Going into its fourth year, All Elite Wrestling’s Revolution pay-per-view has become as much a sign of spring as daffodils on the hillsides, layers of pollen on your car, or the first mosquito bite of the year. This year, Revolution will bring us five championship matches, a possible resolution to the Ricky Starks/Chris Jericho feud, and a match seemingly designed to make both Hangman Adam Page and Jon Moxley bleed profusely from the face. Biff Bam Pop!’s resident faction of wrestling nerds (senior writer Sachin Hingoo, staff writer Josh Wallen, and senior editor Jeffery X Martin) have weighed in on who will win, who will lose, and what surprises may occur at Revolution. Join the prognostication party with this AEW Revolution 2023 predictions article, which has been cleverly titled The AEW Revolution 2023 Predictions Article.
[Editor’s Note: Only one Zero Hour match had been announced at the time of this writing.]
Mark Briscoe & The Lucha Bros vs. the Varsity Athletes & Ari Daivari w/ Smart Mark Sterling (Zero Hour)
JXM: Putting Mark Briscoe with the Lucha Bros is a brilliant idea. Their styles complement each other. It’s the right move with the right team except their fighting the wrong guys. Tony Nese and Josh Woods are good. So is Ari Daivari, under the right circumstances. Together, the Varsity Athletes and Daivari smell so much like the midcard, you could bottle that aroma and sell it as a cologne at Home Depot. They are hopelessly outclassed by Briscoe and the Lucha Bros. There’s no question who will win this match. At least it’s one of the free ones. Chalk one up for Mark Briscoe and the Lucha Bros.
SH: If it’s true that PAC has been having visa issues and is stuck across the pond, allying Mark Briscoe with the Lucha Bros is a great decision. It’s a great decision anyway, because you’re combining one of the best tag teams in the world with one of the best tag team wrestlers ever. The Varsity Athletes and Ari Daivari are fine, perfectly serviceable wrestlers. Smart Mark Sterling is transcendent. Get the crowd hot with a big victory for The Lucha Bros and Mark Briscoe.
JW: People process grief in different ways. Mark Briscoe seems to be doing it by keeping busy wresting. In the process, he’s getting seen by a lot of people and proving what fans have been claiming for years: give Dem Boys an opportunity and they’ll steal the show. Zero Hour gets a banger and Mark Briscoe and The Lucha Brothers get the win.
AEW World Heavyweight Championship: MJF (c) vs. Bryan Danielson in a 60-minute Iron Man
JXM: There’s a simple set-up for this match. MJF claims to be the best wrestler in the world. Danielson actually is the best wrestler in the world. Why not have an hour-long Iron Man match to settle the argument? Because this is MJF. He’s good, but he has a tendency to cheat. He’s decked many an opponent with his Dynamite diamond ring, smuggled into the ring in his trunks. MJF can also enlist other wrestlers to come to his aid with some kind of shenanigans. None of these things erase the fact that Danielson is still, arguably but not by much, the best wrestler in the world. By almost every metric imaginable, Danielson should win. I just don’t think he will. Expect rule-breaking and buffoonery to ensure a victory for MJF.
SH: There’s an argument to be made that this match is between two of the smartest guys – both offscreen and in kayfabe – in the company. We know MJF will take all the shortcuts he’s always taken, but Bryan Danielson, when it comes to wrestling, does his homework and all the extra credit. He’ll be ready for the diamond ring, the low blows, and more importantly, he knows all the holes in MJF’s wrestling game. It’s an intriguing match for many reasons, but mostly for me it’s how MJF’s character as champion grows and changes as a result of the match. He’s overwhelmingly likely to win, and is my pick, but how he wins is very intriguing. People just don’t come out of a big match with Bryan Danielson the same. Who is MJF afterwards?
JW: Max has been killing it on the mic and his gym game is on point. Everyone thinks he needs to cheat to win and that’s exactly why I think he won’t. I see this going to sudden death overtime and Max winning clean. This will be the kind of win Max will reference in promos for years to come. “You said I was an average wrestler and I went out and beat The Dragon clean in the middle of the ring after 67 minutes.”
AEW Women’s World Championship: Jamie Hayter (c) vs. Saraya vs. Ruby Soho
JXM: What an interesting dynamic in this match. Hayter considers herself an AEW Original, along with Dr. Britt Baker, DMD. Saraya, who has teamed up with Toni Storm, has placed herself in the corner of the Outsiders, people who came to AEW from other companies. Ruby Soho has refused to take a side, recently slapping down both Hayter and Saraya. To my thinking, Soho is the linchpin. If Soho wins, then the storyline continues. There is a real possibility that Soho could do an in-ring turn, but with which side will she align? That’s a good question, and Ruby has thus far refused to take a side. My gut says that’s going to change on Sunday. I’m playing it right down the middle and calling for Ruby Soho to win.
SH: While I’m over the moon that there’s finally a big story in the AEW Women’s division which is actually getting a decent amount of time on TV, I’d be lying if I said it was all clicking for me. The factions of the AEW Originals and the…Others seem ill-defined (I’m not even sure of the name of the Non-Originals, if they even have one) in motivation. But in a vacuum, Jamie Hayter is a great wrestler and champion, and I think she can get a good match out of still ring-rusty Saraya and from Ruby Soho, who shines with the right dance partner. With this being the only women’s match on the card, it needs to excel, and hopefully advance this underbaked story some more. I’m picking Jamie Hayter here, because this isn’t her time to lose.
JW: I have similar feelings to Sachin on this one. This story hasn’t lived up to its potential. I have a hard time seeing Saraya and Toni as a serious threat when every time someone else’s entrance music hits they’re running in fear. I really don’t want to see Jamie Hayter drop the belt, but if you don’t pull the trigger on Ruby Soho now, does it ever happen? Britt and Jamie vs Saraya and Toni still has some meat on the bone, and it doesn’t necessarily need the title. Put it on Ruby. She’s earned the chance to show what she can do as champion. Jamie Hayter will resume her dominance down the road and we can find out if Ruby is truly deserving of that top spot on the card.
AEW World Tag Team Championship: The Gunns (c) vs. The Acclaimed vs. Jay Lethal & Jeff Jarrett vs. Orange Cassidy & Danhausen
JXM: AEW’s tag team division is incredible right now and this four-way match promises nothing but massive amounts of fun. But the more I think about things, the more I’m not sure about the addition of Orange Cassidy and Danhausen. I mean, I get it. The kids love OC and Danhausen, and they both have some entertaining shtick. Hell, everyone in this match has great gimmicks. The Acclaimed rap. The Gunns are entitled schmucks. Lethal and Jarrett are great heels, with Jarrett smashing guitars over the heads of his opponents. If there’s a carny bullshit match on the Revolution card, then this is it. The Gunns haven’t done a damn thing with those titles since they got them. It feels like the AEW fandom is slavering for The Acclaimed to get the straps back, but I’m just not sure it’s time for that. I’m calling for The Gunns to retain, pissing San Francisco off in the process.
SH: Sure, Orange Cassidy and Danhausen aren’t an established team. But, bigger picture, they’ve both been in the same faction (Best Friends) for the entirety of their time in AEW and are two of the most popular and recognizable characters in the whole company. They should be on this card, and this is the only slot where they fit. Plus, they have existing storyline reasons to be here. They literally gave The Gunns their shoot names, “The Ass Boys”, and have been harassed by Jarrett and Lethal for months. All that said, I don’t see the titles switching here, shenanigans or no. But there will be shenanigans, and on a card with super-serious stakes like the Iron Man and Texas Death matches, I could do with the levity imparted by a six-string to the dome, copious scissoring, and maybe a curse or two. Gunns retain.
JW: There’s a lot of moving parts in this match. While I’m not a fan of throwing in Danhausen and Orange Cassidy over a more traditional tag team, it makes sense to find a spot on the pay per view for two of your biggest merch sellers. The Gunns will retain in an entertaining spot fest. However, the pop of the night will go to a returning FTR who have a score to settle with Austin and Colton.
AEW World Trios Championship: The Elite (c) vs. House of Black
JXM: I really like both of these teams. I don’t understand what the hell is happening in this match. It’s not a situation where the House was next in line for a Trios title shot. They killed the lights, showed up, and spookied their way into a title match. There are obvious stylistic differences between the House of Black and the Elite. You’ve got high-flyers against brutes and strikers. As much as I like the Elite, I want to see Brodie King hold Nick Jackson by the throat over the top rope. I guess it makes sense for the Elite to win, but I also want those titles around the waists of the meanest, weirdest guys in the company. What a tremendous swerve that would be! I’m following my dark heart here, but the House always wins.
SH: The House has been on a campaign of chaos since their return. They attack without warning and seemingly without clear intent. They drove Eddie Kingston crazy, turned him against his best pal Ortiz, and sent him packing to ROH. And now they’re after The Elite and their hard-won Trios championships. The story here is thin gruel, but I don’t care because you can’t put this level of talent in a match and not count on it stealing the show. The House wins, and chaos reigns.
JW: It feels like this feud just started. It’s been brewing forever, but only just recently got physical. Shouldn’t we be trying to extend the feud? Maybe they feel it’s time to get Kenny and The Bucks back into the World and Tag Team title picture? I’ll go out on a limb and say that the House of Black will have The Elite clearly defeated, but instead of making the pin fall they’ll destroy them. The Elite retain on a DQ finish, but will seek revenge in the weeks to come as The House drags them into madness.
TNT Championship: Samoa Joe (c) vs. Wardlow
JXM: In the immortal words of Cinderella, you don’t know what you’ve got till it’s gone. I didn’t know how much I missed Wardlow until he came back. The feud between Wardlow and Samoa Joe has been going on for months, and it has been low-key one of my favorites. Who doesn’t like Big Meaty Men Slapping Meat matches? Joe’s heel runs have always been fantastic, and this latest AEW/ROH bad guy turn has been no exception. That being said, Joe doesn’t need two titles. It won’t surprise me if Joe drops this strap to focus on an ROH run. It’s going to be a violent match but in the end, I’m hoping Wardlow picks up the title.
SH: Samoa Joe’s King of Television run has been a beautiful thing to witness. Especially with access to Honor Club and many of his best matches, it’s a good reminder that this King has been out here going hard for almost two decades. This show won’t be any different as he goes one-on-one with the Wardog himself. I think Wardlow’s been heated up enough that he’s ready to get that TNT title back around his waist.
JW: To me, Wardlow works best when he’s chasing the title. The right thing to do is have Samoa Joe retain and then drop the title to Powerhouse Hobbs on Wednesday’s Dynamite. Wardlow can then help Hobbs write the next chapter in the Book of Hobbs by chasing the TNT title and having a series of matches that will define both men’s careers.
Texas Death Match: Jon Moxley vs. Hangman Adam Page
JXM: Mox. Page. Blood. Buckshot Lariats. King Kong Lariats. Blood. Death Riders. Kick outs. Paradigm Shifts. Kick outs. Blood. Page knocks Mox out to win. BCC swarms the ring (except for Danielson) and piles on Page. BCC heel turn complete. But, in the record books, it will count as a win for Hangman Adam Page.
SH: There’s not a match on this card I’m more looking forward to than this clash of heavy-hitters in an encounter that should satiate my sick desires for violence. Mox talks a big game and always backs it up, but Hangman’s quiet strength is one of my favourite things in AEW, and the story of how he overcomes setbacks – including his own insecurities – always makes for a great wrinkle in the narrative. Like X says, this seems to be a transparent final beat in a villainous turn for the Blackpool Combat Club, and I can’t wait to see how they wield their violent delights on AEW’s babyfaces. Hangman wins and Buckshot Lariats Mox and his not-so-merry band of MMA-enthusiasts past the brink of madness.
JW: I’m ready to move past this feud. It’s been bloody and violent, but the time has come to get these guys onto something else. Hangman could use the win and a loss won’t slow Mox down one bit. If they decide to go full heel BCC, can they recruit Timothy Thatcher or is that too much of a good thing? He just challenged Wheeler Yuta for the ROH Pure championship. Maybe they leave with a mutual admiration of each other?
Ricky Starks vs. Chris Jericho with Jericho Appreciation Society banned from ringside
JXM: This is the storyline that never ends. Jericho and Starks have been going at it for weeks now. We get it. While the two of them work well together, I want both to find new stories and paths. Let’s go on the assumption that this is it, the final last match between the two for a while. Jericho is not a selfish worker. He puts other guys over. Hell, look at Action Andretti. Jericho made that kid a star in twelve minutes. It makes sense for Jericho to lose to Starks and move both performers in new directions. I’m going with Ricky Starks to win simply because it makes sense.
SH: This is the most ‘WWE’ story on the card, which I suppose is fitting in a clash against AEW’s “worldwide leader, in sports…ENNERTAINMENT” in Chris Jericho and his goon squad. The goon squad’s banned from ringside, though, and it’s time for Ricky Starks to move past this feud and onto even bigger and better things. I think 2023 is his breakout year, and he’s deserving of another crack at MJF. To do that, it’s time to vanquish The Ocho once and for all, and that’s Absolute. Ricky Starks for the win.
JW: Even more so than the Hangman/Mox feud, this one needs to be taken out back and put down for the best of everyone involved. Ricky Starks deserved better than the limbo the JAS has put him in for the past few months. The only thing that Ricky got out of this feud were some spot on Bugs Bunny impersonations. I don’t know where Jericho goes from here, but I could use a little break. Is it time for the next Fozzy tour yet? Starks gets the win.
The Final Burial: Jack “Jungle Boy” Perry vs. Christian Cage
JXM: A Buried Alive match in All Elite Wrestling? I never thought this day would come. It’s ridiculous how excited I am for this bout. Cage’s antagonizing of Perry and his family has led to some of the best promos of Cage’s entire career. Perry has had enough, culminating in a wordless video package that showed Perry digging Cage’s grave. You must understand: I never wanted to become this invested in a storyline that featured a wrestler named Jungle Boy. The experienced and crafty Cage going against an enraged Perry, defending his family honor, in a Buried Alive match is the dream confrontation I never knew I wanted. I don’t think Perry will nab the victory, and I’m looking forward to seeing if Luchasaurus shows up in a new mask. Thanks to a few well-placed folding chairs, I think this is going to be a strong and brutal win for Christian Cage. No matter who wins though, if we don’t get a final shot of a fist bursting through the freshly-turned soil like Sissy Spacek at the end of Carrie, I will forever grieve that missed opportunity.
SH: Okay, call it Final Burial if you gotta but we all know this is a Legally Distinct Buried Alive match and I am Here. For. It. Maybe the last beat in a long-simmering feud between the two. This one feels like it’s been going on forever because it was back-burnered so that Christian could heal a broken arm, and it’s time to get to the funeral factory. Who knew that it’d be Jungle Jack and not Darby Allin to have the first Final Burial in AEW? But Christian is right up there with MJF as the smarmiest, nastiest heel in the company right now and Jack Perry seems to be perpetually on the verge of breaking out to the next level, and with these two at each others throats for so long, it’s the right time to end things. He’s come out on top in most of these encounters with Christian, and barring some shenanigans that perpetuate this feud further, this should be no different. Jack Perry wins. Rest..In…Peace
JW: If Jack Perry drops the Jungle Boy gimmick does he get new entrance music? Wasn’t that the fun part of Jack Perry? Those were the days, weren’t they? We’ve talked about long running feuds multiple times in this column and this is no different. We’ve had so many shocking Luke Perry references at this point that they’ve kind of lost their effectiveness. I wish this would be the end, but the stipulation reeks of shenanigans by Christian Cage and this feud somehow continuing.
How will Tony Khan surprise us this time?
JXM: I doubt we’ll see any surprise debuts on the show. Returns, though? Those could happen. We don’t really know how far along in the healing process Thunder Rosa and Kris Statlander are, and either one of them could be instrumental in altering the outcome of the Women’s Championship match. Oh, even better: bring back Hikaru Shida to clean house with her kendo stick. I also wonder if we’ll see Adam Cole make an in-ring return at Revolution. I don’t expect an entire match from Cole, since he isn’t scheduled for a bout until AEW All Access premieres, but a bump-free run-in during a match would pop the crowd.
SH: With all that’s gone on over the past six months, the biggest surprise for this very tired AEW fan would be a show with a minimum of unscripted drama and a mercifully short post-show press scrum where no one bites anyone else. There are lots of potential returns and debuts, though, as X says. I certainly wouldn’t mind Shida, Rosa, or Kris Statlander back in the mix to shake things up (though I think the latter, if and when she’s healed up, is earmarked for Jade Cargill who is not currently booked on this card). Adam Cole is another great shout, and will be a big piece of the puzzle between Revolution and Double or Nothing, with a big return match and the debut of the new reality show in which he and Britt Baker are reportedly heavily featured.
JW: I already mentioned the return of FTR to stare down the Gunns. I also think that we get a release date for AEW: Fight Forever at some point this weekend. How rad would it be if it was already on the way to stores and we got it in a week or two?
Viewers can stream AEW Revolution Sunday, March 5, 2023 on the B/R app (Android and iOS), Bleacher Report website or via Bleacher Report on connected devices including Apple TV, Android TV, Roku, FireTV and Xbox. Fans watching on the B/R mobile app will be able to utilize the platform’s functionality to comment on the greatest moments from the matches in real-time with other B/R app users. The event will also be elevated through enhanced discovery features in the B/R app. Bleacher Report will also cover and amplify all the action across its #1 most engaged social channels.
AEW Revolution will also be available On-Demand through cable and satellite TV providers along with select movie theatres in North America. International fans can purchase the event through FITE, PPV.com, DAZN and YouTube.
