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AEW Full Gear is set for tonight. Pending any potential travel issues, here is our take on what we think should happen with the announced card.
AEW Champion Will Ospreay vs. Kyle Fletcher.
Cory - While Fletcher would be a good choice for World Champion, I think it is still far too early to take the belt off Ospreay. These two should have a fantastic main event after working together over the years. I also think the teasing of Fletcher leaving the Don Callis family has gone onto the back burner for now. Ospreay wins
Richard - This should be a good match and since they talked for 25 minutes on Wednesday all they have left to do is fight. Ospreay should win the match, but Fletcher will continue to show why he should be the top guy in the Thumb Club. This will get a lot of time and will see many near falls.
Mike - While I have no doubt that Fletcher will one day be AEW Champion, this is not the day.
AEW Women's Champion Mercedes Moné vs. Marina Shafir.
Cory - If there is anything we can thank the Death Riders for, it’s making Marina Shafir into a powerful personality. Her promos in this feud have been fantastic; her in-ring work has leveled up, and I think it’s time for her to take the title. Mone always brings it for a pay-per-view match, so we will see if Shafir is ready to take that next step. Shafir wins.
Richard - If Marina wins, does she become the de jure leader of the Hallway Gang since she would be a world champion? I don't know what to expect from this match and it will all depend on what Mone does in the match. Does Tony pull the trigger or not? I say Mone retains.
Mike - This will be the biggest match of Shafir's career. I don't see a title change here.
AEW Tag Team Champions: The Young Bucks vs. Mark Davis and Jake Doyle with Don Callis.
Cory - I could be snarky and point out that this is the time of year when the Bucks usually disappear for a few months. I will instead say that while I think Davis and Doyle are big brawlers, they have one-dimensional personalities and they would be rather boring champions. I can’t see them winning here simply because they have been dominant over the Bucks, so the Bucks have to get their revenge. The Bucks retain.
Richard - The contrast of styles should be an interesting feature of this match. Will the Bucks use the idea of facing the Machine Guns as motivation over Davis and Doyle? This could be part of a long night for the Callis Consortium. If Davis and Doyle cannot win the titles this weekend, I guess Rocky and Trent are next up.
Mike - The Bucks losing the belts makes sense here if the company wants to have heel champs for everyone to chase. They certainly set the Guns up for that. That said, I could see the Bucks shockingly win.
AEW Women's Tag Team Champions The Brawling Birds vs. Wrathlander.
Cory - This was to be on the last pay-per-view, except that Jamie Hayter got injured. I am happy that it’s not another title match with Divine Dominion, but I don’t see Wrathlander as a team meant to carry the title, and it almost feels like a placeholder match. The Birds retain.
Richard - The match that we were supposed to get at Wrestledream happens on Saturday. Hayter and Windsor have been good champions and I don't think they will lose the titles in this match. I expect some hardcore stuff in this match, but the champs will retain.
Mike - I expect a title change here.
AEW Trios Champions Hangman Page & Brodido vs. Swerve Strickland & The New Level - Texas Death Match.
Cory - Out of all the builds for a match for this pay-per-view, this has been my favorite. We’ve seen Next Level show they can work AEW’s style, and they have gotten promo time to build this match. I really like how Austin and Kofi went from being horrified at the idea of the Texas Death Match to wanting it, and Hangman trying to get everyone to say so, but Swerve manipulated them all into it. I am, however, a bit tired of this match, and think it’s time for New Level to work as a tag team rather than be part of the Handman/Swerve feud. The Champions should retain.
Richard - Last month, Bandido, Brody, and Page won the titles back and I don't think they are going to switch the titles again. This will be like their other matches and will see some tension this time between people other than Page and Swerve. I think the champs retain so Kofi and Creed can go after the World Tag Titles. New Day vs the Bucks is a marquee match that fans probably want to see.
Mike - This has been the strongest story going into the show and I'm curious to see Kofi and Creed in this environment. I don't see a title change here.
AEW International Champion Kazuchika Okada vs. Adam Copeland.
Cory - Copeland has said next year is his last year, so isn’t it time for him to hold some singles gold in AEW? I also think Okada will go all out in this one, since it may be his only chance to work with Edge in a match of this level. Yes, I love goofy Okada, but I have a feeling he will put on his working boots, and Copeland will walk out with the title.
Richard - This would be a dream match in another era, but it should still be a solid match between these two men. Copeland will have his spear countered many times while Okada will go for Rainmaker and will be thwarted. Eventually, Okada hits Rainmaker and gets the win.
Mike - I think this is more about giving Copeland a chance to check off his list than anything else, but this has the potential to be a lot of fun. I don't see Copeland winning the title.
Death Riders & The Conglomeration vs. The Cut in Anarchy in the Arena
Cory - The first Anarchy in the Arena was wonderful comedy wrestling, and since then it has kind of become a big multi-man brawl all over the venue. This feud is too serious for goofiness, and Orange Cassidy has even been serious during this feud. With the Cut being a new group, and Jay White turning heel has done WONDERS for the crowd reaction to him, they need to win this one to be considered a serious threat. The Cut gets the win.
Richard - The 'There Will Be Blood' match of the PPV. The big question in this match is will Moxley be the first to bleed in the match. The "I Can't Believe They Aren't the Bullet Club" should win this match to give them some momentum going forward or else they are dead in the water after a few weeks. Yuta will be the one to lose for the ConglomoRiders. Which Gunn will take the crazy bump in the match?
Mike - We know the babyfaces will win.
AEW National Champion Tommaso Ciampa vs. Ilja Dragunov
Cory - Ciampa JUST won the title last week, and normally, I would think that he would have to win his first pay-per-view match, but will they have Dragunov lose his first match on pay-per-view? I am starting to think that Ciampa winning the title was so they didn’t have to have Andrade El Idolo lose to Dragunov, and Ciampa can chase Dragunov for the rest of the year. Dragunov wins.
Richard - I think this will be the best match on the show. Do they take the title off Ciampa so soon after he won the title? You don't bring in Dragunov the way they did at Wrestledream and not give him a title so fast (but they did give him that 18 minute 50/50 match with Mike Bailey). This will be fun to watch and as long as there are no shenanigans during the match, I will be okay with the result.
Mike - I'm calling a Dragonuv win.
TBS Champion Queen Aminata vs. Maya World vs. Persephone
Cory - At first, I thought this was a mistake and they’d just listed the Collision Main Event, but this time it’s a three-way with Maya World and Persephone. I am not a fan of three-way matches, especially for a title, but the match with Aminata, Skye Blue, and Hyan was far better than I expected. I don’t know why this is a three-way since the main feud is between Aminata and Persephone, with Persephone being enraged that she lost her title. That’s a feud that always works, and Persephone is great when she shows unhinged anger. This is the first pay-per-view with Aminata as the champion, and I think Aminata has a massive upside and should have had a title sooner. I expect a lot of shenanigans with Britt Baker, Maya getting her sea legs under her after her last injury, and Queen Aminata to retain.
Richard - This match has potential, but making it a triple threat also protects someone from taking the pin again. I think Maya is the one to take the fall. Aminata has proven that she belongs as champion and I think her reign will continue.
Mike - I think it's way too soon to switch from Aminata. This could be fun.
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