AEW Full Gear 2020 Predictions and Pressing Questions

AEW’s final pay-per-view of 2020 takes place this Saturday with the Full Gear event at Daily’s Place Amphitheater in Jacksonville. While Double or Nothing and All Out are typically positioned as AEW’s biggest shows, Full Gear‘s card (at least on paper) could be the best show AEW has ever done in its short history. You’ve got a dream match in The Young Bucks vs. FTR, an emotional I Quit Match main event, a match with a full year of storytelling behind it in Kenny Omega vs. Hangman Page, the return of an intriguing rivalry (Cody Rhodes vs. Darby Allin), a Hardy Compound match and a bizarre battle of two heels in MJF and Chris Jericho. Even the kickoff show — Serena Deeb vs. a debuting Allysin Kay for the NWA women’s title — has plenty of intrigue.

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To prepare for the match, we’ve once again assembled ComicBook’s team of wrestling writers to give their thoughts on the show and predict who will come out on top in the biggest matches. Check out their predictions in the list below!

How Many Championships Are Changing Hands?

Connor Casey: My guess is two — The Bucks pick up the win over FTR and Darby finally gets his victory over Cody.

Matt Aguilar: There are several matches where I feel I know where it should go, but feel like there will at least be one swerve, so I’m going with two instead of three. I’m going Darby wins over Cody and Nyla Rose wins over Hikaru Shida.

Ryan Droste: I think the time is right to put Darby Allin over. I’ll also go with the Young Bucks.

The Advertisements Have Been Teasing Somebody Making a Debut — Who is It?

Connor: I think this is where we finally get some sort of Sting appearance. Calm down, it won’t be for a match. Heck, he doesn’t even need to get physical. All he needs to do is pop up next to Darby on the entrance ramp, give him a nod of approval and hand him his black baseball bat. Allin has been giving off Sting vibes by sitting up in the stands lately, and AEW actually does a pretty good job of using legends to enhance current stars.

Matt: If it’s not Sting it’s going to be disappointing, what with all the rumors and teases. I’m pulling for Sting, though that said, it’s not going to dispel detractors of bringing in legends over pushing your homemade stars, especially if Darby doesn’t get the win over Cody.

Ryan: Given what just happened with Sting’s merchandising with WWE and the rumors, that makes the most sense for sure. Outside of him, I don’t have a practical guess or someone who wouldn’t be a letdown with expectations so high.

Which Steals the Show — Kenny vs. Hangman or The Bucks vs. FTR?

Connor: Young Bucks vs. FTR will still be great, but much like with Bayley vs. Sasha at Hell in a Cell that will be in spite of some questionable booking decisions. Between the Bucks’ stip about never challenging again, Matt’s injury and Tully Blanchard being banned it feels like they added too many layers to an interesting story.

On the other hand — holy hell Hangman vs. Omega is going to be awesome. I love how this story has been crafted for over a year and how it’s turned Hangman into one of the most interesting characters on the roster while also reviving aspects of Omega’s “The Cleaner” gimmick. This could have storytelling on the levels of their Revolution tag match with the Bucks and that would be outstanding.

Matt: I think Kenny vs Hangman. The build for this has been slow and methodical, building the tension the old fashioned way, and this could be a successful payoff for it. Kenny and Hangman have also proven time and time again how good they are in the ring but also at storytelling, so this one will feel the most satisfying overall, even if FTR and the Bucks has more shocking moments.

Ryan: I absolutely have to go with Hangman vs. Omega. It is such a travesty that we haven’t had a crowd present for this split. At Revolution back in February, the crowd was absolutely going nuts and on the edge of their seats when a possible split was teased. It would have added a lot to what has already been a good story. These two will tear the house down.

Name One Thing AEW Can Do to Help Fix Their Women’s Division

Connor: Put that title on Britt Baker and let her run through babyfaces up and down the roster. She’s the best thing in the division by a country mile and needs to be positioned as such.

Matt: Good lord, this division feels like it’s in shambles right now, though a big part is just injuries, something no one can help. That said, you have several promising up and comers on the roster that you need to start featuring on a more regular basis, and I agree with Connor, it all starts with putting the belt on Baker when she’s 100%. Women’s matches on the whole feel like afterthoughts on AEW pay-per-view cards, and part of it is because they feel like afterthoughts on Dynamite too. It all starts there, so give them at least 2 matches a show, and feature them prominently. If AEW gave the Women’s Division half of the chances it gave the Dark Order to get off the ground we wouldn’t be having this discussion.

Ryan: I agree with Connor on Britt Baker. Switching the title to Nyla Rose here would make no sense as a Shida/Baker match should be the ultimate destination. I think they’ve done a good job in bringing in some new talent from the NWA to improve the division’s appeal, but it still seems like the division remains kind of an afterthought the way it comes across on television.

Do Matt Hardy and Sammy Guevara Redeem Themselves Here?

Connor: I think so. Putting it on the Hardy Compound gives Matt the creative freedom to run wild with whatever ideas he might have. Plus since it’s cinematic they have more control over precautions when it comes to spots — namely, they can stop filming if something goes wrong!

Matt: I think they do but the bar is really low. All I really want is for both men to walk away unscathed and with a finish they can be satisfied with. Also, no scissor lifts.

Ryan: It would be hard not to given the disaster that was All Out. I’d say yes, the set-up for this one should ensure it goes off better.

Is It Finally Darby Allin’s Time to Beat Cody Rhodes?

Connor: Yes. Darby has been one of the most promising stars on AEW’s roster since his debut, but he hasn’t pulled off a big win outside of a lone victory over Ricky Starks. He gains a tone of credibility by picking up his first championship here, and Cody really doesn’t lose anything if he has to go back to chasing for it. Plus, Darby already has future challengers lined up in Team Taz.

Matt: I think it is. He’s one of the most exciting stars on the roster, and has proved he can go in the ring with just about anyone. It does seem a bit too early for Cody to lose his TNT Championship, but if he’s going to, it should be here and to Darby.

Ryan: Yes. You could certainly argue that Darby is the best “homegrown” star that AEW has had, meaning someone who the general audience wasn’t very aware of prior to the company’s launch (none of The Elite can be considered here). He’s been close to reaching that top tier level and it is time to do it.