The roller coaster year that AEW had in 2022 has come to a close.
Riding high from their 2021 ending, AEW went into 2022 with tons of momentum. Hangman Page was crowned the AEW World Champion, CM Punk returned to pro wrestling, and Bryan Danielson was delivering high quality pro wrestling matches on a weekly basis.
2022 gave AEW multiple new world champions, backstage controversy, and a fresh slate to close the year out. 2023 promises to bring more exciting storylines and matches that the promotion has hung its hat on since their inception in 2019.
Here are five of the most anticipated matches for AEW in 2023.
Jon Moxley vs. Hangman Page
The parallels between Jon Moxley and Hangman Page are aplenty.
Both are former AEW World Champions, tough as nails, recently sober (in kayfabe for Hangman), and fathers to toddlers. On top of this, they were also across the ring from each other on the third-ever AEW Dynamite episode — a tag match where Kenny Omega and Page defeated PAC and Moxley.
Fast forward to 2021 as Hangman Page returned from paternity leave to win the Casino Ladder Match on October 6th for a shot at the AEW World Title. He battled with Jon Moxley on top of the ladder, ultimately knocking him off to secure the casino chip and title match.
October 18th, 2022. Jon Moxley knocked Hangman Page out with a lariat, giving him a concussion in the process, and retained his AEW World Championship in brutal fashion. Page has been seeking revenge ever since.
Grudges make tremendous bouts. This one is sure to be physical and likely with a lot at stake in the AEW main event picture moving forward.
Jade Cargill vs. Jamie Hayter
The irresistible force meets the immovable object.
A Jade Cargill vs. Jamie Hayter match isn’t on the horizon for the early portion of 2023, but can you imagine if these two squared off? The athleticism and physicality in this bout would be tough to match on the women’s side of AEW.
Jade Cargill is currently the AEW TBS Champion and undefeated in the promotion. Jamie Hayter is the AEW Women’s Champion and on the biggest run of her career. It’s not out of the realm of possibility that these two women meet up in 2023.
It also would likely be for one of the championships that these women hold present day. The larger question would be: Which of these women will lose first this year? Both look to be poised for long title runs, and Jade Cargill has held the TBS title for nearly a calendar year already.
One way or another, look for the two most dominant women of last year to continue on their paths in 2023. Let’s speak this mammoth dream match into fruition as we look forward to the continued growth of Jade Cargill and Jamie Hayter this year.
MJF vs. Eddie Kingston
MJF is the current AEW World Champion. Can you picture a feud with fellow New Yorker Eddie Kingston?
Long Island vs. Yonkers. A cake eating, trust funded character vs. a man from the inner city with the street savvy to match. The contrast in how each man portrays themselves would build immense anticipation.
Then we move on to their exploits on the microphone. The promos alone between MJF and Eddie Kingston would make this a feud of the year candidate without physically interacting. Two of the very best talkers in pro wrestling, on top of their ability to make you feel something every time they talk or wrestle. Their styles and mouths sell themselves.
To go a step further, let’s book MJF vs. Eddie Kingston in September at the AEW Grand Slam show — which will resonate from Flushing Meadows, New York. Could you imagine the crowd responses and magic that would take place at that event?
Kenny Omega vs. Bryan Danielson
Speaking of AEW Grand Slam, Kenny Omega and Bryan Danielson wrestled to a 30-minute draw in September of 2021 at Arthur Ashe Stadium.
The bout was lauded as a match of the year contender. Since then, fans have been salivating over the thought of their eventual rematch.
Omega would take nine months off to heal from injury after losing his AEW World Title in November of 2021. When he returned in August, his focus moved towards the AEW Trios Titles with his Elite running mates, The Young Bucks.
Danielson would eventually wrestle for the AEW World Championship twice in two months, includingwrestling to a 60-minute draw with Hangman Page. He would lose the return title bout on Dynamite in January 2022.
This is a rematch that doesn’t need a championship at stake for it to be another match of the year quality affair. The larger question is: Could they one-up what the two of them put together in their first AEW encounter?
The Elite vs. CM Punk and FTR
This is the biggest boom or bust match on this list. A lot of it hinges on CM Punk rebuilding trust with AEW management and most importantly, the locker room.
Yet the opportunity presents itself for AEW to do the biggest piece of business in company history if Punk returns. The storyline sells itself. The Young Bucks and FTR are the two most decorated tag teams outside of the WWE promotion in the world today.
Both teams have each won a match against the other. You proceed to add Kenny Omega and CM Punk to this equation, two of the biggest presences in pro wrestling worldwide, fresh off a backstage encounter marred with controversy.
It was rumored over the summer that CM Punk and FTR were going to team up quite a bit, all while Punk was AEW World Champion. A match with The Elite at some point in time would’ve brought the house down — now you add personal stakes to it.
Only the parties involved in “The Brawl Out at All Out” know what really happened. If those damages can be repaired (with a lot of money on the line, they should be), the fans are in for one of the largest showdowns in professional wrestling this century.
Six men with chips on their shoulders to tear the house down and prove superiority in AEW would be at stake. If this is not the most anticipated match in AEW for 2023, it will only be due to the lack of cooperation on behalf of both parties’ sides to set it up.
