AEW’s fifth PPV is this coming Saturday in the form of Full Gear and follows a very successful All Out.
AEW did a bit of a WWE with this show as they left it until Wednesday the week before the show to announce half the card. They’ve done it, and that’s all that matters so we can run down every single match from the upcoming show and who I think is going to win.
The Buy-In
Bea Priestley vs Dr. Britt Baker, D.M.D
Blood feud to kick off the show! These two do not like each other and you can be guaranteed they will put on a heated and hard-fought battle whilst also putting Riho on notice for her next challenger. You hear the rumours about working with Priestley, but I am on the side that she is a good worker still cutting her teeth in the wider world of wrestling.
They both convey incredible emotion, evident in their previous encounters, with the basis of the feud surrounding Baker’s black eye at the hands of Priestley. The winner of the match will be pushed towards a title match, and for that reason I’m going to go with a heelish win for Priestley. She’ll cheat in some way, shape or form but I think she’ll pick up the W in the opening contest.
Prediction: Bea Preistley
Joey Janela vs Shawn Spears (with Tully Blanchard)
Really weird match they’ve set up here, Joey Janela is mainly known as a heel wrestler who won’t stop to punish his opponent. He has gone up against face wrestlers in his time in AEW, as well as on the independent scene. Yet, in this match, he would be the babyface because he stopped Shawn Spears from a post-match beatdown on Brandon Cutler on the most recent AEW Dynamite so would that be a face turn for him? Or would it just be a slight anomaly and they just wanted to get him on the show?
Either way, this match is interesting but not at the same time, I’d class it as interesting because it’s a match we haven’t seen on the AEW stage before, but it’s had no build to it and has been made after one run in. Both men need to repair the win-loss-draw records as they’ve both had poor starts to their careers, which makes this one a potential match of the night if booked right. I’m going to go with Spears to win and show Janela why he shouldn’t have got involved.
Prediction: Shawn Spears
AEW World Tag Team Championship – SoCal Uncensored (c) vs Private Party vs Lucha Brothers
A mighty interesting match we’ve got here, but somewhat predictable. We all expected there to be a match for the tag titles on the show, but we weren’t sure who SoCal would be facing. I did think it was going to be a straight-up rematch from the finals after SoCal nicked the win with a roll-up but adding in Private Party to the mix makes this so much more captivating.
They can still be classed as relatively unknown but both Isiah Kassidy and Marq Quen are fantastic competitors and add some additional showmanship to this match. My only fear with this match is that they are going to focus so much on Private Party, it may overshadow Lucha Brothers or SoCal, potentially both, and both teams are just in the background or on the receiving end of the offence of Private Party. It can be a good thing as we still need more exposure to PP but just hope they don’t use this entire match to make us forget the other four. Either way, SCU have got this and they’re retaining, PP are still a bit green to hold the titles and the Lucha Brother’s don’t need the titles at this stage to be relevant.
Prediction: S.C.U
Hangman Page vs PAC
Another interesting match we’ve got here, with both guys needing to pick up wins as they’ve been on a little bit of a downfall. Since losing to Jericho for the World Title, Adam Page has been floating in the mix, being involved in the Elite vs Inner Circle feud but not at the forefront, just kind of in the background. Whereas Pac, has been involved in half feuds with Moxley and Omega, both feuds just seemingly being there just to have those competitors do something.
Obviously, we were meant to have this match back at Double or Nothing but it was pulled due to PAC’s commitments with Dragon Gate, mainly him being the World Champion and Dragon Gate refusing to let their top star win, which makes a lot of people think that Page was meant to win on that night. Now, PAC is no longer the champion and has an even playing field with no leverage to stop him losing. Saying that, I still think that PAC will win as I don’t think Page has hit rock bottom yet for him to be built back up again. Once he hits the bottom, potential heel turn included, then we will see the rebuild of Hangman, but for now, my money is on PAC to walk out of this match the victor.
Prediction: PAC
The Young Bucks vs Santana & Ortiz
My boys have got this, PnP must win this. They have just been signed to AEW, debuting at All Out during the Bucks’ match against the Lucha Brothers. For some fans who haven’t watched Impact, may not be familiar with PnP, potentially they’ve been viewing WWE or NJPW and have come over to AEW. Either way, AEW need to put an immense amount of exposure on Santana and Ortiz as I believe they’ll be the next challengers for the Tag Titles, as well as them being a part of possibly the hottest thing on AEW TV, the Inner Circle. The Bucks can eat a loss here, it won’t affect their momentum whatsoever, they’re executives of the company and would definitely be hounded for using that position to further their in ring career. I believe this is the first meeting these two teams will have and I can guarantee Dave Meltzer will be dishing out the five stars, and I won’t complain. PnP are my favourite non-WWE tag team going and the Young Bucks are a phenomenal team, expect this to bring the house down with Santana & Ortiz picking up the win.
Prediction: Santana & Ortiz
AEW Women’s World Championship – Riho (c) vs Emi Sakura
On this week’s AEW Dynamite, we saw Riho pinned by Emi in a tag team match, which can signify only one thing. Riho is not losing the title here. It’s wrestling folk law that if the champion is pinned by the challenger in a tag team match or non-title match, then when the title is on the line, the strap is not changing hands. Plus, AEW have put so much of their resource behind Riho and she is really the only ‘home grown’ wrestler they have on their roster as they have developed her very well since she debuted at All In.
The dynamic in this match is quite a fresh one with their relationship being known on AEW Dynamite this week, we all found out that Emi Sakura was the mentor for RIho so she taught her everything she knows. That does kind of put a spanner in the works when predicting Riho may walk this one, but then again, she doesn’t walk any match, she portrays that fiery underdog. Partnered with the earlier point regarding the tag match on Dynamite, I think it’d be stupid for AEW to take the belt of Riho this early on.
Prediction: Riho
AEW World Heavyweight Championship – Chris Jericho (c) vs Cody
Cody’s stipulation for this match felt like it changed everything, He announced if he can’t beat Chris Jericho, he will never challenge for the AEW World Championship again, feels a bit bait, doesn’t it? You’d think, he’s certainly not winning now, and they will somehow get around that stipulation, or just plain forget about it. It gave an additional feeling of realism, that Cody despises Jericho so much to the point he’d risk it all to prove he can beat it and it certainly got me double checking my prediction for this match.
Before Dynamite, I was heavily on Jericho’s side to come out with the victory, for the same reasons as Riho winning in that it is too soon for him to lose, and the same as PnP because The Inner Circle are the hottest thing AEW has. But now, I’m thinking that Cody could cause an upset and win the title, or it’ll end in a disqualification with Hager getting involved or a no contest of some kind. There is a possibility that someone in the Elite could cost Cody the match, all eyes would be pointed at Adam Page as he could be the only feasible option, but I am sticking with my guns and saying Jericho will retain.
Prediction: Chris Jericho
Lights Out Match – Jon Moxley vs Kenny Omega
I’m not sure when they are doing this match and it if will actually be shown on PPV, they would be screwing their fans over if it’s not, as AEW are basically letting Moxley and Omega do whatever they want with no repercussions. This is going to be extreme, neither men will hold back. This is Moxley’s wheelhouse, his bread and butter which is why I think he’s going to lose.
Both men are in some way in need of a win, but Omega needs it more. I think they’re going to make Omega the next challenger for Jericho, so he can work his way through The Elite, so Omega winning here shows he is still that fiery babyface that can overcome the psychotic Moxley in a match with no rules. Omega wouldn’t beat Jericho the first time of asking but I can definitely believe he’ll be World Champion in the not so distant future.
Prediction: Kenny Omega
The first PPV since AEW’s TV deal is shaping up to be their best show they’ve had since All In. Every match on here has hype around it in one way or another, and I personally can’t wait to see what unfolds.
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