One year ago, AEW delivered their best Pay-Per-View in the company’s short history. Then the pandemic happened 3 weeks later and I feel sad now.
AEW Revolution will pull out all the stops this Sunday. Revolution feels like AEW’s Wrestlemania with their two biggest stars colliding. After last year’s excellent outing. AEW will look to up the ante with a Ladder Match, a Street Fight, plenty of tag matches, and an Exploding Barbed Wire Deathmatch!
With the PPV reportedly housing 1300 in attendance as well as the return of Sting to active competition. AEW isn’t slowing down even as the pandemic continues. AEW Revolution could very well feel like a proper wrestling PPV for the first time in a long while. Time to go all in:
Buy-In: Riho & Thunder Rosa vs Britt Baker & Rebel
The beef between Rosa and Baker isn’t over yet. A lot of people, myself included, pegged Dr. Britt as the obvious winner of the tournament. Now Rosa teams with Riho against The “Roll Model” Britt and her sidekick Rebel/Reba.
PREDICTION: Thunder Rosa and Riho win by pinning Rebel.
Team Taz (Brian Cage & Ricky Starks) vs Sting & Darby Allin
It’s showtime! Sting and his son take on Taz’s assassins Brian Cage and Ricky Starks. One year ago, Taz tried to recruit Darby Allin and was promptly rejected. Since then, The Human Suplex Machine has been on a mission to destroy Darby. Taz has recruited Cage, Starks, Powerhouse Hobbs, and his own son Hook as Team Taz.
Sting made his shocking AEW Dynamite Debut on the Winter is Coming special. He came to the aid of Darby and has been feuding with Team Taz ever since. Now in this cinematic Street Fight. The Icon will go all out against the FTW assassins. No doubt about it, as much as I love Team Taz, this match going to Sting and Darby is a foregone conclusion. I mean, can you imagine Sting losing his PPV debut match at the company’s biggest event of the year? Oh, wait…
PREDICTION: Sting & Darby Allin wins
The Young Bucks vs Chris Jericho & MJF for the AEW World Tag Team Championship
**Brock Lesnar voice**: I don’t give a sh*t about your dad
The Young Bucks will defend their AEW World Tag Team Titles against MJF and Chris Jericho. Back at All Out, MJF defeated The Painmaker to join The Inner Circle. Since then, The “Salt of the Earth” has both helped and hindered his “allies.” His penchant for causing self-destruction resulted in Sammy Guevara leaving the faction. With Santana & Ortiz less than thrilled on standing on the sidelines while Jericho and MJF challenge for the tag titles, we could very well see the end of The Painmaker Posse before we know it.
As for the good Christian Boys, they have been dealing with an egomaniacal Kenny Omega, the Invisible Hand Don Callis, and the wrestlers that brought us the Old Day segment on Monday Night Raw: Doc Gallows and Karl Anderson. The alliance I less than affectionately call Bullet Club Wolfpac has driven a wedge between Kenny and his “best friends.” Gallows and Anderson do more to hurt The Bucks than help. And with Matt and Nick originally planning to challenge The Good Brothers, we are almost certainly heading towards another Bullet Club Civil War.
Two weeks ago, MJF and Y2J attacked Papa Buck and smeared strawberry jelly over his face. This beef is now personal. Because if there’s one thing a wrestler can’t stand, besides when people say wrestling is fake, it’s when you attack their family. This match will open the show and will be interesting to see if MJF can go one PPV without stabbing someone in the back.
PREDICTION: Young Bucks retain the AEW World Tag Team Championships, MJF & Inner Circle betray Jericho afterwards
Hikaru Shida vs Ryo Mizunami for the AEW Women's Championship
Ryo Mizunami winning this tournament came out of nowhere. Out of Riho, Rosa, Serena, Britt, Nyla, Mei, Yuka, and Aja goddamn Kong, Ryo going the distance is a surprise to be sure. At least winning this tournament gives Ryo something to sink her teeth into with a title match. I still can’t get over the women’s tag tournament and how it was treated like a pointless experiment.
On the bright side, this world tournament has seen some excellent matches across Dynamite and YouTube. And now a longtime rival to Shida will challenge her again at Revolution. On Cagematch, Shida and Mizunami faced each other 4 times. Shida won once, and they have 3 draws. So, there is a great story on Ryo working to overcome her longtime Rival that she never beat. Problem is, if she won the tournament a week or two ago then we could’ve developed that story to help build the match.
Despite AEW refusing to give her anything to work with, Shida has a ton of subtle charisma and personality. She is the ace of the AEW Women’s Division and will almost certainly put on another banger. She’ll hold the gold until AEW inevitably crowns Dr. Britt Baker their champion. Don’t expect Shida to lose the title. I really want Maki Itoh on AEW Dynamite.
PREDICTION: Hikaru Shida retains the AEW Women's Championship. Britt attacks her afterwards. AEW still won't care about the women's division.
Miro & Kip Sabian vs. Chuck Taylor & Orange Cassidy
Ever since Trent crashed into Kip’s arcade, The Superbad Squad are dead set on destroying Best Friends & Orange Cassidy. Now Miro is unleashing The Beast to get revenge on Charles the Butler and his true best friend. Freshly Squeezed OC.
There’s been pushback on AEW’s handling of Miro. I think a lot of people want him to be placed higher on the card than he is because of how awful WWE treated him. From cuck angles, to punishments for getting a haircut, to jobbing time and time again, Miro was screwed over tremendously in WWE.
Personally, while I would've preferred Miro and Kip to split sooner rather than later, I think AEW realizes that now is the time to do more with The Bulgarian Beast. And that starts with giving him a big win on PPV against one of their most featured acts. This Sunday, it will be time to play the game.
PREDICTION: Miro & Kip Sabian wins
Casino Tag Team Battle Royale
Santana & Ortiz, FTR, SCU, Jurassic Express, Bear Country, Private Party, Top Flight, Uno & Grayson, Silver & Reynolds, 5 & 10, The Butcher & The Blade, Chaos Project, The Infantry, Peter Avalon & Cezar Bononi, Sydal Brothers, Natural Nightmares, Varsity Blondes, Gunn Club, TheHybrid2, and Rey Fenix & Pac will compete for an opportunity at the AEW World Tag Team titles.
AEW’s ridiculously stacked tag division continues to impress. Even when singles competitors join forces and get title shots, they are still given ample time to develop into a legitimate team. I love AEW’s tag teams as well as a good old Battle Royal so this one should be a crazy fun time.
Question is, who will win? No one in AEW has won a title from winning a Battle Royal by the way. Since this is for the tag belts and The Young Bucks will likely hold said belts until at least All Out, I would bet my apartment that whoever wins this will not beat The Bucks for the straps. So who would AEW want to win this match to set up a high-profile feud either on Dynamite or on PPV?
PREDICTION: The Good Brothers. They haven't been announced yet, but it would be a Bullet Club thing to do.
"Hangman" Adam Page vs "Big Money" Matt Hardy
Matt Hardy went from Broken Brilliance to Debt Collector after his underwhelming feud with Sammy Guevara. Now a money-grubbing carny obsessed with manipulating AEW’s young blood, Mathew Hardy will look for revenge against The Hangman.
Whoever wins this match will receive the loser’s quarter one earnings. Matt Hardy would love nothing more than to rob Page of beer money as he originally intended. Meanwhile, Hangman is finally getting back on the saddle after finding real friends in The Dark Order. Matt Hardy is currently undefeated on AEW PPV and could be a bigger challenge than people think he is. On the other hand, a win here would get Page back on top to refocus on the World Title.
PREDICTION: Adam Page wins. Buys a lot of beer for the Dark Order afterwards
Face of the Revolution Ladder Match
Dumb name aside, I love a good multi-man ladder match. Cody Rhodes, Penta El Zero M, Scorpio Sky, Lance Archer, “Platinum” Max Caster, and a mystery sixth contestant will compete for a shot for the TNT Championship. I have a theory that the sixth man, rumored to be “All Ego” Ethan Page, will actually be Shaq. He disappeared from the Ambulance after his match with Cody. Meaning his feud with “Cupcake” Cody isn’t over. That’ll provide a good out for Cody to not win the match.
As for the other participants, it really is a good list of AEW’s original talent. Penta is a former world champion who ruled over Lucha Underground. Lance Archer is a vicious killer hell-bent on destruction. Max Caster is a lyricist trying to get more heat than MJF. Finally, Scorpio Sky is on the cusp of greatness and needs just one thing to propel him forward. It’s a tough call. So who do I think is going to win?
PREDICTION: Penta El Zero M wins, Ciero Miedo 4 Life
Kenny Omega vs Jon Moxley in an Exploding Barbed Wire Deathmatch for the AEW World Championship
In case this match wasn’t insane enough, Deathmatch Pioneer Atsushi Onita appeared on Dynamite to sell the match. Say what you will about AEW, but they truly cater to a wide arrange of wrestling. In case Full Gear 2019 wasn’t brutal enough, I have a feeling this match is going to make their previous unsanctioned outing look like weenie hut juniors.
The Golden Screwjob on Winter is Coming saw Kenny turn heel and steal the world title from Moxley. Now Mox gets his rematch in an Exploding Barbed Wire Deathmatch. I have never seen a deathmatch before and I don’t know if I will watch one after this bout. However, I respect AEW for taking risks and venturing towards the hardcore style WWE will never go to.
With Mox about to be a father and Kenny still new in his title run, The Cleaner is walking away with the title tonight by hook or by crook. There’s still a ton of dream matches in AEW for Kenny to defend the world title against. Plus, Mox can’t be AEW World Champion when he inevitably loses the IWGP US Title to “Switchblade” Jay White. Expect Bullet Club shenanigans and literal Dynamite. This is what it’s all about.
PREDICTION: Kenny Omega retains the AEW World Championship
You can watch AEW's Revolution PPV on Mar. 7, 2021 on B/R Live or FITE at 5pm EST.