,000 Four-way tag team match
Kris Statlander (c) vs. Mercedes Moné – AEW Women’s World Championship match
“Hangman” Adam Page (c) vs. Samoa Joe – Steel Cage match for AEW World Championship
Brodido (Bandido and Brody King) (c) vs. FTR(Cash Wheeler and Dax Harwood) – AEW World Tag Team Championship
Kenny Omega and Jurassic Express (“Jungle” Jack Perry and Luchasaurus) vs. The Young Bucks (Matt Jackson and Nick Jackson) and Josh Alexander – $1,000,000 Trios match
Kyle Fletcher (c) vs. Mark Briscoe – No Disqualification match for the AEW TNT Championship
Darby Allin vs. Pac
Sisters of Sin vs. Babes of Wrath vs. Timeless Love Bombs vs. Marina Shafir & Megan Bayne – winner of that match will then choose the stipulation for their own semi-final match
Jon Moxley vs. Kyle O’Reilly – No Holds Barred match
