Former AEW World Champion to get fired, Bryan Danielson to announce early exit - 3 Possibilities that could arise after Blood and Guts
The latest episode of AEW Dynamite was violent, as it featured the return of the annual Blood & Guts match. The deadly double-caged structure witnessed a brutal war between Team AEW and Team Elite, and the babyfaces forced the tyrant faction to say, "We quit."
With Blood & Guts 2024 now in the history books, fans await the arrival of AEW's biggest annual event, All In. The latest edition of Dynamite is bound to have a massive impact on the London pay-per-view, as several new rivalries have emerged following this week's show.
With All In still a month away, the upcoming few weeks could revolve around the new developments that could take place following the Blood & Guts special event. In this article, let's look at three situations that could arise after AEW Blood and Guts.
#3. The Elite is forced to fire Hangman Adam Page
Having previously rejected The Young Bucks' offer, Hangman Adam Page eventually decided to side with Team Elite at AEW Dynamite: Blood & Guts to get his hands on his arch-nemesis, Swerve Strickland.
While the former AEW World Champion did have a back-and-forth with The Killshot, his issues with his teammate Kazuchika Okada eventually cost Team Elite their match against Team AEW.
Page and Okada were clearly at odds with each other during the match, which resulted in a shocking defeat for the heel faction. The Rainmaker was seemingly not in favor of having Hangman Page as his teammate from the beginning, but The Cowboy's connection with The Young Bucks compelled him to put their issues aside.
At one point, Anxious Millennial Cowboy tried to take down Swerve Strickland with a Buckshot Lariat, only to end up hitting Okada instead. The Continental Champion would not be too glad with what transpired at Blood & Guts, causing him to set his sights on Page.
In a shocking turn of events, The Young Bucks could ditch their former friend in favor of The Rainmaker. The Elite could fire Hangman Page as a punishment for not getting the job done inside the double-caged structure. The Elite's actions will certainly draw the ire of The Cowboy, resulting in a full-fledged rivalry between Hangman Page and Kazuchika Okada.
#2. Bryan Danielson announces his departure from All Elite Wrestling
In a recent interview, Bryan Danielson revealed that his contract with All Elite Wrestling is set to expire next week. The announcement has created a buzz in the wrestling world, with fans speculating about Danielson's next move once he draws curtains on his full-time career.
Interestingly, The American Dragon could further add an element of intrigue to his World Championship match at All In. The Leader of the Yes! Movement could officially announce that his bout against Swerve Strickland at All In would be his last AEW match, irrespective of whether he wins or loses.
Tony Khan could allow Strickland to go over The Blackpool Combat Club member inside Wembley Stadium, a decision that will certainly draw a lot of eyeballs.
As Danielson is hesitant about grabbing the World Champion spot, Tony Khan may decide to keep the AEW World Championship on Strickland for now. Moreover, Swerve's rivalry against Hangman Page has great heat, and Tony would not want to throw away their ongoing storyline by having Swerve lose at All In.
Danielson's announcement will certainly appear as a huge surprise to the wrestling world. It will also raise the stakes for The American Dragon's match with The Killshot at All In, making it a must-see affair for the audience. While Danielson may not sign a full-time contract after this, he could continue to help All Elite Wrestling in a backstage capacity.
#1. Adam Cole returns as the referee for the MJF vs. Will Ospreay match at AEW All In
An unfortunate ankle injury has kept Adam Cole on the sidelines since September 2023. After wrestling in the main event of All In 2023 last year, The Panama Playboy has spent most of his time on the shelf.
However, the former NXT Champion has continued to pull the strings from behind, even though he has yet to be medically cleared. In December, Adam Cole revealed himself as the backstabbing Devil, cutting his ties with his best friend, Maxwell Jacob Friedman (MJF), for good.
The 35-year-old star also introduced his faction, The Undisputed Kingdom, to the world in December 2023. As per recent reports, The Panama Playboy is gradually recovering behind the scenes, slowly preparing for his eventual in-ring comeback.
While Cole may not return to the ring by All In, he could still make his presence felt at the London pay-per-view. He could reveal himself as the Special Guest referee for the upcoming AEW American Championship match between MJF and Will Ospreay.
It could be a similar situation to Drew McIntyre and CM Punk's match at WWE SummerSlam, where their arch-rival Seth "Freakin" Rollins is set to be the special guest referee.
The Devil could settle his scores with MJF during this match, who brutally attacked an injured Cole during his return at Double or Nothing 2024. If his recent X/Twitter post is to go by, it seems like the rivalry between Cole and MJF is far from over.