Updated 2023 AEW WrestleDream Card and Predictions for Match Order
In honor of late Japanese wrestling legend Antonio Inoki, AEW is holding its first-ever WrestleDream pay-per-view on Sunday, complete with plenty of involvement from New Japan Pro-Wrestling.
AEW has slowly been expanding its pay-per-view calendar recently, starting with All In, and WrestleDream stands to potentially become a yearly event if it is deemed a success.
Headlining the show is a dream match for many between a pair of technical marvels in Bryan Danielson and Zack Sabre Jr. Also, five championships are scheduled to be on the line.
.jpg?w=256 "Cowboys Pickens Football")
.png?w=256)
Here is everything you need to know about WrestleDream, including when and how to watch it, a rundown of the full card and which matches should be of particular interest.
Where: Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle
When: Sunday, Oct. 1 at 8 p.m. ET
Watch: B/R Live
AEW WrestleDream Card and Projected Match Order
- AEW World Trios Championship: The Acclaimed (Anthony Bowens & Max Caster) and Billy Gunn vs. TMDK (Shane Haste, Mikey Nicholls & Bad Dude Tito)
- Luchasaurus vs. Nick Wayne
- The Young Bucks vs. Lucha Bros. vs. The Gunns vs. Orange Cassidy & Hook
- ROH World Championship and NJPW Strong Openweight Championship: Eddie Kingston (c) vs. Katsuyori Shibata
- AEW World Tag Team Championships: FTR (c) vs. Aussie Open
- Ricky Starks vs. Wheeler Yuta
- ROH World Tag Team Championship Handicap Match: MJF (c) vs. The Righteous
- TBS Championship: Kris Statlander (c) vs. Julia Hart
- "Hangman" Adam Page vs. Swerve Strickland
- Chris Jericho & The Golden Elite (Kenny Omega & Kota Ibushi) vs. The Don Callis Family (Konosuke Takeshita, Sammy Guevara & Will Ospreay)
- TNT Championship Two-out-of-Three Falls Match: Christian Cage (c) vs. Darby Allin
- Bryan Danielson vs. Zack Sabre Jr.
*Indicates Zero Hour pre-show matches
Top WrestleDream Matches to Watch
Bryan Danielson vs. Zack Sabre Jr.
Danielson and Sabre were supposed to do battle for the first time at the inaugural AEW x NJPW Forbidden Door pay-per-view last year, but with an injury rendering Danielson unable to compete, it didn't happen.
Instead, Claudio Castagnoli made his AEW debut as Sabre's surprise opponent and went on to join Danielson's Blackpool Combat Club stable.
Fans have clamored for AEW to go back to Danielson and Sabre, and now that both performers are health and available, it will finally come to fruition at WrestleDream.
Danielson and Sabre wrestle similar styles, which is why Sabre was often compared to Danielson during his rise in the wrestling business.
While Danielson is six years older and has five years more experience in wrestling, there is an argument to be made that Sabre has surpassed or at least equaled Danielson for the title of best technical wrestler in the world.
Both men will get the chance to stake claim to that title at WrestleDream, as they will finally have the chance to test their skills against each other.
There are no titles on the line and there isn't much of a story attached to the match, but it is one that wrestling fans have been begging for, so bragging rights are a big enough prize to keep viewers interested and engaged.
Christian Cage vs. Darby Allin
The recent rivalry between Christian Cage and Darby Allin will be taken to a new level at WrestleDream when Cage puts the TNT Championship on the line in a Two-out-of-Three Falls match.
The dastardly Christian has largely had Luchasaurus do his bidding in recent months, and it even led to Luchasaurus beating Wardlow for the TNT title on the first episode of Collision.
Although Luchasaurus was the true TNT champion, Christian often carried the title around and claimed that he was actually the champ.
Cage became the real champion recently when he face Allin and Luchasaurus in a three-way match, which saw Christian pin Luchasaurus.
That put Christian in a position where he had to be the one to defend the title against Allin next, and the stakes were upped by making it Two-out-of-Three Falls.
Cage has not only been one of AEW's best heels and characters, but even at 49 years of age, he remains an excellent in-ring performer as well.
Allin is also one of the best in-ring workers AEW has to offer, and all signs point to him and Christian putting on a bout that could prove to be the match of the night.
Chris Jericho & The Golden Elite vs. The Don Callis Family
In terms of storyline progression, there is perhaps no bigger match on the WrestleDream card than Chris Jericho, Kenny Omega and Kota Ibushi going up against Don Callis' group in a six-man tag.
Omega and Callis have been at odds for months, ever since Callis turned on Omega and subsequently aligned himself with Konosuke Takeshita.
That led to a Blood & Guts match in which Takeshita teamed up with Blackpool Combat Club, while Ibushi made his AEW debut to team with longtime friend Omega and the rest of The Elite.
Jericho was later thrust into the angle when he had to make a decision on whether he wanted to join Callis' stable after the dissolution of his own group in the Jericho Appreciation Society.
While Jericho was initially going to join, things went sideways and it ended with Jericho facing and losing to another Callis charge in Ospreay at All In.
Jericho and Guevara later faced off in what was supposed to be a fun student vs. teacher encounter at Grand Slam, but Guevara turned on Jericho in the end and joined Callis.
Omega, Jericho and Ibushi all have plenty of reason to seek revenge against Callis, which should make for a heated affair at WrestleDream.
Listen to Ring Rust Radio for all of the hot wrestling topics. Catch the latest episode in the player below.
.jpg?w=480 "Cowboys Pickens Football")
.png?w=480)
