AEW Revolution comes to us live on Sunday, March 3, and is taking place in one of the most iconic wrestling venues in history. On top of an already stacked card, Sting finally retires in the Greensboro Coliseum. If AEW can deliver what the card promises on paper, this could easily rank up there with some of the best pay-per-views of all time. Revolution looks to be an emotional roller coaster, so let us do a deep dive into every single match.
FTR vs. Blackpool Combat Club (Moxley and Castagnoli)
Despite a short build, this match has been one of the more consistently told stories in the lead-up to this PPV. I think the short build helped this match quite a bit. Why would anyone want a three month story with twists and turns for these two teams. This one is all about who is the best, who has the better cardio, and who can outlast the other. With that being said, I can’t see FTR losing on PPV. They should be kept hot until they eventually meet the newly-heel Young Bucks again. Prediction: FTR takes the win.
Christian Cage (c) vs. Daniel Garcia – TNT Championship
Now, this is the exact opposite type of story from the previous match. Christian Cage has made for some magical television in his new hyper-sports entertainment gimmick and completely saved the TNT championship. Through him trying to manipulate Adam Copeland, to forcing a giant dinosaur/man to do his bidding, to now trying to get into Daniel Garcia’s head, Cage has done every dastardly thing under the sun. Should he finally get his comeuppance? Probably. Do I think Daniel Garcia needs this win to get his career back on track? Undoubtedly. I just don’t think AEW is done with the Cage/Copeland feud and Revolution does not seem be the end of that saga. Sadly, I am predicting Cage to retain.
All-Star 8 Man Scramble
I don’t know who is going to win this. Does anyone really care? A lot of the competitors in this match are ice cold and it makes the “All-Star” label is almost laughable. This feels like a blatant excuse to get Jericho on the card (who wants to see this in 2024) and to give Wardlow a win. Clearly they want Wardlow to move into the main event scene, but I am begging AEW to do anything else with anyone else. There are too many great names on the roster to be worrying about how to heat up the two names previously mentioned. Prediction: Wardlow wins to get a world title shot.
“Timeless” Toni Storm (c) vs. Deonna Purrazzo – AEW Women’s World Championship
In my opinion, this is far and away the best built match for an AEW women’s championship match in quite some time. From the mirroring of the tattoo, to the mirroring of their submission finishers, this has been well-plotted. I am very impressed with what Deonna Purrazzo has been able to showcase in her short run. I think, though, Toni Storm is simply undeniable. If she were to lose the title, I’m not sure she could maintain momentum and Revolution seems too soon for Purrazzo. Prediction: Toni Storm.
Will Ospreay vs. Konosuke Takeshita
I do not care for the Don Callis Family. I do not care for what AEW has been doing with Takeshita. With that being said, this will be insanely good. Will Ospreay (though not normally to my personal tastes) has an unbelievable track record recently. Takeshita is no slouch, either, which means this should be a great first showcase for Will as a full-time AEW member. Prediction: Ospreay wins his debut match.
Meat Madness: Wardlow vs. Powerhouse Hobbs vs. Lance Archer
“What is Meat Madness”, you might ask. I don’t know. I don’t even think I really want to know. I want to go into this completely blind and watch three gigantic, meaty men beat each other up. It could be a trainwreck, but it could be a cool train wreck. Either way, my eyes will be glued to the screen and so should yours. Prediction: Wardlow wins.
Orange Cassidy (c) vs. Roderick Strong – International Championship
This is one of those matches that could have benefitted from happening weeks ago. I’m not sure why we had to go through six weeks of Orange Cassidy facing the Kingdom on every Dynamite. I don’t think this really needed to wait for Revolution, but despite this cold story, it will probably be really great on the night. These are two great wrestlers that will be able to create a hot atmosphere even if the crowd isn’t losing their minds from the start. Prediction: Roderick Strong wins his first championship in AEW.
Eddie Kingston (c) vs. Bryan Danielson – Continental Crown Championship
How is it that Bryan Danielson can be both the most lovable good guy one moment and be the most despicable man in wrestling the next? Danielson has perfectly played the bully heel that Kingston needs to overcome in this program. I particularly loved the angle between Danielson and Jun Akiyama after their match on Collision. I think Danielson should win and hold a title finally, but my official prediction is, sadly, as follows: Eddie Kingston retains.
Samoa Joe (c) vs. “Hangman” Adam Page vs. Swerve Strickland – AEW World Championship
Revolution has not always been known for outstanding world title bouts. Right now there are about as many misses as there are hits. Hopefully, this tilts the scale in a positive direction as this has been surprisingly well built for a three-way match.
Builds to multi-man matches for any singles title are almost always contrived or overly-complicated. Another case of keeping it simple working for AEW is always a good sign. While simple, this feels the most unpredictable a title match has felt in over a year. Samoa Joe could easily retain due to Hangman and Swerve being to focused on each other. Swerve could easily win because it truly feels like his moment. Hangman could even win and shock everyone adding a welcomed twist to program. There is no bad outcome here, but I have to go with my gut. Prediction: Swerve finally has his crowning moment.
Sting and Darby Allin (c) vs. The Young Bucks – Tornado tag team match AEW World Tag Team Championship
I saved this one for last because no matter what match happens last on Sunday, this is MY main event. I didn’t grow up watching WCW. I didn’t even grow up watching TNA. I started my wrestling journey in 2011 and never saw a second of Sting for most of my fandom. The fact that Sting was able to come into AEW in his 60’s and make me feel like I was basically watching a superhero is just a testament to his greatness. I wasn’t a “Little Stinger”, but I most certainly am a big one now. If I am this emotional over Sting retiring, imagine how the people who have watched him for his entire career are feeling.
I don’t know if it will be a great match from a work standpoint, but I know this will have everyone captivated from start to finish. There are few men left in the business like Sting, and it will be sad to see it come to and end. All four of these men will probably want to give the send-off he deserves. I hope that they pull it off. Prediction: The Young Bucks win.
Let me know your predictions or if you agreed with any of mine in the comments! I love hearing your guys’ thoughts so you could even follow me @wewanttablez on X. and let me know over there too. Do you think Revolution 2024 will live up to the hype? Will you be as sad over Sting’s retirement as I will? If you have time, make sure to check out my other articles under the “Cohen’s Commentary” tab in Columns!