Ex- WWE star returns, Jade Cargill's mystery opponent revealed, Title reign ends - 5 Bold predictions for AEW Dynamite this week
All Elite Wrestling is still dealing with the fallout from the Revolution pay-per-view. MJF's reign of terror as the AEW World Champion is truly upon us after he's conquered the American Dragon, Bryan Danielson.
Will Hobbs also defeated Wardlow to become the TNT Champion on last week's Dynamite, just three days after Wardaddy won the title.
The upcoming edition of AEW's flagship brand is set to emanate from Winnipeg, Canada, with a stacked lineup that includes a three-way for the AEW Trios Championship and MJF's "Re-Bar Mitzvah."
What other surprises does AEW President Tony Khan have for the fans? Here are five bold predictions for Dynamite as the company shifts gears towards its next pay-per-view, Double Or Nothing.
#5. Taya Valkyrie revealed as Jade Cargill's mystery opponent
Taya Valkyrie has finished up with IMPACT Wrestling.
- PWInsider
**Last Wednesday, Jade Cargill issued a challenge to a Canadian…
Let the speculation begin! 👀 https://t.co/DFb4X8kozc
Former NXT Superstar and IMPACT Knockouts Champion Taya Valkyrie is reportedly a free agent right now, having finished up her run at IMPACT Wrestling.
Since being released from WWE back in 2021, the wife of John Morrison has been keeping herself busy, wrestling in multiple promotions around the world. She is currently the AAA Reina de Reinas Champion and the Women's Featherweight Champion for Major League Wrestling, but she is not tied to an exclusive contract with either promotion.
According to Dave Meltzer from the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Valkyrie could either choose to return to WWE or debut in AEW:
"Valkyrie finished up with Impact as she was working with both companies [Impact and MLW] and on occasion AAA, where she still holds their Reina de Reinas title. She is not committed [to MLW] for a long time either. She is likely going to AEW or WWE and whichever one is supposed to be made clear within a short period of time," Meltzer wrote.
If she chooses the latter, there might be an opportunity to debut as a surprise opponent for TBS Champion Jade Cargill. Last week, the undefeated star called out any "Canadian star" to face her at next week's Dynamite in Winnipeg.
Valkyrie would be an awesome choice. Imagine the pop if she were to win championship gold on her first night with the company.
#4. Darby Allin renews feud with MJF and challenges for the AEW World Championship
Darby Allin said his match at Full Gear with MJF ranks number one for him.
"In a weird way, I know it sounds crazy, but it has to rank number one. In a weird way, only because I don't like to give Max that credit"
-My Mom's Basement https://t.co/G4izR7awfX
Darby Allin and MJF are destined to do battle once again. Both wrestlers were considered the future of AEW when they were branded as two of the "Four Pillars" of the company a few years ago.
Since then, Salt of the Earth has become the AEW World Champion, while Allin has won the TNT title on multiple occasions. The two young stars even had an outstanding match at Full Gear 2021, which is still talked about to this day.
Darby has not been seen on AEW television since losing the TNT Championship to Samoa Joe a few weeks back.
With MJF set to have his "Re-Bar Mitzvah" segment on Dynamite, this could be the perfect time for Darby to return. The fan favorite is more than ready to step into the spotlight as a world title contender, and this could be his shot.
#3. Jericho Appreciation Society dethrones House of Black for the AEW Trios Championships
Next week on #AEWDynamite:
- The House of Black defends the #AEW Trios Championship against The Elite & JAS.
- Orange Cassidy vs Jeff Jarrett for the AEW International Championship. https://t.co/xmtcbn2oNk
Barely two weeks after winning the AEW Trios Championship, the House of Black is now set to defend the title against The Elite and the Jericho Appreciation Society.
It is a star-studded lineup that could produce an action-packed match. Chris Jericho is coming off a huge loss to Ricky Starks at Revolution and is looking to win some gold as consolation.
Flanked by Daniel Garcia and Sammy Guevara, the JAS might seem like dark horses to win the contest, but crazier things have happened in wrestling. Tony Khan could be tempted to book an upset, especially with The Ocho performing in front of his hometown crowd of Winnipeg.
#2. Shawn Spears returns to Dynamite and costs Jeff Jarrett his International Championship match
…. twitter.com/aew/status/163…
Last week on Dynamite, Tony Khan announced that the All-Atlantic title currently held by Orange Cassidy would be rechristened as the AEW International Championship.
Not only that, he will be defending it against wrestling legend Jeff Jarrett. But it seems like one Canadian wrestler is none too impressed with Double J getting a title opportunity.
Shawn Spears responded to the official All Elite Wrestling Twitter page, which showed the match graphic with a rather telling comment. The Chairman hasn't been too active with the company in the last year as he's taken some time away, only briefly returning a few months back.
After Spears and his partner, former wrestler Peyton Royce, announced that they were expecting a child, it's unclear if his return will be imminent.
But his social media activities seem to be planting the seed for an eventual feud with Jarrett. It might be that he's also gunning for the International Championship and wants to be next in line. We'll have to stay tuned to find out.
#1. Christian Cage shows up to announce hiatus
Jack Perry vs Christian Cage has officially been changed from No Holds Barred to... THE FINAL BURIAL match.
Jungle Boy says there will A HOLE IN THE GROUND on Sunday. https://t.co/mrsBlbyMtq
Following his Revolution pay-per-view Final Burial match with Jungle Boy, there seems to be no clear direction with Christian Cage.
Captain Charisma returned to All Elite Wrestling a few weeks back to rekindle his rivalry with former protege Jack Perry. It seemed like the goal of the match was to put him over and give Jungle Boy the veteran's rub.
Now that the storyline has ended, it's as good time as ever for Christian to take another extended break from the ring. He could return in the future as a repackaged babyface or even set his sights on a new opponent.
What's clear is that Cage is an underrated legend who can perform in any situation. Hopefully, he will be given the appreciation he deserves during his next run.