AEW Full Gear 2022 predictions: MJF will win the AEW World Title

We are getting closer to the end of 2022, and for All Elite Wrestling, that means the company’s final pay-per-view of the year, Full Gear, is fast approaching. While some fans have found themselves underwhelmed by the build to this show, plenty of others have enjoyed the journey Tony Khan and company have taken them on.

In total, fans will see 10 matches on the show’s main card, headlined by Jon Moxley defending his AEW World Championship against Maxwell Jacob Friedman, who has gained a ton of positive fan support since returning to the promotion at All Out.

So, will Moxley or MJF walk out of Newark, NJ as the world champ? Well, we’ll have to wait until Saturday to see how that and the other matches play out. For now, it doesn’t hurt to guess.

These are the predictions for AEW’s Full Gear pay-per-view.

Wardlow (c) vs. Samoa Joe vs. Powerhouse Hobbs- TNT Championship Match 

The second Samoa Joe started teaming with Wardlow, everyone should’ve known the Joe turn was around the corner. That said, it was refreshing to see Joe not automatically align himself with Powerhouse Hobbs just because they’re both heels now.

Nevertheless, this is the sort of match that excites wrestling fans who feel the same way that Big E does about (good) superheavyweight slugfest. As for who wins, you can make an argument that it’s time to take the title off of Wardlow given how his momentum has stalled, and the triple-threat match would allow that to happen without him taking the loss, so let’s go with that.

Perhaps a title chase will reignite those hot responses Wardlow received as recently as the summer. Prediction: Powerhouse Hobbs pins Samoa Joe, wins the TNT Championship

Death Triangle (PAC, Fenix, and Penta El Zero Miedo) (c) vs. The Elite (Kenny Omega and The Young Bucks)- AEW World Trios Championship Match 

This is one of a few potential picks for Match of the Night. The Lucha Bros. and The Young Bucks’ involvement alone tells you how great of a match this should be. Adding in PAC and Kenny Omega only heightens those expectations.

On TV, AEW has told the story of PAC enticing his babyface tag team partners to win via cheating (specifically with the ring bell hammer), so that “will they or won’t they” tension will continue in this match. It probably won’t help them fend off The Elite, though. Prediction: The Elite win the AEW World Trios Championship (Kenny Omega pins PAC)

Luchasaurus vs. “Jungle Boy” Jack Perry- Steel Cage Match 

In contrast to most WWE cage matches, the ones in AEW feature much less interference (a.k.a. the entire point of booking a cage match). So, outside of a potential spot where Christian Cage reveals that his “injured” arm isn’t that injured anymore and climbs the cage, expect little involvement from “The Instant Classic”.

This match’s quality will depend on Jack Perry and Luchasaurus’ collective efforts. Fortunately, they just need to replicate the fine showing they had on TV a few weeks ago to make this a success. Luchasaurus won that first meeting, so Perry should get the big win in the match he asked for, especially if AEW plans to push him. Prediction: Jack Perry makes Luchasaurus pass out

Jeff Jarrett and Jay Lethal vs. Darby Allin and Sting

This is the least interesting match on this card, but at least the Jeff Jarrett/Sting interaction should be fun. It will also be fine from a quality standpoint. Still, it’s kind of “meh”. Anyway, the babyfaces will win this one once Sting does his cool-old-man high spot and no-sells a Jarrett guitar shot. Prediction: Darby Allin and Sting win (Allin pins Jarrett)

Dr. Britt Baker, D.M.D. vs. Saraya 

Arguably the biggest women’s match in AEW’s young history, as the company’s biggest female acquisition participates in her first match since 2017 opposite the division’s biggest homegrown star.

Moreso than who wins, this match will center around how Saraya looks in her first match back and how she looks against Britt Baker, who’s still rough around the edges in the ring but can produce a good match with the right opponent. At this point, Baker can absorb a loss of this magnitude, and it makes no sense to book Saraya to lose in her big in-ring return. Prediction: Saraya pins Britt Baker

Jade Cargill (c) vs. Nyla Rose- TBS Championship Match

Most storylines where the champion gets their belt stolen make the champ look like a chump (and it makes the company look bad for letting it happen), but Nyla Rose’s outlandish personality has concealed many of those concerns. It has certainly added some zest to what had become a stagnant, repetitive title reign for Jade Cargill.

Unfortunately, it won’t change the result. Cargill will remain undefeated and TBS Champion. Prediction: Jade Cargill pins Nyla Rose, retains the TBS Championship

Chris Jericho (c) vs. Claudio Castagnoli vs. Bryan Danielson vs. Sammy Guevara- Ring of Honor World Championship Match 

We saw a good preview of this match when Chris Jericho teamed with Sammy Guevara to take on Claudio Castagnoli and Bryan Danielson on the Nov. 16 episode of AEW: Dynamite. Castagnoli made Jericho tap out to the Sharpshooter to win that match for him and Danielson, but that seems unlikely to happen at the PPV.

While Castagnoli and Danielson don’t seem like good candidates to take the pin in this match, that’s what Sammy Guevara is here for. We’ll get a few spots where both faction mates work together before turning on each other when it’s time to pin someone. Once that plays out, it’s not hard to imagine Guevara taking one for the team to help Jericho keep the Ring of Honor World Championship. Prediction: Chris Jericho pins Sammy Guevara, retains the ROH World Championship

Toni Storm (c) vs. Jamie Hayter- Interim AEW Women’s World Championship Match 

If these two even slightly exceed what they put together in the opening round of the Owen Hart Tournament, this will steal the show. Jamie Hayter has garnered a lot of momentum in spite of AEW’s hesitance to pull the trigger on a babyface turn, but her crowning moment could happen at Full Gear against fighting interim champion (as much as she abhors that “interim” label) Toni Storm.

The backstory of these two being friends and rooming together during the pandemic has added some extra juice to this match. However, we know that Hayter’s relationship with Britt Baker will likely determine how this goes. To get us to that feud that everyone knows is coming, we could see Hayter score the win over Storm to win the belt. Prediction: Jamie Hayter pins Toni Storm, wins the interim AEW Women’s World Championship

The Acclaimed (Max Caster and Anthony Bowens) (c) vs. Swerve in our Glory (Keith Lee and Swerve Strickland)- AEW World Tag Team Championship Match

 Will Keith Lee and Swerve Strickland co-exist? Could we see Strickland turn on Lee during the match, or will it happen after the match? Will Lee turn with Swerve? Will Billy Gunn get revenge for Swerve injuring his scissoring hand?

We will find out all of these answers at Full Gear, but there’s one thing we know: these teams will tear it up once the bell sounds and The Acclaimed will keep their gold. Prediction: The Acclaimed retain the AEW World Tag Team Championship (Max Caster pins Swerve Strickland)

Jon Moxley (c) vs. Maxwell Jacob Friedman- AEW World Championship Match

While AEW has booked bigger World Championship matches (as recently as All Out, as a matter of fact), this match is arguably the most important in terms of securing the company’s future.

Jon Moxley and MJF are two of the hottest acts in pro wrestling right now, but while Mox’s status as the company’s ace is secure, the quality of this match (and the show’s buyrate) will help determine if Friedman is the guy. Everything else suggests that he is, but this would be the icing on what is a delectable cake.

MJF has said that he will not use the Dynamite Diamond Ring to win this match. This and The Firm turning on him seems to indicate that the longtime heel is set to at least become a tweener, if not an outright babyface with a prickly edge. But perhaps this is setting up a big swerve to catch Moxley off-guard and take the title from him. Or, maybe Friedman uses William Regal’s brass knuckles instead of the ring after Regal turns on Moxley!

Or Friedman wins clean! Whatever finish AEW chooses, the match ends with a new champion. Prediction: MJF pins Jon Moxley, wins the AEW World Championship