AEW Full Gear 2021 Predictions

In this edition of The Wrestling Estate roundtable, we give our predictions for AEW Full Gear 2021.

Which match are you most looking forward to at AEW Full Gear 2021?

David Gibb: Punk vs. Kingston. The story they’ve told on TV the last two weeks has been something really special. They’ve achieved a level of realness that hadn’t been a part of AEW to date.

Juan Bautista: Omega vs. Hangman. It will set the tone for 2022. In either case, they are both set.

Steven Jackson: Kenny Omega vs Hangman Page. I’ve followed Adam Page since his ROH debut in 2012 and knew he was destined for great things. It’s his time and I’ll be rooting for Hangman all the way!

John Corrigan: I won’t be watching live, but I’m really looking forward to Danielson vs. Miro. Danielson will have to work a different style than he has thus far in AEW, and Miro the monster is my favorite character in wrestling right now.

Chad Gelfand: Hangman vs. Omega. The coronation of Hangman Adam Page has been brewing since the inception of AEW and is its longest-running storyline. At AEW Full Gear 2021, it will finally reach its conclusion with Hangman having a few cold ones and raising the world title to end the PPV.

Jack Goodwillie: Probably Omega vs. Page. I haven’t always been a fan of every part of that storyline, and through it all I haven’t really budged on my initial thoughts on The Dark Order, but you can’t deny that the story has served its purpose: to make Adam Page a main eventer and true cornerstone of the company. More on that later, but I’m also looking forward to CM Punk vs. Eddie Kingston. Again, I’m not as high on Kingston as most are. He’s a good promo, but seeing him on screen every week and hearing his voice every week can be grating.

That said, I have no doubt he and Punk are going to put on a show for the fans this weekend, and I loved their interaction last week. Plus, Punk has become the main character of AEW. Tony Khan has found a way to keep him visible without overexposing him, which is a very tough thing to do. Punk has been handled perfectly so far, and he may have a world title reign or two in him in the coming years. It may be a while before that happens, but when it does, it’s going to be a huge deal.

Who wins: Bryan Danielson or Miro?

Gibb: This one is actually tough to pick because both have been running so strong the last month. Could we see some sort of a double down or contested finish with a contender to be sorted out later? That would be the best for the main event, as we know we’re not going to see Miro against Omega, and pitting Danielson against a newly minted Page would put the young champion in an unenviable position (not that the match-up won’t be great in time).

Bautista: Miro will win. Danielson can afford to have a loss now, but not too many. He will also need to chase the title a little bit more.

Jackson: Bryan Danielson. Bryan Danielson vs. Adam Page or Kenny Omega vs. Bryan Danielson II is what I’d love to see.

Corrigan: While there’s no shame in losing to Danielson, I just can’t see Miro being toppled again so soon after losing the TNT Title. If Miro’s god wants to make things right, he’ll give his favorite warrior everything he needs to slay the “American Dragon.”

Gelfand: Miro. If Adam Page is going to become AEW Champion, it makes perfect sense for his first challenger to be a monster heel in Miro. Bryan Danielson vs. Adam Page is something that can be visited down the line, but for his first feud after winning the title, Page would probably be best served to have a traditional heel adversary.

Goodwillie: Typically, when you have a No. 1 contender match and a world championship match on the same show, the logical choice for one match can give away the result of the other if the intention is to match the faces with the heels. However, that doesn’t necessarily have to be the case here. Danielson needs to be kept just strong enough that he can continue to main event the weekly television shows as much as possible, and this is a good way to do it.

He and Kenny Omega do have unfinished business, and should Adam Page win, Danielson is a logical first title defense because he elevates anybody he steps in the ring with, much like Shawn Michaels over the final 8-10 years of his career. Then again, a Miro vs. Page program would be a major turning point for AEW as it becomes less reliant on its EVPs and more reliant on the stars the company has built organically. Oh, did I mention this match is going to kick some serious ass? I’ll take Danielson.

Who wins: The Inner Circle or American Top Team?

Gibb: This match seems like a good time to fix a snack. Kidding aside, Inner Circle wins, but it’s Sammy standing tall with ATT keeping some heat on Jericho for a singles match.

Bautista: American Top Team because they’ve spent a lot of time on this feud and American Top Team needs to win more.

Jackson: I’m really hoping for The Inner Circle to win. They’re my favorite AEW faction and they need to continue with their dominance.

Corrigan: You heard the proclamation – Dan Lambert will force Chris Jericho into submission.

Gelfand: The Inner Circle. As much as Ethan Page and Scorpio Sky should get the win, all directions seem to point towards Inner Circle winning the match and pinning Dan Lambert. Sky and Page haven’t benefited too much from their pairing with Lambert – it seems most of the heat is on Lambert and hopefully, they are still able to get consistent TV time once this feud runs its course.

Goodwillie: For the Inner Circle to do the honors for Dan Lambert and ATT, it would signal the beginning of the end for the faction, and we’re about six months out from that. I do wonder what the end game is with ATT, however. Is this just a fun thing Dan Lambert is doing and a commercial for mixed martial arts? OR is this angle a way to give retired MMA fighters an in at a pro wrestling career? I tend to think it’s the latter, and if that’s the case that is very exciting.

I was very impressed with Junior Dos Santos’ in-ring debut a couple weeks ago, and Arlovski has a hell of a presence to him should he decide to go this route after he’s done fighting. But between him still beating guys at 42-years-old and Ethan Page and Scorpio Sky’s status as heels who usually get their comeuppance in the end, the stars are aligning for Jericho and the Inner Circle to win one more squad-deep gimmick match.

Who wins: Darby Allin or MJF?

Gibb: MJF. Darby took Punk to the limit. MJF gets the win against him, and the logical next step is to get MJF and Punk into a verbal confrontation and build Teflon Darby back on TV with a couple of good wins.

Bautista: This is an intriguing match. In either case, this loss may push either person to their breaking point. In this case, I would like to see Darby Allin win.

Jackson: MJF – I want MJF to do something truly dastardly to Darby Allin and some involvement with Sting somewhere to get the win.

Corrigan: Another tough call. MJF just lost on pay-per-view to Jericho, so it’s highly unlikely he’ll eat another loss this Saturday.

Gelfand: MJF. Once again this comes back to Adam Page being world champion after this show. MJF feels primed to be the one who eventually dethrones Page and he needs to be kept strong and continue to pick up big wins. Darby won’t be hurt too much by taking another loss either, as he’s someone that can be quickly heated back up again when the time calls for it.

Goodwillie: This program could continue past AEW Full Gear 2021. If it does, what makes the most sense? Probably MJF going over, and this is a pattern we’ve seen in essentially every single MJF feud in AEW thus far. He scores a couple early victories, then puts himself on a high enough pedestal to start making demands out of the babyface he’s feuding with as a means of prolonging the feud before having the pedestal slowly chipped away at. Plus, it’s reasonable to think we see MJF step in the ring with Sting at some point. For that reason, he gets the nod at Full Gear.

Who wins: Kenny Omega or Hangman Adam Page?

Gibb: Page cannot fail again. He wins the title here, even if he doesn’t keep it long.

Bautista: Adam Page wins. This loss will cause The Elite to turn up the heat and stop the fun and games. They will revert back to some of their heel antics during their time in ROH and PWG. Adam Page will be able to have a fruitful reign because of the amount of talent chasing him.

Jackson: Hangman Adam Page!!!

Corrigan: Bet the farm on some cowboy shit.

Gelfand: Adam Page. This is the easiest, slam-dunk decision in AEW history. The crowd is more than ready for Hangman to become champion, the storyline is peaking at AEW Full Gear 2021 and it’s time to move on to a new chapter in the company. The stage is set and AEW will deliver.

Goodwillie: If this is going to be Adam Page’s crowning moment, and it should be, what an exciting time it will be to be an AEW fan. It sort of reminds me of back when WWE kept its sanity in check and would slowly build a future main eventer, and as a fan you could sense that their moment was coming and we were on the cusp of nothing but good times in the years to come. That’s sort of how this feels.

AEW Full Gear 2021 is kind of the Adam Page event. Although the name has kind of taken on a life of its own at this point, it’s important to remember that it actually started as a joke on BTE where Page would show up to random places “in full gear” as opposed to street clothes. Between that and him coming up short at last year’s event, this show is sort of made for him. I don’t know if he has it in him to be “The Guy” for AEW, but no promotion should have “The Guy” in 2021, and instead have enough options for that spot that it can count on two hands. Page fits the bill in that way – we are on the cusp of the Adam Page era in AEW.