By Don Murphy, ProWrestling.net Contributor (@DonThePredictor)
I hope everyone is having a great holiday season, regardless of what you celebrate. AEW presents its final pay-per-view of 2025 this evening with its Worlds End event, taking place in Chicago, Illinois, at NOW Arena. I typically don’t order AEW pay-per-views because I can’t usually justify the expense when there’s 20 hours of TV wrestling weekly. I’m making an exception with this show because I am a fan of the Continental Classic as a concept and am curious to see how it ends. It’s a nice way to present some meaningful television during a time when companies tend to slow down.
Moving forward, I would like to see AEW do a better job of incorporating a sports-like feel to this by getting a bit more specific around implications of match outcomes, particularly as we get near the end. The leaderboard graphic is fine, but a bit more around what a win or a loss may mean to someone who is “in the hunt” would be great. Having Renee Paquette serve as the sideline reporter was a nice touch that I’d like to see continue. Now then, for the last time in 2025, let’s run down the card!
Samoa Joe vs. Swerve Strickland vs. Hangman Page vs. MJF in a four-way for the AEW World Championship. If you’ve read my predictions before, you know that I’m not a fan of multi-person title matches. Both companies do them, and I’m never a fan. In this case, I could have lived with Joe/Swerve/Hangman, given the story they were telling with the three. I feel like the addition of MJF was a bit rushed. Yes, he had a guaranteed title shot, and I give them credit for trying to explain why the MJF character would choose this particular opportunity to take his shot when he has a reduced shot of winning. I just feel like it could have used another week or two for a build. In terms of the outcome, if you read my last batch of AEW predictions, you know that I failed miserably. I honestly can’t say with certainty where they’re going here, but I’m giving a slight lean to MJF regaining the title. I couldn’t wager a solid prediction on who takes the pin, but I’m fairly confident that it won’t be current champion Joe.
Don Predicts: MJF wins the AEW World Championship.
Kris Statlander vs. Jamie Hayter for the AEW Women’s Championship. This is one of those matches that should be fine from an in-ring standpoint. And the company tried to make me care about Hayter and Statlander. They made small progress and did a decent job of establishing tension between the two. It’s just not there yet for me.
Don Predicts: Kris Statlander retains the AEW Women’s Championship.
Gold League winner Kyle Fletcher vs. Blue League runner-up Jon Moxley in a Continental Classic semifinal match. As previously noted, I enjoy the Continental Classic concept, and the semi-finals are telling the right stories. I think we’ll see an all-Don Callis-Family final. And with Moxley likely taking the loss here, which fits with the story they’ve been telling, this will set up a Moxley beatdown at the hands of the Death Riders, possibly as early as the New Year’s Smash edition of Dynamite on Wednesday night.
Don Predicts: Kyle Fletcher advances to the finals of the Continental Classic.
Blue League winner Konosuke Takeshita vs. Gold League runner-up Kazuchika Okada in a Continental Classic semifinal match. You had to know this match would happen as they have been building to it for months. I like that it’s a semifinal match and not the final, as that would have made the tournament too predictable. I am curious to see which way they go here. Remember, AEW has a working relationship with New Japan Pro Wrestling. Both talents will be featured prominently heading into the promotion’s annual WrestleKingdom show, with Okada facing Hiroshi Tanahashi in Tanahashi’s last match and Takeshita defending the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship against Yota Tsuji. While either one taking a loss might damage them heading into that show, I think the greater risk would be to Takeshita, so I’m going with him to win the entire thing. This will likely lead to an implosion of some kind within the Callis Family.
Don Predicts: Konosuke Takeshita advances to the finals of the Continental Classic; Takeshita goes on to defeat Kyle Fletcher in the finals to win the tournament and the Continental Title.
“FTR” Dax Harwood and Cash Wheeler vs. Austin Gunn and Juice Robinson in a Chicago Street Fight for the AEW Tag Team Titles. I enjoyed their match last week on Collison, though I am not sure there was a need to run it back. This is likely due to a lack of credible teams in the division, which I hope changes in the new year. The match will be fine for what it is.
Don Predicts: FTR retains the AEW Tag Team Titles.
Willow Nightingale and Harley Cameron vs. Mercedes Mone and Athena for the AEW Women’s Tag Team Titles. I like the fact that they’re saving the Cameron and Nightingale vs. Megan Bayne and Marina Shafir showdown for another time. I suspect the story of this match will see the champions retain while Mone continues to unravel. I wouldn’t mind seeing this lead to another Mone and Athena showdown where Athena gets her win back.
Don Predicts: Willow Nightingale and Harley Cameron retain the AEW Women’s Tag Team Titles.
Darby Allin vs. Gabe Kidd. I truly hope that Allin is not coming back from injury too soon. While it was put together a bit hastily, this one will likely be a banger. I think we’ll see Kidd get the win here as Allin is at the stage of his career where he can absorb a loss and still be over. I am not sure of Kidd’s New Japan status, but he’s been associated with the Death Riders in the past, and I can see a scenario where he’s a “final boss” type opponent for Jon Moxley down the road when Moxley is feuding with the group.
Don Predicts: Gabe Kidd defeats Darby Allin.
Marina Shafir, Claudio Castagnoli, Wheeler Yuta, and Daniel Garcia vs. Toni Storm, Orange Cassidy, Mark Briscoe, and Roderick Strong in a Mixed Nuts Mayhem match. Well, at least it’s not an “all-star” eight-person tag, and not for a financial prize. This will be a crowd-pleaser that will get more people on the show.
Don Predicts: Toni Storm, Orange Cassidy, Mark Briscoe, and Roderick Strong defeat Marina Shafir, Pac, Claudio Castagnoli, and Wheeler Yuta.
AEW Worlds End Pre-Show Prediction
Don Predicts: Julia Hart and Skye Blue defeat Maya World and Hyan.
Join Jason Powell for his live review starting with the pre-show at 6CT/7ET or the main card at 7CT/8ET. Jake Barnett and Jason will team up for a same-night audio review that will be available exclusively for Dot Net Members (including our Patreon patrons).
Be the first to comment