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WHAT SHOULD GO DOWN IN SEATTLE - THE AEW WRESTLEDREAM TIP SHEET

Cory: Tony Kahn has said that WrestleDream is the start of a New Era, and a lot of people have speculated this means Adam Copeland coming in, or some other big announcement, and while they may be imminent, Jay White promo on Dynamite was all about how it is now the Switchblade Era, so I am speculating that Jay White will have a BIG part in WrestleDream, especially since he doesn’t have an announced match, and was part of the closing angle on Dynamite.

Bryan Danielson vs. Zack Sabre Jr.

Dave: Well, Tony just soaked his hardest of hardcore fans for TWO PPVs in the last month or so, why not go for the trifecta?  Seriously, this show doesn’t have a whole lot of build up in my view so it’s for those super hardcore fans who like to watch wrestling whether there is a story behind it or not.  This is a match just for them.  It should be a great match, which Bryan should win, especially in Washington.

Mike: On paper, should be excellent.  I don't see Danielson losing here after beating Okada.

Cory: Most of the “Dream Matches” we are told about do not rise to that level, but thai one delivers.  There’s really no build up for it, so it’s for hard core fans like me, but this should be an excellent match that Bryan pulls out a victory in the end. 

Richard: When you think about 'dream' matchups, this is definitely one of them. Since Zack is not a regular in AEW, they can go in many directions with this match without having to worry about storyline development. Danielson has the home field advantage, and will we see the family in the front row for this match? This should be a technical wrestling clinic for the fans in Seattle as well as everyone watching around the world. Even though Danielson is starting to wind down his work, he will not hold back in this match. I could see Sabre winning this match and then set up a rematch at Wrestle Kingdom.

Swerve Strickland vs. Hangman Page.

Dave: After his passive aggressive crybaby shot at the black cloud known to him as CM Punk on Dynamite on Wednesday, Page is no longer The Hangman to me.  He’s the Marshmallow Man because this guy is as soft as they come.  This clown started the drama publicly by shooting on Punk on National TV before their Title match back in 2022, and he acts like he’s the victim.  He won the war when Punk was fired, but he can’t let it go.  Since Swerve is going home, I would think Page will get booed out of the building.  I hope he doesn’t pout if that happens.  As you can probably tell, I am totally done with Page.  I hope Swerve beats him handily.

Mike: One would think Swerve is going to be the babyface for the live crowd.  I also expect him to win here.  This should be about ascending him.

Cory: This is one of those feuds where the heel has been right the entire time, and what in the flaming blue hootie was that promo was Page at the contract signing? Once again, Page is in a Big Deal match and in the go home segment, he just launches into a confusing promo and then STABS Swerve Strickland.  Even in the heightened reality fo pro wrestling, his actions were that of the heel.  Swerve’s Mogul Embassy is a great heel faction, and Swerved has gotten his feet under him in AEW. It’s time for him to win some high profile feuds. 

Richard: It seems like every time that you think Strickland is going to move up the ladder, the ladder gets pulled away like Lucy pulling the football away from Charlie Brown. You could say the same about Page to a lesser degree but both of these men should be two or three levels higher than they are right now in the AEW hierarchy. This has the potential to steal the show because I don't know how many people are looking at this as one of the main events. I would like to see Swerve win this match. The most important thing for this match is that they have a camera on Nana to do the Nana Dance for the entire match.

ROH Tag Team Champion & AEW Champion MJF vs. The Righteous - Handicap Match.

Dave: After the vignette that they did on Dynamite, where for whatever reason Max was going to hit his best friend with the ring but Adam Cole saw it coming, in a Russo-ian way it seems like they are telegraphing that it will be Cole who actually turns.  it could happen here.  It wouldn’t be a great way to put the belts on The Righteous, but Tony will probably do it because Max is his top guy.  If they don’t do the turn, that Tony will book Max like the old John Cena and have him beat two guys by himself.  Speaking of that vignette, did you notice that Max offered Cole a beer and never gave him one?  He deserves to be turned on for that alone.

Mike: Could the new Era Tony Khan is touting be THE UNDISPUTED ERA?  Could it have been Kyle O'Reilly, Bobby Fish, etc. attacking Jay White?  Either way, while I like The Righteous a lot, I don't think the average fan knows who they really are here.  That said, I expect them to win the titles.

Cory: With MJF not having a title match, I smell a LOT of shenanigans in this.  It should be where the Righteous win the title, but why do I think MJF will have a surprise mystery partner (that may even show up in the middle of the match)? I’m going to pick The Righteous, as they can defend the titles on ROH TV and build up their profile. Vincent is a fantastic character if presented correctly, and they have started that with the weird vignettes.

Richard: I don't like the idea of a handicap match and I hope they add someone on Rampage or Collision to make this a traditional tag match. Maybe someone is a secret John Cena fan since he is supposed to be in a handicap match for Fastlane (Smackdown hasn't aired yet). If MJF is going to lose a handicap match, it wouldn't be against this team. I thought they were going to have Jay White offer to be Max's partner in exchange for a title match (it isn't like they haven't done that deal before). If it wasn't going to be Jay, I thought they would have Max say that even though he might not like Roddy, he is Adam's friend and he can trust him. Or they go completely off the page and have Captain Insane-O team with Max.

NJPW Strong & ROH Champion Eddie Kingston vs. ROH Pure Champion Katsuyori Shibata.

Dave: Eddie needs to win here.  He just got the Title.  It’s way to soon for him to lose it.

Mike: This should be a lot of fun but I don't see Shibata taking those hard strikes to the face here.  Kingston should retain.

Cory: I am not 100% sure this is for all of the titles or just Eddie’s ROH title, but I can’t see Eddie losing here so soon after beating Claudio. He needs a good, long run for both his characters, and as a way to give the fans something they have wanted since Eddie got his contract with AEW.

Richard: While Danielson/Sabre will be a wrestling clinic, this will be a clinic for people who like watching two people beat the crap out of each other. I don't see Eddie losing the ROH title so soon.

AEW Tag Team Champions FTR vs. Aussie Open.

Dave: There is no world where I have FTR lose this match, none.

Mike: Match should be good.  Don't see a title change.

Cory: This will be a good, solid, hard hitting match where FTR wins. 

Richard: If we never had the Aussie Open vs Jericho/Guevara match, this would be a match that I would be extremely excited about. Since then, Aussie Open are a step above The Boys. I hope this match over delivers and then FTR can face the winner of the four way match.

TBS Champion Kris Statlander vs. Julia Hart.

Dave: I see the champ retaining.  Hart has made a lot of progress but it’s way too soon to take the Title from Statlander. 

Mike: Julia Hart has been one of the most improved talents on the roster.  I can see merit in her winning to give Statlander something to chase, but it's probably too soon.

Cory: Julia Hart has true star potential, and making her into a Goth Queen has been the best character change AEW has done. They have done a great job building her up the last few weeks, and with House of Black out, giving her the TBS title will keep them in the spotlight until they are healed up. Statlander got to show she is a badass, and need to be kept in the upper tier, but Hart is a star and it’s time for her to get a title run to see if she can move to the next level.

Richard: Statlander has cooled off a little since winning the title from Jade, but that has happened with most of the women's division. The original model for Thea Hail has improved a lot in the ring, but I don't think she is to the point where she should win a title. This is a match where the most important thing is Julia's performance, not a victory.

Will Ospreay & Konosuke Takeshita & Sammy Guevara vs. Kenny Omega & Kota Ibushi & Chris Jericho.

Dave: You know, with the regularity that Sammy turns, he could be on the other team before the match even starts.  Seriously, if Don Callis’ group is going to gain any traction, they have to beat the makeshift team here.

Mike: The story should be that Kenny and Jericho aren't sure they can trust the other and Ibushi is playing peacemaker, but in the end, Jericho gets pinned again.

Cory: Kenny has lost the last few times against Calli’s people, and when he finally beat them, it has to be the culmination of the story with a fury promo, and him heating insurmountable odds. This is just a step on the road, and Callis’s team wins, preferably by blatantly cheating. 

Richard: This should be a chance for Takeshita to move to the next level with the victory in this match for his team. The interactions between Ospreay and Omega will probably set up something for Wrestle Kingdom. I hope Jericho and Guevara cancel each other out to let the others shine.

TNT Champion Christian Cage vs. Darby Allin - Best of Three Falls.

Dave: Christian has been great in his role and I have no problem having him keep the belt.  If he does lose it, I could see Luchasaurus figuring into it and having whatever he does backfirer.

Mike: No way they aren't putting Allin over here...unless Edge shows up and spears him.

Cory: Christian Cage has been the best heel in the company, by far, and having Darby get the title does nothing for him. Cage retains. 

Richard: It isn't time for Father of the Year to lose the title yet, but I can see Darby winning and holding the title until he gets close to his 'hiatus' to go climb a mountain. Will Luchasaurus finally realize what Christian has done to him or will that continue to fester?

The Lucha Brothers vs. Hook & Orange Cassidy vs. The Gunns vs. The Young Bucks - Winners Earn Future AEW Tag Team Championship match.

Dave: I don’t want to see either brother team win, been there, done that.  I like The Gunns a lot and would be fine with them getting a shot.  But, it’s getting close to Halloween and we all know Tony Khan’s go-to costume so I see Hook and Orange getting the win here.

Mike: I am 100% with Dave on this.

Cory: I am going to go out on a limb here and predict the Gunns winning.  The reason is that since Jay White is going for the world title in the future, as well as Tony saying this will be a New Era all I can think is that we are about to enter the Switchblade Era, and Bullet Club is going to gather all the titles.  

Richard: While I am not the biggest fan of the Gunns, they have improved in the ring and they are effective with Juice and Jay. I can see something happen between Nick and Fenix to neutralize both teams since they have the International Title match next week. The Gunns can work over Cassidy for most of the match and with all of the damage he has taken over the months can catch up to him and the Gunns can challenge FTR.

Ricky Starks vs. Wheeler Yuta.

Dave: Starks has a chance to be a star.  He needs to go over here, especially since Yuta is the bottom guy in his faction.

Mike: I don't see Starks losing another bout after the Danielson losses.  He needs some momentum.

Cory: Starks has been losing for the last few months, but he’s hit that point where all he needs to do is grab a microphone to get hsi heat back. However, he’s got to win a few matches, and with Yuta being the guy in the Blackpool Combat Club who has get beat (although it seems no matter how powerful you are, a Young Buck can beat you), so Starks wins. 

Richard: When do they pull the trigger on Ricky Starks as a star in this company? Every time he has had a chance, something has stopped him. Yuta is the weak link in the BCC and Starks needs the win more than Yuta. Time for Ricky to go after Max and the World Title.

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