The holidays are almost upon us! The smell of a turkey baking, Football all day, Christmas Lights, and get-togethers with people you tolerate. But there’s one more thing about November that trumps them all.
That’s right! It’s Full Gear predictions time!
Last year’s rendition of AEW’s November PPV saw the culmination of the Anxious Millenial Cowboy becoming AEW Champion in a perfect match between former friends turned rivals. Will this year’s Full Gear produce anything close to that level of story?
AEW is in a weird place after All Out. Numerous people believe that the young company needs a soft reset button now that the dust has settled between CM Punk and the Elite. Attendance and TV ratings are down across the board. Will an amazing Full Gear with crazy surprises turn things around heading into the holiday season and into 2023?
Possibly! We could be in for some crazy title changes and surprising results! That bodes well for my predictions! Let’s talk about it.
Steel Cage: Luchasaurus vs. Jungle Boy
This intense feud had all the promise in the world. Christian Cage and Luchasaurus could have been one of the most hated and intriguing acts in AEW after Jurassic Express lost their world titles. Evil Luchasaurus was the needed spark for the dinosaur with a master’s degree. He was fierce, dominant, and being the right hand of destruction for Christian made perfect sense.
Why did AEW decide to flip-flop the allegiances of Luchasaurus?
If you remember back to All Out, Jungle Boy was blindsided by Luchasaurus before his match against Christian. The Dinosaur lulled Jungle Boy into thinking he had been with his former friend the whole time, which made no sense. And it made even less sense when Luchasaurus attacked Jungle Boy for Christian again.
Fast forward to Full Gear. The former friends are still feuding and it feels ice cold. Maybe Christian’s injury harmed the feud, but it’s time to put the story to rest. A steel cage should escalate the stakes enough to give Jungle Boy the win he deserves and send him off to greener pastures.
Winner: Jungle Boy
Wifey Pick: Jungle Boy
TBS Championship: Jade Cargill (c) vs. Nyla Rose
Please let this be the end of Jade Cargill’s streak. It should have been over at All Out, but Kris Statlander was injured again. Jade has floundered and stagnated in limbo ever since. This feud between Jade and Nyla has been a stroke of brilliance because of Nyla’s personality. She has grown on the microphone to back up her amazing in-ring ability. This may be wishful thinking, but Nyla ends the streak to become the official TBS Champion. Nyla’s antics get into Jade’s head, which causes the champ to slip up and lose the title.
Winner: Nyla Rose
Wifey Pick: Jade Cargill
AEW Tag Team Championship: The Acclaimed (c) vs. Swerve in Our Glory
There hasn’t been any word about Anthony Bowens and his injury. That being said, it’s safe to assume this match will occur without a hiccup. Maybe Bowens is legitimately hurt. Maybe he isn’t. If the match occurs, the outcome will be the same.
Swerve in Our Glory leave Full Gear at ends with each other and The Acclaimed remain as champs. Regardless of the outcome, this match will be one to see. Can they capture the magic of their first match from All Out?
Winner: The Acclaimed
Wifey Pick: The Acclaimed
Saraya vs. Dr. Britt Baker DMD
The comeback of Saraya is an amazing story. She has overcome an insane amount of adversity to come back to a wrestling ring. Just listen to her emotional promo from a week ago about everything she’s had to go through in just the last ten years alone. Not to mention being born into the pro wrestling business with all those trials and tribulations. Her neck being fully healthy and allowing her to wrestle with very few restrictions is nothing short of a miracle.
With that being said, however, she has no business beating Britt Baker in this one. Dr. Britt Baker has been an AEW Champion and one of the stalwarts of the division. Why would someone, regardless of stature, be able to defeat her after a five year break?
Simply put, they shouldn’t. Britt takes this one in a good match.
Winner: Dr. Britt Baker DMD
Wifey Pick: Saraya
Darby Allin & Sting vs. Jay Lethal & Jeff Jarrett
Jeff Jarrett and Sting are having a match in 2022.
Uhh…what?
Yep. That’s an accurate sentence and not something on anyone’s 2022 bingo card. Sting still wrestling is legitimately insane, but adding a storied rival like Jeff Jarrett makes this a matchup one needs to see. Does this match scream a high work rate or a technical masterpiece? Absolutely not. But this match might be some people’s break match, which could be a mistake. These four will most likely put together something fun and memorable to palate cleanse the Full Gear card.
But who wins?
Darby Allin and Sting are undefeated as a tag team. Would it make sense to turn one of them against one another? Maybe so, but I don’t believe we’ll see anything like that. Darby Allin and Sting overcome the odd Jarrett and Lethal pairing to notch another win under their belts.
Winner: Darby Allin & Sting
Wifey Pick: Jeff Jarrett & Jay Lethal
TNT Championship: Wardlow (c) vs. Powerhouse Hobbs vs. Samoa Joe
Big meaty men slapping meat.
The ring might not contain the amount of beef for this triple threat for the TNT Championship. Wardlow defends his championship against Powerhouse Hobbs and Samoa Joe in what looks to be an amazing match. This needs to be a reign-defining match for the Wardog. The champ is just starting to get his fire back, which means you can’t remove the belt now. Wardlow wins in a possible match of the night.
Winner: Wardlow
Wifey Pick: Wardlow
ROH World Championship: Chris Jericho (c) vs. Bryan Danielson vs. Claudio Castagnoli vs. Sammy Guevara
Another difficult match that could go in multiple directions. ‘The Ocho’ Chris Jericho vowed to destroy everything about Ring of Honor until it was only him atop the annals of the legendary company. His toughest test to date will be this Fatal Four Way against Bryan Danielson, Claudio Castagnoli, and fellow JAS member, Sammy Guevara.
This match is tough to gauge. Could Sammy betray his mentor and take his title? Could Bryan Danielson abandon his Blackpool Combat Club compatriots to gain Ring of Honor gold? Will Claudio continue his dominance of Jericho? There’s a lot going on here!
The Blackpool Combat Club begins to crack during this match. Something happens that causes Danielson and Claudio to clash, which allows Sammy free reign at Jericho. The Ocho uses his crafty veteran brain to screw Guevara and win the match in what should be a great bout.
Winner: Chris Jericho
Wifey Pick: Claudio Castagnoli
AEW Women’s World Champion: Toni Storm (c) vs. Jaime Hayter
Everyone loves Jaime Hayter. We all want her to finally ascend the mountain and reach the summit. She has to go through her former roommate, the amazing AEW Women’s Champion, Toni Storm, to do so. This match has the potential to steal the show if AEW gives it the time. Does Toni hold the belt until Thunder Rosa comes back, or is it Hayter’s time?
Hayter has the momentum and backing of the crowd, but Toni stepped up when Rosa got hurt and carried that belt with dignity. Unless Rosa isn’t coming back anytime soon to remove the ‘Interim’ part of the title, it feels like Toni might carry the belt for a while longer. This match is a true toss-up, but I’m going with the champ.
Winner: Toni Storm
Wifey Pick:
AEW Trios Championship: Death Triangle (c) vs. The Elite
The Elite are back, baby!!!
After an almost three month hiatus, The Elite have returned to AEW to reclaim what they never lost. The Trios titles are rightfully theirs and the clock is ticking. Will the Elite lose in their returning match? Death Triangle will surely have something to say about it.
Picking the Elite is the easy way to go. They already won the titles at All Out, the fans are excited to see them, and Death Triangle has held them for a while. The belts could use a refresh. That being said, maybe bringing the Elite back after a suspension for them to win the titles immediately is a bad look. The House of Black looks to be returning at full strength, which could mean Death Triangle wins to set up a rivalry there. The seeds of shock have been planted. Maybe Death Triangle pulls off the upset.
Still don’t think so! The Elite reclaims what’s theirs to run roughshod on a trios division that needs routine title defenses.
Winners: The Elite
Wifey Pick: The Elite
AEW World Championship: Jon Moxley (c) vs. MJF
The greatest trick the devil ever pulled was convincing people he didn’t exist.
Jon Moxley is the ace of AEW. He’s carried the company through dark times in its young history and worn that AEW Championship with pride. He wanted to go on a long vacation after All Out, but he works with “fucking children” that couldn’t get along backstage. It’s time for Moxley to get the vacation he deserves at the hands of the Devil and the Villan.
This match was the easiest to pick. MJF is the most over talent in the company and he can do no wrong right now. However, the way this match plays out might surprise people. MJF is going to win, but there will be heartbreak in Newark after Full Gear is over. The Blackpool Combat Club will be splintered after its leader, William Regal, helps the devil himself win the AEW World Championship. MJF was never the loveable goof that the fans have adored since his return. He’s been the true devil of AEW all along.
Winner: MJF
Wifey Pick: MJF