All Elite Wrestling will look to close out 2023 with a bang tonight as their first ever Worlds End pay-per-view will take place in the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Uniondale, New York on Long Island. The show is set to see the conclusion of several of AEW’s major storylines throughout the last quarter of the year, with the inaugural Triple Crown Champion to be crowned following the final of the Continental Classic, whilst many expect the identity of The Devil to finally be revealed during the main event. The show is available via traditional cable and satellite providers in the US & Canada, whilst international fans can catch the show live via TrillerTV and YouTube.
20-man Battle Royale for a future AEW TNT Championship match
With the participants for this Battle Royale yet to be announced, making a prediction is a tough call. The TNT Championship will be on the line later in the show, and so with that in mind, I think a suitable winner for the bout would be someone whose on-screen relationship with his mother could play into a feud with Christian Cage, whilst he could also provide a strong first title defence to a newly crowned Adam Copeland.
Prediction: Trent Beretta
HOOK (c) vs Wheeler Yuta – FTW Championship
Our second Zero Hour match sees Hook put the FTW Championship on the line against the Blackpool Combat Club’s Wheeler Yuta under FTW Rules. The recently crowned ROH Pure Champion will trade the traditional rules for unsanctioned violence as the two young rising stars look to settle their score.
Hook’s 2023 has been largely disappointing considering the momentum he initially carried into the year, with the youngster arguably finding his position in the promotion unchanged from this time last year. A loss to Yuta here could spell the end of the FTW Championship, and whilst the title has provided Hook with a tool to display his skills up to now, it’s time for him to progress up the card.
Prediction: Wheeler Yuta
Eddie Kingston (c) vs Jon Moxley – AEW Continental Classic Final for the inaugural Triple Crown Championship (ROH World Championship, NJPW STRONG Openweight Championship, and the inaugural AEW Continental Championship)
This one feels special.
The Continental Classic has breathed new life into weekly AEW television during what increasingly becoming a poor spell for the promotion, with 12 of the company’s best battling it out in round-robbin competition to become the inaugural Triple Crown Champion.
Kingston entered the tournament by placing his ROH World Championship and NJPW STRONG Championship on the line for the chance to live out his dreams as a fan of All Japan Pro Wrestling by becoming a Triple Crown Champion, although the company’s Ace Jon Moxley is likely to prove a formidable opponent, and with the history between these two speaking for itself, we’re likely to witness a match for ages here in New York.
For so much of Eddie Kingston’s career, he’s been the nearly man. This time should be different, however, as seeing an overjoyed Mad King hold the Triple Crown aloft in front of what’s likely to be a boisterous New York crowd is the type of special moment that can carry momentum into 2024 for the promotion.
Prediction: Eddie Kingston
Julia Hart (c) vs Abadon – AEW TBS Championship
Julia Hart makes her first PPV title defence since capturing the TBS Championship here in somewhat of a supernatural face off. The build to this bout has made for some deeply frustrating television, with the overexposure of Skye Blue and mind-boggling insertion of a returning Thunder Rosa doing little to create further intrigue.
This one is a real test for Hart. The House of Black member has improved greatly in the ring this year, but it’s likely too early to expect her to lead her peers to a great match. Regardless of match quality, I struggle to see anything other than a successful defence here.
Prediction: Julia Hart
“Timeless” Toni Storm (c) vs Riho – AEW Women’s World Championship
The second of two women’s title matches on the show sees a recently returning Riho look to become a two-time AEW Women’s World Champion against a reinvented Toni Storm who will look to keep the spotlight on her and her reign as champion.
In contrast to the previous bout, fans are likely to have high expectations for this one, with Storm having recently put the pieces together in-ring since adopting her new character, whilst Riho is undoubtedly one of AEW’s most consistent and popular performers.
A surprise Riho victory here would almost certainly go down well with the majority of the Long Island crowd, however with the company’s heavy investment in the “Timeless” Toni Storm character thus far, and the impending in-ring arrival of Mariah May, the continuation of Storm’s story appears to be a safe bet.
Prediction: “Timeless” Toni Storm
Rick Starks, Big Bill, and the Don Callis Family (Konosuke Takeshita & Powerhouse Hobbs) vs Le Sex Gods (Chris Jericho & Sammy Guevara), Sting, and Darby Allin
This past Wednesday’s episode of AEW Dynamite saw Don Callis present his “family” with a number of typical Callis-style paintings featuring the familiar sight of a shredded version of AEW’s most hated mouthpiece.
Whilst Konosuke Takeshita, Powerhouse Hobbs, and Kyle Fletcher all seemed pleased with their portrayals, a returning Sammy Guevara was far from pleased with the inclusion of his newborn child, with the ensuing argument leading to the Don Callis Family attacking Guevara, only for Chris Jericho to make the save.
AEW World Tag Team Champions Ricky Starks and Big Bill then joined the fray, prompting a surprising save from Sting and Darby Allin, and thus, the match was set.
This bout was clearly far from the original plan, with Kenny Omega’s diverticulitis diagnosis forcing plans for a Golden Jets Tag Title challenge to be changed. The resulting angle and Le Sex Gods reunion were largely nonsensical given the history between the pair, although with such a quick turnaround required, it’s nice to still see a number of these names make the card.
Prediction: Le Sex Gods (Chris Jericho & Sammy Guevara), Sting, and Darby Allin
Christian Cage (c) vs Adam Copeland – AEW TNT Championship
When rumours emerged that Adam ‘Edge’ Copeland could be AEW-bound, a potential reunion with his former tag team partner and long-time best friend Christian Cage leapt to the forefront of most fans’ minds. Instead, a notorious “go fuck yourself” from the TNT Champion made it clear that ‘The Patriarch’ cares for more about raising Nick Wayne in his own image than rekindling friendships.
The pair first clashed for the title on the December 6th episode of AEW Dynamite, although a shocking heel turn from Shayna Wayne led to Cage escaping with his title reign intact.
Whilst the odds are likely to be stacked against him once again here, an Adam Copeland victory feels likely, with a potential babyface turn from Killswitch (FKA Luchasaurus) possibly playing a crucial role.
Seeing a distraught and delusion Cage struggle to come to terms with his loss could make for an interesting story, and with the WWE Hall of Famer seemingly having a long list of dream opponents in AEW, a weekly TNT open challenge for Adam Copeland could provide shortcut to checking several names off that list.
Prediction: Adam Copeland
Swerve Strickland vs Keith Lee
“Long overdue” feels like an understatement.
Despite former AEW World Tag Team Champions Swerve in Our Glory breaking up over a year ago at Full Gear 2022, the pair are yet to face off in singles competition. Since the breakup, Swerve Strickland has become an undeniable star for the promotion and seems destined to become AEW World Champion in the near future, whilst Keith Lee’s in-ring ability has continued to decline following a number of recent health scares.
Surprisingly, the company have now circled back to the match, although the majority of fan intrigue has now subsided, and with Swerve’s rapidly rising popularity, this one could lead to an unintended crowd dynamic.
A strong Keith Lee performance here would be encouraging, but the priority for AEW should be maintaining Swerve Strickland’s form as he continues his ascension up the card.
Prediction: Swerve Strickland
Miro vs Andrade el Idolo
These two have the quality to produce somewhat of a sleeper hit here, as whilst the build to this bout has been lacklustre, to say the least, there’s no doubting their ability.
CJ Perry’s AEW arrival and desire to reignite her career as a manager led to rejection from her real-life husband, Miro. The man formerly known as Rusev’s overprotectiveness has led to him looking to demolish Perry’s clients, and thus Andrade now finds himself in the crossbars of ‘The Redeemer.’
A potential distraction from Perry, or a potential new client, could lead to an Andrade victory here, although I’d be foolish to bet against a pissed off Miro.
Prediction: Miro
Blackpool Combat Club (Bryan Danielson & Claudio Castagnoli), Mark Briscoe, and Daniel Garcia vs Brody King, Jay White, Jay Lethal, and Rush
An all-star tag team showdown next as the remaining eight competitors from the Continental Classic without much to do on this card are set to mix it up.
The babyface side of things will be particularly interesting to observe, with Mark Briscoe having recently gone to war with the BCC at ROH Final Battle, whilst Garcia has his fair share of history with the stable in his own right.
Whilst this bout ultimately signifies the end of the inaugural Continental Classic, it also highlights the success of the competition, with practically every name involved here feeling reinvigorated heading into the new year despite failing to progress to the final.
Finally, the match could also offer a glimpse into the future, with the potential for new feuds to break out within the chaos leading AEW into 2024.
A babyface win appears the most likely outcome, with Jay Lethal standing out as the obvious pin-eater on the opposing side.
Prediction: Blackpool Combat Club (Bryan Danielson & Claudio Castagnoli), Mark Briscoe, and Daniel Garcia
MJF (c) vs Samoa Joe – AEW World Championship
On paper, this match has every chance of being a stellar affair in-ring. The pair’s previous encounter at Arthur Ashe is one of the highlights of MJF’s reign as AEW World Champion, although the road to the rematch has been far from smooth sailing.
After relinquishing the ROH World Television Championship to set his sights solely on a rematch with MJF, Samoa Joe and the AEW World Champion became unlikely allies as the pair were subject to a number of attacks from ‘The Devil’, a mystery man leading a group of assailants whilst disguised as MJF himself.
The angle has faced its fair share of criticism from the AEW audience for its Retribution-like approach, and it perhaps hit its lowest point during this weeks go-home episode of AEW Dynamite as following an apparent backstage attack on Samoa Joe, MJF lost the ROH World Tag Team Championships to two of the masked men after being forced to go it alone, before Joe returned to the ring after the match to reveal he’s been in cahoots with The Devil all along.
It’s difficult not to be frustrated by how this storyline has played out given how talent the pair are, however, outside of what is likely to be a hoaky finish involving the reveal of The Devil, this should hopefully still live up to expectations as far as the pair’s in-ring work is concerned.
With a number of injury concerns and the looming threat of The Devil’s involvement in what is likely to amount to an Adam Cole heel turn, Worlds End feels like it could be the end of the road for MJF as the AEW World Champion. Whilst it would be in far from the ideal circumstances, ending 2023 with the sight of Samoa Joe capturing the top title of one of America’s top promotions would be an encouraging sign heading into the new year.
Prediction: Samoa Joe
