AEW Dynamite: Crossroads Episode Preview and Predictions

AEW Dynamite is back with its final episode before Revolution this Sunday. The show has been named Crossroads and will include some very interesting segments.

Paul Wight (aka The Big Show) is scheduled to make his debut on AEW programming, MJF and Chris Jericho have a scheduled press conference, and Shaquille O’Neal will step into the AEW ring in a tag team match. In addition to all this, we will also learn who Hikaru Shida will be defending her AEW Women’s World Championship against and who will be the fifth participant in the Face of the Revolution Ladder match this Sunday at Revolution.

Here is a look at the scheduled matches and what we might see on Dynamite’s go-home show tonight:

Dark Order vs Matt Hardy, Private Party & The Hybrid 2

Dark Order will attempt to do the bidding of “Hangman” Adam Page when Evil Uno, Stu Grayson, Alan Angels, Alex Reynolds, and John Silver take on Matt Hardy, Private Party, and The Hybrid 2.

As the tensions between Matt Hardy and Adam Page have risen over the past few weeks, the Dark Order has been there each step of the way to have Hangman’s back. As a result, Matt Hardy has promised to take out each member of the Dark Order, one by one. This match will give him his chance to do just that.

As with any 10-man tag team match, there will be a spot where the majority of the participants will be used as bowling pins as someone jumps off the top ropes and takes everyone out. Given Private Party’s and Jack Evans’ penchant for flying, we may see this more than once.

In the end, Hardy will find a way to cheap-shot a member of the Dark Order and score the pinfall, leading to a post-match beatdown of his conquered foes. In a reversal of roles from previous weeks, though, Page will be the one to come out and make the save for Dark Order.

Whether Page ever officially becomes a member of Dark Order is anyone’s guess. But it is clear that they at least have each other’s backs. Winners: Matt Hardy, Private Party & The Hybrid 2

Max Caster vs 10 (Preston Vance)

In a match to determine who will join Cody Rhodes, Scorpio Sky, Penta el Zero M, and Lance Archer in The Face of the Revolution ladder match, The Acclaimed’s Max Caster will do battle with the Dark Order’s 10.

This match could go either way, as both 10 and Caster are young and hungry and would love a shot to prove themselves on a pay-per-view stage.

If the winner of this match was heading into any other type of match but a ladder match, I think the pick would be 10.  However, ladder matches work best when the participants are comfortable taking some crazy bumps and jumping off of things comes naturally to them.

I feel that describes Caster more than it does 10. Plus, with Lance Archer qualifying for the ladder match last week, the match already has its big brute and more than likely doesn’t need another one.

At some point Caster, or maybe his tag team partner, Anthony Bowens will clock 10 with their boombox and that will lead to Caster earning his spot in the ladder match. Winner: Max Caster

Nyla Rose vs Ryo Mizunami

This should be an easy one to call. The winner has to be Britt Ba……oh wait, never mind.

The women’s title eliminator tournament has had a number of really good matches with some head-scratching results. I think Nyla Rose is fantastic, but I really felt like this tournament was going to set us up for a fresh matchup and a new champion. Britt Baker was the optimal choice and after Baker’s loss, I was certain it would be Thunder Rosa’s time to shine.

But here we sit, staring down the possibility of Shida vs Nyla, yet again. That is unless Ryo Mizunami has something to say about it.

On one hand, a Mizunami victory would give AEW fans a fresh challenger for Shida. It would introduce many of us who have not watched a lot of Japanese wrestling to see what that style offers.

On the other hand, if AEW wants to continue to build up its women’s division, (and the division has gotten remarkably better over the past few months) then why give opportunities to performers outside of your company while holding back those within?

As shocked as I was by both of Nyla’s last two tournament victories, I have to believe that this is where it comes to an end. And maybe we get Baker vs Shida coming out of Revolution.  Winner: Ryo Mizunami

FTR & Tully Blanchard vs Jurassic Express

At 67 years of age, Tully Blanchard will be an active participant in a match when he teams with FTR and they go up against Jurassic Express.

This feud has involved a little bit of everything. We saw Jungle Boy pick up a signature win with a singles victory over Dax Hardwood as both Blanchard and Cash Wheeler were handcuffed to Luchasaurus at ringside. We have seen the kidnapping of Marko Stunt and even the dehorning of Luchasaurus’s mask.

Jurassic Express is one of the most popular teams in AEW and they are a lot of fun to watch. Not to mention, Jungle Boy seems destined to be a singles star at some point in his career. But FTR is one of the best tag teams in the world. The only way that Jurassic Express should pick up a victory over FTR is if they get their hands on Tully Blanchard when he is the legal man.  And FTR is too smart to let that scenario happen. Winners: FTR & Tully Blanchard

Shaquille O’Neal & Jade Cargill vs Cody Rhodes and Red Velvet

Well, it is almost here. This match is going to be trending on social media no matter how it goes, as Shaquille O’Neal and Jade Cargill step into an AEW ring for the first time to take on Cody Rhodes and Red Velvet.

Both Cargill and Shaq are stepping into a high-profile spot on this week’s Dynamite, but they have a number of things going for them that lead me to believe they will thrive in this spot.

They are both natural athletes that love the spotlight and won’t let the moment affect their nerves. They also both have a lot of pride. They know that a lot of people will be watching to see if they sink or swim and they are both winners who have always found ways to swim, even when the odds are long.

As for the result of the match? Who knows! The person in the match most likely to take a pin is Red Velvet, as it seems the company is high on Jade Cargill as a future star in its women’s division.

There is also the side note that Paul Wight is scheduled to debut on the same night that Shaq is wrestling. These two giant’s paths crossed a time or two in WWE and it may be no coincidence that they are both scheduled to appear on this week’s Dynamite.

If I have to venture a guess, I am going to say that Wight gets involved and distracts both Cody and Shaq, and Jade Cargill scores the pinfall on Red Velvet.

Whether it is good or bad, this episode of Dynamite is going to have people talking, one way or another.  Winners: Shaquille O’Neal and Jade Cargill