4 potential surprises for AEW Blood & Guts 2024
AEW will host the fourth iteration of its uber-violent Blood and Guts match this year at Nashville, Tennessee on July 24, 2024. The Jacksonville-based promotion originally developed the idea for their own take on the classic WarGames bout in 2020, but due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the first edition of the event had to be postponed, eventually being held the following year on May 5, 2021.
Since then, Blood and Guts has become a yearly tradition for the Tony Khan-led company. The 2024 version of the match will feature The Elite, who invited the best of the AEW locker-room to face them in the brutal steel structure. So far, only two members of Team AEW have officially been declared, namely Mark Briscoe and AEW World Champion Swerve Strickland. The latter's addition to the match prompted Hangman Page to agree to join forces with The Elite.
Every prior edition of Blood and Guts has featured remarkable in-ring action and several unforgettable moments. As such, let us consider four possible surprises that could be in store for us this year.
#1: Ricochet makes his debut for Team AEW
Ricochet recently finished up his six-year stint in WWE. The Highlight of the Night, according to several recent reports, is AEW-bound, although no official announcement has yet been made regarding his signing. Should he choose to ink a deal with Tony Khan, however, Ricochet could make his grand debut in All Elite Wrestling in the 2024 Blood and Guts match, potentially as a member of Team AEW.
The Human Highlight Reel is familiar with the format of the match, having once competed inside WarGames during his time in NXT in 2018. His ability to blend in-ring athleticism with high-risk, high-flying moves makes him a perfect candidate for Blood and Guts. Ricochet could thus possibly make his much-anticipated All Elite debut at the event (similar to Kota Ibushi last year) and join Mark Briscoe and Swerve Strickland in their battle against The Young Bucks, Jack Perry, Kazuchika Okada and Hangman Page.
#2: Christopher Daniels gets involved in Blood and Guts 2024
Christopher Daniels has become somewhat of a thorn on The Elite's side since he revealed that Tony Khan had appointed him an interim EVP a couple of months ago. His decision-making forced Jack Perry to compete in a gruelling ladder match to capture the TNT Title at Forbidden Door 2024.
Furthermore, Matthew and Nicholas Jackson lost an AEW World Tag Team Title Eliminator Match to The Acclaimed, arguably because Daniels barred their stable-mates from ring-side for the duration of the bout.
The Fallen Angel has featured sporadically on AEW programming as an authority figure with a babyface leaning. As such, fans can reasonably expect him to possibly play a part in the upcoming Blood and Guts match, especially considering that The Elite will undoubtedly adopt any and all kinds of unsavory and violent means to gain the advantage over their opponents.
Daniels could thus try to interfere in the match on behalf of Team All Elite Wrestling, albeit not as a participant. Given that the former ROH World Champion wrestled earlier this year, The Fallen Angel could even take a major bump during the bout to generate heat against The Elite.
#3: Hangman Page submits Swerve Strickland to win Blood and Guts
Despite giving it his all in the 2024 Men's Owen Hart Cup final, Hangman Page ended up being pinned by Bryan Danielson on Dynamite, who thus earned the right to challenge Swerve Strickland for the AEW World Title at All In 2024.
The Anxious Millennial Cowboy promptly marched out of the ring after the match and accepted The Young Bucks' offer to join them for Blood and Guts. His decision was obviously motivated by his desire to exact vengeance on Strickland, who declared on the same night that he would be leading Team AEW.
The Hangman has much to repay Swerve, in response to the latter's actions during their 2023 bloody feud. The former world champion clearly intends to hurt Strickland inside the unforgiving steel cage of Blood and Guts, perhaps even incapacitate him, before All In. This raises the possibility of Page submitting The New Flavour in Blood and Guts to secure the victory for The Elite. Such a victory could even lead to Page potentially being inserted into the world championship match at Wembley Stadium, making it a three-way between him, Strickland and Danielson.
#4: Team AEW wins Blood and Guts, and The Elite turn on Hangman Page
While The Elite may have been victorious in Blood and Guts last year, the likelihood of the heel faction coming up short in the 2024 edition of the event cannot be entirely dismissed when one considers two things.
Firstly, The New Elite already defeated the previous version of Team AEW in Anarchy in the Arena at Double or Nothing 2024 this May, which could make another win at Blood and Guts a repetitive story beat.
Secondly, despite having five members, the stable may not have ideal cohesion among its ranks because one of them, Adam Page, did not join their side out of a sense of loyalty, but only to get his hands on Swerve Strickland.
This could potentially lead to an angle where The Hangman's obsession with Swerve costs The Elite the win at Blood and Guts. Such a loss could in turn drive the faction to turn on Page, potentially setting up a showdown between him and Continental Champion Kazuchika Okada - as was teased on Dynamite - at All In 2024.
Such a move would allow AEW to book Page in a major match at Wembley while Swerve faces Danielson. The arch-rivals could continue their feud afterwards, perhaps enroute to All Out 2024.
It remains to be seen what All Elite Wrestling has in store for fans at Blood and Guts 2024.