AEW Full Gear 2020 Predictions

In this edition of The Wrestling Estate roundtable, we give our predictions for AEW Full Gear 2020.

Which match are you most looking forward to at AEW Full Gear 2020?

Juan Bautista: The Young Bucks vs. FTR. It’s a match that’s been five years in the making.

Neal Wagner: Moxley vs. Kingston should be pure violence. It seems that these two are going try to top the Omega-Moxley match.

Chad Gelfand: The I Quit match between Eddie Kingston and Jon Moxley for the AEW World Heavyweight Championship. Kingston has been fantastic since coming to AEW, and Moxley has been a great world champion. The promos have been intense, grounded in realism and featured some of the best acting in all of wrestling this year. I’m confident in these two CZW alums putting together a wild, bloody brawl, and I hope we see more from these two down the line.

Steven Jackson: Eddie Kingston vs. Jon Moxley. A dream match of epic proportions and I am rooting for Eddie so bad! It’s his time!

David Gibb: FTR vs. The Young Bucks. FTR have done consistent work since arriving in AEW, but this will be the official test: Can they have a classic, long-form tag team match against opponents whose style is little like theirs?

John Corrigan: As stacked as AEW Full Gear 2020 is, I’ve still chosen to drive an hour away to watch Mike Law challenge ECWA Heavyweight Champion Joey Ace at PretzelMania IV. I’m curious as to who will win between MJF vs. Jericho and Hangman vs. Omega, but not enough to watch live.

Jack Goodwillie: I’ll start by saying I think this show, by and large, is a massive improvement on AEW’s last PPV effort, All Out. There’s a lot to look forward to on this show, and if you notice, none of these questions even deal with the world title match. I will be in the minority, but as far as title defenses go, I’m least looking forward to this one. I get that Eddie Kingston has a very vocal following, but as far as him being a main event player, there’s just something missing. Maybe it’s been his lack of tenure in AEW after so little exposure everywhere else? Regardless, it’s still a world championship match, which speaks volumes about how deep this card is. I’m going with Hangman vs. Omega. These two have been on a collision course since winning the tag titles, so I’m expecting something big to go down regardless of who gets his hand raised.

Should MJF join the Inner Circle at AEW Full Gear 2020?

Bautista: I could see the cases for MJF joining and not joining. It would be a unique dynamic having the top two heels in the company that are the same caliber. After all, it’s always a top guy leading guys that aren’t there yet. If he doesn’t join, then we may be seeing MJF turning babyface. He is already the best guy on the mic and the roster could use another babyface. It could be a little early, but it could be a situation like The Rock where he spends a good chunk of time being both.

Wagner: I have no issue with MJF joining Inner Circle. The implosion would be amazing and the eventual Hager-Wardlow collision will be awesome.

Gelfand: The Inner Circle has grown stale to me, so I feel MJF could add some more juice to that faction before he inevitably turns on them.

Jackson: I don’t think so. MJF is great where he is right now, and I wouldn’t want him to join The Inner Circle and undo the work he has done as a singles wrestler. He really doesn’t need them.

Gibb: No, because he’d only be joining to (a) get kicked out or (b) replace Jericho and turn him babyface, and both of those are hackneyed at this point.

Corrigan: As unpopular as this is, I’m still a Chris Jericho fan. I don’t care who he donates to or if he holds a concert during a pandemic. But I draw the line at musicals. The buildup to this match has been too wacky, and I don’t even know why MJF would want to join Inner Circle. He doesn’t care about other people!

Goodwillie: At this point in the storyline, to advance both MJF and the Inner Circle, he has to join the group. I don’t know how that’s going to look, however, and I guess that’s where a lot of the intrigue comes from. It seems Chris Jericho, who if nothing else is an idea factory, has a lot of plans as to where this can go, so as long as their interaction doesn’t go the way of full comedy, I’m looking forward to seeing what’s next.

What do you make of Orange Cassidy’s booking since Mimosa Mayhem?

Bautista: It’s fine, they’re showing another side of him.

Wagner: I’m not a fan of Orange Cassidy’s booking since All Out – two losses for the TNT Title? I’m fine if it was just Cody, but the Brodie loss made no sense.

Gelfand: Orange Cassidy feels like he’s in a holding pattern right now. He’s already beaten Jericho, but they don’t really want him in the TNT or World Title picture right now, so he’s doing these short midcard feuds to remain on TV in a semi prominent role.

Jackson: It has been really interesting. While he should have been capitalized on a lot sooner, he is such a unique character that I am always enthralled when he comes on the screen. It is definitely a topic for debate, but I am really enjoying his work as of late.

Gibb: He went right back to being The Best Friends’ mascot.

Corrigan: Another fumble by AEW. What’s the point of winning a feud against Jericho if you’re not going to capitalize on it?

Goodwillie: Too much. No. 1, the Orange Cassidy character doesn’t appear to be one that is motivated by titles or even being the best. Yet since Mimosa Mayhem, he has two matches with Cody and zero wins to show for it. It’s just not an every-week character, and that’s especially true with no audience. It’s like that line in Hitch with Will Smith and Kevin James where Hitch is describing how men need to go “90%” on the first kiss to allow the woman to make up the other 10. That’s the same way I see Orange Cassidy and the fans. The Orange Cassidy schtick needs to come about 40%, and the fans will make up the next 60% in terms of making the segments work. With no fans, you have Orange Cassidy going about 90% with announcers going 10%, and even that’s generous considering Jim Ross probably shares the opinion I stated above, and he’s the voice of the show! “No, I said come 90 and then I’LL come 10! You don’t go the whole hundred! My mouth was open, Albert!”

If The Young Bucks never challenge for the Tag Team Titles again, what would you do with them in 2021?

Bautista: If they do it right, The Young Bucks could have at least one match with the rest of the division and put the spotlight on other teams. It will be like having a final boss or proving grounds. The other option is paying a little visit to Japan or blow the whole thing up and have the breakup feud.

Wagner: This is hard. Maybe both guys can get singles runs? I hope we don’t get to this point. Cody not being world champion is bad enough.

Gelfand: As heels, I’d have The Young Bucks basically be Kenny Omega’s heaters while he’s World Champion to ensure he keeps the title. However, in order for The Young Bucks to be used to their full potential as heels, they need to be Tag Team Champions.

Jackson: They might be good actually having some downtime and coming back with a new approach in 2021. Considering their positions in the company and how high they are, it’d be great to see them helping new talent come up with more of a behind-the-scenes approach. However, I understand this may not appeal to everyone.

Gibb: Give them six months off and build the division even stronger for them to return to.

Corrigan: I say they lose, but to complete their heel turn, they say “fuck it, we lied” and challenge for the titles again.

Goodwillie: Usually, I’d say split them up. However, for as successful they have been with pulling merchandise and YouTube clicks, Nick and Matt have not cultivated enough of a unique personality individually to merit it. Luckily, even though there’s a match between Hangman Page and Kenny Omega this weekend, I expect the disintegration of The Elite storyline to continue its slow burn, and because of that, it gives The Young Bucks plenty of ways to go even when you remove the titles from the equation. Battle lines will be drawn. Whose side will they fall on? Will they ultimately fall on different sides? How will The Nightmare Family factor into things? It’s tough to say for sure, but the gist of what I’m saying here is that options will be plentiful for The Bucks with or without the titles.

Who wins at AEW Full Gear 2020: Kenny Omega or “Hangman” Adam Page?

Bautista: Kenny Omega will win because Adam Page has been floating around the title scene for a good while. He is reestablishing himself as The Cleaner and there is a built-in story for him to take on Jon Moxley.

Wagner: Omega. So much on the line here, but a Moxley-Omega rematch appears to be where things were going. While Hangman’s title reign would be sweet, they’re all in on this Omega turn.

Gelfand: Kenny Omega takes this match through either underhanded tactics or interference by The Young Bucks. Omega would then end Moxley’s World Title reign at the next PPV. You eventually build up to Adam Page, beating Omega for the title and finally defeating The Elite and becoming World Champion.

Jackson: Hangman Page! This is a man I’ve followed for nearly 10 years and it is his time. He deserves to finally hold singles gold. I have so much respect for Adam Page and although Kenny Omega has rights to the belt, too, Hangman is who I am rooting for! It’s going to be a classic!

Gibb: Omega wins this one and then Page gets the win back in grander style once Omega has the title.

Corrigan: Hangman Page will summon his liquid courage and beat Omega clean in the middle of the ring. Crestfallen by the loss, Omega will cement his heel turn and screw Page out of the title at Revolution or whenever Page meets Mox.

Goodwillie: This is usually the pick I’m on the wrong side of. When it comes time to crown a new superstar, all of our writers are eager to do that, as they should be, while I’m playing devil’s advocate of “no, not yet.” But this is not a world title match, but a world title eliminator. And because of that, with the history between Hangman and Omega, Hangman is likely to get screwed one more time before unleashing his true self on the rest of AEW, which will then put him on a collision course with the championship. But in the interim, Kenny Omega has unfinished business with Jon Moxley and Eddie Kingston, at least for now, is just a placeholder to build to Moxley’s next defense. And it might be a hot take, but I liked what Moxley and Omega did the last time. For all of these reasons, I’m taking Kenny Omega over Adam Page, but I don’t expect a clean finish.