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Good Morning!
Happy Full Gear week to all who celebrate! I had an idea for the upcoming three weeks (!) of pay-per-premium-live-events, given that making predictions and writing previews is probably my favorite part of this blog. However, before we dive in, let’s update our 2024 stats so far:
WWE Royal Rumble 2/4
NXT Vengeance Day 1/6
WWE Elimination Chamber Perth 4/4
AEW Revolution 9/11
NXT Roadblock 4/6
NXT Stand and Deliver 5/7
WWE WrestleMania Night One 4.5/7
WWE WrestleMania Night Two 4/6
AEW Dynasty 11/12
WWE Backlash 5/5
WWE King and Queen of the Ring (SSM XIV) 6/6
AEW Double or Nothing 9/12
NXT Battleground 4/6
WWE Money in the Bank 2/5
NXT Heatwave 3/6
AEW All In 6/10
WWE Bash in Berlin 3/5
NXT No Mercy 3/6
Total Correct/Total Predictions 85.5/124
So, we’re holding steady at a solid 69% correct, which is exactly what we finished 2023 with. I don’t think that’s too shabby, especially when you factor in the fact that a few of these cards were predicted while I was barely paying attention to my life during the whole Legend of Zelda fiasco. She’s doing fine, by the way, and continues to wait until I’ve finally settled into the office before bringing me a toy to throw around for her.
The Idea!
I’ve been getting back into WWE 2k24 lately. Mostly, I’ve been playing MyRise, which is basically a career mode with a created wrestler, and there are separate storylines for men and women. I’m using a create-a-wrestler who goes by the name of MO GOOD, and so far we’ve been getting some great results for this indie-wrestler-turned-WWE-superstar, despite the game making WWE seem like the worst place in the world to work. There are bitchy co-workers, ignorant show producers, and actual demon possessions taking place everywhere! However, there’s also the opportunity to work with BIG HUGE DAVE BATISTA, so there are some positives.
I hear the catering tables are pretty stacked, too.
So, my idea was to add a little more unnecessary information and competition into this preview setup. I’ve downloaded create-a-wrestlers and community created arenas to fill out the roster of WWE 2k24, and I’m gonna simulate each card for AEW Full Gear, WWE Survivor Series/War Games, and NXT Deadl1ine over the next few weeks. [We will have to figure out a substitute for the Iron Survivor matches at Deadl1ne since those aren’t in the game, but that’s a problem for future Russ.] We’ll get to see if I’m better at my in-brain simulations than the best WWE game in years (still not great -- those servers are hot garbage and the writing in the womens’ storyline mode is questionable at best) is at predicting outcomes of matches. I basically chose the best-looking or most popular CAWs for wrestlers missing from the game, and edited stats to fit into their places on the card where needed. I thought about streaming those matches, but then realized I don’t really think anyone would be interested in watching, even with my devastating commentary. If I’m wrong, let me know and I’ll gladly talk over some matches on Twitch or YouTube or whatever. We’ll figure out how to make it work!
That being said, I’ll be watching the Xbox run these matches on the monitor over there —>
while I write up my predictions and summaries of the matches already announced by way of Wikipedia. I don’t think Rampage is going to be used to add any last-minute matches or stipulations, but if it is, we’ll just have to let those slide. Anyway, let’s get to the action!
[Fun extra point -- between the last paragraph and the beginning of this preview, I made a list of ten supporting people to download, and was booted from the servers no less than A DOZEN TIMES trying to fill out my AEW roster. Either the WWE 2k24 game hates that I’m filling it with talent from the competition, or these servers are trash and I’m not buying the next game unless that shit gets sorted out. It’s ridiculous.]
The AEW Full Gear Preview!
I honestly don’t know how to feel about this card. It’s AEW, which means the in-ring product has a floor of like three stars for most PPV matches. But the narratives feel pretty predictable, which is not very AEW of them -- I’m usually torn on most of the outcomes because I can see a logical way for things to play out one way or the other. Aside from a couple of matches, most of this card feels like it’s just a bump in the road to something bigger and better. Still, as I said, the matches look good on paper. I think Fletcher and Ospreay have the potential to steal match of the night honors, and I think the tag team match should have a similar high-energy flow to it. Mox/Cassidy and White/Page will likely see a good amount of color and creative violence, although the former fight’s outcome feels preordained.
I know that’s a lot of flip-flopping for one paragraph. The TL;DR version is, I’m looking forward to Saturday and I hope I’m surprised by some of the matches that feel pretty by-the-numbers. So, let’s get to the predictions that I’m hoping might be wrong!
Zero Hour: Costco Man versus QT Marshall
A couple caveats for this one. First, I did not realize QT was still with the company as a performer. I remember he left a few months back, but obviously he made a return at some point because, well, here we are. Second, I do not know these “Costco guys.” The lightest of internet searches tells me they’re good-natured folks who got famous on TikTok doing some reviews of Costco food and enjoying themselves, so … great! That kid has his future sorted and he’s like 12.
Those things being said, this is your typical “famous dude makes an appearance on the pre-show” match. QT is a solid hand and has a history as a trainer, meaning he’ll help the Costco guy -- who has some experience as an indie wrestler -- put on a serviceable match. QT will put the Costco dad over after putting him in some rest holds and making him look good, the kid will get involved, and their fans will rejoice.
It’s not for me, but that’s fine. It’ll get some extra eyes on Zero Hour, which in turn might sell some more PPVs. Nobody gets hurt here. If you’re not interested in these guys, simply don’t watch the free Zero Hour show and boom, no harm, no foul. Our Wrestle Aunts and Uncle Jeff will forgive you, I’m sure.
My Pick: Costco AJ and his Costco Son
2k24 says:
QT, which makes sense because he’s rated a bit higher, being an actual professional wrestler and all.
MJF versus Roderick Strong
This match is the result of a month of Adam Cole and Roddy Strong having to earn the right to have a match with MJF, who has been out of the picture for a while but appears in pre taped segments from his villain compound weekly. Cole somehow came out of the disastrous “Devil” angle as the good guy, despite having been the architect of some high-quality evil during that storyline. But a return from injury almost always coincides with a turn, and Cole is beloved among wrestling fans because he’s generally known to be a nice guy outside of the ring.
So, Cole lost in his third match, which would have earned him a spot in THIS match, due to interference from the Don Callis family, which was done on behalf of MJF. Roddy, meanwhile, won his matches, so we’ll get this match, which will lead to Strong getting screwed or beat down post-match, and that’ll lead into Cole versus Max at the next big show, be it Winter is Coming on TBS or World’s End on pay-per-view. Easy peasy, straightforward stuff. I do hope Adam Cole learns the controls for that AEW spray tan machine, though; he’s been looking more and more orange over the last few weeks.
My Pick: MJF comes out on top
2k24 says:
MJF, although a SHOCKING appearance from current WWE superstar Cody Rhodes was certainly an unexpected treat. I imagine whoever made the Max create-a-wrestler that I downloaded also went as far as to add a rivalry with Cody in there. Rhodes appeared behind MJF after his music hit to distract Max, and laid the villain out with a steel chair. However, Cody left right after that, and the ref was so focused on getting that chair out of the ring that she missed MJF hitting Roddy with not one, not two, but THREE crotch shots. That was enough to set Strong up for a quick piledriver and the one-two-three. “Punch him in the weiner and give him a piledriver” happens to be the motto of Strong’s friends in the Undisputed Kingdom, so I guess there was a bit of irony in that finish.
“Switchblade” Jay White versus “Hangman” Adam Page
The leader of the Bang Bang Gang has evolved into a good guy recently, which works out nicely with Page descending into madness week by week. White is at his best as a sleazy baddie, in my opinion, but it feels like fans want to see him succeed regardless of his role on-screen. However, Hangman is straight-up beloved by AEW sickos, with many of us adhering to the adage “Hangman has done nothing wrong.” Hanger should continue his run of unnecessary violence against anyone standing between him and longtime rival Swerve Strickland OR the AEW championship -- although right now it feels like Page is miles away from the title scene. That being said, Hangman is easily the main character of All Elite Wrestling, and I’m sure there’s some long term storylines percolating in the background. We’ll get there, eventually.
My Pick: Hanger hurts Jay real bad among a sea of “Leaves IS Plants, Dumbass!” signs
2k24 says:
Page wins in a real momentum-shift match that saw White dominating for the first half. A missed attack from the top turnbuckle to the floor gave Hangman a window, and Page seized that opportunity by hitting a number of moves outside the ring before finishing things with a springboard clothesline and a Deadeye.
Swerve Strickland versus Bobby Lashley
With a 2-on-1 “handicap” squash on Dynamite, Lashley was introduced to AEW as the monster many of us already know him to be. He’s strong as hell, he looks great in a suit, and he’s a big ole slab of meat. You don’t need much more than that to be successful in pro wrestling, but he’s also good in the ring.
Strickland is still recovering from his incredibly violent feud with “Hangman” Page, and while that will likely never be fully resolved, it was time for the rivalry to be put on hold. While Page continues to be successful by tapping into his dark side, Strickland has had a bit of trouble staying relevant in a sea of new talent. I think he continues to lose here, mostly because it’s way too early in Lashley’s AEW career for him to eat a loss. I think Swerve will fight valiantly, but a combination of Bob’s power and the Hurt Syndicate’s numbers ought to be more than enough to put down the former champ…for now.
My Pick: Big Bob smash, Big Bob win
2k24 says:
Swerve wins in an affront to North American wrestling storytelling, surviving distractions from MVP (who got ejected) and Shelton Benjamin (who attacked Swerve with a kendo stick)
Will Ospreay versus Kyle Fletcher
Kyle Fletcher has sneakily become one of the most reliable performers in All Elite Wrestling. At this point, I’ll even check out Rampage if he’s gonna be wrestling there, which is more than I usually do for that throwaway hour of TV. His kayfabe argument of wanting to surpass Will Ospreay seems to be feeding a real-life dedication to improvement, and his shouty, flippy style is absolutely improving by the week.
I’m not really sure what’s going on with Ospreay right now. He’s still loosely involved with the Don Callis family, despite having left them months ago. He’s not really in the title picture, although he’s also kind of always in the title picture, you know? He’s easily the biggest pop of the night whenever he comes out for his matches, and he’s one of the better guys on the mic in the company, casually shooting the breeze with Tony Schiavone when he’s not scheduled for a match. I don’t think he has a problem putting anyone over, and Fletcher could use this match as a stepping stone to something greater, maybe a strong showing in the upcoming Continental Classic tournament.
All that is to say, I think Fletcher pulls out a win here. He’s got the whole Callis family behind him, and since none of them are busy on Saturday we’ll probably see Brian Cage, Lance Archer, and my beloved son Konosuke Takeshita ringside. Ospreay can counter with Ricochet, and Mark Davis might be on his side -- although he did eat an errant Hidden Blade on Dynamite, one meant for Fletcher. That could lead to Davis turning on Ospreay and joining up with Callis and Fletcher as well. I see a Dusty finish on the horizon for this one.
My Pick: Fletcher surprises with a victory, albeit a shmozzy one
2k24 says:
Fletcher wins in a genuinely good match, after hitting a jumping tombstone piledriver in the corner. Lots of dives to the outside and top-rope moves in this one, much like we’ll probably see on Saturday.
Private Party © vs The Outrunners vs Kings of the Black Throne vs The Acclaimed for the World Tag Team Championship
I loved Private Party picking up the victory over the Young Bucks, and I love it even more after learning that they weren’t even scheduled to do so -- the outpouring of love from AEW fans changed the booking, which is always heartwarming to hear. They’ve had issues staying healthy, which is just the reality of pro wrestling, but now that they’re consistently working together, Marq Quen and Isaiah Cassidy are one of the more fun tag teams in the company.
I really want Private Party to retain their titles here. Not just because of what I just talked about, but because none of the other three teams involved should carry the tag team titles right now. Let me explain.
House of Black is better as a trio, and Buddy Matthews would be sidelined if Malakai Black and Brody King win the tag belts. They also will be welcoming Julia Hart back into the stable soon, and that could overshadow the tag titles, leaving them undefended for weeks -- much like they were when the Bucks held them. The Outrunners are funny jobbers who earned their spot here by getting themselves over, but this isn’t the time to strap them up. And The Acclaimed aren’t in a position to hold gold -- in fact, they should not only take the loss, but FINALLY cash in on all the negative energy Max Caster has brought to the team recently with a heel turn on Bowens and maybe even acceptance into the Hurt Syndicate.
My Pick: Private Party’s gotta retain here, and I’d like Anthony Bowens to eat the pin and a beating from a heel-turning Max Caster.
2k24 says:
The same! Bowens actually took the loss in the simulation as well, with Quen getting the pinfall while Cassidy tossed a steel chair at Caster, who was seated in the corner of the ring. Everyone else was cleared out by a monstrous Brody King, but he was mid-powerbomb on an Outrunner while Quen was gathering Bowens up for the victory.
Mercedes Moné © versus Kris Statlander for the TBS Championship
Look, I don’t like being negative. And I know Mercedes has legions of fans. I was a huge Sasha Banks fan for most of her NXT and WWE run! But I have really disliked a lot of what she’s doing in AEW. I don’t like that her theme song is the only way she’s getting CEO chants from all but her most diehard fans. I don’t like that she’s obligated to do more talking than fighting, because her voice is like nails on a chalkboard to me. And I don’t like that her in-ring work has been fairly lousy, with the exception of her match against Willow Nightingale. Now, you can chalk that last point up to her just not having chemistry with her opponents, but at some point some of the blame has to be put on Mercedes, as well.
On the other hand, Kris Statlander could have a good match with a scarecrow. She’s talented, powerful, has a great look, and she’s got … interesting taste in street clothes. I don’t understand the whole hip-vented jeans look, but I’m also very old. What the hell do I know about fashion? I’ve worn jeans, a t-shirt, and a flannel for the better part of my 45 years on this planet.
I don’t know what the move is here, honestly. Does Mercedes keep winning and retain her TBS championship, hopefully gaining more momentum as a challenger is built in, say, Jamie Hayter, Willow Nightingale (currently recovering from a concussion, get well soon), or Julia Hart? Or do we give Statlander another run as TBS champion, a belt she held after a surprise return and quick victory over a tired Jade Cargill? I’m gonna say it’s the former, although I’d be super happy to be wrong and see the former alien hold that blue belt over her head on Stat-urday night.
My Pick: Mercedes retains, womp womp
2k24 says:
Statlander! Stat’s power game was simply too much for Mercedes, even with Kamille in her corner. Kamille’s interference did result in a backstabber for Moné, but it wasn’t enough to get a three count. Statlander countered with an armbreaker, and while Mercedes survived that submission move, a quick transition into her finisher gave Stat the win and the title.
“Scapegoat” Jack Perry © versus Daniel Garcia for the TNT Championship
I feel like this is another storyline that feels like it’s going to weave into something bigger -- in this case, the whole “war for the soul of AEW” thing with Jon Moxley and pals. Daniel Garcia has been on the front lines of this battle, and challenged the Young Bucks and Perry when they ran away rather than joining the fight. We haven’t heard from any of the Elite since they ran off, although it’s noticeable that they left Perry to defend his title alone.
Somebody on BlueSky pointed out that the bit with Jack Perry and Daniel Garcia on the go-home Dynamite was ripped straight out of the Batman comics; specifically, the Jason Todd/Joker arc in Death in the Family -- right down to Garcia using a crowbar. However, no murders took place on Wednesday. A frustrated Garcia instead chose to break a headlight and call it a day, after kidnapping Perry and strapping him to the front of his Scapegoat bus. Maybe that will be a metaphor for Danny being unwilling to go as far as he needs to on Saturday to pick up the win? WHO’S TO SAY?
I think Garcia wins the TNT title on Saturday, leaving Okada with the only bit of gold left for the Elite going into the Continental Classic. I assume that the Rainmaker will have to defend his C2 belt by entering that tournament, and it only makes sense for him to have a solid run before dropping it to the winner. After all, re-establishing Kazuchika Okada will be necessary if he and Kenny Omega are destined to have one final meeting in AEW.
My Pick: Daniel Garcia steals one for the good guys
2k24 says:
Daniel Garcia with the win! Garcia and Perry fought a submission battle, with each man targeting the limbs of the other. The creators of the CAWs for Garcia and Perry did great work, too -- Garcia did his little dance after hitting a devastating avalanche piledriver, and Perry’s entrance gear even featured his Scapegoat mask!
Jon Moxley © versus Orange Cassidy for the AEW World Championship
If there’s a match I’d label as a Stone Cold Lead Pipe Lock of the Week, it’s this one. Moxley just won the AEW Championship at the last pay-per-view by nearly murdering Bryan Danielson, and his Death Riders are clearly building to a big team battle with whoever is chosen to represent All Elite Wrestling. Most fans seem to believe Darby Allin will be the guy to defeat Moxley and end his reign of terror, but for that to happen we’ll need to see Moxley, well, reign for a while.
That’s a bummer, too, because I think Orange Cassidy would have been far more dramatic as the last man standing for AEW. Darby is an amazing performer, and I’m sure his match with Moxley will feature more blood, broken bones, and violent hardware than we can imagine. But Orange has that ability to shock you with a full-throttle match or a passionate promo, just like his defiant rant on Wednesday before he was beaten down by the mWo to close out Dynamite.
Unfortunately, that’s not in the cards. However, it’s going to take some heartbreak for the fans to get really into this invasion angle, and Orange Cassidy is one of the AEW Originals that people really get defensive about, especially when outsiders make fun of his unique style without having seen one of his better matches. It’s gonna hurt to watch him lose, and it’s gonna hurt even more to watch him get demolished before Darby arrives to make the save -- too late -- to close Full Gear.
My Pick: Mox retains as we build to full on war between AEW and the Death Riders of the mWo
2k24 says:
Mox with the quick, decisive win, helped out by Shafir, Wheeler, Castignoli, and PAC, I assume -- the game only lets you bring 3 managers to ringside.
And that’s it!
Full Gear is Saturday (Staturday?) night, and I hope you all have a blast watching it. I’ll be right there with you in spirit, although I probably won’t be as active on BlueSky as I am during Dynamite or Collision since I’ll be watching with my buddy. Enjoy the show, and we’ll meet back here next week to talk about the results and to preview WWE’s Survivor Series/WarGames, too!
Thank you so much for reading. If you liked what you saw, consider telling your friends, mentioning Let’s Watch Some Wrestling on social media, or even buying me a hot cup of coffee using the Ko-Fi button. Have a great week, and I’ll see you back here next time, dear reader. Until then...
