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Good morning! It’s FULL GEAR weekend! Full disclosure: I’m working on this before the Collision/Rampage twofer that drops Friday night, but I’ll be sure to note any big reveals or added matches while I catch up early Saturday, and update this before posting. But we’ve already got eight matches on the night, plus MJF defending the Ring of Honor tag titles on the Buy-In show – I can’t imagine Tony Khan is gonna add too much more to that.
In addition to the great-looking card, there’s the possibility of MJF grabbing a tag team partner for that tag match, a big surprise AEW signing, and maybe the reveal of the person behind the Devil mask…so let’s crack in!
First, some predictions!
I’ve avoided wrestling twitter for the most part this week, as I am hoping to be surprised by the big surprise reveals this weekend. As such, these predictions might seem terribly out of date already, but at least I’m honest!
So, first, the surprise new signing. Will Ospreay seems like the most obvious choice – he’s been working with the company for years now, and he’s probably comfortable enough to stick around. But that’s boring. Why not Ronda Rousey? She recently worked with Athena and Billie Starkz, the two best things Ring of Honor has going for it. And that was alongside old Rousey pal Marina Shafir. I know Ali and Dolph Ziggler are around, but I don’t believe their non-compete deals have run their courses yet. If they have, I change my vote to former hacker, Ali. And while Riddle is a possibility, I can’t imagine Tony Khan wants that kind of drama backstage again. Then again, the man just brought controversial septuagenarian Ric Flair into the company, so what do I know?
And then there’s the Devil, a story that really should begin to wind up tonight with a big reveal. I don’t think it’ll be a debuting talent, as the story makes more sense with somebody who has a reason to hate Max. Adam Cole is a possibility, but that seems as obvious as Roddy Strong, so I’ll pass on either of those. Don Callis would work, as his stable could use a new opponent. But I personally love the theory of Britt Baker arranging all these assaults, and we haven’t seen her do anything meaningful in months. She has all kinds of reasons to distrust Max, a man who initially, repeatedly, urged her partner to cheat on her. A man who continually took time away from the couple. And a man who drove another friend, maybe more than just one, away. Plus it’s just more fun, and we all need a little more fun in our wrestling. So I’m going full Britt!
Eddie Kingston (c) versus Jay Lethal for the Ring of Honor World Championship
MJF © and TBD versus The Gunns for the Ring of Honor World Tag Team Championships
Relegated to the Buy-In, so Max gets the most rest possible before the main event, this should be short and fun. I think we are at the point where Max will accept Samoa Joe as a partner, which should please his injured buddy Adam Cole. I personally didn’t love that Joe dropped the RoH TV title, and the storyline excuse of focusing all his efforts on the AEW championship goes against all the multiple champs we’ve seen in wrestling over the last few years. Why drop a belt when you can collect? Anyways, I got Joe and Max retaining the RoH belts, and at least one Gunn trying to emulate the Joe walk-away spot from the Dynamite squashing of Jon Cruz.
And it looks like Max agreed to accept Joe’s help after Rampage, so I double down on this prediction. Should be a pretty dominant matchup even with the inevitable BCGold interference.
Sting, Darby Allin, and Adam Copeland versus Christian Cage, Luchasaurus, and Nick Wayne
While I think it’s still a little early to put Christian Cage and Adam Copeland in the same ring, I can also see why you’d want a big, fun match like this on the card. There are eight other matches on the show, and the two others that don’t have a title on the line have had a while to get nasty. So, sure, a fun popcorn match that gives us a little preview of the former Broodlings? Why not?
I don’t think Sting is going to lose another match in our lifetimes, even though he seems like the kind of guy who would love to go out on his back and put over as many people as he can. The Icon is still a draw, and he’ll be participating in a few more fun brawls like this. At least until he finishes his career in a singles match against his adopted son, Darby Allin. Also, it’s not time for new old locker room leader Copeland to lose yet. Good guys win, bad guys lose.
Hangman Adam Page versus Swerve Strickland in a Texas Death Match
This rivalry has dramatically escalated in the last few weeks. Swerve and Hangman had a really good match at WrestleDream, and I was really worried that the Swerve win would be a bad thing for the Hanger. But the home invasion, and subsequent verbal murder of Swerve by Page, have increased the stakes tremendously.
With the incredible reaction the pair got on Dynamite, I can’t imagine this rivalry ends tonight. So let’s say Hangman wins, but in such a way as to necessitate a rubber match. I know a Texas Death Match is usually a feud ender, but who says no to a third bout after this pair’s amazing first match, and the intensity they’ve brought in the weeks since? Maybe Hangman kidnaps Prince Nana and forces him to nanny the baby, or maybe it’s a DQ finish when the other members of the Mogul Affiliates interfere. Hopefully not that last option, though – that’s not really the AEW style, especially at a pay-per-view.
The Golden Jets versus The Young Bucks
So if Chris Jericho and Kenny Omega win here, they get the Bucks’ number one contendership, but if Matt and Nick win, Jericho and Omega can never team up again, losing the sweet Golden Jets name in the process.
I really like the Bucks as heels. These two give off such an air of entitled douchiness when they’re the bad guys, and it just works better for them. Plus they seem to have more fun as the baddies, and get more “up” for matches. The Dynamite battle between the Bucks, Penta, and Kommander really showed how the boys can work when they’re inspired. Hopefully, Kenny and Jericho aren’t too banged up after that Like A Dragon Street Fight, as this foursome should be able to put on a helluva match.
The Bucks could use a win to encourage them to continue their evil ways, and a loss won’t hurt Omega or Jericho in any measurable way. They cheated to win on Wednesday, and the Young Bucks will cheat again to win on Saturday.
Orange Cassidy © versus Jon Moxley for the AEW International Championship
This has the potential to be the low-key match of the night. Moxley has not been shy about his desire to bring out the best in Cassidy, and Mox really only knows one form of motivation – extreme violence. Cassidy had an incredible run with the Intercontinental Championship the first time around, and Moxley’s win over him before Mox’s injury really felt like the wrong guy taking the belt. So this time around, I really want Mox to beat the shit out of Orange Cassidy.
And then I want Moxley to lose. No-selling the Orange Punch means something, and we’ll see what that is at Full Gear. Either it means Cassidy’s reliable finisher is beneath Moxley, or it means the impact is gonna be somehow increased to make Mox regret that decision. I just want Orange Cassidy as our International Champ forever, so this is clearly biased, but I’d like Cassidy to win, Mox and Orange to shake hands, and Mox to walk away from both the International Championship scene and the Blackpool Combat Club, a faction that’s overstayed its welcome to the point where the Blackpool part of it doesn’t even work here anymore.
Kris Statlander © versus Julia Hart versus Skye Blue for the AEW TBS Championship
The TBS Championship has had a weird life. Jade Cargill held the belt for 508 days before dropping it to a returning Kris Statlander, no longer an alien but now an incredible wrestler. I don’t know how one becomes so good while injured, but Stat has become one of the most reliable performers in AEW. She can pull a good match out of anyone, and a great match out of a talented opponent. But she’ll have her hands full against an improving Skye Blue and a supernaturally-powered Julia Hart.
The evil mist eye makeup that Blue has been sporting has affected her personality somewhat, but she’s still in control for now. She was willing to help Willow Nightingale, although that doesn't mean much – literally anyone on earth should be willing to take a bullet for that woman. Skye hasn’t seemed so quick to help out Statlander, even though the galaxy’s greatest, um, person has been willing to make a save for Blue. I would like to see something happen with Julia and Skye here, but not at the expense of Stat. So Statlander retains, but Julia could emerge as the face of a new spooky team/faction if that mist allows for a level of corruption to seep into the previously bubbly Skye Blue. They could recruit beloved living dead person Abadon and make a run at the trios championships! (I am only mostly kidding about the back half of that prediction.)
Ricky Starks and Big Bill © versus La Faccion Ingobernable versus FTR versus Kings of the Black Throne for the AEW World Tag Team Championship *IN A LADDER MATCH!*
Ever since Starks and Bill won the tag belts in shocking fashion, they have done nothing but elevate themselves and the titles. Bill, in particular, has done some great promo work, and Starks has been amazing playing off the big man in promos. This match should be fun as hell, as any multi-team AEW match is expected to. While all three challengers are deserving, the champs have been tearing up Collision week after week, and it’s not time to let that momentum die. Starks and Bill retain via shenanigans after the other teams distract one another.
The decision to make this a ladder match, added on Friday’s Collision, will make this a far more violent affair than I previously thought. I don’t think it changes much, but the other addition from Friday, the naming of Starks and Big Bill as the BTTEIHNQ – Best Tag Team Ever In History No Question – adds a lot to this already-over tag team. No question.
Hikaru Shida © versus Timeless Toni Storm for the AEW Women’s World Championship
I am all the way in on Toni Storms’ character work right now. Maybe AEW is going in a little too hard with the butler and the black and white silent films, but I don’t care. It’s goofy and fun and it doesn’t need a title to remain awesome. The addition of Mariah May promises to add some depth to the Toni-verse too, with some strong “All About Eve” leading into “Whatever Happened to Baby Jane?” vibes.
But that’s all for the future. This match should rock, given the history between these two and their damn good singles match at Dynamite 200. But, given that Toni has a great potential storyline and Hikaru deserves a long reign with more great matches, I’d prefer that Shida retains here.
Regarding the women’s tag match on Collision, I don’t know that I love the whole Ruby/Ang thing. I’m always happy with Soho getting some TV time but the romance as distraction is weird. Maybe it leads to Ruby’s real-life partner going after Ang? AEW always seems happy to bring couples together on the roster.
MJF © versus Switchblade Jay White for the AEW World Championship
While a title change would be shocking, I just don’t believe that Jay White is a serious contender. The belt-stealing thing has gone on for a long time, but beyond that and a cringeworthy “tofu” chant I really can’t remember anything that could have sold me on the seriousness of this rivalry. And that’s a shame! White is a great wrestler, and the whole Bullet Club has been fun enough, especially once team MVP CardBlade was added to the faction; however, the reliance on MJF to handle something like four different rivalries among a pair of championships, while also keeping his injured tag team partner relevant, seems to have made the current feud kinda fall by the wayside. The threat of the Devil character, and Joe, seem far more important to Our Scumbag at the moment.
I do want this to be a good match, and while I can’t see anything but a clean MJF victory, I think most fans are more interested in the reveal of the person behind the devil mask. And that's it! Eleven matches, many of them with the potential to steal the show.
And
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