The Wrestling Weekend: Blog Writers Predict The Weekend Shows

Hey there. We are assuming that you, a wrestling fan, know that this weekend has four MAJOR North American wrestling shows, plus Collision and AAA. For a non-Big Four weekend, this is a LOT of wrestling. The writing staff who recap the shows for the site thought it might be a good idea to do a roundtable on predicting the bigger cards. We’ve assembled Kat Bourne, Our Friend Phred, GARTH, Thomas Hall, Scott Herrin, and yours truly to offer up predictions and commentary.

WWE – Night Of Champions:

Jey Uso vs. Oba Femi – King of the Ring Finals

Phrederic: Jey wins to set up teased matches with both champions and Oba loses to set up the teased rubber match with Brock. And yes I assume Brock interferes to cost Oba. Honestly the match I’m most interested in as it’s a fresh bout, Oba is still becoming his own as a singles guy on the main-roster, and Jey is teasing some heel work that has proven some dividends so far.

Garth: Jey seems to have found new life recently after sputtering out in the second half of 2025, carrying over into a forgettable start of 2026, and with the expected interference from Brock Lesnar to set up our rubber match between Brock and Oba, it feels like a safe bet that Jey walks away with the crown and challenges Cody.

Kat: I can’t imagine we’re headed to anything but Brock for Oba at SummerSlam. Between that and being able to give us a few months of Roman-Jey tension, I feel like King Jey is a big lock thanks to some Brock and/or Bloodline interference.

Tommy: We’ll wrap it up with a match that really could go either way. There are multiple options here, with Femi smashing through Uso, Uso escaping with a win, or Roman Reigns getting involved to help his cousin win and avoid facing Femi in the process. The impressive thing is any of them feel like a legitimate option and I’m probably forgetting a few others. You don’t get that very often and this could be rather good. The question here is basically does WWE go with the Bloodline or pull the trigger on Femi and put him in the big spot. I’m thinking they’ll go with the former, possibly thanks to a certain Brock Lesnar shaped roadblock. I wouldn’t go in that direction, but I think WWE is going to go that way, with the Bloodline getting even more of the focus on the shows, even if it stopped being that interesting a good while ago. Uso wins here, even if Femi feels like the better choice.

Niz: Jey is winning this thing whether people like that or not. I expect we’ll see Brock Lesnar and that’s an awful long way to fly for a probable three minute or so appearance, but here we are.

Iyo Sky vs. Liv Morgan – Queen of the Ring Finals

Phrederic: Iyo wins just because I cannot imagine running back Liv vs. Rhea again and a potential double-champion situation…or Liv jobbing as champion to Rhea (who might be hurt?). Really puts bare just how unfocused the women’s main-event situation has been. Iyo is a miracle worker and I think this is a fresh match as far as singles is concerned at least.

Garth: It would be very interesting for them to put Liv over, already reigning as the Raw Women’s Champion, and giving us a Champion vs Champion scenario for SummerSlam, but the Iyo/Rhea relationship feels like it has more room for exploration, so I’ll tip the scale ever-so-slightly in favor of Sky leaving with the crown.

Kat: I’m surprisingly not interested in the story, but they have been so unfocused on Liv’s title scene since Mania and this doesn’t help. It’ll be a good match. It’s hard to guess where it goes because the SmackDown title is in the air with Rhea. I’m not particularly interested in Liv or Iyo being in Rhea’s orbit again, but Rhea vs Iyo would be fun again. I’m going with Iyo and we have some sort of failed interference that finally gets us to Liv vs Raquel or Roxanne.

Tommy: I have lost any and all concept of how this tournament is supposed to go, as it’s two Raw stars fighting for a shot at, I’m assuming, the Smackdown Women’s Title. That is of course assuming the Smackdown Women’s Champion is healthy enough to wrestle at Summerslam. Or does Morgan get to take Summerslam off if she wins the whole thing here? Maybe clarify this stuff a bit better? All that being said, I’m thinking that they clear out a lot of the issues by having Sky win. This means she can either have another chance against Morgan at Summerslam (I hope not) or face her former partner/friend/longtime rival Rhea Ripley for the title instead. That match has felt like the big endgame for everything since Ripley won the title, even if she has done absolutely nothing with it since. Sky wins here, if nothing else for the sake of clearing up the confusion.

Niz: IYO winning feels like the better story, plus it actually sort of plays into the long-term continuity with Rhea never being able to beat her in singles, should IYO choose her, or that she’ll hold a pinfall over Liv who will surely want revenge for that and losing the Queen title. All of that probably means Liv wins, but it makes way more sense story-line wise for IYO to win. I’ll go with IYO.

Trick Williams (c) vs. Ricky Saints – WWE US Championship

Phrederic: Trick wins, for the love of everything holy, Trick has to win. We’ve seen Ricky vs. Tricky before and it didn’t blow me away then and I can’t imagine this changing my mind. Williams is an obvious star but the SD men’s midcard isn’t much and I don’t know if he can elevate it. But there is no reason for Trick to lose.

Garth: I don’t have the disdain for Ricky Saints that most of the BoD Community seems to carry with them, but I don’t see them zigging already with Trick’s push with the Championship. Maybe a few months down the road I would say kick the tires on giving Saints that rub, but it’s far too soon. Give Trick a little more time to build his reputation so he doesn’t end up on that 50/50 treadmill.

Kat: I like Ricky more than most, but you have got to let Trick keep riding this wave for a bit.

Tommy: Now here we have something that is a bit more important, but also a bit easier to guess. At the end of the day, Williams has hit the ground running like few you’ve seen in a long time. He and Lil Yachty are a great team together and I’m hoping they’re together in this way for a good while to come. I’m thinking you get where this is going and that’s not a bad thing here. Of course I’m taking Williams to retain the title, as there is pretty much no reason to think that Saints is going to win the title here. If nothing else, Saints is going to be a nice victory for Williams and I could go for seeing them have a good match on the way to Williams retaining. Williams is likely to be a big deal sooner or later and a win over Saints is a good step forward.

Niz: I suspect weirdness here, but I think Trick retains.

Bron Breakker vs. Seth Rollins – Steel Cage

Phrederic: Seth wins. I think this is one I’m very willing to be wrong about, but this Bron/Seth feud hasn’t done Bron any favors and I don’t see them changing that now. I think Rollins is going to be facing Roman at SummerSlam so this win puts him in position for it. Hopefully they figure out something with Bron too. Not hyped at all for the match as the Bron/Seth stuff hasn’t done it at all for me but maybe they show out here.

Garth: Ugh. Everything to do with the Vision feels like a worst possible scenario situation unfolding, and all things considered, it SHOULD be Bron getting a statement win over Seth, but then you have the very real possibility of a Seth/Roman title match in the near-future, so I could absolutely see them giving Seth the win to give him momentum for such an occasion. I’ll go with Seth, personal feelings aside.

Kat: I can’t. Please make it stop. I feel like I’m cursing myself here, but Vision interference helps Bron win. Maybe Bronson. Maybe a new member of the team.

Tommy: It says a lot when a cage match feels kind of unimportant but I can barely remember anything about this match coming in. It feels like this feud should have wrapped up months ago and they’re just doing this match to give both of them something to do. If nothing else, Rollins’ quest to take out the Vision has been replaced by a bunch of people trying to take out the Bloodline. That doesn’t leave much here and I’m not exactly interested in seeing the match. I’ll take Rollins to win here, even though Breakker needs the win more. Rollins can win and in theory get rid out of this WAY too long feud with the Vision. Odds are there will be a good deal of interference but I’m not sure how much it’s going to help. This is a really lacking feud and I don’t really see this match, with Rollins winning, making it that much better.

Niz: Should win: Bron. Will win: Seth. Why, because Seth-Roman feels like a Summerslam main event right now and I think that’s more important than getting Bron there right now. I would be doing way more with the young blue-chippers from NXT than is being done, but I’m not the booker.

Cody Rhodes (c) vs. Gunther vs. Sami Zayn – Undisputed WWE Championship

Phrederic: This is my craziest prediction but I’m calling it for Sami. I think SD is clearly struggling, Sami has been doing good work, the Saudi fans love Sami. I’m willing to eat crow on this but if there was a time to do a big swing and ‘protect’ Cody it’s a triple threat with two heels in a foreign country.

Garth: It would be hard for me to pick anyone besides Cody since I’ve already drawn a map of Jey vs. Cody for SummerSlam. Gunther has an absolute 0% chance of leaving with the belt, and while Sami is an interesting dark horse, I think his story of never winning the World Title/WWE Title has time to simmer, and if you’re going to do that switch, Survivor Series-Royal Rumble might be the time for it.

Kat: Eh. I’d say Cody just based on giving Jey the title shot at SummerSlam. You could do an interesting callback with Sami being champ against Jey, but I don’t know about throwing Sami in to lose the belt a month later. You could also do Jey/Gunther AGAIN.

Tommy: Now this has my attention as I have gone from “it’s another Rhodes title defense” to having no idea who is leaving with the title. Rhodes felt like the undisputed obvious winner here but for once, adding a third star makes it a lot better. Zayn is someone who feels like he absolutely has to win the title at some point and it would be great to see it happen here. Or anywhere as I really want to see it happen one way or another. That being said, I’ll play it safe and go with Rhodes retaining. Rhodes already has a bunch of options available for Summerslam, with Jey Uso, Oba Femi and potentially Gunther or Zayn waiting on him. That’s more than enough to see him leaving with the title, even if Zayn winning would be a feel good moment in Saudi Arabia. That also leaves Gunther as a legitimate threat to steal the title and I could see it happening as well. I’ll take Rhodes though, as WWE likes him on top at the biggest shows, such as Summerslam.

Niz: I think Cody retains. I have trouble seeing either GUNTHER or Sami as world champ heading into Summerslam. I think if this match was taking place in February or October, you could see a title change, but with the need to sell two nights worth of tickets, Cody’s on top going into that August show no matter what.

Tiffany Stratton (c) vs. Jade Cargill – WWE Women’s US Championship

Phrederic: I think Jade should win, and I think she probably does win. Tiffany is doing nothing right now as a singles while Jade has some momentum and some clarity of purpose. With Chelsea and Tiffany probably forming a partnership it makes sense to anchor the heel midcard around a tough lady and her goons, well that’s easy, simple booking.

Garth: I’m not a fan of someone going from holding the top title of the division to immediately challenging for the lesser belt, especially a belt like the Women’s US Title which feels like it has zero prestige and just kind of exists, with title reigns coming and going with little to show for any of them. With that said, I think it’s Jade walking out with the title and maybe we can find something interesting to do with that title.

Kat: Jade wins. I don’t think it does either woman favors by losing here, but there’s more of a story with heel Jade and her Baddies fighting off Tiffany, Chelsea and a third over the next few months.

Tommy: We’ll start off with a match that might be the least important on the card but also might be the most difficult to guess. Stratton and Cargill are being built up into two of the biggest stars of the current/next generation and it makes sense to see the two of them having this kind of a match. At the same time, their previous efforts against each other have been less than stellar so it should be interesting to see how well it works out. As for a winner, I think I’ll take Stratton winning here. While Cargill making the win makes the most sense, I’m not sure what she has to do if she wins. Stratton already has issues with Charlotte and Alexa Bliss and the latter could be a good opponent for her. I’m curious about how this goes and it’s been built up better than some of their recent matches, though they don’t have a huge bar to clear.

Niz: This is the one where I think we could see a title change. Jade has been killing it lately match-quality-wise and I think you will see interference and overbooking galore here with Chelsea Green, Michin, and B-Fab all involved.

Overall Thoughts:

Phrederic: Obviously a stage-setting for SummerSlam but I imagine it’ll be the regular WWE PLE experience, if I had to guess for any big shocking moments (other than the, IMO, obvious Brock Lesnar appearance) it’d be another return for CM Punk in some fashion

Garth: It’s going to be your typical B-tier WWE PLE; some quality matches though nothing extraordinary. I don’t expect many big surprises, unless the Brock appearance everyone has called for counts as a surprise. It’ll be a fine waste of 2 ½-3 hours, just watch on delay so you can skip over some of the ads.

Kat: My interest is LOW. I’m ready to get on to the path for SummerSlam. Oba/Jey is the match I have some interest in and a lot of that is in seeing how they follow it up. It’ll be fine. The matches will be good. But it’ll just be another bump on the road to SNME and then SummerSlam.

Tommy: This is the first of four shows on a Wrestlemania size weekend and as is usual with the Saudi shows, it’s taking place in the early afternoon on the east coast. Yes it’s kind of annoying, but it’s also getting the biggest show of the weekend out of the way first. That could set the bar either high or low and we get to see where things go from there. This show has some potential though, especially if it winds up mainly being a wrestling based show, which tends to be where WWE does its best work.

Niz: I’m hoping for some good stuff but this card isn’t exactly one for the ages. Yes, there’s a cage match, Cody’s defending his title, we’ll see new King and Queen of the Ring winners, but knowing that both Bron and Oba are probably losing just bums me out before the first bell is rung. Hunter talks about people taking this stuff too seriously and for me, I’m taking it seriously for the young folks who need to start getting higher slots on the card and stop losing to people like…Seth Rollins.

TNA – Slammiversary:

Cedric Alexander (c) vs. Leon Slater vs. Frankie Kazarian vs. Mr. Elegance vs. Fabian Aichner vs. KC Navarro vs. Amazing Red – Ultimate X match for the TNA X-DIvision Championship

Phrederic: Obviously a bit difficult to pick with these multi-person bouts, but I saw it’s time to belt KC Navarro. With more rumored departures on the way, it’s time to rebuild the stock and while others in this group can play different divisions, a guy like Navarro seems built for the X-Division.

Garth: There’s a lot of names in the talent pool that could conceivably walk away with the X Division Title (except Red, thanks for being here), and this probably comes down to Alexander retaining, Slater regaining, or belting Navarro. I can see them making a switch with a new head of creative taking over, but I think you let Cedric reign through the Summer before making a move.

Niz: I feel like Aichner and Mr. Elegance have shots here based on newness (Aichner) and storyline (Mr. Elegance). Obviously with seven folks in a match anything could happen, and this is a good collection of talent in terms of a match of this type. I won’t be shocked if Ceddy retains, though.

Herrin: Okay, we got the Dalmatian match. This will be the most exciting match due to said spots but methinks we can eliminate the wheat from chaff quickly. Kazarian and Red are for the nostalgia buffs munching on “member berries.” Mr. Elegance will be there to be the goof heel to get people over and be the comedic heel for people. I would love to see Navarro win the match to complete a good comeback story. I don’t know who is booking this and their belief in those stories, though. Navarro has looked great in his matches. He would be perfect but there are bigger stars to consider.

Much like Navarro, it would be great to see Slater regain the title but somehow I think he is headed for bigger pastures (either here in TNA or elsewhere.) Slater would be a great World Champ someday – that would be a real commitment to youth. People gravitate to Slater and would be who I want to see win the match. Others argue why drop the title only to regain it soon afterward. One could argue the same about Santana but I guess we needed the bump for the AMC debut show? Alexander is good in the ring and has a great style to him but I have slid on him recently (how much have we talked about his PENCHANT FOR YELLING ALL HIS PROMOS. YOU ARE NOT MF DOOM, IT DOESN’T HAVE TO BE ALL CAPS, ALL THE TIME….sorry.)

That leaves Aichner as, no pun intended, the X-Factor. He is the most successful “get” of the new folks and seems the most fluid in the ring and can wrestle myriad styles. However, like the Righteous, the talent is there, the match is there – the “W’s” have not really been there.

Denouement: I think Aichner might win this. Slater has outgrown it. Alexander has been a solid champ but it is time for a change. My second choice would be Navarro. This would free Alexander and Slater to continue their feud and see if Slater can get the elusive revenge on Alexander and then setup either another title shot down the road – if he stays the course in TNA.

Tommy: Here we have the signature match of TNA and it makes sense to bring it out of mothballs for the anniversary show. They’re also bringing Amazing Red back, which should quite the nice thing to see. Red had a heck of a match with Bandido over Wrestlemania Weekend and he can still more than go. Seeing him back in the ring is an interesting idea, even if he has pretty much no chance of winning. Red is one of a few wrestlers you can probably write off, along with Mr. Elegance. That leaves a host of people to win and I’m going to go with an underdog in KC Navarro. He’s come a long way lately and this is the kind of match where they can make him into something without having him get a big pin. I’m not saying it’ll work, but I think they could do it here. Granted this kind of thing is a total shot in the dark but why not have some fun?

The Elegance Brand (Heather by Elegance and M by Elegance) (c) (with The Personal Concierge) vs. Rosemary and Allie – TNA KO Tag Team Championship

Phrederic: One of the less developed feuds on what is actually a fairly well built show, I don’t particularly see a need to change the belts here and the Elegance Brand should retain.

Garth: Keep the belts on the Elegance Brand. Allie and Rosemary, even if beyond cooked, (mostly) works as a sideshow attraction without a Championship attached.

Niz: I feel like Heather and M will retain, but given that Mara Sade will be around and it appears Ash will not, I guess you never know. They spent a lot of time on the Undead Realm stuff just to bring back Allie so you’d think maybe they have a shot here, but with new bookers, it’s hard to tell what the play will be.

Herrin: In my opinion, this might the second closest we get to a slam dunk. The Undead Realm are entertaining but I don’t think anyone buys them as a credible threat. The By Elegance Brand still has legs to them and work as a great heel faction.

Denouement: I would argue the By Elegance Brand gets this. I don’t see the Undead Realm gang with any long lasting future. The only counter thought is this: If the Realm win the title. That might free M to pursue singles gold, especially if Lee retains. I don’t know when Ash returns and the time is running short. However, I don’t see any other tag team stepping up for the Knockouts division so you really are thinning the heard if the Realm win. And, the Personal Concierge, even without “A” material, is still entertaining

Tommy: Just name Rosemary and Allie the Undead Realm already. Anyway, this is an interesting one as normally I would say that there is no reason to leave the titles on the Brand but they’re kind of great with having the titles as accessories. It makes them even more annoying and that’s a perfect thing for a stable built around the idea of getting on the fans’ nerves. I’m just not sure they’ll keep the belts. Yeah I think I’ll go with the title change here, as Rosemary and Allie are popular enough at the moment to warrant getting the gold. If nothing else, the Brand is going to be able to drive everyone crazy with or without the titles so let them drop the belts for now. They can easily win them back later if necessary, but for now, Allie and Rosemary are a better option for the win here.

Eric Young vs. Ricky Sosa

Phrederic: Sosa kinda has to win this one, I’ll go with my gut and have Ricky win and then Eric beats him down afterwards and continues to rant about The Cleanse.

Garth: Ricky Sosa, no doubt. He’s a blue-chipper and Young is the vet who can give someone credibility.

Niz: Huh, an old guy vs a young blue chipper, now where have I ranted about that before?. I think Sosa should win this, but for some unknown reason Eric Young is an embedded tick who cannot be removed. I think Phred’s scenario makes the most sense for both characters at this point.

Herrin: This feels like the closest thing to a slam dunk on the card. People love Sosa. He seems like the complete package (his finisher is eh but if that’s the worst to say about someone, I will take it.) My thoughts on Young have not deviated. Yeah, he has been there forever and has admitted he is a gatekeeper for the promotion. This should be a highlight package for Sosa. That’s about the ceiling of this match. I would love to see a full gamut of what people see. This might be it.

Denouement: Sosa wins. Young will get his offense and they will sell the piledriver effects that Sosa felt previously. But, at this point, you need good young talent and there Sosa is. And, the crowd can do the “Bang, bang/Sosa, Sosa” chant, so they’ll be happy.

Tommy: Oh dear it’s this match. For the life of me I do not get Eric Young and I haven’t for a long time. He’ll pop up, pick a new target, say the same things, lose, and then move on like nothing has changed. Sosa is his latest target and it’s hard to fathom that he’s going to be any different for Young. The whole idea of Young as this evil force is quite the miscast and I do not get the appeal but we’re here anyway. I’ll go with Sosa to win here, as there is no point in having him lose to someone like Young, who loses all of the time. I’m not sure what Sosa is going to be but TNA is really in need of some new stars, so put him out there and see what he can do. It’s worth a shot and beating a former multiple time World Champion is a good start, especially if it gets Young off the show for a few weeks.

Mustafa Ali (c) vs. TBA – Open Challenge for the TNA International Championship

Phrederic: With the rumors about a former WWE champion showing up in TNA and who that champion is rumored to be, I expect them to answer the open challenge…and yeah I kind of expect them to win. So with many spoilers, I think that Uhaa Nation is taking the International title.

Garth: You always take the Open Challenge.

Kat: I can’t believe it, but it’s time for TNA International Champion Jack Hager.

Niz: Hey, Ali is losing to a debut. I think this should hopefully move him back towards the big belt but I guess we’ll see how this plays out. Obviously Ali has his entire crew to help him and the debut will likely be on his own, but it’s weird to debut someone and have them lose unless it’s to a ridiculous amount of shenanigans.

Herrin: At this point, we don’t know who Mustafa Ali has for an opponent. This would be ripe for a big debut or return. If it is a debut, the debuted wrestler might have a shot to pop the crowd. If not, Ali retains and we get a big debut/return to set up the next feud. Ali should be doing something more than the International Title but any title on him is instantly elevated. Ali might retain in both cases (possibly DQ by leaving or interference.) This gives him a direction versus the cliched “Open challenge” he has now. I would like to be surprised on who it is.

Tommy: This is one that’s hard to predict, as there is only so much you can do without knowing who is getting the title shot. There have been some rumored names, including at least one who used to be in WWE, but no one really stands out all that well. If nothing else, Ali deserves to hold onto the title longer as he’s getting somewhere with his stuff (as he tends to do when he’s given the chance). I’ll take Ali to retain over whomever he is facing, even if I want to see him get into the World Title picture sooner rather than later. Ali is someone with the talent to make this work and you can almost guarantee that he’ll be doing something special around election season. For now though, he retains, likely with the help of his goons, though I’m almost worried to see who he’s going to be facing here.

Eddie Edwards (with Alisha Edwards) vs. Moose – No Surrender

Phrederic: So, this seems so obviously a win for Moose here after he’s been screwed over again, again, and again by his former System mates and Alisha…but they’re also in Boston…with Eddie Edwards. That said, this match is just a match (so far) and not a hardcore brawl, so I’m going to say that we’re getting a LOLMOOSELOSES situation and then we get the final payoff with a hardcore match. Eddie wins.

Garth: Think of the HEEEEEEEEEEAT of Moose being screwed over here, setting up a rematch with bigger stakes! TNA is always due for at least one of these, and I think it’s Moose getting the LOL treatment.

Niz: Eddie Edwards goes over in Boston, BY GOD AND SONNY JESUS. Not how I’d book it but I’m pretty sure it’s going that way. For Murph and Sully, mostly.

Herrin: How much do you want to believe in the System? How much do you think they can be the preeminent heel faction? That might be the biggest factor in this match. It is a good revenge match and the best so far of the card as both are proven veterans with personal stakes involved (that’s all we really want in wrestling, right? ) Ergo, it is the hardest to predict, so far. There will be shenanigans ahoy, no doubt. I do think if old management would have its way. They would coerce JDC into surrendering via skullduggery.

Denouement: I think – think – Moose wins. The biggest question is what Moose does afterwards. He has done pretty much all one can do in TNA – so as Edwards, for that matter. I can’t see Edwards being a serious contender for a title moving forward and I think Moose has some legs left – not for much longer – but some left.

Tommy: This is, at least in theory, the final blowoff to Moose vs. The System, though it feels like we should have been at that point months ago. The idea here is that you can only lose if your corner person (Alisha Edwards and JDC) throw in the towel to end the match. That opens the door for some shenanigans and it comes down to whom is going to screw the other one over. I’ll go with Edwards winning here, as it feels like they have set up JDC to mess with Moose again because that’s the kind of thing TNA would do. I’m not sure how you pay that off down the line if JDC is retired, but for now at least, Moose loses again. This feud has gone on far too long already and at this point, I’ll take it ending in whatever way they can figure out.

Léi Yǐng Lee (c) vs. Xia Brookside – TNA KO Championship

Phrederic: I’m honestly expecting this to possibly steal the show, it’s a rematch of a very solid babyface vs. babyface bout now with tons more heat and stakes on it, Brookside wins.

Garth: Once again, with the creative shake-up, there’s conflicting thoughts on where they go with some of their Champions. When in doubt, expect a title change, and the table has been set for such a thing, so I’m going Brookside.

Niz: I like Xia here. I think she’s due, and I don’t think LYL will be hurt too much by a loss.

Herrin: This is also contention for best match of the night and probably the hardest to pick. Brookside’s heel mannerisms have been great and the build up has been very solid. She has really come a long way in a short time. Lee is who she is. She is solid, tough, has an impressive background and has a good backstory. You know what you get from her and doesn’t deviate.

Denouement: I don’t know if Brookside has the gravitas yet to carry a division (even one that is lacking quality depth.) She might get there eventually (and probably sooner vs. later.) But, let’s look at that depth on each side. If we look at natural opponents for both and there are far more promising faces vs. heels (thanks to management and releasing Tessa Blanchard and Dani Luna.) I will regret this but maybe having Brookside win is not the worst thing in the world. Lee can pursue the title again and you have Sade and Hartwell in the bullpen. I would much rather see a match with Brookside vs. them rather than, say, Lee vs. Black (although if they pull the trigger on M, I would like to see that match.)

Tommy: Every so often you get a pretty much perfect setup for a big moment and that’s what we have here. Brookside turned on her friend out of jealousy over not being able to win the title and now gets a title shot. It helps that Brookside has turned into quite a nice heel in the process, which is impressive for someone who is fairly small in stature and easy to cheer in the first place. There is a grand total of zero reason for Brookside to lose here so I’ll go with the logical result and say she wins the title. Lee is already a two time champion and hardly the biggest star in the world, so go with Brookside getting her big moment and see what she can do as champion. It’s kind of overdue at this point and if she loses, she’s basically dead in the water anyway. So yeah, new champion here.

The System (Brian Myers and Bear Bronson) (c) vs. The Hardys (Broken Matt and Brother Nero) vs. The Righteous (Vincent and Dutch) vs. The Good Hands (John Skyler and Jason Hotch) – Ladder match for the TNA Tag Team Championship

Phrederic: Well, it’s a ladder match with the ancient Hardyz in it so expect a cluster. I normally assume the babyface wins here in a two heels vs. one face deal (and after I write this apparently it’s 3 heels vs. 1 face with the Good Hands added), but I have to imagine with the ladder match format and the ‘unfair’ nature the Righteous FINALLY pick up a victory and the titles.

Garth: I want to say the Hardys, even if I try to talk myself out of it. Hopefully they can limit themselves to no more than one big bump from a ladder, but we ARE dealing with the Hardys, after all.

Niz: I think the Good Hands steal this one. Call it a hunch, but it feels like a good time to try them with the titles and let the Hardys (or whomever) chase them for a bit while Ali stews about not being a champion with his underlings having belts.

Herrin: I am lamenting this match given TNA to kowtow to their base thought patterns. The System have been good champs but still think they are transitional (although I have really been impressed with Bronson and elevated my opinion of him.) The Great Hands are, well that, and a late entry thanks to Daria Rae. The Righteous and the Hardys seem to be the feud this match is centered. I have given my thoughts on both teams. There has been so much invested in the Righteous only to have them job after job after job. The Hardys get amazing responses (those “member berries” are sweet.) Much like the X-Division Match, this will be in contention for most exciting, although I barely want to see the Hardys at all, much less in a ladder match. It seems like the first read for the booking committee is to take the Hardys to win. However, I would offer this proposal.

Denouement: The Righteous win. You have invested so much and they have gotten to the Hardys in ways not seen prior. Complete the deal and give them the win. They have been built as a credible threat and need to see that to fruition. If you really want the Hardys to prevail, use this as a set up for the cinematic match as the start of the final descent to retirement (which has to be soon, right? ) For dark horse purposes, the Great Hands would be an interesting choice, especially if Ali loses. The dissention has been teased again and if you want to follow that plotline, what better way than having the followers upstage the leader?

Tommy: Say it with me: it’s a ladder match! The level of eye rolling I did when that was announced should come with a doctor’s warning but here we are again. The Hardys almost have to be in a ladder match every so often because the law of diminishing returns means nothing in wrestling. It also doesn’t help that the non-Righteous teams are just kind of there, which should tell you where this is going. The Righteous should take the titles here, as they should have done six months ago. I get that the Hardys are big stars but how many title reigns does one team need? On the other hand you have the Great Hands, who were randomly thrown into this match for reasons I don’t quite get. That leave the champions and, well, does anyone believe they’re the top team in the company right now?

AJ Francis vs. Elijah

Phrederic: I’m expecting this feud to last a little bit so I’m guessing Francis wins here. Yet again, with no stipulations or hardcore gimmickery I just don’t expect TNA to blow a feud off.

Garth: Hmmm… This is a tough one, just because of how the storyline is unfolding over Francis claiming ownership of Elijah’s musical catalog, as well as his name and likeness (yeah, this is kind of not my thing, because I’m eye-rolling at just typing this out). Elijah feels like too much of a geek to win here, and who knows where they’re going with this. Hard to bet against Francis.

Niz: I think AJ wins here but I could see this going either way depending on how other results go. Elijah’s momentum really ran aground when he got hurt and this thing with AJ has, for me, been VERY one-sided in terms of who’s making it work, and it’s not The Drifter.

Tommy: This is a battle for Elijah’s name, likeness and music catalog, because that’s a thing we’re doing in wrestling. As ridiculous as it might sound, I do appreciate the idea of having a less than normal reason for a feud in wrestling. This is Francis taking away the thing that defines Elijah the most and that is going to make Elijah mad as a result. Francis has been doing well as a big man too so it’s certainly worth a try. As much as I would like to see Francis win here and see where he can go with things, it doesn’t make sense for Elijah to lose. I’ll take Elijah to win, as what in the world is he without his music deal? We tried that with the whole Ezekiel thing in WWE and we’ve seen how that worked out, so I’ll go with Elijah here, if nothing else for the sake of keeping his career going.

Mike Santana (c) vs. Nic Nemeth – TNA World Championship

Phrederic: I’m probably thinking with my heart over my head here, but there’s just too much smoke about Santana leaving that I might be outsmarting myself but I think MIke retains when we get goofiness with Ryan and maybe KC Navarro. Santana wins.

Garth: With the doomsday clock of Santana already ticking, you can’t rule out a title change here. I think we get some overbooked silliness with Santana retaining.

Niz: I think Nemeth wins due to little brother shenanigans. I hate it, but I think that he’s a decent choice as a transition champ until they figure out what’s next in terms of challengers. Nemeth can swing babyface if they want to point Ali at him, and he can stay heel if it’s someone like Moose or Leon.

Herrin: This will be the best match of the night. It will be a barometer of what is happening behind the scenes. Santana is on a run of his life and the best in a while for a wrestler. Nemeth is the veritable great hand who still delivers the goods. That is something else you want in wrestling. The feud has been a slow burn with interesting side quests and some second glances so people could have a vested interest. There are personal interests, some insider lingo and roots behind the scene to make this a worthy main event,

Denouement: On paper, Santana should win. Hopefully, that paper is a contract with TNA. As much as Nemeth doesn’t disappoint, does he still excite people. You get what you get from him; it’s really good, don’t get me wrong but is it worth anchoring a promotion looking for new roads of audience to have some one with nearly 25 years in the business. Yeah, I know Santana is not a “pollo de primavera” either, but his emergence as a single’s wrestler has been incredible.

All this is void if Santana is thinking of bolting. I don’t know who the new management will be (booking and producing wise, that is.) I don’t know what their plans will be. I would argue let Santana enjoy this and get some new threats involved. If Nemeth wins, get Slater a world title shot (Nemeth spoke glowingly of Slater in interviews.) Come contract renewals, if Santana leaves, buffer it with new talent. I don’t know what is in the bullpen for talent, but Santana was there when Hendry left and they really haven’t missed a beat. Santana can connect with people naturally – few there can do it (aside from Slater, who is great.) Yeah, let Santana get the win on this one. It would be best for the company in the short and mid-term.

The biggest news that should emanate from this Pay Per View is who is replacing Dreamer and others in steering this boat. I have a feeling that might reveal itself during the event and would give people a strong sense on how to feel. That would be the biggest takeaway from this. There is some doubt in the matches but it is far more concrete vs. last year’s great Slammiversary. They need to put the “LOLTNA” to rest. They have come close (closest they have come in a while) but can’t quite get it to bed.

Again, it’s all just my opinion and for entertainment purposes. Do not use for wagering (I can only spot you $35 I have in my wallet.)

Tommy: This is one of the more impressive showings that TNA has had in a minute, as they have taken a pretty nothing story and turned it into one of the hotter feuds going into the pay per view. Nemeth is cashing in his Call Your Shot win and just got a title shot. The catch though, as usual with Santana, is bringing up his daughter, who is his one weak spot. Nic and Ryan Nemeth have gone after Santana over and over but they might have just ticked him off beyond belief. I’m just not sure if that’s a good or a bad thing. At the end of the day, it seems all but guaranteed that Santana is going to WWE sooner rather than later. The question is whether he drops the title here or later and I think he’ll hang onto it for now. TNA and WWE have a working relationship so Santana doesn’t have to cut all of his ties to go over. It should be interesting to see how it goes, but if they have a big fight with Santana winning, he can move on to whomever is going to take the title as he leaves. For now though, he retains.

Overall Thoughts:

Phrederic: Overall this isn’t really looking like the Biggest Show Of The Year but Slammiversary rarely does, running down the card I will say that basically every match has a feud and a build, and as always TNA does its best to mix up styles/types of matches. If people want a middle between the excess of AEW and the sludgy pacing of WWE…there is TNA.

Garth: There’s a match or two that feel like they could be left on the cutting room floor, but considering TNA’s drastic changes in recent weeks, this is a surprisingly balanced card. I don’t expect many bangers (nor does it matter to me, as long as you’re telling reasonable storylines and crowds are interested), but does come down to some of the finishes, because no matter what, LOLTNA exists for a good reason.

Niz: This feels like a show loaded with possibilities and some possible sneaky match-of-the-weekend candidates. I think Santana-Nemeth and Ali-vs DEBUT MYSTERY CHALLENGER will probably be what a lot of us are talking about but I am kind of fascinated to see what happens with Lee-Brookside and the women’s tag titles, too. It’s not going to be the greatest Slammiversary in history but I’m sure everyone will go all out to put on a good wrestling show.

Herrin: Last year, we were awash in great drama in the ring as we had NXT interlopers and quests to be fulfilled. Now, the drama has switched behind the scenes with management uncertainty. It’s not the best background heading into TNA’s signature pay per view but let’s see if this is the start of something that bring back – and continue – the feel of last year’s promise. Right now, we have a bit of stagnation but let’s see if we can get a jump start and head out of neutral (which is no place for a car to be on the Massachusetts Turnpike.)

Tommy: For the first time in WAY too long, I’m actually excited about this. The problem is that at the end of the day, this is still TNA and that means there is a real chance of letdown. I’m almost scared to get my hopes up that far as they have been dashed far too many times over the years. The potential is there though and if everything works out, we could be in for a heck of a Sunday afternoon.

AEW – Forbidden Door:

Zero Hour: Skye Blue vs. Maika – TBS Championship Survival of the Fittest Qualifier

Phrederic: Oh yeah they added this one. Uh, I dearly hope that they’re not bringing over a former World of Stardom champion and Five Star Grand Prix winner to job to Skye Blue but I think that the Five Star is starting soon so I assume this is one and done for Maika. Whatever, Skye Blue wins.

Niz: This may be the most random match I’ve ever seen tossed on to a card. I’ll say they can give the outsider the win here because everyone will still be settling into their seats for the LONG card ahead. Maika wins.

Tommy: Here we have another guest star getting a random spot on the card for the sake of filling out the card. At least in this case it’s just for a spot in a six way match for the TBS Title rather than filling out a bracket, but it still only means so much. Maika hasn’t actually wrestled in AEW before but at least that means she hasn’t lost over and over again, which puts her ahead of some wrestlers. I’ll take Maika to win here, as it allows one of the outsiders to get a victory that only means so much. Blue is hardly a big name but she has been around long enough that beating her might have a bit of an impact for Maika. It’s not like Maika is going to win the title in the end so let her get some kind of a victory and build her up a bit, as it’s not like anyone would buy Blue as a threat to win the whole thing anyway. Maika wins here.

Zero Hour:Divine Dominion(Megan Bayne and Lena Kross) (c) vs. Thunder Rosa and Olympia – AEW Women’s Tag Team Championship

Phrederic: I mean Divine Dominion is going to win and I can’t imagine thinking it’d go down differently.

Garth: There’s no reason for them to take the belts off Divine Dominion, should be a no-doubter result unless they want a shock title switch.

Niz: Yeah, Kross and Bayne aren’t losing these titles on a pre-show.

Tommy: This is Rosa and Olympia being thrown together for a random title shot because that’s what the titles have already reached. Rather than building up a team to be regular challengers, we’re getting a makeshift, thrown together team instead. At least this is just on the pre-show and not the main card so maybe this won’t get as much time otherwise. It’s another title match that feels tacked on for the sake of playing to the show’s theme and that’s hardly a great way to go. Naturally I’ll take the champions to retain here, as they’re being treated as the monsters who shouldn’t be losing their titles anytime soon. That’s especially true with a team comprised of Rosa, who hasn’t won anything important in a good while, and Olympia, who tapped out clean in her match this week on ROH to really make her feel important. It should be fine as a warmup but that’s about all.

Cope and Cage (Adam Copeland and Christian Cage) (c) vs. The Dogs(David Finlay and Clark Connors) – AEW Tag Team Championship

Phrederic: Zero way that C&C are losing before Canada, champs retain.

Garth: The Cope and Cage Retirement Tour isn’t going to derail at Forbidden Door. I absolutely expect post-match shenanigans, but from WHOM? Your guess is as good as mine, especially if the FTR leave of absence isn’t a work.

Niz: My bullshit detector is going off a bit for this one, but I think COPE and CAGE retain assuming Gabe Kidd doesn’t return with his ridiculous brand of mayhem.

Tommy: So Copeland and Cage won the titles for their big moment and now they need someone to come after those titles. This is as good as anyone else for a first major title defense, as the Dogs have come after them more than once to set up the match. It’s a fine enough idea and that’s all it needs to be. This is little more than a pit stop before the champions are likely going to be climbing a ladder against the Young Bucks and FTR in Wembley. Of course the champs retain here, as the Dogs are hardly a big enough team to get the titles off of them at this point. It’s not a bad thing to go with a title defense that will make the champions sweat for a bit and that’s what we’ll get here. This should work out well enough, as the Canadians are more than talented enough to get something out of the Dogs, especially if this doesn’t go on too long.

The Young Bucks (Matt Jackson and Nick Jackson) vs. El Sky Team(Místico and Máscara Dorada) vs. Unbound Co. (Shingo Takagi and Titán)

Phrederic: I must have missed the build to this match, but I assume that El Sky Team wins cause Mistico ain’t jobbing hermano.

Garth: I’ll go Matt and Nick Jackson, probably pinning Titan.

Niz: I think Mistico and Dorada win here with Mistico pinning Titan. This will be very long, it will be refereed by Rick Knox, and tagging in and out will not be required.

Tommy: This is the AEW vs. CMLL vs. New Japan match and that’s not a bad idea. It’s one of the few matches here that feel like it should be on a Forbidden Door card and that’s nice to see after everything else. If nothing else, it should be nice to see the Bucks and Sky Team fly around and do all of their stuff. It’s worked before on their own and it should work out rather well here. I’ll take Sky Team to win, as Mistico is a big enough star that you do not want him losing in a match like this. The whole point of this match is to do a bunch of high flying and big spots and that’s going to work out rather well. Sky Team going over is the right call and they might even beat the Bucks to do it. If nothing else, at least we’ve seen the Sky Team a few times so they won’t be out of nowhere, which is a good attribute to have here.

Jon Moxley (c) vs. Bandido – AEW Continental Championship

Phrederic: Considering this was supposed to be Moxley vs. Callum Newman, I can’t imagine the plans changed. Moxley wins.

Garth: Mox’s original opponent went down with an injury and we’re adjusting on short-notice. Since the original match was a no-doubter in favor of Mox (so much for that time off, by the way), as much as I like Bandido, there’s no reason to switch this belt, either. Theme of the card, isn’t it?

Niz: 20 minutes, enjoy your Paradigm Shift, and collect your check, Bandido. Moxley is not losing here.

Tommy: Let’s get this one out of the way early, as there is a grand total of no reason to think that Bandido has even the first chance to win the title. This is just what Bandido does, as he is put in matches against big AEW stars, none of whom give any indication that they care about the Ring Of Honor World Title, and then Bandido loses. That’s what we’ll be seeing here again, of course. I’m not even bothering to suggest that this is up in the air whatsoever as there is just no point. Moxley is the most successful star AEW has ever had and he isn’t about to lose to Bandido, who might be talented but doesn’t win big matches. I’m sure the match will be good, but if Bandido is going to keep doing this kind of stuff, can he lose the title already to keep whatever value it might still cling to?

Shota Umino (c) vs. PAC – IWGP Global Heavyweight Championship

Phrederic: New Japan gets their win, Shota retains.

Garth: Forbidden Door problems front and center; there’s no reason for titles to change hands in most scenarios. Shota retains.

Niz: Shota retains here but PAC probably kicks his ass thoroughly before whatever banana-peel finish they come up with.

Tommy: This is a match that could wind up being a potential show stealer, with Pac being able to work well with anyone and Umino being good enough most of the time. Pac has become someone you can depend on to have a heck of a match most of the time and while I’m not sure on him winning the title, at least it should come with one of the better matches on the show. While I think Pac at least has a chance to win the title, I’ll take Umino to retain here. The good thing is they should beat the living daylights out of each other on the way there, as tends to be the case in Pac’s matches. I’ve only seen a bit of Umino but his time with Moxley was good enough and it might even tie into the match here. Hopefully this one doe as well as it could, as the show could use the boost.

Thekla (c) vs. Starlight Kid – AEW Women’s Championship

Phrederic: My pick for MOTN, Thekla and SLK have good chemistry and I expect SLK to blow some people’s minds. Thekla wins obviously.

Garth: Thekla is the best thing going today for AEW’s Women’s Division. 0.0% chance you take the belt off her here.

Kat: I just hope Thekla has fun. She’s the most interesting thing going on in the entire company right now. The last time a female performer jumped off the screen like this for me, it was Rhea Ripley as Judgment Day grew. I think you keep letting her do what she’s doing.

Niz: THEKLA RETAINS YOU DUMB BITCHES. Starlight is awesome and I think this match is going to rule all of your asses, but Thekla is now a pillar and thus, will win here to set up her defense against Mercedes at Wembley.

Tommy: I’m going to make this clear rather quickly: I do not care about Thekla’s issues with Stardom. I do not care about Stardom. I do not care about Kid’s quest to defend Stardom from Thekla. She’s already the AEW Women’s Champion and that title reign has basically been put on ice for the last month while we deal with whatever issue she has coming out of a promotion she doesn’t work for anymore. It feels like a Stardom story which is coming over here instead and that’s not exactly must see material. Naturally I’ll take Thekla to retain so we can move back to the women of AEW getting their chance at the title. The problem here isn’t Kid, who is a rather talented star. The problem is that the whole thing has been about Stardom and Thekla’s issues with its owner. That’s not what I watch AEW to see and it’s basically seen a title locked down for weeks while we wait on this show to be over. Stop doing that.

Mercedes Moné vs. Maya World – Women’s Owen Hart Finals

Phrederic: I’m going to zag a bit and say that Maya World clinches it. Thekla vs. Mone (when Mone has doubled down on being a heel) feels like a no-go so why not swing for something and go with the Cinderella run to the end?

Garth: OK, quick rant time! So Mercedes Mone wins a bunch of meaningless crap belts and the big story is supposed to be her crashing out and going on a redemption run, but nope, she’s off TV for 5-months and comes back the same arrogant heel like nothing happened (even though her departing moment clearly set her up as someone with zero sympathy who was getting what they deserved). Mercedes wins, even if TK enjoys pushing Maya World to spite Nixon Newell and her girlfriend.

Kat: I appreciate that Maya is getting this showcase and I know Mercedes is going to do all she can do to make her look like a star. I’m not sure how this one falls really, but I’m going with the upset win for Maya.

Niz: Okay, I’ll be the turd in the punchbowl and say that Maya’s miracle run comes to an end here because Mercedes-Thekla feels like the biggest women’s match they can promote for Wembley right now. I know it’s heel-heel and I have no idea if one of them will turn prior to Wembley, but Mercedes isn’t wrestling like….Queen Aminata at All In.

Tommy: I’m not sure what to think about this one. In theory, Mone wins the tournament again because she’s Mone and has to win everything because she’s the biggest star in the history of ever. On the other hand though, I’m not sure I get why World would be put into this spot if she was just going to lose in the end. It’s not like Mone gets much out of beating World, who is playing with the house’s money, but I also can’t picture World going on to All In. Therefore, I’ll take Mone winning in an underwhelming result. Mone has been here before and I don’t quite get the appeal of seeing her in this spot again, but I guess she hasn’t won a title recently enough so it’s time to set her up to do it again. World winning would be an absolute shock and I’d prefer to see it happen, but I just can’t picture that being the case here.

Kenny Omega vs. Zack Sabre Jr.

Phrederic: Kenny wins, no real doubt here for me.

Garth: Kenny is signed to AEW and has one more run in him on top. Kenny wins.

Niz: Kenny should win here and I’m not sure how this will go in terms of quality. I think ZSJ will get all his stuff in and Kenny will do what Kenny does, but this feels like the candidate for the “it went five-ten minutes too long” match of the night.

Tommy: Here’s your dream match of the show and this should work out rather well. Sabre is one of the best technical wrestlers in the world today and Omega is AEW’s living legend. It’s not a match that needs much of a story and they haven’t given it one, which is how this should go. This is one of the matches where you just put the names up there and the match sells itself, which is how Forbidden Door worked back in its early days. For this one, I’ll go with Omega as again, it makes sense for the star who is sticking around to get the big win. Sabre is an established name and beating him should get Omega ready for whatever his big deal is going to be this summer. Omega can put in the work to make this a success and Sabre can do various horrible things to Omega’s limbs in the process. At the end of the day though, Omega wins after a rather hard fought battle.

Will Ospreay vs. Swerve Strickland (with Prince Nana) – Men’s Owen Hart Finals

Phrederic: We all know that Ospreay is winning this.

Garth: There’s not enough 2nd Round picks in an NBA Draft to convince me Swerve is beating Ospreay.

Niz: Ospreay is winning and I know why, but I would not have booked Swerve to be the opponent here. For me it should have been someone like Claudio or PAC or even Fletcher, but we’re here and Swerve is losing.

Tommy: Finally we have the next step of one of the odder stories in a long time, as the Death Riders broke Ospreay’s neck but are now training him to get better from his neck injury. Therefore, he can have a rather physical match against Strickland with the winner moving on to the likely main event of the biggest AEW show of the year. That’s quite a way to go, but we have a few months between now and then to make it even stranger. There is a grand total of no reason to believe that Strickland has a chance here and that has been obvious from the second Ospreay was announced for the field. This isn’t a subtle story and while that makes sense in theory, it could make for quite the lengthy wait before we finally get to the result. Ospreay wins here and while it should be a heck of a match, it really shouldn’t be in doubt.

Team Briscoe (Mark Briscoe, Orange Cassidy, Roderick Strong, Kyle O’Reilly, Konosuke Takeshita, and Darby Allin) vs. MJF and The Don Callis Family (Kevin Knight, Kyle Fletcher, Jake Doyle, Kazuchika Okada, and Andrade El Ídolo) – Steel Cage if Briscoe’s Team wins Mark gets a title shot against MJF

Phrederic: Mark’s team obviously wins!

Garth: It would be hilarious if Mark Briscoe’s team loses a match where a title shot is at stake… but I’m going team Briscoe.

Niz: The DCMJF side has better wrestlers but the “too many egos get in the way” storyline is right there, so I think Team Briscoe wins this.

Tommy: Here we have a twelve man tag inside a cage, because that’s an idea that is going to work. I’m assuming the idea here is that MJF’s knee is a bit too banged up and he can’t wrestle a singles match at the moment. That’s perfectly fine and understandable, though I’m not sure how that means we need to have twelve people in the same match. Then again if it wasn’t be stuffed to the gills, it wouldn’t belong in AEW. There is no reason to think that Team MJF has much of a chance here so we’ll go with Briscoe and company winning. The win will give Briscoe the World Title shot at whatever the next pay per view (or maybe Beach Break) and that has to be set up somehow. Thematch is likely to be a big mess but at least it sets something up and can have other consequences in the Don Callis Family. Hopefully some of the people fight off here though, as the ring is going to need the extra space.

Overall Thoughts:

Phrederic: A lot has been said by people who have far more affection towards AEW than I do about this card and how pointless it seems. I’m sure the wrestling will appeal to the fans, but this booking seems as rote as rote can be. I hope folks have a good time.

Garth: The quality of wrestling should be top notch (at least for the hardcore audience they cater to), but it’s mostly a lineup of predictable, meaningless matches. The Forbidden Door concept is looking its weakest here with what looks like a super-sized episode of Dynamite with a lot of “this is setting up the REAL stuff for the next PPV” across the board, but if good wrestles and little reason behind it is worth $50, then so be it. I’ll save my money.

Niz: This show was fun when they were bringing in Okada and Ospreay when they were New Japan talents, but now that they work for AEW and the CMLL partnership means Mistico shows up pretty regularly, the shine is gone from this event. The wrestling will be good, the show will be long, the fans of the company will tell you that it’s the greatest thing ever, and we’ll get back to booking for the Wembley show which means SO much more than this card does.

Tommy: The biggest issue here is how little most of this show seems to matter. The three most important matches on the show are all about title shots which are going to happen later on, leaving this with a bunch of midcard titles matches and guest stars. It should be a good show as most AEW pay per views tend to be, but my goodness it does not feel overly important and that’s becoming a bigger issue with Forbidden Door year after year.

NXT – The Great American Bash

Shiloh Hill vs. Tristan Angels

Phrederic: Shiloh gets his revenge here and beats Tristan.

Niz: I think Shiloh wins but Tristan is going to be a whole deal at this level once he starts getting some wins. The character type always plays, he’s good looking, and he’s decent in the ring.

Zaria (c) vs. Tatum Paxley – NXT Women’s North American Championship

Phrederic: Zaria retains and Tatum tries to save the soul of Lyra I guess.

Kat: Zaria wins. It’s time for Tatum to graduate.

Niz: Zaria retains because it’s too early for her to lose, but Tater will make her look like a million bucks and probably take about five F5s.

Dion Lennox vs. Saquon Shugars

Phrederic: Shugars wins and hopefully DarkState is no more.

Tommy: Darkstate explodes in the only non-title match on the show and I’m not sure how interesting that really is. The problem is that Darkstate felt like second cousin twice removed of the Shield, Retribution and the Nexus, which isn’t much of a compliment. Lennox is pretty much the de facto leader so Shuggars taking out the other two in order to get to him is as good as it’s going to get. While Lennox needs the win more, I’ll go with Shuggars winning here, hopefully to kill off Darkstate for good. The team hasn’t been interesting in a long time now and there is pretty much no reason for them to continue. Lennox isn’t great either but he’s at least treated like something important so he should have something after this match. I’m really not sure I see it with Shuggars either, but he’s the better pick here.

Niz: I think Lennox wins due to Darkstate shenanigans. I also hope this is short and to the point but it’s a three hour show and I’m probably going to be annoyed.

Wren Sinclair (c) vs.Arianna Grace – WWE Women’s Speed Championship

Phrederic: I’ll be honest, I do not care about this match or the Speed division, at all. Grace probably wins cause why not give Birthright more worthless titles?

Tommy: So yeah this title is still a thing and I really could go for it not being such a thing. There is no need for the women’s division to have three titles, especially one like the Speed Title which still feels like a weird novelty. Sinclair is injured coming in but even a less than great Sinclair is still incredibly entertaining. I’ll take…actually I’ll take Grace to win here. Hopefully Wren gets the chance to do something better when she’s healthy, but the Speed Title isn’t doing much for her anyway. Grace is almost a Honky Tonk Man style champion and that could work well for something like the Speed Title. Grace wins here and hopefully lives down to expectations as a result.

Niz: This is a worthless title and it makes no difference whatsoever who holds it, but goddamn if Lexis King thinking that holding the “Speed” title makes him a fast human being has low-key cracked me up for weeks. I think Birthright holding both Speed titles would be super funny so I’m guessing La Hija de Santino comes home with the title.

Myles Borne (c) vs. Tavion Heights – NXT North American Championship

Phrederic: This is a sleeper match and I think both guys are going to show out. Myles does something vaguely sneaky/veteran to win and Tavion beats him down post-match.

Tommy: So here we have something of a personal grudge match, as they were teammates in the No Quarter Catch Crew but both have gone their own way. Borne has done a good bit better than Heights thus far though and that is not ok with Heights, who wants a win of his own. That is how title matches can go a lot of the time and hopefully it winds up working out here, as this could be a good match. While I could see Heights winning (and I would approve of it as I’ve been a fan for a bit now), Borne winning can leave him to go after some other, bigger named challengers. The match itself should be good as you have an Olympic wrestler in Heights and someone who knows how to wrestle an exciting match in Borne. Throw in the personal issue and it should work, even with Borne retaining.

Niz: Should win: Tavion Heights Will win: Myles Borne. At some point you have to try with Tavion but I suspect it’s not quite yet. They’re now being careful with Borne’s booking which means I think he’s passed the first test of “Can we see this person on the main roster as a contributor and not just ‘he’s the deaf kid from NXT’ “. Tavion’s outings have been getting better and he’s slowed down a bit, which has helped. I think Borne retains here but maybe this is the first of a series and Heights will figure it out along the way.

Tony D’Angelo (c) vs. Naraku – NXT Championship

Phrederic: Would NXT have a debuting Hiromu help Naraku win the title at the same time as Forbidden Door? Yeah probably. Tony’s time is up, I expect a pretty ridiculous match where Rook and Jackson Drake get involved and then Naraku sneaks off the win and Tony gets to hang out with his fishing buddy on Raw.

Tommy: I’ve been trying to get into D’Angelo as champion and it’s just not quite working. D’Angelo has come a long way since his ridiculously goofy days as a mob don. He’s a star in NXT and has the lineage, but that doesn’t mean he’s the right choice to be the top star. On the other hand you have Naraku, who certainly has his own legacy, even if it isn’t in NXT thus far. It’s kind of a weird pairing for a title match but it might be what needs to happen. I’ll go with Naraku winning here, as he’s a bigger star and someone who should be able to get put into the title picture rather quickly. Go with Naraku winning here, though I’m not sure where that leaves D’Angelo. I can’t picture him going to the main roster but what in the world does he have left in NXT? Either way, Naraku needs to win so the experiment can end, as it doesn’t seem to be working here.

Niz: I think NARAKU wins by EVIL intentions and shenanigans. Tony would make a good addition to the Vision assuming that stable is staying together, and he’s done enough in NXT at this point (FIVE YEARS, my goodness) to get a call up. He’s due, and his work suggests he’s good enough to go to Raw. I’m not saying it’s going to work for him up there, I just think at some point you have to try with him and why not now?

Lola Vice (c) vs. Kendal Grey – NXT Women’s Championship

Phrederic: Whether or not it does steal the show, I do think that Shawn wants this to steal the show, I expect this match to main-event, and as it is the big debut on CW for their PLEs, I expect the big, advertised marquee, gets a ton of interviews and is all over everything Kendal Grey to finally get the title. I could be thinking with my heart here as I definitely WANT her to win (I swear to the heavens Shawn if you run a breakup angle with her and Wren so help me!) and I think with some new eyeballs on it that’s what we’ll get…or else Shawn!

Tommy: Now this is more interesting as we have the established champion in Vice and the up and coming star in Grey. It is pretty clear that Grey is going to be a big deal in NXT and likely win the title at least once during her time in NXT. The question is does that happen here, because Vice is someone who has been a big star for a long time now and it might be a surprise to see her drop the title here. As much as I want to say Grey wins the title, I don’t think it happens here as Vice retains the title. This is the title match that I could see going either way and it would not surprise me whatsoever to see Grey become champion. Vice feels like a big star though and there are a variety of women waiting to come after the title. The match should be good as Grey knows how to play the underdog, but ultimately she comes up short. I think. Maybe.

Niz: Based on history, I think Vice retains but Grey gets at least one visual pin and there’s a rematch at some point where Grey finally slays Lola. Vice doesn’t NEED the title at this point, they like her work in AAA and I think she’ll do well on the main, but I have the idea that Shawn is playing a bit of a long game with Kendal and is going to make her title win feel very special. Now, it’s too long to wait until the next Stand and Deliver to get her there, but they have enough stuff coming up where they can really go all out to make Grey on a big stage. If this show wasn’t in the PC, I think Kendal would win, but I think Vice retains and we go on with this feud.

Overall Thoughts:

Phrederic: NXT is a pretty fun watch and I think this card looks pretty solid and hopefully the main-events deliver. There’s a few nothing matches on it, and it’s strange to me that every single match is well…a singles match, I’m overall not a big fan of overdoing gimmick stuff but I’d have mixed in a tag or at least put a stip on one of the matches.

Tommy: As has been the case with a lot of these bigger NXT events in recent months, nothing really feels like a big match. On the other hand though, nothing feels unimportant and that’s a great thing to see. The show should be fine and NXT has done a good job of making me want to see a lot of mostly new names fight, which isn’t the easiest trick to pull off. Some of these matches should be rather entertaining and if they throw in a twist or two, it rather well could be a nice night.

Niz: I’m looking forward to this show but three hours with regular television commercials is going to be very weird in terms of the flow and card layout. The brand has been in flux for awhile now and I feel like the men’s side needs to coalesce for a while with the new call-ups from Evolve and the Euro crew that just joined. The women’s side is as deep as ever and I think they’ll carry the show in terms of quality. I’m looking forward to it but I’m interested to see how this goes on over-the-air television.