AEW Dynamite: Preview and Predictions for May 12th, 2021

AEW Dynamite is back on Wednesday with an absolutely stacked card that includes 3 title matches as well as a match to determine the number one contender to Kenny Omega’s AEW Championship, and a shot at the gold at the upcoming Double or Nothing pay-per-view.

In addition to the announced matches, Jade Cargill will be interviewed by Tony Schiavone.

The smart money says this interview with Jade Cargill will lead to one of two things.  Jade will either introduce her new manager or she will run her mouth enough to bring someone out from the back to present herself as a new challenger to Cargill.

Cargill plays the role of the arrogant star on the rise that doesn’t need anyone too well to give away any of that spotlight to a manager.  So my guess is that Cargill will be presented a new challenger in the form of Big Swole, and the two of them will start a build that will culminate at Double or Nothing.

Also, Cody Rhodes will have a major announcement regarding Double or Nothing on this week’s program.  Last year AEW put on a Casino Royale Ladder match in which the winner would get a shot at the AEW Championship.  It is likely that Cody’s announcement will be regarding a gimmick match at this year’s event with similar stakes.

Let’s take a look at the match portion of this week’s show and what to expect from each contest.

SCU vs Young Bucks for the AEW Tag Team Titles

Many months ago, when SCU used Dr. Britt Baker’s Waiting Room segment to announce that their next loss would effectively end their partnership, I think we all knew that it would culminate with a tag team title match against the Young Bucks.

What we may not have seen coming was the Bucks’ surprisingly good heel turn and the depths to which they would sink to win matches.

After winning the four-way tag team match last week, SCU now has their title shot against their former friends.  And this match, quite literally, means everything to SCU.  Win and they are the AEW tag team champions.  Lose and SCU is no more.

So the only question here is does AEW give SCU one last title run before the team is ultimately disbanded?

Sadly, the answer is no.  The Bucks will continue to create more heat on themselves as they will be the team responsible for bringing SCU to its end.  And they will do so in a very underhanded fashion.  Winners: Young Bucks

Yuji Nagata vs Jon Moxley for the IWGP US Title

This is a tough one to call.  At some point, it would make sense to take the IWGP U.S. title back to New Japan Wrestling.

Jon Moxley has held the title for over 17 months but his primary focus has been on his feuds within the AEW brand.  So it would make sense from a lot of standpoints to have Nagata pick up the win and the title and take it back to Japan.

That being said, it doesn’t seem like smart business to invite someone from outside of your promotion into your house, on your television show, and have them beat one of your top stars.  And if Nagata gets the win, that is exactly what would have happened.

When Mox gives up this title, it should be in a match back on Japanese soil, not in the AEW ring on national television.  Winner: Jon Moxley

Pac vs Orange Cassidy

This is a rematch from Revolution 2020 in which Orange Cassidy made his in-ring debut for AEW.  And to be honest, as good as both of these competitors are, it is going to be nearly impossible for them to beat the performance they put on the first time.

Either one of these competitors would make a great opponent for Kenny Omega at Double or Nothing.  And if there had been no interaction between Omega and OC last week then I would have been very confident in predicting Pac to win this match and go on to meet Omega.

But, after watching Kenny Omega’s brilliant segment on the mic last week in which he got us excited for both possible matchups I am much less confident in the outcome of this match.

Omega versus Pac is something that we have seen before.  However, Orange Cassidy taking on Kenny Omega is a completely fresh(ly squeezed) matchup that would have the potential to steal any show.

And while it seems blatantly obvious from last week’s segment that we are heading towards Orange Cassidy vs Kenny Omega, AEW has a bit of a reputation for well-done, long-term storytelling.

This match is literally a flip of a coin for me.  But at the end of the day, it is easier for me to envision Pac beating Orange Cassidy than the reverse, so…….Winner: Pac

Miro vs Darby Allin for the TNT Title

In what should be the main event of Dynamite, Darby Allin will put his TNT Title on the line when he goes one-on-one with Miro.

Miro, absolutely said it best last week when he said, “the world will find out what happens when the man who doesn’t mind dying, meets the man the doesn’t mind killing him.”

With Darby Allin being tossed down a flight of stairs by Scorpio Sky and Ethan Page last week it seems that AEW has built-in an injury that will play a significant factor in the reigning champion possibly dropping the title to Miro.

Or is AEW simply taking the next step to accentuate the toughness of their young antihero champion?

Either way, this is Allin’s toughest title defense to date.  Miro has been booked as a ruthless, unstoppable monster that will stop at nothing to win titles in AEW.

And this seems like the night that Miro will achieve his goal.

Taking the title off of Darby will allow him and Sting (or maybe Lance Archer) to go after Sky and Page without holding the TNT Title up as we saw during Darby’s feud with Team Tazz.

It will also bring a new status level to Miro in AEW.  Allin (along with Hangman Adam Page) is considered the first “home-grown” talent to reach star status in AEW.  And he has been extremely difficult to beat.  Having Miro be the man to solve the puzzle that is Darby Allin will bring even more credibility to a man who is not at all lacking whatsoever in that category.

Darby Allin is destined for even bigger things in AEW than the TNT Title.  But on Wednesday Darby will take a step backward, before again ascending to bigger and better things.  Winner: Miro