AEW Dynamite: Sammy Guevara advances to Double or Nothing

Double or Nothing’s main event will be set when either Sammy Guevara or Darby Allin advance to face off against MJF.

AEW Dynamite is back this Wednesday and will be broadcast live on TBS from Sunrise, Florida.  With Double or Nothing still over a month away, the pay-per-view build feels much further along than it should be at this point.  So much so, that it will be interesting to see how AEW can extend its current programs while keeping the fans engaged over the next month.

This week’s AEW Dynamite will be the promotion’s first attempt at doing just that. Tony Khan has put together a card with two titles on the line and a tournament final to determine who will headline Double or Nothing, opposing MJF, for the AEW World Title.

Let’s take a look at the announced matches for this week’s AEW Dynamite and what to expect from each.

Orange Cassidy vs Bandido for the AEW International Title

As frustrating as the TNT Title situation has been lately with AEW missing opportunities to establish both Wardlow and Powerhouse Hobbs as unstoppable forces, Orange Cassidy has done wonders for the International Title by defending it week in and week out against some very good competition.

This week OC will take on Bandido, in what will be the champion’s 20th International Title defense.

This would be a great place for Orange Cassidy to drop the title.  We have only seen Bandido compete for a handful of times under the AEW banner, but every time he has competed he has put on a fantastic performance.  Having Bandido capitalize on Cassidy’s heavy workload over the past couple of months would be a great way to hoist Bandido into the spotlight out of nowhere.

AEW seems to be telling a story by having Orange Cassidy defend the International Title so frequently.  And eventually, when he loses it, it will be an accumulation of injury and exhaustion that is very apparent in that match’s psychology.  As good as Bandido is, it is hard to see him being the one to come in and end the great run the champion has been on.  Winner: Orange Cassidy

The Butcher & The Blade vs Kenny Omega & Konosuke Takeshita

On last week’s Dynamite, we finally got the payoff of Don Callis’ efforts to court Konusuke Takeshita over the past several weeks.

Just when it looked like the Blackpool Combat Club was about to finish off the Elite, Callis called on his reinforcements in the form of the Japanese Phenom to save the day.

Pairing Takeshita and Omega together should make for some must-see television, even if it is just against The Butcher and The Blade.

This is more of a showcase match for Takeshita to solidify his spot among the Elite as they prepare for a future Blood and Guts match against the BCC.  Winners: Kenny Omega & Konosuke Takeshita

Dax Harwood vs Jeff Jarrett

Two men who were tag team partners in an eight-man tag team match just last week will square off on this week’s Dynamite when one-half of FTR, Dax Harwood, goes up against Jeff Jarrett.

The amount of screen time that Jeff Jarrett continues to get in AEW is a bit of a headscratcher.  The man still gets heat, but with AEW having so little national television time to showcase their deep roster it seems odd that Jarrett would continue to get time week after week.

Yet we head into next week’s Dynamite with a single match featuring Jarrett and Dax Harwood, the latter of who put together a legitimate case as wrestler of the year in 2022 considering all of his great singles and tag team matches.

The best-case scenario here is that Harwood prevails and Jarrett and crew find themselves on Rampage in a lower-profile feud next week.  The worst-case scenario is that Jarrett steals an underhanded win, leading to JJ and Jay Lethal getting an AEW Tag Team Title shot in the upcoming weeks.  Just when that seems likely to happen we will see Mark Brisco stop a Jeff Jarrett guitar shot to Harwood and help Dax secure the win.  Winner: Dax Harwood

Jade Cargill vs Taya Valkyrie for the TBS Title

Jade Cargill will see put both her TBS Title and her undefeated streak on the line this Wednesday when she takes on Taya Valkyrie.

Valkyrie has been showcased as a legit threat to Cargill’s TBS Title as she is one of the few women on the roster that can match size and strength with Jade.  However, Valkyrie will be at a disadvantage when she finally meets Jade in this title match, as Valkyrie is legally not allowed to use her finisher.

It is not impossible that we get a TBS Title change here, but it just doesn’t feel like the right spot.  Jade Cargill is a superstar in the making, and when she eventually drops the TBS Title, it needs to be in an open challenge-type scenario against a well-known, and possibly debuting opponent that she has had no time to prepare for.

Cargill will most likely need some help to retain, but with Leila Grey and Mark Sterling at ringside that help should be at her disposal.  Winner: Jade Cargill

Sammy Guevara vs Darby Allin in the Four Pillars Tournament Final

The mini Four Pillars Tournament will conclude on Dynamite this Wednesday when the winner of Sammy Guevara and Darby Allin earns their place opposite MJF in the main event at Double or Nothing.

How this match plays out has everything to do with how Tony Khan wants the finale of Double or Nothing to look like.

If a singles match is the goal then Darby Allin has to go over here.  The last time MJF and Darby met in a singles match they put on a match-of-the-year contender.  And with Darby’s newfound confidence on the microphone, an MJF versus Darby Allin main event is one that would get fans excited.

However, it just doesn’t seem feasible that we are heading toward a one-on-one match at Double or Nothing.

The more likely scenario on Wednesday is that Guevara and MJF work together again to steal another win for Sammy, and set the two of them up in the main event of the upcoming pay-per-view.

It may not be this week, but at some point, Tony Khan will decide that the shenanigans between MJF and Sammy Guevara can’t stand, and MJF will be forced to defend the AEW World Title against all three of the other pillars in a four-way match at Double or Nothing, much to the delight of everyone but MJF and Guevara.  Winner: Sammy Guevara