On Feb. 15, All Elite Wrestling will take its traveling show to the continent (and country) of Australia for the latest edition of its Grand Slam event. The show, a nod to the Australian Open tennis tournament, reflects the young promotion's continued growth as an international company.
Once you're done bellyaching about the NBA's Dunk Contest not being what it once was, Tony Khan's Fed will bring you five matches to enjoy; three will have championships on the line. The hosting country will also have several home country stars on the card, giving the fans in attendance more reasons to enjoy the in-ring action.
But who will leave Grand Slam with their hand raised in victory?
Predictions for AEW: Grand Slam Australia
Kazuchika Okada (c) vs. Buddy Matthews (AEW Continental Championship)
This match didn't receive much build-up on television, but you don't need to do much to get fans excited about a Kazuchika Okada vs. Buddy Matthews match outside of announcing when it will happen. We did get a good interview segment between these two with Lexi Nair on the Feb. 8 episode of Collision (seen above), which showed a confident Matthews seeing through Okada's comedy antics to the point where the champion seemed visibly flustered.
This is what fans have waited to see out of the former WWE Cruiserweight Champion since jumping to AEW. With Malachi Black and his hesitance to lose matches out of the picture, he and Brody King can move forward as full-fledged non-SPOOKY babyfaces, and Matthews gets to show what he can do against one of the best wrestlers in the world.
The Continental Classic rules -- no outside interference allowed and a 20-minute time limit -- should give these two the ideal platform to tell a full story without overstaying their welcome. Matthews being in his home country should add even more crowd heat to what is already an anticipated clash. It would be cool to see Matthews win the title in Australia and get a sustained push, but it's hard to envision Okada losing before his inevitable meeting with Kenny Omega at All In Texas.
Prediction: Kazuchika Okada pins Buddy Matthews, retains the AEW Continental Championship
Jon Moxley and Claudio Castagnoli vs. Cope and "Switchblade" Jay White (Brisbane Brawl)
It's astounding how much steam the Death Riders storyline has lost over the last few months. We've gone from seeing Jon Moxley attempt to suffocate wrestlers on pay-per-view to becoming more of a generic heel with a babyface mission statement. Moxley saying that he wants to make AEW better is something that resonates with the fans, and his increasingly tame heel actions have done little to offset those vibes.
It doesn't help that Moxley's chief archnemesis at the moment is Adam Copeland, and while the fans still like and revere him as a legend (and he's still pretty good overall, just not as a headliner), he has become an avatar for AEW's recent over-reliance on older talent in the main event. Fortunately, Cope (is there a more fitting name for a 51-year-old man clinging to his spot at the top of the card?) will be out there with the popular Jay White against two great workers in a match that should be filled with shortcuts that hide his age-induced limitations.
AEW has already announced Cope as Moxley's next challenger for the Revolution pay-per-view, so it wouldn't surprise anyone to see the babyfaces get the win to give "The Rated R Superstar" some momentum for that battle.
Prediction: Cope and "Switchblade" Jay White win (White pins Claudio Castagnoli)
Mercedes Moné (c) vs. Harley Cameron (TBS Championship)
For months, fans have known how entertaining Harley Cameron is. We saw it in those otherwise-skippable "QTV" segments, when she was Saraya's lackey, and even during her interview segments with Rachel Ellering in Ring of Honor. She has used her many talents to latch onto the "Moné Train" and has ridden it to her home country for a TBS Championship match.
Cameron is still green when it comes to wrestling, but for someone who hasn't eclipsed 60 matches, she has made tangible strides in the ring. She'll gain even more valuable experience working with Mercedes Moné, who has found her groove after a rocky start (for her) to her AEW career.
You can make a compelling argument for an upset Cameron win (she's the hometown favorite, Moné can lose the title and win it back right away, and Cameron is great), but with Moné's "belt collector" storyline underway, we will probably see the champion retain.
Prediction: Mercedes Moné pins Harley Cameron, retains the TBS Championship
Will Ospreay and Kenny Omega vs. Konosuke Takeshita and Kyle Fletcher
Once fierce rivals, Kenny Omega and Will Ospreay's respective issues with The Don Callis Family have brought them together for a tag team affair against their former manager's new blue chip clients. You can also look at this as a bout that pits AEW's present against its future (though Ospreay is still young).
This is one of several "Match of the Night" contenders. Omega and Ospreay are two of the best in the business when that bell rings, and with them making amends early in this storyline, we don't have to worry about a bunch of annoying "Can they co-exist?" spots bogging this one down. They are free to go all out with two men who aren't far behind them in the workrate department.
It's hard to imagine anything besides an Omega/Ospreay win ending this one, but it wouldn't be a shock to see the heels get the surprise win to keep this feud going. But we'll play it safe and go with the fan favorites.
Prediction: Will Ospreay and Kenny Omega win (Omega pins Konosuke Takeshita)
Mariah May (c) vs. "Timeless" Toni Storm (AEW Women's World Championship)
Act II of this love story-turned-tragedy-turned-quest-for-revenge culminates with this return match for the richest prize in AEW's distaff division. AEW Women's World Champion Mariah May introduced herself to the audience in 2023 as a seemingly naive prospect who idolized Toni Storm, but much like Anne Baxter in the classic film All About Eve (the movie that inspired this storyline), May revealed her true colors as a calculated, status-obsessed monster and usurped her mentor as world champion.
Storm, however, did not ride off into the sunset content with her accomplishments and at peace with her mortality like Bette Davis. After brief runs in STARDOM and CMLL, she returned as a wide-eyed "rookie" to the bewilderment of everyone, including May. It was all an act, though, as Storm showed us that she very much knew who she was.
Much like we saw at All In 2024, expect a lot of drama and hard-hitting action from these two. And just like we saw at All In, expect the challenger to take the championship in their home country. May has excelled as the top heel with this "femme fatale" character, but it's time for the belt to become "Timeless" again to set up a climax for the ages in the months to come.
Prediction: "Timeless" Toni Storm pins Mariah May, wins the AEW Women's World Championship