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AEW will present Dynasty on PPV tonight. Here is our take on what should go down.
Jon Moxley (AEW World Champion) vs. Swerve Strickland (with Prince Nana)
Cory: For the last few months, I have said that Mox’s title reign is not working for me this time, simply because his promos don’t make much sense. What started as “there is a shadowy figure behind this” then because “no one here is a REAL wrestler” and now it’s “I like you but you aren’t good enough.” That part of his reign has been a mess and it’s time to pull the plug. Mox also seems to want to be a CZW wrestler as the rest of the brand is moving into a more mainstream, story based promotion. Swerve has a series of great feuds built into it, is a massive star, and carried the title well when he had it. Sadly, I don’t think Dynasty is where Mox loses the title and Swerve isn’t who is going to take it off of him. Mox retains.
Mike: For the love of God, Swerve should win.
Richard: The good news is that if you miss the Roman Reigns title reign, you get a taste of it with Moxley. You want him to lose, but you know he won't because of some magical clusterf***ery. Will it be from one of his band of Merry Men (Swiss Chalet, Cousin Itt, or No Pants) or will Adam Page show up to reassert himself into the title picture or the Swerve feud? Who's Next?
"Timeless" Toni Storm (AEW Women’s Champion) (with Luther) vs. Megan Bayne
Cory: They have really done a great job of building Bayne up. She has a fantastic look, is a powerhouse in the ring, and feels like a threat. The problem is that it’s another case of someone coming into the company, immediately going for a title, and having to lose. Storm should not drop the belt so soon in this reign, and I don't see it happening.
Mike:>/strong>I expect this to be a war but in the end, Storm wins.
Richard: This could be a good preview of what we can see later in the year when it is time to take the title off Toni if they have moved off Mariah. This should be a good match and they have done enough with Bayne to put her on a level with Toni. It is not time to give her the title, but a strong match keeps Bayne on this level.
Death Riders (Claudio Castagnoli, Pac, and Wheeler Yuta) (AEW Trios Champions) vs. Rated FTR (Cope, Cash Wheeler, and Dax Harwood)
Cory: I want to start by saying that Claudio has been 100 times better than Mox at making sense of the Death Riders in his promos than Mox and every time he speaks, I wish he was the spokesman for the team. They also are not going to lose the titles, which everyone suddenly remembered they have for this feud. The story of this match will be the FTR turning heel and attacking Cope.
Mike: Totally expect new champs here.
Richard: The story of this match is not who wins this match, but the story is who turns among the challengers, if it even happens. It would be more interesting if we get a title change and then the turn takes place. Dax and Cash have had issues recently so will this team break up or do they realize they cannot cope with Cope? Will Paul Turner be the referee for this match?
Chris Jericho (Ring of Honor Champion) vs. Bandido (mask)
Cory: Jericho has ditched the “Hi Guys” and has gone serious with the feud with Bandido. The previous Learning Tree stuff was good for a few laughs, but most fans just didn’t get it, so having Jericho become the bitter veteran who feels he’s being exploited is a much better fit. His run as Ring of Honor Champion was supposed to help get a TV deal and give the title a rub, but it hasn’t worked. Bandido is more what ROH should be pushing at this point. True or not, ROH is now seen as AEW’s developmental brand, and it’s easier to justify Bandido working on ROH shows than Jericho. Bandido wins.
Mike: I could see Jericho winning here and rebooting Bandido without the mask but I lean on a title change.
Richard: Good thing the ROH title is being defended on this show to cover for the TBS title match that would be on this show. Isn't there an ROH PPV coming up for this title to be defended? I can't see Bandido losing the mask so I guess that means we get a new champion.
Daniel Garcia (TNT Champion) vs. Adam Cole
Cory: I have loved this feud. They did the slow burn of friendly competition into a feud without turning either person heel, the matches have been fantastic, and it’s been a case where AEW’s 50/50 booking has been a help rather than a hindrance. Garcia has grown in the role, but they keep reminding us Cole has not won a title in AEW yet. Cole wins in what will be a remarkable match.
Mike: It's time for an Adam Cole win.
Richard: I would love to see Garcia get a convincing victory over Cole in this match because I think he has not been used properly in his run and being saddled with 2.0 has not let him get to the level he should be at. Adam Cole gets a chance to bring a title to the Undisputed Fusion Collective and this might be the opportunity to do it. Since there is no time limit and no outside interference, this should be a refreshing since it will be two people wrestling (or will it be?).
Will Ospreay vs Kevin Knight
Cory: This is going to be your high spot match of the night. Since I am pretty sure Ospreay is going for the World Title at All In, I’m betting he will win. Also, since Knight came into the company less than a week ago as I write this, he’s not going to beat Ospreay. Ospreay has been doing business by putting other people over, but it's time to strap that rocket to him and see if he’s all people say he is.
Mike: Knight should win and shock the world. Let's push him hard.
Richard: This is the match that a lot of critics of AEW will point to. There are the NJPW links for these men and they were a tag team this week on television so it makes perfect sense to put them in a singles match Sunday night. This needs to be built as a 'showcase' more than a 'match' so when people think that Knight 'got in too much' can look at it as a way to prove what Knight can do in the ring. Ospreay wins this, but Knight jumps over the midcard with this performance. Let's hope he is in a position to be in more than a multi-man gimmick match at All In.
The Hurt Syndicate (Bobby Lashley and Shelton Benjamin) (Tag Team Champions) (w/MVP) vs The Learning Tree (Big Bill and Bryan Keith)
Cory: I don’t have any knowledge of the backstage stuff, but this feels thrown together at the last minute as if someone else was supposed to be the challengers. Bill and Bryan beat Top Flight and a team that didn’t even get their names mentioned, they are not going to beat a team that is more over than any other tag team in the company. I am sure MJF will have something to do with the match, but they are not losing the titles to the Learning Tree.
Mike: Way too soon for Hurt Business to lose the titles unless MJF pulls something.
Richard: This should be a good match, but I don't expect a title change because Bobby and Shelton recently won the titles. I like Bill and Bryan when they are not around their grandfather. I am looking forward to the interaction between Bobby and Bill. While I hope it doesn't happen during the match, I would not be surprised to see MJF's presence. Bring back the Brochachos to challenge the Hurt Syndicate.
Mercedes Moné vs Julia Hart
Cory: You want a pre-built feud? Here’s a pre-built feud. Mone is wrestling without the title on the line, and Hart is someone the company is pushing hard. I can see them having a great match where Hart wins. I doubt they want a champion vs champion match if they aren’t going to unify the titles, so Mone won’t win the tournament, so if Hart gets the win, she is a credible challenger for the TBS title. Mone can still pull out a great match when it fits the story, and I can see her pulling out all the stops here to show she can do business.
Mike: The non-title aspect leaves it far more open to chance there will be a Hart upset here but I am still leaning on Mone for the win.
Richard: With this being a non-title match, it gives the idea that we could see Julia getting the upset victory over Many Belt Mone. A Hart victory would be a bit of a surprise, but it isn't 'greatest upset of all time' levels. Julia is fighting for the honor of the Hart family, so I say give her the win.
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