Final Picks for Bryan Danielson vs. Zack Sabre and AEW WrestleDream 2023 Match Card
AEW WrestleDream 2023 this Sunday, October 1 will not only honor the late, great Antonio Inoki but also usher in a new era for the company, per AEW president Tony Khan.
It's a supremely stacked show from top to bottom, including a long-awaited match between Bryan Danielson and NJPW star Zack Sabre Jr. The bout had to be bumped from the 2022 installment of Forbidden Door and will now come to fruition on Bryan's home turf of Seattle.
Christian Cage and Darby Allin will also settle the score in a two-out-of-three falls match for the AEW TNT Championship. Rumors of a familiar face from Christian's past making their AEW debut at the event make the outcome all the more unpredictable.
Plus, the dream team of Kenny Omega, Chris Jericho and Kota Ibushi will battle The Don Callis Family's Konosuke Takeshita, Sammy Guevara and Will Ospreay in what is bound to be a barn burner.
Ahead of WrestleDream 2023, these are the last-minute picks that matter most.
Zero Hour
1 of 7AEW World Trios Championship: The Acclaimed and Billy Gunn vs. TMDK
The Acclaimed and Gunn have been defending against all comers since capturing the Trios titles at All In just over a month ago. There's no reason to think their reign will end prematurely at the end the hands of NJPW standouts TDMK.
This will be another straightforward showcase and victory for the three fan favorites.
Prediction: The Acclaimed and Billy Gunn retain.
Nick Wayne vs. Luchasaurus
Wayne has received consistent television time since arriving in AEW but has yet to win a match of any real importance. Luchasaurus' loss of the AEW TNT Championship last week would seem to signal a victory for him here.
This match could go either way and it wouldn't make much of a difference, but Wayne winning would make for a better moment and give him much-needed credibility.
Prediction: Nick Wayne wins.
Claudio Castagnoli vs. Josh Barnett
A random match to be sure, but Castagnoli never ceases to knock it out of the park and is a welcome addition to this card. He will beat Barnett and bounce back from his recent loss of the ROH World Championship.
Prediction: Claudio Castagnoli wins.
Shane Taylor, Lee Moriarty, Diamante and Mercedes Martinez vs. Satoshi Kojima, Keith Lee, Athena and Billie Starkz
The Ring of Honor presence on this pay-per-view is strong and continues with this contest. Let's just assume the babyfaces will win to appease the audience.
Prediction: Satoshi Kojima's team wins.
Undercard
2 of 7AEW World Tag Team Championship: FTR vs. Aussie Open
These are two of the top tag teams in the world and are guaranteed to deliver an excellent outing. Aussie Open appear to be temporary challengers for FTR before new contenders are crowned (see below).
Prediction: FTR retain.
Ricky Starks vs. Wheeler Yuta
Despite a string of strong showings, Starks has fallen short in his last three high-profile matches against CM Punk and Bryan Danielson. Thus, it's imperative he pick up the win here and get back on track.
Prediction: Ricky Starks wins.
AEW TBS Championship: Kris Statlander vs. Julia Hart
Statlander handed Hart her last loss in the spring of 2022 and it will be the same story on Sunday night. Hart's been doing solid heel work as of late, but Statlander's reign is just starting to reach that next level and shouldn't end just yet.
Prediction: Kris Statlander retains.
AEW World Tag Team Championship No. 1 Contender's Four-Way Tag Team Match: The Young Bucks vs. The Gunns vs. The Lucha Brothers vs. Orange Cassidy and Hook
With the exception of Cassidy and Hook (who have far more to offer in singles competition than in the tag team ranks), all of these tandems have had their fair share of battles with FTR. Young Bucks have unfinished business with FTR from their failure to coexist at All Out and should get the next title shot.
Prediction: The Young Bucks win.
ROH World Championship and NJPW Strong Openweight Championship: Eddie Kingston vs. Katsuyori Shibata
Kingston is fresh off capturing the ROH World title at Grand Slam and won't be relinquishing it any time soon. Shibata will give him the fight of his life, however, and they'll have a hard-hitting affair.
Prediction: Eddie Kingston retains.
ROH World Tag Team Championship: MJF vs. The Righteous
3 of 7All signs pointed to The Kingdom becoming the next number one contenders for the ROH World Tag Team Championship before The Righteous earned the opportunity instead on the Grand Slam edition of Rampage.
Adam Cole's untimely injury turns this into a two-on-one Handicap match with MJF defending on behalf of both himself and his self-proclaimed "brochacho." It also increases the odds that The Righteous could take the titles when it wasn't as unpredictable before.
Even with Cole out indefinitely, his angle with MJF can carry on for the time being a defending ROH World Tag Team champion. The Righteous would be excellent in the role as champions, but MJF overcoming the odds makes for the better story at this stage.
Eventually, it should be The Kingdom dethroning MJF so The Salt of the Earth can fully focus on the remainder of his run as AEW World champion. Jay White announced his intentions to challenge MJF last Wednesday on Dynamite, but there's no reason for him to factor into the finish here.
Prediction: MJF retains.
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"Hangman" Adam Page vs. Swerve Strickland
4 of 7It's been a great while since Adam Page received significant singles spotlight and this newfound feud with Swerve Strickland has provided him with just that.
Their rivalry has also put Strickland in a prominent position on Dynamite, which is well deserved following the stellar heel run he's been on this year. This one could go either way and it would be a satisfying conclusion, regardless.
The only drawback is that both need momentum-building wins, but Strickland in particular could use the boost. He came out on the losing end of his feud with Darby Allin and going over here would send the message that he's on the ascent toward super stardom.
However, the story they've told on television is that Page has had a "dark cloud" over his head for the last two years, and Strickland may be his first roadblock of many. He's the better bet to win, but Strickland stealing it would be the ideal outcome.
Prediction: Adam Page wins.
The Don Callis Family vs. Kenny Omega, Chris Jericho and Kota Ibushi
5 of 7What works so well about this matchup is that Kenny Omega, Chris Jericho and Kota Ibushi have established issues with each of their opponents and it progresses the overall story so seamlessly.
Konosuke Takeshita, Sammy Guevara and Will Ospreay are a tremendous trio in their own right, and if The Don Callis Family is going to be taken seriously, they need to come out on top in this star-studded six-man tag team match.
Takeshita scored the biggest win of his career when he beat Omega at All Out and should keep the hot streak going with another win over his archrival at WrestleDream. Guevara, meanwhile, just lost to Jericho at Grand Slam and could use this as a rebound.
Ospreay won't be affected either way, but his involvement alone makes this a must-see matchup.
Omega and Jericho putting their differences aside only to fail to overcome the adversity is the direction to go in. Omega should ultimately avenge his loss to Takeshita, but not on this show. The Don Calls Family must reign supreme to ensure they don't crumble before they can really get going.
Prediction: The Don Callis Family win.
Bryan Danielson vs. Zack Sabre Jr.
6 of 7The fact that Bryan Danielson vs. Zack Sabre Jr. is a dream match for many AEW fans allows it to sell itself with no other story needed.
As Danielson embarks on what he plans on being his final full-time year in wrestling, knocking off one of the world's best wrestlers that has alluded him for so long would certainly set the tone for what more is to come.
Sabre has had some exposure on AEW programming, but some viewers may be unfamiliar with what exactly he can do. This match should prove to the masses that he's worth the hype and on Danielson's level.
This technically-proficient wrestling clinic can only end one way, and that's with Danielson having his hand raised in his home state of Washington. Sabre likely won't be sticking around, so him winning doesn't benefit AEW whatsoever.
Sabre's NJPW World Television Championship not being on the line telegraphs the finish.
Prediction: Bryan Danielson wins.
AEW TNT Championship Match 2-out-of-3 Falls Match: Christian Cage vs. Darby Allin
7 of 7The AEW TNT Championship could be headlining an AEW pay-per-view for the very first time, and in the case of this hotly-contested clash, it's justified.
Darby Allin has been battling Christian Cage and Luchasaurus for months and now their ruthless rivalry is about to come to a head in a grueling two-out-of-three falls match. Allin will be the hometown hero looking to regain the gold for a third time.
Christian becoming the official champion last week on Collision was long overdue and it would be a crime for his reign to end prematurely. An Allin win would send the crowd home happy, but him with the belt is simply more of the same.
There's a lot left for Christian to do as champ from an in-ring standpoint and he has yet to formally defeat Allin. That should change here with a successful retention, followed by a potential shock debut from Christian's iconic tag team partner Edge.
It's unclear whether that would have anything to do with the "new era" Tony Khan has promised, but it would be a massive pickup, nonetheless. Edge or no Edge, Christian is leaving Seattle with the coveted championship still in his possession.
Prediction: Christian Cage retains.
Graham Mirmina, aka Graham "GSM" Matthews, has specialized in sports and entertainment writing since 2010. Visit his website, WrestleRant, and subscribe to his YouTube channel for more wrestling-related content.
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