SPOTLIGHTED PODCAST ALERT (YOUR ARTICLE BEGINS A FEW INCHES DOWN)...
PRE-SHOW
FTR (Cash Wheeler & Dax Harwood) vs. Motor City Machine Guns (Alex Shelley & Chris Sabin) – match one in a best of five series
Preview: This match was set up, impromptu, when The Machine Guns made their surprise return to AEW television when they came up and interrupted FTR on the go-home Dynamite to a somewhat muted reaction. Admittedly, there was zero build to this match so that could explain the lack of immediate enthusiasm. That being said, MCMG was never going to get over for their mic work. What will get them over is their in-ring masterpieces and being matched opposite some of the other legendary tag teams of their era (like FTR). It was smart of Tony Khan to add this stipulation to MCMG’s first AEW feud. It is weird to have this match on the pre-show.
Prediction: Motor City Machine Guns (Alex Shelley & Chris Sabin) defeat FTR (Cash Wheeler & Dax Harwood) to win match one in a best of five series
I would imagine that Tony Khan wants to give MCMG the win in their first ever AEW tag team match, particularly with it being on PPV. They need to establish credibility within the company. This is going to be a long series, regardless, so FTR will have plenty of time to get their wins in this series through dastardly heel tactics.
Divine Dominion (Lena Kross & Megan Bayne) vs. Sisters of Sin (Julia Hart & Skye Blue)
Preview: I believe that is match will determine who the next number one contender will be for the Brawling Birds AEW Women’s Tag Titles While both teams are ostensibly heels, the Sisters of Sin are closely associated with Thekla who has all but turned face in recent months so, by proxy, they feel more face-like, as well. I like the stylistic matchup here with the bigger, brawling Divine Dominion and the smaller, more agile and quick, Sisters of Sin.
Prediction: Sisters of Sin (Julia Hart & Skye Blue) defeat Divine Dominion (Lena Kross & Megan Bayne)
This match is a vehicle to get Sisters of Sin challenging for the Women’s Tag Titles. It will instantly give them the credibility of beating the former, longest reigning champs, at WrestleDream, which I think that they will do.
MAIN CARD
Mercedes Moné (c) vs. Thekla – AEW Women’s World Championship
Preview: This match has been building for a while. Thekla had to go on a side-quest and defeat Mercedes’ greatest rival, Willow Nightingale, in the meantime, but in doing so, she earned this title match. She has also organically turned into a babyface with a fun edge. That is the perfect juxtaposition to Mercedes in this match which is why I greatly enjoyed the build. With no clear main event, on this short build PPV that had a few obstacles in its way with the unexpected passing of Pac, I would have this match as the main event even though I think that will go to the Clockwork Carnage match.
Prediction: Mercedes Moné (c) defeats Thekla to retain AEW Women’s World Championship
Mercedes just won the title from Willow in a big match at All In. I don’t see her losing it in her first defense. I could see this feud spanning multiple matches so I don’t think that we will be done with these two on Saturday night. I am curious to see when Willow comes back into play and when/if Toni Storm returns to throw a monkey-wrench into the top of the women’s division.
The Young Bucks (Matt Jackson & Nick Jackson) (c) vs. The Don Callis Family (Kevin Knight & Kyle Fletcher) – AEW World Tag Team Championship
Preview: This match was almost certainly an audible after Steven Borden was legitimately injured when he was tagging with Darby Allin against Fletcher and Knight at All Out. That being said, in terms of storyline, it might be a happy accident as Fletcher and Knight will be true heels opposite of the Bucks who are clear faces. Obviously, Darby and Borden would have been treated as faces against the face Bucks (unless the plan was to turn Borden on Darby in this match).
Prediction: The Young Bucks (Matt Jackson & Nick Jackson) (c) defeat The Don Callis Family (Kevin Knight & Kyle Fletcher) to retain the AEW World Tag Team Championship
Since this likely wasn’t even supposed to be the tag team title match for WrestleDream, I doubt that the Bucks will be losing the tag titles to Fletcher and Knight. I do imagine that we will get the traditional Don Callis Family shenanigans involved and this should be a very fun in-ring match. With MCMG and FTR wrapped-up in their best of five series, I wonder who the Bucks opponents for Full Gear will be. Unless, of course, the best of five series culminates before Full Gear and that is what decides who the Bucks number one contenders are.
Jon Moxley (c) vs. Mark Davis – AEW Continental Championship
Preview: Mark Davis has organically gotten himself over with his work in an impressive way. I didn’t see much potential for him after he broke-up with Kyle Fletcher and Aussie Open but I was pleasantly proven wrong. Moxley, is obviously Moxley, and a story is being told with him suffering some self-doubt after his recent losses in consecutive wrestling matches and in real life with the passing of his friend Pac. I’m very curious to where they take this with Mox and the Death Riders. I do see the Death Riders facing the Don Callis Family at Blood & Guts.
Prediction: Jon Moxley (c) defeats Mark Davis to retain AEW Continental Championship
I think that I would have Davis win here with the caveat being that I don’t know what the plan with Moxley and the Death Riders is. That being said, I think that Moxley wins here and the Continental Title plays into the story of him and the Death Riders babyface arc.
ARTICLE CONTINUED BELOW…
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Swerve Strickland and The New Level (Austin Creed & Kofi) (c) vs. “Hangman” Adam Page and Brodido (Brody King & Bandido) – Two out of three falls match for the AEW World Trios Championship
Preview: I think that Swerve not being on the go-home Dynamite, due to family reasons, may have changed the build, slightly, here, but, overall the story has been well-established since All In, originally. I do enjoy the chemistry between the two teams opposing each other and the inter-dynamics between the teams internally. The New Level is almost certain to split off and face the Elite, sooner rather than later, and Swerve and Hangman are destined for another singles match in their long, storied rivalry.
Prediction: Swerve Strickland and The New Level (Austin Creed & Kofi) (c) defeat “Hangman” Adam Page and Brodido (Brody King & Bandido) in a Two out of three falls match to retain the AEW World Trios Championship
I don’t see Swerve and New Level dropping the Trios belts before they face the Elite. This is certain to be the last match of this feud so, while they continue to hold the belts, I’m curious to see how they continue to build to the Hangman and Swerve match.
Andrade El Ídolo (c) vs. Tommaso Ciampa – AEW National Championship
Preview: This match was thrown together off of the tag match that these two were involved in on the go-home Dynamite with Ospreay and Samoa Joe, respectively. Tony Khan put this one on the card to be a good in-ring match and to have Andrade add another credible win to his record as he builds to cashing his Casino Gauntlet contract on the current champion.
Prediction: Andrade El Ídolo (c) defeats Tommaso Ciampa to retain the AEW National Championship
Andrade needs more credible wins and Ciampa is a good in-ring wrestler with a solid physique. There isn’t much more to it.
Chris Jericho vs. Nick Wayne
Preview: Please put over Nick Wayne in this rubber match, Chris. Wayne has been doing a great job being an annoying, pest heel. I have bought-into wanting to see him get his face punched in. I truly hope that this is a vehicle to start Wayne on his ascent to more relevant feuds as he slowly creeps up the card as a young talent with the potential to be in the main event scene regularly for many years to come.
Prediction: Nick Wayne defeats Chris Jerico
I think that Jericho does the right thing and gives Wayne two straight wins over him. This one should be a clean win as the last win required a low-blow that was clearly highlighted in the build to this rubber match.
Persephone (c) vs. Dani Luna vs. Hyan vs. Queen Aminata – AEW TBS Championship
Preview: Persephone has a great deal of talent that hasn’t been fully tapped into in AEW, so far. The pairing of her with Britt Baker still seems to lack chemistry and lacks much real backstory. Queen Aminata feels like she has strong momentum coming off of her Women’s Title match loss against Mercedes at Grand Slam: France. Hyan feels like a replacement for Maya World, in this match, as she is out injured and Dani Luna just debuted a few weeks back at All Out.
Prediction: Queen Aminata defeats Persephone (c) vs. Dani Luna vs. Hyan to win the AEW TBS Championship
This is a tough match outcome to call. I’m confident that Tony Khan sees a lot in Persephone with her talent in-ring, on the mic and her international appeal. Queen Aminata has that same international appeal and she has increasingly gotten better since her debut culminating in her recent World Title match. I’m giving a slight nod to Aminata as Perspehone’s reign has stagnated, though not much fault of her own. The TBS Title scene needs to be freshened up. Plus, I do expect at least one title change to happen on most PPVs.
Will Ospreay (c) vs. Samoa Joe vs. “Speedball” Mike Bailey vs. Adam Copeland vs. Konosuke Takeshita vs. Kazuchika Okada vs. Ricochet vs. Darby Allin – Clockwork Carnage match for the AEW World Championship
Preview: I’m curious to see the layout of this match and how the individuals react throughout the match which is likely to set up other feuds and storylines as we move towards the end of 2026 into early 2027. We’ve been told that this match is essentially the first half Casino gauntlet and the second half being an Iron Man match. Renee Young did two pre-taped explanations of the match rules in back-to-back weeks, which was helpful, although I do think that the wording could have been more clear. Takeshita and Okada are likely to go at it. Adam Copeland just announced that 2027 will be his last year in Pro Wrestling and that he is chasing one last World Title run. How does that play into this match? Ospreay and Mike Bailey are both now members of the United Empire. How do they gel? I do believe that this match has enough intrigue with both star power and match novelty to be a selling point for what is a secondary AEW PPV, at best.
Prediction: Will Ospreay (c) defeats Samoa Joe vs. “Speedball” Mike Bailey vs. Adam Copeland vs. Konosuke Takeshita vs. Kazuchika Okada vs. Ricochet vs. Darby Allin in a Clockwork Carnage match to retain the AEW World Championship
There is almost zero percent chance that Ospreay loses this match. The intrigue comes from all the other combustible elements and moving parts of this match that I mentioned in the preview. I do think that this match leads to Ospreay’s next singles match opponent for the AEW World Title. That being Samoa Joe at Full Gear with an outside shot that it could be Tommaso Ciampa.
