Huge stipulation, former WWE star to be replaced? - 5 last-minute changes Tony Khan could make for AEW Full Gear 2024
AEW Full Gear 2024 is right around the corner. The show will emanate from the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey on November 23, 2024. The high-profile event promises to be a memorable affair, with many exciting matches having already been announced for the sixth iteration of the Full Gear pay-per-view.
Jon Moxley will look to kickstart his AEW World Championship reign dominantly when he defends his title against Orange Cassidy in New Jersey. Other titleholders like Jack Perry, Mercedes Mone, and Private Party will also intend to emerge victorious in their respective matches.
While he has put together an exciting match card for the upcoming AEW pay-per-view, we could see Tony Khan making some tweaks to the layout of Full Gear 2024. Injury concerns and storyline possibilities could compel the head booker of All Elite Wrestling to shake up the match card at the last moment.
In this article, let's look at five last-minute changes Tony Khan could pull off at AEW Full Gear 2024.
#5. Tony Khan could replace Swerve Strickland with a surprise opponent for Bobby Lashley
Swerve Strickland is all set to go to war with Bobby Lashley at Full Gear 2024. After The Killshot turned down their membership offer, The Hurt Syndicate has set its sights on destroying the former AEW World Champion.
On the latest episode of Dynamite, Strickland found himself on the receiving end of an assault by Bobby Lashley's faction. The trio decimated The Realest One, as a helpless Prince Nana looked on. The heel stable might have done too much damage to The Killshot, as he sustained considerable harm to his shoulder during last week's brawl.
Taking to X/Twitter, Strickland posted a picture of his injured shoulder and stated that The Hurt Syndicate was responsible for the damage caused. With The Realest One not being a 100 percent fit, Tony Khan might need to postpone the much-awaited Lashley vs. Strickland bout to a later date.
Instead, TK could have The All Mighty face some other superstar in his debut appearance at an AEW pay-per-view. From Adam Cole to Powerhouse Hobbs, there are several individuals who would be excited to trade blows with The Dominator at the New Jersey pay-per-view. It would be the perfect way to ensure a memorable debut for The All Mighty, while also protecting Swerve Strickland in the process.
#4. Adam Cole could replace an injured Roderick Strong
A few weeks ago, Maxwell Jacob Friedman (MJF) proposed an interesting stipulation for two of his rivals, Adam Cole and Roderick Strong. The Salt of the Earth had announced that whoever among the two stablemates first secures three consecutive wins, will get to battle him at Full Gear 2024.
The Messiah of the Backbreaker fulfilled MJF's conditions, as he defeated the likes of Shane Taylor, The Beast Mortos, and Lance Archer to secure himself a bout against The Devil. Meanwhile, Adam Cole failed to get his match against MJF, as he lost to Konosuke Takeshita on the latest episode of AEW Dynamite.
With The Panama City Playboy being the center focus of The Devil vs. MJF story, it is quite surprising that Tony Khan has not added Adam Cole to Full Gear 2024. However, MJF's lack of patience could lead to him facing the former NXT Champion at the New Jersey pay-per-view.
At Full Gear, The Wolf of Wrestling could attack The Messiah of the Backbreaker moments before their match to avoid a potential loss at the hands of Strong. The incident could compel Roderick Strong to hand over his spot to Adam Cole, who has been yearning to get his hands on MJF for a long time.
It would make logical sense for The Panama City Playboy to be the one who takes down MJF, considering he was the one who was embroiled in a year-long rivalry with the former AEW World Champion.
#3. Hook vs. Christian Cage could be added to AEW Full Gear
Christian Cage currently finds himself in an intriguing feud with Hook. The issues between the two stars began when The Patriarchy laid out Hook's father, Taz, in the parking lot a few weeks ago. The Cold-hearted Handsome Devil now intends to take revenge on Captain Charisma, who attacked The Human Suplex Machine to garner Hook's attention.
Recently, Kip Sabian joined forces with The Patriarchy, adding another dynamic to Cage's ongoing rivalry with Hook. With no one by his side, it would be intriguing to see how the former FTW Champion would take on The Patriarch.
Interestingly, Christian Cage's reason for going after Hook is his desire to see The Cold-hearted Handsome Devil become a part of his faction. However, Hook does not have any such plans, as he intends to make Captain Charisma pay for his crimes.
While the rivalry is still in its early stages, Tony Khan could further raise the stakes by adding a match between Hook and Christian Cage to the Full Gear 2024 card.
With Cage being a strong contender to become the next AEW World Champion, it is a must that he consistently features on all the pay-per-views. The match would also act as a litmus test for Hook, who would need to prove himself against a master tactician like The Patriarch.
#2. Tony Khan could add a stipulation to a couple of matches
As discussed before, AEW Full Gear 2024 will feature several amazing matches on its card. A number of singles bouts have been announced for the high-profile event, which could do even better if there was a stipulation in place.
To make things more interesting, Tony Khan could decide to attach special stipulations to some specific matches on the Full Gear match card. Considering their mutual hatred for each other, a traditional wrestling match might not do justice to the rivalry between Hangman Adam Page and Jay White.
Similarly, a No Disqualification match could be a better fit as the stipulation for Jack Perry's upcoming TNT title defense against Daniel Garcia at the New Jersey pay-per-view. The introduction of these special rules at the last minute would raise the stakes for these matches even higher.
It would also add the hardcore flavor to the Full Gear event, whose previous iterations featured some of the most brutal bouts in the company's history.
#1. Mark Davis could be announced as the Special Guest Referee for the match between Will Ospreay vs. Kyle Fletcher
Kyle Fletcher has developed an intense rivalry with Will Ospreay in recent weeks. At WrestleDream 2024, The Protostar attacked The Aerial Assassin with a screwdriver, allowing Konosuke Takeshita to take out his vulnerable mentor.
Since his heel turn, Fletcher has actively tried to dissociate himself from his comparisons with The Commonwealth Kingpin. The two stars are now set to battle at Full Gear 2024, where The Aussie Arrow would hope to prove himself better than his former leader.
The AEW creative team could add another dimension to the Ospreay vs. Fletcher rivalry by introducing Mark Davis as the Special Guest Referee for their match at Full Gear. Since his recent return, Davis has actively opposed The Protostar, who once used to be his trusted tag team partner.
The three individuals were previously part of The United Empire, which found great success in NJPW. Considering his history with both Fletcher and Ospreay, it would be intriguing to see whose side Davis could take at the New Jersey pay-per-view.