AEW Full Gear Preview & Predictions

AEW Full Gear takes place Saturday November 9th (tonight) from the Royal Farms Arena in Baltimore, Maryland. Royal Farms Arena has a capacity of 14,000 and there are still tickets available for tonight's event. This will be AEW's first PPV since debuting Dynamite on TNT and will be their biggest show yet featuring stars like Chris Jericho, The Elite, Jon Moxley, The Lucha Brothers, and more. All titles are on the line tonight and there likely will be a surprise debut on the judges panel for the main event. The big overarching storyline for the night is the power struggle in AEW between The Elite and Chris Jericho's Inner Circle. The Inner Circle has run roughshod over AEW over the past month and they'll be looking to dominate The Elite at Full Gear. Live coverage begins at 7:00 pm ET for The Buy In. The main card begins at 8:00 pm ET and will stream on B/R Live ($49.99) and traditional PPV. Below is a preview and prediction for each match on the card based on recent booking. Share your predictions and expectations for the event in the comments below.

THE BUY IN
Britt Baker vs. Bea Priestley

Bea Priestley gave Britt Baker a concussion when they faced each other in a tag match at Fight For The Fallen. Since then, Britt Baker has gotten two wins over Priestley in tag matches on AEW Dark & Dynamite, respectively. Baker is fired up and the video package/promo that she gave on AEW Dark Ep 5 (posted above) perfectly illustrates this feud. Britt Baker hasn't caught on with the fans as quickly as some thought she would and she may have been thrown off her game by Priestley. Baker got a match with the champion, Riho, on Dynamite episode 3 but came up short against the beloved champion. Although it would've been easy to pick Baker over Priestley in this match one month ago, the tide seems to have turned and it looks like Priestley will get the win over Baker in a close contest. Baker isn't going anywhere, but her persona will get some added aggression in this match as she finds her place in AEW.

WINNER
Bea Priestley via Pinfall

Joey Janela vs. Shawn Spears (with Tully Blanchard)

After Spears squashed Brandon Cutler on Dynamite this past week, he looked to inflict more pain on the vulnerable Cutler with the steel chair he used to injure Cody. Joey Janela ran in to stop Spears and called for him to fight. That's the whole set up for this match and, right now, it's all we need. Both men have defeated Brandon Cutler and are looking for more singles victories as they work their way up the ladder in AEW. Spears has one more victory than Janela, owning a win over Michael Nakazawa. This match will give Janela a chance to show off his wrestling skill while giving Spears a chance to show off his toughness. Spears needs a win here more than Janela does, Janela's popularity and believability as a threat will not be hurt if he loses here whereas Spears is still distancing himself from his previous persona in WWE. With the help of Tully Blanchard on the outside, Spears will defeat Joey Janela.

WINNER
Shawn Spears via pinfall

"Hangman" Adam Page vs. PAC

This feud started all the way back in January when PAC interrupted Adam Page at the Double Or Nothing Rally in Jacksonville. Their fight at Double Or Nothing was canceled due to "creative differences" because PAC held a title for Dragon Gate and wasn't going to lose to Page cleanly. They had a surprise match at Wrestle Gate Pro in England where Page got the win via DQ and eventually met again on the premiere episode of AEW Dynamite. PAC got Page to submit in that match after scoring a low blow on the Hangman to get the advantage while the referee was distracted. All signs are pointing to Page getting the victory here as one of the bright spots in what feels like will be a heel-heavy show. PAC has a chance to be the next top heel in AEW after Jericho. A loss to Page will be a setback for PAC, but that doesn't mean that he's not destined for big things in the company.

WINNER
"Hangman" Adam Page via pinfall

The Young Bucks vs. Santana & Ortiz "Proud 'n Powerful"

Two of the best tag teams in the world will face off in a match that could steal the show. This is the first match of the night that will showcase the large overarching storyline in AEW of The Elite vs. The Inner Circle. The Inner Circle has had the upper hand so far on The Elite and that is not going to change tonight. The Young Bucks are vulnerable after getting upset by Private Party in the AEW Tag Team Championship Tournament one month ago. The Young Bucks have been distracted by their jobs as Executive Vice Presidents of AEW and their personal lives while Santana and Ortiz have been solely focussed on dominating AEW's tag division. A loss here should serve as a wake-up call to The Young Bucks and will hopefully get them back to their winning ways.

WINNERS
"Proud 'N Powerful" Santana & Ortiz via pinfall

UNSANCTIONED LIGHTS OUT MATCH
Jon Moxley vs. Kenny Omega

Jon Moxley and Kenny Omega finally get to fight after Moxley's MRSA infection postponed their match scheduled for All Out. Moxley has been targeting Omega since his surprise debut at Double Or Nothing back in May. Moxley recently put Omega through a glass table on the premiere episode of Dynamite to reignite their feud. Kenny Omega has taken high-profile losses to Chris Jericho and PAC already this year and this match will continue The Elite's terrible day. Omega got a five star match out of a brawl with Chris Jericho at WrestleKingdom 12 and he may get one in his brawl with Moxley here in a match that could also steal the show. This match will establish Moxley as a major player while he maintains his "tweener" status as the anti-hero in AEW.

WINNER
Jon Moxley via pinfall

AEW WORLD TAG TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP
SCU (c) vs. Lucha Bros vs. Private Party

SCU surprised everyone when they scored a win over the Lucha Brothers as Scorpio Sky was thrust into action after Pentagon injured Christopher Daniels before their match. Private Party got into this match by defeating The Dark Order this past week on Dynamite. Private Party has quickly become a fan favorite in AEW with standout performances in victories over Angelico & Jack Evans and The Young Bucks. The Lucha Brothers' only losses are to The Young Bucks & SCU in their first meetings but The Lucha Brothers defeated each team in their second meeting and have defeated every other team they've faced in AEW's tag division. This seems the match where a title change is most likely to occur and The Lucha Brothers seem like the most likely to win here as well, but Private Party has established themselves as capable of the big upset. Look to Private Party to pick up the surprise win here and be challenged shortly afterward by The Inner Circle's Proud 'N Powerful.

WINNERS
Private Party via pinfall

AEW WOMEN'S WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP
Riho (c) vs. Emi Sakura

Looking at the 95lb Riho, it's hard to believe she's undefeated in singles competition in AEW. Her dominance and performance since entering the company has not only been impressive but endearing. She's a classic babyface and the crowd loves her. Emi Sakura has also gotten love from the AEW audience, in spite of her being a heel, due to her Freddy Mercury cosplay and excellent wrestling ability. Sakura is 20 years older than Riho but her athleticism will make you think she's much younger. With Riho's classic babyface persona, Sakura can get heat easily by beating and torturing Riho as the match builds Riho's comeback. With Brandi Rhodes' promos airing recently and flashes of Awesome Kong appearing, it's safe to assume that Riho will hang onto the AEW Women's Championship a little while longer until she has to face Brandi & Kong.

WINNER
Riho via pinfall

AEW WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP
Chris Jericho (c) vs. Cody
Three judges will be available as a tiebreaker if match goes beyond 60 minute time limit.

This match could've easily got lost in the shuffle if it weren't for the fact that the AEW Championship is on the line and these two men have done an absolutely amazing job at building to this match. Every segment in the ring, every tag match, every pre-tape, and every promo leading up to this match has been stellar. Cody's promo this past week on Dynamite was the best of his career and has positioned Cody as the most over babyface in wrestling not named Becky Lynch – and he might even be more over than her too. Cody's raised his game this year in a MOTY candidate with his brother, Dustin, and he did a tremendous job of helping to introduce Darby Allin to a major audience in their time-limit draw on Fyter Fest. Chris Jericho has been anchoring AEW Dynamite through its first month of existence and has created organically viral moments in his short time as champion. AEW and TNT are so committed to Jericho that they've put up a large billboard in Times Square featuring Le Champion and no one else from the company. Cody's promo coupled with the stipulation that he will never challenge for the AEW Championship again if he loses this match have raised the stakes for this main event. There is also the mystery of who the three judges will be for the match. The most famous match with judges is Ric Flair vs. Ricky Steamboat at WrestleWar 1989. After Flair defeated Steamboat, Terry Funk (who served as one of the judges for the match) challenged Flair for the championship. Flair refused and was subsequently attacked by Funk to set up their match at The Great American Bash. Look for some shenanigans in this match as Cody and Jericho look to showcase the potential for drama combined with athleticism in AEW. With all the references to Dusty Rhodes being made by Cody, it's possible this match could get the old "Dusty Finish" where Cody appears to have scored the victory only to have the decision reversed on a technicality. This will gauge the audience's support for Cody while giving more heat to Jericho. Both men are white hot going into this match and it could go either way, but Jericho should continue to be the top guy for AEW for a while longer as The Inner Circle is just picking up steam in its war with The Elite.

WINNER
Chris Jericho via Judge's Decision