AEW Worlds End 2023 Preview and Predictions
2024 is just around the corner, but AEW has one more event left this year in the form of Worlds End. All Elite Wrestling is looking to cap off the year in style this weekend as their final event of the year takes place at the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Uniondale, New York.
A total of 12 matches have been announced for the show, with seven of them having championships at stake, but what’s going to happen? Here’s what I think. My name is Sam Palmer from Vendetta Sports Media and here are my predictions for AEW Worlds End 2023!
20 Man Battle Royale for a shot at the AEW TNT Championship:
Tony Khan loves a battle royale so it’s no surprise that the Zero Hour pre-show of Worlds End features one. The winner of the match will earn a shot at the TNT Championship whenever they want, but with no participants announced for the match at the time of writing, how on earth am I going to get this one right?
Looking at the TNT Championship match later on in the night, you need to look at what makes sense in the context of the story. While I would personally love to see someone like a Malakai Black, Mike Santana or Penta El Zero Miedo win, the logical choice would be someone close to the Christian Cage/Adam Copeland story. Killswitch (Luchasaurus) has already held the title this year, so for 2024, I’m going to go with “The Prodigy” Nick Wayne to be the next in line.
PREDICTION: Nick Wayne
Kris Statlander vs. Willow Nightingale:
The most recent edition of the card sees two hometown girls get the chance to show what they are made of. Statlander and Nightingale have formed quite a partnership in recent weeks, with their street fight against Mercedes Martinez and Diamante being a particular highlight. But what will happen when they put their friendship aside for the sake of competition?
This match is more than likely going to be a hard-hitting contest between two of the most popular women in AEW. You aren’t going to see any underhanded tactics or shortcuts, just good old-fashioned competition. It could go either way, but I’m going to have to go with my girl Willow as she needs the win more than Kris does. Also, keep an eye on Stokely Hathaway who might interject himself into the bout.
PREDICTION: Willow Nightingale
Hook {c} vs. Wheeler Yuta [FTW Rules Match for the FTW Championship]:
The last time Hook had an FTW Rules match on pay-per-view, CM Punk got himself fired a week later. Will that happen to someone else this weekend? Probably not, but you can expect this one to be a good match given how far Wheeler and Hook have come in the past two years. The two young men have been eyeing each other up for a while, and this weekend, they finally get the chance to go at it.
FTW Rules certainly work in Hook’s favor, but being a member of the Blackpool Combat Club, Yuta is no stranger to a little bit of violence. While the FTW Champion will be able to throw Yuta around the ring like he’s made of feathers, Yuta has the technical ability to catch the champion out at any time, nullifying the use of weapons. I honestly don’t think anyone should hold this title apart from Hook, which is why he will likely win, but this one will be a fun time had by all.
PREDICTION: Hook
Blackpool Combat Club, Daniel Garcia & Mark Briscoe vs. Jay White, Brody King, Rush & Jay Lethal:
If there is one thing that pretty much everyone can agree on, it’s that the Continental Classic tournament has been an overwhelming success. Since Full Gear, 12 of AEW’s best performers have produced some of the best television all year with the round-robin tournament that the fans had been asking for, for years. With the final taking place on this show and two of the other competitors finding themselves in grudge matches, this left the other eight men with nothing to do.
The solution? An all-star eight-man tag team match that has some unique qualities to it. How will Daniel Garcia fare being on the same team as Bryan Danielson & Claudio Castagnoli? Will Brody King outshine the rest of the House of Black? Will Rush get along with anybody? The possibilities are endless. For me, I think it will be a win for the BCC, Garcia and Briscoe, with Garcia picking up the decisive pin as the event is taking place in his home state.
PREDICTION: Blackpool Combat Club, Daniel Garcia & Mark Briscoe
Andrade El Idolo vs. Miro:
Amazingly, this will be Andrade’s first one-on-one pay-per-view match in All Elite Wrestling, and what an opponent he has. El Idolo has acquired the services of CJ Perry as his manager in recent weeks, which has not gone unnoticed by Miro. The former TNT Champion has been waiting in the shadows while Andrade has been competing in both the Continental Classic and CMLL, which makes this bout very interesting indeed.
The difference maker will most likely be CJ Perry. Who will she choose? Her client or her husband? Whoever she chooses will be the one to pick up the win, and I feel like…it’s going to be Andrade! He has been on a roll as of late, and with rumors that he could be going back to WWE if they offer him more money than AEW, perhaps a real push would be the difference maker. The match itself will most likely be excellent, but also full of interference.
PREDICTION: Andrade El Idolo
Swerve Strickland vs. Keith Lee:
A lot of people were upset to see Swerve Strickland eliminated from the Continental Classic on Wednesday, but it’s not like he didn’t have something else going on in his life. As Swerve In Our Glory, Strickland and Keith Lee became AEW Tag Team Champions, but never seemed like the best of friends. Now, they finally get to settle the score that should have really been settled about eight months ago.
For me, there is only one person who should win this match, Swerve Strickland. 2023 has been a breakout year for Swerve and that momentum needs to continue. Keith Lee has always been a good base for guys who are quicker and more agile than he is, which is why this bout will probably go down very well with the live audience. What won’t go down well is Keith picking up the win. Swerve needs to win. Swerve has to win at Worlds End.
PREDICTION: Swerve Strickland
Eddie Kingston vs. Jon Moxley [Continental Classic Final for the Western Triple Crown Championship]:
As previously mentioned, the Continental Classic has been a breath of fresh air for All Elite Wrestling, and after 32 matches, it’s come down to this. Eddie Kingston, the ROH World and NJPW STRONG Openweight Champion has come back from the brink of elimination to reach the final. His opponent: Jon Moxley, the former AEW World Champion and real-life friend of Kingston.
Out of every match on the show, this one is going to be the most emotional, the one with the most heart. This will be two men who are willing to do whatever it takes to win beating the color out of each other, and it’s going to be wonderful. While I do think there is a chance of Jon Moxley winning, this has an Eddie Kingston win written all over it, and expect a few tears from the fans, and Kingston himself, if he picks up the win.
PREDICTION: Eddie Kingston
Julia Hart {c} vs. Abadon [AEW TBS Championship]:
It might not be Halloween anymore, but this is by far the spookiest match Tony Khan has ever booked. Some people might have expected Abadon to disappear after her AEW Women’s Championship match with Hikaru Shida, but they have bounced back with three straight victories and have caught the attention of the TBS Champion, Julia Hart.
Since becoming the champion at Full Gear, Julia has already defended her title twice against Lady Frost and Emi Sakura, but Abadon presents a unique challenge. This might be one of the more predictable matches on the show, but that doesn’t mean that it will be bad. I can’t imagine this one being the longest bout but expect Julia Hart to retain with one of her picture-perfect moonsaults.
PREDICTION: Julia Hart
Toni Storm {c} vs. Riho [AEW Women’s Championship]:
“Timeless” Toni Storm winning her third AEW Women’s Championship at Full Gear was one of the most predictable results of that pay-per-view, and she has gone on to become even more unhinged in her character. But she has a tough task in front of her in the form of the first-ever Women’s Champion Riho, someone whom Toni Storm has never beaten.
Given that Storm has changed a large portion of her wrestling style with her ‘timeless’ character, expect some shenanigans from Mariah May and Lutha on the outside. You should also expect Riho to fly around the ring like a loose cannon with a performance that reminds everyone that she should be on TV more than she actually is. However, much like Full Gear, a Toni Storm win is not only predictable, but the most predictable on the Worlds End card.
PREDICTION: Toni Storm
Christian Cage {c} vs. Adam Copeland [No Disqualification Match for the AEW TNT Championship]:
For my money, this is the most unpredictable match on the Worlds End card. Christian Cage has worked wonders with the TNT Championship in 2023 and I would hate to see the belt taken off of him. With that being said, Adam Copeland winning a title in AEW seems like the big shock that could happen outside of any surprise debuts.
Cage picked up the win on Dynamite in Montreal, which could signal a title change as a way for Copeland to get his win back. However, the stipulation being No Disqualifications means that anyone and everyone could get involved. I’m expecting a lot of chairs, a lot of fatherly love from Christian, and I’m expecting a lot (and I mean A LOT) of blood from the Rated-R Superstar. On a different day, my decision could be different, but I’m going to keep the belt of Christian Cage for now.
PREDICTION: Christian Cage
The Don Callis Family, Ricky Starks & Big Bill vs. Le Sex Gods, Darby Allin & Sting:
What was originally meant to be The Golden Jets challenging for the AEW Tag Team Championships has morphed itself into an eight-man tag team match filled with a lot of star power. It’s crazy to think that had Kenny Omega not gotten sick, the likes of Sting, Darby Allin, and The Don Callis Family might not have been on the show at all. But how is this one going to go?
Le Sex Gods reuniting for the match was face turn for Sammy Guevara that didn’t really need to happen, but now that he’s a dad, it’s kind of hard to boo him, even if he is a natural heel. Starks and Bill as the champions in this match will likely need protecting so that they are kept strong for whoever challenges them next. Sting and Darby Allin are in the match, which usually points to a victory for whoever Sting is teaming with…but not this time. As a way to get him going heading into the new year, I think Konosuke Takeshita pinning Jericho is the way to go.
PREDICTION: The Don Callis Family, Ricky Starks & Big Bill
MJF {c} vs. Samoa Joe [AEW World Championship]:
What a journey these two men have been on over the past few months! Joe was choked out by MJF at Arthur Ashe Stadium, became the longest-reigning ROH Television Champion before giving the belt up, became Max’s best friend so he could get a title shot, promised to keep Max safe from “The Devil” and his goons, only to turn on the AEW World Champion days before the show so he has the upper hand … phew!
If Full Gear was anything to go by, this is going to be overbooked to the extreme. MJF, is being willed on by his hometown (sort of) crowd to defeat a vicious Samoa Joe. Of course, “The Bidding War of 2024” has become a topic of discussion again, meaning that it’s a very real possibility that Max won’t stay with AEW in the new year.
This would of course lead to a Samoa Joe victory, but Joe doesn’t seem like the right type of guy to dethrone Max. I’m honestly not expecting anything great from this main event if I’m being honest, but just for my own personal enjoyment, I’m going to predict a new champion closes out Worlds End, thanks to The Devil.
PREDICTION: Samoa Joe
Who is The Devil?
So this “Devil” storyline has been going on for some time, and given that it’s the end of the year, it makes sense to reveal who it is. Names like CM Punk, Britt Baker, and Wardlow have all been suggested, and all of them have been shot down. Honestly, whoever gets revealed will either be met with jeers from the crowd or just a straight-up lack of interest, but for the sake of the article, here’s who I think it is.
Adam Cole, with The Kingdom as his goons. It’s really the only thing that makes sense in the story. Someone like Kyle O’Reilly or Roderick Strong would be shocking, but it wouldn’t make any sense. In fact, Cole being “The Devil” doesn’t even make sense right now because he’s injured, meaning that if this story were to turn into an Adam Cole/MJF rivalry, it wouldn’t actually get started until months from now. I’m going to say Cole, but I wouldn’t be surprised, nor would I be bothered if it was anyone else.
PREDICTION: Adam Cole
So those are my predictions, but what do you think will happen at AEW Worlds End? Let us know in the comments section below! Don’t forget to follow myself, and Vendetta Sports Media on all of your favorite social media platforms.
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