With AEW Full Gear set to emanate tonight from the Prudential Center in Newark, several backstage notes have surfaced as talent and staff settle in for the pay-per-view.
We’re told the Hangman Page vs. Samoa Joe rivalry isn’t expected to wrap up tonight. Even if the match outcomes shift stories in new directions, most anticipate the feud continuing in some form coming out of the event.
AEW also has a wave of talent slated to return over the next month — including MJF. He’s currently advertised for WrestleCade next weekend, which is noteworthy since he rarely takes outside bookings while rehabbing. MJF recently finished his filming commitments for Violent Night 2, putting him closer to being cleared for regular use.
Swerve Strickland is also targeted for a return within the next month, provided the timeline holds steady. Originally, his downtime was supposed to begin after All In, but internally we heard his break was delayed.
Zayda Steel remains unsigned as of now. Even so, she’s been present at multiple AEW TV tapings lately, and the general expectation among people we spoke with is that a deal feels inevitable.
We asked about Britt Baker following the repeated line of bringing her back “when the time is right.” At this point, she hasn’t been part of any active creative discussions and hasn’t been slotted into plans recently.
There’s also some question about Big Boom AJ’s trajectory past this week. One thing we were told is that he and QT Marshall have pushed to team together ever since AJ arrived, and this week finally allowed that pairing to happen. The two go way back behind the scenes.
A note out of the NWA camp: talents and personnel there were reportedly asked to tone down criticism of AEW’s new National Title. Importantly, this request did not come from AEW itself — it was implied from within NWA leadership. The inaugural AEW National Champion will be crowned tonight in the Casino Gauntlet, with Ricochet and Bobby Lashley said to be the top picks among those backstage.
We also checked on Wednesday’s Dynamite/Collision situation involving Speedball Mike Bailey, Shelton Benjamin, and the non-kickout audible. We didn’t hear of any heat stemming from it, but multiple people reiterated why off-the-cuff audibles are discouraged: referees and producers aren’t always kept in the loop.
As for tonight’s show, Hangman Page heads in as a heavy favorite to retain the AEW World Championship. Internal picks for other likely winners include Brodido, Kris Statlander, Mark Briscoe, Kenny Omega, and Jurassic Express.
Join us here tonight for live AEW Full Gear 2025 results.
(H/T: Fightful Select)
