wrestling / Columns
411’s AEW Revolution 2025 Preview
Image Credit: AEW
Well, hey there, Sickos! It’s been a while, a little over two months to be exact, and I’m not entirely sure if I remember how to do this preview thing. But I’m sure once I get through the first match or two, the feeling will come back. That is, after all, what happens when there aren’t PPV shows every month. And while it is a breath of fresh air, we all know that the best AEW puts out is on their PPV shows, and the two months makes the heart feel like home yet again.
Okay, that is enough waxing poetic about things I can’t control. This Sunday we have Revolution, emanating from Los Angeles, California at the Crypto Arena, and as we always say, this show is set to be the best one yet. While the presumptive main event will be Jon Moxley defending the AEW World Championship against Cope (Just Cope), for my money, the International Title match between Konosuke Takeshita and Kenny Omega and the Steel Cage match between Will Ospreay and Kyle Fletcher are worth the price of the show alone. We’ll also have an AEW Continental Title match, as Kazuchika Okada defends against Brody King, the AEW Tag Team Titles are on the line, as The Hurt Syndicate defend them against the Youngest Team in the business The Outrunners, and the saga between Mariah May and Toni Storm continues, as Storm is the defender of the AEW Women’s Title this time.
Rounding out the card, we have the TBS Title on the line, as Mercedes Mone will defend against Momo Watanabe, MJF will face Hangman Page in a personal grudge match, and Swerve Strickland will run it back with Ricochet, and this time, the winner of the match becomes the number one contender for the AEW World Title. All of that, and a Zero Hour match between Orange Cassidy, Mark Briscoe, and Big Boom AJ against Johnny TV and the MxM Collection.
All of this and, of course, so much more in store, so walk with me and talk with me as we navigate the card for Revolution!
Zero Hour Match
Orange Cassidy, Mark Briscoe, & Big Boom AJ W/Big Justice vs. Johnny TV & The MxM Collection
Given that Big Boom AJ has not lost any match that he has had in AEW or for Ring of Honor, smart money is to not bet against him and, of course, the star power that Cassidy and Briscoe bring to this match. And yet, to discredit the abilities of their opponents would be a sincere mistake, as Johnny TV is a very accomplished wrestler no matter what his surname is, and Mansoor and Mason Madden are more than just pomp and circumstance.
The build to this match, even in terms of the matches that have involved the Costco Guys, has been minute at best, and far-fetched at worst. Still, you cannot argue with some of the top talent on both the AEW and ROH rosters getting a PPV payday, even if it is on the Zero Hour, and it allows Cassidy and Briscoe a chance to reunite a part of the Conglomeration.
WINNER: Orange Cassidy, Mark Briscoe, & Big Boom AJ
MJF vs. Hangman Page
You know, the paths that these guys had been taking since the start of the new year weren’t exactly compelling, to say the least. On the one hand, you had MJF in a feud with Jeff Jarrett in a one-sided war of words, and Hangman was still trying to find himself, and was in a story with Christopher Daniels. And so suddenly, Jarrett is out of the picture, Page would confront MJF in the ring, and this would start off an interesting feud between two of the originals in AEW history.
MJF having been a babyface was one of the most insincere things going in the company, as we all know that he is a much better heel than a babyface. He has proven this so much to the point that he has the fans firmly behind Page, a man who has burned down the house of his rival Swerve Strickland. When it comes to this match, we know that Hangman can still be a hothead, and MJF can lead him into a corner and take advantage of that. Page needs to keep his emotions in check to win this match, but I feel like MJF has been two steps ahead of Page so far, and that will continue Sunday.
WINNER: Maxwell Jacob Friedman, MJF
Steel Cage Match
Will Ospreay vs. Kyle Fletcher
This rivalry needs no introduction, as the history between Ospreay and Fletcher is well known. As a force in the ranks of New Japan, The United Empire, featuring Ospreay as its leader and the tag team of Mark Davis and Fletcher (Aussie Open, to the point), reigned chaos over New Japan for years. That was, until Ospreay left NJPW for AEW, and Fletcher (and Davis) weren’t too far behind. At first, there wasn’t a lot of interaction between the former members, and when there was, it was short and terse. That was until Ospreay became a member of the Don Callis Family, and Fletcher would soon follow. After Ospreay was given his release from the Family (or earned it, they washed away that explanation), it was at this point where they became hated rivals.
Over the past couple of months, Ospreay and Fletcher have been involved in singles matches and tag team matches, with Ospreay and friends against the Don Callis Family. The most recent installment saw Fletcher and Takeshita face off with Ospreay and his new best friend Kenny Omega at Grand Slam Australia, with Omega and Ospreay winning. All of that has led us to this chapter of the rivalry and, no doubt, the winner will truly not be the end of it. The addition of the cage, however, would make it seem like any interference would be kept at bay, but you must assume that Don Callis will find some way to try and get his guys in there to help Fletcher. But as we all know, Will has new friends as well to offset that, and then it comes down to the natural talent of both men. And while Fletcher is the future of the company, Ospreay is the here and the now and should have been AEW World Champion yesterday.
WINNER: Will Ospreay
AEW World Championship #1 Contenders Match
Swerve Strickland vs. Ricochet
Speaking of heated and personal rivalries, the newest chapter of the Ricochet and Strickland story will continue to unfold, and this time, there will be more on the line than in their recent encounters. To get Ricochet to agree to another match with Strickland after, let’s face it, Ricochet won via shenanigans, Prince Nana informed him that Tony Khan put the #1 contender ship to the AEW World Title on the line. As one would expect, Ricochet took the bait, and then to add insult to injury, he stole the Embassy Robe from Prince Nana and has been wearing it like it was all his own.
Strickland has been in a holding pattern since the end of the rivalry with Hangman that saw Page stick a needle in the mouth of Strickland. Nana reminded Strickland that he should be focused on going after his world title and getting back the Embassy Robe from Ricochet. Oh, and both men have had an unhealthy obsession with oversized scissors, although they are smart enough to not run with them at any rate. At every turn, Ricochet has gotten the better of Strickland since they have reignited their rivalry from over the years, but with a shot on the line for the World Title and Swerve knowing that he can not only put himself back in the title mix but also get back Nana’s robe, I wouldn’t bet against the self-proclaimed “Most Dangerous Man in AEW.”
WINNER: Swerve Strickland
AEW World Tag Team Championship Match
The Hurt Syndicate vs. The Outrunners
And so, we arrive at our first of six title matches on the night, and in the interest of fairness, it is the easiest one to predict. There is a reason that the Hurt Syndicate proclaim (well, MVP does the talking anyway) that they hurt people, and after making very short work of then reigning tag team champions Private Party, Bobby Lashley and Shelton Benjamin are on a course to retain the titles for as long as they feel like holding them, not if anyone could take the straps from them.
If there was one team that could give them a run for their money, it would be the Outrunners, AKA the Youngest Team in the business. In short order, Turbo Floyd and Truth Magnum have gotten the fans on their side and have nothing to lose going into this match, especially given the fact that it was originally supposed to the Murder Machines in this situation. But that changed when the Outrunners, thanks to a distraction from the Hurt Syndicate, defeated Lance Archer and Brian Cage to earn themselves the tag team title shot. And even though everyone loves the Outrunners, there is no chance that they will defeat the Hurt Syndicate.
WINNER: The Hurt Syndicate (Still AEW World Tag Team Champions)
AEW TBS Championship Match
Mercedes Mone vs. Momo Watanabe
Mone has been doing well, racking up four titles (Hence the nickname Four Belts Mone) and her dominance knows no bounds. It would behoove someone from outside of AEW to challenge her for one of her many titles. Enter Watanabe, who defeated three other ladies in a STARDOM vs. CMLL vs. AEW vs. ROH match at Wrestle Dynasty to earn this opportunity and challenge for any title that she chooses. And because Mone does have so many belts to carry around, it seemed inevitable that Momo would end up choosing the Boss, The CEO herself, and getting that shot at Revolution.
For the unacquainted, Watanabe is the leader of the HATE faction in STARDOM, and has previous history with Mone, not long after she appeared in Japan under her new moniker after having left her previous place of employment for many years. Mone got the better of her then, and smart money (Sorry, I mean Mone) would be on Mercedes doing the same here as well. While it does, at the very least, provide a fresh matchup within the confines of an AEW ring, there certainly should be no serious discussion about a non-AEW based wrestler winning an AEW-based title. Sure, weirder things have happened, but much like Charlotte Flair to the authorities in WWE, Mone is that unbeatable superstar to TK in AEW.
WINNER: Mercedes Mone (Still AEW TBS Champion)
AEW Continental Championship Match
Kazuchika Okada vs. Brody King
You know, ordinarily, I don’t find quickly thrown together matches and called “feuds” just to have them a good thing. Call me old fashioned, but I would prefer the match, no matter how far we are in the process, to have some kind of compelling build to it. However, when the result is a Continental Title match between the champion Kazuchika Okada and gargantuan challenger in Brody King, I can forgive such a lack of build.
I suppose saying that this was born out of nowhere would be a lie, since Buddy Matthews, the other half of the rechristened Hounds of Hell, earned the opportunity to face Okada in his home country during Grand Slam Australia. A “chance happening” between Okada and King backstage moved the Continental Champion from Matthews to King, and we got a small taste of what can happen between the men during this past week’s Dynamite. There have been a lot of fans (me included), who would love to see King win singles gold, and while it is believable that he could defeat Okada, should it really be this soon and this quickly? I feel like, in lieu of having a proper build to this match, we can build up the story that King could win the title down the line from Okada if they choose. King will have his dominant moments, but Okada will find a way to keep his title for some time to come.
WINNER: Kazuchika Okada (Still AEW Continental Champion)
AEW Women’s Championship Match
TIMELESS Toni Storm vs. Mariah May
Say what you want about stories and matches that have taken place in AEW or other companies for that matter, but I defy you to find a story and narrative that has continued to sprawl so much that it makes cinematic chaos look tame in comparison. And if I am being completely honest, while this match would seem to indicate that it could be the end of this idol worship turned friendship turned hated rivalry, I hope that it is not. Because while it seems like there has been more plot twists and dramatic turns than a Stephan King novel, I feel like we could do more with this yet.
So, where does that leave us in the present tense? Well, May enters as the challenger, equally as unhinged as Storm was upon dawning the TIMELESS mantra and character persona, after she lost to Toni at Grand Slam Australia, thus completing the paradigm from May having won it from Storm in her home country back at All-In. Now a four-time AEW Women’s Champion, Storm is the calmer and more platonic of the two women, a stark contrast to what we were seeing a mere matter of weeks and months ago. Common logic would dictate that, since Storm just won the title not even a month ago, that she would not suddenly drop the title back to May, even if it means burning the last chapter between these women this Sunday. I’m not sure who will eventually dethrone Storm for the title (I feel like it could be Megan Bayne, though), but Storm will retain the title at Revolution, and I hope that this is not the end of all things Storm and May.
WINNER: TIMELESS Toni Storm (Still AEW Women’s Champion)
AEW International Championship Match
Konosuke Takeshita vs. Kenny Omega
There are a lot of matches on this card that have the chance to overachieve in terms of how good they are, but the ability of both champion and challenger could end up leaving everyone else in the dust. Given how good both Omega and Takeshita are in the ring and given that this is not their first rodeo in the ring together, you have the possibility for the match of the night. Whether that is accomplished by the rulebook or whether there is Don Callis Family interference will determine a lot of that.
I mentioned above that this is not the first time Omega and Takeshita have been in the ring together, as they have been most recently at Grand Slam Australia, where Omega and Ospreay defeated Takeshita and Fletcher. And who can forget the non-stop gloating from Callis when Takeshita not only defeated Omega at All-In in 2023, but also defeated him one week later at All-Out? Hardly anyone had defeated Omega twice, let alone so close together. And hell, if you want to go back even further, these guys first faced off in 2012, when Takeshita was only 16 years old and a newcomer in DDT. So, to say that these two cannot cultivate that long history and give us another great match would be a gross understatement. I just hope that it isn’t marred by outside interference to affect the ending.
Oh, and one more thing; since I have been hearing rumors about the merging of the Continental and International titles at some point in time, Omega can renew that long and rich rivalry with Okada.
WINNER: Kenny Omega (NEW AEW International Champion)
AEW World Championship Match
Jon Moxley vs. Cope
On a card full of amazing undercard matches and fascinating secondary title matches, the World Title is one that exists, and it will (presumably) be the one to exist in the main event. And you know, it is no disrespect to the two men involved in this match and the continued infatuation with Cope (Just Cope) continuing to egg Moxley on until he gave in and accepted the challenge for his title. It’s just, well, have you SEEN the matches I’ve reviewed above this one?
There are, in the interest of fairness, a lot of interesting parts and integrals going into this match. For starters, you have Cope (Just Cope) and his return to AEW after recovering from a leg injury to team up with his friends in FTR. At one point along the line, the Death Riders took out FTR and forced Cope (Just Cope) to step up to them, without many allies. Enter Switchblade Jay White because, well, I guess he could. And as the weeks have unfolded from February into early March, Cope (Just Cope) and White have intercepted the members of the Death Riders, leaving only Wheeler Yuta and Moxley standing. In fact, it got so bad that Willow Nightingale, the woman who tells you to smile anyway, assisted in delivering a conchairto to the head of Marina Shafir.
And all that leads us to this Sunday, as Cope (Just Cope) will try and dethrone Moxley and end his fourth title reign. You would assume that the numbers game is now even, as Cope (Just Cope) will have White by his side, and who knows what to expect after Moxley berated Yuta on the go-home episode of Dynamite. Somehow, I feel like White isn’t that nice and he will cost Cope (Just Cope) the match, so they can have a subplot that gets him away from the world title scene. Also, White is a better heel than a face, at least in my book. And finally, don’t forget that Christian Cage has a title shot that he can cash in whenever he wants to, and he’s been a little TOO quiet lately. If Cope (Just Cope) wins, does he screw him over like he did when he was the TNT Champion?
There are so many ways this can go, that in the end, it might end up becoming compelling.
WINNER: Jon Moxley (STIL AEW World Champion)
And with that, we will wrap this preview edition of Revolution up! If you’re in the market to buy/watch this show, all the usual ways to watch it can be accessed, and in case you forgot (because they only mentioned it a hundred times on Dynamite), AEW PPV shows will now be available through Prime Video! Coming soon, I’m sure, will be HBO Max when, you know, they’re done backloading old shows and content.
Zero Hour starts at 6:30PM, with Revolution taking place at 8:00PM EST.
Oh, and one last thing, for those affected by DST, don’t forget to SPRING FORWARD (turn the clock ahead an hour) Saturday Night/Sunday Morning!
