It’s hard to believe but we’ve back to the biggest show of the year around here. That should be a good thing though the show only feels so important. Hopefully they have something to expand beyond the hype, though that isn’t exactly the company’s strong suit. The good thing is that the action should work out, which is indeed the company’s strong suit a lot of the time. Let’s get to it.

Moose vs. Max Caster

So this is the result of Moose’s open challenge as Caster seems to have officially jumped over to TNA. Granted I’m not sure if it’s a permanent move, but Caster is someone who could do well around here. If nothing else, he already has some star power and the rapping entrance could work on anyone. It pretty much has to be better than whatever Elias is doing anyway.

I’ll actually go with Caster winning here, likely with an assist from AJ Francis, who has been having issues with Moose in recent weeks. Francis and Caster seem like they could get together to do something good and it has to be better than whatever the other guy Francis has with him all the time can do. Anyway, Caster wins here and hopefully sticks around, as I’ve been missing him in AEW.

Knockouts Tag Team Title: Allie/Kiera Hogan(c) vs. Zoey Serrano/Shayna Baszler

This is a new one as Baszler appeared on the phone earlier this week and agreed to be Serrano’s partner. That makes sense as the two of them teamed together well enough in WWE and it’s not like there are a bunch of teams around here to challenge for the titles. That’s in addition to Allie and Hogan not even being the original champions after Rosemary’s latest…whatever it is this time.

I’ll go with the title change here, as it makes more sense to have the new team get the gold. If nothing else, it’s not like Allie and Hogan really need to be champions anyway, as they’re barely even a regular team. Go with some people who should have some better chemistry, which is something the division can use. Whenever Rosemary gets back, she and Allie can go for the belts again, but for now we need them to change hands.

Hardys vs. Syx

Ok it’s Syx. I keep getting the spelling wrong but it’s easier to think of them as just slightly less than Sean Waltman. Or does that make them the British pop band Five? Anyway, this is falls count anywhere as the Hardys have shifted from one weird cult team to another weird team with violent tendencies. They certainly have a type and now it seems like we’ll be in for a violent match.

Give me the Syx to win here, as there is no reason to think they should lose just after debuting. They’re the fresh act around here and need the win, which is what I’m thinking we’ll be seeing. Hopefully the company has learned from how things went with the Righteous, but you never can tell. Either way, it can be violent and entertaining, but the Hardys need to, and should, lose.

X-Division Title: Fabian Aichner vs. KC Navarro vs. Cedric Alexander vs. Rich Swann vs. Ryan Nemeth vs. BDE

This is for the vacant title and while I’d usually do an elimination deal and figure out who would be the best option, that’s really not the case here. Other than BDE, I could see any of them winning here, which makes things a lot more interesting. In this case you could see a few different options and I’m really not sure where to go. That’s a nice feeling, but not the easiest for predictions.

I think I’ll actually take Navarro, who has been built up for a long time but needs that big win. Getting the X-Division Title would be a good way to go and that would make for quite the upset. Aichner might make more sense and odds are it’s someone else entirely, but I’ll take Navarro to win here as the big underdog. Well not the biggest but bit enough to win here.

Ricky Sosa vs. Eddie Edwards

Sosa is in an interesting spot as he’s been around for a few months but hasn’t really gotten over the hump. That needs to change as he feels like he could be something bigger around here, as the company certainly needs the boost. In theory, the idea of putting him in there with Edwards will help him get that far, as it’s hardly some stretch of an idea. So will they go that way?

Yeah I think they will, as there’s pretty much no reason to have Edwards win here. Sosa is someone who has felt like a big prospect and it would be great to see him get a chance. Beating Edwards won’t turn him into the biggest star in the company, but it will give him some credibility and he can move on to something else. That’s what we should be seeing here as Sosa wins.

Call Your Shot Gauntlet

If Tommy Dreamer is in this thing, I’m going to…well probably complain about it in the review and keep watching. This isn’t a match that I tend to like most of the time, mainly because it’s for their version of the Money In The Bank contract. I’m assuming we know most of the people involved here and hopefully it doesn’t involve two winners like they did last year, which just made my head hurt.

Out of the names confirmed here, I think I’ll actually go with AJ Francis to win. He’s someone who could do something fun with the briefcase as the rather annoying villain and it’s not like many of the other options stand out. Oh yeah and Avery Styles is making his debut here. I would make a chair joke here but given the ticket sales, they probably don’t want that many chairs around.

Knockouts Title: Xia Brookside(c) vs. Indi Hartwell

This has been built up for a long time now and most of that has been about Hartwell finally getting her big moment to win the title on the most important stage. At the same time, that’s kind of depressing as Brookside has been getting better and better during her time as champion. I’m sure Daria Rae will be involved here somehow, because of course she is, but I’m not sure that’s enough.

Yeah it probably will be, as there is no reason to believe that Hartwell is going to lose here. She’s been built up as a big fan favorite and that has all of the makings of a title win. While I’d rather see Brookside get to keep going with the belt, it doesn’t seem likely to happen here. All roads seem to lead to Hartwell vs. Rae, for some reason, but Hartwell has to win first to make that happen (for the title at least) so we’ll assume that’s what happens here.

International Title: Mustafa Ali(c) vs. Jason Hotch vs. John Skyler vs. Special Agent Zero

I actually have no idea where this is going and I love that feeling. This is the match that has me the most confused, as it could go any of the four ways. Ali winning makes all the sense in in the world, but Zero winning feels like a possibility too. I’m not sure I can imagine either of the Great Hands actually winning the title (again in Skyler’s case) so that narrows things down a bit. I think.

As much as I’d like to see Zero win, I’ll go with what feels like the more realistic answer and say Ali wins. I’m not sure where that leaves him, but hopefully it points him more towards the main event scene. Then again I’ve been saying that for what feels like ever now and it hasn’t happened yet. For now though, Ali wins, even though that might be the least interesting of the four options.

TNA World Title: Nic Nemeth(c) vs. Leon Slater

Now, I don’t think there’s any secret to the story they’re telling here. The idea is that Slater is the young star who is getting the chance to take over the top spot in the company from the established veteran. It feels like a passing of the torch moment, but at the same time it really just does not feel like it has that much heat. That’s a really bad feeling going into this spot, but how important has this match really felt? I’m not sure if that’s enough to change the title, though that seems to be where we’re going.

I think I’ve talked myself out of it and I’ll take Nemeth retaining. It’s not interesting and it’s not something I want to see, but I don’t think Slater is quite ready yet. Having Slater win is certainly a possibility and it wouldn’t shock me if he did it, but this is hardly Josh Alexander or Mike Santana’s coronations as champion. Nemeth retains here, in a prediction that is already feeling wrong.

Overall Thoughts

As much talent as TNA has, they are not great at getting the hype going. Nothing on this show really feels that hot and that is a problem they’ve had for years now. The catch though is they have certainly figured out a way to make the shows work anyway, which will probably be the case here. This show has the importance baked in and if they can make the stuff they have work, it should be a good night. Just don’t have the gauntlet match go on forever, which has killed several Bound For Glorys past.

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It’s time for another one of the big pay per views and that means we should be in for a hot show. The big deal here is of course the show’s namesake matches, with both a men’s and women’s version. That should give us more than enough carnage and we have a few other matches out there with all of the potential. I’m hoping the show lives up to the hype so let’s get to it.

Raw World Title: Roman Reigns(c) vs. LA Knight

This match is officially opening the show, which doesn’t have me feeling great. Knight has talked his way into being something outstanding for a long time now but I’m just not sure I can imagine him winning the title. If by some miracle he does, he’s not going to be the top star for a long time. The problem is winning the title is the only thing left for him to do, but I don’t know if I can see it happening.

So yeah, I’ll take Reigns to win and retain. At the end of the day, Knight has been built up as a big challenger but this is Reigns on the big stage. That takes something special and while he’s been in trouble more than once in title defenses, I’m not sure if Knight is the one who is going to be able to take him out. Outside of 946 taking Reigns out, I don’t think it happens here. As much as I’d love to see Knight win, I just can’t picture it happening.

Raw Women’s Title: Stephanie Vaquer(c) vs. Becky Lynch vs. Liv Morgan

I have no idea what to think here as I could see it going any way. Vaquer jumped both of them to intentionally set up the match and that’s not something you often see. The problem for me is more being sick of triple threat matches, as we’ve had so many of them to set up Money In The Bank. While that’s what the story has been building towards, good grief I do not want to see another one right now.

As for a winner…..geez……you know, I think I’ll actually take Lynch. I can’t imagine the title going back to Morgan so soon and that leaves Vaquer or Lynch to win. Somehow Lynch might need the win as she hasn’t had much to brag about lately and this might be it. There’s a very good chance that Vaquer wins but I’ll go with a likely wrong pick and take Lynch to get the title.

Oba Femi vs. Bronson Reed

Now this one has me interested, as it has the potential to be quite the war. It very well could be the two of them beating the living daylights out of each other until one of them can’t get up again. What has me intrigued is the Paul Heyman factor, as he seems to want to work with Femi. That might not play a factor, but it makes me wonder where it could go and that’s a nice feeling to have.

I’ll take Femi, as I can’t imagine Reed, who feels like a side trip on the way back to facing Bron Breakker in a big rematch. For now though, Reed should serve as a great choice for an opponent, as he’s just enough of a monster to feel like he could hurt Femi but not big enough to beat him. Heyman is going to mean something in this in the end, though I don’t think he’ll matter enough to change the ending here.

Women’s Money In The Bank Ladder Match

The previews for these matches tend to follow the same path every year and that involves getting rid of some names. There are six women involved in this match and you can probably write some of them off without much thinking. In this case, I can’t imagine Jacy Jayne or Tiffany Stratton gets the briefcase. Stratton has had it before and Jayne already has the Women’s US Title. I’ll probably write Lola Vice off too as she’s still so new and not winning a ladder match isn’t going to hurt her.

That leaves us with three options and I’ll go with….I’ll take Lash Legend to win. Sol Ruca is an option as well but she doesn’t feel like someone who needs the briefcase. Roxanne Perez is certainly an option and it could be interesting to see her get the title rather than her Judgment Day stablemate in Morgan. She’s probably the second strongest option, but WWE seems interested in pushing Legend right now and this would be a great way to make it happen.

Men’s Money In The Bank Ladder Match

We’ll go with the elimination theory again, with Je’Von Evans and Trick Williams not likely to win here. Evans isn’t ready for a title run yet and Williams already has the US Title to deal with, leaving us with four. That leaves us with Bron Breakker, Penta, CM Punk and Kevin Owens. The problem here is it really could go any way and that makes for a rather interesting situation.

I think I’ll take Owens to win here, as it’s just too easy to follow the idea of Owens chasing Zayn for the title. While there is a very good chance that Zayn costs Owens the briefcase (which would certainly fit for him), I’m not sure if anyone really stands out. Punk is always an option but him winning it a third time seems unnecessary, even almost twenty years after his previous win. Breakker or Penta….yeah I just can’t see it. I’ll take Owens, but I don’t have much confidence in it at all.

Overall Thoughts

It’s Money In The Bank. The whole point of this is the ladder matches and they’re ready to go with all of their carnage. You have more than enough out there to make the show work and it opens up a new season for WWE with the briefcases being ready to go. Hopefully one, or both (we can only dream) are cashed in on the night of the show, as there is something great about getting rid of those things quickly. That’s the dream scenario though, and I’ll settle for just a good show.

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So we’re just a few weeks after All In and we’re already looking at something of a sequel, if nothing else with the opposite name. That makes for something of a problem as it’s going to be a bit of a step down from the biggest show of the year. This show is basically a two match card and that should be enough to carry the whole thing. Now if the rest of the card can live up to that standard, we should be in a good place. Let’s get to it.

Zero Hour: Bang Bang Gang vs. Death Riders/The Dogs

I’m running out of ways to explain how uninterested I am in the Dogs. They’re on almost every show and they’re just the most generic heel team. At least Gabe Kidd isn’t involved in this and that should help a bit, but the team still isn’t interesting. In this case, at least we have the Gang in there and they can make just about anything work. If nothing else Ace Austin…yeah he’s not going to get the fall is he?

I’ll go with the Riders and Dogs to win here, as the Dogs continue to be the team that AEW wants to get over no matter what. The Gang is a team who seem ready to move up the ladder but it isn’t going to happen if they keep losing. The problem is they always lose and that’s what I’m expecting to see again here. Just don’t make it be Austin again, as good grief he deserves some wins. Or at least less losses.

Zero Hour: Jack Perry vs. Katsuyori Shibata

This is part of the latest attempt to get Perry over as a big deal but it’s just a stopping point on the way to what is likely Perry vs. Samoa Joe. The problem is Perry kept mentioning Joe in the last few weeks and then Joe isn’t here. Instead it’s Shibata, who might be talented (he certainly is) but he’s not seen as a top star. This is the kind of a match that feels like it belongs on Collision and that’s not the best feeling.

There is no reason to think that Perry is going to lose here so I won’t bother suggesting that anything else will be happening. Perry wins here and gets to move on to a big showdown with Joe. Why would they bother doing anything else? At the end of the day, Perry is someone who has always been teasing getting into the main event scene and this could be a step in his latest attempt. I’m not sure if this needs to be on the pay per view but Perry is a big enough star to warrant a spot.

TBS Title: Persephone(c) vs. ???

So the problem here is rather simple: Persephone doesn’t feel like a big star. She’s talented, she has a good associate with Britt Baker as her (close enough) manager and is the champion, but does she really feel like someone important? Honestly, not really, and that makes it hard to buy her as a manager champion. I have no idea who is coming after the title, but it’s likely only going to feel so important.

On the grounds of “I don’t know who is challenging for the title”, I’ll say that Persephone retains here. I’ve heard a rumor about who will be challenging and I won’t spoil it here (it’s easy to find online if you’re that interested) and I would hope they have something bigger than that. Persephone needs to beat some big names and this is a good chance for it to happen, assuming it actually does.

Women’s Tag Team Titles: Brawling Birds(c) vs. Megan Bayne/Lena Kross

This is a rematch from last month where the Birds won the titles in London and now it’s time to do the rematch in their style of match, with a street fight. That should make for a fun match, with Kross and Bayne being rather impressive on the way to the match. It’s a simple story of the Birds trying to fight back against the two monsters and that is going to be easier said than done.

I see no reason to expect the titles to change hands here, as Bayne and Kross have already had that big reign with the titles. They don’t need to do it again and there is no reason to have the Birds lose the titles right back in what should be their signature match. Do the right thing here and let the Birds get their important title defense. I don’t know if it’s going to be a long title reign, but it shouldn’t be ending here. Birds retain.

Darby Allin/Steven Borden vs. Don Callis Family

This is for a future Tag Team Title shot and…yeah I’m not sure where to go. At the end of the day, Allin is a star but Borden is just so, so new at this and putting him into a title program is a big leap. At the same time, that might be the story they’re telling, as Allin and Borden have already had an issue with the reigning champions. Then again it’s not like the Family winning and getting the shot would be a stretch either.

I’m really not sure here but we’ll go with….I guess the Family, as it would be a step too far to have the a pair of former champions lose to someone who has had what, two matches on TV? I could easily see Allin and Borden winning, but I’m not sure it makes the most sense. The fact that I’m this unsure tells me that AEW is doing well with their storytelling, as having two viable options is a good thing.

National Title: Andrade El Idolo(c) vs. Pac

Now this is an interesting one, as There is no reason to believe that Idolo is going to lose as he’s the hottest star in the company. The catch though is that he has the World Title contract and it would be reasonable to think that he needs to get the National Title out of the way before he gets into the main event picture. At the same time though, I’m not sure I can picture the loss happening here.

Give me Idolo to retain the title here, as it’s too early for him to lose a match like this. The good thing is that Idolo and Pac should be able to tear the house down and have one of the better matches you’ll see on the show. These two know how to have an exciting match and they can tear the house down on this kind of stage. Idolo retains, though him losing the title wouldn’t be totally out of the question.

Thekla vs. Willow Nightingale

The winner gets to challenge Mercedes Mone for the Women’s Title at WrestleDream. It felt like we were getting a triple threat title match but I’ll take these two facing off, as Mone being taken out here gives them more of a chance to shine. That’s a great thing to see, and now we get to find out what they can do against each other in such a situation. Now who wins here?

It’s a Nightingale match, so of course I’m assuming she loses. Nightingale is one of the most beloved stars in all of AEW but she isn’t going to be a realistic threat to win here. We’ve already seen Mone vs. Nightingale on the big stage and it’s time to get us on to Thekla trying to get her title back. I’ve liked the build, but there is no reason to think that Nightingale is winning.

Trios Titles: Swerve Strickland/New Level(c) vs. Hangman Page/Brodido

As good as Strickland and New Level have been together, it still makes me wonder why we haven’t seen more of New Level on their own as a team. You know, that whole “we signed one of the most successful teams of this generation” and all that. Anyway, this is the closest thing to a big time match as we have, though it’s only going to feel so important given that it’s about the Trios Titles.

I’ll go with the champions retaining here, as there is no reason to switch the belts back. At the same time, Bandido is on pay per view and that gives him roughly a 94.4% chance of taking the fall. Yes he’s on his way to the record for longest Ring Of Honor World Title reign and that has meant a grand total of nothing when it comes to winning on AEW PPV. The champions retain here and we wait for them to find another serious set of challengers.

International Title: Kazuchika Okada(c) vs. Tommaso Ciampa

I waited to go ahead with this one as I don’t want to get to the result. Ciampa is someone who has felt like a breath of fresh air in AEW as he just has something that makes you want to watch him. That has already made him a champion, but it is only going to do so good when it comes to challenging here. I think you can tell where this one is going from here and that should be the case.

Okada retains here, as while Ciampa is rather awesome, he’s not going to be put in a spot where he can beat someone as high up on the totem pole as Okada is at the moment. Okada has too much going on with the Don Callis Family to lose the title because Callis…gah. I want to see Ciampa get a breakthrough win, but there does not seem to be much of a reason to believe it’s happening.

Tag Team Titles: Adam Copeland/Christian Cage(c) vs. FTR vs. Young Bucks

This is the ladder (tables and chairs implied) match that I was expecting at All In and I cannot bring myself to care. We are 27 years removed from Copeland and Cage having the first tag team ladder match. 27 years. We already have the Hardys and the Dudleys still running around on various other shows and all it does is make you realize how long we’ve been watching these same people. The Bucks and FTR aren’t much better, as they’ve been feuding with each other for the better part of ever in AEW. Seeing them all together with ladders does nothing for me, but you knew it was coming one day.

I’ll take the Bucks to win here, as it’s just been too long since they’ve won something big. I’m aware that I say that a lot, but the Bucks are one of those acts that just will not go away no matter how uninteresting they continue to be. This will have a bunch of big spots and old people crashing through things and I’m sure it will get quite the collection of pops. Then we can move on to whatever the next ladder match happens to be.

AEW World Title: Will Ospreay(c) vs. Jon Moxley

We’ll wrap it up here and it’s quite the odd build. The story has been set up and built over the last few months. Ospreay got close to Moxley after Moxley…broke his neck, because that’s how this thing has gone. After that though, Ospreay went on to feud with Kenny Omega with Moxley just kind of there in the background. Now we get to spin back around to them and it feels like it could have used some more swerving time.

This is the kind of match that is going to go into a big, long fight and I’ll take the champion to retain. Ospreay had his big moment last month and it is WAY too early for him to lose here. Moxley has already had a bunch of title wins on his own and keeps the Continental Title (because we need to have a chance of someone to be a double champion again) and doesn’t need to win here. Ospreay retains in a very long and even harder hitting match.

Overall Thoughts

There are two major matches on this card and they should be enough to carry things. The rest of the card might not feel as important, but it should be more than good enough to carry the night. There are more than a few matches here which feel like they could steal the show and that’s a nice situation to have. This show has a big shadow to escape from All In but the pieces are there to make it happen.

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We have arrived. This is the biggest AEW show of the year and once again we are over in England at Wembley Stadium where tens of thousands of fans are going to be in the house. As big as the stadium may be and how high the capacity may be, that is absolutely nothing to sneeze at and AEW deserves credit for drawing that many people. Let’s get to it.

Kickoff Show: Trios Titles: Royal Roulette

From what I can tell, this is a gauntlet match for the titles, with basically every trio in AEW at the moment, plus a wild card entry. Now I don’t think there’s much of a secret as to who is going to be in the wild card spot, but that has never stopped AEW before. As usual, this would be better off as a one off six man tag, but why do that when you can have another twelve people in a match instead?

I’ll go with the wild card team winning the titles here, in the form of Swerve Strickland and whatever New Day will be called in AEW. Assuming they’re the wild cards, there is almost no reason to not have them win the titles. I’m still not sure why they need to be involved in a trio (it worked so well with Odyssey Jones) but I guess the Bucks have the tag match sewn up so here we are.

Kickoff Show: TBS Title: Maya World(c) vs. Persephone

Champion needs challenger, challenger pins champion in tag match, title match ensues. It’s a story that has worked for the better part of ever in wrestling and it should work fine here. World has done well enough as champion but is feeling a bit like Rocky Maivia in his first reign, in that she is just kind of there with the title and having random matches. This might not help things, but at least she’s on the show.

I don’t see any reason to think that the title reign is already ending so I’ll go with World to retain here. It’s the most logical choice of the two and while Persephone feels like someone AEW wants to feature, she already has the CMLL Women’s Title and I don’t think I can take another double champion at the moment. World retains here and hopefully moves on to something more important.

Kickoff Show: The Opps vs. The Rascalz/Lio Rush

Here we have the first “does this really need to be here” match of the card, as the Opps continue to be a thing that exists for whatever reason. I’m not sure why Tony Khan insists on keeping the team around when Samoa Joe isn’t there to lift them up but how else will Hook fail to get over? This is also fallout from Rush losing the ROH TV Title to Action Andretti thanks to the Opps, because that’s a thing that happened.

I’ll take Rush and company to win here, even if there isn’t much for any of them to do. It’s probably a way to set up Rush’s rematch against Andretti for the title, which doesn’t really need to happen but how else are we getting eight more people on the show? There isn’t much of a need for this to be one of five pre-show matches but how else can Ring Of Honor be included here?

Kickoff Show: Kris Statlander/Harley Cameron vs. Sisters Of Sin

I’ll take more Cameron and Statlander so this is hardly a terrible thing, but it feels like filler on Collision rather than a match that needs to be happening here. Statlander and Cameron aren’t exactly a regular team but Cameron could get fans cheering for her in a coffin and the Sisters are a ready made heel act. It’s not exactly a complicated idea here and it should be fine.

Uh we’ll go with…..eh the Sisters I guess. It’s such a nothing match that it doesn’t really matter which way you go and that’s not the best feeling. Cameron tends to lose more often than win on the big stage but this is about all she can do at the moment. I still don’t see how AEW couldn’t find something better for her to do but that’s a list that we absolutely don’t have time to cover. I’ll take the Sisters here in a “someone has to win” situation.

Kickoff Show: Boom & Doom/Hurt Syndicate vs. Shane Taylor Promotions

And where would we be without the Costco Guys? It feels like these guys were a big deal for about five minutes and that was well over a year ago but here they are again. It’s another case of putting people on the show for the sake of getting them on there and now that we’re having as many matches on the Kickoff Show as we had on this week’s Dynamite, it’s kind of hard to get enthusiastic about another one.

Of course I’ll take the good guys to win, with the Syndicate getting some more momentum before a big showdown with the Promotions. There’s nothing to get excited about with this one, but I’m sure the Rizzler will be there to do his oh so funny face. That really does feel like the only thing this match has going for it and that’s hardly enough to get my interest up. But then again, something something celebrity star power I guess.

Women’s Title: Willow Nightingale(c) vs. Mercedes Mone

I wanted to get this one out of the way first because it has the potential to make me the angriest. I’ve made no secret about the fact that I’m not a fan of Mone. She’s incredibly talented and feels like a star, but she’s often presented as being light years ahead of the rest of the division. Nightingale already put Mone over to end a short title reign and it does not need to happen again.

While I don’t believe that it’s happening, I’ll take Nightingale to retain here. I know she’s injured and Mone is likely winning anyway, but Nightingale has made a connection with the fans and it would be a shame to see her lose again so Mone can get yet another accolade that won’t make her feel any bigger. Nightingale needs to win here and would benefit a lot more and I’ll say she will, though I won’t be surprised if/when Mone gets another big moment.

Women’s Tag Team Titles: Lena Kross/Megan Bayne(c) vs. Brawling Birds

So there is going to be a theme to this show as there is a good chance that a lot of British wrestlers will pick up titles. That very well may start here, as the Birds are more than good enough to be the first team to stop Kross and Bayne. The only guaranteed thing here is that it’s going to be a heck of a fight and that is exactly what it should be with the British team involved.

There is no reason to think that the champions will retain here so I’ll go with the Birds taking the titles. Kross and Bayne are the monster champions and that means it is going to take a special team to stop them. A very British team in the most famous stadium in England is about as perfect as it can get. That’s exactly what should happen here and I’ll go with that, as the titles change hands.

TNT Title: Kevin Knight(c) vs. Darby Allin

This is Falls Count Anywhere and Knight has gone the extra mile with Allin, attempting to murder/injure him multiple times in the same segment. I know Allin gets attacked a lot but this was extreme even for him. Therefore we’re doing a match for revenge, and to allow Allin to do some kind of insane thing at the stadium. You know, as he does pretty much every time he’s around.

I’m actually going to go with Knight retaining here, as Allin is as made of a man as you can get in AEW and Knight could get a lot more out of retaining over a former World Champion. It is far from a guarantee as Allin needs to get revenge and such, but he can do that without taking the title. The TNT Title doesn’t mean anything to Allin here so let Knight keep it and get more out of the thing.

Tag Team Titles: Adam Copeland/Christian Cage(c) vs. Young Bucks

This is the dream match of the show and it falls firmly into the “yeah I guess” category that a lot of so called dream matches hit these days. That’s just the way it goes as I’m not sure how many people were clamoring for this in the first place. That being said, it should work out well as the Bucks can be very entertaining and the champs know how to do the old person version of their match.

As sick as I am of the Bucks, there isn’t much of a reason to believe that they’re going to lose here, so I’ll say new champions. Copeland and Cage winning the titles was a big moment but they haven’t exactly done much with the belts. That’s what happens with a lot of these title reigns, and now they can put the Bucks over so the Bucks can continue to be the biggest, most amazing team in AEW history because of course they are.

Continental Title: Jon Moxley(c) vs. Nigel McGuinness

So here we have the finals of a tournament, which has taken almost an entire month, and ended up with Moxley defending the title against a British challenger. In short, why have one match to set up a title defense when you can have fourteen of them? That’s where we are now and it leads to an interesting final, which should go one way but will probably go another.

In theory, this should be McGuinness winning the title but that would imply Moxley has to lose, which won’t happen, so I’ll say Moxley wins to retain. He has to you see because he needs to be in the next tournament for this belt later on in the year. I’m still not sure why this tournament, or title for that matter, needs to exist, but at least Moxley can get a big win that he hasn’t had in at least a week.

Casino Gauntlet

Remember when this was the most fun that AEW had? So much of that was due to the surprise entrants that you would see, but lately it has just been the regular midcard group and that’s not the most thrilling. Anyway the winner here gets a World Title shot at some point, but since we don’t know who all is involved, I’m kind of limited in the guesses that I can make.

The one entrant announced who makes the most sense here is MJF so I’ll go with him, though it would be rather hilarious if the match ended while he was on the way to the ring or something like that. Andrade El Idolo is an option, but he needs to continue his rather unnecessary National Title reign. There is always the chance that it’s someone we don’t know yet winning the thing, but I’ll go with MJF of the entrants involved.

International Title: Kyle Fletcher(c) vs. Kazuchika Okada vs. Konosuke Takeshita

This is the most Don Callis focused match on the card and thankfully it’s pretty much the only thing they’re doing here. The feud has been going on in some form for the better part of a year now and somehow this still doesn’t feel like the blowoff. The idea is that Fletcher and Okada are both part of the Family and want to keep the title between them but they might not trust each other, which gives Takeshita an opening.

I think I’ll go with Fletcher retaining, as he hasn’t been the champion for very long and while Takeshita thwarting the team’s plans makes more sense, odds are the feud isn’t even close to over with anyway. Fletcher feels like someone AEW wants to make into one of their bigger names and that could go well, though I don’t think he loses here. There is a good chance he does lose, but I’d call that much uncertainty a good sign.

AEW World Title: Kenny Omega(c) vs. Will Ospreay

I do these things for every pay per view and occasionally, there are times where I have no idea what is going on with one of the matches. In this case though, I’m getting a little bit of a break. I’m not bothering to try and build up suspense for this match, as, at least in theory, it should be the biggest layup in the history of AEW, as even their screwiness shouldn’t be able to get in the way.

It doesn’t matter if Ospreay loses all of his limbs and nose. His deformed face and torso with the bleeding stumps will be put on top of Omega for the pin and the title to the roar of the British crowd. There is no reason to think that anything else is going to happen here and there is nothing else that should happen here. The match has been built up and Omega has gotten his big title reign to show he’s still go tit. Now make Ospreay champion already.

Overall Thoughts

I’m really not sure what else to say about this show. It’s AEW’s Wrestlemania and there will be tens of thousands of fans in a massive stadium eating up everything thrown at them. AEW has done a great job of turning this into a spectacle and this year they have the card to back it up. If they can make this work, they’re going to be fine and it should be a massive success, as long as Ospreay ends the show holding the title. Now don’t screw it up.

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This is the first of the trio of shows taking place on Sunday and this one is probably the most unique. We’ve got a rather big AAA card and while the regular hour long show works, I’m not sure how well that is going to translate to something that is probably a good bit longer. If it’s anything like the regular show, we’re going to be fine, but you never can tell. Let’s get to it.

El Carnicero vs. ???

This is Carnicero’s (the Butcher) in-ring debut and he’s the man who has been attacking Psycho Clown, and probably the rest of the Psycho Circus. The match should be just a getting to know you destruction and the fact that an opponent hasn’t even been announced yet should tell you all that you need to know. Carnicero has done well in his limited appearances and now we get to see what he can do.

We’ll say Carnicero is going to smash…oh we’ll go with Noisy Boy in a total destruction. This should be nothing more than a squash and odds are that’s exactly what we’re going to get. Carnicero is being treated as a monster and there is a good chance that the Psycho Circus, or at least Psycho Clown, comes in after the match. That’s going to be more interesting than the match itself, which should be an absolute decimation.

Gauntlet Match

This is for a Reina de Reinas title shot at TripleMania and that means…well it’s hard to say, as we have no idea who is in the match. Granted you can probably guess, but there are so many options out there that it could go in a bunch of ways. Odds are there are going to be some people from the main roster involved and that could be quite the threat for the title shot.

Without knowing who is going to be involved, I’ll take La Catalina to get the shot. That seems to be the showdown that AAA is building towards and it would make sense to do it at TripleMania. Odds are it’s going to be someone from the main roster getting the shot for the star power, as it isn’t like the women’s division in AAA is all that great. Flammer needs some fresh competition, but Catalina seems to be the best bet.

Los Perros del Mal vs. Penta/Dragon Lee/Rey Fenix

This is the big grudge match and it even has the star power of Penta and Fenix teaming together, which is quite the rarity around here. It’s even more interesting when you factor in the #1 contenders tournament on Monday, with Fenix and Penta facing off. Los Perros debuted as a big deal around here but they have only done so much around here since that great star. They could use a win and this might be the chance.

I’ll actually take Los Perros to win, with Fenix and Penta getting into it to cost them the match. It covers a couple of bases at once and that’s always going to be appreciated. What matters the most here is getting Los Perros a win, as they would be instantly damaged if they lost here. The star power on the other side makes for a heck of a team, but it seems like they’re losing here.

Tag Team Titles: War Raiders(c) vs. Los Americanos

This is oddly a big match but the interesting thing is that the Raiders already seem to have something going on over on Smackdown. It would be kind of strange to see those titles change hands so quickly before they can be defended on the main roster, but Los Americanos are certainly a threat to take them. I’m not entirely sure which way this is going and as usual, that’s a nice feeling to have.

It’s a match that could go either way but I’ll take the champions retaining here as it feels like the better option. The Raiders have been smashing through people for a bit and while Los Americanos are tied to the biggest star in the promotion, they don’t need to win here. You know they’re going to be involved with the main event of TripleMania and that’s enough, so stick with the champions holding the titles here.

Mini Vikingo vs. Nathan Frazer vs. Jack Cartwheel

This is for a Cruiserweight Title shot at TripleMania and this kind of match has become one of the standards for AAA. They know how to have three guys get in the ring and fly around for a bit until one of them gets the fall and that’s something that will work every time. It’s a good collection of talent again here and they have something to fight for, which should make it even better.

I’ll take Vikingo to win here, as he is by far the highest profile name in AAA. He’s already been dealing with some bigger names and the fans like him, so putting him in a title match on the biggest stage that AAA has to offer isn’t a bad idea. This should be quite the spectacle though as all three have more than impressed in their time around here. It’s something you see a lot of in AAA and that’s because it works so well.

Latin American Title: La Parka vs. El Fiscal vs. El Hijo de Dr. Wagner Jr. vs. Damian Priest

This is for the vacant title after El Hijo del Vikingo got hurt. Odds are this is going to headline the show as it has been treated like a big deal and a new champion is always a good way to wrap up a show. There are multiple realistic options to win the title here and that helps a lot, as there is little benefit to having a glorified countdown to someone being crowned champions.

The more I think about it, the more I’m leaning towards Fiscal. I can’t imagine Priest winning the title when he’s already a big star on the main roster. Wagner was champion for a long time and doesn’t need to be the champion again. That leaves Parka and Fiscal and I’m not sure I can imagine a skeleton man having one of the bigger titles in the promotion. Fiscal wins here and gets to have a big showdown with Abismo Negro. Maybe he can even get a Wikipedia page out of it.

Overall Thoughts

At the end of the day, there are a lot of holes in this card as some of the participants aren’t announced yet. It doesn’t help that the show is just a few weeks away from TripleMania, but this is just around to take away a little bit from All In anyway. If it winds up being good then so be it, but the action should be good enough to carry things, as tends to be the case with AAA.

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It’s the middle of the three shows on the latest HERE IS A BUNCH OF WRESTLING ON ONE DAY BECAUSE YOU CAN’T DO ANYTHING ELSE THIS WEEKEND weekend. NXT has turned this into one of the bigger cards of the year and they have some matches that are leaving me a bit curious about where they’re going. Hopefully it lives up to its hype, as the potential is certainly there. Let’s get to it.

Jaida Parker vs. Nattie

This is a submission match, as per Nattie’s request. These two feel like they’ve been feuding forever and I’m not sure why this is something that has needed to go on for such a long time. I’m assuming the theory is that Parker will get a lot out of feuding with a legend like Nattie, but that only has so much of a success rate. Now I just want the feud to wrap up and this should be it.

There is no reason for Nattie to win here so I’ll take Parker to win, just because it is time for her to get the big signature win. Making Nattie, the submission star, give up would be a great choice for that spot, though you never know as Nattie has pulled off some ridiculous wins before. I’ll go with Parker here though, as there is pretty much no reason to her to lose whatsoever.

North American Title: Myles Borne(c) vs. Jackson Drake

Ok so this is going to be confusing and a lot of it depends on which order the matches follow. The idea is that Borne is a double champion (because that has to be a thing) and is defending both titles in a single night. I’m not sure which one he’s going to be defending first but it feels like he’ll be losing the second one due to being banged up in the first match. Now which one will that be?

The more logical way is Borne loses the Tag Team Titles here so I’ll say that he retains the title over Drake here. Drake is someone who has moved up the ladder from pretty much nothing to a fine midcard star. He’ll get his chance down the line, though I’m not sure if I can imagine it happening here. I’ll take Borne to win here, though that’s all going to depend on the order of the matches.

Tag Team Titles: Myles Borne/Tavion Heights(c) vs. Vanity Project

So this is the second half of the equation and it follows the first half, with Borne defending again. I’m liking the idea of having Borne out there this much as he’s a talented star, but odds are he has to lose at least one of the titles here. There is no reason to have him keep both titles and while he been North American Champion for a long time, it would make sense for him to hang onto that belt. So what does that mean?

This one has me a bit more sure as Borne/Heights doesn’t exactly feel like a long term team at the top of the division. Throw in the whole double champion thing and there is no reason to believe that they’re going to retain the titles. The Project just dropped the belts a few weeks ago and it would be nice to see them getting the titles back, if nothing else to have them drive people a bit crazier by retaining against better teams.

Women’s North American Title/Women’s Speed Title: Zaria(c) vs. Wren Sinclair(c) vs. Kali Armstrong

This is a winner take all unification match as the Speed Title is going away, as it should be doing. The title had an idea behind it but it never felt like a long term concept. That’s why we’re getting rid of the belt, as it doesn’t need to stick around. I’m just not sure who is going to walk away with the title, as they have a match that feels a bit thrown together but I could see it going any way.

I think I’ll actually go with Armstrong leaving as champion. Sinclair is someone who hasn’t gotten much out of being champion so there isn’t much of a reason to keep the belt on her. On the other hand Zaria has been champion for a bit and doesn’t really need to hold onto it that much longer. I’ll go with Armstrong winning here, just because it would be weird to add her to the match to not have her win. It could go any way, but I’ll take Armstrong.

Women’s Title: Kendal Grey(c) vs. Kelani Jordan

This is a story that we’ve seen time after time, as Jordan has spent months complaining that she can’t get a title shot and is finally getting a chance to see what she can do. At the same time you have Grey, who feels like the next big thing and I’m not sure where they’ll go here. Having Jordan lose would be weird, but Grey losing would feel like a setback out of nowhere.

I’ll go with Grey retaining here, as it feels like the better option. Jordan has already established herself and I don’t see the need for her to win the title here. Grey is someone who feels like she could be on her way to the main roster sooner or later, but she probably needs some more time down in NXT. At the moment though she needs to do that as the champion while Jordan can find something else to do. Grey retains.

NXT Title: Tony D’Angelo(c) vs. Zilla Fatu vs. Grayson Waller vs. Cruz Montana

Oh boy we’ve saved the best for last, as I have no idea who is leaving with the title here. You have D’Angelo, who has been champion for several months now, Waller who cut the promo of his life a few weeks ago, Montana as the hot newcomer, and Fatu as the smooth newercomer who is rather different than just about anything I was expecting. Any of the four could leave with the title and that means we could be in for something interesting.

Actually, I think I’ll go with Waller winning here. Fatu is someone who can get the title in a big moment later on, D’Angelo…..no, and Montana is already the most over of the four and will be just fine with getting the title later on. Waller is someone who would get a lot bigger with a win here and he could steal a pin without making anyone look weaker. It makes sense and while I might not be the most confident in the pick, I’ll go with Waller here.

Overall Thoughts

The good thing here is that the TV shows have made me care about what is going on here. They very well could have a lot of changes taking place in the title pictures and that might be something that NXT needs. The show has been going through a bunch of roster changes and now we get to see what the new group can do. It very well could work out and I’m optimistic about where this is going.

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To put it mildly, the Summerslam card is looking stacked. There are some major matches on both nights of the show, but for some reason the more interesting thing is how badly the ticket sales have gone. That’s become the big story outside of the actual WWE programming, which is a shame as the card is looking good. That is certainly the case for the first night so let’s get to it.

Raw Women’s Title: Liv Morgan(c) vs. Iyo Sky

Why does it feel like the big plan was originally going to be Sky vs. Rhea Ripley at the Crown Jewel show in Saudi Arabia? It would certainly fit and serve as a way to do champion vs. champion, though I’m not sure if that’s going to be possible for a few reasons. Not only is Ripley injured, but there is still the question of who leaves with the title here. Morgan has gotten a lot more serious about this one and that has me curious.

As much as it would make sense for Sky to win here, I’m not sure I can imagine Morgan dropping the title. I’ll take Morgan to actually retain the title, even though I don’t think she has defended it in almost four months at this point. It feels like Morgan’s Judgment Day cronies are going to be involved here to help Morgan out and that should be enough to retain the title. At least in theory.

LA Knight/Royce Keys/Solo Sikoa vs. Bloodline

Yeah you knew there was going to be a Bloodline match on here as they are required to be on just about every show somewhere in there. That’s going to be the case again here, as Knight has been having issues with the team for a very long time now. This time though he actually has some help, in the form of a completely randomized team which feels like it was pulled out of a hat.

All that being said, I can’t imagine the Bloodline loses here as it’s just not their nature. Knight has lost time after time and it seems likely to be the case again, probably with Keys taking the fall. This one has me intrigued at least and it’s good to see Keys getting a chance on the bigger stage. Knight still needs to get a big win somewhere in there, but I don’t think it happens here.

Gunther vs. Nick Aldis

Now here we have something interesting as Aldis hasn’t wrestled in years, including at all in WWE. The good thing though is that he is quite the successful wrestler in his own right so this is hardly one sided. It’s a story that has been done for years before and I could go for seeing it again here. Gunther can work with anyone and Aldis is a bit better than most anyone, so they have some potential.

There’s no reason to think that Aldis has a real chance here, but he should put up a good effort in defeat. Let us see what he can do in this kind of a spot, as it’s been set up for a long enough time. I’m not sure how well this goes for Gunther at a show this big, but it should be good for a showcase for both of them. At the same time, at least it feels unique and that’s better than just having him smash through someone as usual.

Bella Twins/Paige vs. Fatal Influence

Ok. You’ve known where this was going the second that Nikki wasn’t able to wrestle at Wrestlemania. They haven’t tried to hide the story in any way and the entire Brie/Paige title reign was just a bridge to get us here. The whole thing has been about the Bellas getting their big title win because it’s been far too long before they get their big moment. That’s what we’re waiting on and this is just a means to get us to that end.

Of course I’ll go with the Bellas and Paige winning here, because it’s the BELLAS and therefore we have to treat them like the all time legends that they have always been. So what if Fatal Influence are the new Women’s Tag Team Champions? The Bellas need the win more and while I’d love to be wrong, it’s hard to fathom that this winds up going anywhere else because of course.

Oba Femi vs. Brock Lesnar

There are some matches where you know what you’re going to get and it’s just exciting to see it coming. That’s what we have here as the two of them are going to beat the living daylights out of each other. While I still do not like the whole King Of The Ring thing with Femi, at least they should be in for a heck of a fight here as Lesnar should know exactly what to do with this one. He certainly seems interested in making Femi look like a killer and this is the best place to do it.

In theory, this should be Femi being the one to finally beat Lesnar in his own big match and I’ll go with that happening. Having Lesnar beat Femi once was questionable enough and I really don’t want to see it happen again. The good thing is I don’t think they’ll do that here so I’ll take Femi to win. I have no idea what either of them do next, but it’s Lesnar vs. Femi in the Cell. That’s all you really need yes?

Smackdown World Title: CM Punk(c) vs. Cody Rhodes

I’m assuming this is headlining but honestly it’s far from a guarantee. The interesting thing is they could easily go with either of them winning and that’s not a place you find yourself in very often. The problem though is Rhodes is in something of a dry spell right now. He’s just kind of there as a top star and there isn’t much about him that makes me want to see what he’s doing next. Granted it doesn’t help that while he’s a good talker, he’s in there with one of the best of all time. How is he supposed to survive that?

Honestly this is kind of a coin flip for me, and while they have planted the seeds of Rhodes turning heel (as per Paul Heyman a month or two ago), I don’t think they’re ready to do that yet. With that not being the case, I’ll take Punk to retain here. You don’t want him losing in his two biggest title matches of the year and really, I think we need a pretty long break from Rhodes atop the title picture. He’ll be fine and there are a bunch of people he could face, but it doesn’t need to be for the World Title right now. Punk retains in a match that really could go either way.

Overall Thoughts

The potential is absolutely here for this, with the World Title match likely being awesome and Femi vs. Lesnar having all of the hype needed. You also have the Women’s Title as a potential sleeper hit and Aldis vs. Gunther should be good. I’m not wild on the two night structure, but the pieces are absolutely in the right place for this to work.

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So it’s time for Redemption and that means…I have no idea actually, as this show isn’t exactly feeling important. We are only a few weeks away from All In and AEW has made it clear that is the show that really matters. The thing is I’m sure the action will work and thank goodness it’s starting an hour earlier than Forbidden Door. Let’s get to it.

Kickoff Show: Trios Titles: Conglomeration(c) vs. Lethal Twist

This was added to the card on Collision this week and sure why not. The six man titles are a fine way to get a show going and the fans are going to get behind anything the Conglomeration does. It helps that the Lethal Twist are a regular team and it’s interesting to see an actual unit getting a chance like this. Granted they’re more regulars in ROH but it’s better than nothing.

There is no reason to believe that the titles are changing hands here so I’ll go with the Conglomeration retaining. It should be a nice seven to ten minute match to warm up the crowd and that’s what a Kickoff Show match is supposed to be. Just don’t do a bunch of them over and over and everything should be fine. But yeah for now, the champions retain the titles.

Tag Team Titles: Adam Copeland/Christian Cage(c) vs. Death Riders

The title reign has been kind of a weird one, but it still feels like we’re on the way to big ladder match with the Bucks at All In (possibly FTR as well). That leaves us with some not so thrilling title defenses, first with the Dogs and now this one. I’m sure the match will be fine, but it feels pretty thrown together without much of a story outside of the Riders attacking the champs.

At the end of the day, it’s Pac and Claudio Castagnoli challenging so I’ll say the champions retain. There isn’t much of a reason to believe that the titles are changing before All In, with the champions being set up for something bigger in just over a month. Castagnoli has been a jobber to the stars for a long time now and that is going to be the case for a good while, as he isn’t winning a title here.

International Title: Kyle Fletcher(c) vs. Bandido

It’s time to have Bandido face another singles champion on an AEW pay per view with almost no chance for him to win. As usual, the ROH World Title isn’t a factor here whatsoever, which is a great way to extend his title reign high up the ranks. I have no idea how Bandido is the only choice to take these losses and it’s not doing ROH any favors, but neither is a lot of the stuff done there.

So of course I’ll go with Fletcher to retain here, as there is no reason to believe that Bandido is going to snap his losing streak in these matches. The match will be rather awesome as both of these guys are outstanding when they’re given the chance, but that is only going to do so much good for Bandido when he keeps losing. Either let him win something or just don’t put him in these matches time after time.

Bang Bang Gang vs. Dogs

This is a double chain match and I continue to not get the appeal of the Dogs. It feels like a team I needed to watch for years in New Japan to really get as they’re just kind of there week after week. They’ve been feuding with the Bang Bang Gang for a few weeks now and that should at least lead to a good match. I’m just not sure why it needs to be in a double chain match.

The Gang is back to full strength for the first time in forever and Jay White needs the win to help establish himself a bit more so we’ll go in that direction. Hopefully the Gang is able to stay healthy this time around, as the injuries have just wrecked them. Let them get a win here, as I have no idea what the point is in boosting up the Dogs, who just don’t feel all that important.

Young Bucks vs. Will Ospreay/Jon Moxley

So here we have one of the bigger stories in AEW, as Moxley has seemingly poisoned Ospreay’s mind and turned him to the dark side, just as he is on the way to the World Title shot at All In. There is a grand total of zero reason to believe that Ospreay is going to go into the title match in his home country as a villain, so the question becomes when Ospreay turns on the Death Riders.

I don’t think it happens here though, as I’ll go with Ospreay and Moxley to win a heck of a fight, as the Bucks can do rather well in this kind of a match. For now though, they need to lose to show that Ospreay has gotten better under Moxley, though I’m not sure where that leads. The Bucks lose now though, as Ospreay has something much bigger going on for All In anyway.

National Title: Mark Davis(c) vs. Andrade El Idolo

Now we get to something that has me intrigued, as this could go in a few different ways. Davis is on fire right now and having the singles run of a lifetime. At the same time, there is something to be said about El Idolo being this good as well. I could go for seeing him win the title on the way up to the main event, though it really is a match that could go in either direction.

I’ll go with El Idolo winning here, but I really hope that Davis gets another chance sooner than later. He’s doing far too well lately to just be left by the wayside. For now though, El Idolo moving up is the right way to go. I could see some interference costing El Idolo the title, though I’ll go with El Idolo winning the title here, which is the best of the good options that they have.

Jack Perry vs. The Beast Mortos vs. Komander vs. Mike Bailey vs. Nick Wayne vs. El Clon

This is a ladder match (because of course it is) for a shot at the International Title at some point in the future. As usual, there are a few names who just aren’t going to win here and that makes things a bit easier. You can pretty easily write off Mortos, Wayne and Clon, the latter of whom I had almost forgotten even worked here. That leaves you with three potential winners and one of them stands out pretty strong.

The key here is that this show is taking place in Bailey’s hometown of Montreal. That is a pretty easy way to set him up as a winner and while it seems that the big match is Bailey vs. Knight (ok not really big but AEW is presenting it as important because they used to be partners, which apparently makes any match important). I’ll go with Bailey winning here, as it is such a natural fit.

Women’s Title: Thekla(c) vs. Willow Nightingale

This is where All In rears its head again, as Mercedes Mone is waiting on the winner at the biggest show of the year. Thekla is someone who has turned into one of the most entertaining stars on the AEW roster and it is fun to hear whatever insanity she has going through her head during any given week. On the other hand though, it’s asking a lot to have Nightingale lose again here, and that’s where this might fall apart.

With Mone set to challenge the winner, I’ll go with Nightingale winning the title here. I don’t want to see Thekla lose the belt here, but it’s hard to imagine Mone challenging Thekla for the title. We’ve seen Mone take a title from Nightingale before and I’m hoping that they don’t do it again. That means Nightingale has to win though, and I’ll say that’s what we get here.

Tommaso Ciampa vs. Chris Jericho

This is No DQ and the big deal here is that it’s the Painmaker version of Jericho, which he’s used….oh at least a handful of times. Jericho has already lost to Ciampa in the first place but it’s time to see it happen again. This latest run hasn’t been the most successful for Jericho from a win/loss perspective and he is getting close to actually needing a win, which is hard to fathom.

I just don’t think that win comes here, as Ciampa losing in the big gimmick rematch would take a lot away from him. Ciampa has gotten somewhere with this run and I would hope that it doesn’t come crashing to a halt here. This should be a good fight with two people who work well together. Jericho will put up a great fight, but it needs to end up with a losing effort.

TBS Title: Hikaru Shida(c) vs. Maya World

World got a heck of a push in the Owen Hart Cup, but she still hasn’t actually won anything. That creates a problem, as she has to actually get some kind of an accolade before it stops mattering all that much. Winning the title here would be a great moment, though it feels more like Athena and the Ring Of Honor Women’s Title are more her destiny. She does have a chance here though and that’s rather intriguing.

As much as I think it would make sense, I just can’t picture Shida actually losing the title here. She’s not the strongest champion in the world and having World win the belt here would be great, but I’m not seeing it happening. Hopefully they find something world World to do and it’s far from crazy to imagine her winning here. I’m expecting the win to be delayed again though, assuming it ever actually happens.

AEW World Title: Kenny Omega(c) vs. Kevin Knight

This is where I’m wondering if they have some kind of a swerve planned here, as while this might wind up as a great title match, it’s not something that feels like a major pay per view main event. I wouldn’t even be surprised if this didn’t headline the show, as it just doesn’t really fit in that spot. It doesn’t help that Knight doesn’t feel like any kind of a threat to winning the title, which would be the case even without All In.

So yeah there is no reason to believe that the titles is changing hands here, as Omega is already set for the big title match at All In. That’s what the majority of the promos have been about and it doesn’t feel like Knight is going to even give Omega a real threat. It’s rare to see the World Title match feel like the most obvious result but that is absolutely how it comes off here.

Overall Thoughts

The more I think about this show, the less interested I am in the whole thing. The thing to remember is that the show should be entertaining and the match quality won’t be a problem. AEW has long since proven that it can make any card work and I’m sure they’ll do it again here. This show still feels like Fully Loaded 1998 though and that could make for a rough night.

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Despite the fact that so many wrestlers who would be a big guest star here are already signed to AEW/ROH, we’re getting another one of these shows. There are some stars here from New Japan, Stardom and CMLL, which doesn’t exactly make for a unique experience. In addition we do have some title (shots) on the line and that’s other big focal point, which is only so thrilling. Let’s get to it.

Zero Hour: Women’s Tag Team Titles: Megan Bayne/Lena Kross(c) vs. Olympia/Thunder Rosa

This is Rosa and Olympia being thrown together for a random title shot because that’s what the titles have already reached. Rather than building up a team to be regular challengers, we’re getting a makeshift, thrown together team instead. At least this is just on the pre-show and not the main card so maybe this won’t get as much time otherwise. It’s another title match that feels tacked on for the sake of playing to the show’s theme and that’s hardly a great way to go.

Naturally I’ll take the champions to retain here, as they’re being treated as the monsters who shouldn’t be losing their titles anytime soon. That’s especially true with a team comprised of Rosa, who hasn’t won anything important in a good while, and Olympia, who tapped out clean in her match this week on ROH to really make her feel important. It should be fine as a warmup but that’s about all.

Zero Hour: Survival Of The Fittest Qualifying Match: Skye Blue vs. Maika

Here we have another guest star getting a random spot on the card for the sake of filling out the card. At least in this case it’s just for a spot in a six way match for the TBS Title rather than filling out a bracket, but it still only means so much. Maika hasn’t actually wrestled in AEW before but at least that means she hasn’t lost over and over again, which puts her ahead of some wrestlers.

I’ll take Maika to win here, as it allows one of the outsiders to get a victory that only means so much. Blue is hardly a big name but she has been around long enough that beating her might have a bit of an impact for Maika. It’s not like Maika is going to win the title in the end so let her get some kind of a victory and build her up a bit, as it’s not like anyone would buy Blue as a threat to win the whole thing anyway. Maika wins here.

Continental Title: Jon Moxley(c) vs. Bandido

Let’s get this one out of the way early, as there is a grand total of no reason to think that Bandido has even the first chance to win the title. This is just what Bandido does, as he is put in matches against big AEW stars, none of whom give any indication that they care about the Ring Of Honor World Title, and then Bandido loses. That’s what we’ll be seeing here again, of course.

I’m not even bothering to suggest that this is up in the air whatsoever as there is just no point. Moxley is the most successful star AEW has ever had and he isn’t about to lose to Bandido, who might be talented but doesn’t win big matches. I’m sure the match will be good, but if Bandido is going to keep doing this kind of stuff, can he lose the title already to keep whatever value it might still cling to?

Women’s Title: Thekla(c) vs. Starlight Kid

I’m going to make this clear rather quickly: I do not care about Thekla’s issues with Stardom. I do not care about Stardom. I do not care about Kid’s quest to defend Stardom from Thekla. She’s already the AEW Women’s Champion and that title reign has basically been put on ice for the last month while we deal with whatever issue she has coming out of a promotion she doesn’t work for anymore. It feels like a Stardom story which is coming over here instead and that’s not exactly must see material.

Naturally I’ll take Thekla to retain so we can move back to the women of AEW getting their chance at the title. The problem here isn’t Kid, who is a rather talented star. The problem is that the whole thing has been about Stardom and Thekla’s issues with its owner. That’s not what I watch AEW to see and it’s basically seen a title locked down for weeks while we wait on this show to be over. Stop doing that.

Tag Team Titles: Adam Copeland/Christian Cage(c) vs. The Dogs

So Copeland and Cage won the titles for their big moment and now they need someone to come after those titles. This is as good as anyone else for a first major title defense, as the Dogs have come after them more than once to set up the match. It’s a fine enough idea and that’s all it needs to be. This is little more than a pit stop before the champions are likely going to be climbing a ladder against the Young Bucks and FTR in Wembley.

Of course the champs retain here, as the Dogs are hardly a big enough team to get the titles off of them at this point. It’s not a bad thing to go with a title defense that will make the champions sweat for a bit and that’s what we’ll get here. This should work out well enough, as the Canadians are more than talented enough to get something out of the Dogs, especially if this doesn’t go on too long.

Young Bucks vs. Sky Team vs. Unbound Co.

This is the AEW vs. CMLL vs. New Japan match and that’s not a bad idea. It’s one of the few matches here that feel like it should be on a Forbidden Door card and that’s nice to see after everything else. If nothing else, it should be nice to see the Bucks and Sky Team fly around and do all of their stuff. It’s worked before on their own and it should work out rather well here.

I’ll take Sky Team to win, as Mistico is a big enough star that you do not want him losing in a match like this. The whole point of this match is to do a bunch of high flying and big spots and that’s going to work out rather well. Sky Team going over is the right call and they might even beat the Bucks to do it. If nothing else, at least we’ve seen the Sky Team a few times so they won’t be out of nowhere, which is a good attribute to have here.

IWGP Global Title: Shota Umino(c) vs. Pac

This is a match that could wind up being a potential show stealer, with Pac being able to work well with anyone and Umino being good enough most of the time. Pac has become someone you can depend on to have a heck of a match most of the time and while I’m not sure on him winning the title, at least it should come with one of the better matches on the show.

While I think Pac at least has a chance to win the title, I’ll take Umino to retain here. The good thing is they should beat the living daylights out of each other on the way there, as tends to be the case in Pac’s matches. I’ve only seen a bit of Umino but his time with Moxley was good enough and it might even tie into the match here. Hopefully this one does as well as it could, as the show could use the boost.

Zack Sabre Jr. vs. Kenny Omega

Here’s your dream match of the show and this should work out rather well. Sabre is one of the best technical wrestlers in the world today and Omega is AEW’s living legend. It’s not a match that needs much of a story and they haven’t given it one, which is how this should go. This is one of the matches where you just put the names up there and the match sells itself, which is how Forbidden Door worked back in its early days.

For this one, I’ll go with Omega as again, it makes sense for the star who is sticking around to get the big win. Sabre is an established name and beating him should get Omega ready for whatever his big deal is going to be this summer. Omega can put in the work to make this a success and Sabre can do various horrible things to Omega’s limbs in the process. At the end of the day though, Omega wins after a rather hard fought battle.

Team MJF vs. Team Briscoe

Here we have a twelve man tag inside a cage, because that’s an idea that is going to work. I’m assuming the idea here is that MJF’s knee is a bit too banged up and he can’t wrestle a singles match at the moment. That’s perfectly fine and understandable, though I’m not sure how that means we need to have twelve people in the same match. Then again if it wasn’t be stuffed to the gills, it wouldn’t belong in AEW.

There is no reason to think that Team MJF has much of a chance here so we’ll go with Briscoe and company winning. The win will give Briscoe the World Title shot at whatever the next pay per view (or maybe Beach Break) and that has to be set up somehow. The match is likely to be a big mess but at least it sets something up and can have other consequences in the Don Callis Family. Hopefully some of the people fight off here though, as the ring is going to need the extra space.

Women’s Owen Hart Cup Finals: Mercedes Mone vs. Maya World

I’m not sure what to think about this one. In theory, Mone wins the tournament again because she’s Mone and has to win everything because she’s the biggest star in the history of ever. On the other hand though, I’m not sure I get why World would be put into this spot if she was just going to lose in the end. It’s not like Mone gets much out of beating World, who is playing with the house’s money, but I also can’t picture World going on to All In.

Therefore, I’ll take Mone winning in an underwhelming result. Mone has been here before and I don’t quite get the appeal of seeing her in this spot again, but I guess she hasn’t won a title recently enough so it’s time to set her up to do it again. World winning would be an absolute shock and I’d prefer to see it happen, but I just can’t picture that being the case here.

Men’s Owen Hart Cup Finals: Will Ospreay vs. Swerve Strickland

Finally we have the next step of one of the odder stories in a long time, as the Death Riders broke Ospreay’s neck but are now training him to get better from his neck injury. Therefore, he can have a rather physical match against Strickland with the winner moving on to the likely main event of the biggest AEW show of the year. That’s quite a way to go, but we have a few months between now and then to make it even stranger.

There is a grand total of no reason to believe that Strickland has a chance here and that has been obvious from the second Ospreay was announced for the field. This isn’t a subtle story and while that makes sense in theory, it could make for quite the lengthy wait before we finally get to the result. Ospreay wins here and while it should be a heck of a match, it really shouldn’t be in doubt.

Overall Thoughts

The biggest issue here is how little most of this show seems to matter. The three most important matches on the show are all about title shots which are going to happen later on, leaving this with a bunch of midcard titles matches and guest stars. It should be a good show as most AEW pay per views tend to be, but my goodness it does not feel overly important and that’s becoming a bigger issue with Forbidden Door year after year.

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Well we’re back with the Great American Bash, thankfully without the country music concerts that Dusty Rhodes would throw in back in the 80s. These NXT events are now following the same format as the main roster pay per views so we only have five matches this time. As usual, we have mostly title matches with a fifth match being about a grudge, though it’s only so interesting in the first place. Let’s get to it.

Saquon Shuggars vs. Dion Lennox

Darkstate explodes in the only non-title match on the show and I’m not sure how interesting that really is. The problem is that Darkstate felt like second cousin twice removed of the Shield, Retribution and the Nexus, which isn’t much of a compliment. Lennox is pretty much the de facto leader so Shuggars taking out the other two in order to get to him is as good as it’s going to get.

While Lennox needs the win more, I’ll go with Shuggars winning here, hopefully to kill off Darkstate for good. The team hasn’t been interesting in a long time now and there is pretty much no reason for them to continue. Lennox isn’t great either but he’s at least treated like something important so he should have something after this match. I’m really not sure I see it with Shuggars either, but he’s the better pick here.

Women’s Speed Title: Wren Sinclair(c) vs. Arianna Grace

So yeah this title is still a thing and I really could go for it not being such a thing. There is no need for the women’s division to have three titles, especially one like the Speed Title which still feels like a weird novelty. Sinclair is injured coming in but even a less than great Sinclair is still incredibly entertaining. The other two are a bit less thrilling, though they could both leave as champion.

I’ll take…actually I’ll take Grace to win here, as Sinclair could do a few different things without it while Grace is someone who could get a long way while being the undeserving champion. Hopefully Sinclair gets the chance to do something better when she’s healthy, but the Speed Title isn’t doing much for her anyway. Grace is almost a Honky Tonk Man style champion and that could work well for something like the Speed Title. Grace wins here and hopefully lives down to expectations as a result.

Women’s Title: Lola Vice(c) vs. Kendal Grey

Now this is more interesting as we have the established champion in Vice and the up and coming star in Grey. It is pretty clear that Grey is going to be a big deal in NXT and likely win the title at least once during her time in NXT. The question is does that happen here, because Vice is someone who has been a big star for a long time now and it might be a surprise to see her drop the title here.

As much as I want to say Grey wins the title, I don’t think it happens here as Vice retains the title. This is the title match that I could see going either way and it would not surprise me whatsoever to see Grey become champion. Vice feels like a big star though and there are a variety of women waiting to come after the title. The match should be good as Grey knows how to play the underdog, but ultimately she comes up short. I think. Maybe.

North American Title: Myles Borne(c) vs. Tavion Heights

So here we have something of a personal grudge match, as they were teammates in the No Quarter Catch Crew but both have gone their own way. Borne has done a good bit better than Heights thus far though and that is not ok with Heights, who wants a win of his own. That is how title matches can go a lot of the time and hopefully it winds up working out here, as this could be a good match.

While I could see Heights winning (and I would approve of it as I’ve been a fan for a bit now), Borne winning can leave him to go after some other, bigger named challengers. The match itself should be good as you have an Olympic wrestler in Heights and someone who knows how to wrestle an exciting match in Borne. Throw in the personal issue and it should work, even with Borne retaining.

NXT Title: Tony D’Angelo(c) vs. Naraku

I’ve been trying to get into D’Angelo as champion and it’s just not quite working. D’Angelo has come a long way since his ridiculously goofy days as a mob don. He’s a star in NXT and has the lineage, but that doesn’t mean he’s the right choice to be the top star. On the other hand you have Naraku, who certainly has his own legacy, even if it isn’t in NXT thus far. It’s kind of a weird pairing for a title match but it might be what needs to happen.

I’ll go with Naraku winning here, as he’s a bigger star and someone who should be able to get put into the title picture rather quickly. Go with Naraku winning here, though I’m not sure where that leaves D’Angelo. I can’t picture him going to the main roster but what in the world does he have left in NXT? Either way, Naraku needs to win so the experiment can end, as it doesn’t seem to be working here.

Overall Thoughts

As has been the case with a lot of these bigger NXT events in recent months, nothing really feels like a big match. On the other hand though, nothing feels unimportant and that’s a great thing to see. The show should be fine and NXT has done a good job of making me want to see a lot of mostly new names fight, which isn’t the easiest trick to pull off. Some of these matches should be rather entertaining and if they throw in a twist or two, it rather well could be a nice night.

Remember to follow me on Twitter and Bluesky @kbreviews and head over to my Amazon author page with 30 different cheap wrestling books at:

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