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AAW Never Say Die is just four short days away, and if you haven’t gotten tickets, hurry up, you’re almost out of luck as reserved are all but sold out and I’m sure General Admission is near gone too! The card is stacked, and we’ve been promised more matches. As of right now, AAW’s official e-mail says the following will be there:
Gringo Loco
SCHAFF
Christi Jaynes
Ren Jones
Davey Vega w/ John E Bravo & Hartenbower
Victor Benjamin
Hakim Zane & Karam
ACH & Jah-C
Brayden Lee
Shane Hollister
But these aren’t the announced matches. We’re going to do our usual, which I haven’t done in a while due to complications and timing and work, and that’s to take a quick look at the card, and give you my picks as to who I think is going to win and why. These are NOT official results, keep in mind, these are my personal opinions. We’re going to only cover the matches announced from now until the day of the show. I will not update anything from 4 pm CST and beyond the day of the show. That will go in the post-article. I also, out of respect for fans, will not live-tweet the Alive tapings or cover them in the post-article as well, since I’m not sure how long after the tapings Alive goes on the air. Unlike most of the IWC, I respect people who don’t want spoilers. So, let’s take a look at the card, shall we? Also, I’m going in the order posted on Twitter, which will not be the actual card order.
UPDATE 4/27/2022!!! Just announced:
ACH/Jah-C and a mystery partner will face Hakim Zane, Karam, and Ren Jones
This will be interesting. Hakim, Ren and Karam have shown that they will do anything, ANYTHING, to win a match. They don’t care how dirty or low it is, especially Zane. Be it AAW or Impact, Zane plays extremally dirty, and will do anything in his power, or someone else’s power, to win a match. Zane is a master manipulator, and I look for some dirty play in this. I don’t mean “dirty” like people accuse Axel Ricco of doing, who is totally innocent and never does anything wrong. I mean chairs behind the refs back, pulling partners arms during submissions, hitting the ref, anything he can possibly do to win. With Ren and Karam in his corner? I see them winning. But on the other hand, ACH and Jah-C are no slouches. Depending on their mystery partner, the tables can turn. Quickly. Now if this mystery partner is Schaff, which I’m thinking, then ACH and Jah-C have this in the bag. If it’s one half of the greatest tag team of all time, LA SOCIEDAD BORICUA, AXELLL RICCCOOOOO, then this will also be a no contest. I’m leaning towards ACH and Jah-C with the mystery partner to pick up the W here.
Match 1: Mat Fitchett vs Eric Young.
I feel this should have been in a cage because of the Twitter drama but, we already have a cage match later that night. I’ve followed EY’s career for quite some time, from his early days in TNA to his run in WWE as SAnitY, who could have been huge if not for WWE’s absolute trash booking, to going back to TNA and finding his ground again. Most of us know about EY and his…questionable moments..where he seems to lose all control of himself. We also know he’s married to ODB, so he’s gotta be one tough SOB.
But what about Mat Fitchett? The GvnSlinger. The AAW Heavyweight Champion? He’s held the AAW tag belt three times, and won the Jim Lynam Memorial Tournament, defeating the likes of Jake Something, Josh Alexander, and ACH. These are no run-of-the-mill opponents. Jake is massive and has defeated many opponents much bigger than Mat. went toe to toe with Josh Alexander in a hell of a fight, and speaking of Josh, the former X-Division champion in TNA and now World Heavyweight Champion in Impact, Mat has beaten him too! These are some tough guys. But EY has many years of experience. So it’s a toss-up, but I’m going to have to go with Mat on this one, the AAW World Heavyweight Champion. It’s going to be a hell of a fight either way, as these men have NOT been kind to each other on Twitter whatsoever, forcing AAW to step in and sanction this match.
Next and likely our Main Event, one I know a person on Twitter, Emma, will love:
One Called Manders vs Silas Young with Val Malone in a steel cage.
Now normally Val would be a major player since reuniting with Silas, but in a steel cage, she’s likely to not be as much of a factor in this. Let’s face it, the more violent, the more chance at an injury, the higher Manders chances are of winning. Manders loves his doors and tables, and Manders loves his violence. Every match I’ve seen Manders in that involves weapons, he’s won. His feud with Infamy comes to mind, where he absolutely obliterated one of them with a chair and kendo stick. This is Manders territory. Manders rules the ring, Manders will be in his element. Silas is no slouch, but against Manders in a cage? Sorry, buddy you signed your death warrant. I got Manders, no questions asked. If you wanted a chance against him, you should have picked a 1v1, not a cage!
The next match listed will be interesting.
Tag champions Ace Perry and Hammerstone against Russ Jones and Heather Reckless.
Russ just randomly picked her at Logans, as she was right, or wrong, place at the right, or wrong, time.
Russ Jones has proven time and time again that if you get in front of Russ Jones, you get destroyed. Russ has carved a path of destruction everywhere he’s gone in AAW, and well, according to profightdb.com, Russ has only lost 14 matches going all the way back to 2013. He’s been undefeated from 2021 to his last match at Epic on March 19th of this year, 12 matches total. He even defeated Jake Something at AAW Legacy, which is no small feat. Russ Jones is an unstoppable force, and Ace Perry is just an obnoxious little ant in the way. Ace hides behind Hammerstone, which is going to be the “It” factor in this match. If Heather is utilized at all, she needs to be on Ace Perry. She could easily defeat him, as she’s a great wrestler. Russ and Hammerstone though, that’s going to be a hell of a fight. But I look for Team Reckless Mayhem (That’s what I’m dubbing Russ and Heather) to be new tag team champions. I mean it’s Russ Jones. Have you SEEN this man? There is no stopping him once he gets moving.
The AAW Heritage Championship is up next, with Ace Austin, the new Impact X-Division champion, vs Champion Myron Reed.
Not used to seeing Ace in AAW without his tag partner, but he’s no slouch either. Ace is a fantastic singles competitor, two time X-Division Champion, but Myron Reed I don’t think is ready to pass the torch just yet. Myron has a good reign left in him yet. Myron is also a fantastic singles wrestler, and while I think Ace is going to give him a hell of a run for the belt, in the end, Myron is going to pick up the W. I just feel like Myron has this one in the bag, but it’s either going to be a draw or damn close to the bell to bell. Ace is a high flyer, but Myron has proven time and time again he can take to the skies too. This is going to be a battle of the right place right time for the win because I don’t see either man laying down for the three.
Mike Bennett returns to face Fred Yehi.
Mike Bennett returns to AAW to fight former AAW Champion Fred Yehi, who took Josh Alexander bell to bell 60 minutes before in one of the most spectacular matches I’ve ever seen. Though the Miracle Mike Bennett has more experience in larger feds like Impact and WWE, this isn’t them. This isn’t a jam-packed arena, this isn’t a place that books you and then ruins your career. This isn’t a TV studio. This is AAW. This is Bourbon Street. This is Fred Yehi’s home. Yehi is extremely violent in the ring, e x t r e m l e y violent. During his championship reign, he beat the ever-loving life out of his opponents, and there was NO question this was Yehi’s ring. Mike Bennett has been away from AAW for a long time, while Yehi has made AAW his home. I might be biased towards the AAW guys but, this is our home. While Bennett may have been here once, he’s since flown the coop so to speak. Yehi is home. Yehi has been here, and Yehi is not leaving. I look for a brutal match, violent, bloody. Yehi’s got this, no question.
“Walking Weapon” Josh Alexander vs Gnarls Garvin
This last one in the so-far lineup is NEW Impact World Heavyweight Champion, the man with the cutest kid in the world, former champion Josh Alexander vs Gnarls Garvin. I’m not familiar with Garvin at all, but there is no question in my mind The Walking Weapon’s got this. There are no if’s and’s or buts. Josh has been in Impact and made a hell of a name for himself, but AAW is always home. Josh has this match in the bag, Walking Weapon will always come out on top in my book.
So this is the lineup so far, and it’s only Monday! We still have four days for more matches! Which one do you look forward to the most? For me, it’s always Walking Weapon. We’ll see you Friday, at AAW! Belltime is 7:30, and doors open at 6 PM! I haven’t seen anything about an Alive taping, but usually, there’s one before the PPV. Should be a hell of a show!