Tag: Cody

AEW Full Gear 2020: Every Match Ranked

Full Gear is in the rear-view mirror and…what a show.

I’m not exaggerating when I say that this was easily my favourite wrestling show of the entire year. Four of the nine matches on the show are must-watch material, and the other five are all worth your time too. I had such a good time watching Full Gear, and I just want to jump straight into talking about the matches.

9 – Serena Deeb(c) def. Allysin Kay
(NWA Women’s World Championship)
(Buy-In)

This is one of those situations where I have to clarify that ‘last’ doesn’t mean ‘bad’.

Admittedly, it’s noticeably lower in quality than everything else on the show, but I still got enjoyment out of watching it. The pre-show curse seems to prevail no matter what company it is, and this match felt like it lacked a little extra spice throughout. The thing is, knowing as little as I do about these two women, it’s hard to know whether this is actually just the best they could do, but I got the impression they didn’t give it their all.

That said, there were still things to enjoy. If you’re someone who doesn’t watch Dynamite, then this was definitely a good match for getting to know what Serena Deeb is like, and why she was able to beat someone on the level of Thunder Rosa. Also, if Allysin Kay is going to stick around in AEW, this was a nice place to get in on the ground floor for her character.

So, nothing special, but a lot of good.

8 – Orange Cassidy def. John Silver

A great match, I just didn’t care about the story.

Between this and his match last month against Jericho, we’re starting to see the potential of what Cassidy can offer outside of a comedy wrestler. Yes, his comedy stuff is still unique and funny, but now he’s showing his greater wrestling prowess more frequently, I can really see him as a world-championship level performer. I don’t see any titles in Cassidy’s foreseeable future, but whenever the time comes, I’ll be ready to get behind it.

It also did well for John Silver. Commentary really put him over as the breakout singles star of the Dark Order, and I’ve got say that there’s legitimacy to that claim based on what I saw last night. He played off of Cassidy’s antics really well and got the opportunity to show a lot more of his athletic ability than what we usually see in Dark Order segments. It’s matches like this that will give the members of the Dark Order long and fruitful singles careers whenever the faction inevitably disbands.

7 – MJF def. Chris Jericho
(If MJF wins, he joins The Inner Circle)

This is a match where the story made it enjoyable. If I’m being entirely honest, I don’t think the action was all that great. I know this is a hypocritical thing to say, as Jericho is still fitter than I’ll ever be in my entire life, but every month it seems like he gets more and more out of shape. Thankfully, he’s still Chris Jericho, so it’s not like he’s ever going to be bad, but I think this match definitely lacked something I was expecting.

However, I still really liked it thanks to the story being told. As great as Jericho is as a heel, it was fun to see him wrestling as a face in this match. He got to show off some of the greatest hits we haven’t seen very often during his AEW run, like the Lionsault. MJF was brilliant at controlling the direction of the match too, we all knew both men would inevitably try to cheat, but I didn’t expect it to go so well, and make MJF look like a galaxy-brain genius.

When you’ve got two characters like this, MJF outsmarting Jericho to get the win like that is precisely how it should finish, and just highlights what a perfect fit he’ll be for The Inner Circle. As I said in my prediction, this is a land full of rich storyline opportunities, and I can’t wait to see where it goes.

6 – Hikaru Shida(c) def. Nyla Rose
(AEW Women’s World Championship)

Clearly, these two women just know how to wrestle each other.

Their match at Double or Nothing was one of the best of the year, and while this wasn’t quite as good, it built off of the story that match told and added a satisfying new chapter. The idea of Shida’s victory over Nyla being a bit of a fluke or upset wasn’t one that I bought going into the match, especially after how dominant Shida has been as champion, but they sold it well during the opening sections. While Nyla didn’t necessarily dominate it, you definitely got the sense that she was determining the pace of the match, and Shida was fighting from underneath, especially with Vickie skulking around.

They touched on the brutality that their Double or Nothing match contained, but adapted it interestingly to the confines of a regular match. Pretty much anything that happened outside of the ring gave the increased intensity and levels of violence that the match needed to really engross me in the action. The spot where Nyla wrapped Shida’s leg around the underside of the ring was especially great-looking.

As the match moved towards the ending, they played up just how much the two women hated each other, and the story finally felt like it was wrapping up satisfyingly. The mirroring of both Nyla & Shida pulling the other up from the cover to exact more brutality was brilliant, and it gave the finish that enjoyable exhale of relief once it was all over. Going into it, I thought Nyla should win, but as it turned out, I think Shida winning to close the book on their story was the better way to go.

5 – Matt Hardy def. Sammy Guevara
(Elite Deletion)

Alright…let’s go through this because there’s a lot.

When it comes to pre-recorded matches in 2020, I think that the rankings of quality are quite clear. WWE main roster does it the best, AEW is a close second, and NXT is shit at it; and I think this match held true to those rankings.

Going through the match section by section, I wasn’t into it during the opening. The golf cart getting crushed by the monster truck was a fun visual, but Matt coming out and using the word “orgasmic” wasn’t funny and just seemed like a deliberate attempt to create a meme, same with the “squash” joke. Once the action got underway properly, things picked up. As soon as Ortiz & Santana got involved, I knew we were in for a clusterfuck, which is what I was hoping for.

While I was worried it wasn’t going to be silly enough, once Matt got out the fireworks, I knew we were going to be ok. It was a bit weird how he just fired them into the air, and everyone acted like they were covering from an air-strike, but as soon as Sammy picked up his own tube, it got a lot better. From there, the comedy got into full-swing, and I actually found it all funny this time. Gangrel’s appearance was an unexpected piece of brilliance, along with the exchange between Matt & Shane Helms immediately afterwards, especially Matt’s quip about “long-term storytelling”.

Where I think the match was inarguably at its best though, was once they entered the warehouse for the finale. The brief back-and-forth gave us some good action, but the big spots are what we all remember the most. Sammy’s dive off the ladder through the table was great but got overshadowed entirely by the brutal-looking spear through the tables on the outside. The blood on the concrete (assuming it was deliberate) was a great callback to Matt’s injury at All Out and made the story feel eery and uncomfortable in the way I think they were going for.

I couldn’t help but feel like Matt’s actions were quite heelish at the end, so I wonder if that’s how it’s going to be played going forwards, it’s certainly how commentary played it in the moment. I don’t know how this is going to affect Sammy’s character, but it definitely has to be something big. It could be something like a substantial humbling, or maybe it will affect his relationship with Jericho, tieing into the storyline with MJF. I honestly have no idea which way they’re going to go with it, but Sammy is absolutely going to be one to watch going forwards.

4 – Jon Moxley(c) def. Eddie Kingston
(AEW World Championship)
(I Quit)

This was one of those matches that is relatively slow, but just built and built and built.

Do you remember the build to Wrestlemania 32? Moxley (then Dean Ambrose) was going to face Brock Lesnar, and WWE was heavily teasing that it would be a super hardcore match, then the match happened, and it was a fifteen-minute snooze fest. Well, this match with Kingston was essentially the match we were all hoping to see at Wrestlemania that year.

It was hard to watch, but in exactly the way you want. Things started out highly emotional, but the action set the scene perfectly for what was to come. The way both men just hit each other as hard as they could. No wrestling manoeuvres, nothing fancy, just absolutely leathering each other with chops & strikes, it was a fantastic way to set the tone. From there, things slowly got more and more violent, and every new spot/weapon felt earned.

As Kingston wrapped his hand in barbed wire, it was the kind of thing that makes you cringe as you watch, and yet you can’t look away. Then he digs it into Moxley’s already bleeding skull, and you can feel the desperation and hatred in what each man is doing to the other. I’ve never seen such violence used in such a purposeful way. It didn’t just give us some spectacle to watch, it helped to tell us the story, which I honestly don’t think I’ve ever seen a hardcore match like this do.

3 – Kenny Omega def. Hangman Adam Page
(Winner becomes #1 contender for the AEW World Championship)

I want to clarify that, from here onwards, I wish I could put every match in the number 1 spot, they’re just so good.

Here’s a match that understood precisely the role it played in the story it’s telling, because the fact is, this isn’t the end of the story between Omega & Page, it’s the mid-point. It was the perfect distillation of all the aspects in this feud so far: How well the two men know each other, both in the ring and generally; how Page has an inferiority complex when comparing himself to Omega, and how deeply that affects him; how Omega, while somewhat sympathetic to what Page is going through, doesn’t care enough to hold his own career back for Page’s sake. The line as to who’s really the bad guy here is so blurred because both of them have apparent and understandable motives, and I sympathise with both men’s perspectives.

The action in the match was absolutely superb. The strength with which Page hit Omega was genuinely impressive, and it put the extra notch of emotion into the match. Similarly, Omega’s way to wrestle quite reactively, yet still control the pace of the match is the kind of thing only he knows how to do. He seemed to be lying in wait for Page to make his move, and then find a way to turn it around on Page at every opportunity. It was only once the match broke down towards the end that Page got more sloppy, and Omega actually implemented a proactive strategy.

It’s the kind of match that, when these two inevitably wrestle again for the title in a year or so, they will be able to build from to tell a story and give us a match that will live in the memory forever.

2 – Darby Allin def. Cody Rhodes(c)
(TNT Championship)

I give Cody shit sometimes, but he really is a masterful in-ring storyteller.

I don’t think I’d be wrong in saying that most people wanted to see Allin win this match, and Cody wrestled like he knew that. It’s been a pretty consistent factor in AEW’s stories that Cody has a bit of an ego, even as a face. To be fair, I’d have an ego too if I helped start a brand new wrestling company that was seeing huge success, but that’s not the point. The point is, here is where we see that ego fully manifest itself as the critical weakness that Cody’s opponents can exploit.

Everything about Cody’s performance in both the build and the match itself said that he knew he was going to beat Allin. He’d just taken down his most formidable opponent in the form of Brodie Lee, and he felt untouchable, but that’s why Allin seemed like a believable opponent. Every time they’ve wrestled, it’s felt like Allin had all the tools to beat Cody, he just made one or two key mistakes that cost him. Here, Allin had learned, and now it was Cody’s turn to make the mistakes.

The small touches here and there was all that was needed to make the story work. Things like Cody getting scolded by Arn Anderson for doing press-ups in the ring, or Cody’s bodyslams on Allin with a bit of extra stank on them. In essence, it’s a straightforward story, but when it’s told so well, you forget that and see deeper into what is happening between the two characters. I want to clarify that it wasn’t just the story either, the action was great too, as much as Allin wasn’t in control for the majority of the match, we still got to see all of the talent and ability that will make him a brilliant champion.

It was a match that analysed and understood the flaws of the characters involved and exploited them to tell the best story possible. What’s so great about it is how it can serve as both a self-contained story and one that can develop in the future. It seems like Cage & Starks are in Allin’s immediate future, but the door is definitely open for Cody to come at Allin again later down the line.

1 – The Young Bucks def. FTR(c)
(AEW World Tag Team Championships)
(If The Young Bucks lose, they can never challenge for the AEW World Tag Team Championships again)

It may not have been the greatest tag team match ever, but it was most certainly top 3. Which, given that both teams are in one of the other two, is quite the accomplishment.

This match was not only a brilliant tag team match in and of itself but a celebration of the history of tag team wrestling. I could sit around all day talking about the mindblowing action this match gave us. Sure, it wasn’t the flashiest affair ever, but it flowed so perfectly that every moment felt important. The opening was slow but meaningful, and the match slowly accelerated to a fever-pitch that gave us all the action we could ever have hoped for.

The thread of Matt’s injured leg was central to this match, but it didn’t overbear on the whole thing. When people complain that the Bucks don’t sell properly, this is the kind of match that proves that point wrong. Yes, he still did a bunch of leg-based offence, but he made sure to show the consequences of every time he did it in the slow deterioration of his movements throughout the match. As it goes on, he gets slower and less stable on it, and yes, he can still dropkick people, but it comes back to bite him moments later.

FTR did what they do best, and that is work smarter than any wrestlers have ever worked. How they divided, separated and prevented the Bucks from making a break at every turn was absolutely masterful and made the story of the match so incredibly compelling. In both teams, you truly felt the unspoken bond they share with their partners, there was no hesitation, no miscommunication at any point. Both teams always knew exactly where their partner was and what they needed to do to help out the team. It made the whole thing feel like it genuinely was the two best teams in the world, having the best match they possibly can. Which to be fair, it was.

They even included all of the callbacks, not just to tag team wrestling’s past, but to the personal history of both teams. Yes, it was cool to see the Bucks do the Dudley Death Drop or the Twist of Fate/Swanton Bomb combo, but nothing – and I mean NOTHING – made me pop bigger than FTR doing DIY’s finisher. Where WWE refuses the acknowledge the history their wrestlers have in other companies, AEW understands that embracing that and using it in your stories makes for the best possible version of those stories. A wrestler is everything they’ve ever done, not just what they’ve done in your company.

AEW have said they intended to make tag team wrestling main-event worthy for ages now, but it’s matches like this that put action to those words. Utterly incredible.

So there you have it! Thank you very much for taking the time to read this. Please, let me know what you thought of Full Gear, either in the comments below or on Twitter @10ryawoo. Finally, make sure to come back this time next Saturday, where I’ll be ranking every Raw & Smackdown Women’s Champion!

AEW Full Gear 2020: Predictions & Analysis

I hope you like wrestling because we’ve got a lot of it to talk about over the next month.

I don’t think I’m alone in believing that AEW produces the best weekly wrestling TV show out there right now. It’s miles better than Raw & Smackdown, and while NXT did have an excellent Halloween Havoc show a couple of weeks, ago AEW’s consistency is what puts it on top for me. As it stands, this actually makes Full Gear a very highly anticipated show for me, which is something I don’t often feel for WWE shows these days. Both companies have an exceptional depth of talent in their roster, but when you look at a show like this compared to Hell in a Cell, it’s clear which company is currently better at making use of all that talent.

Anyway, enough rambling, let’s predict some matches.

Serena Deeb(c) vs Allysin Kay
(NWA Women’s World Championship)
(Buy-In)

While I get that NWA have a working relationship with AEW, and NWA don’t have anything on TV right now, I find it a little odd that they’d allow their title to go on an AEW contracted talent like this. I’m not saying I dislike it, I never thought we’d see any wrestling companies playing nice like this, I’m just not used to it is all.

Either way, I think this is an excellent opportunity to showcase a bit more depth on AEW’s women’s division, which it is still sorely lacking despite how hard fans are trying to push for more. I had no idea who Serena Deeb was before she won that title, but I like what I’ve seen so far. As for Allysin Kay, she’s precisely the kind of talent the women’s mid-card could use in AEW to create some really compelling stories, with or without a title involved. I know she’s not signed any contract yet, but I really hope we get to see more of her on AEW soon.

As for the result, I think Serena Deeb is going to retain. For one thing, she’s only just won the title, and it seems like AEW/NWA are wanting to build her pretty big. For another, Allysin Kay has already had a pretty substantial run with that title, and I don’t think she needs another. Then, even if there is some sort of handshake agreement, I doubt either company would want to put the title on her before she’s signed anywhere. They’ve already lost one champion to NXT, they’re not going to risk another.

Orange Cassidy vs John Silver

I’m not entirely sure how deep Cassidy’s feud with the Dark Order is going to go, but I’m not sure the characters are going to be a good fit for one another. I love how Cassidy has been broadening his scope as a wrestler, but his character in promos and the like has still remained largely unchanged, and I don’t see it working against such a serious gimmick. Of course, if anyone can prove me wrong on that, it’s Cassidy & Brodie Lee, but that remains to be seen.

As for this match, I’m not expecting much, but it should be good while it lasts. Personally, I would’ve put this match on the pre-show instead of the NWA women’s title match, but given that they’re still trying to build Cassidy up as a star, I can see the reasoning behind it. Speaking of building Cassidy up as a star, Orange Cassidy is definitely winning this match. I know the Dark Order need to regain some momentum after the weird booking in the Cody feud, but you can’t have Cassidy beat Jericho and then take a loss like this. I don’t know what the plans are for Cassidy going forward, but a loss here would be a big blow.

Matt Hardy vs Sammy Guevara
(Elite Deletion Match)

I’ve had enough of this feud, but I don’t blame them for wanting to restage the match following the disaster at All Out.

Since All Out, they seemed to have upped the brutality of the feud rather than the weirdness, so I’d imagine we’re going to get a weapons-focused match rather than a cinematic one. As long as they don’t do anything as obviously risky as they did last time, this should be fine. I’m sure there will still be some shenanigans from the broken universe involved, it is Matt Hardy after all, but I’m expecting an overall more grounded affair.

I don’t really know who should be the winner here. Wrestling logic would determine it should be the younger star, but that just doesn’t feel like it works in this context. Sammy seems to be a wrestler who loses when it doesn’t feel like he should, but it’s ok because he’s got Chris Jericho around to bring him back up. Plus, there’s the element of Guevara going into Hardy’s world unprepared. I’m not confident here, but I’m picking Matt Hardy to take the win in this one.

Chris Jericho vs MJF
(If MJF wins, he join the Inner Circle)

There’s a lot unpack here.

This feud has just been Jericho and MJF flexing their creative muscles in just about any way they can possibly imagine. I know the “Me and My Shadow” segment divided people, but I enjoyed it for what it was, and the town hall segment the week later was brilliant. I think it really shows the strength of the character that MJF has created that he can hang with Jericho like he’s been doing it for years.

The match will hopefully be fantastic too. MJF has shown countless times now that he can hang with the very best, and they don’t get much better than Jericho, so we should be in for a treat. I’m expecting some shenanigans here and there, but I don’t think they’ll overwhelm the match.

For the story going forward, there are a couple of routes they could take. If MJF were to lose, he could mope around for a while and resort to violence rather than words to get himself into the Inner Circle. However, the far better option is MJF winning, clean or not, and having him continually butting heads with all the other members of the Inner Circle. He’s the kind of character that will absolutely hate not being the leader of the group and we’ll get all kinds of great segments out of the conflict between him and Jericho. Maybe he could even get on the good side of a couple of them and attempt to stage a coup. All kinds of entertaining things could come from it, which is why I’m picking MJF to win.

Hikaru Shida(c) vs Nyla Rose
(AEW Women’s World Championship)

As great as this match was the last time we saw it, I really think this just goes to show how little investment AEW has really put in their women’s division, as Rose feels like the only challenger still on her level.

Nyla alongside Vickie Guerrero has been a good pairing, and definitely gives Rose the credibility she needed to rechallenge Shida. The problem is that Shida is starting to feel like a bit of generic babyface champion. She still has an edge to her, but the way she gladly accepts any and every challenge is getting a bit dull and generic. On top of that, she’s so easily comparable to Io Shirai on NXT that she’s starting to slip into the territory of being an inferior version.

That said, I’m confident this will still be a great match. Their match at Double or Nothing is one of the best AEW has produced so far this year, and I’m expecting them to recapture some of that magic. Hopefully, Rose is going to come at this with a new fire under her, and instead of Shida fighting as the underdog, it will just be the story of two women who really don’t like each other beating the piss out of each other.

Looking at the winner though, as much as I hate to say it, it’s time for Shida’s reign to end. I still really like her as a wrestler, but she’s definitely lost something over this reign. I don’t think that’s Shida’s fault though, I’ve said it already in this article, but I will keep saying it until it changes; AEW really aren’t good at booking their women’s division, and it’s starting to show more than ever. Either way, I think putting the title back on Nyla Rose is the money move here. It’ll give the division a new dynamic with a heel at the top and hopefully bring it some greater prominence.

Kenny Omega vs Hangman Adam Page
(Winner becomes #1 Contender for the AEW World Championship)

AEW can make jokes about it all they want, but that tournament was quite the predictable affair. However, sometimes things are predictable for a good reason, and that reason is so we can finally watch these two go at it.

This story has been flaring and smouldering for large portions of the year, and this match promises to be where it will finally go off with a bang. While many people have criticised Omega’s more muted persona in AEW, I think he performs the role very well. I don’t want to see him be this way forever, but when he’s up against a character that’s coming out of his shell in a brand new way like Page, having Omega play the moderate straight-man is the best way to tell that story. Maybe I’m just used to how tactless WWE can be, but I think they’ve handled the ‘alcoholic’ plot thread quite well. They draw attention to Page’s drinking, but not so much as to glorify it, while Page can portray someone who’s mildly drunk in interviews quite convincingly. His interview with JR on Wednesday is the perfect example, it felt uncomfortable in precisely the way it should.

When we talk about action, I think this has all the potential to be the best singles match AEW has ever produced. We already know the kind of incredible matches Omega is capable of putting on, and if the pair’s run as tag champs proved nothing else, it’s that Page is more than capable of keeping up with him. This is one of those matches that has got such a perfect mix of wrestling talent and worthwhile storytelling that there’s almost no way it can’t be incredible.

This is one of the most challenging matches on the card to predict for me because there are legitimate explanations for both wrestlers to win; in terms of both booking and narrative. If Omega were to win, he could go on to face Moxley (spoilers), who he already had a long history with, and let’s be honest, Omega really should be sniffing around that title by now. I get wanting to put other people over, but leave a piece of the pie for yourself. It would also allow Page to continue the story of his downward spiral, potentially paving the way to an amazing redemption story a year or so down the line.

However, I’m going with Hangman Adam Page to win instead. I’m pretty confident that Page is going to be the next AEW champion, and beating Omega will give him a significant notch on his belt going forward. I see a future where he wins the title as a heel, only to eventually transition to a beloved face by the end of his reign, and it looks like a magical future. I think if AEW puts all their chips down on Page, they’re going to have lightning in a bottle, so he should win here.

Cody vs Darby Allin
(TNT Championship)

I must admit, I was a bit perturbed following the feud between Cody & Brodie Lee. The matches were good, and I definitely felt like the story was with Lee winning the title and going on a tear before Cody eventually gets it back, but it happened way too quickly. I see the value in Cody holding that title for a while, but it definitely didn’t feel like they got anywhere near the full potential out of Lee holding the title.

Still, that doesn’t change the fact that we’re here now, and Darby Allin is lining up to take Cody down. I’ve been picking Allin to make some kind of breakthrough in AEW in every Pay-Per-View on which he’s appeared, and I’ve never been right about it. Ever since his very first match with Cody, he seems to be waiting in the wings for the chance to be a star, and another match with Cody seems like the perfect chance to finally make that into a reality.

I’m not sure what kind of story they’re going to tell with this match, but my hopes are high. As I said, their previous encounter was fantastic, and I expect that to build off of what happened there. Naturally, building off of their previous work would imply that Darby Allin is going to win, so that’s who I’m picking. Maybe it’s a bit foolish, and Cody may hold onto the title for ages, but if Allin is going to make it, he needs something soon before he gets stale, and this is the perfect opportunity to make something of him.

FTR(c) vs The Young Bucks
(AEW World Tag Team Championships)
(If The Young Bucks lose, they can never challenge for the championships again)

As far as matches I’m excited about goes, this one is right at the top of the list.

I’ve talked about my love for FTR plenty of times before. Their run as The Revival in NXT is the best tag team run of the modern era, and since they’ve come to AEW, they’ve been absolutely fantastic. They’re nothing flashy, just men who stay true to their ideals and maybe do things a bit dirty here and there to get their way. On top of that, they wrestle great matches. Their match against Page & Omega was fantastic, but this is the one we’ve all been waiting to see.

The build has been great, it’s the kind of thing where we know where it’s heading, but they wanted to wait a bit to get there. Ever since the match has been official, the hype has been real though, I can’t wait to see how this one plays out. While I don’t have any specific spots in mind, I can definitely see how these styles are going to mesh well. The mix of classic tag team psychology mixed in with the craziness of The Young Buck’s matches should be quite the sight to behold.

I flip-flopped on the winner a few times too. The thing is, I feel pretty confident that this is going to be a multi-match feud. Initially, I thought that it would be similar to the story with The Revival vs #DIY, where the Bucks have to fail once or twice first before finally getting the big win and the titles. However, then they added the stipulation that if the Bucks lose, they’re done, and that changes things. Now, I think it’s going to go the opposite way, where the two teams trade the titles a couple of times before determining a final winner, much like with Young Bucks vs Lucha Bros last year. So I’m going with The Young Bucks.

Jon Moxley(c) vs Eddie Kingston
(AEW World Championship)
(I Quit)

As is the pattern with most new people who AEW bring in, I knew basically nothing about Eddie Kingston before he appeared in AEW, but now he’s here, I want more and more and more.

The man is absolute fire on the microphone. He speaks with a level of heightened brutality that I don’t see from anyone else at the moment. His passion is captured so beautifully in his words, but also in the way he carries himself. His segment where he talked off against Moxley on Wednesday was the perfect example of this. Moxley was also great in that segment, but Kingston’s performance, while talking and being talked to, is what made it into something special.

Speaking of making things special, it’s matches and feuds like this that have made Moxley’s run as champion so great. The I Quit stipulation was such a great one because I genuinely can’t see either man saying those words, and imagine the match is going to get so brutal, that even the loser won’t seem that weak. Honestly, I never thought I’d be hoping for a match with loads of weapon-based violence in it, but here we are, the year where anything can happen.

As much as I said I can’t see either man saying “I Quit”, I’m confident that Jon Moxley is going to win. I think there’s a world of potential in Kingston winning the title, I just don’t see it happening. Moxley has been such a dominant champion, that I think the story where he loses needs to be a bit grander in scope. It’ll be a proper passing of the torch moment, and I think a younger guy needs to be the one to pick it up.

And there you have it! Thank you very much for taking the time to read this post. Please, let me know what you think is going to happen on Saturday, either in the comments below or on Twitter @10ryawoo! Finally, make sure to come back this time on Sunday, where I’ll be giving you my review of the show!

AEW All Out 2020: Predictions & Analysis

It’s been a while since we’ve had one of these, but it’s time for AEW’s next Pay-Per-View! I’ll admit, with all the hype surrounding NXT Takeover, Summerslam & Payback, I’ve let my AEW viewing fall short somewhat. However, I dedicated this past week to catching up on the past month & a half of Dynamite, and I’ve got to say, I’m really enjoying the shows they’re putting out. Almost every week, there’s at least one match that feels like a big deal, and I can’t say that about Raw or Smackdown these days. Even NXT seems to be cramming its weekly shows with more and more filler (the past couple of weeks not included).

Regardless, there are nine matches on this show, and I’m going to predict them, because if I don’t do it, then you will? You know…other than any wrestling fan with any kind of minor online presence. If you saw my predictions for Double or Nothing, earlier this year, you’ll know that I got almost every match wrong, let’s see if I’ve learnt anything since then.

Britt Baker vs Big Swole
(Tooth & Nail Match)

Britt Baker’s injury was certainly unfortunate, but I’ll be damned if she hasn’t turned it into one hell of a positive for her character. It’s allowed her to play a properly slimy heel that can never seem to get her comeuppance because she’s hurt. Sort of like what MJF has been doing, but in a different way. Baker has been using it to take shot after shot at anyone she feels like dissing, and no-one can seem to do anything about it. Which is why I think there’s going to be some serious shenanigans at play during this Tooth & Nail match. Looking towards Big Swole, for one thing, that’s a dumb name, I don’t care what you say, but when it comes to her wrestling, she’s definitely got ‘future star’ written all over her. At the moment she’s not much more than a no-nonsense babyface who wants to kick people’s arses, and that works for her. It might not work forever, but that’s a problem for future Homer.

I’m curious as to what the Tooth & Nail stipulation entails. On Dynamite, it was implied that this is going to take place at Baker’s dentist surgery, and Tony Khan confirmed a few days ago that it would be a cinematic match, so honestly, anything could happen. Given that Big Swole picked the stipulation though, it seems an odd choice to give Baker the home-field advantage, but whatever.

I’m struggling to pick the winner though. Big Swole should definitely be being built up as a star, but I don’t think it’s going to be her time for a good 6-8 months or so. Meanwhile, Britt Baker is a ready-made opponent for Hikaru Shida already (spoilers), so provided she’s healthy, I don’t see any reason to delay that feud. Plus, as much as she’s been promoted as one of the spearheads of AEW’s women’s division, Baker isn’t a point yet where she can take innumerable losses and not suffer, she still needs big wins. So that’s why I think Britt Baker is coming away victorious in this one.

Casino Battle Royale

So, normally in big multi-man matches like this, I run down the possible candidates that I think could win the thing, but realistically, I think there are only two in this one.

I’m of two minds with AEW’s strategy for running a bunch of number 1 contender matches on their PPVs. It’s an excellent opportunity to give someone the spotlight who might not have received it otherwise, and I like that it gives the world title scene a constant sense of direction. However, I’m not sure a bunch of one-and-done title shots are doing much to elevate the contenders. I don’t know about you, but Brian Cage’s match against Moxley didn’t really do much to elevate him in my eyes. However, it’s a fun battle royal, and I like fun battle royals.

So, the two people I could see winning this thing (other than a surprise entrant) are Lance Archer & Darby Allin, and to be honest with you, which one I think is going to win mostly depends on the result of the main event. Lance Archer would be a great next challenger for Moxley, they’ve got recent history from their time in New Japan Pro Wrestling, and I would be down for a really brutal feud. Meanwhile, Darby Allin would be the perfect first opponent for MJF. From a character perspective, they’re perfect foils for one another, they’ve got in-ring styles that should mesh amazingly, and it would be a great showcase that AEW is willing to invest in its future with young stars.

Other factors that have played into my decision to pick Darby Allin as the winner though. For one thing, Allin’s been on the brink of breaking through for ages now, and they’ve got to do something with him before the fans stop giving a shit. Also, Lance Archer has plenty of options without needing to go after the world title. I would sure as hell like to see Archer vs Cage, even if it was heel vs heel.

The Dark Order vs Matt Cardon, Scorpio Sky & The Natural Nightmares

That TNT title sure has been going strong, hasn’t it? I still think the belt looks a bit boring, even with it’s improved look, but that doesn’t matter, because the booking team have been treating it very prestigiously. A series of open challenges is an excellent way to get me interested in any title/champion, and the run Cody had with the title was fantastic. Then, to have Brodie Lee come along and absolutely eviscerate Cody was the perfect next step. For one thing, Cody is easily one of the most sympathetic babyfaces out there, for another thing, it reestablishes Lee as a massive threat following his high-profile loss to Moxley. Not to mention, it’s given The Dark Order the credibility it’s been lacking, meaning I’m now a hell of a lot more interested in what they’re doing than I was before.

Given how close Lee winning the title has been to All Out, I don’t mind there not being any kind of title match on this PPV, because his presence around The Dark Order should be enough, especially if there’s an angle going down. As for the faces, I couldn’t care less. I’m happy to see that Cardona is making waves after leaving WWE, but unless he’s going to be a permanent fixture on AEW TV, then I’m not going to bother getting invested. I like Scorpio Sky, but this is not how I want to see him being used, he should be having high-profile singles feuds with anyone and everyone. I like Dustin, no complaints there, and QT Marshall is alright, but I haven’t really found a reason to like him yet.

Regardless, The Dark Order are winning this one, in fact, this is by far the predictions I’m the most confident about. They’re riding a huge wave momentum right now, and it’s way too early to hand them any significant losses. Combine that with the fact that the faces aren’t in a position to be hurt by taking a beating here, The Dark Order should absolutely wipe the floor with them.

Jurassic Express vs The Young Bucks

Yes, this is a match with nothing on the line, no build and is pretty much just ‘for the hell of it’, but it’s going to be excellent.

I’ve got very little to say about this match, other than that I’m really looking forward to it. Jurassic Express have been on fire ever since AEW began, and The Young Bucks have always been able to go with the best. The only there is to discuss is who I think is going to win. I think it would be nice for Jurassic Express to take it, but The Young Bucks have been jobbing themselves out like crazy since AEW began. Don’t get me wrong, I’m happy they’re not going the exact opposite way and overbearing the whole show, but they’ve got to win big matches sometimes.

So I’m going with The Young Bucks, but really, I’m going to invoke the ‘we, the fans, win’ cliche in regards to this match.

Matt Hardy vs Sammy Guevara
(Broken Rules)
(If Matt Hardy loses, he must leave AEW)

I don’t know why this pairing works so well, but I’ve been enjoying this feud a great deal since it began. Sammy’s sign schtick has been wearing a bit thin, but it worked for this feud and allowed for some cool moments. Not to mention, it made great use of the picture-in-picture aspect of the ad breaks. Their matches have been killer too, after recent events, Sammy was always going to have to earn his way back into a prominent role in AEW, and I think his matches with Hardy have done just that.

Apparently, a ‘Broken Rules’ match just means a Last Man Standing match, which admittedly, does take away from my hype for the match somewhat. I honestly can’t remember the last Last Man Standing match I actually enjoyed, but I do think it’s the logical progression given where they’ve gone with the feud so far. If nothing else, I think it’ll serve the story perfectly, even if the action suffers as a result.

If the ‘Matt leaves AEW’ stipulation wasn’t on the match, I’d pick Sammy Guevara without a second thought, but that’s really thrown things into the air. It’s entirely possible that Matt Hardy could be going away for a little while, many on the internet have already theorized that he’ll just come back under a different gimmick. The only problem there is that AEW has already acknowledged Matt’s multiple gimmicks to be the same guy, so I don’t think the logic would hold. Ultimately, I’d prefer to Sammy win this one, but as it stands, I’m going for the safe pick, Matt Hardy.

Chris Jericho vs Orange Cassidy
(Mimosa Mayhem)

This match is going to be an absolute blast.

The in-ring action probably won’t be world-class, but in terms of pure entertainment value, this could easily be the most enjoyable match of the show. Jericho has proved time and time again that he’s one of the best comedic wrestlers when he wants to be, and Orange Cassidy is an absolute master of comedic timing in wrestling matches. Will it be over-the-top and a bit stupid? Probably, yes. Will that make it incredibly fun to watch? Hell yeah.

This feud as a whole has been really entertaining too. I love how dedicated AEW has been to getting Cassidy over as a real main-eventer, even despite his highly comedic persona. Jim Cornette and his screaming piss-babies will be forever crying about how comedic wrestling is the work of the devil and is ‘killing the business’, but it’s time to leave them behind and embrace the entertainment value of a guy like Cassidy for what it is.

The interesting thing about picking a winner is how the stipulation of the match is actually going to work. The way I see it, there is absolutely no way that Cassidy is going in the vat of mimosa. His character is one that can bounce back from any beating you give him, but humiliating him like that is insanely damaging to his persona. However, the match can also be won by pinfall or submission, so it’s entirely possible that Jericho could win the match via pinfall, only for Cassidy to push Jericho into the mimosa after the match to get the last laugh. Ultimately, I think that if Jericho’s going into the mimosa regardless, you might as well give Orange Cassidy as big of a boost as possible by giving him the win.

Hikaru Shida(c) vs Thunder Rosa
(AEW Women’s Championship)

AEW really need to get their shit together when it comes to the women’s division because this match has not been hyped or built nearly as much as it should. Shida is the kind of wrestler that you can build a division around, with her running strong at the top, and yet she’s barely on TV, and even when she is, it’s almost never in the ring. The treatment of the women’s division has been AEW’s biggest problem since the company began last year, and it’s incredibly frustrating to see that they’re not learning their lessons.

However, the one thing they do at least do well, is that they give the matches plenty of time on the shows, which is why I’m still very excited about this match. I don’t know a lot about Thunder Rosa, but what I’ve seen of her, I really like. As much as AEW hasn’t been pushing her personality properly, I’ve enjoyed what I’ve got of it so far, and I think she’ll click really well with Shida in the ring. I just think AEW has been leaning too heavily on Rosa’s status as the NWA Women’s Champion to sell her to the audience when really, that should be secondary to her character.

Now, I don’t know anything about what AEW’s agreement is with the NWA, but I don’t think AEW would be willing to put their women’s title on someone who isn’t under contract with them. It’s certainly not unheard of, but I’m pretty confident in my belief that Hikaru Shida is going to retain.

Kenny Omega & Hangman Page(c) vs FTR
(AEW World Tag Team Championships)

I didn’t think anything from this year could top Omega & Page vs Young Bucks, but if any team can do it…it’s FTR.

The build for this one has been excellent. I don’t like how absent Omega has been from a lot of it, but it’s a case where the story works fine without him; in fact, you could argue it shrouds the dynamic between him & Page in even more mystery. Everything Page has been doing all year has been great, and it finally feels like things are coming to a head. FTR has been masterful heels, manipulating Page to get him to screw over The Young Bucks and cause a rift between him & Omega, while not being so overbearing that they can have deniability about the whole thing.

I mean, come on, you don’t need me to tell you that this match is going to be amazing. FTR were one-half of one of my favourite tag team matches of all time (vs #DIY at NXT Takeover: Toronto), and Omega & Page were one half of the other of my favourite tag team matches of all time (vs The Young Bucks at AEW Revolution). With guys who can go in the ring like these and a story as hot as this one, I’m expecting a match of the year candidate.

Funnily enough, I think the outcome is fairly obvious. FTR are coming away with the titles. There’s definitely still a route for the story to go if Omega & Page retain, but I don’t think it’s the right way to go. We all know that FTR vs Young Bucks is where we’re headed, and while you can argue that match doesn’t need the titles, it should absolutely still have them involved. Tully Blanchard said it himself, if you haven’t got the titles, how can you truly say that you’re the best?

Jon Moxley(c) vs MJF
(AEW World Championship)

This is a real toughie. The thing is, this is the moment that MJF’s AEW career has been leading towards ever since he first showed up. There’s no way he isn’t going to hold the AEW Championship at some point in the next year or two. The thing is, is it actually going to happen now?

The feud has been great. MJF is the epitome of a clever heel. He knows that Moxley’s attitude is ‘fight first, talk later’ so he’s taken every opportunity to prevent Moxley from resorting to violence. The whole campaign to ban the Paradigm Shift has been a wonderful satire of the political landscape, without diving too deep to feel like a straight-up parody. Moxley’s bounced off it perfectly too. I adored his performance in the contract signing, where he just sat there and let MJF shoot his mouth off for ages, his facial reactions, the little comments he’d make were terrific. I honestly think Moxley could do very well for himself as an actor if he really wanted to.

I’m interested to see what direction the match will take. MJF can absolutely go in the ring – just watch his match against Jungle Boy at Double or Nothing if you don’t believe me – so they could wrestle a largely technical match. MJF touched on the idea that he was going to do everything in his power to keep Moxley from taking the match out of the ring, so I think there could be a great story to be told with Moxley wrestling a technical style in the ring. Alternatively, this could be a huge story-based match, with lots of excitement, big spots and interferences. I think either way would be equally as entertaining, provided they’re done well.

I’ve got to pick a winner though, and I honestly don’t know. As I said, MJF is getting his hands on that title eventually, I’m just not sure if now is the right time or not. It’s one of those situations where I’d be happy with either result, I’d love to see Moxley continue the absolute tear he’s been on as of late, but MJF at the top of the mountain would make for some incredible TV. It’s a tough call, but I’m going to go for MJF. I don’t know why. It was just my gut feeling.

And there you have it! Thank you very much for taking the time to read this post. Please, let me know what you think is going to happen tonight, either in the comments below or on Twitter @10ryawoo! Finally, make sure to come back this time next week, where I’ll be running down my favourite tracks from the Sonic the Hedgehog franchise!

AEW Double or Nothing 2020: Predictions & Analysis

That’s right! I’m finally covering one of these shows.

In truth, I’ve been trying to watch more of AEW ever since the start of the year, but going into Revolution in February, I didn’t feel like I knew enough about many of the characters and the storylines going in. So I decided not to make predictions as I’d lack anything worthwhile to say. However, since Wrestlemania season I’ve dived back in and have done my best to follow the goings-on with Dynamite every week. Today I’m going to see how much I’ve learnt as I predict the outcomes for every match on Double or Nothing.

Private Party vs Best Friends
(#1 Contender’s Match for the AEW Tag Team Championship)
(Buy-In)

After making waves in the early days of AEW, it feels like Private Party have cooled down a lot since then. They got their upset victory over the Young Bucks in the tag team title tournament (which was great), but since then I can’t quite pick out anything particularly special that they’ve done. Best Friends, on the other hand, have seen themselves treated to quite the prominent role on a week-to-week basis, mostly thanks to their affiliation with Orange Cassidy.

Naturally, this match is almost certainly going to rock. I’ve always loved tag team wrestling, and AEW has really made a point of letting their tag teams run absolutely free and do incredible things. Even though this is on the pre-show, I don’t think that will lessen its quality in the slightest. I’m expecting lots of fun, fast-paced action and one or two hundred over-the-top dives that make the whole thing an absolute blast to watch.

As for a winner, I’m kind of torn. On the one hand, Private Party has felt like they’re just one match away from breaking through as a permanent fixture of the AEW tag team division and a match against Omega & Page would absolutely be that match for them, win or lose. Then you look at Best Friends and realise that if they’re not going to be challenging for the titles, then what else is there for them to do? With the Dark Order out of action for the foreseeable future, there really isn’t anything else for them to be involved with other than being Orange Cassidy’s backup. It’s a tough call, but I’m going to go with Private Party as I think they have more to gain from a match against the champions.

Dustin Rhodes vs Shawn Spears

Spears is a slightly curious case in AEW, as I’m not entirely sure what his role his compared to all the other wrestlers in the company. He came in with a head of steam and had a tremendous high-profile feud with Cody which he, unfortunately, came out on the losing end of, but he’s not really done much of note in the 6-8 months since then. The thing with Tully Blanchard looking to bring someone else into their faction seemed to have promise, but the pandemic killed those plans dead, and Spears has just been largely forgotten about since then. Lance Archer coming in and taking his spot as a top monster heel didn’t help things either.

Then we have Dustin Rhodes, who is putting arguably the best pure-wrestling work of his career right now. He has a clearly defined role in the company and does it very well. He’s a wrestler with a decent amount of credibility thanks to his longevity and has been consistently using it to help make new stars. Do I think these two will be able to put on a good match? Probably yes, although I doubt it’s going to be a match that we’re all shouting about come Sunday morning.

The winner of this one is a pretty easy pick for me. I don’t see any reason Shawn Spears shouldn’t win. He’s just come off of yet another loss to Cody in the TNT Championship tournament, and it’s not like Dustin has anything to gain from a win here. I just hope AEW can find a proper place on the card for Spears soon. Otherwise, things are going to start to look very similar to his time in WWE.

Britt Baker vs Kris Statlander

I’ll be honest, I don’t quite ‘get’ Kris Statlander yet. The whole alien thing is going a bit over my head at the moment, I don’t really see much difference in her performance or behaviour than any other woman. It feels like it needs to be more noticeably ‘out there’ to actually work; something along the lines of what Velveteen Dream is doing. In addition, I’ve yet to see her put on a match that puts her in line with the rest of the AEW Women’s Division. So hopefully, this will be that match.

Britt Baker meanwhile, has absolutely hit her stride in recent months. In the build-up to AEW’s debut show, it seemed like Baker was going to be the woman they pushed to the top right out of the gate, but instead, they held back and found something interesting to do with her character first. The role model idea is a great one to run with and fist in perfectly with her existing elements as a dentist. I know people are drawing parallels in Bayley’s current character in WWE. However, I think Baker has taken it in a very different direction, focusing more on being a brutal heel, rather than a schoolyard bully, which is what Bayley is doing.

Thankfully, I think this is a much easier pick than the previous match as I have very little doubt that Brit Baker is walking away victorious on this one. Statlander already had her title shot at Revolution, and I don’t see her getting a rematch anytime soon. Regardless of that, AEW has clearly decided that now is the time to get behind Baker as a dominant force in the women’s division.

MJF vs Jungle Boy

MJF is just the best. He’s everything that WWE likes to think Baron Corbin is. He’s smarmy, he’s a jerk, he’s in your face and can draw genuine heel heat from just about any situation. His performance is incredible, and the way he’s grown that bravado since beating Cody is absolute perfection. Jungle Boy and the Jurassic Express are also some great characters. Admittedly, I haven’t been quite as behind them as everyone else seems to be, but I still enjoy any and all of their matches.

I’m going to cut right to the chase here, MJF is winning this thing, no question. Jungle Boy is great, and I’m sure there’s a future in AEW for him someday, but MJF is the hot property in the men’s division right now, and nothing is going to stop him. The match will probably be a good one, I can see Jungle Boy getting the advantage with some quick action early on, only for MJF to try and recalculate and slow things down. There will almost certainly be some form of collision between Luchasaurus and Wardlow, and I have no doubt MJF will do something underhanded to get the win.

I don’t know how far a match with the champion is in MJF’s future, but I can almost guarantee that it’s some point before the end of the year. So this is the perfect place to continue to build him up.

Darby Allin vs Colt Cabana vs Orange Cassidy vs Rey Fenix vs Scorpio Sky vs Kip Sabian vs Frankie Kazarian vs Luchasaurus vs ???
(Casino Ladder Match)
(Winner gets an AEW World Championship Match in the future)

I’m starting to feel like WWE have hoarded all of the worthwhile gimmick match ideas. Don’t get me wrong, I’m sure this will still be an entertaining match, mostly due to the people involved, but the format seems somewhat convoluted. It puts me in mind of when WCW would come up with over-complicated gimmick matches just for the sake of it.

This one’s sort of a Royal Rumble and Money in the Bank hybrid, where competitors have to climb a ladder to retrieve a casino chip which grants them a future opportunity at the AEW World title. The catch is that only two people start in the ring at once, with more competitors entering as the match goes on. Which means that it’s technically possible that one of the first two people could win the match before the other competitors even get a chance to enter…which seems dumb to me.

Still, it’s a multi-man gimmick match, so let’s run through each participant’s chances.

Colt Cabana – While I know that he’s a guy who’s been around forever in the indie scene, I don’t actually know all that much about Colt Cabana. I’m not as well versed on indie wrestling as I should be and Cabana is one of those names that I’ve heard all over the place, but never actually seen all that much of. Since coming to AEW, he’s not done all that much of note, he can undoubtedly wrestle in serious situations when needed, but he seems to be more of a comedy guy than anything else. It doesn’t seem like AEW have any interest in building him up to the main event, so I don’t think he’ll be winning this one.

Kip Sabian – Sabian is a guy will all the potential in the world right now, but I don’t think AEW are looking to capitalise on that potential just yet. The main event scene in AEW is one that’s very crowded with all the factions and top guys being signed from all over, and it doesn’t feel like Sabian has a place amongst them at this time. He’s not had enough high-profile wins over guys on his level yet to be considered for a title shot if you ask me, so I think he’ll come up short on Saturday.

Luchasaurus – As I mentioned earlier with Jungle Boy, I’m enjoying the gimmick of the Jurassic Express, even if they seem a bit too gimmicky for my liking. Luchasaurus is by far the standout of the group though, and I think he’s got all the makings of a mega-star given the right circumstances. Much the same as with Kip Sabian though, I don’t see him getting into the main event any time this year. It’s for the same reason too, it’s a really crowded scene, and I don’t see a place for some like Lucharsaurus until some more room has been made at the top.

Rey Fenix – Another competitor I sadly know very little about, unfortunately. I really enjoyed the lengthy feud that The Lucha Brothers had with The Young Bucks last year, but there was very little in there to do with character and almost entirely to do with how many flips they could do. As such, I’m unfamiliar with Fenix as a singles wrestler and don’t have much reason to expect him to win. The only justification I could think of for Fenix winning this is because of how The Lucha Brothers aren’t doing anything right now. I don’t know if that’s because Pentagon can’t travel thanks to the pandemic or just booking, but it’s still the fact of the matter.

Scorpio Sky & Frankie Kazarian – Lumping these two together because they’re a part of the same faction and this is the time that I have to confess…I don’t really care for SCU very much. Don’t get me wrong, as wrestlers they’re great, and Scorpio Sky has all the potential in the world to be AEW’s top guy in a couple of years. However, their gimmick goes right over my head. I watched their segments on Being The Elite, and while the joke was funny at first it got old really fast, and now it just seems like they’re holding onto it for no real reason other than it pops a crowd. I think it’s possible that Sky could win this, but I don’t think it’s likely.

Orange Cassidy – I know that saying this could get me in a lot of hot water with Jim Cornette and the fun police, but I really like Orange Cassidy. His style of comedy wrestling is something that I’ve never seen before, and it’s absolutely fantastic. Not only that, but he’s proven in matches like his Revolution bout with Pac that he can definitely make it work in a dramatic and ‘proper’ wrestling match. Do I think he’s got the AEW title in his future? I’d say the jury’s still out on that one, but I certainly think he’ll be getting a title shot at some point over the next few years. As for Saturday, I don’t see it happening. Cassidy getting a title shot would only work with a heel champion and (spoilers) I don’t think we’re going to have one of those for a while yet.

??? – AEW has decided to keep us in the dark as to who the final participant in the match could be, which means they have a pretty damn good chance of winning the thing. As for who it could be, I honestly have no idea. The 90-day no-compete on the recently release WWE wrestlers is still active, so it can’t be any of them. I’ve seen a few people throw around Sting as a potential candidate, which I guess is possible, but quite the stretch. I think MJF or even Wardlow is reasonably likely, especially if MJF vs Jungle Boy goes on earlier in the night, which it probably will. What I think is most likely though, is that it will be one of AEW’s younger stars that haven’t quite gotten the spotlight they should’ve yet…or Sammy Guevara, that’s a possibility too. I can’t really give you a reliable name as to who I think this will be, but I think their chances of walking away victorious are quite high.

Darby Allin – It’s gotta be Darby, right? Ever since he had his match against Cody at Fight for the Fallen last year, Darby Allin has been waiting to breakthrough as a main event star. I had him pegged as one of the top contenders for the TNT Championship, but this is a good substitute. He’s got everything AEW needs in a top guy. He’s young, he’s athletic, he’s got a definite character and the crowd love him. A match against Moxley would be a perfect way to raise his stock to that of a main-eventer in the company, even though I don’t think he has a chance in hell of winning the title during that match. Much like with Private Party, I think there’s the most to be gained from Allin winning this thing, so he’s my pick.

The Inner Circle vs Matt Hardy & The Elite
(Stadium Stampede)

Again, what’s a Stadium Stampede match? Who knows? Who cares? I’m sure it’ll be fun, though. Given that Matt Hardy’s involved, I imagine it’ll involve a lot of pre-taped and ‘cinematic’ stuff like that of what we’ve seen from WWE recently. Although I think they’re probably going to mix it in with standard wrestling stuff too, around the stadium and such like.

Speaking of Matt Hardy, I’ve loved his work since joining AEW. I know a lot of people wanted him to be The Exalted One, but I much prefer the way things have turned out. The star of this feud has undoubtedly been Jericho though. His promos that he’s cut against Hardy, The Elite and Vanguard One, in particular, have been amazing. They’ve been comedic in just the right way so that it doesn’t take away from the intensity of the match being promoted. Hardy’s gimmick is an inherently ridiculous one, so trying to play to it entirely straight would never have worked, and it’s clear Jericho understood that and helped to create an enjoyable and unique build.

I’m quite torn on a winner though. On the one hand, this is Matt Hardy’s PPV debut, and Omega & Page are the tag champs, so they probably shouldn’t be losing a big match like this. On the other hand, The Inner Circle have been loosing A LOT recently. Guevara has lost just about every high-profile match he’s been in since joining the faction, Hager is coming off of a loss against Moxley, as is Jericho. I’m going to go with The Inner Circle. I think a single match between Hardy and Jericho could easily be built from this match. Meanwhile, Omega & Page are going to be defending their tag titles in what will undoubtedly be a fantastic match, so I don’t think they have much to fear from taking a loss here.

Nyla Rose(c) vs Hikaru Shida
(AEW Women’s Championship)
(No Holds Barred)

If I had to level one major criticism against AEW in its debut year, it would be the handling of its women’s championship. While I love Riho as a wrestler, the fact that she was barely ever on TV while the champion was a catastrophic move that severely harmed my interest in the title. Even though the few title defences she had were generally great matches. Thankfully, since resting on Nyla Rose’s shoulders, the belt has seen a lot more prominence week-to-week, but not as much as it should have.

It’s evident here, as there’s minimal story behind this title match. Hikaru Shida got the title shot purely because she’s been winning a decent amount as of late and that’s really it. I know several of the men’s title feuds have started because of that, but with the men’s division, they make match early on in the build cycle and then form a story around it. Instead, this title match was only made official last week, and realistically, there’s only been one week of build between the two women. I have a vague idea of both of their characters – I know who I should cheer and who I should boo – but I don’t know why. I have no concept of any character motivations other than “X wants the championship”.

I’m also not entirely sure what the match is going to be like. I know that both Rose and Shida are good wrestlers, but I’ve yet to actually see a performance from either of them that makes me sit-up and put them on the level with the best women’s wrestlers in the world. Hopefully, this will be the match that convinces me, though.

I’m pretty confident in picking Nyla Rose to win this one. She’s been at the forefront of the women’s division even before she was champion and given how relatively short of a time she’s been champion so far, I don’t see AEW taking the title off of her just yet. In addition, I think the best way to build the women’s championship up as a title to one that people care about is to give Rose a long and prestigious reign, where she has a whole bunch of strong and entertaining title defences.

Cody vs Lance Archer
(TNT Championship)

Not counting the two men who have been AEW World Champion so far, I think Cody has easily been the best member of the AEW roster for this initial year. I know there’s some criticism to be had about him pushing himself so hard when he plays a large part in the booking of the shows, but I don’t mind at all because he absolutely justifies his high position on the card with every high-profile match he has. Cody’s stories are almost always the most well-written on any given show, and they always lead to some standout matches. I don’t think this match is an exception to that statement either.

The entire tournament for the brand new TNT Championship has been fantastic. Week after week there were great matches as the tournament progressed and it means that this new title already has a whole heap of prestige going into the match to crown the inaugural champion. It was also paced very well so that we knew finals a few weeks out from the show and there was time to build some story and tension between Cody and Archer too. Jake Robert’s initial promo to Cody where he claimed he was just coming for Cody’s slice of the pie was amazing, and the chemistry he’s had with Archer had been fantastic.

Roberts was always a great heel promo, but he’s proven over the past month that he hasn’t lost a step. He says horrible and uncomfortable things, and it works so perfectly to confer all of that heat onto Archer, who has been a total monster every time he’s stepped in the ring. This is one of the things AEW has been very good at because I had absolutely no idea who Lance Archer was before he signed with AEW, but in the space of a month and a half, I’m totally invested in him as a wrestler.

What I know for sure here is that Lance Archer needs to win this match and have a totally dominant reign with the TNT Championship. Not only will with make the title an extremely prestigious prize for whoever is challenging him, but it will cement Archer as an unstoppable force in the company. If this title reign goes well for Archer, I could absolutely see him claiming the world title for his own before 2021 is finished.

Jon Moxley(c) vs Brodie Lee
(AEW World Championship)

What a difference a year makes…

I don’t think many people would disagree with me when I said that, since leaving WWE, Moxley has been one of the hottest wrestlers on the planet. Going on a tear in New Japan Pro Wrestling and winning their US title was just the first step in Moxley reinventing himself to show everyone that what they saw of him in WWE was just a taster for the amazing stuff he can really do when he’s let loose. He came into AEW with a head of steam and put on a great match with Kenny Omega at Full Gear and has flourished creatively, showing every interesting facet of his character. I thought the match where he won the title from Jericho at Revolution was brilliant and has kicked off a title reign that has so far been really enjoyable.

Brodie Lee is a very similar story, although since he only left WWE very recently, we’re yet to see the full potential of what he can really do. His character work since revealing himself as The Dark Order’s Exalted One has been really enjoyable. The skits that were definitely not poking fun at Vince McMahon (wink, nudge) were fun and didn’t overstay their welcome either. Once it was time for Lee to get down to business and build a story with Moxley, he did a great job of it. It can be hard for heels to seem credible in the face of Moxley’s heated attitude, but Lee decided to formulate a character that is almost the perfect opposite of Moxley. He’s calm, collected and authoritarian, every word he says is dripping with this inherent heelish hypocrisy that just boils my blood and makes me want to see Moxley get his hands of him.

I really think this is going to be the match of the night and maybe even a match of the year contender for AEW. Moxley has already proven himself as a top-level wrestler, and we’ve seen enough glimpses of what Lee can really do during his WWE run that I have all the faith in the world that he’s going to put on a stellar performance here. While I think it’s possible they could hot-shot the belt over to Brodie Lee, I think keeping it on Jon Moxley is the right call for now. He’s only just won the title, and I don’t think it would be overly exciting TV if we went straight back to a heel faction on top of the company. Brodie Lee should look fantastic in defeat here, and he will absolutely come away from the match looking like a credible top heel for AEW, even if he loses.

So there you have it! Those are my predictions for AEW Double or Nothing. Thank you very much for taking the time to read this, please let me know what you think will happen, either in the comments below or on Twitter @10ryawoo. Finally, make sure you come back this time on Sunday, where I’ll be giving you my review of the show!