Match Predictions and Heat Index Anticipation Levels
Temperature Scale = Scorching > Hot > Lukewarm > Temperate > Chilly > Cold > Freezing
Heat Index is my assessment of how interesting the segment is, including how excited I am for the match and how intriguing the feud has been. The hotter, the better. Scorching translates to not being able to wait to see it, while Freezing means I couldn’t possibly care less and think it will be awful.
AEW WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP “I QUIT” MATCH:
Jon Moxley (c) vs. Eddie Kingston
Heat Index = Lukewarm
Prediction: Jon Moxley wins.
Thoughts: Maybe they’ve got something up their sleeves about the ending of this match. That’s the real hook for me, if there is one. Because, let’s be honest…Eddie Kingston isn’t winning this title. He’s already lost to Moxley, even. This is a match to fill up time until we establish the next No. 1 contender and they have more of an actual chance to beat Moxley at something like Revolution.
AEW TNT CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH:
Cody (c) vs. Darby Allin
Heat Index = Lukewarm
Prediction: Cody wins.
Thoughts: I’ve seen it enough times by now to know that these two will have a good match, but that I also know I won’t likely be entirely blown away, strictly because I’ve seen it before. That hampers it, rather than helps it. I’m not the type of person who tends to say the third or fourth time is the most exciting unless it’s something very, very special.
This should be a good match, but I can’t help but wish someone else was fighting for the title instead and that Cody hadn’t have dropped it to Mr. Brodie Lee in the first place. I’m worried this match is going to go too long for its own sake.
AEW WOMEN’S WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH:
Hikaru Shida (c) vs. Nyla Rose
Heat Index = Cold
Prediction: Hikaru Shida wins.
Thoughts: This feels like a stop-gap and not the real plan. Shida and Rose have had their time feuding and it wasn’t as though they reheated things to a nuclear level in the past 2 weeks or something. Neither have been doing much of note. Then, they just announced this. It makes sense as far as the ranking system goes, but that’s about it. There’s no hook to get me interested and if this event goes long, I’ll probably feel like I wished this wasn’t even on the card at all. Time to move on to Baker.
AEW WORLD TAG TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH:
FTR (c) vs. The Young Bucks
Heat Index = Hot
Prediction: The Young Bucks win?
Thoughts: MAN I wish I could put Scorching on this, but they killed a lot of the heat by turning The Young Bucks heel prior to this. I really don’t understand that decision whatsoever. It makes zero sense to me. Had this just been a straight-up “first time ever” match between the two teams and we had a clear heel and babyface dynamic, and FTR had held the titles longer heading into this, I’d be 100% Scorching. Also, I don’t dig the stipulation of not being able to fight for the belts if the Jacksons lose. That seems like either a bad decision or a cop out.
THE ELITE DELETION MATCH:
Matt Hardy vs. Sammy Guevara
Heat Index = Temperate
Prediction: Matt Hardy wins.
Thoughts: Just don’t get hurt this time. Jeez. Frankly, if this is a cinematic match, I’m not expecting much positive stuff to talk about.
AEW WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP ELIMINATOR TOURNAMENT FINAL:
“Hangman” Adam Page vs. Kenny Omega
Heat Index = Scorching
Prediction: Kenny Omega wins.
Thoughts: This right here is one of the two biggest selling points of this event for me. If there’s any match I feel can fully deliver on its promise to be something special, it’s this one. Even the Young Bucks and FTR match I can’t help but to feel like it will disappoint in some way. With Omega vs. Page, though, I’m expecting a barn burner with Omega coming out on top. Very, very excited to see this go down.
SINGLES MATCH:
Chris Jericho vs. MJF
Heat Index = Hot
Prediction: MJF wins.
Thoughts: I’m less interested in the match itself as much as I am the outcome. The stuff between the ropes will probably be okay, but may actually be kind of laborious. The real hook for me is whether or not MJF actually joins Inner Circle. I can see him either winning and then deciding not to, because he lost respect for Jericho since he beat him (real dick thing to do) or winning and starting something akin to The Rock being in The Nation of Domination. Basically, MJF joins Inner Circle, pushes Jericho out as the leader, maybe has Wardlow replace Jake Hager and this is all a coup. If Jericho wins, I’ll still be interested in seeing where they go with this storyline.
SINGLES MATCH:
Orange Cassidy vs. John Silver
Heat Index = Hot
Prediction: Orange Cassidy wins.
Thoughts: This match means absolutely nothing, but these guys are two of the most fun people in the company. They have ridiculous characters and are surprisingly athletic in the ring. I fully expect them to wow and entertain and for Cassidy to be victorious.
(BUY IN) NWA WOMEN’S WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH:
Serena Deeb (c) vs. Allysin Kay
Heat Index = Chilly
Prediction: Serena Deeb wins.
Thoughts: I don’t follow NWA. Never been super duper impressed with what I’ve seen of Deeb or Kay. Plus, it’s a Buy In. This really doesn’t do much of anything for me.
OVERALL PPV:
How excited am I for the event as a whole?
Heat Index = Hot
Thoughts: I think this will go long, some of the matches will be underwhelming for what they’re touted to be on the IWC, and I’ll have wished by the end of the night that a few of them were cut. However, I do think there will be some real gems here that will offset it quite a bit. Overall, I’m anticipating a good event, but not a great one, which happens to have a great match or two…maybe three.
What do you think is going to happen at AEW Full Gear? Which matches are you most excited to see? Keep the discussion going in the comments below!
