AEW has had an undoubtedly tumultuous year. Despite the new arrivals of some of the industry’s top talent, it hasn’t been able to balance its main event scene with consistency. Though the standard has been high given AEW’s history, and most of what we have seen has been fantastic, it has left a lot to be desired now we have reached the end of the year.
The changes we make to the world title scene is going to start at Worlds End 2023. The event where MJF lost his AEW World Championship to Samoa Joe. The first change we’re going to make is switching out Samoa Joe. Sure, he is a legend and his run was thoroughly entertaining, however, he didn’t have many natural challengers and mostly took a backseat while other stars rised up the cards, the notable example being Swerve Strickland.
In our first case of striking-when-the-iron-is-hot, following his win over ‘Hangman’ Adam Page at Full Gear 2023, he is going to go to Worlds End and be the one to dethrone MJF in the main event. The end of 2023 was, in my opinion, the height of Swerve’s aura, and this could’ve been capitalized on.
The Continental Classic
The C2 is not for the Continental Championship. The Continental Championship never becomes a thing. What we get instead is the winner of the Continental Classic being the one to challenge for the AEW World Championship at Revolution, truly making it AEW’s G1 Climax, and ensuring a blockbuster world title match at AEW’s first PPV of the year.
We are changing who wins the Continental Classic as a result. Due to a time-limit draw between Bryan Danielson and Eddie Kingston, Ricky Starks goes on to the final, beating Brody King at Worlds End, who had an undefeated block in the C2.
DYNAMITE – Swerve Strickland (c) def. Rob Van Dam
A TV main event, and Swerve’s first defence of the AEW World Championship. Despite RVD not being an AEW regular, he is a legend in his own right, and adored by fans. He calls out Swerve, congratulating him on his AEW World Championship win, but also wanting to ‘gatekeep’ the main event, claiming he sees a lot of himself in Swerve, including his daringness, his resolve and how much he thrives in a brutal environment. Swerve wins fairly convincingly, having gained the respect of RVD.
REVOLUTION 2024 – Swerve Strickland (c) def. Ricky Starks
I see an absolute money match here. The promos in the build-up would include witty back and forth, as these two prove themselves as the certified future of All Elite Wrestling in this matchup. Despite winning the C2, Starks comes up short.
March of 2024 sees the arrival of both Will Ospreay and Kazuchika Okada into All Elite Wrestling. We’re keeping Ospreay the same to start with – defeating Konosuke Takeshita at Revolution and Bryan Danielson at Dynasty. With no Continental Championship, Kazuchika Okada will be without a championship for now, as he is instead brought in as part of the ‘Elite vs AEW’ story, being the wild card difference maker on the side of The Elite, as he takes on the likes of Darby Allin early in his AEW tenure.
DYNASTY 2024 – Swerve Strickland (c) def. Pac
Pac goes undefeated to start 2024, and becomes a natural contender for Swerve’s AEW World Championship. We’re going to make sure Swerve main events here to give him more legitimacy, closing out the show by retaining the championship and staring down with Will Ospreay, who defeated Danielson earlier in the night.
DYNAMITE – Kazuchika Okada and Swerve Strickland go to a TV-time-remaining time limit draw
It is mid-May, and in two months of being in All Elite Wrestling, Kazuchika Okada has dominated every single opponent he has faced, INCLUDING Darby Allin. Naturally, being an ally of The Young Bucks, they grant him a world championship opportunity against Swerve Strickland, hoping that he can win so The Elite can control the main event scene in AEW once again. However, they go to a TV-time-remaining time limit draw to protect both men.
DOUBLE OR NOTHING 2024 – Will Ospreay def. Swerve Strickland (c)
It’s the main event of Double or Nothing, a clash of the two best in the world. Many will dislike my choice of having Will Ospreay win the belt here. This is another instance of striking-when-the-iron-is-hot. Ospreay quickly became a fan favourite in AEW, even for casuals who did not watch his work in New Japan.
The narrative we want to convey to the audience is that if Will Ospreay is the best in the world, as most hail him to be, then he, in kayfabe, should be near enough unbeatable. That’s how it works in MMA and boxing, and it’s how it should work here.
There is a story to be told. Following his draw with Kazuchika Okada, Swerve becomes somewhat insecure about his ability to be the frontman of AEW, especially with the new guys coming in to take over the main event scene, such as Kazuchika Okada AND Will Ospreay. As a result, his confidence fails him for once here, and Will Ospreay capitalizes, winning the AEW World Championship. It’s got this almost invasion vibe to it, in a sense, with Ospreay putting the whole locker room on high alert as he comes in, doesn’t lose a single match, beating one of the GOATs in Bryan Danielson and winning the AEW World Championship.
A lot of the build can revolve around how Swerve had to work 2 years to even get a sniff at the AEW World Championship, meanwhile, Ospreay comes in and gets an opportunity after only 3 and a half months of competing. Ospreay wins, closing out Double or Nothing as we go into the Summer. Ospreay promises a second Summer of Ospreay.
DYNAMITE – Will Ospreay (c) def. Rey Fenix
Ospreay’s first defence of the AEW World Championship comes in mid-June, as he intends to prove himself as a fighting champion. He main events Dynamite, defeating Rey Fenix in a spectacular singles match. After the match, Ospreay states that although he has the AEW World Championship, he lusts for more.
He knows that there is another world champion on the All Elite Wrestling roster, and he firmly believes that there is space for no more than one world champion in AEW. Therefore, he calls out a man he has unfinished business with, Jon Moxley, the current IWGP World Heavyweight Champion.
With Forbidden Door coming up, Ospreay states that both him and Moxley have something the other person wants. Ospreay cannot sleep at night knowing he never held the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship in front of a full, vocal audience, and until he does that, he will never see himself as proper world champion material.
Although he chose AEW for his family, and to prove to himself he can do it on any continent, in any arena in the world, the title Moxley holds, is the only tangible thing which is holding him back from his ultimate self.
At Forbidden Door, it is Champion vs Champion. The AEW World Champion vs The IWGP World Heavyweight Champion. Jon Moxley vs Will Ospreay. Winner Takes All.
FORBIDDEN DOOR – Will Ospreay (c) def. Jon Moxley (c)
At Windy City Riot 2022, Moxley defeated Ospreay in controversial fashion. At Wrestle Kingdom 18, these two couldn’t finish their business due to David Finlay. Here, they finally get that one-on-one match they wanted, and Will Ospreay proves himself as the Best in the World, as he defeats Jon Moxley in the main event of Forbidden Door with Bryan Danielson watching ringside.
Mox, as the Ace of AEW, vowed to humble Ospreay and show him that he is a small fish in a big pond in AEW, however, that wasn’t to be as Ospreay becomes the double world champion. The Second Summer of Ospreay is truly underway.
THE OWEN HART TOURNAMENT
The Owen Hart Tournament goes underway to decide who will be the one to challenge Will Ospreay for the AEW/IWGP World Championships at All In at Wembley. The tournament features some New Japan talent as well, such as Shingo Takagi, who faces Bryan Danielson in the First Round.
The tournament features most of the big main eventers in AEW, including ‘Hangman’ Adam Page, Swerve Strickland and Bryan Danielson. Hangman and Swerve get their first singles encounter since Full Gear, with their rivalry heating up again as Swerve intends on winning back the AEW World Championship at AEW’s biggest event of the year.
Swerve beats Hangman yet again in this tournament in the Quarter Final, however, in the Semi-Final, Hangman costs Swerve the match against Pac, meaning we get Pac vs Danielson in the final with the winner going to Wembley to face Will Ospreay. Danielson beats Pac, securing his spot for the Wembley main event and a rematch with Will Ospreay.
DYNAMITE – Will Ospreay (c)(c) def. Lance Archer
These two have a lot of history, including an iconic G1 Climax 2019 match in which Lance Archer won. As both have history in AEW and NJPW, it makes sense for Archer to be a challenger for both the AEW and IWGP World Heavyweight Championships.
Unlike other world title matches this year, this match is notably a fast-paced affair, which is a formula these two normally follow in their singles matches. Ospreay wins in his first successful defence of the double world championships.
THE FINAL COUNTDOWN AT WEMBLEY STADIUM
Under the arches of Wembley Stadium, Bryan Danielson puts his career on the line in a rematch of a bout that many called the greatest match to ever take place on American soil, just a few months prior. Danielson knows full well that Ospreay can lead on a legacy of being the best in the world – a moniker Danielson held for many years. However, Being the kind of man Bryan is, he believes that if he cannot be the best, then he does not want to wrestle.
If he cannot beat Will Ospreay in the most important match of his career, then he knows he hasn’t got what it takes to be the best anymore. For that reason, the winner of the Owen Hart Tournament, Bryan Danielson, puts his career on the line against Will Ospreay in the biggest match in AEW history, in the main event of All In in Will Ospreay’s home country.
Through scale and magnitude, the match is already a bigger deal than their first match in April, justifying the bout’s existence. Swerve vs Danielson was great, however, we’re saving that match for what is in my opinion a more appropriate occasion down the line. This is the money match to headline Wembley.
Bryan Danielson defeats Will Ospreay, becoming both the AEW and IWGP World Heavyweight Champion, proving himself as the Greatest of All Time. Danielson states that now he is not working by a contract, as he was expected to go home to his family. But he will defend each of those championships, and until he loses them, he will not retire.
Danielson has one goal – to have matches for these titles in the Big Four venues in the world on his retirement run – Arena Mexico, Madison Square Garden, Wembley Stadium (ticked off) and the Tokyo Dome.
G1 Climax winner Zack Sabre Jr and Nigel McGuinness stand atop the ramp as All In comes to a close.
Now, before we go into the final stretch of this booking, something key needs to be noted
– AEW Grand Slam 2024 is being moved from Arthur Ashe Stadium in New York to Madison Square Garden.
ALL OUT – Bryan Danielson (c) def. Daniel Garcia
We get Swerve/Hangman and Garcia/MJF at All In. Garcia wins the latter, picking up the biggest win of his career, and shoots his shot for Danielson’s AEW World Championship for All In. Rekindling an iconic rivalry from 2022, these two have a great rubber match to their feud in which Danielson picks up the victory, endorsing Garcia after the match.
Nigel McGuinness calls Danielson out for Grand Slam: Madison Square Garden, of which Bryan accepts.
DYNAMITE GRAND SLAM MADISON SQUARE GARDEN – Bryan Danielson (c) def. Nigel McGuinness
In a match many thought would be Bryan’s last, he goes up against arguably the biggest rival of his career, Nigel McGuinness, ticking the second venue off his retirement run in the form of Madison Square Garden. This match gets plenty of time in the main event, and goes completely ad-free to accomodate the scale and excitement surrounding the match. Danielson wins.
CMLL NOCHE DE CAMPEONES IN ARENA MEXICO – Bryan Danielson (c) def. Templario
Danielson ticks off the third venue on his list in the form of Arena Mexico, as he successfully defends the AEW World Championship against one of CMLL’s top stars in the form of Templario. Danielson is called out by The Ace of NJPW, and its President, Hiroshi Tanahashi, who states that he is neglecting the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship, and challenges him for Destruction in Kobe for the belt.
DESTRUCTION IN KOBE – Bryan Danielson (c) def. Hiroshi Tanahashi
A long-awaited dream match between the two best wrestlers of the 21st century in the twilight in both of their careers, this is a beautiful match and Danielson’s first official defence of the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship.
He defends it successfully against Hiroshi Tanahashi, however, Zack Sabre Jr confronts him after the match, stating he is enforcing his G1 Climax clause at King of Pro Wrestling, and if Danielson wants to make it to the Tokyo Dome, he is going to have to get past him.
WRESTLEDREAM – Swerve Strickland def. Bryan Danielson (c)
Both in their home state of Washington. Bryan Danielson’s last-ever full-time match on American soil. Following losing the AEW World Championship to Will Ospreay in May, Swerve spiralled, leading him back to Hangman Page, who brings out the most villainous, most visceral Swerve Strickland.
But that conflict with Hangman is just what Swerve needed, it lit the fire under him to regain his confidence and chase after the AEW World Championship, to regain it.
There is a sense of inevitability on the night of WrestleDream. At this point, Danielson has wrestled 3 title matches in the last 3 weeks, and Swerve seems unbeatable. It is a spectacle of a main event, with Swerve defeating Bryan Danielson and regaining the AEW World Championship in his home state.
To get the most heat, after the match, the Blackpool Combat Club turn on Bryan in his home state of Washington. Wheeler Yuta tries to help Bryan but is held back, as his revenge run will start now to avenge Bryan and attempt to become the evolution of Bryan Danielson.
KING OF PRO WRESTLING 2024 – THE RETIREMENT MATCH
In Bryan Danielson’s final full-time match, just days removed from WrestleDream, he faces a man so often compared to him in the rubber match of their three-match series, as Zack Sabre Jr uses his G1 Climax challenge to ensure Bryan Danielson will never see the Tokyo Dome again.
It is a drawn-out match, with callbacks to all of Bryan’s most iconic matches throughout the years, it is truly a love letter to his career, with ZSJ being the perfect dance partner for Danielson’s final full-time match.
ZSJ puts down Bryan once and for all, and after the match, Danielson and ZSJ embrace, with ZSJ thanking Danielson for all he’s contributed to the industry. Although Danielson didn’t get to tick off the Tokyo Dome (although he did face Okada in it to start 2024), the run was triumphant enough to cement him as the Greatest of All Time, and with ZSJ, he knows that wrestling is in good hands.
The American Dragon sleeps.
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