The second annual WrestleDream marks an interesting possible turning point for AEW’s autumn and winter. Last year, it marked the first additional PPV outside of the company’s big four and NJPW crossover match.
The next three months feature one PPV for each consecutive month, changing the amount of time and potential build for feud and storyline payoffs. There is also the potential change in the AEW world championship landscape and the company, depending on the outcome of the main event.
But elsewhere on the card, while there is a strong offering of potential bangers and match-stealers, there are risky prospects and contests that don’t have the same emotional heft. Perhaps for me, it’s because I’m concerned about history repeating itself in various ways.
As I wrote last week, AEW isn’t perfect and that’s fine, but AEW fans want that metaphorical momentum to be sustained and cultivated into more success. Returning to Washington again, three home-state boys, and a home-state girl in Aubrey Edwards, will feature in various but integral roles on the card.
Some contests will begin shaping AEW’s final quarter of 2024. Others will be one-offs.
Like previous AEW PPVs this year, it’s got the potential to steal headlines. Good and bad reasons depend on the balance, pacing, results, and payoffs.
Last year’s event occurred during a strange period of creative chaos and inconsistency for AEW and yet, it delivered awesome action and some big twists. Including the debut of Adam Copeland.
With the recent addition of MVP and Shelton Benjamin, will Bobby Lashley debut and become All Elite Saturday? And how does this affect Swerve Strickland?
That’s if “Hangman” Adam Page can keep himself away.
How to Watch
Date: Saturday, October 12th
Time: The main broadcast starts at 8 pm ET/5 pm PT.
Watch in the U.S.: Triller TV, YouTube PPV,
AEW WrestleDream Card:
Zero Hour
- ROH World TV Championship Match: Atlantis Jr. vs. Brian Cage
- MxM Collection vs. The Acclaimed
Main Card
- Swerve Strickland returns
- 2/3 falls: Hologram vs. Beast Mortos
- Darby Allin vs. Brody King
- Hangman Page vs. Jay White
- AEW World Tag Team Championship Match: The Young Bucks vs. Private Party
- AEW TNT Championship Match: Jack Perry vs. Katsuyori Shibata
- ROH World Championship Match: Mark Briscoe vs. Chris Jericho
- AEW International Championship Match: Will Ospreay vs. Ricochet vs. Konosuke Takeshita
- AEW Women’s World Championship Match: Mariah May vs. Willow Nightingale
- AEW World Championship Match: Bryan Danielson vs. Jon Moxley
The Hurt Syndicate and Swerve Strickland?
Swerve Strickland is ready to talk business. At Grand Slam, MVP interrupted Prince Nana and criticized his management of the former AEW World Champion.
We’ve met the Head of Complaints for AEW’s revamped version of The Hurt Business. The name The Hurt Syndicate was captured through a close-up of MVP’s business card.
Shelton Benjamin joining AEW brings two-thirds of the factions together. The expectation is for Bobby Lashley to debut on PPV.
The question is: will Strickland ditch Prince Nana for MVP? Will Strickland turn his back on the man who stood by him, cheated for him, and even helped commit a crime because the opportunity presents itself?
It depends on which version of Strickland we are getting. The cold-blooded killer or something new after being stabbed in the face with a needle and knocked beyond silly into the realms of disturbing violent splendor at All Out.
The real question is has Strickland changed? It seems uncertain if Strickland will come along without backup. A man who made Strickland’s back in TV segments earlier this year with Will Ospreay and in training videos is “The Judge” EJ Nduka.
An ROH star, former MLW champion, and WWE development talent that Triple H compared to The Rock in terms of work ethic. Nduka’s career and prospects you can read about here.
AEW has, in the past, delayed gratification from such angles. Put off the decision-making and the clear direction until Dynamite in a week or two.
Not long ago, Page said if Strickland had a thousand houses, he would burn each one down. We’re not just in Strickland’s house but Strickland’s state – where the feud began.
Who says Page doesn’t try to take Strickland out again? Do The Hurt Syndicate come to the rescue?
Show-Stealer of the Night: AEW International Championship Match
To say there are high expectations of Will Ospreay vs. Ricochet vs. Konosuke Takeshita would be to put it mildly. I’ve seen online one fan on X place the graphic for the triple threat next to TNA’s Unbreakable of Samoa Joe vs. Christopher Daniels vs. AJ Styles.
One of the greatest triple threats of all time and one of TNA’s greatest matches. That’s a high bar.
You have two of the best athletes and performers of 2024 and Ricochet, who should gain more confidence, conditioning, and ease with the AEW style soon. I realize that might sound harsh, but that’s not shade being thrown at Ricochet.
In WWE, Ricochet had to adapt to a different style while the style he helped pioneer and make popular evolved without him. Plus, never underestimate, even for pro wrestlers the issues of moving into a new place of work.
It’s an issue of transition that’s impacted other ex-WWE wrestlers from Miro and Andrade to Samoa Joe to Athena. A deeper analysis of WWE wrestlers coming to AEW can be found here.
A match like this for Ricochet may allow for the former Prince Puma to steal the headlines from his opponents with an array of impressive spots and moves. As well as some incredible selling and bumps with Takeshita’s raw power game.
We’ve already seen Ospreay vs. Takeshita and Ospreay vs. Ricochet separately. Combining the three (and using a bit of reverse Steiner math) means we have a 14 2/3 % chance of a banger.
Weaved into this match is the start of the long-teased feud between Ospreay and The Don Callis Family. How this impacts the championship, I have speculated in a what-if article here.
The Final Countdown Hits Zero?
To write that I’m conflicted about the end of Bryan Danielson’s full-time wrestling career would also be mild. On the one hand, the recent interview with Uncrowned where Danielson talked of losing strength in his limbs facing Kazuchika Okada makes me worry for the American Dragon’s health in the short and long term.
And yet, part of me, a warped part hopes that Danielson’s known honesty and sincerity in interviews is a work. With so many dream matches left on the table and even dream rematches and series left incomplete, if this is the end of Danielson’s full-time career, hindsight will make it easier to analyze and appreciate.
I know for myself and others, we wanted more. Most importantly, the man’s health comes first.
But we have heard this story before. Prior to All In, Danielson saying he needed neck surgery convinced some that Swerve Strickland would retain.
So will Jon Moxley force the dragon, his former stable mate and friend to go fighting into that good night? Moxley’s new direction has foreboded and loomed over AEW programming with the promise of a change.
“This isn’t your company anymore.” For that change to begin, the revolution needs to overthrow the old guard to create something new.
Moxley must win, right? I’ve considered that and the other larger creative concern in a what-if article here.
The history between Danielson and Moxley runs deep, as you can read about in Laci Shlatz’s overview here. These two have wrestled each other in singles competitions since 2007.
This is their third (and appears final) match against each other in AEW. We have seen viciousness and mercilessness between these two before.
How far will both men go? And if Danielson is going out, given what happened at All Out, in what state?
More From LWOS Pro Wrestling
Header photo – AEW – Stay tuned to the Last Word on Pro Wrestling for more on this and other stories from around the world of wrestling as they develop. You can always count on LWOPW to be on top of the major news in the wrestling world. As well as to provide you with analysis, previews, videos, interviews, and editorials on the wrestling world. You can catch AEW Dynamite on Wednesday nights at 8 PM ET on TBS. AEW Rampage airs on TNT at 10 PM EST every Friday night. AEW Collision airs Saturday at 8pm Eastern on TNT. More AEW content available on their YouTube.
