AEW Full Gear 2021 predictions

All Elite Wrestling is putting on their annual fall PPV tonight (Sat., Nov. 13, 2021) at Target Center in Minneapolis - Full Gear!

After a free streaming pre-show which starts 30 minutes earlier, the event starts at 8PM Eastern, and can be purchased on Bleacher Report (and traditional PPV) here in the U.S. & Canada, or internationally on Fite.

The third annual Full Gear changed dates and locations before settling on this weekend in Minnesota, but when & wherever it happened fans were going to be excited for the long-awaited World title clash between Kenny Omega & Hangman Page. We’ll also get CM Punk and Bryan Danielson’s next matches, and just a great card top-to-bottom.

We’ve assembled our motley crew to give thoughts & predictions on everything booked the show!

Let's get to it.

AEW FULL GEAR PREDICTIONS

Kenny Omega vs. Hangman Page for the AEW World title

Geno Mrosko: My only quibble with this is they are having this culminate at Full Gear, as opposed to their biggest show of the year. No matter. Pick: Hangman Page

Sean Rueter: I haven’t been this emotionally invested in a match in a long time, and I’m not even a millennial. Or a cowboy. I am very anxious, though. Pick: Hangman Page

Kyle Decker: It’s all led to this. This is pretty much a promotion long angle. It’s has sputtered a little but overall maintained its steam. Hangman wasn’t ready when he faced Jericho for the title at the first AEW PPV now. He’s ready now and AEW knows it. Pick: Hangman Adam Page

Rev. Claire Elizabeth: This is it. This is what Hangman’s story has been leading towards from day one. AEW have been very good about paying off the stories that work and discarding the ones that don’t, and friends, this story works. There’s nowhere to go from here but Hangman winning the title. I’m ready to cry on a Saturday night, let’s do it! Pick: “Hangman” Adam Page

Cain A. Knight: Omega signed the contract in Page’s blood. I think that sealed Omega’s fate here, if there was ever any doubt about how this story needs to end. Pick: Hangman Page

Manolo H. Pizzazz: It is Hangman’s destiny to win the world title from Omega in this match at Full Gear. If AEW rolls with a bullshit finish for the champ to retain, then I think there is a genuine chance that the ring is showered with garbage from frustrated fans. Pick: Hangman Page

Stella Cheeks: Two words: Cowboy Shit. Pick: Hangman Adam Page

Marcus Benjamin: Ladies and gentlemen, we are finally here. After months and months, one of the most layered stories in professional wrestling finally reaches a conclusion. I say a conclusion because this probably isn’t the end of the story. This is but one of many ends. We’ll probably get enough endings to this thing to make Peter Jackson jealous. But it was expertly told to this point, culminating in someone actually signing a contract in blood on the latest episode of Dynamite. So who wins? Well, I have a quote from The Hateful Eight I’ll share with the group: “When the Hangman catches you, you hang.” Pick: Hangman Adam Page

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CM Punk vs. Eddie Kingston

Geno Mrosko: Good promo, better match? Probably not, and maybe it goes in the other direction harder than anyone wants to admit, but it should be a fight. Pick: CM Punk

Sean Rueter: Another chapter in the Old Man Punk story he’s been telling since arriving in AEW, and I’m on board with that. Mostly I’m just over the moon that we get to see this on this big a stage. Pick: CM Punk

Kyle Decker: This is probably Punk’s hottest feud since joining AEW, despite enjoying his introductory Darby program. I expect Punk to lose eventually. The story seems to be that he’s winning, but it’s a struggle. That struggle will likely catch up to him until he eventually turns heel - his truest form. But I don’t think that loss will be against Eddie, who is great at making himself feel like a big deal before taking the PPV loss. Pick: CM Punk

Rev. Claire Elizabeth: I love CM Punk and his return has filled my heart with the purest joy pro wrestling can offer, but Eddie Kingston is professional wrestling. My heart tells me I cannot choose between these men. But I must, and I will never ever bet against Eddie Kingston when he’s determined to prove people wrong. On Saturday night we’re getting the Eddie Kingston who won the Chikara Grand Championship against all odds with a busted leg and held onto it for over nine hundred days. Let’s rock and roll. Pick: Eddie Kingston

Cain A. Knight: Kingston always loses the big pay-per-view match, right? Pick: CM Punk

Manolo H. Pizzazz: Kingston isn’t even trying to win. He said that himself. Pick: CM Punk

Stella Cheeks: Ok, but did Eddie tell a single lie???? I’m going with my heart on this one. Pick: Eddie Kingston

Marcus Benjamin: My heart says Eddie Kingston because that man is 1998 personified and I adore him for that. But my head says CM Punk. My only wish is that someone prays to their god—maybe Miro’s—and works a miracle to extend this thing beyond Full Gear. Punk and Eddie are masters and if they did all of this in about a week, imagine what they’d do with three or more. Eddie won’t make it easy on Punk and the Best in the World will continue to eek out Ws. But look for Kingston to be defiant in defeat somehow someway. Pick: CM Punk

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Lucha Bros (c) vs. FTR for the AEW Tag Team championship

Geno Mrosko: They already won the AAA titles. Make it a double dose. Pick: FTR

Sean Rueter: There are a lot of moving parts here, with Dax & Cash being aligned with two different heel factions, and I don’t entirely trust Fenix & Penta’s Death Triangle partner (more on that later). But even with the deck stacked against the good guys, it still feels too early to make a change. Pick: Lucha Bros

Kyle Decker: FTR won the Triple A titles so they have a win in this program. I don’t expect them to pick up two. Pick: Lucha Bros

Rev. Claire Elizabeth: Maybe it’s just Eddie Kingston’s beautiful article from the other day but I got those wild Memphis brawls on my mind lately, and why not at Full Gear? They fight all around the arena, things get wild, and the match ends up thrown out? Lucha Brothers won the titles in a steel cage and I don’t really expect them to lose them in a vanilla tag title match so soon after, which leaves me in a conundrum, but I don’t want to go big and actually pick a draw or a no-contest, and FTR have more allies who are free and likely to set off a DQ, so a hedged bet here... Pick: Lucha Brothers

Cain A. Knight: This is like the Omega/Christian angle from the last PPV, where they try to add interest to an AEW title match by having the challengers (FTR) first beat the champs (Lucha Bros) for a belt from another promotion. And like Omega/Christian, the challengers will then fail when going for the AEW gold. Pick: Lucha Bros

Manolo H. Pizzazz: Super Ranas can shove it. FTR too. Pick: Lucha Bros

Stella Cheeks: Newly minted comedy wrestlers FTR will not be winning this Saturday. Pick: Lucha Bros

Marcus Benjamin: There’s no way on this earth or the 51 other earths that the Lucha Bros. go down during their first big title defense. They need to rock with these belts for a while. Pick: Lucha Bros

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Dr. Britt Baker, D.M.D. (c) vs. Tay Conti for the AEW Women’s championship

Geno Mrosko: The AEW women’s division remains a strange place where it’s hard to tell who is ever going to get over enough to be a top of the line star, mostly because they don’t have as many opportunities to do it. To that end, Baker reigns supreme. Pick: Britt Baker

Sean Rueter: Not picking against the dentist until her opponent’s name rhymes with wonder mimosa. Pick: Dr. Britt Baker, D.M.D.

Kyle Decker: Tay Conti feels like a one-off program for Baker. Women like Thunder Rosa, Ruby Soho, or Hikaru Shida are the caliber of opponent I see eventually defeating D.M.D. for the gold. Pick: Britt Baker

Rev. Claire Elizabeth: Tay is great, but she ain’t AEW Women’s World Championship great, not yet. Pick: Dr. Britt Baker, DMD

Cain A. Knight: Tay Conti is a clear placeholder here rather than someone who is a serious threat to the champ. Pick: Britt Baker

Manolo H. Pizzazz: Numbers game. Baker has two helpers, while Conti only has one Anna Jay. Pick: Dr. Britt Baker DMD

Stella Cheeks: No shade to Tay Conti, but when Britt Baker drops the title it will be to someone more important. Pick: Britt Baker

Marcus Benjamin: It’s still Britt’s time to shine until a serious dental emergency takes her away from the ring. Since I don’t see that happening this week, we’re going with the good doctor. Tay Conti is dope, but she’s not the one to dethrone the champ. That said, I don’t expect the win to be easy nor will she pick it up without chicanery. Pick: Dr. Britt Baker, DMD

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Miro vs. Bryan Danielson in the finals of the World Title Eliminator Tournament

Geno Mrosko: I would rather see Miro win here but my belief is that he loses and, credit to AEW, they’ve done a wonderful job of creating intrigue in what will happen after before it even happens. Pick: Bryan Danielson

Sean Rueter: Either man works, but I want to see The Redeemer get more angry with and desperate to prove himself to his God. And being the first man in AEW to beat The American Dragon (who’s essentially an amoral badass, giving a program with Page a nice spaghetti western feel) would be a hell of a way to cement Hangman as the top guy. Pick: Bryan Danielson

Kyle Decker: To make this prediction, I need to kind of guess at their original plans. Who would have won in a Moxley vs. Danielson match up? I think Bryan. If he was the plan, I don’t think adding Miro to the mix, who’s still working out issues with his God, is going to change that. Pick: Bryan Danielson

Rev. Claire Elizabeth: Sorry, Miro, but your God is in another castle, and a win over the American Dragon feels like an absolutely perfect way to cement Hangman Page as a fighting champion in one title defense. Pick: “American Dragon” Bryan Danielson

Cain A. Knight: This is the match that gives me pause about the outcome of the Omega/Page main event, because the Danielson vs. Omega rematch will need to happen at some point. Regardless, the American Dragon is the best wrestler in the USA right now and he should not be losing this match. Pick: Bryan Danielson

Manolo H. Pizzazz: Miro’s weak neck is the bullseye. A man as skilled as Danielson has an endless amount of ways to take advantage of Miro’s vulnerability. Pick: Bryan Danielson

Stella Cheeks: I’m not religious scholar but I’m pretty sure when God is pissed at you, you don’t win wrestling matches. Pick: Bryan Danielson

Marcus Benjamin: I really, really, really want to pick Miro. But unfortunately, his calls to his Savior will go unanswered and he, once again, won’t get to do dirty things with Lana. Bryan and Page has more interesting angles than Page and Miro. One day, Miro, but not today. Repent for your sins. Pick: Bryan Danielson

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MJF vs. Darby Allin

Geno Mrosko: Ah, the great balancing act between knocking the babyface down too much and not giving the heel his comeuppance enough. Pick: MJF

Sean Rueter: While I’m fully aware this means I’ve been worked, I really, legitimately want Darby & Sting to make Max shut the f up. Pick: Darby Allin

Kyle Decker: I think Darby Allin should win this. MJF wins a lot. And rightfully so. He’s a heel. But he could afford a loss here and there. Darby winning the battle of two pillars would mean more to him than MJF me thinks. That said, MJF wins more often than not and I think that’s going to be the same here. Pick: MJF

Rev. Claire Elizabeth: My wife is routinely delighted by MJF’s act more than anything else on Dynamite, and honestly I just want her to be happy, so I asked her if she’d rather see him gloat about winning or throw a tantrum about losing. She said “yes” so I’m picking him to win because she thinks he’s cute, on top of the gimmick. Pick: Maxwell Jacob Friedman

Cain A. Knight: MJF can keep blaming his losses on Wardlow until they finally split up, which I think will be happening soon. Pick: Darby Allin

Manolo H. Pizzazz: Toughest call on the card. Both need a big win. I’m going with MJF for it to lead to him being the first one to beat Sting in AEW. Pick: MJF

Stella Cheeks: MJF is nothing if not a planner. He has at least three back up plans to ensure that he goes over. Pick: Maxwell Jacob Friedman

Marcus Benjamin: It would be weird if the bad guy didn’t get beat up, right? I mean, MJF is the epitome of a heel who needs his teeth knocked entirely down his throat. Pick: Darby Allin

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Cody Rhodes & PAC vs. Malakai Black & Andrade El Ídolo

Geno Mrosko: Cody & PAC definitely aren’t going to get along here. Pick: Malakai Black & Andrade El Ídolo

Sean Rueter: Can’t shake the feeling that we’re getting an unspoken “WWE wasted our talent” stable, which could mean a PAC turn here. Those three former NXT champions (plus former NXT Tag champs FTR) against the guy who thinks he’s the babyface savior of wrestling, but is actually just another corporate heel? That’s the kind of meta I can get down with. Pick: Malakai Black & Andrade El Ídolo

Kyle Decker: Cody and PAC don’t have any real allegiance outside “the enemy of my enemy” while Black and Andrade are more aligned. Even if it’s not a betrayal like Sean predicts, I don’t see them clicking enough to get the job done. Pick: Malakai Black & Andrade El Ídolo

Rev. Claire Elizabeth: I’ll be honest, I’m just kind of counting down the hours until Brody King shows up to fill out the House of Black, given the Ring of Honor situation and everything. I don’t know how that fits in with the weird little metastable that Sean describes and I don’t really know how relevant it’ll be to this match, but it’s on my mind. Anyhoozle, Cody got his big pyrrhic singles win and Malakai’s in his mind, so the heels should probably win here. Pick: Andrade el Idolo & Malakai Black

Cain A. Knight: Andrade already pinned Cody, so now it’s time for Cody to pin Andrade. Pick: Cody Rhodes & PAC

Manolo H. Pizzazz: There’s no future for Cody and PAC as a tag team. Black and Andrade could make some noise as a duo to kill time waiting for the world title picture to open up. Pick: Malakai Black & Andrade

Stella Cheeks: I’m legally not allowed to talk about Cody Rhodes favorably. As much as it pains me to throw PAC in with Cody, the laws the law. Pick: Andrade el Idolo & Malakai Black

Marcus Benjamin: One of these teams needs this W more than the other. And AEW normally does the right thing in these situations. Pick: Malakai Black & Andrade el Idolo

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Inner Circle vs. Men of the Year & American Top Team

Geno Mrosko: Dan Lambert is an absolute gem. Pick: Men of the Year & American Top Team

Sean Rueter: Since leaving the dark side, Jericho’s posse doesn’t seem to win unless their backs are against the wall. Guessing we shine up Men of the Year here, and give Jericho & company a win later with their latest loser leaves town/Inner Circle must disband stip. Pick: Men of the Year & American Top Team

Kyle Decker: There’s part of me who thinks the Top Team should win because Scorpio Sky & Ethan Page should win more. They’re a tandem that gets built up to lose the big one and I think there’s a little more to them than that. That said, with Dan Lambert in there to take the fall, I think Jericho and his boys win this. Pick: Inner Circle

Rev. Claire Elizabeth: I’m with Sean here, Lambert is a red herring and we’ve already seen that his boys are more than happy to circle the wagons and get him a little shine. He got his big spots in on Dynamite so I expect he’ll hang back here and the MMA boys will mop things up in the ring. Pick: American Top Team & Men of the Year

Cain A. Knight: American Top Team needs Jorge Masvidal to win, but I don’t think he’ll be in the building for this one. Pick: Inner Circle

Manolo H. Pizzazz: Street fighting is an art. Inner Circle has the experience edge in that form of combat. Pick: Inner Circle

Stella Cheeks: The Inner Circle are established on AEW. American Top Team, despite all the screen time they get, haven’t done squat in AEW. They need the win. Pick: American Top Team & Men of the Year

Marcus Benjamin: I’m going with the Inner Circle. Men of the Year got the rub from being in the story and already have a couple wins over members of the Inner Circle (jerks). Dan Lambert can’t get a W here. Not after “powerbombing” Jericho “through a table.” Pick: Inner Circle

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SuperKliq vs. Christian Cage & Jurassic Express

Geno Mrosko: There’s going to be some outside interference that helps the bad guys be just that. Pick: SuperKliq

Sean Rueter: The future of The Elite, and its sub-groups, looks like it will involve a lot of internal tension. That doesn’t stem from wins. Plus, I want to get back the angle where Jungle Boy was bristling at Christian getting credit for JE’s success. Pick: Christian Cage & Jurassic Express

Kyle Decker: This is a good spot for Jungle Boy to pick up a pinfall victory on Adam Cole to further that program. Pick: Christian & the Jurassic Express

Rev. Claire Elizabeth: This is falls count anywhere and I fully expect Bobby Fish to follow up on this week by cementing his alliance with Adam Cole, snatching victory from the jaws of a Snare Trap. Pick: Adam Cole & the Young Bucks

Cain A. Knight: The SuperKliq is potentially a main event level act in the near future, whereas Jurassic Express and Christian are not. Pick: SuperKliq

Manolo H. Pizzazz: It’s time for Jungle Boy to have a breakout win on his résumé. Submitting Adam Cole in the Snare Trap would do the trick. Since it is trios, Cole could easily recover his singles aura. Pick: Christian Cage & Jurassic Express

Stella Cheeks: Taking into account that Kenny’s definitely going to lose, I think it’s safe to say the SuperKliq win this bout. Pick: SuperKliq

Marcus Benjamin: Christian and JP all the way. Pick: Christian & Jurassic Express

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Thunder Rosa & Hikaru Shida vs. Nyla Rose & Jamie Hayter

Geno Mrosko: Pre-show is for the babyfaces. Pick: Thunder Rosa & Hikaru Shida

Sean Rueter: Normally I’d go with babyfaces on the pre-show, but at least one and quite possibly both of those wrestlers are advancing in the TBS Tournament matches this is previewing, so let’s give the heels some heat. Pick: Nyla Rose & Jamie Hayter

Kyle Decker: Let’s give one to the good gals on The Buy-In. With Hayter playing henchwoman, she can take a pin here. Pick: Thunder Rosa & Hikaru Shida

Rev. Claire Elizabeth: Low-stakes pre-show match, I gotta pick my girl, let’s go! Pick: Jamie Hayter & Nyla Rose

Cain A. Knight: Rosa and Shida are arguably the two best women on the AEW roster. Pick: Thunder Rosa & Hikaru Shida

Manolo H. Pizzazz: Kick the show off on a positive note with a rocking babyface win. Pick: Thunder Rosa & Hikaru Shida

Stella Cheeks: I think Jamie Hayter gets the pin here. She’s going to turn on Britt sooner or later and to do that she needs to establish herself as a viable threat. Pick: Jamie Hayter & Nyla Rose

Marcus Benjamin: Two of these women are probably going very far in the TBS Championship tournament. The other two, sadly, are not. Jamie Hayter is my girl, but I’m going with Thunder and Shida, setting up their eventual clash in the tourney. Pick: Thunder Rosa & Hikaru Shida

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That's who we've got. Who are you taking, Cagesiders?