TJRWrestling AEW Full Gear 2022 Preview
It’s AEW Full Gear 2022 with Jon Moxley defending the AEW World Title against MJF, The Elite make their return to in-ring action and several other huge matches on the show as well.
John: Welcome to the TJRWrestling AEW Full Gear 2022 preview. It’s a pretty good card, but I don’t think the AEW product overall has been that hot in the last few months. They are getting The Elite back after their “suspension” ended following their locker room fight at All Out in September. Obviously, MJF has a lot of momentum as a challenger for the AEW World Title even though he’s only wrestled one actual match in the last six months (the Casino Ladder Match “win” was very cheap). I think the intrigue around the Moxley-MJF match will be the big selling point for this show. As usual for AEW, they could have more intriguing stories going into some of these matches, which is something I have written about many times in the past. Generally speaking, I have liked their PPV shows and I think this should be mostly good as long as it’s kept under four hours. I’ll skip the pre-show as usual because it’s a long night writing for me.
If you need info on how to order Full Gear on PPV, check out AEW’s website for info on how to watch it in your country. It’s different depending on where you live. I’ll be using FITE TV in Canada.
Joining me for the preview are Joel McIntyre, Matthew Fowler, Alex Podgorski, Marc Madison and Kristian Thompson.
Alex: AEW really needs to hit a home run with this show. Their last big event was newsworthy for all the wrong reasons and the company has been mired in a dense fog ever since. For AEW to succeed, they need to move forward with this show instead of looking back. That means doing everything possible to build new stars, get people talking for the right reasons, and deliver on their top feuds. That’s a lot to do on a single show; but if the show is booked properly, then all of it should be achievable.
Marc: On Saturday, November 19th, AEW presents Full Gear. The event features countless title matches, tag team matches, and trios matches. One of the most significant announcements about the event is the return of The Elite. However, it is equally exciting in what we could be watching is the changing of the guard with a new AEW Champion being crowned as well. So who walks out of Full Gear as the new champion, and who retains? We have nearly 10,000 words below that suggest to you what we think will happen.
Kristian: This is probably the least engaged I have been with AEW programming since its inception. I feel that the last month or so has just been lacklustre and the shows haven’t been really that interesting. The women’s division continues to be a mess, there seems like endless tournaments, the roster (and all the titles!) cannot fit into 3 hours of TV per week and the usually-incredible tag division is falling flat (where are FTR on PPV?!). I have possibly had ridiculously high expectations for AEW as they’ve been brilliant over the past 3 years, so a low spot might be expected at some point- it’s hard to put my finger on it. With that being said, AEW usually produce excellent PPVs and I have no doubt that this will be the case. I am ready for the coronation of Maxwell Jacob Friedman as AEW Champion, as well as several feuds to end so we can move onto some fresh matches going forward.
(Note: All graphics are from AEW.)
Steel Cage Match: Luchasaurus vs. “Jungle Boy” Jack Perry
Joel: I feel like this feud has lost a lot of steam in recent weeks. Once Christian went down with injury, I felt like the sails were let out. I think the match will be good although I don’t think it’ll be anything special. Jungle boy is great, but Luchasaurus isn’t that good in the ring. Hopefully this feud is done after this. Jungle Boy should move on to other things.
Winner: Jungle Boy
Matthew: Luchasaurus has done his best Big Show impression in this feud, turning from face to heel multiple times. This once popular tag teams breakup has felt completely flat, with the match being a afterthought even with the cage stipulation. Perry has the potential to be a breakout star, but this feud has done him no favors to get there. Hopefully Perry can get the win here, and end this feud on a high note.
Winner: “Jungle Boy” Jack Perry
Alex: Perry lost his last big match at All Out so now it’s time for revenge. He’ll even the score in a hard-fought and possibly bloody match. It’ll be a hard sell at first; the size disparity between him and Luchasaurus would make it hard to believe Perry stands a chance. That’s why I think he should do something clever; try and rip off Luchasaurus’ mask. If there’s so much aggression building within Perry, then he should do what a normal person would do in a real fight: go for weak spots including the face and eyes. That’ll even the playing field a bit and will allow Perry to get enough of a lead to escape the cage and win or get a pinfall if this is a pin/give up cage match. Expect fifteen minutes of carnage and you won’t be disappointed.
Winner: “Jungle Boy” Jack Perry
Marc: A 15-year friendship was thrown out the window. Does a loss here hurt Luchasaurus, or does it hurt Jungle Boy? While Christian Cage may be at ringside clearly in the corner of Luchasaurus how this story unfolds. Jungle Boy is at a loss as he doesn’t really have anyone that could back him up, and the one person that, if we tied history to Christianity that made sense, that is in AEW would be Matt Hardy. But since Hardy is under the ‘ownership’ of The Firm, it doesn’t work. To have some backup would really bode well for Perry and a win. But a loss that isn’t clean doesn’t hurt him here. He lost at All Out; to have him lose here doesn’t help him when it is all about retribution on Perry’s part.
Winner: ‘Jungle Boy’ Jack Perry
Kristian: It’s time for the Jungle Boy push! At least JR isn’t just referring to him as ‘Boy’ anymore. I had marked Christian vs Perry as the match I was most-looking forward to at All Out, but with Christian’s injury they kept it short. Obviously, they are (slowly!) building towards another match but JB has to go through his former pal Luchasaurus here. I’m a fan of the big reptile so this should be quality viewing, with Jungle Boy getting a much-needed win.
Winner: “Jungle Boy” Jack Perry
John: This should be a great match featuring former tag team partners that know eachother well, so they are going to put on a show in the cage. I think Jungle Boy is going to do some big spot off the top of the cage whether it’s a splash or a dive onto a standing Luchasaurus. Since Christian Cage and Luchasaurus each have wins over Jungle Boy, it’s time for young Jack to get the win and he should be used more favorably as a singles wrestlers moving forward. This card is full of regular matches, so being in a steel cage is an advantage for these guys and I think they’ll deliver a great match.
Winner: “Jungle Boy” Jack Perry
AEW TBS Championship: Jade Cargill (c) vs. Nyla Rose
Joel: The feud has been very lackluster. All because Nyla stole Jade’s belt but yet security stops Jade every time she tried to retrieve her belt? And AEW management never once tried to discipline Nyla? It’s all convoluted. So, who are we supposed to cheer? Nyla, who committed a crime and isn’t getting punished for it? Or Jade, who had her property stolen and security wouldn’t even let her get it back? This is why the story doesn’t work. I think Jade wins here to continue her undefeated streak.
Winner: Jade Cargill
Matthew: Cargill has been dominant for months and months, and is one of the few bright points of AEW’s struggling women’s division. Rose is a good opponent for Cargill, but I give her zero chance of breaking Cargill’s undefeated streak and taking the title here. Cargill will win in pretty quick fashion.
Winner: Jade Cargill
Alex: I don’t expect much from this. This story isn’t that interesting and Cargill isn’t one for long matches. But her undefeated streak is money and it shouldn’t be ended over such a lame rivalry. Cargill wins in five minutes max.
Winner and STILL AEW TBS Champion: Jade Cargill
Marc: There likely aren’t many people that are fans of this storyline. It’s actually an instance where a heel faces a heel, and you almost want to cheer for the champion because she had her property stolen. A win here will undoubtedly end this feud and bring a close to this storyline. Rose’s position in the company has often been about helping to elevate other talents; in this instance, she’s another number to Cargill’s record. The storyline of stealing a belt and calling yourself the champ is lame. They could have pushed for who was among the first AEW Women’s Champions and who was a key to the brand early on. But they settled on this storyline instead. So, on this night, it ends.
Winner: AND STILL AEW TBS Champion, Jade Cargill
Kristian: Jade Cargill is the perfect example of showing that endless squash matches do not make you a good wrestler. This is a feud between two wrestlers that fans care little about, feuding over a title that fans care even less about. And all Rose had to do to get a shot was steal the title. If only life was that easy. Cargill racks up win number 40-something here.
Winner AND STILL AEW TBS Champion: Jade Cargill
John: The story is awful. I don’t mind either wrestler at all, but to have a “steal the belt” story last for over a month is far too long. Do it for a week or two at most. I don’t know if the plan was to have Cargill turn face after winning this match or what. I just think the booking of this story has been poor. Cargill should win with the announcers marking out when Cargill hits the Jaded slam on Rose. It’s just another match to put over Cargill in a big way.
Winner: Jade Cargill
AEW Tag Team Championships: The Acclaimed (Anthony Bowens & Max Caster) (c) vs. Swerve In Our Glory (Keith Lee & Swerve Strickland)
Joel: I would like to see FTR here, but I feel like I’ve been beaten that drum for months. I feel like a turn is coming for Swerve so he can feud with Keith Lee. The Acclaimed are the most over act in AEW right now. No way they lose this. I don’t think a third match between these two teams was needed, but I guess they wanted to facilitate the Swerve turn.
Winners: The Acclaimed
Matthew: FTR is not even on this card, so they can do this match for a third time? Clearly, it is not a good thing to be friends with CM Punk right now. As for this match I will go with The Acclaimed as they are one of the most over acts in AEW right now.
Winner: The Acclaimed
Alex: This should be an easy first defense for the champions. They don’t have to do much to win; all they have to do is wait long enough for their challengers to implode. It seems like Lee and Swerve are becoming two contrasting characters, one a clear heel and the other, well, I’m not 100% sure. But it’s obvious that Swerve and Lee, like WarJoe, are not destined to team for much longer. As such, this match will go fifteen minutes and will be 40% action and 60% story and gimmickry. I expect the champs to take a beating for most of it, only for some kind of ‘morality play’ to ensure with Swerve berating Lee for not being aggressive enough, only for Lee to shove Swerve back and cost them the match.
Winners and STILL AEW Tag Team Champions: The Acclaimed (Anthony Bowens and Max Caster)
Marc: Fans will recall the double turn between Austin and Hart at WrestleMania 13. They likely didn’t have a tag team match where one of their partners is a face, and the other tends to be a heel. This seems to be the case with Swerve In Our Glory. Strickland appears to be the heel, but one has to wonder how long this duo will remain together if the end result is a difference of approach. Fans have seen Anthony Bowens and Max Caster become the poster boys for the tag team division, and this rematch will once again prove that. But while we believe The Acclaimed will win, we could see the dissolving of the Swerve In Our Glory tandem. Both men may be better suited for singles opportunities or as part of a faction rather than being tied to a team setting.
Winner: AND STILL AEW Tag Team Champions, The Acclaimed
Kristian: I feel that they could’ve used a big PPV to showcase a different challenger against the Acclaimed. Swerve and Lee are drifting further apart (I am enjoying the new unhinged Swerve) and I see a singles feud happening after they lose again here. Lee deserves to be in high-profile singles matches so I hope that’s what 2023 brings for him. He is one of at least a dozen talent not being utilised properly. The Acclaimed, minus the scissoring, are consistently great and their popularity seems to have exploded since All Out so I see no reason for them to lose here.
Winners AND STILL AEW Tag Team Champions: The Acclaimed
John: These teams had the best match of the show at All Out in September and that match probably should have been a title change since the crowd wanted it so much. They did the rematch at Dynamite Grand Slam later in September with The Acclaimed winning the titles there. That match wasn’t as good. I hope they get the magic back that they had at All Out although I’m not sure if they will since The Acclaimed already have the titles. It was more interesting when they were chasing.
Since Swerve is basically a heel now, they could have him blame Lee for the loss and do a cheap attack as well. Lee can chase after him with Swerve running away, so that sets up a feud for them. I’m ready for Lee to get a singles push anyway. The Acclaimed gets the win here by pinning Swerve most likely and the feud is done at that point.
Winners: The Acclaimed
Dr. Britt Baker D.M.D. vs. Saraya
Joel: Saraya’s first match in five years. The build has been pretty good, but I could do without the WWE references. Saraya acting like Britt hasn’t done anything even though she’s carried the AEW women’s division for three years is silly. This is why some people don’t take AEW seriously because they bring in these ex-WWE talents to run down AEW talents and act like they haven’t done anything because they never competed at Wrestlemania or wrestled at MSG. It’s counterproductive. I enjoyed Britt’s promo on Dynamite but it also paints her as the babyface in this feud and I’m not sure that was AEW’s intention. We’ll see how the match plays out, but I am intrigued. I’m leaning toward Saraya here although I wouldn’t mind a Britt win.
Winner: Saraya
Matthew: I am happy for Saraya that she has been medically cleared, and will get to once again do what she loves. This match easily overshadows either of the Women’s title matches on this card, and is one of the biggest women’s matches in AEW history. I expect Saraya to win here, and be champion of the whole division within six months.
Winner: Saraya
Alex: Saraya should lose this match. I don’t care how emotional her promo on November 9th was or how much of a ‘feel good’ moment it would be for her to win, it just doesn’t make sense. While she’s been out of the ring for years, Baker has been wrestling consistently since AEW first started. Baker’s in much better shape and has fewer health problems. It’s the same circumstances as in this match in which a wrestler came back from cancer and lost his first match back because everyone knew he wasn’t on the same level as the people that were wrestling fulltime while he was off.
Baker should beat Saraya here; not just because of that logic, but because it’ll give something meaningful for Saraya to work towards. If Saraya wins here, she’ll have her big pop from the crowd, hold back tears, say something inspirational on Twitter and then…what? Become yet another woman used semi-regularly without a direction?
If Saraya loses, then there’s an easy and relatable story to tell of her having self-doubts and her having to work to earn her comeback. Saraya can actually work her way up to a future rematch with Baker and take fans with her on her journey back to the top. That’ll give fans more reason to care about her from week to week. But if Saraya just wins here without any major long-term build, then it’ll lack the catharsis and payoff and it’ll hurt Baker because she’ll have lost to someone that isn’t in top ring shape.
Winner: Dr. Britt Baker, D.M.D.
Marc: The build of this match was one thing but ultimately turned into something else. It was supposed to be us fans that were proudly behind the returning Saraya, but honestly, I can’t get behind her. Her promos that completely dismiss Britt aren’t just. When she’s called on it, she then goes on to say she respects her, and the reason she’s in AEW is because of Britt. But if she’s there because of Britt, why dismiss her accomplishments? Ultimately, Saraya said that she was tired of talking and wanted them to just ‘go.’ But it just didn’t work. With Saraya returning to action, it’s almost a given that her return to the ring would be met with a win. Baker is ushering the door to help Saraya, and in doing so, it says more about Baker than anyone could imagine. Saraya wins, but the question is, how does she finish her off? A Saraya-turner? A Ram—Saraya? I’m unsure what they are called by; it’s likely to be something like that.
Winner: Saraya
Kristian: This is the most interesting of the women’s matches on the card. It’s Saraya’s return to the ring after almost 5 years since her last televised match, so that alone is intriguing. I hope it goes well for her. It makes sense for her to win her first match back, but I could potentially see this being a series of matches and maybe Baker gets the upper hand in this one. I would rather see her in the title picture, because no one else has really been able to do justice to the championship in terms of mic and in-ring skills. For this match I’ll stick with Saraya for now as it is the feel-good pick.
Winner: Saraya
John: The build has been solid with some good promos from Saraya last week and Britt this week on Dynamite. Obviously there’s going to be a lot of concern watching this one due to Saraya not wrestling for five years due to a serious neck injury. They could certainly use that in the story to have Saraya sell that neck injury a lot. I feel like Saraya should win here, but not in a dominant way or with a finisher. I think having somebody come back to wrestling after nearly five years away needs to win in a manner that is not fluky, but more of a crafty finish. An inside cradle or something like that could work just fine and it protects Baker a bit while also setting up a potential rematch down the road.
Winner: Saraya
AEW Trios Tag Team Championship Match: Death Triangle (Pac, Rey Fenix & Penta El Zero Miedo) (c) vs. The Elite (Kenny Omega & The Young Bucks)
Joel: This is a match I’m looking forward to the most. Ever since Death Triangle won the Trios Titles, you kind of knew that they were on borrowed time until The Elite returned. The “Delete the Elite” videos have been well done in building anticipation for their return. I think this will probably be the match of the night. AEW has really missed The Elite in recent months. There are so many rivalries within this match from PAC/Omega and Young Bucks/Lucha Brothers. This should be a great match. I’m looking forward to it.
Winners: The Elite
Matthew: Omega and The Young Bucks get suspended for two months and stripped of the titles, and are now right back in the title picture? This will be a flippy floppy bonanza, with the referee having to stand there looking blind while every tag rule is broken. After about 15 minutes of this, I expect The Elite to win and recapture the titles that were created exclusively for them.
Winners: The Elite
Alex: This is the one I’m looking forward to the most. Not because of the action, but because of the circumstances. How will the fans react to the returning Elite following the investigation into the All Out scrum? Will they be cheered like returning heroes or booed for their actions, real or imagined? Will some of the snarkier fans in the building chant CM Punk’s name at them and turn attention away from the match itself?
And speaking of the match, its result will say a lot more than any moves done in the ring. If the Elite win, then it’ll be seen as a sort of ‘correcting a wrong’ and it’ll give fans the impression that Death Triangle shouldn’t’ve ever had the titles in the first place. But what if the champs retain? What if Death Triangle out-perform the returning Elite in a match and division that was tailor-made for these three EVPs (which would be the most logical choice since the Elite haven’t been wrestling these past few months while Death Triangle have)?
That would give the division some depth and give the Elite something to fight for instead of them resting atop their perches far above everyone else. It would also be a humbling experience, a sign that they aren’t as essential to AEW as they might think.
This could go either way, so for the sake of adding intrigue I’m going with the wilder pick.
Winners and STILL AEW Trios Tag Team Champions: Death Triangle (Pac, Rey Fenix & Penta El Zero Miedo)
Marc: The worst-kept secret has revealed itself. While many likely have their issues or concerns about The Elite, I can’t when they are fun to watch. Regardless of the story they tell, there is often something engaging and polarizing about them that makes them intriguing. A match that will feature the Lucha Bros and The Young Bucks has repeatedly proven to be a must-see moment. When we add Pac and Omega to the mix, we can be assured that it will be action-packed from top to bottom. If you aren’t one for spots, then turn away, but if you are, how can you possibly not look forward to this match? The narrative of a prodigal son returning and recapturing the titles doesn’t sit well with me, but it may be how it ultimately works out.
Winners: AND NEW AEW Trios Tag Team Champions, The Elite
Kristian: I found it odd that the crowd barely reacted to Pac cryptically referring to facing the Elite (even though it was obvious who he was talking about), but the fans popped when the visual came on the screen. This might be the opener to get the crowd pumped for a big night of wrestling. I can see the Elite winning the titles on their return, even though I don’t agree with that. It pays to be at the top.
Winners AND NEW AEW Trios Tag Team Champions: The Elite
John: I feel like The Elite should lose this match to show that they are rusty. That should be the story. Whether it happens that way, I don’t know. Since The Elite were the champions in September and were likely going to have a long reign as champions, I can see them regaining the titles in this match leading to that lengthy run where they face off against the many trios teams in AEW. Death Triangle works well together, but they have also had instances where Pac wants Fenix and Penta to cheat by using a hammer, which they refuse, so I think they might do a finish like that. I also think that about half the match will have illegal while the referee flails his arms in the air looking like a fool because that’s what AEW tag team matches are. Anyway, I guess I’ll go with The Elite but if they fail to win that’s certainly fine with me.
Winners AND NEW AEW Trios Tag Team Champions: The Elite
TNT Championship: Wardlow (c) vs. Powerhouse Hobbs vs. Samoa Joe
Joel: Finally, the TNT Championship is being defended on PPV for the first time since All Out 2021. The build has been pretty decent even though we all saw the Samoa Joe turn a mile away. The match will be great. Wardlow has lost a lot of steam since the MJF feud, and I think this is a perfect spot to regain some of that. It’s also a good spot to highlight Hobbs who has a tremendous ceiling. I think Wardlow takes it by pinning Joe.
Winner: Wardlow
Matthew: AEW had Samoa Joe and Wardlow awkwardly team up for several weeks just so they could have them more awkwardly break up for this match. Why not just have the ROH Champion Joe and the TNT Champion Wardlow have a unification singles match, and avoid all the weird buildup for this match. As for poor Hobbs, he feels like he is just here to be beat. I expect Wardlow to do just that, defending the title by pinning Hobbs.
Winner: Wardlow
Alex: This feud doesn’t interest me much, especially since the booking hasn’t had any oomph to it. Joe and Wardlow teamed for, what, six weeks? And suddenly we’re supposed to care about this like it’s some horrible betrayal? Come on. It also doesn’t help that Tony Khan seems to be torn between promoting AEW and promoting ROH. It doesn’t make sense to build walls when the foundation isn’t fully stable. But since this match is going on, I’m going to go with an unexpected pick again. This time, I’m going with Joe winning via something cheap like a roll-up (OF DEATH) to become a dual champion. That way, Joe can walk around with two belts and be treated like a bit more of a big deal and Wardlow can move up into the world title picture since this tertiary title isn’t doing him much good.
Winner and NEW AEW TNT Champion: Samoa Joe
Marc: When the three of them were battling in the ring on Wednesday night, I turned to my wife and spoke. ‘that’s a lot of beef in that ring.’ She didn’t seem to care much one way or another. Wives. Love you, honey! This turn by Joe was coming since it appeared as though Wardlow was acting as if Samoa Joe was an afterthought. JOE IS NO AFTERTHOUGHT. His countless titles suggest otherwise. The person with the most to lose in this match is Wardlow. As many have pointed out, the steam behind him seems to have been taken out, and it’s not even by his own accord. Could we see a new champion crowned? I don’t think so on this night, but you never know. Wardlow needs a win to show that he can overcome the odds and boy he has odds against him.
Winner: AND STILL TNT Champion, Wardlow
Kristian: I’m glad this match isn’t for both titles. Sometimes, less is more. There was a nice twist with Joe using Wardlow’s words against him to choke him out last week on Dynamite. Heel Joe is great. Putting Hobbs in a credible feud is long overdue. He was getting some good air time against Starks but then their match at All Out was so short that it left a lot of people disappointed. Management love Wardlow so I think his momentum continues here in what could be a smoky for a show-stealer.
Winner AND STILL AEW TNT Champion: Wardlow
John: It should be hard-hitting triple threat match between two talented younger guys with a bright future like Wardlow and Hobbs while Joe is a tougher veteran with a reputation as a badass. Even though I have liked Joe a lot over the last 20 years, he is slowing down in his early 40s and I don’t think his matches are as good since he joined AEW. I wonder if they booked this as a triple threat to put the title on Hobbs by having him Joe, which would protect Wardlow and take the title off him without having him get pinned. That’s a possibility I guess, but I think it’s more likely that Wardlow wins. If Wardlow hits Joe or Hobbs with a Powerbomb it’s going to lead to a big reaction since they are big guys, so that’s a strong way to end the match.
Winner: Wardlow
AEW Interim Women’s Championship: Toni Storm (c) vs. Jamie Hayter
Joel: I enjoy both of these women. Hopefully they get time to showcase what they can do but I feel like a change might be in order.
Winner and New AEW Women’s Champion: Jamie Hayter
Matthew: Is there a worse concept in wrestling than Interim Champions? Hayter and Storm are essentially competing for a number one contendership that they will have to then defend until whenever Thunder Rosa returns to face them. As for who wins this incredible honor, I will go with Storm to setup the match with Rosa somewhere down the line.
Winner: Toni Storm
Alex: This one’s pretty straightforward. The big money match is Storm vs. Rosa, who has announced that she’s coming back “soon”, which is most likely to be Winter Is Coming in December. So while there’s no denying that Storm will win, the question is what kind of story will be told leading into the finish. They could do an underdog story with Hayter either coming close or surviving a constant onslaught from Storm only to keep surviving. I’d like to see AEW do a version of this match, with Hayter surviving a ton of punishment to get the crowd behind her. That way they can kill two birds with one stone by making something more out of Hayter while keeping the title on Storm for the big ‘unification match’ with Rosa.
Winner and STILL AEW Interim Women’s Champion: Toni Storm
Marc: Former roommates turned adversaries. This past week on Dynamite, it was interesting to see that while there was some jockeying for position between them, the two didn’t really get all that physical with one another. That could very well mean that this match will be everything we would hoped it would be—a match with two noted talents hoping to emerge as the AEW Interim Women’s Championship. For as much as fans may be behind Jamie Hayter, she hasn’t had nearly enough time to promo or stand alone as she is tied to Britt and Rebel. As it stands, a win her by Toni Storm seems likely as she is more than likely going to hold the title until Thunder Rosa is ready to return to action. A title unification match is expected to be in the cards for these two. Regardless, the title of being the Interim champion is as frustrating to preview as it likely is to be. It’s like being called the best person in the on-deck circle or the best person in second place.
Winner: AND STILL AEW Interim Women’s Champion, Toni Storm
Kristian: Like Thunder Rosa, I have felt Storm’s reign as (Interim) Champion has been ‘just there’. Solid but not that interesting. That can be said for the entire division over the 3 years of AEW, I feel. It’s not their fault, as it’s a talented locker room which is poorly booked, managed and used sporadically. I was really surprised with the response from the fans towards Hayter at the last PPV. They were really behind her. AEW could pull the trigger on her here, but I feel they’re holding out for Rosa vs Storm when Rosa is back.
Winner AND STILL AEW Interim Women’s Champion: Toni Storm
John: It’s time for a title change. The fans want Jamie Hayter holding that title while Storm bores me. I get why they put the title on Storm in the first place since they signed her earlier this year after she was in AEW, so they wanted to show that they can use her better than WWE did. However, there’s not much to Storm’s character in AEW. The fans were dead for her match on Dynamite this week. We are supposed to care about the story because Hayter and Storm used to be good friends, but they aren’t anymore because Hayter is a heel. It’s really not that interesting to me. I think Hayter should win. Whenever Thunder Rosa comes back, I’d have Hayter beat her too.
Winner AND NEW AEW Interim Women’s Champion: Jamie Hayter
Darby Allin & Sting vs. Jay Lethal & Jeff Jarrett
Joel: Sting and Jeff Jarrett across the ring from each other in 2022. It wasn’t good in 2006. It wasn’t good in 2000. I don’t see it being good in 2022. Darby and Jay will do most of the work obviously, but the feud is basically built on the history between Jeff Jarrett and Sting. When they have more interest than your current full time acts Darby Allin and Jay Lethal, something is wrong. The match will be decent, but I hope this is a one and done match. I don’t need a singles match between Sting and Jarrett.
Winner: Darby Allin/Sting
Matthew: This will be Dixie Carter’s favorite match on the show. Besides for hardcore TNA wrestling fans, however, does anyone really care about this match? Darby Allin was once considered a pillar of AEW, and now feels like an afterthought. Since I am obligated by TJRWrestling bylaws to predict a winner, I will go with Jarrett and Lethal because why not.
Winners: Jay Lethal and Jeff Jarrett
Alex: I’m glad AEW is doing something with Jay Lethal. Like Joe, Lethal is very much underused given what he has done in TNA and ROH. And while Jarrett wrestling at his age isn’t my cup of tea, he’s a name, especially to older and more nostalgic wrestling fans. What should happen here is that Lethal and Jarrett should send a message to Allin and Sting. Maybe a teased ‘serious’ injury for Sting or a hospitalization for Allin. Since those two are basically an institution in AEW, they can lose without suffering any adverse effects. Conversely, Lethal and Jarrett would suffer by losing here so them winning makes the most sense. I expect 12-15 minutes of back-and-forth action here and a guitar shot to the head in there somewhere, most likely behind the referee’s back or something. It won’t set the world on fire, but it’ll be entertaining enough and still start an interesting story for two teams that aren’t doing that much right now.
Winners: Jay Lethal & Jeff Jarrett
Marc: It’s a unique tag team here. Between the ages of Sting and Jarrett alone, the question will be how entertaining of a match they will present. The answer to that is quite confident when you consider how both men wouldn’t put themselves in a position to either make themselves or their opposition look bad that the match will be entertaining. Although the pairing of Lethal and Jarrett may seem a little odd on the surface, they previously worked together in Flair’s retirement match and have a history with one another in TNA. A company that Sting and Jarrett have a history with one another. The question is what this match ultimately does for Darby Allin moving forward. A loss doesn’t help him, but does a win move him into contention for a championship or at least co-main eventing? As it is, Jarrett and Lethal may be the ones walking away victorious here.
Winners: Jay Lethal and Jeff Jarrett
Kristian: It’s time for the ‘random tag match to get Sting on the card’. Another example of the wrong talent being used on a PPV spot, in my opinion. That includes Jeff Jarrett. Sting rarely loses so I’ll select he and Allin to win but I have no real interest in this.
Winners: Sting and Darby Allin
John: There has been some mild build here with Jarrett hitting Allin with a guitar when he debuted in AEW. Other than that, we saw Sting and Allin driving a car on an empty road as if that is supposed to excite people. More effort into the build would be nice. Darby Allin hasn’t had anything interesting to do for several months now. I feel bad for the guy because he is popular with the fans and puts his body on the line to put on entertaining matches. They just don’t use him very well.
Sting is undefeated in AEW, so of course I pick his team to win. Maybe at some point the guy in his 60s will put over younger talent, but Jarrett is really old too, so this is not the spot for it. Sting & Allin win.
Winners: Darby Allin & Sting
ROH World Championship: Chris Jericho (c) vs. Claudio Castagnoli vs. Bryan Danielson vs. Sammy Guevara
Joel: I am long past tired of the ROH stuff on AEW television. If it doesn’t end ina big television rights fee for ROH, and I don’t think it will, this was a waste of time. Jericho has been beating ROH Champions, but I don’t think it’s that interesting. I also don’t know why Sammy is here when the story has been about Daniel Garcia. The match will be good. I just can’t see Jericho losing here, especially when Claudio has gotten the upper hand on him twice.
Winner: Chris Jericho
Matthew: Hopefully ROH will soon get their own television show, as their inclusion on AEW programming has led to way to many titles and a convoluted show. This match should be very good, as all four of these guys are great in the ring. I feel that Danielson should have been the one to carry the ROH championship from the start and am hoping that is what happens here.
Winner AND NEW ROH World Champion: Bryan Danielson
Alex: Although this match just screams ‘thrown together’, I think that the story of Jericho taking out each former ROH champ one by one has legs. There are still plenty of guys for Jericho to go through in that story, many of whom work for AEW. Here, though, it’s probably going to be shenanigans. This may be a four-way match on paper, but in practice it’ll be a tornado tag match. The only compelling and possibly intriguing part of this will be if Jericho can compel Sammy to lie down for him so that he can get a quick pin. Not only will Bryan and Claudio do whatever they can to break those up, but Sammy could also start defying Jericho, either to start his own separation from the JAS or as a ruse to get people to suspect he’s striking out on his own. Either way, this will be more story than spotfest, which will make it unique as far as AEW four-ways tend to go.
Winner and STILL ROH World Champion: Chris Jericho
Marc: A four-way battle for the Ring of Honor World Championship between Blackpool Combat Club members and Jericho Appreciation Society members is an interesting take. Each competitor brings with them something special in this match. We have two men with history in ROH against one that is trying to dismantle its image and someone being groomed as the heir apparent. If the title does change hands, it will go to either Danielson or Guevara and both for very different reasons. Danielson has been criticized for being misused over the past few months. What better way to show he’s back to form instead of taking a back seat than here in recapturing a title that he wore with pride? If Guevara was to win, it could easily prove as a stepping stone for their animosity within JAS, as Guevara being the champion despite Jericho leading the faction. It could be something akin to Evolution turning on Randy Orton. But as it stands it’s it seems as though Jericho is likely to retain until ROH begins to have its own program.
Winner: AND STILL ROH Champion, Chris Jericho
Kristian: There has been a lot of criticism about this ROH angle but I have really enjoyed it. It’s another way Jericho has shown his creativity, as well as profiling some ROH talent to the AEW audience before a possible weekly show of their own (even if it has meant losing to Jericho). I’m not sure if he’s being referred to as the Wizard, the Ocho or Lionheart this week, but I expect Jericho to retain. I don’t see him losing in a multi-man match, even though it would protect him, but I do see him dropping it to Danielson in a future singles match. This should be great.
Winner AND STILL ROH World Champion: Chris Jericho
John: This should be an excellent match and possibly the best on the show although I don’t like 4-way matches as much as singles matches. I do like 4-way matches better than AEW tag team matches, though, so they do have that going for them. Bryan is arguably the best in the world still after 20 years, Claudio is absolutely on fire, Sammy is willing to do crazy spots by putting his body on the line and Jericho continues to perform at a high level even at 52 years of age. A title change is possible, but I think Jericho is going to use Sammy’s loyalty to his advantage to find a way to win.
Since it’s a 4-way match, there should be no disqualifications and no countouts, so maybe we see Jericho cheat to win again by using his baseball bat to get the win. I don’t see Jericho losing the title before the Final Battle ROH PPV next month, so he should win. Jericho will likely be in the main event of that Final Battle show. Perhaps that will be where Jericho loses the ROH World Title. It makes more sense to do it at an ROH show after all.
Winner: Chris Jericho
AEW World Championship: Jon Moxley (c) vs. Maxwell Jacob Friedman
Joel: The build has been solid but sketchy at times. I don’t think anybody is buying this MJF babyface turn. He took down The Firm like they were enhancement talents on Dynamite. It’s obvious there’s a swerve coming. Whether its MJF getting help from The Firm, William Regal turning on Moxley, or both. Either way, I don’t see anyway in which MJF doesn’t walk out with the AEW World Title.
Winner: MJF
Matthew: The main event is without question the biggest match on this show. MJF is the future of wrestling, and will be a multiple-time World Champion. His promos have been absolutely amazing lately, and is the most over wrestler on the program. Does this mean that Tony Khan will pull the trigger, and finally make MJF champion? God, I hope so! I will predict The Firm swerving everyone, and helping MJF win the title.
Winner AND NEW AEW World Champion: MJF
Alex: This is do-or-die for MJF. He needs to win here and he needs to win decisively. There has been so much hype, money, and effort put into MJF’s rise to the top and now it’s time for the payoff. And while Mox is a beloved fan favorite, he shouldn’t be in this position in the first place. This match shouldn’t go more than ten minutes. MJF should mop the floor with Mox and send him on the vacation he was supposed to be on as we speak. MJF’s return at All Out should’ve been what everyone was talking about but it got completely overshadowed by other matters.
To rectify that problem and to put the spotlight squarely on MJF where it belongs, this needs to be a brutal beat-down. MJF ‘just winning’ would be newsworthy, but expected. But to really get people talking, MJF needs to do something big or at the very least controversial. And given the circumstances, nothing would be more controversial than MJF pinning Moxley while barely taking any damage himself. I was going to suggest that MJF leave Mox in a pool of his own blood; but that wouldn’t have much of an impact because Mox would probably enjoy that.
Winner and NEW AEW World Champion: Maxwell Jacob Friedman
Marc: Since his return from his ‘departure’ from the company, MJF has been the focal point of the main event scene. But in saying that, his relationship with The Firm is meant to suggest they’ve been there for MJF. However, since The Firm has appeared to be on the ‘outs’ with MJF, the intention is to suggest that he can take them out single-handedly. But as fans are all too familiar with MJF, if there is someone that can’t be trusted, it’s Max. This could all be just a rouse to have him ultimately prevail. One rumor that has floated around is that William Regal will betray Moxley at some point during this match leading to him aligning with MJF. But doing that would also mean the Blackpool in the Blackpool Combat Club would be gone. Does the faction then have to rebrand? What could happen is that MJF actually gets his hands on Regal’s brass knuckles against his will and then hits Moxley with them. He still uses unscrupulous means, but Regal doesn’t necessarily betray Moxley either.
Winner: AND NEW AEW World Champion, Maxwell Jacob Friedman
Kristian: I remember being pissed when Moxley beat the rising star of MJF at All Out in 2020 and I’ll be even more so if it happens on Saturday. The time is now, folks. It’s time to pull the trigger on Maxwell Jacob Friedman as AEW Champion. He has been delivering incredible promos on a weekly basis and I am hoping this translates to a high-quality match against Moxley. It will sound funny, but we haven’t actually seen a lot of MJF wrestle. Most of this year has been taken up by Wardlow and CM Punk. 2021 was very Jericho-centric, so he hasn’t had a lot of rivalries and certainly not a stack of stellar matches as yet in his career.
I am tired of Moxley as champion. His style is boring and I am ready for someone new at the top. That man is THE man in AEW at present and I hope we see MJF holding the gold aloft at the end of Saturday’s show.
Winner AND NEW AEW World Champion: MJF
John: I think it’s a big match with MJF coming into the match with a lot of momentum. I know that’s a weird thing to say considering he won just one match (not counting the “win” at All Out) in the last six months, but if you think about AEW right now, the rise of MJF is the most intriguing story they have. I agree with MJF when he says he’s a generational talent because at 26 years old he’s more polished as a performer than a lot of people that are a decade or more older than him. If MJF really is going to be a free agent on January 1, 2024, as he likes to talk about then he’s going to get a huge payday from AEW or perhaps moving to WWE.
As for Moxley, I like him as a performer and it’s understandable why he has been an AEW World Champion as the top face in the company. I just think it’s time for a title change. With that said, I know that previous AEW World Champions like Jericho, Omega, “Hangman” Adam Page and Moxley himself during his first reign have all had long runs with the title, but this doesn’t have to be that. I’d have Moxley lose even though he just won it in late September. MJF has the momentum, so AEW needs to ride it.
While I think this will be a great match technically because they are very talented wrestlers, I am intrigued to see how it is booked. I’ve been leaning towards MJF getting help from The Firm even though they have done multiple things to suggest that The Firm is against him, including when W. Morrissey put Max through a table. However, I just think MJF continuing to call himself “The Devil” is his way of telling us he’s going to do something evil to win. It’s also important to note that MJF has said he’ll win without using the Dynamite Diamond Ring, so maybe something happens where William Regal even turns on Moxley by giving MJF the dreaded brass knuckles and MJF uses that to win. I just think it’s going to be a shady win for MJF although if he wins clean that’s fine too. I’d rather see MJF as a heel, but I understand if they make him ore of a face because he does get strong reactions.
Winner AND NEW AEW World Champion: MJF
BONUS TOPICS!
The Match I’m Looking Forward To The Most
Joel: Death Triangle vs. The Elite.
Matthew: Jon Moxley vs. MJF.
Alex: The Trios Tag Team match, just to see the mayhem.
Kristian: Jon Moxley vs. MJF in the hope that MJF wins.
John: Jon Moxley vs. MJF because I’m intrigued to see who wins, how it’s booked and it should be a very good match too.
The Match I Care About The Least
Joel: Jade Cargill vs. Nyla Rose.
Matthew: Jade Cargill vs. Nyla Rose.
Alex: Jade Cargill vs. Nyla Rose.
Kristian: Any of Cargill/Rose, the Sting tag or Storm/Hayter
John: Jade Cargill vs. Nyla Rose.
Longest Match
Joel: Death Triangle vs. The Elite.
Matthew: Jon Moxley vs. MJF.
Alex: Trios Tag Team match (~22 minutes)
Kristian: Jon Moxley vs. MJF.
John: Jon Moxley vs. MJF.
Shortest Match
Joel: Jade Cargill vs. Nyla Rose.
Matthew: Jade Cargill vs. Nyla Rose.
Alex: Jade Cargill vs. Nyla Rose (5 minutes or less)
Kristian: Cargill vs. Rose or perhaps they’ll establish Saraya as dominant on her return and have her squash Baker.
John: Jade Cargill vs. Nyla Rose.
Excitement Level on a Scale of 1-10 (1 being low, 10 being high)
Joel: 6. The matches will likely all be decent to great. The build has just been off. As with every AEW PPV, there are about 2-3 matches that you could stick on Dynamite and make the PPV even better. That said, it’s going to be a good and noteworthy show from The Elite’s return to MJF’s potential coronation to Saraya’s first match in five years. I’m interested in those three aspects. It should be a good wrestling show regardless.
Matthew: 5 – I want to be excited for this show, but I have not liked the build for most of the matches. Honestly, if it wasn’t for MJF, my number would be even lower. Hopefully MJF can win the title here, and then avoid biting anyone after the media scrum.
Alex: 7. There’s potential for this show to be great, but it really has to shine in specific areas. The matches on this show can’t just be matches; stories need to emerge and be told for people to care more. If AEW can do that then this show will be a much bigger success than All Out.
Kristian: I have interest in 7/11 matches that have been named at the time of writing, so I’ll go for a 6.5. There are plenty of talent not on the card that I would prefer to see, over 3-4 matches that have been set (FTR, Miro, Ricky Starks, Adam Page, and even Captain Insano).
John: I’m going for 7.25 here because I think the match quality will be strong like most AEW shows. I don’t know if there will be any great angles or memorable debuts that take place, but I’m optimistic about most of the matches. The main event between Moxley-MJF intrigues me the most, so if that is awesome then that’s going to help the overall show for sure.
In Closing
John: I’ll be back with a review of AEW Full Gear on TJRWrestling.net during the show on Sunday night. Check that out during the show or after it’s over.
You can also tweet me @johnreport. If you want to send an email, send it to me at mrjohncanton@gmail.com as well. Thanks for reading.