AEW Full Gear Predictions: Can Orange Cassidy Upset Jon Moxley Again and Become AEW World Champion?

Same opponents, all new stakes.
Jon Moxley and Orange Cassidy will headline Saturday's Full Gear PPV, one year after they battled over the AEW International Championship on this very same show. Cassidy got the best of Mox on that night, but the leader of the Death Riders is on a completely different level and it's the ultimate prize in AEW that's on the line. Perhaps even the control of AEW itself.
Can Orange Cassidy pull off another upset and stop Moxley's takeover of the company dead in it's tracks? Can Kris Statlander regain the Championship she lost at Full Gear last year when she challenges the undefeated Mercedes Moné? Will Saturday finally be Daniel Garcia's night to win singles gold in AEW?
The Takedown on SI team of Rick Ucchino, Adam Barnard and Zack Heydorn tried to answer all those questions and more. Here are your AEW Full Gear Predictions:
Zero Hour: Big Boom! AJ vs. QT Marshall
It's been over a year since QT Marshall has wrestled on AEW TV but the veteran is being brought off the bench for a major cross promotional match up against Big Boom! AJ of the Costco Guys. Marshall is a professional who has very likely been given two tasks this Saturday on Full Gear Zero Hour. Help Big Boom! look good and put him over at the end.
Predictions:
- Rick Ucchino: Big Boom! AJ
- Adam Barnard: Big Boom! AJ
- Zack Heydorn: Big Boom! AJ
Swerve Strickland vs. Bobby Lashley
Bobby Lashley going over a former AEW World Champion in his debut one-on-one match would send a major message that the Hurt Syndicate is in All Elite Wrestling to do more than just make money. Could the booking of this match really be that simple?
Adam and Zack believe that to be the case, but Rick is not ruling out the possibility of Swerve pulling out the victory. He's one of Tony Khan's top guys and a win over Lashley would help establish that he's still very high in the AEW pecking order. Swerve steals one, but a post match attack has the Hurt Syndicate standing tall.
Predictions:
- Rick Ucchino: Swerve Strickland
- Adam Barnard: Bobby Lashley
- Zack Heydorn: Bobby Lashley
Hangman Adam Page vs. Switchblade Jay White
Hangman Adam Page was riding a wave of momentum into his match with Jay White at AEW WrestleDream and that led to everyone on The Takedown taking Page to come out on top. He did not. Now the guys are unsure what happens in the rematch this Saturday. Ultimately, Rick and Zack believe that this is the second of three PPV matches between both men. Switchblade picks up the win at Full Gear, leaving Hangman Page seething mad and desperate for another shot at Jay White.
Predictions:
- Rick Ucchino: Jay White
- Adam Barnard: Hangman Adam Page
- Zack Heydorn: Jay White
MJF vs. Roderick Strong
All of us at The Takedown are at least mildly surprised that Adam Cole is not on this card, but clearly Tony Khan is slow playing his eventual showdown with MJF. Given the role that the Undisputed Kingdom played in the brochacho saga last year, it makes sense to give Roderick Strong the preliminary bout against the former AEW World Champion. In the end though, we all expect Max to leave Newark as the victor.
Predictions:
- Rick Ucchino: MJF
- Adam Barnard: MJF
- Zack Heydorn: MJF
Will Ospreay vs. Kyle Fletcher
Will Ospreay is out for revenge against his former friend and tag team partner after Kyle Fletcher cost him the International Championship at WrestleDream. This is guaranteed to be a deeply personal match up against two of the best in-ring performers that AEW has to offer. As if Fletcher wasn't a tough enougn challenge already, you just know that Ospreay is going to have to watch out for the rest of the Don Callis family.
Who wins? Our panel is split on who gets their arm raised, but the fans are going to be the real winners here. Good luck to whomever has to follow this one.
Predictions:
- Rick Ucchino: Kyle Fletcher
- Adam Barnard: Kyle Fletcher
- Zack Heydorn: Will Ospreay
AEW World Tag Team Championship Fatal 4-Way Match
Private Party are set on being fighting Champions. They've called on any and all challengers to step up to the plate and that's landed them in this Fatal 4-Way Match. The Acclaimed are a team to watch given everything that's been going on behind the scenes with the Hurt Syndicate, but would Tony Khan really follow up on Private Party's big win over the Young Bucks by having them lose in their first defense? We don't think so and neither should you.
Predictions:
- Rick Ucchino: Private Party
- Adam Barnard: Private Party
- Zack Heydorn: Private Party
Jack Perry defends his TNT Championship against Daniel Garcia
Tony Khan had nothing but great things to say about Daniel Garcia after he re-signed with AEW last month. He was ecstatic to hang on to one of pro wrestling's future main event stars, and now it's time to set him on that path. Given Khan's monetary investment in Garcia and the current state of the heel heavy AEW Championship scene, it's time for a young babyface to get his opportunity to run with the TNT Title.
Predictions:
- Rick Ucchino: AND NEW... Daniel Garcia
- Adam Barnard: Jack Perry
- Zack Heydorn: AND NEW... Daniel Garcia
Mercedes Moné defends her TBS Championship against Kris Statlander
Kris Statlander is looking to right a wrong from last year's Full Gear PPV when she lost her TBS Championship to Julia Hart in a triple threat match with Skye Blue. She has a huge mountain to climb as she faces off against Mercedes Moné. The CEO is undefeated since stepping foot in AEW and Adam Barnard is bold enough to predict that comes to an end on Saturday. Rick and Zack both believe Moné retains, but Adam is betting that Statlander takes back her title, which would free up Mercedes to - eventually - challenge for the AEW Women's Championship.
Predictions:
- Rick Ucchino: Mercedes Moné
- Adam Barnard: AND NEW... Kris Statlander
- Zack Heydorn: Mercedes Moné
Jon Moxley defends the AEW World Championship against Orange Cassidy
It was at this very same PPV last year that Orange Cassidy pulled off one of the biggest wins of his professional wrestling career when he beat Jon Moxley to retain his AEW International Championship. Fast forward to Saturday and Cassidy will not only be battling for the AEW World Title, but also an opportunity to throw a massive wrench into the Death Riders' takeover plans. Our panel is in agreeance, however, that Orange is just the first in a potentially long line of challengers for Jon Moxley.
Predictions:
- Rick Ucchino: Jon Moxley
- Adam Barnard: Jon Moxley
- Zack Heydorn: Jon Moxley
For more in depth analysis on our selections, check out the AEW Full Gear predictions video over on The Takedown on SI YouTube Channel and make sure to hit the subscribe button!
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