AEW Revolution 2021 Preview

Wednesday night's DYNAMITE: THE CROSSROADS turned into one wild just a few days ahead of All Elite Wrestling's return to pay-per-view! Between the return of Tully Blanchard to in-ring competition and the surprising arrivals of JJ Dillon and Shawn Spears that came with it, the first live appearance of Paul Wight on AEW television, and the Shaquille O'Neal/Jade Cargill duo impressing the world with their victory, it was an insane final stop on the road to REVOLUTION 2021 (Order Now)! But THIS Sunday night, starting at 8pm EST with AEW's first PPV offering of 2021, the landscape of All Elite Wrestling is going to get explosive!

Last year's REVOLUTION event was voted the Best Major Wrestling Show by the Wrestling Observer while the World Tag Team Title match between Hangman Page/Kenny Omega and The Young Bucks was voted the Match of The Year! With so much jam-packed into this year's pay-per-view presentation, this year looks to top that epic night in Chicago!

Let's explore what brought us to this dance...

AEW WORLD TITLE EXPLODING BARBWIRE DEATHMATCH...

Kenny Omega (c) vs. (#1) Jon Moxley

There are countless variations on the phrase, but it is Spanish philosopher George Santayana who is credited with saying “Those who cannot remember the past are doomed to repeat it”. In looking at this historic Exploding Barbwire Deathmatch for the AEW World Title, one must question if Kenny Omega is a living embodiment of this phrase.

When reflecting on his own history with Jon Moxley, does “The Best Bout Machine” only recall the night of DYNAMITE: WINTER IS COMING when he dethroned the defending champion, in no small part to the assistance of Don Callis and an errant microphone? Does he only reflect on the assaults perpetrated upon Mox with the assistance of The Good Brothers? Has he selectively forgotten the parts of their shared history that reflect on Kenny Omega's shortcomings?

Has Kenny Omega blocked out that 2019 evening in Las Vegas when Jon Moxley heralded his arrival in All Elite Wrestling at the expense of Omega? Is the memory of the very first DYNAMITE, when Moxley dropped Kenny through a glass table with a Paradigm Shift erased, from his brain? Where are the recollections of FULL GEAR 2019 when Jon and Kenny decimated one another in an Unsanctioned Lights Out Match? Does he not remember the bed of barbwire tearing at his skin or the pain of shattered glass and exposed rings?

Or has he simply chosen to omit those memories from his personal data bank because they all share one thing in common: a defeated Kenny. They are memories that force Omega to think about the spiral he traveled down early in his AEW career, the losses to PAC, the inconsistency of his performances in the ring, the fact that it was not a solo run that pulled him out of the morass but rather an exceptionally successful tag team title run with Hangman Page. As frustrating as it may have been at times dealing with the mercurial nature of Adam Page, it showed Kenny that he was just as exceptional at tag team wrestling as he was on his own. That was something Omega reveled it at one point, but the cracks started to show even before he and Page lost the championships, revealing aspects of “The Cleaner” hidden underneath.

It was an aspect of Omega that fans thought they wanted to see, but when it finally was reborn into AEW following FTR taking the tag belts and Kenny winning the World Title Eliminator Tournament over Hangman, they saw just how ugly “The Cleaner” truly can be. Kenny abandoned Page completely, barely acknowledged The Young Bucks, and then there is how that title bout against Moxley played out with Don Callis.

The Kenny Omega who stood in that AEW ring last summer would not have run out of the building, tail tucked between his legs, after capturing the World Title. He would not have traveled to other companies to antagonize their champions, nor would he have brought their wrestlers back to AEW regardless of whatever Bullet Club bonds they shared. Those Club bonds barely seem to extend to Matt and Nick Jackson however, and not at all to Hangman Page, they are clearly reserved for The Good Brothers. The scariest part of this entire transformation Kenny Omega has undergone since becoming the 3rd AEW World Champion is just effective it has been for “The Cleaner” as a professional wrestler.

He is operating at peak performance, as evidenced by his fights with Joey Janela and Rey Fenix, and even his AAA Mega Title defense with Laredo Kid shortly after the claiming the AEW World Title. Perhaps the sad reality is that the Kenny Omega we are witnessing now is the true essence of a man, and the presence of Don Callis and possession of the World Title allowed the snake to shed his skin to reveal the ugliness underneath. And it takes a true ugliness to insist upon a stipulation in which the ring ropes are wrapped in barbed wire rigged to explode upon impact...

Fortunately for Jon Moxley, that ugliness is a place in which he has thrived for a long time. Here in All Elite Wrestling, fans have seen the former World Champion get down and dirty in title fights with Eddie Kingston, Lance Archer, Jake Hager, the aforementioned Lights Outs Match with Kenny Omega, as well as one with Joey Janela back at FYTER FEST 2019. They have seen him compete with impaired vision thanks to Chris Jericho, with blood streaming down his face, and barbwire tearing at his flesh.

What's scary about Jon Moxley is that those things are not the worst he has experienced in his professional wrestling career. Perhaps that is something else Kenny Omega has willfully chosen to forget, or perhaps he never bothered to educate himself about because it beneath his lofty standards to watch the dark things committed in dark places.

Jon Moxley has been inside a cage and involved in a match dubbed “Tables, Chairs, and Silverware”. He has had Dog Collars strapped around his throat and been in a situation where the fans physically brought weapons to the fight. Mox has been the Last Man Standing and felt the sting of No Ropes Barbed Wire battles. The former AEW World Champion has crashed down on barbed wire boards, been a victim of pits of glass, and fought without rules against the infamous “Notorious 187” Homicide who is one of the most violent men in modern wrestling history. No, he has never been inside an exploding ring, but short of that, there is very little torture this man has not subjected his body to en route to where he stands today as, championship or not, the best wrestler on the planet.

Kenny, on the other hand, well that FULL GEAR 2019 fight was by far the darkest place he has ever gone in his professional wrestling career. Omega certainly proved to the world that November night, and to Jon Moxley, that he has the violence inside him but does it exist to this extreme? Is he willing to sacrifice absolutely everything to retain ownership of that AEW World Championship? Will Kenny find it acceptable to bear the scars, both physical and psychological, from this one fight for the rest of his life? Because that is the place Omega will have to find within himself, the future he will need to accept, if the World Champion expects to survive this landmark REVOLUTION 2021 deathmatch.

Jon Moxley is willing to make those sacrifices, Jon Moxley has built a career on making those kind of sacrifices in order to get what he wants and needs. Moxley is willing to go out on his shield for the possibility of becoming the first two-time AEW World Champion and repaying Kenny Omega for WINTER IS COMING and the assorted violence that has followed since that December night.

This feels like Omega pushed to the limit with Moxley's existence and thus entering a world he arrogantly thinks he is prepared for. It feels like Jon delving into the darkest pieces of his own history in order to reclaim what was stolen from him. In doing so, both of these men are making history with the first-ever Exploding Barbed Wire Deathmatch on American soil, a feat several have tried but none have accomplished until this Sunday night.

All the film in the world cannot prepare either man for what is in store for them with that first explosion, all they can do is grit their teeth and keep fighting until there is no fight left to give. The one man who can endure the most punishment, that is the one who will be able to call himself champion when the final bell tolls...

STREET FIGHT...

TNT Champion Darby Allin & Sting vs. Team Taz (FTW Champion Brian Cage & Ricky Starks)

The issues here have been discussed in great detail; the issues Taz has with Darby Allin date back to the spring of last year when the man dubbed “The Human Suplex Machine” during his active wrestling days offered a helping hand to Darby but was turned down cold.

Feeling disrespected, Taz unleashed “The Machine” Brian Cage on All Elite Wrestling during the Casino Ladder Match at DOUBLE OR NOTHING 2020, and specifically on Darby Allin. That night Cage put Allin on the shelf, albeit temporarily, and began a fight that has raged on in some form until this very day. Darby felt the pain from Cage, and from Ricky Starks as he aligned himself with Team Taz. He even found himself sealed inside a body bag, filled with thumbtacks, and powerbombed on the AEW stage!

For Darby, it pulled in Cody Rhodes, as well as Jon Moxley, to lend him assistance, and seemed to bring Will Hobbs to Allin's side as well. That turned out to be a massive ruse as Hobbs revealed his true colors, turning his back on Darby and Cody, and taking on the name Powerhouse when he draped himself in the orange and black of Team Taz.

The biggest turning point in this war came with a bit of snow in tow when, at DYNAMITE: WINTER IS COMING, the legendary Sting emerged onto the TNT stage for the first time since 2001 and began an alliance with TNT Champion Darby Allin. Since that night, Sting and Darby have been rather inseparable, having each other's backs whenever possible. Team Taz was kept at relative bay for a time, even finding themselves on the outside of Daily's Place looking in, but using the ban from the premises as an excuse to attack AEW staff.

The verbal onslaught continued, and when they finally had a chance at Darby, the goons laid him out inside a body bag, and dragged the unconscious TNT Champion around the Daily's Place parking lot while he was trapped inside. Suffice it to say this was the final straw that pushed Sting over the edge and had him step up to Team Taz by himself. The face painted man paid for his bravery, getting laid out with a powerbomb from Brian Cage, but made it clear that there was no fear in his heart regardless of the numbers advantage.

Sting and Darby would get it back though on the night, with skateboard in hand, Allin zip-lined out of the rafters like a late-90's Stinger and the two self-proclaimed hoodlums took the attack to Team Taz. The violence continued this week on DYNAMITE: THE CROSSROADS, one last chance for a team to get a leg up before their Street Fight collision. It began with Ricky Starks in the face of Sting, even slapping the legend across the face, but ultimately ending up locked in the Scorpion Deathlock.

The reminder of Team Taz hit the ring to save their fellow, Hook even tried to choke out Sting but to no avail, and when Cage came to try and powerbomb Stinger once again, Darby arrived for the save. After one shotgun dropkick from Allin, Cage bailed out to higher ground and the safety of the rest of his team, leaving a sort of stalemate with REVOLUTION 2021 looming just days away. Taz's boys have one last fine tuning bout on the AEW DARK Saturday special, but there is a far cry from a traditional bout and the Street Fight that Cage and Starks are staring down.

Sting said from his arrival in AEW that the only for sure was that nothing was for sure, and that could not be more accurate when it comes to a Street Fight. You can't predict what will happen next, what direction the fight will go, or just what plunder may come into play. This is going to be as wild and unpredictable as every moment since Sting first landed in Jacksonville...

AEW WORLD TAG TEAM TITLE MATCH...

The Young Bucks (Matt & Nick Jackson) (c) vs. The Inner Circle (Chris Jericho & MJF w/ Wardlow)

One year ago, at REVOLUTION 2020, The Young Bucks were involved in a tag team championship contest that was voted the Match Of The Year in the prestigious Wrestling Observer Awards. That night in Chicago, facing off with Kenny Omega and Hangman Page, the brothers Jackson left the arena empty-handed but hopefully with some pride for the fight they gave the champions. It does not compensate for the pain of losing, of coming so close to achieving a dream yet falling just short, but at least Matt and Nick could find some solace in knowing they did everything they could on THAT night.

That night did not define The Young Bucks though, that night not did not break them nor their drive to one day become the AEW World Tag Team Champions. If anything, coming so close to making the dream a reality pushed them harder to step up their game and find whatever was missing that prevented them from winning THAT night.

The journey took a bit, plenty of obstacles fell into their path in the forms of The Inner Circle and Stadium Stampede, The Butcher and The Blade, The Dark Order, and even their own friend in Hangman Page. But they persevered, pushed on until finally becoming number one contenders once again as AEW headed into FULL GEAR 2020. This time, with FTR now the defending champions, The Young Bucks finally superkicked the pieces into place and achieved the dream of becoming the AEW World Tag Team champions. It was not their first time becoming champions in their decorated tag team career, but it certainly was the most special for Matt and Nick Jackson.

This Sunday night, for the third time since capturing the titles in November, The Young Bucks will defend the World Tag Team Championships in the opening match of REVOLUTION 2021! Their foes on this evening, a mix of the familiar and fresh, in The Inner Circle's Chris Jericho and Maxwell Jacob Friedman.

Unlike Matt and Nick, the road to REVOLUTION 2021 was not a long one for MJF and “The DemoGod”, still it was rather bumpy. Their crowning as the top contenders may have come at DYNAMITE: BEACH BREAK back on February 3rd, but getting to that point was wrought with Inner Circle in-fighting over who would be THE tag team representing Jericho's unit. The Inner Circle fought in a three way match WITH EACH OTHER to see what team would represent them going forward, and the MJF/Jericho pairing won out.

That didn't stop the squabbling, and thus when three different Inner Circle units took part in the BEACH BREAK battle royal to crown the top contenders, it put further pressure on the stability of The Inner Circle. Sure all outside fingers point to MJF as the catalyst for all the Inner Circle inner problems, but it was Chris Jericho who eliminated Sammy Guevara en route to winning the title opportunity. It was just the insistent needling and manipulations of MJF that proved the final straw for Guevara, leading to him quitting the group, and not being seen on AEW TV since.

A potential grenade was thrown into the middle of the entire scenario on February 17th when Santana and Ortiz came within a hair's breadth of becoming the new tag team champions on DYNAMITE. It certainly would have made for a different kind of explosive situation had MJF and Jericho squared off with their own allies for the belts, but The Young Bucks managed to snatch victory out of defeat's jaws to retain the titles.

So with the match between The Young Bucks and Jericho/MJF set in stone after that title bout, Chris and Max decided to escalate the situation by attacking Papa Buck, leaving him \battered backstage, his blood smeared across trailers bearing the images of his sons. As seen in the video embedded above, the challengers had plenty to say about their foes, laying the blame for what happened to Papa Buck on the man himself, but as can be seen in the one below, Matt and Nick had their own way to respond:

That brings us to REVOLUTION 2021 this Sunday night when The Young Bucks defend their World Tag Team Titles against The Inner Circle's Chris Jericho and MJF! For the second year in a row, the face of tag team wrestling battle two “singles wrestlers” linking up for tag team action. To be fair to the history of Chris Jericho, he has proven incredibly successful in just such a situation, having captured multiple tag team championships with multiple partners, but it also demonstrates just how arbitrary his alliances can be. MJF, well it is no secret to everyone how he operates, just look to Cody Rhodes for how slippery a snake Max can be, but for the time being it suits both of his and Jericho's interests to sync up and pursue the Bucks championships. Now Jericho and Max may have only spent a short time gelling into a unity, but they have looked quite impressive in that time.

That's not the same as a lifetime spent together like the brothers Jackson, just as the specter of Page/Omega and REVOLUTION 2020 is not the same as MJF/Jericho. That night a year ago was personal and filled with tension as a result of the friendships that then existed between the four men, but it was ultimately about who was the better team. It was about tag team wrestling and competition in its finest form. REVOLUTION 2021 has extremely personal after that assault on Papa Buck; it is still about the tag titles ultimately, but the sportsmanship part has been stained with the blood of a man who not only built the foundation of Matt and Nick's wrestling career, but is partially responsible for their very existence on this Earth.

The question now is if the actions of Chris Jericho and MJF were sufficient enough to throw The Young Bucks off their game, and shake them enough for The Inner Circle to claim the belts? Or did it just open up a side of The Young Bucks that Jericho and Max are not prepared to handle? We will find out right away when this World Tag Team Championship match opens up REVOLUTION 2021 at 8pm EST!!

AEW WOMEN'S WORLD TITLE MATCH...

Hikaru Shida (c) vs. Women's World Title Eliminator Tournament Winner Ryo Mizunami

Two hundred eighty-eight days; that is how long Hikaru Shida has carried the AEW Women's World Championship with her. So not only is she the longest reigning champion in that division, outstripping Riho's run by over 150 days, but Shida is also the longest reigning title holder in the history of All Elite Wrestling with only Jon Moxley's 277 day World Title run coming near this historic title reign.

Still, those are not the only impressive numbers that Shida has in her record books. The reigning Women's champion has not tasted a defeat since June 10th, an amazing 270 days, and that bout was in tag team competition. In singles action, be it one-on-one or in a multi-woman situation, when Hikaru Shida enters into REVOLUTION 2021, she will not have lost since January 1st of 2020. That is 432 days without losing, once again just nudging out the 421 days Jon Moxley officially went without tasting defeat in singles competition (523 if we included the Unsanctioned Bout with Joey Janela at FYTER FEST 2019).

By any measure of success, Hikaru Shida stands as one of the greatest wrestlers to compete in All Elite Wrestling and on Sunday night, in her sixth title defense, she is once again faced with a quite familiar foe!

The history of Hikaru Shida and Ryo Mizunami dates back to 2010 when they first encountered one another on opposite sides of a tag team match. Despite having quite a few encounters in the years after that, their first one-on-one bout on record did not come until five years later when Shida defeated Ryo. That first battle on June 21, 2015 would also mark the lone time in their four singles bout that actually resulted in a winner. Two years later, plus one day, the two women would meet for a second head-to-head clash that would ultimately results in a time limit draw after twenty minutes. They scenario would repeat itself two more times, both in 2019, leaving Shida with the only decisive decision in their clashes.

On occasion, such as their mutual first appearances for AEW at DOUBLE OR NOTHING 2019, the two competitors have competed as teammates, but more often than not, Shida and Mizunami have stood in opposition with Ryo most frequently getting the upper hand. It may feel as if that was another life though as, in the seventeen months since their last encounter, a tag team bout that Hikaru won, the AEW champion has grown into one of single best wrestlers competing today. The record discussed above stands as testament to that fact but, to paraphrase a classic line from a classic song, you can run on for a long time but sooner or later someone's going to cut you down.

That person may indeed be Ryo as she comes into REVOLUTION 2021 having won four straight tournament matches against four varying opponents. She has coped with power, speed, experience, strength, technique, and came out victorious. Maki Ito, Aja Kong, Yuka Sakazaki, and Nyla Rose; that is quite a murderers' row of opponents just to get to this opportunity at ending the reign of the most dominant woman All Elite Wrestling has scene to date.

When the proverbial smoke has cleared, and one woman's hand is raised in victory with the championship belt in her possession, fans will have experienced history. Be it the crowning of a new champion coming at the expense of the longest reign in AEW's history coming to an end, or the celebration of a championship retained and continuing on towards that 300 day mark.

BIG MONEY MATCH...

“Hangman” Adam Page vs. “Big Money” Matt Hardy

***WINNER GETS THE LOSER'S 1ST QUARTER EARNINGS***

He thought he had him, from the very first time Matt Hardy extended a hand to Hangman Page he thought he had the former World Tag Team Champion on the hook. That is the carny arrogance of Hardy thinking he'd found himself another mark to swindle, like he had with Private Party, in order to get himself paid in the process. Turns out Hangman has learned a thing or two over the last year about friendship, allies, and who can really be counted on. It also goes to show that, contrary to what some such as Hardy believe, Adam does not spend his existence outside the bell-to-bell in a drunken stupor oblivious to the world.

Clearly Adam knew from jump street that Matt had an angle to play and it was just a matter of stringing him along long enough to see what the game was, and what sort of long con Big Money was playing at. Turns it out wasn't that complicated at all; get Page drunk and have him sign over his life and the majority of his earnings to Matt Hardy and his enterprises. It's a good thing Page learned a trick or two from The Dark Order and brought his own papers with him to the little liquor infused pow-wow Hardy made sure to get on tape for authenticity purposes.

It was not surprising that Hardy tried to swindle Adam Page, that is what he does after all, it's like breathing with him, but it was somewhat amazing that Hangman was aware the whole time. Given his history with allies, Page has not seen the forest for the trees on more than one occasion. He did not see the game being ran on him by FTR ahead of the championship collision that cost Page and Kenny Omega the World Tag Team Titles, and neither did he see how Omega wanted away from Adam in the aftermath of that loss, at least not until the Men's World Title Eliminator Tournament finals at FULL GEAR 2020 made that clear as crystal.

Yet that fact with Page still has not been the most surprising element to spring out of Hardy's attempt to con the Hangman. It is the role The Dark Order has played in Adam's life that has proven the most unexpected to fans and to Page himself. Despite Adam having turned down their offer to join the family, the group (spearheaded by John Silver) has still looked out for Adam. They were there for him when Isiah Kassidy revealed himself under the Jaquars mascot costume and helped Hardy attack Adam. They were willing to take up the fight against Hardy and his hired minions even though it got Five tossed off the stage through a table.

Even after that, Five was still willing to climb inside the ring with four other members of The Dark Order last Wednesday to fight Hardy, Private Party, and TH2, but Big Money scammed that away and changed to a tag team match. Hardy and Quen teamed up to take on Page and John Silver, The Dark Order showing once more they unquestioningly support Hangman, in a match that ended with Page taking off Marq's head with a Buckshot Lariat!

The aftermath of the match turned into utter chaos as Hardy struck Page and Silver with the microphone, which in turned brought out The Dark Order, and then followed by the mass of humanity involved in the Casino Tag Team Royale. It was absolute chaos as DYNAMITE went off the air, but come Sunday, when Page and Hardy square up, it will just be about the two of them. Hardy can pay off who ever he wants, as he did Jack Evans to cost Ten his Qualifier match on Wednesday, but ultimately he has to answer to Hangman. It is especially appropriate that money is at stake since it is the only thing Hardy seems to genuinely care about aside from his wife and children, as if he does not have enough already from the amassed throughout his highly successful and influential wrestling career.

But that is why Page introduced this stipulation to the match, all the 1st quarter earnings due the winner of the bout, because he knows it will hit Big Money Matt where it hurts the most. This is a quarter with pay-per-view pay days for each man, and action figure money coming in for both from their respective UNRIVALED figures, and that just a portion of the income. This is going to hurt the pocket book for the loser, and that man be Matt Hardy, it's also going to hurt his carny soul knowing he got outplayed for underestimating the Hangman...

FACE OF THE REVOLUTION LADDER MATCH...

***WINNER EARNS A TNT TITLE MATCH ON MARCH 10TH***

“The American Nightmare” Cody Rhodes vs. Scorpio Sky vs. Penta El Zero Miedo vs. “The Murderhawk Monster” Lance Archer vs. Max Caster vs. ???

Reaching for the brass ring; it is a phrase whose origins exist in how riders sitting on a carousel were encouraged to sit on the outside area thus allowing more passengers and in turn, making more money for the carousel operators who aimed to cram as many bodies as possible in the area. In trying to maximize the space to maximize their money, carousel operators would hang an actual brass ring just outside the carousel floor and offer a free ride to someone who could grab the ring.

In other words, if the rider wanted that something extra than they had to put in the extra work to earn it, and so was born a phrase that has become ingrained in our cultural lexicon, and will be quite literal come Sunday night when six competitors step into the ring to become The Face Of The Revolution and earn a TNT Title match.

In order to get that title opportunity on the March 10th DYNAMITE, one of these six competitors will have to ascend a ladder to retrieve the brass ring. One of these men will have to make that extra effort to endure the pain and punishment inherent in ladders become fair game in a wrestling contest. Of the five individuals announced for this contest, all five have tasted the ladder at some point in their wrestling careers. In AEW, Scorpio Sky was involved in the Casino Ladder Match back at DOUBLE OR NOTHING 2020 that brought Brian Cage into the fold of AEW and Team Taz, and Penta El Zero Miedo was on the winning side of the brutal Escalera de la Muerte at ALL OUT 2019.

The other three men announced have all been involved with ladder matches in one form or another in their career, outside AEW, so that just leaves the mystery opponent and the question of if that individual has felt the pain of a limb getting slammed between the rungs or their head cracking off the top when someone uses a ladder like a javelin. The idea of climbing and grabbing something always sounds easy but when the actual execution comes, it is one of the riskiest endeavors in professional wrestling that can alter the direction of a career in multiple ways.

The winner here will certainly see their career altered, having earned a TNT Title opportunity on the March 10th DYNAMITE, but there is a very real possibility that Darby Allin will NOT be the man holding the title. During the latest edition of the AEW Unrestricted podcast (Listen Here), Tony Khan informed fans that should the defending TNT Champion be unable to compete as a result of his and Sting's Street Fight with Team Taz, then Darby will be stripped of the belt and a new champion will be crowned! It is certainly a concern the six competitors in this Ladder Match will have in their minds, but one they will have to set aside until they secure the brass ring. The five fighters already set will also have to put away any concern or speculation about who their final foe will be, it is beyond their control and just has to be looked at as another obstacle to climb over en route to the brass ring.

After all, getting to that TNT Title is just like getting to the top of the ladder: one step at a time...

TAG TEAM GRUDGE MATCH...

Chuck Taylor & Orange Cassidy vs. Kip Sabian & Miro (w/ Penelope Ford)

Following the disastrous aftermath of Penelope Ford and Kip Sabian's wedding, the desire to wreak vengeance upon Chuck Taylor and Orange Cassidy has been strong within the newlyweds and their Best Man Miro. In their eyes, KiPelope are likely innocent victims in the entire scenario who did nothing to deserve the wedding cake being desecrated, and their post-ceremonial happiness spoiled. Miro did nothing to warrant getting his leg cuffed to the ropes while he helplessly watched his meticulously planning fall apart before his eyes.

It couldn't have been the injury to Trent that forced him out of action, and will keep him sidelined for several months to come. It could not have been the humiliating treatment of Charles The Butler, forcing him to declare Miro his new best friend, and spend several weeks serving at The Best Man's behest. It certainly could not be everything else that was preamble to that like the backstage assaults, verbal attacks, or interference. The bridal party could not possibly have done anything to warrant their special day ruined in front of a worldwide audience.

The amazing thing, although it runs completely on brand, is how Cassidy and Chuckie T have responded with complete ambivalence since the wedding, and how it has infuriated Miro, Kip, and Penelope. As if having flashbacks to grade school, OC and Chuck sent a letter, a “Circle Yes or No” letter, to see if Miro and Kip would be willing to have a match at REVOLUTION 2021! It's exactly what one would expect from that pair, and it had the desired effect of pushing their opponents into the tag team fight coming Sunday night!

Now that Miro and Kip are sufficiently angry, embarrassed, humiliated even, the time has come for Orange Cassidy and Chuck Taylor to follow through when the bell rings and end this rivalry. The play seems to be using the anger of the wedding party against them, causing Kip and Miro to underestimate their foes, and thus far it appears to be working. It's a play that has worked in the favor of Taylor and Cassidy before, we shall see if that continues to be the case on Sunday night!

CASINO TAG TEAM ROYALE...

***WINNERS EARN A FUTURE WORLD TAG TEAM TITLE MATCH***

Bear Country vs. Alex Reynolds/John Silver vs. Evil Uno/Stu Grayson vs. Santana/Ortiz vs. The Butcher & The Blade vs. Private Party (Isiah Kassidy/Marq Quen) vs. Gunn Club (Austin & Colten Gunn) vs. Natural Nightmares (Dustin Runnels/QT Marshall) vs. Five/Ten vs. Death Triangle (PAC/Rey Fenix) vs. The Sydal Bros (Matt & Mike Sydal) vs. Jurassic Express (Jungle Boy/Luchasaurus) vs. The Varsity Blonds (Brian Pillman Jr/Griff Garrison) vs. Cezar Bononi/Peter Avalon vs. SCU (Christopher Daniels/Frankie Kazarian) vs.

Brought to you by the AEW CASINO: DOUBLE OR NOTHING game (Read More), this wild Battle Royale will award the winning team with a future AEW World Tag Team Title Match!

The rules are posted above in the embedded tweet, and there will no doubt be more teams added to the craziness by bell time! This is a tremendous opportunity for a great many pairs, especially units like Bear Country who are so new to the AEW tag team scene but have made a tremendous impact on viewers and opponents alike. The Dark Order may be Vegas favorites going into this one with three separate teams representing the Purple and Black! Evil Uno and Stu Grayson, Reynolds and Silver, and now, after Ten lost in the Face of The Elimination Qualifier, he and Five will join the fray!

Ortiz and Santana certainly want this, especially after having the tag titles in the palm of their hands on DYNAMITE a few weeks ago only to let a mental lapse cost them. One can imagine the pressure Private Party is feeling from Big Money Matt to win this one, while Butcher and Blade want their very first crack at the titles more than anything.

This hungry lot of competitors, all vying for a shot at either The Young Bucks or Jericho & MJF, is just another example of why tag team wrestling is such an integral part of All Elite Wrestling. The entire card of REVOLUTION 2021 demonstrates just how vital and competitive the division is, and this Casino Battle Royale will be a fight to determine who wants the next chance to step up to the top of the division!

SOME BIG PROMISES...

Paul Wight made his AEW debut on DYNAMITE: THE CROSSROADS this past Wednesday, returning to the TNT stage for the first time in over 20 years, and right alongside Tony Schiavone! In addition to hyping up his commentary debut for AEW DARK: ELEVATION (starting March 15th on the official YouTube Channel), the largest athlete in professional wrestling also offered up what he called “the biggest scoop ever” by declaring that AEW would hire a “Hall of Fame worthy talent” that would be a huge asset to AEW! He also made a point to say “it's not who you think it is”, leaving a big mystery that fans have been speculating about since the words came out of Wight's mouth! Just who will this mystery person be? Only way to find out is to buy in to REVOLUTION 2021 on Sunday night!!! And speaking of buying in...

THE BUY-IN...

Thunder Rosa & Riho vs. Dr. Britt Baker D.M.D & Rebel

Prior to every pay-per-view offering, AEW presents THE BUY-IN on BRLive, a free opportunity for fans to get a sneak preview of what the night has to offer and experience some great wrestling action. With REVOLUTION 2021, the BUY-IN presents one of the most heated rivalries in all of AEW with Thunder Rosa and Britt Baker once more in competition! Last time out at DYNAMITE: BEACH BREAK, the good doctor was able to defeat Rosa thanks to a bit of nefarious tactics and some Rebel assistance. Then when the brackets for the Women's World Title Eliminator Tournament were released, one can imagine that Rosa hoped the stars would align for the two women to meet again there but that was not meant to be as Nyla Rose bested Baker in the Semi-Finals before Thunder could get to her.

Good things come to those who wait though, and Rosa will not only get a chance to payback Britt Baker, but also Rebel for her role in assisting Britt throughout. See this won't be a one-on-one contest, it will be a tag team bout, and Rosa will have the first and former AEW Women's World Champion Riho at her side!

The dynamic between Riho and Baker is quite an interesting one as the two women have been both ally and foe to one another. They've been on the same team on three occasions in the past, but also on opposite sides, just as Britt challenged Riho on two instances while she held the championship. The first time in a straight up singles contest that marked Riho's first defense, and then later as a part of a four way back at DYNAMITE: HOMECOMING on 1/1/20. Obviously Riho was victories in those outcomes, but the Britt Baker who she fought back then is a far cry from the woman she has (d)evolved into over the last year-plus.

This should be one heated contest, but the Baker camp is already making excuses via Twitter (View Tweet), claiming Rebel's physical health as an out, so we shall see how this unfolds on Sunday night. Britt Baker and Rebel are due for their comeuppance from Thunder Rosa and she will have it one way or another!

The last several weeks have been loaded for All Elite Wrestling fans! Between the superb contests that compromised the Women's World Title Eliminator Tournament, the amazing editions of AEW DARK, and so much action on DYNAMITE, it has been a veritably treasure trove for wrestling enthusiasts. AEW is not done yet, because before REVOLUTION 2021 comes Sunday night, there will be a special edition of AEW DARK coming your way on Saturday! One last offering to wet your palate for the most explosive pay-per-view of the year!

It gets under way with the free BUY-IN prior to the PPV, and then REVOLUTION 2021 (Order Now) kicks off at 8pm EST/7pm CST on BRLive.com! This is one fans will be talking about for some time to come, so do not miss out on seeing all the action as it happens! It's three championship matches, one inside an exploding barbwire ring, a ladder match, a Street Fight involving the legendary Sting, a mammoth battle royale, and more!