Jon Moxley has been the AEW World Champion for approximately six weeks.
Ever since dethroning Bryan Danielson in a clear example of intra-Blackpool Combat Club politicking, icing out the “American Dragon’s” full-time career with a plastic bag over his head, Moxley and his reconfigured faction, the Death Riders, have taken the promotion by storm, icing out the Young Bucks, beating up on the babyfaces, and entering into a feud with The Conglomeration that will potentially culminate in the Full Gear main event.
Since that fateful day in October, Moxley has defended his belt exactly zero times, instead presumably having Marina Shafir carry it around in a briefcase, but that hasn’t stopped the three-time World Champion from letting his presence be known. Over his six-week reign of terror, Moxley has “taken the Super Station,” cut a half-dozen promos on how much he hates AEW, and just generally been a menace to Orange Cassidy and the rest of the babyfaces, with the entire fate of the promotion seemingly falling on his turtle neck-covered shoulders.
Now, to his credit, Tony Khan is all about the idea of running back his 2023 All Out main event at Full Gear, as he believes that Moxley versus OC has plenty of juice left to be squeezed, but why? Well, because the duo have history worthy of revisiting within this new dynamic, as he noted on the Full Gear press conference.
“Last year, when you look at where the company was, they stepped up at AEW All Out here around Chicago and they had the great main event,” Khan said via Wrestling Inc. “Last year at Full Gear, Orange Cassidy recaptured the title. And now looking at how much the company’s changed over a year, so much rides on this match. Orange Cassidy vs. Jon Moxley, they’re two of the greatest stars since the beginning of the company.”
Will this match capture the hearts and imaginations of fans in Newark, New Jersey? Yes, probably so, but how it’s booked could have a major impact on the future of the promotion, for better or worse. But how will it actually shake out? Well, that depends on how long TK wants to keep this Death Riders storyline going, as it could be the ending or simply the first chapter of something much more expansive.
1. Orange Cassidy wins the AEW World Championship… just not yet
AEW World Champion Orange Cassidy – sort of has a nice ring to it, right?
Originally brought into the promotion as a fun comedy character who famously didn’t try in a match until his effort against PAC, Cassidy has rapidly become one of the most important wrestlers in the promotion’s history. His International Championship run is legendary for having the most title defenses of any title run in AEW, his matches consistently get over with the in-arena crowd, and through it all, he remains a serious merch mover for a promotion with its initial roots in the merchandising business.
And yet, if there’s one thing Cassidy needs to really get himself over, it’s becoming the new face of AEW as the promotion’s World Champion.
With extensive history wrestling against Moxley, including losing the International Championship to the former Shield member at the United Center in Chicago before successfully defending the strap in a rematch of sorts two months later at Full Gear in Los Angeles, this match will decide who has the all-time lead in their 50-50 series… at least until they wrestle again in the future.
Key word? Again.
If this was a Cody Rhodes-esque situation where OC never got to challenge for the title again if he won, or Moxley would never hold the belt again if he lost, the outcome of this match would feel rather obvious. But because the two men can wrestle again at any point in the future, giving Mox a win over Cassidy now will only make his reign look more imposing and match the man who defeats him, be that Darby Allin, OC, or another star like Will Ospreay, look even better at some point in the future.
2. Bobby Lashley defeats Swerve Strickland to open up their program
Tell me if you’ve heard this one before: a former WWE star is placed in a position of prominence within a new faction and is immediately thrown against one of the bigger stars in AEW in a match with short and long-term ramifications.
That’s just the main event, right? Yes, sir, but it’s also the first-ever match between Bobby Lashley and Swerve Strickland, who will likely put on a show late in the event after being featured prominently in the promotional material for Full Gear.
Now, on one hand, the idea of Strickland beating Lashley in his first-ever AEW singles match would be a major feather in his cap, as it would effectively place him in a prominent position within the promotion and likely line him up for another shot at the World Championship. Lashley still has incredible clout for his impressive resume, and if the goal is another big Strickland run, then this would be the perfect way to kick that off.
With that being said, why pull that trigger now? Why not have Strickland be unable to defeat Lashley with Shelton Benjamin, MVP, and potentially some Hurt Syndicate reinforcements helping them out to kick off a longer, months-spanning feud loaded with interesting twists and turns? Strickland has proven he can handle the biggest storylines AEW can offer via his headlining match at Wembley Stadium, and Lashley has already said he wants to wrestle for a year or two more and put some young guys over along the way. If Strickland ultimately levels up thanks to the Lashley rub, rising up the ranks by defeating MVP, Benjamin, and whomever else along the way, it will only result in better long-term prospects for the former AEW World Champion in All Elite Land.
3. Daniel Garcia defeats Jack Perry to become the AEW TNT Champion.
If AEW Full Gear shakes out this way, with Lashley and Moxley getting massive wins over fan favorites like Strickland and Cassidy, the show has a real chance to be a certified bummer, right? Maybe so, but it’s safe to assume TK will give fans at least one title change from bad to good to send fans home happy, which is good, considering all but one of the titles in the promotion right now belongs to a heel.
Will that swap be Ricochet going over Konosuke Takshita? 50-50. Or how about Kris Statlander defeating Mercedes Mone mere miles from where she learned to wrestle? 20-80 at best. No, of all the titles on the line, the one that feels most “get-able” has to be the TNT Championship currently held by Jack Perry, who will wrestle Daniel Garcia for the strap at The Rock.
Originally linked up with the Young Bucks and Kazuchika Okada as the new Elite, Perry is the only man left standing in that gimmick, with the former opting to “work from home” after losing their straps to Private Party and the latter gearing up for the Continental Classic. Now more or less on his own, AEW could “sacrifice” Perry’s run for a longer look at Garcia, who could bring some babyface magic and weekly competition via another open challenge that encourages weekly watches of Dynamite or Collision.
Bonus – “Big Boom” AJ beats QT Marshall
Come on, does this even need an explanation? Give the people what they want: double chunk chocolate cookies and The Rizzler. Boom!
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