PPV PRIMER – AEW REVOLUTION 2023: Preview and predictions for MJF vs. Danielson, Page vs. Moxley, more

BY JAVIER MACHADO, PWTORCH CONTRIBUTOR

AEW Revolution 2023 Full preview
PHOTO CREDIT: AEW

SPOTLIGHTED PODCAST ALERT (YOUR ARTICLE BEGINS A FEW INCHES DOWN)...

AEW Revolution heads to the Chase Center in San Francisco, California on March 5, 2023.

MJF (c) vs. Bryan Danielson – 60-Minute Iron Man AEW World Championship Match

Story in a nutshell: Seeking to avenge his mentor’s demise at the hands of MJF, Bryan Danielson challenges MJF for the AEW World Championship in a sixty-minute Iron man match.

MJF defeated then champion Jon Moxley for the AEW World Championship at Full Gear when William Regal betrayed the Blackpool Combat Club by helping MJF. MJF quickly turned on Regal, knocking him out of AEW. Bryan Danielson, member of the BCC and Regal’s former mentee, stood up for Regal. As is his way, MJF forced Danielson to fight through a gauntlet of wrestlers before he’d agree to a match. Danielson agreed, under the condition that the match be a sixty-minute Iron man match. Danielson does not believe that MJF can hang with him for sixty-minutes in a wrestling match. The winner of the match is the wrestler who can score the most falls in an hour.

Prediction: MJF is obviously winning this so this is most likely meant to show that MJF can be a credible in-ring threat before he likely cheats to win.

Jon Moxley vs. “Hangman” Adam Page – Texas Death Match

Story in a nutshell: The feud between Jon Moxley and Adam Page escalates into a Texas Death match as Page seeks to even their series of encounters to two and two.

On a special “Title Tuesday” episode of AEW Dynamite on October 18, 2022, then AEW World Champion, Jon Moxley defended his title against Adam Page. Moxley retained when he knocked out Page. (It was a legitimate injury that sidelined Page but has been worked into the story of their feud.) Upon his return, Page went after Moxley until he finally got a match against him. Page won the second encounter after he pinned Moxley when Moxley was knocked out by a Buckshot Lariat. A third encounter ended with Moxley countering a bulldog choke into a leverage pin for the win. Unsatisfied with that ending, things have escalated into Texas Death match territory. For his part, Moxley views Page as a talented wrestler, but not as a fighter.

Prediction: Ultimately Page wins earning Moxley’s begrudging respect.

Austin Gunn & Colton Gunn (c) vs. Anthony Bowens & Max Caster vs. Jay Lethal & Jeff Jarrett vs. Orange Cassidy & Danhausen – AEW World Tag Team Championship Four-Way Match

Story in a nutshell: Jay Lethal and Jeff Jarret won a Revolution Tag Team Battle Royal match, Orange Cassidy and Danhausen won a Tag Team Casino Battle Royale match, and Anthony Bowen and Max Caster cashed in their rematch clause all so they can get onto the pay-per-view by challenging Austin and Colton Gunn for the AEW World Tag Team Championship.

Austin and Colton Gunn and their father Billy were allied with Anthony Bowens and Max Caster for a while until the Gunns turned on the Acclaimed. Billy went with the Acclaimed in the divorce. They went their separate ways for a while with the Acclaimed capturing the AEW World Tag Team Championship. The Gunns came back into the picture and defeated the Acclaimed on a special AEW Dynamite “Fight Night” episode. It was decided that the Gunns were going to defend against teams that won two battle royales which ended up being the teams of Jeff Jarrett and Jay Lethal, and Orange Cassidy and Danhausen. The Acclaimed then announced that they were going to invoke their title rematch clause.

Prediction: It’s the “when is Billy going to turn on the Acclaimed” watch time again. I got the Gunns retaining. Likely with help from their father.

Jaime Hayter (c) vs. Saraya vs. Ruby Soho – AEW Women’s World Championship Three-Way Match

Story in a nutshell: Saraya and Toni Storm have declared war on the AEW original women, in this case Jamie Hayter and Britt Baker and when Ruby Soho refused to pick a side, Jamie Hayter demanded to defend her AEW Women’s World Championship against both Saraya and Ruby

Saraya and Toni Storm found themselves as kindred spirits representing established outside stars brought in to save the AEW Women’s division. AEW Women’s World Champion and Britt Baker, AEW homegrown stars, took exception to them. Saraya and Storm thought Ruby Soho would be with them but thus far Ruby has stood alone. Hayter, tired of the foolishness and wanting to take care of her rivals challenged Ruby and Saraya to a championship match.

Prediction: Some may think Hayter foolish, I think it was a bad ass move. Keep it on Hayter.

Christian Cage vs. “Jungle Boy” Jack Perry – No Holds Barred Match

Story in a nutshell: Back from injury, Christian Cage continues his campaign against Jungle Boy and now Jungle Boy must overcome his former mentor so he can officially become Jungle Man.

When Christian Cage came to AEW, he quickly allied himself to Jungle Boy, Luchasaurus, and Marco Stunt in what was revealed to be an attempt to tie himself to a rising young star under the guise mentoring Jungle Boy. When Jungle Boy and Luchasaurus lost the AEW World Tag Team Championship, Cage turned on Jungle Boy. Cage had already “disappeared” Stunt and he succeeded in turning Luchasaurus against his former best friend. Cage also attacked Jungle Boy emotionally by continuously evoking Jungle Boy’s late father, Luke Perry. Eventually, Jungle Boy mercilessly dispatched his former friend Luchasaurus, but, after he returned from injury, Jungle Boy faltered when presented with the opportunity to dispatch Cage. Cage does not believe Jungle Boy has the killer instinct need to finish the job and its up to Jungle Boy to prove him wrong.

Prediction: Jungle Boy wins. Do we get a reunion with Luchasaurus?

Chris Jericho vs. Ricky Starks

Story in a nutshell: After suffering a series of embarrassing loses including one to Ricky Starks, Jericho dismissed Stark’s achievement as a fluke and refused to let Starks prove him wrong until some “subtle” reverse psychology got Starks a match with an added bonus.

After losing the ROH World Heavyweight Title to Claudio Castagnoli by submission, Chris Jericho lost a surprise match to relative nobody Action Andretti. Ricky Starks got himself involved and beat Jericho too. Jericho chalked it up as a fluke and refused to ever fight Starks again. After several encounters with Jericho’s goons, Starks countered with some reverse psychology where provoked Jericho into not only granting him a match but barring the Jericho Appreciation Society from ringside.

Prediction: I think Jericho wins this one with help from someone outside of the Jericho Appreciation Society, or by having the JAS do something not at ringside like threatening Action Andretti backstage.

Samoa Joe (c) vs. Wardlow

Story in a nutshell: Samoa Joe, fearful that AEW TNT Champion Wardlow had designs on his ROH TV Championship titles turned on his tag team partner and, after a series encounters, took Wardlow’s title, Wardlow’s hair, and Wardlow himself out for a while but now has to contend with a vengeful Wardlow.

ROH TV Champion Samoa Joe and AEW TNT Champion Wardlow formed a brief tag team. During a promo, Wardlow let it be known that he was coming for all the titles in the company (at the time this include ROH, AAA, NJPW, and probably others I’m forgetting). Joe saw this as a disrespectful challenge so he struck first, Joe won the AEW TNT Title and declared himself the TV king. Joe won their rematch and shaved Wardlow’s hair. After a brief feud with Darby Allin ended, Wardlow attacked Joe leading to this match.

Prediction: With Joe likely ROH bound with an upcoming feud with Mark Briscoe, and with the winner scheduled to defend the title on Dynamite against Powerhouse Hobbs, Wardlow wins.

Kenny Omega & Matt Jackson & Nick Jackson vs. Malakai Black & Brody King & Buddy Mathews – AEW World Trios Championship Match

Story in a nutshell: The light went of and when they turned back on this match was booked.

The above pretty much sums it up. The House of Black has been making scary-ish comments in the Elites direction that basically said, “We’re next for the Trios Titles”.

Prediction: The Elite retain.


CATCH-UP: VIDEO: PWTORCH FIRESIDE CHAT 3/2: Full AEW Revolution 2023 PPV preview, more

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