AEW’s next PPV on the schedule is the brand-new WrestleDream event, which was recently announced by Tony Khan. During the 2023 All In media scrum, Khan revealed that the event would honor the one-year anniversary of the passing of legend Antonio Inoki, with Khan mentioning that some of the show would likely feature stars from NJPW.
While it likely won’t be on the level of Forbidden Door in terms of direct partnership, expect to see some big names from both promotions on the card. AEW’s feuds and storylines will likely be more front and center for the event. These predictions are based on the events of AEW All In and All Out, though a lot could change before the show itself.
10 Adam Page Vs. Swerve Strickland
The seeds were well and truly planted for a feud between Adam Page and Swerve Strickland on the post-All Out episode of Dynamite, which is something very new and fresh for both men. Whilst this could culminate at Grand Slam, it is something that AEW could well stretch out to WrestleDream, especially since neither man has much to do.
This could be what Page needs to get back to the top of the card and it could be what Strickland needs to fully establish himself as a potential future champion in the company.
9 FTR Vs. Young Bucks Vs. The Gunns, AEW World Tag Team Championships
The tag team title scene in AEW is getting a little more loaded, with several teams gunning (all puns intended) for FTR. At the All Out 2023 PPV, The Gunns picked up the win for Bullet Club Gold in their eight-man tag with FTR & Young Bucks, putting them in contention.
Tony Khan has a tendency of booking triple threat tag team title matches on PPV, having done so several times in the past, so this feels like a big possibility for WrestleDream.
8 Eddie Kingston Vs. Claudio Castagnoli, NJPW Strong Championship & ROH World Championship
Eddie Kingston and Claudio Castagnoli have been at each other’s throats for months at this point, and whilst seeing Kingston beat Castagnoli and win the ROH Title would make sense on a ROH show, AEW fans deserve to see him finally stand tall on a grand stage.
At WrestleDream, a title vs. title match featuring both NJPW & ROH gold will be a nice reminder of AEW’s relationship with other promotions, and it would add some major stakes to this rivalry which has so much fuelled into it.
7 Chris Jericho Vs. Sammy Guevara
Chris Jericho and Sammy Guevara are set to clash at AEW Grand Slam in a few weeks, but if anything can be learned from the majority of Chris Jericho’s AEW feuds, this will result in a multi-match series.
After not competing at All In or All Out, expect to see Guevara featured on the WrestleDream card in a singles match against Chris Jericho, likely on the back of a dirty finish in their initial encounter.
6 Bryan Danielson Vs. Zack Sabre Jr.
WrestleDream takes place in Seattle, Washington, the home of Bryan Danielson, so there is no way he won’t be featured on this card. The incorporation of NJPW on the show could well lead to this long-anticipated match.
Danielson and ZSJ were supposed to face off at Forbidden Door 2022 (with Danielson replaced with Claudio Castagnoli), but injuries got in the way of that match. WrestleDream would be the perfect place to finally give fans that match.
5 The Outcasts Vs. Mercedes Mone, Britt Baker, & Willow Nightingale
The Outcasts are holding on by a very loose string, but AEW may very well keep them just about together until WrestleDream. This match would all depend on the physical condition of Mercedes Mone, which Tony Khan at the All Out 2023 media scrum has mentioned is up in the air ahead of WrestleDream.
If she’s cleared, protecting her in trios action involving the biggest names in AEW would be a clever call. Mone has history with Nightingale, and teasing something with the biggest women’s star in Baker would be clever too, not to mention a tease of a program with Saraya, with whom Mone has a long history.
4 Kenny Omega Vs. Jay White
Konosuke Takeshita well and truly put down Kenny Omega at All Out 2023, and with him and Don Callis looking to move on from Omega, a match with Jay White could be next in line for the Best Bout Machine.
The pair battled at All In in trios action, and on a show which is set to have NJPW influence, Tony Khan may not be able to resist booking a match between former IWGP Champions in a major singles match. There is more to be told in this story, and WrestleDream is where it could tell its next chapter.
3 Roderick Strong Vs. Adam Cole
Roderick Strong has not been happy with Adam Cole recently. Jealousy on the back of Adam Cole’s friendship with MJF has led to Strong becoming one of the most entertaining iterations of himself ever, portraying a jealous ex-girlfriend.
This will lead to a singles match at some point, and in truth it feels like a PPV-worthy match. There is a possibility that the pair align down the line, but right now it feels like MJF & Adam Cole will continue to align for the foreseeable future, so this match with Cole and Strong.
2 Jon Moxley Vs. Kazuchika Okada, AEW International Championship
While there have been no teases for this on AEW programming, Jon Moxley and Kazuchika Okada have gotten into each other’s business in NJPW, with Okada taking liberties with Moxley’s ally Shota Umino in the past. With Tony Khan suggesting that WrestleDream will involve NJPW talents, this would be a major bout to book.
Okada also has a friendship with Orange Cassidy and Best Friends, so it would make sense on the back of that too. Featuring legit international stars in the International Championship scene is a smart move, and this dream encounter is not as far-fetched as it perhaps seems at first glance.
1 MJF Vs. Samoa Joe, AEW World Championship
The current build for AEW Grand Slam will likely see MJF defend his AEW World Championship against Samoa Joe. However, their recent interactions at All Out and AEW Dynamite indicates that this may not be over in just one match, especially if MJF is made to look weakened through injury.
With no other potential matches on the horizon, this feud could well stretch through to WrestleDream in a big rematch between the pair, perhaps this time with a stipulation involved too.