AEW Dynamite: TBS Premiere Episode Preview and Predictions

AEW Dynamite is back this Wednesday, but it will not be in a familiar spot in your television lineup.

AEW’s flagship will air at its usual time but has moved from TNT to the TBS network.  And they are starting off the TBS era with a fantastic card that will feature three championship matches as well as a man who just might be doing the best character work in all of AEW in Malakai Black.

AEW is going to want to start 2022 and the TBS era out with a bang so it is safe to assume that this is going to be a great two hours of wrestling.

And the best thing about the three championship matches is that they could all legitimately go either way, which should make for some great professional wrestling matches.

Let’s take a look at the four announced matches for AEW Dynamite and what to expect from each.

Bryan Danielson vs Adam Page for the AEW World Championship

After wrestling to a sixty-minute time limit draw in their first match, Bryan Danielson and Adam Page will meet again for the right to walk out of Newark, New Jersey’s Prudential Center as the AEW World Champion.

The caveat added to this go-round is that there will be three ringside judges on hand to determine the winner should this match also end in a time limit draw.

On the surface, this seems like a slam dunk for Page.   AEW has shown a penchant for keeping its most prestigious title on its champions for a significant duration of time.

And given that this is Page’s first feud and second title defense since winning the AEW Championship it seems highly unlikely that he would drop the title here.

However, Bryan Danielson is currently experiencing the freedom that he hasn’t had in years and many people feel like he is currently doing the best work of his career both in the ring and in his character development.

So it is not inconceivable that Danielson could walk out the AEW Champion.

But in the end, this feels like a place where Danielson puts over “Hangman” in an epic match with a number of near falls.  But on this night there will be no judges needed.  Winner: Adam Page

Malakai Black vs Brian Pillman, Jr.

Malakai Black will look to take out yet another member of the Varsity Blonds when he goes one on one with Brian Pillman, Jr.

A quick look at Malakai Black’s (aka Tommy End’s) Instagram account will show a lot of interesting posts over the past week.

Black has alluded to a number of things including “a dark secret” that he will reveal.  He also gave us this little gem, “There is two left for the third, which reveals the first”.

The cryptic messages from Black and the possibilities of what they can lead to are far more interesting than this match will be.

Are we about to see the debut of Brodie King as the second member of the House of Black?   All signs seem to point to yes.

Pillman will come out spirited and ready to fight, but in the end, it simply will not matter as Black will have no problem wiping out the third and final member of the Varsity Blonds.  Winner: Malakai Black

Jade Cargill vs Ruby Soho for the TBS Women’s Championship

The very first TBS Women’s Champion will be crowned on Wednesday when Ruby Soho goes up against one of the most impressive young talents in AEW, Jade Cargill.

Last week, Cargill was able to defeat Thunder Rosa with the help of a debuting Mercedes Martinez.

It remains to be seen if Martinez and Cargill are going to be running together in the future or if Martinez was acting as a one-time assassin for hire last week.

But the smart money says that “Smart” Mark Sterling more than likely secured the services of Martinez for at least the duration of this tournament.

So as much as Cargill was the odds on favorite to win the match, the addition of Martinez just makes those odds that much better.

However, there is a story forming with Ruby Soho here as well.  She was not given a first-round bye and has taken out Penelope Ford, Kris Statlander, and Nyla Rose to get to the finals.

She is the scrappy veteran that has never quite been able to win that big match and capture that ever-elusive championship.

The match could go either way depending on what story the promotion wants to tell.  Cargill is clearly the future of the division.  Of anyone in AEW, men or women, Cargill probably has the most potential.

But the smart move on Wednesday is to let Jade continue to gain experience over the next few months before putting the title on her.

The same way they did with the TNT Title and Cody, AEW will do with Ruby Soho here.  AEW will put the title on a veteran that is capable of carrying the main event match each and every time out right now.   And as great as Cargill will be in the future, Ruby Soho is the present.  Winner: Ruby Soho

Jurassic Express vs Lucha Bros for the AEW World Tag Team Championships

It wasn’t all that long ago when the Jurassic Express and Lucha Bros met to decide who would go on to All Out and take on the Young Bucks for the AEW World Tag Team Titles.

The two teams left it all on the mat about four months ago, and when the smoke cleared the Lucha Bros got the victory and earned the right to advance to All Out. There they would meet the Young Bucks and the two teams would put on a show that we here at Daily DDT voted as the best tag team match of 2021.

Fast forward to today and Jurassic Express has worked their way back to the top of the tag team division and once again, they find the Lucha Bros waiting for them.

Much like the other two championship matches on this card, there is no right or wrong answer as to who should win.

Both teams are fantastic in the ring, wildly popular, and will be just fine with the titles or without them.

But if you believe in patterns this may be the spot where Jurassic Express finally claims gold in AEW.

The AEW Championship was held by Chris Jericho, Jon Moxley, and Kenny Omega before the promotion put it on a talent that was less experienced by comparison in Adam Page.

The AEW Women’s Title was held by Riho, Nyla Rose, and Hikaru Shida before it was held by Britt Baker.

The TNT Title?  Cody Rhodes, Brodie Lee, and Cody Rhodes again before Darby Allin won it.

And the AEW tag teams to hold the titles to date:  SCU, Hangman and Omega, FTR, Young Bucks, and the Lucha Bros.

It just might be time for the pattern of a young star wearing the title to rear its head in the tag team division as well.  Winners: Jurassic Express