AEW Revolution: Some Damn Fine Predictions Submitted by Damn Fine Wrestling on 03/05/2021 at 02:00 PM
AEW Revolution is upon us this Sunday! This highly anticipated show will feature the return of Sting, a clusterf*** of a tag team battle royale, and the controversial exploding barbed wire deathmatch between Jon Moxley and AEW Champion Kenny Omega.
While I can no longer pat myself on the back for predicting that an AEW Women's Tournament would take place a week before it was announced (due to how it played out), I can't say I have officially tried to predict a pay-per-view in column form. As with any prediction, I will try to keep in mind the STORY, as what makes AEW superior to most products (in my opinion) is their ability to tell a story long-term.
Riho & Thunder Rosa vs. Dr. Britt Baker, D.M.D. & Rebel
This shouldn't be on the god damn pre-show, but it's better than nothing. This match either exists to further the Rosa/Baker storyline, or just to get Riho a match. Either way, this will be a solid watch. For story-driven purposes, Thunder Rosa's revenge needs to be served cold in a one-on-one match. so I can see Britt and Reba coming away with a victory to keep this feud going. Will it be JUST Britt and Reba? Something tells me Britt may have a trick up her sleeve and maybe even a surprise partner. Could this be the debut of Tessa Blanchard?
No. But it's a nice thought...
Winners: Britt & Reba
Casino Tag Team Royale
Welcome to the land of high spots! This match will ultimately serve two purposes: Identify a #1 tag team contender, and open up the show with flippy shit galore. If this is going to be a story, however, I see Santana and Ortiz coming INCHES away from victory, only to lose it to Rey Fenix and PAC. While I could see Santana and Ortiz win, I would only enjoy that narrative if Jericho and MJF win the titles, which I do not see happening. Ultimately, we get the Young Bucks vs. PAC/Fenix, and there is only good things that could come from that matchup.
Winners: Fenix/PAC
Miro & Kip Sabian vs. Orange Cassidy & Chuck Taylor
If Miro is happy with his current character, he'll win this match. If not, then he'll lose, flip out on Sabian, and turn uber-heel on an eventual path to a singles run for gold. A loss at the hands of Sabian protects Miro and keeps Orange Cassidy and Chuck Taylor looking strong while trent is recovering from injury. On the other hand, neither Cassidy or Chuck are hurt by a loss here, and without their third wheel, probably aren't doing too much right now. But this feud won't end, either, as we're still waiting for an eventual Cassidy vs. Miro showdown.
Winners: Orange Cassidy & Chuck
Face of the Revolution Ladder Match: Cody Rhodes vs. Scorpio Sky vs. Penta El Zero Miedo vs. Lance Archer vs. Max Caster vs. TBD (Winner earns TNT title opportunity)
The 'TBD' will either be Ethan Page or KENTA. Either is a fantastic move. I don't think AEW is ready to take the title off of Darby just yet, and with a baby Rhodes on the way, Cody isn't winning this match. Scorpio Sky has already had his shot at the TNT championship, Max Caster is there as enjoyable filler, and Lance Archer is good enough to beat Allin, which makes me think he WON'T win. So the obvious pick is Penta, who would give Darby Allin a great match on Dynamite, but will do so in a losing effort.
Winner: Penta El Zero Miedo
Adam Page vs. Matt Hardy (Big Money Match)
If I'm a betting man, my pick is with Big Money Matt. Hardy recently stated that the "Broken" gimmick simply requires a larger live audience, which AEW doesn't have -- yet. So he's going to ride this out a bit longer. With Page losing money, this will not only send him further into future drinking binges, but into the welcoming arms of the Dark Order. This will also grow Hardy's brand for a few months more until he eventually goes back to being broken.
Winner: Matt Hardy
Brian Cage & Ricky Starks vs. Darby Allin & Sting (Street Fight)
Sting isn't losing his first AEW match, especially not with the TNT champion at his side. No-brainer.
Winners: Sting & Darby Allin
AEW Tag Team Championship: The Young Bucks (c) vs. The Inner Circle (Chris Jericho & MJF)
Again, another no-brainer. I just don't see the Bucks losing the titles that quickly, and while an MJF/Jericho win combined with a Santana/Ortiz win earlier in the night would make for a great story, I actually see Sammy Guevera showing up here to cost MJF and Jericho the match.
Winners: The Young Bucks
AEW Women's Championship: Hikaru Shida (c) vs. Ryo Mizunami
Man how this tournament was...well...it happened. Nothing against Ryo and Nyla, who are both great, but the booking clearly shows that Tony Khan simply doesn't trust most of his healthy women's roster to carry the division. Sad, because all you need are some good stories and things would turn around. Still, putting the title on a relatively unknown Ryo Mizunami is a questionable move. The next women's champion should still be Britt Baker, and hopefully that eventually goes that route. Khan & Co. just need to realize that while Joshi Puroresu is amazing, TOO MUCH of it in the states will never go over.
Winner: Hikaru Shida
AEW World Championship: Kenny Omega (c) vs. Jon Moxley (Exploding Barbed Wire Deathmatch)
Renee Young is having a baby. This is the perfect way to write off Moxley for a few months. Too easy.
Winner: Kenny Omega
Hall-of-Fame Worthy Surprise
Well it's not Christian, that we know. It's not allegedly C.M. Punk due to a Chicago Blackhawks game, and Batista all but said that he is retired. That being said, I was hoping it would be Tessa Blanchard. However, Tony Khan referred to this person as a "he", so unless that was a purposely misleading 'slip', it looks like this person is a man.
Honestly, whether it's Ryback, Kurt Angle, Mark Henry, or RVD -- all of them will be DISAPPOINTING. It's one thing to have Paul Wight come in to be a part-time announcer, but it's another to have a full-time wrestler that everyone has already seen hundreds of times. I want AEW to be the place where the FUTURE is created, and not a continual look to the past. While I think using veterans like Sting, Jake Roberts, and Tully Blanchard has been done quite well, they really shouldn't overdo it.
In my mind, it's either Blanchard, Punk, or bust. But something tells me that this will disappoint me either way, unless...it's someone that isn't from the states? Someone like...
Surprise HOF: Kazuchika Okada
Well there you have it -- A rundown of matchups and predictions for what should be a predictably good show. While I don't see many title changes, I think stories will continue to progress, seeds will be planted, and as always, AEW will deliver once again.
