5 shocking betrayals that could happen at AEW WrestleDream 2024
AEW will present the second edition of the WrestleDream Pay-Per-View on October 12, 2024. The event, set to emanate from the Tacoma Dome in Tacoma, Washington, will feature a number of the promotion's top stars, and present a stacked card of in-ring action.
AEW, under the creative helm of Tony Khan, has developed several intriguing storylines leading into the pay-per-view, many of which could feasibly culminate in narratively compelling acts of betrayal. Let us consider five such possible turns that could take place at WreslteDream 2024 this Saturday.
#1: EJ Nduka turns on former AEW World Champion Swerve Strickland
It was revealed this week on Dynamite that Swerve Strickland will officially make his AEW return in his hometown at WrestleDream 2024. Anticipation regarding The New Flavour's comeback is at an all-time high in light of expectations of Swerve being confronted by MVP, Shelton Benjamin, and Bobby Lashley at the pay-per-view.
Recent video packages released by AEW have shown Strickland training for his return with "The Judge" EJ Nduka. The 36-year-old star has wrestled dark matches on Collision and Dynamite and also competed in ROH this year. While Swerve will likely refuse MVP and co.'s proposal to align with the group that could be possibly called The Hurt Syndicate, Nduka might take up on the offer instead and turn on Strickland at WrestleDream.
#2: Kyle Fletcher turns on his long-time friend Will Ospreay
Will Ospreay finally severed ties with Don Callis this week on Dynamite after the latter confessed to having sent Konosuke Takeshita to assault The Aerial Assassin during his International Title fight against Ricochet. This led to Ospreay attacking Callis and then battling Takeshita, with his United Empire ally Kyle Fletcher caught in the middle.
The Protostar tried to prevent Ospreay from laying out Callis but also refused to nail The Commonwealth Kingpin with a screwdriver as per The Invisible Hand's demand. Ospreay would ultimately be saved by Ricochet, who will compete against the Englishman and Takeshita in a three-way International Title match at AEW WrestleDream 2024.
The ongoing storyline could culminate in Fletcher betraying Ospreay to help Takeshita win the threeway bout this Saturday in a massive heel turn. Alternatively, The Aussie Arrow could turn on and leave The Don Callis Family to formally rejoin forces with the former IWGP World Heavyweight Champion.
#3: The dissolution of The Outcasts
Saraya has been going through a rough time lately in All Elite Wrestling. After failing to regain the Women's World Title heading into All In 2024, The Anti-Diva has been feuding with Jamie Hayter, who made her return at the aforementioned pay-per-view and targeted Saraya for what the original iteration of The Outcasts did to her last year.
Hayter defeated Saraya in a Saraya's Rules match on Collision: Grand Slam 2024. When asked about her condition later on Rampage, the former AEW Women's World Champion's current stable-mate Harley Cameron revealed that the English star was incapacitated.
Even though The Diva of Tomorrow did unsuccessfully compete in a four-way world title contender's match this week on Dynamite, she was once again claimed by Cameron to be "incapacitated" on the October 11 episode of Rampage.
While the current version of The Outcasts has won over several fans owing to the character work of the performers, the stable could potentially dissolve soon, with either Saraya or Cameron turning on the other, with both wrestlers' lack of success recently serving as a possible motive. Such a turn could potentially play out at WrestleDream 2024.
#4: Rocky Romero joins The Learning Tree
The Learning Tree has been feuding with The Conglomeration for several weeks now. The program has led to an ROH World Title bout being set between Chris Jericho and Mark Briscoe at WrestleDream 2024.
This week on Dynamite, The Ocho confronted one of The Conglomeration's recent additions, Rocky Romero, and tried to plant seeds of doubt in his mind regarding the respect and loyalty he may enjoy in the babyface faction.
Azucar lost to Jericho's protege Bryan Keith in singles action on the recent edition of Rampage, courtesy of an assist from Big Bill. Given how his Conglomeration teammates did not intervene on his behalf in time, the possibility of Romero turning heel and helping Jericho dethrone Briscoe to regain the ROH World Championship at WrestleDream cannot be entirely dismissed.
#5: Wheeler Yuta turns on Bryan Danielson
Wheeler Yuta never abandoned Bryan Danielson even after the vicious attack their BCC stable-mates Claudio Castagnoli and Jon Moxley had launched on The American Dragon at All Out 2024. Despite defending the AEW World Trios Titles alongside The Swiss Cyborg and PAC, Yuta opted to stand by his mentor against his tag partners.
He teamed with Danielson to take on Castagnoli and PAC on Dynamite this week ahead of Bryan's AEW World Title bout with Moxley at WrestleDream 2024. Although Danielson and Yuta won the tag match, the latter would be destroyed by Castagnoli with a hammer afterward while Bryan fought Moxley backstage.
Even though he did return to the ring to take out PAC and Castagnoli, Danielson looked more intent on celebrating with the crowd and staring down The BCC instead of tending to a visibly injured Yuta.
The visual, in addition to the faction's story so far, has led many to speculate that the former ROH Pure Champion could betray The American Dragon and cost him his match against Moxley, and definitively join the new iteration of The Blackpool Combat Club.