I am going to be busy in the next couple of weeks coming up with new predictions, but for now, it is time to reflect on the last year. AEW. What an eventful year they have had. Lots of downs, lots of ups. So, I would say, a normal year for a growing wrestling promotion, that wants to become a powerhouse. Everybody knew, well should know, that a company like this will not have a cake walk in the first few years of inception. After all, they’re dealing with a lot of drama-filled performers that all want to be at the top of the totem pole. That goes on in every company. That is just the nature of the business. Today, we are here to breakdown the predictions that I had a year ago. January 8th, 2023. These predictions were solely AEW-based, and I gave my opinions on topics at the time and bold predictions for the upcoming year. Some of the things I read with these are kind of funny to look back on, but it gives good insight to where the company was a year ago. So, without further ado, let’s jump in. CLICK HERE to look at my AEW Predictions for 2023 article.

Current State of AEW

A year ago, I said that AEW was once in a messy situation but appeared to be OK at the beginning of the year. Well, I would say that AEW had a very similar 2023. Lots of similar things transpired, but without writing a book, I’ll just say that it mostly revolved around 1 person. I can't solely blame him for the downs, but I will get into that next up. I wasn’t exactly optimistic about AEW in 2023, but I really wasn’t down on them either. I felt like they were somewhere in the middle and I still feel like that today. I will detail it a bit more in my predictions for them in 2024, but I would say my outlook for them in 2023 was pretty spot-on.

Where Do They Go from Here with CM Punk?

Looking back, I may have been a bit harsh with Punk, but it was at a time where Punk had a large portion of the wrestling world against him. It is no secret that he isn't there to make friends. He will fight and claw his way to where he wants to be, so in a way, I admire him for it. He is exactly what we as fans want in a wrestler, but don’t want to admit it. As for his 2023 in AEW, He did return. I put in my prediction article that I didn’t see a way where he could come back, and to be fair, I wasn’t technically wrong, even though he did return. There were clearly some unhealed wounds with some performers backstage and they didn’t mesh. He wrestled in 10 matches in his mid-year return and was the main featured performer on the new AEW Collision show. When he came back, it still felt like there was a lot of tension with them. It felt like Punk was just there to uphold his deal.

I may be wrong about this, but it seems like the locker room was mixed about Punk and the people with a bigger voice didn’t want him back. Because I still see a lot of people say nothing but good things about Punk. Say what you will about the guy, but he knows how to get people talking. That is a big battle for a lot of people in the wrestling world, but Punk has no issue with buzz. It got to the point where that was the only wrestling news that was ever put out. People wouldn't shut up about him, even when he was inactive. Fans will chalk it down as an unsuccessful run for Punk in AEW, which I disagree with. His AEW run was super successful. It didn’t end ideally, but it was very, very successful. Not that he really needed a ton of help, but he legitimized AEW’s biggest star, at the moment. He had a bunch of really good matches and fell back in love with wrestling. I wouldn't call that unsuccessful. I will talk about him in my upcoming WWE Predictions article, but for now, Punk is no longer in AEW and they have already moved on from it.

Will We Continue to See Companies Working with AEW?

NJPW and AEW continued their working relationship in 2023 and had another successful joint PPV. Granted, I didn’t watch the show, but from all I heard, it was a barn-burner. Omega and Ospreay tore the house down with their Match of the Year and each match on the card was rated very well. They also worked together on another show. WrestleDream, which was a new PPV for AEW this year, in honor of the wrestling legend, Antonio Inoki. I feel like the NJPW and AEW connection is not going away anytime soon, but as for other companies? I really don’t know where they would fit in at the moment. AEW has a lot of mouths to feed and considering their relationship with Japan, they have more than enough on their plate. So, it is understandable as to why they didn’t work with any other promotions in 2023.

Breakout Star for 2023

I had a much tougher time with AEW breakout stars than with WWE. For the men’s side, my choice was Ricky Starks. I wouldn't call him a breakout performer, but he did have a solid year. He had a solid feud with the JAS. He started the year with a nice exchange with MJF. He also was dealt a crappy hand with the CM Punk ordeal. Punk abruptly was dismissed from the company in the midst of their feud. Up until that point, it was pretty great. He and his tag partner, Big Bill ended 2023 with tag team gold. All-in-all, it was a solid year for Starks, but if I had to do over again, I would say Swerve Strickland was the guy that truly emerged this year. He is on another level right now and I would say that he is well on his way to becoming a star. I wouldn't be the least bit shocked to see Strickland with the AEW Championship in the not-so distant future.

As for the Women, my choice was Kris Statlander. I think I chose correctly. She returned to action after missing a significant chunk of time, dealing with injuries. She came back to defeat Jade Cargill and end her 508-day TBS Championship reign and her 60-match win streak. In fact, she is the only performer to defeat Jade Cargill. She did it twice. I wouldn’t say that she was the only option in the women’s division. You could also argue Julia Hart had a breakout year, and of course, I can't forget “Timeless” Toni Storm. I still think Statlander was the choice here, even though those other two ladies make a compelling case.

What is Going on with Ring of Honor?

At this time last year, Ring of Honor seemed like a jumbled-up mess. They didn’t have their own programming, but they were featured heavily on AEW shows. They still are featured on AEW shows, but not quite to the extent that they were. I’ll admit, I don’t watch Ring of Honor, so I can't speak to the level of some about it, but it seems to be running pretty smoothly at the moment. There is a lot to like about it, but personally, I get pretty burned out on wrestling if I watch too much and ROH would be a bit too much for me personally to watch every week. Also, I can’t justify paying a subscription to watch their content. There is talks of a TV deal in the future, so if that happens, I will keep tabs on it better, but for now, it really isn't in a great spot to earn more viewership. Only the mega-diehards will be watching, but for now, that will be enough for them to get by. Their PPVs are successful and honestly, that is a massive positive for them moving forward.

Will We See AEW Performers Jump Ship?

This wasn’t a real concern until Cody Rhodes made the leap back into the arms of WWE. A majority of the AEW performers signed long-term deals and are locked in to roughly 3-5 years. The time has come for those deals to end and we have seen some AEW guys and gals leave for WWE. Jade Cargill made waves by announcing her deal with WWE and while she hasn’t been in the ring yet for WWE, they have featured her on TV in a great way. They seemingly have big plans for her. Obviously, CM Punk’s appearance at Survivor Series was a massive deal, but I’ll talk about that more in the WWE Predictions in 2024 article. As for others, Brian Pillman Jr. is now in NXT and is going by Lexis King. William Regal also went back to WWE, but in a non-TV role.

Bold Predictions

- The Elite will win the Trios Championship next week and not drop them throughout 2023

The Elite did in fact win the Trios belts in the week after I posted this prediction in the finale of the Best of 7 against Death Triangle, but they did not hold them for the entire year. In fact, they only held them for 53 days. So, I will give myself a half-point. (0.5/1)

- Bryan Danielson will defeat MJF at Revolution

He did not. However, the match was one of the best in the history of the company. A 65-minute ironman match. What a freaking match! (0.5/2)

- Jade Cargill will lose her first match before Double or Nothing

I was so, so close on this one. She didn’t lose it before the Double or Nothing PPV, though. She in fact lost her first match AT the Double or Nothing PPV. So close! (0.5/3)

- Ethan Page will be TNT Champion before the end of the year

I feel like Ethan Page was starting to gain a little bit of steam after his promo and match with MJF on Collision in June, but nothing really came of it. He has been a mainstay on ROH lately and he didn’t even get a shot at the TNT Championship. If I said that he will get a shot at the AEW World Championship, I could’ve earned a point, but I didn’t… (0.5/4)

- Jeff Hardy will not return to AEW

He returned to aide his brother, Hook, and Isiah Kassidy on April 12th. He has been in a bunch of matches since as well. (0.5/5)

- Hikaru Shida will become the first 2-time Women’s Champion

Shida wasn’t the first 2-time champion in AEW history. Toni Storm beat her to that milestone first. However, she became the first ever 3-time champ in company history in October. (0.5/6)

- At least 3 performers on the current AEW roster will go to WWE

I finally get a full point! Jade Cargill, CM Punk, and Brian Pillman Jr. all were active members of the roster at the beginning of the year and are currently on the WWE roster. (1.5/7)

- Saraya will not become AEW Women’s Champion in 2023

Saraya became AEW Women’s Champ in August at All In in Wembley. It was a big moment for her in front of a record crowd in her home country. (1.5/8)

- Jon Moxley will not get a shot at the AEW World Championship in 2023

Full Gear 2022 was the last title shot he received for the AEW World Championship. He didn’t need a shot though, he was great all year long. (2.5/9)

- MJF will lose the belt, but like in 2022, he will end the year as AEW Champion.

I’m going to say this is a loss here. He could either lose the belt tonight or end the year as champ. Not both. MJF became the longest-reigning champ in AEW history and is currently on a 405-day reign. MJF is slightly favored tonight, but I think there is a real shot he could lose at World’s End. It also very well may be his final match with the company in front of a home crowd in Long Island. (2.5/10)

Yacs

A Look Back at "AEW Predictions for 2023"