I’m not going to do what everyone thinks I’m going to do and debate counterprogramming, which seems to be all the rage this week. Instead, I’m just going to say it’s a good thing to have so many options to wet our wrestling whistles! From AEW’s biggest show of the year, All In, to Sunday’s second-ever Evolution and all of it in between, there is something for everyone.
So I decided this week’s top 5 would consist of matches that have me most interested and next week we can talk about my favorites from said shows. This wasn’t easy to keep to 5, as there is simply too much to choose from, so if I missed a match on your list let me know in the comments. So here we go – my top 5 matches I’m most interested. Enjoy:
Becky Lynch (c) vs Bayley vs Lyra Valkyria
Women’s Intercontinental Championship at Evolution II
Two of the wrestling business’s biggest stars in Bayley and Becky Lynch take on upcoming star in Lyra Valkyria. This has easily been my favorite storyline on RAW and Sunday night, we get what should be a classic and hopefully the main event of the evening. Valkyria has held her own with Bayley and Becky on the mic, and we know she can go in the ring. Lyra has been cocky and brash as she refuses to let Bayley and Becky continue to get all the shine from the spotlight. Now to be fair, without Bayley & Becky paving the way for Lyra, that spotlight might not be as bright, but here we are; Sunday night, a triple threat for the Women’s Intercontinental Championship. Hot damn, I couldn’t be more excited for the story they will tell. I’ve got this feeling that Becky Lynch will retain, but something major is in the works for how this match ends.
Toni Storm (c) vs Mercedes Moné
AEW Women’s Championship at All In
This could go down as the greatest women’s match in AEW history when all is said and done. Mercedes Moné, for as polarizing as she is amongst fans, is easily one of the best wrestlers on the planet and her matches speak for themselves. As for the champion, Toni Storm, she can easily match Mercedes move for move, without question, but it’s character work that makes her stand above and beyond the rest of the division.
The buildup to the match was a little slow in my opinion. They did, however, really hit the gas over the last few weeks and I think we are in for something special. Can Mercedes add her 7th championship to her collection or will Timeless Toni Storm hand the CEO her 1st loss in AEW?
Jon Moxley (c) vs Hangman Page
Texas Deathmatch for The AEW World Championship at All In
“Give me Texas Death!” When Hangman Adam Page asked Jon Moxley for a deathmatch, you knew this was going to be special. Only an absolute unhinged crazy person would challenge the king of unhinged crazy people to a deathmatch. That’s just how intense this feud between Moxley and Page has gotten. Hangman has this aura about him right now and the crowd is eating up everything he says and does.
Moxley has been masterful in getting Hangman to dig deeper and deeper into his game to match the intensity level it will take to dethrone the leader of the Death Riders, and to Page’s credit he has kept that pace. It’s hard to imagine what these two will come up with at the biggest show of the year in a match that both men excel in. I’m sitting here hanging on every word Adam Hangman Page has said leading into the monumental clash. If it’s not Page holding AEW World Championship gold at the end of the night, I do not know who will stop Jon Moxley. Give us Cowboy Shit at All In.
Blake Monroe & Jordynne Grace vs Jacy Jayne & Fallon Henley at The Great American Bash & Jordynne Grace vs Jacy Jayne at Evolution For The NXT Women’s Championship.
I’m cheating a bit here by coupling these matches together, but on a weekend of this magnitude, we can tweak the format just a bit.
I’m intrigued by how Blake Monroe and Jordynne Grace will coexist in this tag match. Blake Monroe has made her intentions very clear that she plans to be the next NXT Women’s Champion, which is hard to do when you don’t have a match for said championship. Not to mention the interest in this being Monroe’s debut match in NXT as well. So far, Grace and Monroe have played nice together for the common interest of taking down Jacy Jayne and Fatal Influence at the Great American Bash.
Sunday at Evolution, Jordynne Grace has a shot at the NXT Women’s Championship against Jacey Jayne. If all goes well on Saturday in the tag match, this should be smooth sailing for the Juggernaut, and she has a great chance to hold her first Championship in NXT. Where the intrigue for this match is for me? If it doesn’t go well between Blake Monroe and Grace, will that issue spill over into Evolution? How literal should you take Monroe’s Word of “Next NXT Champion,” or am I reading too much into this? I can’t help but remember just how fantastic of a heel Blake Monroe was in a past life. Blake Monroe would have to think beating Jacy Jayne is a slightly more appealing option for gold then finding out a way to dethrone The Juggernaut that is Jordynne Grace.
Goldberg vs Gunther (c)
World Heavyweight Championship at Saturday Night’s Main Event.
Here we go again – I’m breaking rules to make this list happen. Let me explain. I told myself Goldberg wouldn’t make this list. I went back and forth on it. Sure, there are far better matches this weekend but in terms of intrigue, you have my interest, for this simple reason: How does Goldberg’s “retirement match” go down? I use the quotes because if for some reason he shocks the world and wins the Heavyweight Championship, he’s likely to wrestle again. If he loses, how dominant would Gunther come off in this match? Will both men take each other to the limit and give us a prime opportunity for a Seth Rollins Cash in? Will I have to riot, because if Goldberg wins…WE RIOT!
There it is – an absolutely stacked weekend of wrestling. May all the matches be bangers and your caffeine strong enough to stay awake throughout it all, especially my content creator friends! Let me know what matches you are most excited for and which show you think will be the best of the weekend. As always, keep it locked here for the latest from your favorite Love Wrestling personalities!