We’re here. It’s finally Wrestlemania Weekend and that means it is time to get ready for the biggest event of the year. As has been the case in recent years, the show will be held over two nights, which might work a little better this year. We know the matches assigned to both nights so now we can have a better idea of what to expect. Both nights have their strengths so we’ll start with Saturday. Let’s get to it.

US Title: Austin Theory(c) vs. John Cena

This is how the show is starting so they’re going with one of the bigger names first. These two have been bickering on and off for months and it might be the time for Theory to take his step to the next level. Cena verbally destroyed Theory a few weeks back and after that massacre, Theory almost has to win. I’m not sure how (or if) they get there, but it is what needs to be done.

I’ve had both winners written out and can’t make up my mind. As much sense as it makes for Theory to win, I could absolutely see Cena winning here for the feel good moment and then dropping the title again at Backlash or even this week. Every instinct I have says Cena but I’ll go with Theory, as my instincts seem to be wrong. Theory retains, but it absolutely would not surprise me to see Cena get the title.

Rey Mysterio vs. Dominik Mysterio

This is the personal match of the night and that should make for a nice showdown. In short, people are wanting to see Rey shut up his loudmouthed son who has run his mouth for months now. They have played the long game with this one and that makes the match feel so much better. I want to see Rey win on the big stage, but there’s one problem with that.

I’ll take Dominik winning here, as he isn’t pushing 50 and isn’t an active Hall of Famer. It makes far more sense for Dominik to win and in this case that is the right thing to do. Dominik has spent months (if not years) trying to forge his own identity and now he almost has one. Having Rey beat him would take away so much of what he has built up. Dominik cheats to win (with the required Eddie Guerrero reference) and brags about it forever, or at least until a likely rematch.

Braun Strowman/Ricochet vs. Street Profits vs. Alpha Academy vs. Viking Raiders

This is one of the weirder ideas that WWE has had in a long time as we have a men’s (and a women’s on Sunday) four way tag team match for the sake of getting people on the card. It’s a situation where putting something on the line would make a lot of sense but instead, this is just for bragging rights. Maybe they’ll throw a title shot out there at the last minute, but for now we just have a match.

I’ll go with the Strowman and Ricochet to win, as there is a tendency for the newer teams to get surprise wins. The Academy is busy with the Maximum Male Models stuff and the Raiders would make weird winners. Strowman and Ricochet are fresher than the Profits, who seem like they are heading for singles runs anyway. The lack of stakes make this one all the stranger though, as with nothing to fight for, anyone could win it.

Seth Rollins vs. Logan Paul

Now this is one of the interesting ones as I could see them going either way again. I don’t think it’s any secret that Paul has been a complete stunner of talent and skill, but one of the key things is that he has only beaten the Miz in a singles match. There is a difference between beating a glorified goof like Miz and pinning one of the biggest stars in WWE at Wrestlemania. I’m not saying it won’t happen, but that is a big step to take.

It’s another coin flip but I’ll take Rollins, who very well could be slotted int the World Title scene shortly after Wrestlemania. The thing about Paul is his celebrity status alone means he doesn’t need to win something like this so going with Paul winning would be a little weird. It’s something that could happen, but I’ll take Rollins to win here, as he should….I think.

Trish Stratus/Lita/Becky Lynch vs. Damage Ctrl

This is your legends match of the show but int his case one of the legends is a reigning champion. The real question is what becomes of the titles shortly after this, as there is a good chance that they are going to change hands before things get much further. Before we get there though, there is a six woman tag to deal with and it might determine where things go from here.

I’ll actually take Damage Ctrl to win here, possibly with the ending helping to set up wherever we are going next with the legends. That opens up more than a few doors, many of which could be rather interesting. What matters is that Damage Ctrl gets back on the winning side and they could do that here by beating the legends and Lynch, who will probably be having the bigger story going forward anyway.

Smackdown Women’s Title: Charlotte(c) vs. Rhea Ripley

There are two options for the Night One main event and this is the singles version. The idea here is that Charlotte is living in the past and thinking that she is facing the same Ripley that she beat three years ago while Ripley knows that she is a different person. Ripley has come a long, long way in the last several months and it is certainly going to be something else coming after Charlotte.

While there is always the “it’s Charlotte” principle, this has to be Ripley winning the title and there is no way around it. I’m not sure why I’m supposed to like Charlotte but she is being presented as more of the hero in this whole thing. Ripley is on fire right now and needs the win or the gap between Charlotte and almost everyone else will get even wider than it already is. Go with the logical move here and pick Ripley.

Tag Team Titles: Usos(c) vs. Kevin Owens/Sami Zayn

Then you have this match which should headline the show. At the end of the day, the Bloodline has been the biggest thing in WWE over the last few years and with the team in more danger than they have been before, it would make sense to put this on last. Otherwise, I would feel sorry for Charlotte and Ripley, who would be left out there to get ignored by the fans.

As much as it seems like this should be a layup, WWE has made me wonder if Owens and Zayn will win the titles. I’ll go with new champions, but it is the kind of choice that will probably be wrong. The Bloodline has to lose at some point and this would be a good place to start. The rest of the story can take pace the following night, but for now the Usos need to go down to the Canadian Connection.

Overall Thoughts

I don’t know about you, but I’m ready for Wrestlemania. This year’s card looks great and the first night has a lot of the good stuff. There is a lot to get out of this card and I’d like to see how well the new regime actually runs the biggest event of the year. If nothing else, all of the pieces are there and now they need to actually make all of it work after all of the work they have put in.

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NXT has come a long way in the last few months, having gotten away from the 2.0 stuff and trying to get back to where it was before everything went coconuts. A good portion of that is getting on the road again and that is what they are doing here with the biggest show of the year. As was the case last year, this is a glorified warmup to Wrestlemania, but it is also a heck of a card on its own with a major showdown in the main event. Let’s get to it.

Women’s Tag Team Titles: Kiana James/Fallon Henley(c) vs. Alba Fyre/Isla Dawn

This is one of your classic tropes of partners, or even champions in this case, who can’t stand each other but have to work together. Henley and James don’t like each other over what James might be doing to Henley’s friend Brooks Jensen and James isn’t exactly being open about things. Now they have to fight these monsters and that could be quite the problem for them.

I’ll go with new champions here, as James and Henley don’t feel like they are supposed to be long form champs. Fyre needs to win SOMETHING in NXT and this is about as good as it is probably going to get or her. That being said, it would not shock me a bit to see the angle drawn out even more, as there is a love of dragging out stories that could be over in about five minutes if someone would watch the TV show. But yeah, Dawn and Fyre win.

Tag Team Titles: Gallus(c) vs. Creed Brothers vs. Tony D’Angelo/Stacks

This is a match that has been set up over a few weeks, mainly due to drinking and shooting pool at a local bar. Gallus are the big brawlers, the Creeds are the big wrestlers and D’Angelo and Stacks have mob ties so they can get whatever shot they want. Oddly, D’Angelo and Stacks have been leaning more towards the good side of late and it’s strangely working for them. I’m not sure that’s enough to win the titles though.

I’ll take Gallus to retain here, as they haven’t really done much with the belts so far. Their look alone is enough to get them a chance, but they can back it up well enough. The Creeds have already had their title reign and don’t need another so soon, but D’Angelo and Stacks winning would make some sense too. For now though, I’ll go with Gallus retaining, as they can lose them in a big regular tag match later.

Chase U/Tyler Bate vs. Schism

Here we have a match that should go one way but very well may go in the stupid way instead. Schism continues to be one of the least interesting, most annoying and useless things I have seen in wrestling in a very long time and they have already dragged Chase U down with them over the last few weeks. The winner of this gets control of Chase U and Duke Hudson isn’t exactly happy with what he has been doing lately. This doesn’t instill me with hope.

For the sake of my sanity, I’ll go with Chase U, as I absolutely cannot take Schism getting another featured role. Schism talking as much as they do now is annoying as all goodness and it would be hard to fathom them getting to talk even more. Chase U really needs a win too and it would be great to see them FINALLY get to shut these pests up. I’m completely unsure if they will, but for the love of all things good and holy do the smart thing here.

North American Title: Wes Lee(c) vs. Ilja Dragunov vs. Dragon Lee vs. JD McDonagh vs. Axiom

For once this isn’t a ladder match and that was quite the relief to see. Instead it’s a scramble, with Wes wanting to face ten challengers at once but only getting four. In this case I could see a bunch of people walking away as champion, with Wes being right in the middle after having a rather strong reign with the title. It’s nice to have something this wide open as it leaves you with a bunch of options.

I’ll go with…..I think I’ll go with McDonagh winning, as he has been teased to win something big for a long time now and they might as well let him steal the pin here. Wes has held the title long enough that he doesn’t need to hold it much longer and a bunch of people could chase McDonagh very quickly. This is wide open and that makes for a fun match, which at least doesn’t involve a ladder.

Johnny Gargano vs. Grayson Waller

This is the personal match of the show as Waller is the huge pain and Gargano is standing up to fight for NXT. The match seems to be unsanctioned, even though Waller didn’t seem to sign the contract to make it official this week. What matters is getting Gargano back to his roots as it doesn’t seem to be working so well on the main roster. At least he is getting a chance here and it should be good.

I’ll take Gargano here in the big feel good moment as Waller has shown he can find a way to get back on top just by complaining enough. He is one of those people who will never shut up and he can do that all over again after Gargano wins. If nothing else, this ends the Gargano/Shawn Michaels issues with Waller and we can move on, as I’m sure Waller can find another target quickly enough.

Women’s Title: Roxanne Perez(c) vs. Tiffany Stratton vs. Zoey Stark vs. Gigi Dolin vs. Lyra Valkyria vs. Indi Hartwell

NOW we get to the ladder match and Perez is back to defend her title after missing a few weeks. As usual, you can eliminate some names right off the bat from this, as I can’t imagine Stark or Hartwell getting the title. At the same time, Dolin is shaky at best but could be an X factor. That leaves a few names as possible winners and that makes things more interesting.

I’ll go with Stratton winning here, as her winning the title and bragging about it would be perfect for her. You can then have Perez chase the title that she was never pinned for while also playing into her recent medical issues. Dolin or Valkyria winning isn’t out of the question, but this feels like it should be Stratton or Perez. I’ll take the former, in another match that could be wide open.

NXT Title: Bron Breakker(c) vs. Carmelo Hayes

This is the match that has been set up for months now because there is no one left for Breakker to face. Hayes has felt like the next big thing around here and can back it up as well as anyone else. He has the athleticism, the talking and the resume to make him feel like a star, but Breakker is another kind of force. This is a toss up match and I have a feeling that the loser is going to be making it up to the main roster.

I’ll go with….Hayes to win here, as there is just no reason to keep the title on Breakker much longer. While Hayes would be fine on the main roster at the moment, putting him on top of NXT for a bit feels like something he has earned. There is no bad ending here though and that is a great thing to see. This feels like a special match and I want to see how well they can make it work.

Overall Thoughts

The potential is here for a major show and that is great to see. What matters here is having the top talent around and the main event feels like a huge showdown. Going on the road makes the show feel that much bigger as this show is just a few hours before Wrestlemania. NXT has come a long way and they are looking like they deserve everything they are getting here. Now just make it work.

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It’s Revolution and things are not exactly feeling hot coming into the show. The main event is a sixty minute Iron Man match with Bryan Danielson challenging MJF for the World Title, which means there won’t be as much time for the usual deep card this time. Other than that, we have Hangman Page vs. Jon Moxley in a Texas Death Match and Christian Cage vs. Jungle Boy in what seems to be a Buried Alive match. Let’s get to it.

Zero Hour: Mark Briscoe/Lucha Bros vs. Ari Daivari/Varsity Athletes

The Mark Briscoe vs. Mark Sterling and company feud continues for reasons I don’t think I follow. Briscoe also has some new friends in the Lucha Bros and that means we could be in for a new trio. The division could certainly use them, but for now they have to get rid of something like this, as AEW is giving them a nice spot to get their feet wet as a three man team.

Of course I’ll take Briscoe and the Bros here, as there is no reason to suggest that Daivari and company will ever be winning anything important. If nothing else, it is nice to see Briscoe getting to do something, as that mention of Jay he made on Rampage was one of the sadder things I’ve heard in wrestling in forever. The obvious choice here is obvious though, and hopefully Briscoe gets to move on from the Sterling feud.

Tag Team Titles: Gunns(c) vs. Acclaimed vs. Jay Lethal/Jeff Jarrett vs. Orange Cassidy/Danhausen

For the life of me I still don’t get why the Acclaimed lost the titles in the first place, but they are already feeling nothing like they were just a month ago. This is another match where there are going to be a lot of people doing as much as they can, probably at the same time. That is not going to make it an easy match to keep track of, but that might be part of the plan.

I’ll take the Gunns to retain here, but I’m really curious to see what AEW has planned for them next. The tag team division has taken a hit in recent months (right around the time of the rise of the Trios Titles) and it could use a good match here. That is only going to get so far with four teams in there at once, but the champs win here, leaving the Acclaimed to continue their rapid fall down the mountain.

TNT Title: Samoa Joe(c) vs. Wardlow

This is a feud that has been going on for a good while now and has reached the point where Wardlow needs the win. Joe has not only beaten him but also taken away part of his hair. That should be grounds for Wardlow winning and winning big, but there is always the chance that things are not going to follow the strongest logic. On top of that, we already have Powerhouse Hobbs waiting on the winner, putting us….right back where we were months ago.

Anyway, I’ll take Wardlow to win here, as he almost needs to at this point. Wardlow has been beaten at almost every point so far and that means he has to pull this one off. Joe is someone who can be reheated almost immediately, even after he takes a long form Powerbomb Symphony. Let Wardlow win here, as he needs to get back on track after quite the derailment.

Jon Moxley vs. Hangman Page

This is a Texas Deathmatch as we hopefully wrap up a feud that felt like it should have wrapped up with their Los Angeles match. Instead, we are getting a match where these two can beat the fire out of each other, which does fit with what they have done to get here. Now that being said, these two can have one heck of a fight, and if they do that here, then we should be in for a pay per view quality brawl.

Page needs to win here and we’ll go with that, as Moxley can absorb a loss like almost no one else around AEW. This is going to be about the two of them beating each other over and over until one can’t get up, which is a good way to make a star. Page could use a big win here and surviving everything Moxley can throw at him can help him. Moxley winning wouldn’t surprise me, but Page going over makes more sense.

Women’s Title: Jamie Hayter(c) vs. Saraya vs. Ruby Soho

The three sided feud continues, with the originals vs. the newcomers vs. Soho. This feud has dominated the women’s division over the last few weeks and Soho has established herself as a weird third wing. That is where we are with the title match, as all three branches are fighting over the championship. It could change the way the feud goes, and that should tell you where things are going.

As much as I would think Hayter retaining the title would make sense or giving Soho the win be some fresh blood in the title scene, I’m thinking Saraya leaves as champion. It is the kind of story that would keep the feud going the longest while also attempting to get something else out of Saraya. Hayter should retain the title, but my gut says Saraya gets it here in what will be treated as a big deal.

Ricky Starks vs. Chris Jericho

I’m still not sure what to think about this feud. While Starks has gotten one of the biggest wins of his career and may have outsmarted Jericho to keep the Jericho Appreciation Society away, the entire feud has been built on a horrible premise. Starks has already beaten Jericho, who has then put up every roadblock he can find to avoid facing Starks again. It doesn’t make the most sense, yet here we are anyway.

I keep having to shake the feeling that Jericho will get the win here to somehow try and stretch this story out for one more match. Ignoring that though, I’ll assume that AEW doesn’t go insane and Starks just wins here. Starks needs to get away from Jericho and if he wins again here, he can do that with his next big win here. I would say I’m not sure what is next for Jericho, but it is probably going to be going after the next young and popular stars.

Christian Cage vs. Jungle Boy

And now, Buried Alive. Or the Final Burial, but based on what they’re saying, it sounds a lot like Buried Alive. The idea is that Cage has insulted Jungle Boy’s deceased father once too often, but their first “match” was Cage hitting the Killswitch on a beaten up Jungle Boy and then going away for six months. That seems like quite the leap to this level of a match, but why go sane when you can go nuts?

There is no reason for Jungle Boy to lose here so we’ll go with that, as he finally gets to show his aggression and beat Cage. I’m not sure what that means for Cage after this as a Buried Alive match kind of gets rid of you for awhile, but maybe they have some kind of out. For now though, I’m still trying to get my head around the stipulation, which feels like something created by a random number generator. Or a nine year old who thinks it sounds cool.

Trios Titles: Elite(c) vs. House Of Black

This one has me worried, as there is one way this match should go and quite a bit of reason for making me think it will not go that way. The Trios Titles seem to be made to give the Elite something to do and at the moment, there isn’t much of a division to fight over them. The House Of Black are the most viable challengers, but if the Elite wins, who are they supposed to fight anytime soon?

I’ll go with the logical hope and say the House Of Black wins here, but the Elite squeaking out a win wouldn’t surprise me either. The House Of Black has always felt like they should be this unstoppable force but at some point they need to actually win something to validate their hype. Starting with these titles would be a smart move. This should be a layup, but the Trios Titles have been weird so far to say the least.

AEW World Title: Maxwell Jacob Friedman(c) vs. Bryan Danielson

This is a sixty minute Iron Man match and probably the reason for a bunch of multiman matches earlier in the show. The idea here is that Danielson can out wrestle Friedman any day and then….something about Friedman’s personal life falling apart and he’ll do anything to win and then he might have framed his ex-girlfriend for a car wreck. In other words, this whole story has been weird as they seem to have booked the match and then tried to put the rest of the story together, which is rarely a good sign.

I’ll go with Friedman retaining, either via a draw or just barely escaping with the last fall. This feud has been uneven to say the least but it is almost impossible to fathom Friedman losing the title so soon after he won it. Danielson also has seemingly gone on a quest to put over as many people as he can and he will probably be doing that again here, albeit with some shenanigans.

Overall Thoughts

Here’s the thing about AEW: the TV builds to pay per views can be all over the place (this one has been particularly weak) but they have such a sterling reputation on pay per view that I fully expect this show to work. The action will be good and people will be working hard, which will make for another very good show. That’s kind of what AEW does, and I’m looking forward to the show, not so great hype aside.

It’s the last big stop on the Road To Wrestlemania and for a five match card, four of them are big and the fifth includes some Hall of Famers. This show is pretty much stacked with either big matches or the awesome sounding main event. While the show is called Elimination Chamber, the whole thing is about Roman Reigns defending the World Title against hometown boy Sami Zayn. Let’s get to it.

Edge/Beth Phoenix vs. Finn Balor/Rhea Ripley

Somehow this is the least important match on the show as Edge’s war against the Judgment Day continues. In this case, he is bringing in the wife to go after Ripley, who is on her way to WrestleMania. This should be a good, long tag match as all four can do well in a spot like this one. That being said, it doesn’t help that this feels like it is only there to set up something at Wrestlemania.

I’ll take Judgment Day here, as Ripley pinning Phoenix would make her look like a bigger deal on what could be her path to the main event of the first night of Wrestlemania. That leaves Edge and Balor to have one more showdown, likely in a big match in Los Angels. The match should be a good way to give us a breather between the bigger matches. The fact that this is probably the smallest on the car is quite a positive sign.

US Title: Men’s Elimination Chamber

So here we have the first Chamber match with Austin Theory defending the US Title. This match hasn’t exactly had the best build but there is quite the varied set of challengers to come after Theory. While I’m not sure if Theory is going to lose the title, they are doing enough to make me think that the title could change hands so something is going right so far.

As for the winner….I’ll go with Theory retaining, but there is more than one option. First off, Gargano and Ford just aren’t going to win. As fun as it would be for Reed to win, he isn’t going to either. That leaves Rollins (always an option), Priest (who needs a win) and Theory, who is likely going to be in a pretty upscale match at Wrestlemania. Theory wins here, and gets the solid boost that it was designed to give him.

Women’s Elimination Chamber

Now this one is a bit more interesting as we have two viable winners and the bigger of the two isn’t anything close to a lock. With six total contenders for the Wrestlemania title shot though, we’ll knock out Liv Morgan, Natalya and Carmella without much thought. Nikki Cross is a dark horse candidate as well but I just don’t think they are going to go in that direction.

That leaves us with Asuka and Raquel Rodriguez and I think I’ll go with the latter. Asuka has been hyped up as the next challenger and while that would be a good match, it doesn’t feel all that interesting. WWE has seemed like they want to get invested in Rodriguez and I think they’ll actually pull the trigger here and give her the chance. Asuka is a very strong possibility and I won’t be surprised if she wins, but I’ll go with Rodriguez.

Brock Lesnar vs. Bobby Lashley

It’s the trilogy match and somehow the winner gets Bray Wyatt after a pretty surprising challenge on Smackdown. This is the first time that Lesnar is the clear face vs. heel Lashley and it offers a unique twist on the match this time around. Lashley is in his suits again and that works well for him, though happy go lucky Lesnar is one of the most weirdly intriguing things I’ve seen in years.

I’ll go with Lashley winning here, if nothing else as the idea of Lesnar vs. Wyatt is something I can’t get my mind around. We should be in for a good power brawl here though and that’s the way a fight like this should be. The two of them can do pretty much everything to each other and that should make for a fun one. I’m still not sure what happens with Lesnar at Wrestlemania, but I don’t think he’ll be dealing with Wyatt.

Undisputed WWE World Title: Roman Reigns(c) vs. Sami Zayn

We had to get here and dang it I don’t want to. Not that the match won’t be great and the reaction to Zayn alone even better, but I don’t want Zayn’s incredible run with Reigns to come to an end. I don’t think there is much of a secret as to who walks out with the title, but the (somewhat) more interesting question is how WWE goes about having the match end.

Yeah of course Reigns retains here, though I could go with the idea of Zayn winning by DQ, just for the sake of him saving some face. Zayn getting speared down would be a hard thing to see but Reigns losing via DQ or countout wouldn’t do him any damage. Granted it would hurt Cody Rhodes though, and that’s not worth it. Word on the street is that the Usos might be able to be around and them costing Zayn the title could set up what seems to be a likely Wrestlemania Tag Team Title shot for Zayn and Kevin Owens. So Reigns retains and probably wins, but hopefully there are enough shenanigans for a screwy finish.

Overall Thoughts

This show has me rather interested as there isn’t a bad or uninteresting match on the entire card. WWE is cooking at the moment and if they can hold onto that for another six weeks, we could be in for a great Wrestlemania. For now, we could be in for a great Elimination Chamber on the Road To Wrestlemania though and I’ll certainly take that. Just make this stuff work and don’t do anything nutty and it should be an awesome night.

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

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Unless I’m forgetting something, this is the first time NXT has left Orlando for a televised event since Stand & Deliver over Wrestlemania weekend. At some point they just need to get out of Florida and heading to Charlotte is as good of a way as any. The card actually has me interested this time, though the television show from this week wasn’t so great. Maybe they can overcome that with a good one here so let’s get to it.

North American Title: Wes Lee(c) vs. Dijak

We’ll start off with one that can go either way as Dijak is a monster who can run through a lot of people and Lee is someone who could be champion for a nice run. This has been built up for a few weeks with Dijak speaking more and more like an 80s movie villain. Lee has turned into a much better star than I would have expected him to be and this is a tossup so far.

I’ll go with Lee here, as it would not surprise me to see Tony D’Angelo and Stacks come in to cost Dijak the match. Dijak is someone who needs to be protected in a loss but I don’t think it’s early enough for Lee to drop the belt either. The title is all Lee has done in WWE on his own and he isn’t ready to move up to the next level yet. Instead, let him do his underdog thing here, as the power vs. speed dynamic should work well here.

Tag Team Titles: New Day(c) vs. Gallus vs. Pretty Deadly vs. Chase U

We have another interesting one here as it could go in multiple ways. First up you have the champs, who are pretty easily the biggest stars in NXT. Then you have Gallus, who have returned and could use the boost. Pretty Deadly are already two time champions but they are owed a win back from New Day. Finally you have Chase U, who will be the crowd favorites, even over New Day.

As much as I’d like this to be Chase U, just so they can FINALLY win something, I think I’m going to take New Day to retain. It’s a coin flip between them and Gallus, as Pretty Deadly has held the titles enough already. Chase U…..I’d love to see them win something in a surprise and they might one day, but it’s not going to be here. I’ll stick with New Day, who can drop them soon enough.

Women’s Tag Team Titles: Katana Chance/Kayden Carter(c) vs. Fallon Henley/Kiana James

Then there’s this one, and the more I hear from Chance and Carter, the less I want to see them on any show. I get that they are told everything to say and all that jazz, but it is cringe inducing to hear them speak in any way about any thing. They’re supposed to be some great champions or something and maybe it’s that the titles have barely been around for less than two years but I’m not seeing it.

I’ll take Henley and James to win the titles here, as the wacky partners idea would fit in perfectly for this story. I don’t like that booking trope at all, but it makes sense as a reason for the two of them to have to work together. Chance and Carter are a good enough team in the ring, but there is nothing for them to do at the moment and that is rather clear every week.

Apollo Crews vs. Carmelo Hayes

This one is all about the future, as Hayes needs to either be the next NXT Champion or on his way to the main roster. There is nothing left for him to do outside of moving up somehow and I think NXT is starting to realize that. On the other hand you have Crews, who has put in some of his most memorable work in NXT and already has the main roster credentials.

Give me Hayes for the win here, as there is pretty much no reason for Crews to win. Crews is someone who has already gotten a lot of the accolades that he needs, so there is little reason for him to pick up the win here. Hayes feels like a top prospect and giving him a win over a former Intercontinental and United States Champion would be a great thing to see going forward.

Women’s Title: Roxanne Perez(c) vs. Jacy Jayne vs. Gigi Dolin

I’m still not sure I get the thinking behind Toxic Attraction’s plan to mess with Perez. So they were just suddenly going to pretend to have problems and then reveal the ruse a week and a half before the title match. What is the logic in giving it away so early. I don’t think I can see it having much of an impact either, and that brings us to the important part of the whole match.

Since I can’t imagine a title change so soon into Perez’s reign, I’ll expect her to get beaten down, only to have Toxic Attraction start fighting each other so the champ can retain. Perez has felt like the next big thing in the women’s division for a long time and that means she isn’t losing the title to former flunkies who can’t get out of their own way yet. Toxic Attraction is good, but they’re not taking the title here.

NXT Title: Bron Breakker(c) vs. Grayson Waller

In a cage and that means we are going to be playing the power vs. intelligence game. Granted that is all of the teasing that we have gotten for the match. Waller has been trying to get under Breakker’s skin to cost him for a long time now and it would not surprise me to see him finally pull it off and escape with the title. That seems to be what they have been teasing but can they pull it off?

I don’t see any reason for Breakker to retain the title here (unless Hayes it taking it from him in Los Angeles over Wrestlemania weekend. Waller seems like someone who could be great in a Miz style role and that is close to how he has been presented. The main thing would involve him winning a title he doesn’t deserve (in a way) and then brag about it. That has to start somewhere and it should be this week as he wins the NXT Title.

Overall Thoughts

Outside of a pretty weak Women’s Tag Team Title match, this is a show that looks pretty awesome on paper. It would be cool to see them stick the landing when they go on the road again and hopefully they make it work here. This feels a lot more like an old NXT show and if they can get close to that, we should be in for a heck of a show. NXT usually lives up to the hype too so maybe they can pull it off again here.

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It’s that time of year again as we are beginning the Road To Wrestlemania. That means we are going to be seeing some of the biggest shows of the year and things are about to get a lot more exciting. WWE has done a nice job setting up the Royal Rumble matches this year as there are a lot of open spots remaining, though the men’s match is more or less a two horse race. Let’s get to it.

Bray Wyatt vs. LA Knight

Let’s get the goofy out of the way first. This is the Pitch Black match, which is a product placement match from Mountain Dew. WWE still hasn’t exactly explained what it’s going to be, but knowing Wyatt’s involvement, things are going to get more than a little strange. By strange I mean ridiculous, but it’s a new Wyatt so I’m trying to hold on to false hope for as long as I can.

Of course Wyatt wins here, as there is zero reason to have Knight beat him in his first match. Save or some Uncle Howdy shenanigans, I can’t imagine there being any reason to think that Wyatt is in any danger here, though it is nice to see Knight putting in the work to make the match feel more important. This is Wyatt’s to win and I can’t imagine anything else, so hopefully they keep the goofiness to a minimum.

Raw Women’s Title: Bianca Belair(c) vs. Alexa Bliss

As much of a layup as this seems to be, this one has me wondering about where it is going. Belair has nothing left to prove on Monday Night Raw and shifting her over to the Smackdown Women’s Title picture could be a good change of pace. At the same time, if Bliss is doing nothing more than being weird all the time without any actual success, it is going to get old fast.

I’m not certain on it, but I’m taking the title change here, as I think Belair moves over to do something else. Becky Lynch or even Bayley can take the title from Bliss soon enough, but Belair is very, very firmly established as a top star and she needs a new challenge. At the same time, Bliss needs a win to reestablish herself and I’ll go out on a limb and say she gets that win here.

Undisputed WWE Universal Title: Roman Reigns(c) vs. Kevin Owens

The fact that Reigns is still on the same reign from when he defended against Owens TWO YEARS AGO at this same event tells you a lot about what he is doing. As has been the case with a lot of stuff lately, this is going to be much more about Sami Zayn than anyone in the match. Reigns has basically made this match Zayn’s final Bloodline exam and it begs the question of what is going to happen.

I’ll go with Reigns retaining, but I think we get the big stuff after the match. Once Reigns keeps the title, Zayn does something like refusing to help destroy Owens, turning face in the process. For the life of me, I can’t imagine anything but Zayn challenging Reigns for the title next month in Montreal, which would basically be Zayn’s Wrestlemania. Reigns isn’t losing the title here, but it’s going to be a big turning point in the Bloodline saga.

Men’s Royal Rumble

Let’s get the obvious out of the way right now. You can have your Brock Lesnar, your Bobby Lashley, your Seth Rollins and your Drew McIntyre. This match is 100% Cody Rhodes’ match to win with Sami Zayn being the only other person on the planet as a dark horse. Unless WWE has a monster surprise waiting on us here (and there are 11 spots open as of the end of Smackdown), this one should be pretty much in the bag.

Naturally I’m taking Rhodes, as I can’t picture a reason not to. I’m still not sure if Rhodes is THE guy to do all of this stuff, but if WWE has picked him to do it, then that’s better than slapping something together at the last second. As for a surprise pick, I still think there is a chance Randy Orton is back here, though he would almost have to win if he is back in this kind of spot. It’s going to be the Rhodes Show though, and while I don’t quite like it, I certainly get the idea.

Women’s Royal Rumble

Then we have this one and as sure as I was on the men’s, I’m completely in the dark here. There are several ways you could go for a winner and the fact that we only known twelve entrants makes it all the more confusing. Bayley and Becky Lynch are both possibilities, even if Lynch has yet to be announced for the match. I’d also call Raquel Rodriguez the darkest of dark horses, but if they wanted to pull the trigger on someone (even if they aren’t ready yet), Rodriguez is an option.

That being said, I’ll go with Rhea Ripley, who has yet to have her big moment. Her title reign was completely overshadowed by Charlotte and since then she has grown into a much bigger (and better) star. Ripley fits all of the criteria here and could be primed for a heck of a title match at Wrestlemania, say against a bit of a lame duck champion Becky Lynch. It should be Ripley this year, but I’m far from confident on this one.

Overall Thoughts

Even though the Sword Of McMahon continues to hang over our heads, there is a lot of potential with this show. If nothing else, I love not knowing who is scheduled for the Royal Rumbles and there is a good chance that we could be in for some awesome surprises. Just the fact that I can be excited for this show again is nice, and while it might go away as soon as McMahon changes his mind (again), I’ll take it for one night.

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It’s time to wrap up the Ring Of Honor year with its third event, as Final Battle closes us out. As you might expect, this is mainly going to be about AEW stars as Ring Of Honor is less a promotion than a really big and loosely connected angle on AEW TV at the moment. We have a double main event of FTR defending the Tag Team Titles against the Briscoes in a double dog collar match, plus Claudio Castagnoli challenging Chris Jericho for the Ring Of honor World Title. Yeah that should work. Let’s get to it.

Zero Hour: Jericho Appreciation Society vs. Shinobi Shadow Squad

This is one of the several added matches to flesh out the card, or in this case the card that happens before the card. The Squad is one of those teams who pops up all the time in Ring Of Honor but rarely gets to do anything important. In other words, they are perfect to face a pair of goofs like Menard and Parker in a match with absolutely nothing at stake in a spot like this.

In what is probably going to be a trend, I’ll take the AEW guys to win here as the Society gets to do their catchphrases and such and win early. It’s a match that means nothing, but the Society feels like the bigger stars because they have been around more than once in the last few months. That is about all you can ask for here in another match that is added onto the card for the sake of content.

Zero Hour: Jeff Cobb vs. Mascara Dorada

Cobb is a much bigger deal in New Japan these days and Dorada is better known as Gran Metalik. This is another match with no story that has been thrown onto the show, but power vs. speed is the easiest wrestling formula in the world. It’s always fun to watch Cobb throw someone around and Dorada is good enough to put up quite the fight against him if they can have a little time.

As good as Dorada can be, there is no reason to have him go over someone like Cobb, so we’ll go with the logical choice of Cobb winning. Cobb is someone who could be a star in AEW if he was given the chance, but for some reason he only makes an odd appearance in either AEW or ROH. Maybe it is the Japan schedule, but he should be fine to win here in one of those appearances.

Zero Hour: Willow Nightingale vs. Trish Adora

This is an interesting one as you have two women who have a good bit of charisma each. They’re both fun to watch and catch your attention every time they are in the ring so we certainly shouldn’t be having a boring match. Adora is someone better known for her independent stuff, though she was part of ROH’s women’s division (whatever that might be worth).

In another case of “well, one of them works for AEW”, Nightingale gets the win here as she is around a lot more often than Adora. Nightingale is someone who feels like she is ready to break through to the other side and steal the show in a big match, but for now she can beat Adora and use that incredible charm to give the fans a good time. That is more than a lot of people can do and it should work fine here.

Zero Hour: The Kingdom vs. Top Flight

Now this one is interesting as I could see it going either way. The Kingdom showed up a few months ago and promptly disappeared again, because that’s how AEW works for a lot of people. Top Flight is a team that can put on one entertaining match after another, but they haven’t had the time to really establish anything because of injuries. I’m not sure where this one is going and that is a nice feeling.

Since they need the win more, I’ll go with the Kingdom, as they haven’t actually done anything in a long time. Top Flight is a team that already has some fan support and can absorb a loss a bit better, but the Kingdom could go pretty far in Ring Of Honor’s tag division. In other words, it should be a good match, but sweet goodness I’m lost over whose momentum means what where as the whole thing is so all over the place.

Swerve In Our Glory vs. Shane Taylor Promotions

This was set up on Dynamite as Shane Taylor made a surprise appearance to confront his old partner Keith Lee. Instead of setting up what should have been a pretty easy single match, we’re treated to this instead, as we tie it into the AEW story. That isn’t a bad idea, but it seems like Lee vs. Taylor would be a more logical way to go, as Taylor’s partner (JD Griffey) isn’t exactly a household name in either promotion.

This seems like a good way to introduce Shane Taylor Promotions rather quickly, even if that means Swerve In Our Glory brings the loss on themselves by not being able to get along. We should be in for a nice match either way as a power and speed team like Lee and Strickland can do well against anyone, even a mostly unknown entity like Griffey. Just get to Taylor vs. Lee eventually though and this should work out.

TV Title: Samoa Joe(c) vs. Juice Robinson

The build for this one is more or less non-existent as Joe has been feuding with Wardlow, even taking the TNT Title from him at Full Gear. Robinson on the other hand just showed up (via pretape) and said he was coming for the title, match made. It’s not the best story and while normally I would say it’s better than nothing, I’m not even sure if there is something to this or not.

Give me Joe to win here, as Robinson shouldn’t be beating someone who has gotten as much focus as Joe in recent weeks. Save for Wardlow interfering and costing Joe the title, this should be Joe beating the talented Robinson after a good match. Joe is building up a list of enemies, but he should at least be able to hold onto both of his titles for a little while longer.

Six Man Tag Team Titles: Dalton Castle/The Boys(c) vs. The Embassy

Yes Ring Of Honor has Six Man Tag Team Titles and yes the Embassy is still supposed to be a thing that matters despite them losing so often. Castle has come off like a star every time he has appeared on AEW TV and the Boys are the perfect compliment to him. It makes sense to put him on a show like this, but anyone against Brian Cage and the Gates of Agony is asking for trouble.

You know what? Change the titles here. The Embassy is the most worthless stable in AEW/ROH but at least they’re around on a somewhat regular basis. Castle and the Boys being champions is the most forgotten detail in the entire promotion right now so get the belts off of them and move on to Castle getting to be a solo act with the Boys as his backup. It makes more sense, even if these titles have all the value of an expired coupon for free soup.

Blake Christian/AR Fox vs. La Faccion Ingobernable

This is the match I’ll point to if the show runs long and it just so happens to interfere with NXT. There is no reason for this match to exist, let alone be on the main card, yet here we are as Christian and Fox face Rush and his brother Dralistico (making his debut in either ROH or AEW). Now we’re getting what should be a one sided match, but you never can tell with something like this.

I’ll take La Faccion to win here, as they’re facing Christian and Fox in a match that feels like it belongs on Rampage at best. Rush is someone that has been pushed over and over and maybe this is the spot where he finally starts to click. Other than that you have Fox, who has a lot of talent but needs to actually win something around here. That won’t be the case here, but maybe it can happen somewhere. La Faccion wins here.

Women’s Title: Mercedes Martinez(c) vs. Athena

This match has actually gotten a bit of build, as Athena has turned into quite the bully as of late. Martinez doesn’t seem to like that so now it’s time to fight. Martinez has not been around over the last few months but once she is actually in the ring, things get a lot better rather quickly. The question now is how well that will work with Athena so maybe they have something here.

I’ll go with Athena to win the title, as there is no need to keep the title on Martinez. She is very talented but already has a great reputation. Let Athena win something to establish herself a bit better and then build up a star to take the title from her. That’s the kind of thing that should work well, assuming Athena is actually allowed to win something outside of NXT for a change.

Pure Title: Daniel Garcia(c) vs. Wheeler Yuta

Man Garcia certainly seems to have cooled off a lot in recent weeks, as he was the focal point of multiple shows and now is just kind of there. That being said, if there is ever a way for him to shine, it is by being in a Pure Rules match against someone like Yuta, who can easily hang with him. This should be good if they are given some time, which tends to be the case in a Pure Rules match.

I have long since stopped trying to figure out the thinking behind either of these two so I’ll say Yuta wins, more or less on a coin flip. The Blackpool Combat Club needs a win after everything that happened with William Regal so maybe this is the place where they get something back. Garcia winning wouldn’t surprise me either, but I’ll go with a new champion here.

Tag Team Titles: FTR(c) vs. Briscoes

This is a double dog collar match, as it does seem like the Briscoes vs. FTR is thrown into every major ROH show to pick up the interest. That seems to be the case here and yeah, that’s not a bad idea whatsoever. These teams can do amazing things with each other and have done so throughout all of their matches so far. Now just let them get crazy violent for a change.

I’ll go with FTR winning here, even if the Briscoes need to beat these guys at some point. That being said, the idea of FTR losing one of their titles probably means a big drop off for them as their entire deal is holding all three titles. I’m thinking they’ll keep the titles for now, though a title change wouldn’t surprise me. Either way, this is probably going to be another classic, which isn’t even a surprise here.

Ring Of Honor World Title: Chris Jericho(c) vs. Claudio Castagnoli

So here we go. After two and a half months of Jericho being treated as the greatest thing ever in Ring Of Honor and having him run through one former champion after another, this should be the time where he finally gets what is coming to him. Jericho needs someone to take the title from him and Castagnoli being that man is as good of an option not named Bryan Danielson that they have available.

In case it isn’t clear, Castagnoli wins here, putting things right back where they were before the Jericho reign began. The Ring Of Honor World Title still has some value to it and the Jericho story has been the best thing from the entire ROH universe in AEW. Now give us the big feel good moment to end the show (assuming the dog collar match doesn’t headline) and let everything be done.

Overall Thoughts

This show hasn’t been built well and some of the matches (especially Zero Hour) have been thrown together with little or no story. You kind of have to expect that when there is n TV show, but now they need to execute. Most of the matches, especially the two on top, should go very well, but it’s still a bit hard to get fired up over a bunch of stuff that has been put together either off camera or at the last minute. Either way, we should be in for at least a mostly good show, as tends to be the case with Ring Of Honor.

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It isn’t often that NXT tries something entirely new but that seems to be what we are getting here. The show has five matches and two of them are the first ever Iron Survivor Challenges (one each for the men and the women). That means the show is going to be built around those two matches and if they work, NXT should be doing just fine. Otherwise, it could be a long night. Let’s get to it.

Alba Fyre vs. Isla Dawn

So this is fire vs. magic? I’m sure there’s some gaming joke in there that I’m not smart enough to make but at least we’re getting some fresh blood featured here. Fyre is someone who feels like she should have been a bigger star a long time ago while Dawn is brand new and has already made something of an impact. This should be a good fight, though I’m not sure how it is going to go.

I’ll take Dawn here, as she is brand new without a big win yet and Fyre seems to have the unfortunate label of being bulletproof. Fyre has all of the star power you could need but she needs to win a big match in NXT at some point. This wouldn’t quite qualify, but then again I don’t think she wins here either. I’m not sure what kind of a future Dawn has here, though I think she gets the win this time.

Tag Team Titles: Pretty Deadly(c) vs. New Day

Then we have this one and I’m not sure what to make of it. On one hand, New Day is one of the most successful tag teams in WWE history and should take out Pretty Deadly in short order. At the same time, that is the kind of match that Pretty Deadly wins almost every time, often surviving by the skin of their perfectly shiny teeth. I’m not sure I can see either of them losing, even if one of them probably has to.

As much as I can imagine New Day winning, I’ll go with some kind of screwy finish that lets Pretty Deadly retain the titles. Pretty Deadly continues to be a team that exceeds what their limits should be in a great way and beating the unhurtable New Day would be another great step for them. I’m not entirely sure it’s going to happen, but it makes more sense for the young team to keep the titles.

Women’s Iron Survivor Challenge

Much like Money in the Bank or Elimination Chamber, this is going to be about eliminating those names who aren’t going to win and working from there. I think we can pretty safely write off Kiana James and Indi Hartwell, as neither is exactly on fire at the moment. That leaves us with three possible winners and when you look at them, there is only one name that really stands out.

I’ll go with Roxanne Perez, which is pretty much the only viable option. Cora Jade isn’t going to win for a heel vs. heel showdown and Zoey Stark is more of a villain to be beaten than a winner in something like this. That leaves Perez, who is young, popular and seems ready to win here. I could easily see her taking the Women’s Title from Mandy Rose, so there is no reason for anyone but Perez to win.

Men’s Iron Survivor Challenge

So we’ll do the same thing as we did with the women, meaning Joe Gacy and Axiom can be written off. Axiom isn’t ready and we’ve done Gacy in the main event scene already. Just like in the other match, we’re down to three possible winners and in this case, we have a little more drama. I’m not sure who we’re getting here, and that is what a match like this needs to be.

There are three viable options here but I’ll take Carmelo Hayes, who is long overdue to move up to the main event scene. That being said, it wouldn’t shock me whatsoever to see NXT go with JD McDonagh for whatever they see in him. Grayson Waller is also right there as someone who could steal the win, but I’ll go with the best option and pick Hayes, who could have a near classic with Bron Breakker if they are given the chance.

NXT Title: Bron Breakker(c) vs. Apollo Crews

This is one of those matches that should have no drama whatsoever but NXT has managed to turn it into something far better than it has any right to be. The solution has been the obvious fishing angle, as the two have talked multiple times and opened Breakker up even the slightest bit. I’m liking the story they are telling with this one, but now they need to actually execute.

As much as I have a bit of a hunch that Crews takes the title here in a surprise, the right answer is to give Breakker another win over a credible challenger before he gets his match against the new major threat. The match has the potential to be interesting as they are both physical marvels who can do some insane things, but Breakker should win here and then stare down his next challenger to end the show.

Overall Thoughts

I’m getting curious about how the Iron Survivor Challenges should go, but it is always a little hard to get invested in the idea of a #1 contenders match. The rest of the card should be good enough to carry things, though nothing on here is feeling like it is a must see show. That being said, you need some kind of a special event like this every now and then, just to give the fans and wrestlers something to get excited about on a bigger scale.

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It’s time for Survivor Series and for the first time in years, there is a feeling of interest about the show. Instead of the completely dead in the water Raw vs. Smackdown Battle For Brand Supremacy, WWE has thrown their old ideas out the window and brought in a pair of WarGames matches. That alone should be enough to carry the show and….well there are only three more matches so WarGames is kind of carrying things. Let’s get to it.

AJ Styles vs. Finn Balor

I would have bet on this being the elimination match but instead we’ll just have Judgment Day and the OC at ringside to make things more crowded. Then again, I think I can go with the idea of Balor vs. Styles on a major show and likely getting a lot of time. That being said, Styles hasn’t won a singles match on pay per view in something like three years, so there might not be so much drama.

Judgment Day has dominated the feud so far and it makes sense for them to do it again here, so I’ll go with Balor. At the end of the day, the OC hasn’t felt important in the entire thing, even when Mia Yim returned. Balor winning will continue his rise and once this feud is over, it wouldn’t shock me to see him get his hands on some gold. For now though, he’ll win a good match against one of the best ever.

Smackdown Women’s Title: Ronda Rousey(c) vs. Shotzi

This is a match that feels like a stepping stone in a bigger story. Rousey is MUCH better as a heel than she was as…whatever she was for all those months. Now the question is who can give her a real run for her money as champion. Shotzi is the latest person to try and while Shotzi has all kinds of charisma, that doesn’t exactly mean that she is ready to take the title.

In case it isn’t clear, I’ll be taking Rousey, as we build to what seems like a title match with Shayna Baszler. Shotzi is certainly someone who has come a long way in a short amount of time, but she isn’t ready to take down a monster like Rousey. This is going to be a match that gets more intense than you might expect, but at the end of the day, Rousey keeps going as champion and finds her next victim.

US Title: Seth Rollins(c) vs. Bobby Lashley vs. Austin Theory

This is another match where it feels like there is something else going on instead of just the main story. While Rollins has been feuding with the two challengers at the same time, this has felt a lot more about Theory, at least in the last few weeks. Theory seems to be in the middle of a rebuild and now he needs to actually do something to get back onto the higher level after so much bad.

That being said…..yeah I think I’ll actually go with Theory winning the title. Rollins and Lashley don’t need to be champion while Theory has a long rebuild in front of him. This is a match where Rollins and Lashley can do most of the work and Theory can come in at the end to steal the title. It’s a tired cliché, but it is something that can work well, especially for someone like Theory.

Women’s WarGames

It’s still weird to see this on a WWE show but dang it feels cool. This match got turned upside down with the return of Becky Lynch this week on Smackdown. Lynch being added to the match is one of the biggest upgrades Team Belair to a much higher level. The talent is rather strong with both teams, but there is something about a pair of aces that puts one team ahead of the other.

Yeah I’ll go with Team Belair, as outside of a betrayal, I can’t imagine a team with Lynch and Bianca Belair losing to pretty much anyone. Go with what makes sense here and have Lynch and Belair get revenge on Damage Ctrl for putting Lynch on the shelf a few months back. It should be a hard hitting match, but there is pretty much just one way to go here given the lineups.

Men’s WarGames

Oh boy did this thing take a turn this week. The Bloodline has been so dominant for so long and it has seemed like it has all hinged on what Sami Zayn was going to do. The question becomes when that actually takes place, and now we might be ready to see it taking place. Zayn has already lied to Jey Uso about taking to Kevin Owens, but at some point the trigger actually has to be pulled.

If the Bloodline is ever going to lose a major match, it very well might be here so I’ll say that is what we see. Solo Sikoa getting pinned by Sheamus or Drew McIntyre isn’t going to hurt him so odds are that is how we go. Sheamus getting the Royal Rumble title shot would not be out of the question, but this is a story that could have all kinds of directions and that is a lot of fun to see.

Overall Thoughts

That is a very skinny card, but much like the Royal Rumble or most Survivor Series, there is only so much you can do when two matches are taking up twenty wrestlers. What matters here is WarGames, and if WWE manages to make the first runs go well, we should be in for a heck of a night. Bloodline and Damage Ctrl could be in for some rough matches, but at least we should have a pretty awesome show.

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It’s time for another AEW pay per view and as has been the case for a pretty good while now, things are not exactly feeling the most interesting at the moment. The World Title match doesn’t have the most personal setup and the rest of the show is feeling a bit hit or miss. That being said, the idea of AEW having a bad pay per view seems completely insane so I have quite a bit of confidence in what they are going to do. Let’s get to it.

Zero Hour: Jun Akiyama vs. Eddie Kingston

This is a match that was added after this week’s Rampage went off the air. In short, this is Kingston’s dream match and….I’m struggling to come up with a reason that should interest me. Akiyama is a legend, but there is no real reason for the two of them to be fighting other than Kingston just saying he wanted it to happen. For some reason this is added to the pre-show and now the night is even longer than it needed to be.

I’ll go with Akiyama winning, as AEW seems to like the idea of doing everything they can to waste Kingston. I don’t remember the last time he had something important to do and while I’m sure he would love to do the honors for Akiyama, it doesn’t make any sense. That being said, I almost can’t picture Kingston winning anything more than a squash at this point so we’ll go with Akiyama here, despite a lack of logic for doing so.

Zero Hour: Best Friends vs. The Factory

Ten man tag and also added on Rampage, but at least there is a bit of a history here. This is a good choice for the Zero Hour as you have fan favorites like Orange Cassidy and Danhausen in there against a bunch of clueless putzes like the Factory. There is almost no way to screw this up and I have every confidence that AEW will do the right thing with this one.

Of course the Best Friends win here, likely with Cassidy Orange Punching let’s say Aaron Solo for the win. The fans can pop for the Best Friends spots, the Factory can get heat on one of them in the corner and Cassidy can come in as the hero. As goofy as it is, this is the kind of fun match that they need to have and it is nearly impossible to mess up, as it is almost a science at this point. Best Friends win a fun match.

Zero Hour: Full Gear Contenders Tournament Semifinals: Ricky Starks vs. Brian Cage

This is the semifinal instead of the final due to Starks being banged up last week, meaning things had to be changed up a bit (fair enough). The good thing is that there is a bit of history here as these two used to be part of Team Taz together so it isn’t a completely fresh match. Starks is going to be banged up because it’s a rather effective way to build towards a David vs. Goliath style match, but that might not be enough.

I’ll take Starks here, as I can’t imagine Cage vs. Ethan Page in the finals. Starks is a much more natural fit and after he gets the fire beaten out of him by Cage, we can get to the important part where he wins to move on to Dynamite. That is a formula that will work well and I think it is what we are going to get here, after what should be a better than expected match.

TNT Title: Wardlow(c) vs. Samoa Joe vs. Powerhouse Hobbs

This was added this week on Dynamite but it has been building for a good while. Wardlow is the monster at the moment but is up against a submission master and a literal powerhouse so this could be quite the issue. The match comes after Wardlow has been dealing with both of them, as Joe doesn’t like the idea of Wardlow getting multiple titles. Hence why his ROH TV Title isn’t on the line.

Wardlow retaining here makes the most sense so we’ll go with that, though I could absolutely go with Hobbs winning his first title here. Other than that, there is a good chance that this sets up the Wardlow vs. Joe showdown, which has a bit more of a background. For now though, this is going to be a hoss fight and that is a good thing to have on any show. We should be in for a fun one here though and if Wardlow wins, things are that much better.

Trios Titles: Death Triangle(c) vs. The Elite

Let’s get this one over with early. The Elite is back, so far with no explanation for where the heck they have been or what the vanishing videos meant (to be fair, we haven’t actually heard from them yet) but it’s already back to the title picture. There are going to be some fans who are mad about the Elite being back and vice versa, but they are in a title match and that is what we are going to be seeing.

I’ll go with what the result should be here, which would be Death Triangle retaining. I would hope that AEW wouldn’t look at their biggest scandal in history, shrug, and move right back to what they were doing before the Elite were suspended. That being said, the Elite is the reason the titles were around in the first place so them winning the titles back wouldn’t surprise me in the slightest. I’ll go with Death Triangle retaining, but with absolutely no confidence.

Luchasaurus vs. Jungle Boy

We’re in a cage here and that should be an obvious ending, but that isn’t often how things work around here. Jungle Boy’s focus continues to be on ultimately getting his hands on Christian Cage, who isn’t ready to get back in the ring just yet. Therefore, we get a big showdown with the monster instead, which could make quite a nice moment for Jungle Boy, assuming it is done right.

Jungle Boy winning here would be the right call so we’ll go with that, as it should clear him out to get Jungle Boy ready for Cage (not the cage, but Cage) down the line. The question now is how far down the line, but even still, this feud has already been stretched out quite a long time already. Cage turned on Jungle Boy four months ago so it would be nice to get to the point, but for now, Jungle Boy wins.

Jeff Jarrett/Jay Lethal vs. Sting/Darby Allin

There are two things that come to me as I think about this match. First: someone watched Ric Flair’s match, looked at the team that Flair BEAT, and thought “yeah I want them here two”. Second: Allin has completely stopped developing or evolving. How long has he been Sting’s partner or at the same level in AEW? It feels like years at this point, which isn’t good when the company isn’t four years old.

Of course this is Sting and Allin’s match to win, as I believe they are still undefeated as a team and aren’t about to lose their first match to Lethal and Jarrett. Bringing Jarrett in is one thing but I don’t think even AEW is insane enough to have him go out and win a match on pay per view in his debut. That being said, having him IN a match on pay per view is enough of a sign of insanity that it has me wondering about everything else. But yeah, Sting and Allin win here.

Britt Baker vs. Saraya

Here is your terrifying match of the show, as Saraya lasted what, a month or two in her last return to the ring? This has already become the top feud in the women’s division as Toni Storm sheds another tear for her completely dead in the water title reign. The interesting thing about this match though is they seem to be doing a double turn with Saraya becoming a heel to Baker’s face, and that could shake things up a bit.

As much sense as it would make for Baker to stand up for AEW and win here as a face after so much awesomeness as a heel, I’ll go with Saraya to win. It would be almost insane to bring her in and have her lose after several years away, but letting her say some of the things she has said is questionable enough. Saraya wins here, but it is going to be interesting in a confusing and terrifying way at the same time.

TBS Title: Jade Cargill(c) vs. Nyla Rose

Even though Rose has the title itself. I have a bad feeling that I know what this is going to be and that makes me rather sad. There is little to no reason for Cargill to be having the same matches she has been doing for a year plus now, but that is what AEW seems to have her doing time after time. At some point she needs to be able to do something else and that has not come just yet. At least now Rose has been doing something different with Cargill for a bit, they have to take the next step.

As much as I would love for Rose to win here so Cargill can FINALLY move on to something else, I think they’ll have Cargill retain here and get the title back so we can get back into what she has been doing for months on end. Cargill badly needs to evolve at least a little bit because the undefeated streak is killing her growth at this point, but she keeps the title here, even if she shouldn’t.

Tag Team Titles: Acclaimed(c) vs. Swerve In Our Glory

It’s almost weird to see a trilogy match in AEW but that is where we are with this one. It isn’t a bad idea for the most part as there is a story behind it, but with so many good teams in AEW, it is a little rough seeing the same match so many times. That being said, the Acclaimed is so crazy popular that you need to have them doing something and they should be in for another good one here.

Acclaimed retains here, as there is no reason for them to lose here as they are still crazy popular. This needs to end the feud though, as Swerve In Our Glory has gotten everything they can out of the feud already. I’m not sure what is next for the Acclaimed, but as long as they keep getting this kind of a reaction, they shouldn’t be anywhere close to losing the titles anytime soon.

Interim Women’s Title: Toni Storm(c) vs. Jamie Hayter

Poor Storm. She came here to get away from nonsense in WWE and now she not only gets stuck behind (at least) Saraya vs. Baker and Cargill, but she has to be the INTERIM champion, just rubbing in the idea that she isn’t the first choice. Since Tony Khan is incapable of letting the interim deal go, this is what we get here, even if Thunder Rosa is STILL gone with nothing to indicate she will be back soon.

In addition to all of her problems, I think Storm loses the title here, as Hayter is on a roll right now and it would give her a boost to the next level. Storm is dead in the water at the moment and there is no reason for her to keep the title. Give it to Hayter and drop the interim thing so we can move on and have a decent reign, because Hayter (and Storm) is good enough to get such treatment.

Ring Of Honor World Title: Chris Jericho(c) vs. Claudio Castagnoli vs. Bryan Danielson vs. Sammy Guevara

The Ring Of Honor obsession continues as we have the match that has gotten more focus on TV in recent months. I’m as shocked as you are that Jericho is still one of the top stars around but here we are. This is at least a Ring Of Honor style match and it should be action packed. Unfortunately it should also be the end of the story, but I don’t think that is where we are going.

Instead I’ll take Jericho to retain here, likely to set up the big savior of Ring Of Honor (possibly Castagnoli or Danielson) at Final Battle. There is also the chance that Guevara turns on Jericho to win the title, only to reunite with him for the 49^th or so time a month later, but for now I’ll say Jericho retains, setting up his big loss in a few weeks, which will totally happen. For sure. No question about it.

AEW World Title: Jon Moxley(c) vs. Maxwell Jacob Friedman

So here we are, with the other match that has gotten some serious focus, though the match still feels like it isn’t that personal. Again, that is the problem with what is more or less a Money In The Bank briefcase title shot: there is no reason for the match to happen other than the challenger saying “we’ll do it then”. That doesn’t leave things feeling personal and the build has been a bit off as a result.

As for a winner….they have to put it on MJF here right? If they don’t, I don’t know what else there is to do. That being said, there is a rather strong chance that it happens at the hands of William Regal turning on Moxley, setting up a heck of a promo down the line. If nothing else, that is the kind of storyline shakeup that they need. We can worry about things after that later, but MJF needs to walk out of here as a villainous champion and they have set the stage perfectly.

Overall Thoughts

The show does have a lot of potential because of the talent involved, but it also has a lot of matches, which tends to be an issue for AEW shows. I still don’t need this thing to be close to five hours, but that is probably where we are going. They need to stick the landing with some stuff here and there are a lot of problems that the company needs to solve in the grand scheme of things. The good news it that AEW knows how to nail pay per views and there is a strong chance they’ll do it again here.