What the crazy year 2020 has been for the entire world. I for one am delighted that professional wrestling has been able to continue on throughout the global pandemic, especially with mental health being at its highest, Pro wrestling most certainly gives us a break that we all need from time to time.
Lets take a dive in to a fully stacked AEW PPV card and present you with my AEW Full Gear projections.
AEW Championship ‘I Quit Match’ Jon Moxley (c) vs Eddie Kingston
I’m in the mood to start these projections off In a big way, in fact, I’m starting with the main event of Full Gear. Can anybody on planet earth really see Eddie Kingston as the AEW World champion?! I can! Is this the match where Moxley could lose by not taking a pinfall loss but by taking the biggest beating of his life and not saying ‘I Quit’ but with the referee calling for a match stoppage?
Let’s not forget that Moxley is the IWGP US champion and could face Kenta or Hiroshi Tanahashi down the road to drop the gold in Japan but let’s be honest, he surely isn’t dropping that gold until he has lost heavyweight gold in AEW right? Maybe this a short term plan for him to lose without saying ‘I Quit’ and he is then able to drop the gold in Japan and return to AEW and eventually reclaim the title that he technically never lost. Simple common booking but I guess needs doing before returning to Japan. On a plus side, Eddie Kingston can talk, let’s have a disgraceful heel champ who gets 10/10 for mic skills run AEW for 8 weeks or so. After all, it will be fun. Have I twisted your arm on the belief that Mox could lose Sunday? Yep! Good!
Winner: Eddie Kingston.
Number 1 Contenders Eliminator Final Kenny Omega vs Hangman Adam Page
My guess is that we are all going to be talking about this match for years to come. It is going to be the match that we have waited for as Page fans and the match that Omega needs to reignite that fire of being ‘The Best Bout Machine’. This could easily go for half an hour and I’m all for it! Let’s have heel tactics from Omega with some of the best counter moves spots that we have seen in AEW to date (that will take some doing). If Omega is going full-blown ‘Cleaner’ heel then he NEEDS this win, although Hangman was in the first-ever AEW title match in what seems an age ago. Can Page find a way to return to the top of the card? Perhaps not just yet and not on this night. Hangman finally winning the title will be the biggest draw and pop and deserves guaranteed crowds so let’s wait and have Omega win on this night which leads him into an eventual title run in 2021. Could Chicago see Omega vs Page 2 for the title at ALL OUT next September? My view is yes.
Winner: Kenny Omega
AEW Tag Team Championships FTR (c) vs Young Bucks
A Match 5 years in the making….could this card really be any more stacked?! I think The Bucks wanted to wait for live crowds in full arenas but how long can you keep these teams apart when this was the endgame 5 years ago, simple, you just can’t! This has been declared by The Young Bucks that this will be the best tag team match of all time, to do that they have to top their match with Omega & Page from Revolution earlier this year for a start. This could easily be another 30 minute plus match and in my opinion, it will be similar to the Revival vs American Alpha match which is always mentioned highly by Cash & Dax. If we get anything close to that then we are in for a hell of a treat on Saturday night. For me the stipulation of Bucks losing and not getting another tag title shot is just too much and they have to win which I can see happening here. FTR are great and their first defeat should be against the Bucks. FTR is going to be amazing to watch as they chase the gold again and when we get that rematch in front of crowds, this match will serve as the perfect teaser for that pending atmosphere in Chicago.
Winners: The Young Bucks
Chris Jericho vs MJF – If MJF wins, he is in The Inner Circle
Is it that time for Jericho to take a break from professional wrestling for a short stint?! Perhaps so and that’s why I’m leaning towards MJF winning this match, joining the inner circle at the expense of Jericho. Jericho returning in a few months as a face to take down the inner circle would be a great story, Jericho can hunt one by one because the story here is Jericho being ousted as the leader because he has held each member back during the creation of this faction. This will be entrained with the added shock of the turn-on Jericho from the Inner circle.
Winner: MJF
AEW Womans Championship Hikaru Shida (c) Vs Nyla Rose w/ Vikki Guerrero
A lot of fans think that Shida’s time as champion is up and for the most part its probably right, however, with Dr Britt Baker waiting in the shadows, it seems obvious for me to have Britt takedown Shida in 2021. The woman that we have all waited for to be crowned queen of the AEW division can work heel or face and that opens up some great options for feuds, not to mention the title match between her and Shida when it happens. I like Nyla, I like Nyla a lot but Shida retaining really does make more sense in the fact that whoever beats Shida will rightfully be crowned new champion.
Winner: Hikaru Shida
AEW TNT Championship Cody Rhodes (c) vs Darby Allin
Cody is once again a Rhodes (well he never was but he can finally use his true name once again). Is Cody so much of a star that it feels like Darby has zero chance here? I mean Darby will do whatever it takes that’s a guarantee but Cody seems unbeatable right now. Could the outside interference of a former friend of the late great Dusty Rhodes cost Cody the title here and announce himself as an AEW roster member. There is a huge chance that this could happen. Enter…..Sting. If Sting positions himself as a threat to Cody or even a mentor to Darby then this could swing the TNT title picture. Sting is familiar with TNT of course and what great storytelling that could be. WWE has taken all Sting merchandise off WWEshop.com after all. Crazier things have happened, right?
Winner: Darby Allin with the aid of Sting
The Elite Deletion Match, Matt Hardy vs Sammy Guevara
The mistake that should have never have happened at AllOut is due to be rectified after that horrific spot between these 2 guys. Its been a great piece of storytelling to get back to where we are with this feud and it had to win fans over again. Lord only knows what these 2 are going to do to each other on Saturday. I will be watching with one eye open. I think Matt makes for great fodder and Sammy needs a PPV win as he could later chase the TNT title especially if Darby wins the strap as mentioned earlier. Try to enjoy this folk.
Winner: Sammy Guevara (I have no idea how)
Orange Cassidy vs John Silver
This match screams fun, Let Orange do what Orange does and let John Silver give back his fair share of comedy. This could be the perfect break on a stacked card. This is a fine way of getting The Dark Order on our screens. Just enjoy I guess.
Winner: Orange Cassidy