By Jason Powell, ProWrestling.net Editor (@prowrestlingnet)
AEW Worlds End Zero Hour Pre-Show
Streamed live December 27, 2025, on AEW social media platforms
Chicago, Illinois, at NOW Arena
-Hosts Renee Paquette, RJ City, Jeff Jarrett, and Lexi Nair checked in from the entrance ramp. They ran through the pre-show lineup, which now includes an eight-man tag and another tag team match that were late additions.
-A pre-taped clip aired of Adam Cole predicting that Konosuke Takeshita will beat Jon Moxley in the Continental Classic finals.
-Ring announcer Arkada Aura delivered the introductions while the wrestlers headed to the ring for the opening match.
1. Julia Hart and Skye Blue vs. Maya World and Hyan. The broadcast team was Excalibur, Nigel McGuinness, and Tony Schiavone.
Late in the match, Blue had illegal opponent World pinned, which led to Hyann booting Blue in the face. Hart and Blue each superkicked, and then they hit their combo move finisher before Blue got the three count.
Julia Hart and Skye Blue beat Maya World and Hyan in 6:10.
-A video package spotlighted the four-way AEW World Championship match.
2. Eddie Kingston vs. Zack Gibson (w/James Drake). Gibson performed the usual Grizzled Young Veterans introduction while he and Drake made their entrance. Kingston came out and cleared Drake from the ring. A short time later, Drake interfered while the referee was distracted. Gibson jumped from the middle rope and hit Kingston with a Codebreaker on the way down for a two count. Late in the match, Kingston and Gibson traded strikes. Kingston hit an enzuigiri kick and then followed up with a DDT for the win.
Eddie Kingston beat Zack Gibson in 5:40.
After the match, Drake choked Kingston with a GYV scarf. Ortiz came out with a loaded sock and ran off Gibson and Drake…
Powell’s POV: It’s good to see Ortiz again. It seems safe to assume this will lead to Kingston vs. GYV at some point. Excalibur announced during the match that the Continental Classic semifinal matches will open the pay-per-view.
3. ROH Champion Bandido and Mascara Dorada (w/Alex Abrahantes) vs. Mark Davis and Rocky Romero. Davis and Romero caught Dorada diving from the top rope. They held him while watching Bandido go up top, find his balance, and then perform a corkscrew dive onto them. It didn’t look good, but the live crowd didn’t seem to mind. In the end, Bandido hit a GTS-style move on Romero, and then Dorada followed up with a shooting star press. Dorada got up and ran the ropes before Bandido tossed him over the top rope onto Davis on the floor. Bandido hit the 21 Plex and then pinned Romero…
ROH Champion Bandido and Mascara Dorada defeated Mark Davis and Rocky Romero in 7:30.
An El Clon video package aired. It concluded with a message that El Clon is coming to AEW Collision in 2026…
A video package previewed the AEW Women’s Championship match…
Mike Bailey and Kevin Knight made their entrance for the eight-man tag match. Footage aired of Don Callis telling “The Demand” Ricochet, Toa Liona, and Bishop Kaun that the best way to get to Jack Perry is to take out “the dinosaur.” Jack Perry and Luchasaurus started to make their entrance when The Demand attacked them. Kaun suplexed Perry on the ramp. Liona and Kaun carried Luchasaurus to the back.
4. Mike Bailey, Kevin Knight, Jack Perry, and Luchasaurus vs. Josh Alexander and “The Demand” Ricochet, Toa Liona, and Bishop Kaun in an eight-man tag match. Liona and Kaun returned early in the match, but Luchasaurus remained backstage, and Perry was still down on the ramp. Perry eventually joined his team and was roughed up by the heels. The fans chanted for Luchasaurus. Eventually, Ricochet set up Perry for the Spirit Gun, but he was distracted by the Jurassic Express entrance theme. Luchasaurus came out with his shoulder heavily wrapped and took out Kaun and Alexander on his way to the ring. After some dives from Bailey and Knight, Luchasaurus chokeslammed Ricochet. Perry tagged in and drilled Ricochet with a knee strike before pinning him.
Mike Bailey, Kevin Knight, Jack Perry, and Luchasaurus beat Josh Alexander and “The Demand” Ricochet, Toa Liona, and Bishop Kaun in 9:00.
-The hosts ran through the main card lineup. Bryan Danielson made his entrance to join the broadcast team, and then they closed out the pre-show…
Powell’s POV: The formula was pretty easy to follow, as some fans were even chanting for Luchasaurus before he came out late in the match. This was a forgettable pre-show, although that actually beats going overboard with spot-heavy pre-show matches that take a toll on the live crowd as the night goes on.
Check out my AEW Worlds End pay-per-view review in a separate report available via the main page.
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