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AEW will hold Full Gear tomorrow from Newark, NJ at the Prudential Center live on PPV. Here is our take on what should happen!
“Big Boom!” A.J. (with Big Justice) vs. Q. T. Marshall
Mike: There is no way AJ isn't dropping the Big Boom on QT. This is a nice "happy ending" for AJ as a pro wrestler.
Cory: I have to admit I have no idea who AJ and Big Justice are. I have been told they are viral personalities, and since QT is basically an enhancement guy, I expect them to win amidst a bunch of shenanigans and references to whatever they are famous for.
Anthony: If I were a bakery nearby, I bake thousands of Double Chunk Chocolate Cookies with my company name, and number on the package. The crowd hopefully sees this for what it is, a fun tie in to the mainstream. Boom and Big Justice seem like really fun guys. And I know there’s this odd backlash against this, but let’s be real: They’re not taking TV or PPV time from someone more deserving. This’ll be fun, AJ will win and bring the BOOM while he’s at it.
Richard: NO!
MJF vs Roderick Strong
Mike: The Roderick Strong character stuff this week makes him the babyface, although abruptly. His work in the ring is always a lot of fun. My gut is MJF wins and Cole gets involved to set up the December PPV. This should be good in the ring.
Cory: The build to this was going along fairly well until this week when, all of a sudden, we are treated to a complete change of presentation for Roddy. From the scrappy, slightly nuts heel to sympathetic babyface in a single pair of promos was jarring. Add to that the promo between Adam Cole and Kyle O’Reilly where Kyle says Cole’s vendetta will get his friends hurt, I fully expect MJF to win this with a brutal beat down either before or after the pin leading to a match with Cole at World’s End.
Anthony: I may surprise people with this: I’m glad Cole is not in this and Strong gets the spotlight here. He’s been the better option of the 2 babyfaces, and I’m generally an Adam Cole supporter. The 2 are going to have a fine match but my thinking here is that MJF gets the obvious win here and Cole has to make a save to set up the one on one with MJF.
Richard: People expected Adam Cole to be involved because of his history with MJF, but I would rather see this singles match. Strong is a great talent who seems to be ready to take the next step but he doesn't get that chance. A win over MJF, no matter how infrequently he is live in the building, is that chance for him. Since friendships in professional wrestling are so flimsy and subject to turmoil over the smallest things, I could see ADAM getting involved to cost Strong to set up a match between Cole and MJF, but also to set up a Cole/Strong match before that.
Jay White vs. “Hangman” Adam Page
Cory: This one got back burnered that last couple of weeks, which is a shame because we were FINALLY getting the Jay White we loved in NJPW. Page has become entertaining with his Madman persona, and I wish they were leaning more into it. This is White’s first major feud since returning from injury, and they need to stay paying off both his promise as a performer, as that the Bang Bang Gang is dangerous, so I am hoping White wins a back and forth match.
Mike: This NEEDS to be a kickass match. As Cory noted, we were seeing signs of Jay White from New Japan and Hangman can obviously hang with him in the ring. My gut here is Page wins, but White can look strong with his trashtalking and in-ring work.
Anthony: This is AEW, home of 50-50. White won it last month so Page gets it here. The only question I have is will Page do something completely deranged. Given how early this’ll probably be on the card, I’m guessing not. He’ll do something vicious to secure the win here and set up a third match, probably at World’s End.
Richard: If Page can bring a good portion of his intensity from the Swerve feud, maybe it can light a fire under both men to get them moving up the ladder. White needs a big win or he will just be known as the guy who teams with the Sons of The Ass Man and his friend Juice. Page is one of the many in this company who could disappear for a period of time but because of what he means to the fans, he will not lose his position. If there are no shenanigans, this match could be one of the best on the show. Page wins this one.
Private Party (Isiah Kassidy and Marq Quen) (AEW Tag Team Champions) vs. The Outrunners (Truth Magnum and Turbo Floyd) vs. Kings of the Black Throne (Malakai Black and Brody King) vs. The Acclaimed (Anthony Bowens and Max Caster)
Mike: It is way too soon for Private Party to drop the belts, but if it's anyone, it should be House of Black. This is the biggest opportunity for Outrunners to date, so I'm curious to see what they make of it.
Cory: They have been teasing Max Caster turning on Bowens for a couple of months now, and they need to pay it off. Private Party can’t lose their first big title defense. The Outrunners have become a surprise breakout fan favorite, Kings are getting Julia Hart back, so either of them winning won’t be a poor choice, other than it making Private Party look like fluke champions. My guess? Max takes out Bowens allowing Private Party to pin him to retain.
Anthony: Way too early in the Private Party reign to take the titles off of them. The House of Black are going to have to be the anchors here. They’re the huge heels who’ll be dishing out most of the heat in this one. The Acclaimed had their shot but it looks like the wheels are in motion for a break up. The story of this one? I predict the crowd is going to absolutely lose their minds when the Outrunners are on offense. There’s something big brewing with these 2. They got over organically with a gimmick that, quite frankly, had no business getting over. I smell an AEW Tag Team Title in their future, just not here. Private Party retains.
Richard: Of the four teams in this match, the only one that I can justify being the champions at the end of this match is the one that probably should not be champions. The Outrunners are that 'comedy lower midcard' team that caught the attention of the fans and went on some crazy run. They should be used in tertiary or lower storylines and maybe be the cameo to make you remember they are still in the company. They are a decent team and they have embraced the 80's aspect of their gimmick. Private Party embraced the Roddenberry Star Trek concept of a 5 year missioni to get the tag titles, but should they have won the titles? Will we see Julia Hart return with Black and King for this match? The Acclaimed need to feud with Nathan Frazer and Axiom to finally break them up. Give the belts to the Outrunners. It's a moral imperative.
Mercedes Moné (TBS Champion) w/Kamille vs Kris Statlander
Mike: I don't see Mone losing here unless they turn Kamille, but my feeling is that it's too early. They could do the deal where Kamille "accidentally" (but not really) hits Mone instead of Statlander as a false finish. Statlander can go so if they have time, this could be good. I just don't see the title change here.
Cory: Statlander was standing tall at the end of her match on Dynamite, so I fully expect Mone to win. It’s also SUPER clear they are making Kamille the Virgil to Mone’s Million Dollar Man, and while I find Mone blaming everything on Kamille entertaining, the crowd is going to explode when she finally turns on Mone and they will have a match the PPV right after she does so. Kamille is too good an asset for her to be humiliated for too long, so I expect it to be here.
Anthony: How do I hate everything about this buildup? Let me count the ways. Statlander has absolutely eviscerated Mone’ and Kamille and every turn here. Kamille, after a very short time in AEW, is now as effective a force as Lanny Poffo was for Mr. Perfect. What would I like to see? Statlander get the win here and put us all out of the Mercedes Mone misery. Ain’t happening folks! The investment in Mercedes is too great at this moment for her to lose. She’ll be TBS Champion for a long time. The cynic in me says that Statlander loses because she just tires herself out from multiple beatings of Kamille.
Richard: Do you take the title off Mone and give it to Statlander or is there someone else on the horizon to be the one to lead the hostile takeover to remove the CEO? I want them to take the title off Mone but she shakes from side to side so well with the title belt that it would feel like we are robbed of those 30 seconds every week. I could see some outside interference costing Statlander the match, but I don't see it being Camille. Maybe Shida is pissed off at losing the almost big one to get to the big one that she costs Stat the match and sets her up against Mone. Or let Hayter be the one to beat Mone.
Swerve Strickland vs. Bobby Lashley
Mike: Swerve needs to win, or the message is that the former WWE guys who come in are more important than the core roster guys. I expect this to be good, but in the end, it needs to be Swerve over and not presented as an upset, fluke thing. Let him win and let the Hurt Syndicate lay him and Nana out after.
Cory: There is no way in any world Bobby Lashley loses his first major match in AEW. They gave Swerve a lot of little victories over MVP’s team leading into this, but Lashley will leave him laying.
Anthony: On the AEW Post show Party, Cory Strode and I laid out where we see this going: Bobby Lashey is getting his hand raised here. What we argued about, though, was how it would come to pass. In my opinion, I don’t see Swerve getting squashed here, I just don’t. He should, make absolutely no doubt about it. Lashley is a monster and should be put over like one, accordingly. We’ve seen how AEW books monsters (hello Wardlow, hello Brian Cage, hello Lance Archer…should I go on?) By itself, in a vacuum, the match will be fine. We’ll even get the Pavlovian “this is awesome” chant sometime. In the end, it’ll be Swerve looking at the lights or, more likely, passing out from the full nelson. However they decode to get there, Bobby Lashley gets the duke.
Richard: AEW has done more to make viewers care about the Hurt Syndicate/Business in a few weeks than WWE did in years. Bobby Lashley is a beast in the ring but if he beats Swerve, does that lead to some fans saying 'why are former WWE guys beating the AEW guys?' Does Swerve need to go back to his more evil persona, and if so, does that mean he should lose this match? Does a Swerve win over Lashley on Saturday mean more or does a win over Lashley in 3 or 6 months mean more? I think we will have to wait for that win.
Jack Perry (TNT Champion) vs. Daniel Garcia
Mike: They have pushed Garcia a bit since he signed his new deal and Perry is apparently being driven all the way to Newark against his will. I think there will be a title change here.
Cory: I don’t think it is a secret that I don’t much care for Jack Perry. However, the build for that match hasn’t worked for me except in small segments. I liked Garcia and Menard tying him to the hood of the Jackwagon but the followup where Garcia said he was going to WRESTLE him and then smashed a headlight got me to say what Perry said: Is that it? I am going to go out on a limb with that one and say Garcia wins, since he signed a new deal, Perry has had the title for a while, and Garcia needs to get some big wins under his belt to be taken seriously.
Anthony: OK folks, we’ve got some questions to answer. First, how committed is AEW really in Daniel Garcia? They showed him good faith by re-signing him when WWE made a big push. Second, where does Jack Perry fit in now that the EVP storyline is on indefinite hold? I liked Perry as a guy with the Bucks, gave him purpose. Now, with that bus, he comes off a 2nd rate rip off of Darby Alllin, a guy already in the company. AEW has committed to Garcia, a guy they ALWAYS have lose to the bigger star. He needs this one a heck of a lot more than Perry. My money is on a new TNT being crowned here.
Richard: I cannot remember the match in WWE where I would always say 'this is the time they let (this wrestler) win the big one' only to see that person lose every time. I feel like Jack is the AEW version of that wrestler and this HAS TO BE the time he loses the title. Is there anything else to do with him? He has his bus so he can drive off into the sunset. I have enjoyed serious wrestler Daniel Garcia and I think the days of "Dance Hall Daniel" are over. Garcia wins and he wins convincingly. (so that means another 6 months of Perry title defenses with my luck).
Will Ospreay vs. Kyle Fletcher
Mike: Fletcher has absolutely grown on me in recent weeks. Ospreay is coming for revenge here, but does he need the win? Not in the eyes of the fans really, but to me, unless they are setting up a big stipulation rematch for World's End, Ospreay should win here. That said, I can absolutely see him pushing to put over Fletcher.
Cory: Who knew Fletcher had a personality? This feud has turned Fletcher from a wonderful, but kind of bland spot money into a credible heel. One thing that has surprised me about Ospreay is that he will lose when it bumps the other person up a level as he did with Swerve Strickland. In many ways, Ospreay is a made man with the fans and while they need to do more to make him the breakout star he can be, Fletcher needs to solidify himself as a credible threat so he can be a top tier heel. I see him winning via cheating. Then, they need to build up Mark Davis so they can have a top match in the future, but this is a star-making match for Fletcher if done right.
Anthony: Believe it or not, this is the match I’m looking forward to the most. Fletcher has really upped his game and his look as of late. Ospreay has a vested interest here, both to establish a big feud for himself and get his lifelong friend over like a million bucks. This’ll be the “follow that one, boys” match of the show. I’m going with the upset here, Kyle Fletcher will get the biggest W of his life here.
Richard: This is the match for Fletcher to prove to the naysayers when he was Ospreay's first full time opponent and with the Randy Orton/Amazing Red (depends on the angle you look at him, he looks like one of them) transformation, he is a changed man from that prior match. Both men are good in the ring and this should be a very good match, maybe the best wrestling match of the show. If Fletcher is going to win, it has to be a clean victory. The biggest issue with a Fletcher win is what is next for him. I guess we will find out.
Konosuke Takeshita (International Champion) vs. Ricochet
Mike: This is Ricochet's biggest opportunity to date in AEW. Takeshita is a hell of a heel and a great talent. Ricochet is super spectacular but I feel needs someone strong to play off of, to be the angel to their devil and get the crowd behind him. This is likely the best chance of that to date. I can see a title change here.
Cory: Takeshita is a massive star in waiting. His work is always good, he's got the size and the look, and teaming him with Don Callis has made him into one of AEW's biggest heels. I like Ricochet, and he's a solid addition into the "flip flop and fly" group, but Takeshita will beat him pretty handily in this match as they keep building him as a major force.
Anthony: Maybe, just maybe, Ricochet isn’t who we all thought he was, which is a top guy loaded to the gills with charisma who just needed to be free of the evil clutches of Stamford, CT. I was excited 2 and a half months ago when he debuted for the company at Full Gear. Since then, he’s been a good hand, nothing wrong with that. Takeshita, to me, has star quality. He looks like one, he wrestles like one, he is one. No way he should lose here. My fear is that he will, as Ricochet needs a win somewhere to justify both his hype and his paycheck. I got a new International Champion being crowned here with the caveat that Takeshita wins it back before his match on Jan 4 at the Tokyo Dome.
Richard: Ricochet has made an impact in AEW since his debut, but has he done anything to get people to give up on the 'he is that guy from the New Japan match with Will Ospreay' label? I don't know. He is in the ring with someone who could bring out the type of match that Will Ospreay did so many times when he moved up from Junior Heavyweight guy to top guy in New Japan. Takeshita is great and I think he should win, but to me, the biggest story is how Ricochet looks in the match. If he is 'DO THE SPOT' guy, then I think Tony will see his shadow and it will be 6 more months of Komander matches. I see him graduating to more.
Mariah May Champagne Championship Celebration with Mina Shirakawa
Mike: Toni Storm is cracking someone over the head with a bottle.
Cory: I also believe that Toni Storm will return during the Champagne Celebration for Mariah May.
Richard: I don't know what to expect from this segment other than typical Mina and Mariah stuff. I agree with Cory that we will probably see the return of Toni Storm.
Jon Moxley (AEW Champion) vs. Orange Cassidy
Mike: This is set up as the AEW loyalist babyface vs. Moxley who's trying to destroy the company and reshape it in his own image. I expect this to be a violent, bloody brawl (and if so, should be the only blood on the show), but I don't see Cassidy winning. The Moxley story is obviously way too early in the game for Cassidy to be the one to shut them down. My gut is Moxley retains but not until Cassidy gets a lot of hope spots in. I expect New Jersey to REALLY love this one.
Cory: I have said a few times on audio that I try to go out of my way to avoid any backstage news and fan commentary about wrestling now. I want to ENJOY the show, and it’s hard to do when you get bogged down in ratings and backstage stuff. That being said, I have heard multiple times that AEW sees the Death Riders as a big deal and are banking on them to drive ratings in 2025. So, to do that, they can’t just rely on having the Trios titles, which aren't even being defended on this show. They need Mox to be the heel champion that the valiant babyface chases to save the company.
Orange Cassidy is a beloved fan favorite. He’s become kind of the face of the company in many ways, and they have spent the last year or so making him over to be a serious character. I also think when he gives his “We are AEW!” rally the troops speeches, he knocks it out of the park. He CAN be a solid leader the fans rally to and has charisma to spare.
And he has to lose this match.
This is Mox’s first major defense of the title. If the Death Riders are to be a major threat, bringing the heat every time they show up on the screen, Mox can’t lose the title so quickly. He needs to carry it for a LONG time, like Omega did when he was the heel champion. Like Roman Reigns did in WWE. Like Jeff Jarrett did in TNT’s early days. He has to be a champion that fans WANT to see beat, but he pulls out a decisive victory without cheating to show dominance and be a threat.
Cassidy has to put up a valiant effort and come up short. He then needs to go down the card, coming back after changing in some way (deciding to become a leader, allowing his friends to help, or something else) before that change has given him the keys to victory. Yes, it’s an old story trope, but that is because it works. Luke Skywalker had to turn off the targeting computer and trust the Force. Tony Stark had to be willing to give up everything to beat Thanos. Rocky needs to decide that he just needs to go the distance to get a personal victory and not throw the fight.
So, in my long-winded way, Mox has to win both to drive the Death Riders story forward, and for Cassidy to go through the three act structure for a bigger win later.
Anthony: I have to admit the Death Riders gimmick has grown on me, the ridiculous “beat down” they gave Cassidy Wednesday notwithstanding. Problem with this match, as I feel the problem up and down the card is: It’s perfectly obvious who is going to win and, if they don’t, does it really matter? The Death Riders are new, they are vicious. This needs to be the Rocky 3 angle they tried with Moxley and CM Punk. Moxley needs to leave Cassidy destroyed, carried out and sent away decisively. Without this, his comeback and eventual AEW Title win will mean absolutely nothing. Unfortunately, I fear the match will be 50-50 with Moxley getting a Death Rider in at the end. Either way, Moxley retains.
Richard: Am I a fan of the Mox World Order? not really. I was never a fan of the nWo, DX, or any of the we are here to do what we want gimmicks over the history of pro wrestling. Do I think Orange Cassidy has a chance to win this match? No. If this is a match to determine the future of AEW, it looks like the Mox timeline will prevail. Cassidy will put up a valiant fight and he will have a solid match but Mox will be too much. If Mox can change the attitude and path of AEW with this victory, maybe his next goal will be to get Pac to wear something other than his ring gear 24/7 (or is he the group's Randy Orton?) Who or what is next to challenge this group?
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