AEW’s Full Gear PPV is rapidly approaching on November 13. The official lineup so far includes:
- AEW World Championship: Kenny Omega (c) vs. Hangman Page
- AEW Women’s World Championship: Dr. Britt Baker DMD (c) vs. Tay Conti
- AEW World Championship Eliminator Tournament final
Logical leaps based on current storylines would dictate these additions:
- AEW World Tag Team Championship: Lucha Bros (c) vs. FTR
- Darby Allin vs. MJF
- Inner Circle vs. Men of the Year & American Top Team
- Jungle Boy, Luchasaurus, & Christian Cage vs. Young Bucks & Adam Cole
It also seems safe to assume that Jon Moxley and Bryan Danielson will advance to the tournament final.
Cody Rhodes, Malakai Black, PAC, and Andrade could mesh into a tag bout or break off into separate singles encounters. While more matches within their particular feuds would be entertaining, it might be more interesting for the PPV if they switch dance partners. Cody doing the lambada with Andrade and PAC rumbling with Black are worth paying money to see.
The Full Gear card is shaping up nicely.
However, there is one major superstar that does not appear to have a direction toward the PPV at this moment. I’m talking about CM Punk.
Punk is booked for a bout against Bobby Fish on Dynamite for Wednesday, October 27. I doubt this will setup a rematch at Full Gear. Time is running out for a feud to pick up steam.
At the moment, I’m stumped about who will get the call to wrestle Punk on the PPV. When perusing the roster, there are not a lot of names that jump out. FTW titleholder Ricky Starks would require the least work to set up due to Team Taz’s frustration with Punk. The Cult of Personality already took down Will Hobbs. I’m sure it would chap Taz’s hide if Punk wore orange gear and won that belt from Starks.
Veterans like Dustin Rhodes and Paul Wight probably wouldn’t move the needle enough, and those could be saved for TV anyway if they eventually went that direction. Bruisers like Eddie Kingston and Lance Archer would provide an entertaining slugfest just for the sake of it. Stylistic challenges would be Brian Cage and Orange Cassidy. You know Cage will get his shit in. Cassidy might not care enough to show up.
The most intriguing matchup is a battle with Miro. All this talk of being forsaken by his god is bound to lead to the violent destruction of his next opponent. Punk’s stardom is big enough to create unpredictability as to who would win. And then there is the idea that Punk’s first loss should be reserved for creating a new star. Miro is beyond that point as a former champion, so this potential match might be best to wait on.
Another option could be a mystery opponent. AEW loves bringing in surprise free agents at PPV events.
Or, AEW could give us the epic dream match of Punk versus Sting. I kid, but not really. Give me what I want, damn it!
Ah, the light bulb just dawned on me. Could it be Dante Martin? Lio Rush is trying to mold Martin into one of the best wrestlers in the world. Punk already took down Matt Sydal, which was an opportunity put into play by Rush. Martin matches up well to Punk if he can use his speed to wear down the legend’s stamina. That would be one heck of a shocker if Martin pulled the upset, and it would take him to the next level.
How is the Full Gear lineup stacking up to your eye? Who do you want Punk to wrestle at the PPV?