Reviews

TJRWrestling AEW Revolution 2021 Preview (Omega vs. Moxley, Sting/Allin vs. Starks/Cage, Young Bucks vs. Jericho/MJF, More)

By John Canton • Published 6th March 2021

John: Welcome to the TJRWrestling AEW Revolution 2021 preview. It’s the first of four AEW pay-per-view events this year. They are advertising nine matches including a very unique main event match and there might be some surprises as well. This show is taking place on a Sunday instead of a Saturday like most AEW PPVs. The main reason why is because there’s a huge UFC event on Saturday, so AEW felt like Sunday was a better choice. I would expect their future PPVs to be on Saturday because that’s what they prefer.

There’s a big mystery announcement coming where AEW’s Paul Wight noted on the last Dynamite episode that there’s some Hall of Fame caliber wrestler signing with AEW. That led to AEW’s boss Tony Khan saying this person is a male, they are one of his favorite wrestlers ever and he’ll be signing the contract at Revolution. There are may be rumors that it may be Christian because he might not have a deal with WWE or it could even be Kurt Angle coming out of retirement to wrestle in AEW. Angle posted this video of him in his wrestling gear on Twitter on Saturday morning. Both of those guys left WWE for TNA about 15 years ago, so it’s certainly happened before and AEW is very TNA-ish in terms of signing older guys that used to be big elsewhere. I don’t know who it is. I’m not going to be like the Twitter detectives or Reddit users that have threads with thousands of comments full of guesses. I’ll just give credit to AEW for creating some buzz about whoever this surprise is because it’s building up anticipation for the show. The matches on the show are strong already, but doing a mystery surprise is smart too. It could be a letdown, though, so that could hurt the company. It depends on who it is and what they are going to do.

If you need info on how to order Revolution on PPV, check out AEW’s website for info on how to watch it in your country whether it’s on B/R Live, Fite TV or some other method. It’s different depending on where you live. I’ll be using Fite TV in Canada, most likely.

Joining me for the preview are Kurt Zamora and Lance Augustine. Here’s Lance with his opening thoughts.

Lance: It’s time for another AEW PPV and this will be one of the more interesting shows they have booked. Not only with the matches that are booked, but with announcements that will happen during the broadcast. Paul Wight said that he will be announcing a new AEW signee that is “Hall of Fame-caliber” on Sunday and since then, a handful of names have been thrown out. The two most likely, from where I am sitting, are Kurt Angle or Wight himself. Krut Angle would be awesome as an on-air talent and someone to bring credibility to the show. Wight announcing himself would just be a way to turn heel immediately and hopefully, he doesn’t swap back and forth. It doesn’t matter who it is though because the show should be solid either way. Let’s do this!

(Note: All graphics are from AEW.)

Buy-In Pre-Show Match: Dr. Britt Baker & Rebel vs. Riho & Thunder Rosa

Kurt: As a whole, I’m really impressed with the strides the women’s division has made as of late. A lot of women are making visible improvements and making the division better as a whole. There are still some complaints I have, but I’ll save that for the title match. Two of the biggest reasons for that improvement are in this match, Britt Baker and Thunder Rosa. They have a strong TV storyline and both have risen the game of the other. Thunder Rosa in particular is a star. I hope she stays with AEW full time instead of going back to NWA when it starts back up. Or at least spends most of her time with AEW. This will be a fun match to start before the show, I would expect a babyface win just to set the tone for the night.

Prediction: Thunder Rosa & Riho

Lance: We can talk about the AEW Women’s Division and how lackluster it has been for hours upon hours. If there have been standouts though, these four women would at the top of the list. Baker was on fire for a good part of last year while she was injured and her promo game really improved. I was a big fan of that entire angle with Reba and thought it was a creative way to keep them on TV. Riho has been off the program for a good bit, but made her return for the eliminator tournament. This leaves us with Thunder Rosa, who is one of my favorite women in any company. She was the NWA Women’s Champion, but I think an AEW Women’s Title run is in her future. I don’t think this match will get a ton of time, but I think these four can have good chemistry and make it solid. I am going to say since Riho and Rosa aren’t a team, at least yet, the win will go to Baker and Reba.

Winners: Britt Baker and Reba

John: This should be a win for Riho and if it’s not I’ll be surprised. Riho is great at what she does as a smaller babyface that sells really well while also having believable offense for a woman that weighs under 100 pounds. They haven’t built this up much although Baker did have a rivalry with Rosa a few months ago. I think Rebel/Reba is there to just take the pin unless they replace her with somebody else. It should be a decent match with Riho getting the win.

Winners: Thunder Rosa and Riho

Miro and Kip Sabian vs. Chuck Taylor and Orange Cassidy

Kurt: As you’ll see at the end of the column, I have very low expectations for this match, and that’s coming from someone who is a huge Orange Cassidy fan, and was as excited as anyone to see Miro join AEW. However, this has been one giant miss. The Best Man storyline has not done anything productive for Miro, and he just feels in the same rut he was in with WWE. Maybe he’s not destined to be a top guy, but I refuse to believe that until he gets a legit chance to be. I think he could have killer matches with anyone in the roster. This match means nothing, but the only result that matters is if Miro absolutely destroys both guys (and Sabian too for that matter), and comes out the other side presented as a legit contender. However, since we don’t know what’s coming out the other side of this, it’s a meaningless tag match that belongs on Dynamite rather than Revolution.

Prediction: Miro & Kip Sabian

Lance: I will start this by saying that Miro needs to be booked better. The dude is a monster and can be a big star with the right circumstances around him. I like Kip Sabian, but I have been saying for a while now that he should be the mouthpiece for Miro if they are staying together, rather than being a partner. As far as Brest Friends go, with Trent being on the shelf, it has been up to Taylor and Cassidy to keep the stable afloat with varying results. Taylor was even the butler for these two at one point until Cassidy came in to save the day. I want to care about this match more, but I just don’t think there is much heat to it. Miro shouldn’t lose in AEW for a while and should be built up to be a player moving forward. Hopefully, TK agrees with me.

Winners: Kip Sabian and Miro

John: There was a promo from Miro where he basically said if you’re tired of him playing games, you’ll see him kick some ass here. That tells me that AEW probably realizes all the complaints about how shitty they have booked him and maybe they are going to unleash him as a monster that can hopefully move up the card sooner or later. Another thing I wanted to mention here is that Orange Cassidy was supposed to be elevated into the role of a bigger star after he won his Chris Jericho feud. Is he really a bigger star now? I don’t see it. As for Sabian and Taylor, they’re just random guys on the roster. I don’t even remember the last time I reviewed a Sabian match. This should be a win for Miro’s team and I really hope he does get a push that he deserves.

Winners: Miro and Kip Sabian

Casino Tag Team Battle Royale: Pac & Rey Fenix, John Silver & Alex Reynolds, Evil Uno & Stu Grayson, Private Party, The Butcher & The Blade, Luchasaurus & Jungle Boy, Varsity Blonds, Santana & Ortiz, Top Flight, Bear Country, SCU, Gunn Club and more

(The winners will receive a future AEW Tag Team Title match.)

Kurt: What an overabundance of riches the AEW Tag Division is. It may be too much at this point. A part of me wonders if TK is stockpiling such a roster so that he can hit the ground running on live events later this year. The likes of Sting, Paul Wight, and probably Jericho, won’t do them, so you can pack a lot of tag team matches with these guys, and the AEW die-hards will still go watch it. There are three Dark Order teams, 10 & 5 are not listed above but TK confirmed they’re in the match on this weeks Unrestricted podcast, so the odds are with them. It could be a big night for that stable, or it could be a massive disappointment. They’ve been a feel good story since Brodie passed away, rightfully so, but I think they need a direction at this point. I’m going to wish for a big night for them, starting with Silver & Reynolds winning this match.

Prediction: John Silver & Alex Reynolds

Lance: This match, unfortunately, has the distinction of being one where they are just trying to put every piece of talent under contract on the show. There are two teams from the Dark Order here, and I don’t know if that makes much sense. You could make the argument that they won’t fight each other, but still. Pac & Fenix are badass and a team I wouldn’t mind seeing being pushed hard moving forward and picking up a win here would be awesome. I do think this match will get some time since AEW puts a lot of time into their tag team division and because of that all of these teams are going to have time to shine. I could see Top Flight and Bear Country being eliminated early with Private Party being close behind them even though they have been pushed harder after being paired with Matt Hardy. I think in the end, the right team will come out on top and be in line for a Tag Team Title shot down the line.

Winners: Rey Fenix and Pac

John: This is what you do when you have a big roster and want to get more people on the show. Throw them all in a battle royal and give them about 15 minutes to do their thing. AEW does this on nearly all of their PPVs, so it’s no surprise that they did it here. They did a tag team battle royal that earned Jericho/MJF their title shot, so it doesn’t feel fresh when you do the same type of thing again.

There are a lot of options as far as winners go and honestly, I have no idea if FTR is in the match. If FTR is definitely in then they might win. Other than that, I think one team stands out. If Pac and Rey Fenix don’t win this match then I’ll really be disappointed. I’m already disappointed that both of them are in this match instead of the Ladder Match, but here we are. If it’s not them then maybe it’s time for Luchasaurus and Jungle Boy to break through to earn a title shot.

Winners: Pac and Rey Fenix

Face of the Revolution Ladder Match: Cody Rhodes, Penta El Zero, Scorpio Sky, Lance Archer, Max Caster and one more wrestler

(The winner of the match must climb a ladder to grab a brass ring above the ring. The winner will receive a shot at the TNT Title.)

Kurt: I have no idea who the sixth guy is, and I don’t care to even begin to speculate. Based on the forbidden door being open, it could legitimately be anyone from Impact, New Japan, or NWA. Someone like a Nick Aldis coming in as NWA Champion? Not to mention that someone like Paul Wight coming in the company truly shows that ANYONE can show up, there’s no telling who TK has up his sleeve. As for the Ladder Match, I’d love to see Scorpio Sky or Penta El Zero win. I don’t think the winner of this match will become TNT champion, because the title match is this Wednesday & I don’t see Darby losing the title no matter how the Street Fight goes. So this match needs to go to someone that needs a big win on their resume for the time being. Cody and Archer get nothing out of winning this, but losing at Dynamite. Max Caster is just a throw in to me, so I’m not including him. Scorpio and Penta are two guys who have been lost in the shuffle, due to injuries, and could use this match to add to their resume moving forward. I’m prediction Penta strictly out of bias, because he’s been one of my favorites since the moment I saw him in Lucha Underground, but I do truly think it’s a toss up between he and Scorpio.

Prediction: Penta El Zero

Lance: This match has the potential to either be really good or a colossal disaster. We recently found out that there will be a brass ring suspended above the ring and the winner will be the first one to grab it. It was also noted that if Darby Allin is injured in the Street Fight, the winner of this match would be awarded The TNT Championship. Bringing that up makes me think they are going to do something in that match to have Allin off TV, but for the sake of this, let’s imagine it won’t be like that. The mystery guy is going to be the talk of the match leading up to it, obviously. Is it someone on the roster? Or someone new they are bringing in? All that notwithstanding, this is the type of match that you let a guy that has been away for a while win.

There aren’t many ramifications from a loss here, but a win can build the stock of the younger guys. This match will have the insane spots, though, and should be a quality match seeing all the parties involved. I think the winners are going to come down Scorpio Sky and Cody Rhodes. I would like to see someone like Penta win, but they have their eyes elsewhere for the future. I am actually going to pick Sky here based on the reports that AEW has wanted to push him as a singles star. This would be a good place to start.

Winner: Scorpio Sky

John: There’s a mystery sixth wrestler in this match that could be somebody on the AEW roster that we already know, or a new superstar. I’m leaning towards it being a new wrestler with my pick being my fellow Canadian Ethan Page, formerly of Impact Wrestling. Page has been a free agent since the new year, I expected him to end up in AEW and saving him for a mystery shot at a PPV is the right way to do it. If they go with somebody that’s already on the roster then Sammy Guevara is a strong possibility.

This is essentially a Money in the Bank match with a different name and prize. Put up a prize in a ladder match with six guys and it’s usually going to be pretty good. You can make a case for a lot of them to win. Guys like Penta and Sky are high fliers that can do it all, Caster is a talented young guy, Cody is very good at putting a match together and Archer is a big guy that can move. The guy that immediately came to mind for me is Lance Archer since AEW has been booking him especially strong of late as a babyface that has main evented several episodes of Dynamite including a great match with Rey Fenix two weeks ago. Why not him? Then they can do a mismatch type deal where Archer faces Darby Allin for the title and even though both guys are faces right now, it would be an interesting match. I like Archer to win here and I think he can win the TNT Title as well.

Winner: Lance Archer

AEW Women’s Championship: Hikaru Shida (c) vs. Ryo Mizunami

Kurt: I came out of Dynamite this past week thinking that the Mizunami vs. Nyla Rose match was one of the best women’s matches in AEW history. I loved everything about it. The legdrop on the apron that Mizunami does is BRUTAL. I’m trying to be more complimentary about the women’s division, as I really do feel it’s improved a ton, however they still don’t have anyone that feels like a true contender. It just feels like Shida is going through one after the other and there’s no rivalry being developed that you can keep going back to. That’s the beauty of the WWE women’s division, there’s so much talent and so many rivalries they’ve developed that you can keep going back to and they feel important. Maybe Jade Cargill is that type of person, Britt Baker SHOULD be that type of person, as well as Thunder Rosa, but they just aren’t yet. This just feels like another match in a series of them for Shida. I’m sure they’ll beat the hell out of each other and it may be a sneaky good match, but nothing feels long term about it. So it just goes back to finding someone that can A. defeat Shida for the title, and B. stay at the top of the division for a long time.

Prediction: Hikaru Shida retains

Lance: Mizunami beat Nyla Rose this past week in the finals of the Eliminator Tournament to earn her shot at Shida here. That match was with Rose was actually entertaining. The Women’s Title in AEW isn’t featured as much as it should be, and for me, it takes a little bit from every match it is defended on. Shida is a great wrestler and champion, but I feel like she hasn’t been on TV very much at all. I do think this will be a standout match and both of these women know how to go. I will say that Shida should retain, but I really hope they put some emphasis on this title moving forward.

Winner and STILL AEW Women’s Champion: Hikaru Shida

John: I was hoping AEW would use the women’s tournament to elevate Britt Baker to the title picture. They had four months between the last PPV, so I was hoping for a meaningful title match leading to a title change. Instead, it’s Shida defending against a woman I don’t really know because Kenny Omega books this division and he wants to put over the Japanese women’s wrestlers. I’m not taking a shot at Ryo at all. She is talented from what I’ve seen. I just think telling a story is important too, so in that sense the build here has been weak. Since I don’t know if Ryo is going to be around long term, it’s difficult to pick her to win. I’ll go with Shida’s reign to continue although I think it’s time to have another champion soon.

Winner: Hikaru Shida

Big Money Match: Matt Hardy vs. “Hangman” Adam Page

(The winner of the match will receive the income of the loser during the first three months of 2021. That’s the storyline explanation anyway!)

Kurt: Hangman Page is the best story going in AEW. The story he has weaved since really the beginning of 2020, is some of the best storytelling in pro wrestling history. The fans live and die with all of his triumphs and disappointments. Matt Hardy, yet again, has been able to reinvent himself successfully. Clearly this AEW run didn’t go the way he wanted based on the pandemic, but he was determined to make the best of it, and now he’s one of AEW’s strongest heels with his Big Money Matt persona. I really commend him for that. Beyond all of that for these two men, they’ve elevating the likes of Dark Order and Private Party, which I truly appreciate storylines that make that many people better when it’s over. I loved the switcharoo that Hangman pulled with the contracts to make this match happen.

However, everything since that point has made me feel like it’s leading to a Hardy win. Why would Hangman put up his part of the income when he already had Hardy signed to it? Then, Hangman came out looking really strong this past Wednesday, which I subscribe to the theory of “strong on TV, means you’re losing on PPV”. However, as I mentioned earlier, I’m predicting a big night for The Dark Order. They need it, Hangman needs it, and really the fans need it too. We all grieved when Brodie passed. We’ve all been sympathetic to the tough road Hangman has faced with friends leaving him and being the “Anxious Millennium Cowboy”. So now, it’s time to be able to cheer and celebrate both the Dark Order and Hangman Page coming together for the ultimate babyface stable. It’s a feel good moment for EVERYONE, and those are the best type of moments in wrestling. The moment Hangman wins this match and then officially joins the Dark Order, the crowd will go INSANE. We all want it, so make it happen.

Prediction: Hangman Page

Lance: I will go on the record to say putting these two in the main event match on the Dynamite, days from the PPV, maybe wasn’t the best idea. I want this to have a big match feel to it, but since I have already seen it, it loses that spark for me. Page is an absolute star and I think he should be in the main event scene all the time, but working with Matt Hardy is a good place to be. Hardy has the name to really elevate and I think this match will accomplish that. Page will get a lot of offense in here and I may go as far as to say that he will dominate a chunk of it. I do think this will get ample time as well, which is good when you are trying to tell a story. AEW must keep pushing their younger talent that hasn’t been associated with the WWE in their past. Page needs the win here more than Mattitude does.

Winner: Adam Page

John: It makes sense to pick Hangman Page because he’s the younger guy by a lot (Matt Hardy is 46 while Page is 29), so he should go over, right? Not so fast. I think you can still have Page get the win in the feud by doing some big match on Dynamite in a few weeks or months, but from a booking perspective I think Matt should win here. Whether it’s cheap because of Private Party or not, I think Hardy is going to win. As Kurt said, the story of Page turning down Dark Order has been key because then Dark Order became a face group and Page will need their help to beat Hardy when they face off again. For now, Hardy should win and then Page will embrace the Dark Order guys, which can lead to Page get the win. If I’m wrong, that’s fine too. I like Page a lot. I just think sometimes the bad guy has to get the win to keep the story going and get more heat.

I think long term, Page is a guy that might be the next AEW World Champion. We might have to wait until the All Out PPV during Labor Day weekend for it to happen, but I think that’s where they are headed.

Winner: Matt Hardy

AEW Tag Team Championships: The Young Bucks (Matt and Nick Jackson) (c) vs. The Inner Circle’s Chris Jericho and MJF

(AEW’s Tony Khan has said that this match will be the opening match on the PPV.)

Kurt: On a loaded card, with a match that had zero heat going into it, the build up for this has been sneaky good. Between MJF & Jericho beating up Papa Buck, the press conference segment, and the interviews the Young Bucks did on Countdown to Revolution, calling out MJF and Jericho as singles wrestlers that don’t deserve a title shot, I’ve gotten really invested in this in a short amount of time. I will say though, that I think the Young Bucks are just the add-in to this match. Ultimately, I don’t think they matter. The two questions and stories in this match are, will Sammy Guevara show up, and will MJF & Jericho work well together? There’s an underlying theme that Jericho isn’t took thrilled about Sammy leaving the Inner Circle, and everyone assumed MJF joining the Inner Circle was going to lead to Jericho turning face. That doesn’t seem to be happening anymore, but it does look like Guevara is primed for a big babyface push. I’m all for it, and I think it starts with him returning here at this show and costing Jericho and MJF the match.

Prediction: The Young Bucks retain

Lance: Jericho’s whole deal is starting to wear on some wrestling fans, but I don’t include myself in that group. I think Jericho is doing what he has been his whole career. Yeah, he can’t go in the ring as he used to, but he still has the star power and is one of the best on the mic to ever do it. MJF on the other hand is rising up, and I think he still has the potential to be one of the biggest stars in the industry. Their attack on Matt and Nick’s dad was really well done and I thought added a personal touch to this feud. The Young Bucks are what they are, and people are always going to love or hate them. I lean more towards love than hate, although I can see how classic wrestling fans might have a problem with their style.

This will be more of a story-building match than a technical classic and that’s perfectly fine. Look for a lot of near falls and false finishes. It’s my belief that this will be one of the longer matches on the card and one of the matches that have had the best build. It’s time to transition, though. The Young Bucks have had their time at the top and its time to start looking towards the future. MJF would be the one that would benefit from holding a title and that time is now.

Winners and NEW AEW Tag Team Champions: MJF and Chris Jericho

John: The champions are likely going to retain here. While they did get the advantage on the last Dynamite, the main thing that happened in this story was when Jericho and MJF beat up “Papa Buck” aka the father of the Young Bucks. I expect it to be a pretty good match where the referee will ignore the rules for some of it because The Young Bucks are involved, but hopefully Jericho can help guide them to having a more regular match. By the way, is it weird to you that 50-year-old Jericho is more than a decade younger than the oldest wrestler on this show? Wrestling is always weird to me.

I think the obvious result here is that Sammy Guevara will show up to cost Jericho/MJF the titles. The fans will pop huge for it and it will be a big moment that sets up Sammy as a singles face that will try to rip apart the Inner Circle group. Just because it’s obvious doesn’t make it a bad finish. There’s definitely a long-term story with Sammy going against MJF first before facing off with Jericho. Sammy has a very bright future in AEW. I don’t see The Young Bucks losing here. They’re going to have a long run as champions. It’s good to be Executive Vice Presidents.

Winners: The Young Bucks

Street Fight: Brian Cage and Ricky Starks vs. Sting and Darby Allin

Kurt: Sting is my all time favorite wrestler. From the moment I saw him at three years old, he’s been one of my heroes. Since I wasn’t involved in the previews here on TJR for either of his WWE PPV matches, this is the first time I’m writing about a Sting match. It’s something I never thought I get to do, and just something on a personal level that I think is super cool. This was the first match announced for the PPV, and while even I can admit that they probably didn’t need to run Sting out on Dynamite every week, I think the build up to this match has been phenomenal for the most part. Some really memorable moments like Darby being dragged behind Team Taz’s SUV in a body bag, Sting taking a massive powerbomb and making everyone hold their breath for a second, to Darby zip-lining across Daily’s Place to attack Team Taz. I think regardless of how you feel about Sting in the ring, they’ve done a great job to make you care about this match. Sting & Darby have come out strong the last two weeks, which feels like it’s setting up for a Team Taz win. I just don’t know that AEW wants to make the same mistake WWE did & have Sting lose his first match in the company. The beauty of Sting and Darby together is that I think there’s multiple routes you can take with either a win or a loss, and a win for Team Taz would be HUGE for their careers. However, I think just being in this match does wonders for both, especially someone like Starks who is only 27 and has star written all over him. I’m not sure if this will fully be live or have any cinematic elements, but I think it’ll be a helluva fun match.

Prediction: Sting & Darby Allin

Lance: I think we all collectively held our breath with Sting took a Powerbomb from Cage a couple of weeks ago. All seems fine, and with that, I can officially be alright with this match. I grew up with a guy like Sting more than other guys in the era, so I will always have a soft spot for him and obviously don’t want him to get seriously hurt. I am also a huge fan of Darby Allin and think the kid is going to do some cool things in the industry. Cage and Starks are good too, although I do question some of the booking leading up to this match. This match was designed so that it wouldn’t have to be a straight wrestling match and they can somewhat protect Sting the best way possible. I do think Cage will do a number on both Sting and Allin and I wouldn’t be surprised if Ricky Starks has his coming out party here.

The interesting thing is the little wrinkle that if Darby Allin gets hurt in this match, the winner of the ladder match will be the TNT Champion. Why would something like that be brought up unless there is an angle coming here? It would be a way to take the title off Allin without having him lose, so in that sense, I kind of understand it. I will assume all will be good with the booking, though, and that Sting and Allin ultimately come out on top. Don’t do Sting dirty by having him job out his first match with the company.

Winners: Darby Allin and Sting

John: The team of Allin and Sting should get the win just based on the story where the heels have had the advantage many times over the last few months. I’m glad that Sting is able to wrestle at the age of 61 (62 on March 20), but I’m sure I’ll be worrying about Sting whenever he takes a bump that looks a bit too extreme. A lot of people say Ricky Starks is the future in AEW and I think it’s possible since he’s a young guy with a lot of talent, but they sure don’t book him in matches on Dynamite very often. Brian Cage is a big muscle guy with some talent although I think he may be the wrong guy to sell for Sting in a believable way. Hopefully it’s a decent match with some creative spots since it’s a Street Fight that will lead to them using weapons a lot. I would expect Sting to use his bat as a weapon with Allin doing some insane bumps along the way. This doesn’t have to be some 20-minute match either. Go for 10-12 minutes, Sting’s team wins and end it. There’s no need to risk doing a long match.

Winners: Sting and Darby Allin

AEW World Championship Exploding Barbed Wire Death Match: Kenny Omega (c) vs. Jon Moxley

The rules courtesy of Kenny Omega:

Kurt: Just writing the words, “Exploding Barbed Wire Death Match” in 2021 is surreal to me. I remember seeing the FMW versions of this match when I was a teenager and being just in awe that something like this was allowed to happen. Now, its going to happen in America, and it’s going to involve arguably the two best wrestlers in the world right now. It’s one thing when hardcore icons like Mick Foley, Onita, Sabu, & Terry Funk were doing them, it’s another when someone like Kenny Omega is doing it. I don’t even know how to discuss this match, because I don’t know what to expect. I understand the story of how this has been going on for almost two years now, and this is the only way to end this rivalry. It’s just one thing to say it’s going to happen, and another to watch it actually happen. Both men are at the top of their games and the strongest two stars in AEW. I don’t see Omega losing the title, and this feels like a way to write off Moxley while his wife has their first child, but beyond that, I don’t know what to think about how this is going to go. I’m sure the Good Brothers will have a hand in the match, and maybe Paul Wight’s big scoop will reveal himself to be Omega’s next challenger after the smoke settles in this match, but ultimately I hope it’s a match we’ll never forget and that both men can walk away from the match relatively unscathed.

Prediction: Kenny Omega retains

Lance: I will just get this out of the way: This is an absolutely ridiculous match concept. I actually have almost no vested interest in watching these guys go out there and mutilate each other. I feel like if the gimmick is used less, it would only benefit the overall product. Now, I do think these two have enough chemistry to make this work, which is definitely a plus. Omega and Don Callis have been all over the wrestling world as of late and it has had its good and bad moments. I actually think they have been on Impact a little too often, but with Callis’ role in that company, it’s not shocking. Jon Moxley has been in the main event scene since debuting for the company and has the chance to become the first two-time AEW World Champion. I thought shooting this before the show would be the better call, but Tony Khan has gone on record to say that this will happen live.

Overall, I think the match at least has the spectacle feel to it. People, like myself, haven’t seen those old FMW matches with Funk and Foley and all the other ones that have happened, and so this is really my first time with it. I have a hard time believing this match is going to stay contained to the ring, although getting out through the barbed wire might be tricky. I don’t think they will be completely replacing the ropes with barbed wire, so that might have been done to get out of the ring a little bit more. Obviously, the explosion part of this match would be just in the ring. This one is hard to predict though because I don’t think Moxley has much momentum going his way and Omega hasn’t had the title for as long as past champions. I also believe they dropped the ball not doing anything for your main event match on the go-home episode of Dynamite. All of that aside, I think Omega will win the match after a lot of destruction to the set around them, and to each other.

Winner and STILL AEW World Champion: Kenny Omega

John: I think the stipulation is crazy and I’m not a huge fan of it, to be honest. It’s too violent for the sake of trying to “wow” people. Both wrestlers are awesome, so I have faith in them putting on an interesting match unlike anything that a lot of us have ever seen before. I’ve seen clips of the exploding death matches in the past although I’ve never reviewed any of them. It’s going to be weird for me to rate it with a star rating because it will be unlike anything I’ve ever seen in pro wrestling, especially North American pro wrestling.

Kenny Omega should retain the title because I think he’s a long term heel champion. Jon Moxley had a very long run as champion, so he doesn’t need it again. I’m not sure what’s next for Moxley after he loses here. I’m sure he’ll fit in somewhere. Based on the stipulations posted above, this might be a long match going over 30 minutes and if that’s the case then I really hope they can tell a story that makes sense without beating up their bodies too much. I’m definitely interested to see what happens here. Be smart out there, boys.

Winner: Kenny Omega

BONUS TOPICS!

The Match I’m Looking Forward To The Most

Kurt: I’m biased, so I’m picking the Street Fight. However, I can’t believe the main event is actually happening, so I’d be remiss not to mention it at least.

Lance: I am going with the main event because of the spectacle of the whole thing.

John: The main event interests me the most because I have no idea what kind of match it will be. In terms of best match, I think the Ladder Match will be a lot of fun.

The Match I Care About The Least

Kurt: Miro/Sabian vs. Best Friends – They gave me no reason to care about this match after the wedding.

Lance: Casino Tag Team Match.

John: The women’s tag team match on the pre-show. If I had to pick something on the main show then it’s probably Hikaru Shida vs. Ryo Mizunami due to lack of story. I like women’s wrestling as much as anybody, but AEW doesn’t book long term women’s stories well.

Longest Match

Kurt: It literally could be 5 of the 8 matches. I guess I’ll say the Ladder Match, but for some reason I feel it might be Hardy & Hangman.

Lance: Tag Team Title Match.

John: I think Omega vs. Moxley will be over 30 minutes, so that’s my pick.

Shortest Match

Kurt: Miro/Sabian vs. Best Friends.

Lance: Page vs. Hardy.

John: Miro/Sabian vs. Taylor/Cassidy might be the only match ten minutes or less.

Excitement Level on a Scale of 1-10 (1 being low, 10 being high)

Kurt: It’s a solid 10 for me. Sting returning to the ring, an EXPLODING BARBED WIRE DEATH MATCH happening on an American Pro Wrestling PPV, The story of Hardy and Hangman, A Ladder Match that should be insane, at least 2 surprises between the 6th man and Paul Wight’s scoop, there is a TON to look forward to. This is actually the first AEW PPV I’m worried won’t live up to my expectations. That’s how amped up I am for it.

Lance: I am going with a 7.5. I think AEW produces better wrestling shows overall, although there are some head-scratching moments. With the impending NXT move to Tuesdays, this might be a chance for AEW to start the process of expanding its audience.

John: I’ll go with an 8 out of 10. I don’t think this is the best AEW card in terms of potentially great matches because there have been better ones. However, there is a lot of interest in terms of the card due to the mystery big name singing, the surprise entrant in the ladder match, Sting’s first match in over five years and then the craziness that will happen in the main event. They’ve built the card well with a little bit of everything. I still wish some things were better like FTR being in a featured match, I wish Miro was booked well going into this card and the lack of stories in the women’s division continues to be an issue. Overall, though, I like the AEW product. I’m happy to pay for the PPV and write about it. It’s worth it to me.

In Closing

John: I’ll be back with a review of AEW Revolution on TJRWrestling.net after the show. I may not write a live review. I may do a results post live and then do a review that may be up on Monday morning. I’m not sure yet. Check that out during the show or after it’s over.

Our Twitter handles are: Kurt Zamora – @KTankTJR, Lance Augustine – @CollectiveHeel and John Canton – @johnreport.

If you want to send an email, send it to me at mrjohncanton@gmail.com as well. Thanks for reading.