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With Final Battle and Worlds End both in the wing mirror, we now enter 2025 with new stories ready to begin. Many will be spending the first few weeks of January catching up with matches and moments they missed from the previous year, citing their favourite performers of the year, and what their best show was. I, however — as always — like to look forward: and specifically toward the possibilities in the title scenes of both AEW and ROH. In this second part, I shall be looking at every current title in AEW, predict a future champion, and then also suggest someone I’d love to see hold that title, likely or not! There will also be guest contributions from my fellow writer Dirk [@DarkElevation] as well as one from Joe [@GoodVsBadGuys].
Talk about these thoughts on the near future of Ring of Honor and interact with Samuel and any of our great contributors at the Pro Wrestling Musings Discord!
All Elite Wrestling World Trios Championship
Current Champions: PAC, Wheeler Yuta, Claudio Castagnoli
Samuel
Predicted: The titles haven’t been in action much recently, with the champions focusing more on protecting their leader Jon Moxley. However, work has been going into improving the trios division, including the reunion of a beloved favourite in The Undisputed Kingdom (Roderick Strong, Kyle O’Reilly, Adam Cole). With Cole and O’Reilly having returned from injuries, and Strong having been impressive over the last year, the three of them are reliable workhorses who have proven themselves faction royalty. With their previous successes as a stable in ROH and NXT, the Kingdom could not only help elevate the focus of the Trios Division, but help rebuild Cole as a main-event star as well.
Suggested: One of my favourite random couplings over the past year has been the coming together of Hook, Samoa Joe and Katsuyori Shibata. All three have been successful individually in AEW and ROH, from Hook’s success with the FTW Title and his impressive connection with the audience, through Shibata’s return to the ring and his reigns with the Pure Title, all the way to Samoa Joe’s multiple singles runs, including a World Championship reign. What connects the three of them is their aura as tough, physical, technically-proficient warriors who like to knock out or tap out their opponents, which would make them a terrifying challenge for any trio. The benefits that Hook can gain from working alongside two veterans in Joe and Shibata is the exact thing the Trios Division could succeed at, having veterans teaming with youngsters to develop them better.
Dirk
Predicted: I don’t like the thought of it, and I almost certainly won’t like it at the time, but it seems inevitable that at some point The Learning Tree will hold the trios titles. Which, if we are to see a silver lining, would certainly allow those titles to be referenced on TV more often than they currently are.
Suggested: I still don’t think The Bang Bang Gang got the full run they deserved and did everything they could have done with this title. We already know Jay White has the smoke for Moxley, so BBG vs. Death Riders could be a great trios feud. And hopefully this time they make sure to get a Freebird rule in the contract, so that when Juice comes back, he can slide in effortlessly.
All Elite Wrestling TNT Championship
Current Champion: Daniel Garcia
Samuel
Predicted: Even though Hurt Syndicate have just recently won the Tag Team Titles, it’s likely the two will eventually transition into singles competition, with Lashley challenging for the AEW World Title, and Shelton Benjamin challenging for the TNT Championship. Since his debut in AEW, Shelton has shocked some with the level of performances he’s achieved, and has wrestled quite regularly, in comparison to Lashley. In fact, he was a major part of the 2024 Continental Classic, including matches with the current champion Daniel Garcia, with Benjamin losing and likely wanting to avenge himself in future. Benjamin wrestling regularly for the TNT Title will add an extra level of grandeur considering his respected position in the business.
Suggested: The TNT Championship is highly respected for its reputation as a workman’s title, often used to help give future talents a practice run as champion, with names such as Darby Allin, Sammy Guevara, Samoa Joe, Powerhouse Hobbs, Christian Cage and Adam Copeland all transitioning on from there to featuring in the main event scene. With the Death Riders currently holding the AEW World Title hostage, Moxley could start pushing for the rest of the group to start securing more championships, and in particular, Wheeler Yuta. Considering the impressive battles between Yuta and Garcia, transitioning that rivalry to the TNT title could add higher stakes to their history and also help Yuta’s journey to become a bigger star.
Dirk
Predicted: Well, Kyle Fletcher has the C2 win on Garcia, so I have to imagine they’re going to meet again sometime soon. As a true Daniel Garcia believer, I would prefer that he came out on top of that feud, but it seems inevitable that Fletcher is getting some AEW hardware in 2025, and this seems like the most obvious spot. It might not be all bad for Garcia as this could be the beginning of a hell of a rivalry, considering neither Fletcher nor Garcia is going to turn 27 until late 2025.
Suggested: I do think that, on the whole, AEW is a little gun shy on letting their luchadors become big stars. You’re doing the work right now to hype up the return of Bandido, so go the extra step and give him a run as the TNT champ.
All Elite Wrestling TBS Championship
Current Champion: Mercedes Moné
Samuel
Predicted: Kris Statlander has already been TBS Champion before, dethroning the inaugural champion Jade Cargill for the title, but interestingly, though she lost the title to Julia Hart, it was actually Skye Blue who was defeated in the match. Losing the title was possibly the start of Statlander’s descent into villainy, betraying her friend Willow Nightingale in the process. Now that she is attempting to make up for her actions, including reaching out to Willow and trying to regain their friendship, she has also aimed to regain the championship from Mercedes. Both matches were excellent, even though Statlander failed to regain the title. With the Women’s World Title tied up in the world of Toni Storm, Kris’s redemption is tied to the TBS Title, and it could end up being she wins the Owen Hart Foundation tournament, but changes the challenge to the TBS Title, and finally defeats Mercedes to move on.
Suggested: Anna Jay returned from her venture to Japan having improved dramatically, and quickly earned title shots for both the Women’s World Title (defeating Mariah May in an eliminator) and the TBS Title. She was unsuccessful, but impressed in all three title matches, and at the time there was support for her to possibly win. Anna Jay could be counted as an AEW original, and having her win the TBS Title this year would be a huge celebration for her fans, and well-earned after having worked hard to improve herself.
Dirk
Predicted: Put as simply as possible, I think that everything that AEW thought they were going to get out of Moné vs. Baker, is what they will get out of Mercedes Moné vs. Thunder Rosa. And between the two of them there would be enough to build a feud that would justify taking the belt off of the biggest star in the women’s division.
Suggested: I don’t feel too strongly about Kamille winning the title, but I’ve seen AEW fumble on quite a few “heater turns on the one they protect” in their short history and I would love it if they could find a way to make that land.
Joe
Predicted & Suggested: Queen Aminata has shown the ability to rise to the level of more established opponents such as her excellent matches against Athena (7/26/24), Hikaru Shida (01/10/24), Kris Statlander (01/17/24), and Thunder Rosa (01/20/24). Queen Aminata has also shown the ability to elevate some younger or similarly / less experienced talent such as Billie Starkz (04/05/24), Mariah May (01/03/34), and Anna Jay (02/14/24).
However, in addition to proving herself to be versatile and valuable in the ring, Aminata has a charisma that has largely gone untapped outside of interviews with RJ City or Renee Young, and a real life story that could be turned into a movie or sitcom, but could be mined as the foundation for a storyline that will fetch Aminata her first gold. Aminata should be elevated to championship-tier status for everything she has shown us so far, and because of everything exciting she has yet to show us because she hasn’t yet had the chance. 2025 should be a good time to be alive for the one and only Queen Aminata!
All Elite Wrestling Continental Championship
Current Champion: Kazuchika Okada
Samuel
Predicted: Probably the least surprising prediction, considering his major return at Worlds End and the pictures hinting at a match with Okada at All In Texas, but the idea of Kenny Omega featuring in the Continental Classic has been a favourite of fans since its initial announcement. Seeing him perform on a weekly basis in 15-20 minute matches against some of the best on the roster would be awesome, but especially the chance to see Okada vs Omega V on the biggest possible stage.
Suggested: Many fans have been asking to see Will Ospreay become AEW World Champion, but personally, I’d prefer to wait until next year at All In London 2026, having him win the title in front of his home country. In the meantime, while he might be working alongside Omega battling the Don Callis Family, Ospreay has also proven himself to be an excellent champion, having carried the International Title twice in the last year. Having Ospreay continue to win titles will allow him to build further momentum, and he’s already been involved in the Continental Classic last year, losing in the final to Okada, so winning the title would allow him to avenge that loss.
Dirk
Predicted: I don’t anticipate Swerve Strickland is going to make his way back into the title picture before the end of 2025, but he’s still one of the best stars they have. He had a nice run in the first Continental Classic, and I think it might be a nice accolade for him to return to the third one, more experienced than he was two years earlier, and win it.
Suggested: Nobody Before World’s End! Enough with this title being defended outside of the tournament. I get it, Eddie Kingston wanted to make a Triple Crown with it, and he did that. But now focus on having Okada do other things this year and not worrying about it until next fall. If he wants to feud with Kenny Omega for the majority of the year, that doesn’t really need title stakes. It really makes it seem silly to defend it outside of the tournament. Why even enter the tournament at all if the title is up for grabs all year long? The Continental Classic seems like a grueling exercise. If it’s all the same, I’d just insult Okada backstage before Double Or Nothing and hope that I might get a fluke win.
All Elite Wrestling International Championship
Current Champion: Konosuke Takeshita
Samuel
Predicted / Suggested: If the rumours are true, then ‘Speedball’ Mike Bailey may be joining AEW in the near future. The last few years, he’s proven himself to be one of the biggest workhorses on the planet, having wrestled multiple matches on the same day several times. For instance, last year during WrestleMania weekend, from Thursday 3rd April to Sunday 6th April, he wrestled in 12 matches for seven different promotions, a staggering effort. The International title is suited for appearing in other companies, such as New Japan, Maple Leaf Wrestling (both of which Bailey has appeared for), Germany and the UK, which Bailey is synonymous with, and will allow AEW to continue making an impact in other companies.
Dirk
Predicted: It’s hard to believe that Hologram went undefeated in 2024 with no plans for the future. As things sit right now, The International Championship would be the title that would seem to make the most sense for him. If he had an absolute barn-burner with Takeshita, nobody would come out of that looking bad! He’s currently out with an injury, so this would be dependent on his timeline for recovery, but one of the benefits of a character who doesn’t do much speaking is that you can restore their aura much quicker.
Suggested: It would be a benefit to the main story if the Death Riders got ahold of some more belts. As it is right now, Pac is sort of blending into the background. He’s not the main champ like Mox, he’s not the big muscle like Claudio, he’s not the young upstart like Yuta, and he’s not the wildcard like Marina. He’s so talented that it’s almost become trite to point it out. It would help him stand out more to hold the International Title. Plus, in his first run he only got to be referred to as the very first-draft “All-Atlantic” Champion, it’ll be nice for him to get to have it with the real name.
All Elite Wrestling Tag Team Championship
Current Champions: The Hurt Syndicate (Shelton Benjamin & Bobby Lashley)
Samuel
Predicted: Probably the most popular choice would be The Outrunners, who have earned a groundswell of support for their throwback gimmick, charismatic personalities, and solid performances in the ring. Them becoming champion could be done similarly to The Acclaimed in 2022, where they lost their initial chance but gained huge crowd support in the process, and then had a follow-up attempt where they finally won the titles. It’s possible the Outrunners would have the titles for a short period of time, but the win itself would be an earned reward for their work in the last year.
Suggested: AEW when it began made a statement of wanting to make the tag-team division important. It was one of the reasons FTR joined the company, and why they’ve been involved in major storylines over the last six years. But what’s interesting is how often they’ve utilised more-or-less makeshift teams as champions, without undermining the division in the process. You had Kenny Omega and ‘Hangman’ Page as the second-ever champions, and their 228-day title reign was an integral part of both of their arcs to the World Title. There was Swerve In Our Glory, where Keith Lee and Swerve Strickland did tremendous work in their 70-day reign, setting the stage for Swerve to go on to becoming a main-event talent. Ricky Starks and Big Bill had an entertaining 123-day title reign seemingly (at the time) setting them both up for bigger things, while Sting and Darby Allin as champions allowed Sting to retire gracefully at Revolution 2024. With that in mind, I’d be curious to see something similar happen with The Patriarchy (Nick Wayne & Kip Sabian) — having Christian Cage instructing his two ‘children’ to earn their own gold, utilising Kip in the ring more, and showcasing Wayne in a way that can help him branch out alone down the line.
Dirk
Predicted: I think The Hurt Syndicate do represent a move toward the tag team division being on the same level as the top singles competitors the way that they were for the first year and change of the company. But I think that for Lashley especially it feels like he’s getting a bit of a consolation prize on his way to the top. If we want a hard reset on the division that attempts to make the tag division something with some real juice, then at some point the titles get moved back to FTR. When it happens, with luck it won’t feel like a bad idea, and it’s one of the few established babyface teams who The Hurt Syndicate can lose to and still look like a problem for anyone else.
Suggested: The Murder Machines (Lance Archer and Brian Cage) do an awful lot of putting other people over, but I don’t see why they can’t have a run putting the scare on the tag-team division. Look at those guys — They SHOULD be able to crush the competition! And whoever thwarts them could look like real giant-killers, provided the giants actually get some history of doing said crushing in title matches beforehand. One downside would be that we would in fact have to hand it to Don Callis for bringing them together.
All Elite Wrestling Women’s World Championship
Current Champion: Mariah May
Samuel
Predicted: I’ve made several references to stables branching out to win more gold, specifically Undisputed Kingdom, The Patriarchy, and the Death Riders, but it’s the latter who have a unique option not yet utilised: Marina Shafir. Regardless of your opinions on the success of the Death Riders themselves, Shafir has been revitalised from her previous struggles, becoming a legitimate threat to the roster and looking massively dangerous. Because of this, the time is right for her to possibly win the Women’s World Title, allowing the Death Riders to hold both World Titles hostage. It’s unlikely for a while due to the Toni Storm focus, but it would add to the story a bit better.
Suggested: Yes, she may be the current ROH Women’s Champion and is nearing 800 days in her title reign, having main evented several ROH PPVs over the last two years as the pinnacle of the brand. But when Athena finally loses the ROH Title, she deserves a chance with the AEW Women’s Title. While ROH has been successful over the last few years, it probably is still underseen in comparison to AEW, so many fans may not even be aware of the tremendous work Athena has done. Interestingly, Athena originates from Texas, so an opportunity to battle for the title at All In Texas would be awesome!
Dirk
Predicted: As long as Mariah May is still stealing her finisher, we have to assume the score is not settled with Toni Storm. I think there are a number of members of the roster who can give Mariah a good match, but in terms of a belt loss that would have real storyline catharsis, that’s going to come from Toni Storm or probably not at all.
Suggested: The one exception of someone who I think you could easily rope into that upper card and it would make sense is probably Jamie Hayter. She’s been a three-time championship-match opponent of Toni Storm, and was one of the top acts in the company before she was “injured” by Toni and taken out for more than a year. Furthermore, Mariah vs. Jamie would be huge at the 2025 Forbidden Door in London, as two of England’s proudest exports.
All Elite Wrestling’s World Championship
Current Champion: Jon Moxley
Dirk
Predicted: The Death Riders’ gripe with AEW is a bit amorphous, so it’s not easy to tell who best embodies the person to dethrone Moxley, but to the best of my understanding it’s Kenny Omega. He’s the one you see when you close your eyes and say “AEW Original” and furthermore, in 2025 it will be five years since Omega turned heel and beat Moxley for the title the first time. To beat him again, he’ll have to harness a similar stop-at-nothing attitude, but this time for, like, good reasons.
Suggested: If you want to really reward being over, there’s no reason not to be bold and coronate Bobby Lashley in 2025. It wouldn’t be hard to make it thematically consistent, considering how both Moxley and Lashley are the top guy in a faction based around violence. You wouldn’t even have to make him the face for that long. All he needs is one night getting cheered for rescuing the belt and then three nights later have him stuff Danhausen in a trashcan and roll him down a hill or somthing, and immediately Lashley is back where he belongs — as a champion who hurts people.
Samuel
Predicted: Since winning his cash-in title shot at AEW All In London 2024, there have been arguments and discussions on whether Christian Cage should successfully cash in and win the title. However, based purely on his work in AEW, especially since turning heel in 2022, Christian has proven himself as possibly the best heel on the AEW roster. As a champion, his two reigns as TNT Champion were some of the strongest in the title’s history, the third combined longest in the division’s history and with victories over talents such as Darby Allin, Bryan Danielson, Adam Copeland and Daniel Garcia. The AEW World Title is currently struggling, with Moxley’s monopolisation in his unparalleled fourth reign alongside a much maligned Death Rider storyline not connecting. Christian winning has a possibility to redeem the title, similar to his reigns as TNT Champion, without completely ending the Death Rider storyline (which could work without the title), and justifiably award Christian for three years of his best work.
Suggested: The fans need something to celebrate with the AEW World Title. Samoa Joe’s reign in the early months of 2024 was an unexpected joy after a disappointing last few months in MJF’s title reign. Swerve Strickland’s win as AEW World Champion was hugely popular after his stratospheric rise over the last 12 months. And finally, Bryan Danielson’s win at AEW All In was one of the most emotionally celebrated moments in AEW’s history. But since betraying Danielson and surprisingly defeating him for the title at AEW WrestleDream, Moxley’s current reign has done the impossible: it’s made me bored of Moxley.
A cowardly heel who keeps stealing the victory with weapons while defending the title? I saw it done much better with MJF. A leader of a group whose lackeys keep breaking up pins and saving him from losing the title? Seen it with the Bloodline and at a lesser example, Kenny Omega with the Elite. Meant to put over a younger talent to become champion? Moxley achieved that already with MJF. Now, there seemed to be two immediately obvious choices for Moxley to put over, that being Orange Cassidy and Darby Allin. However, Cassidy has already lost twice, at Full Gear and at Worlds End, and Allin is about to disappear to climb Mount Everest, which supposedly can take up to 9 weeks to achieve, not including extra time for training.
Keeping the title on Moxley until June / July could be a mistake, and there are options for him to drop the title to, but one who has history with Moxley, and is currently on his way back from injury, is Eddie Kingston. A AEW near-original whose connection with the audience has made him a massive fan favourite, one whose battles and losses have endeared him, and whose victories for the ROH World Title and the inaugural Continental Classic are among some of the most heartfelt moments in AEW history. He doesn’t necessarily have to win it and hold it for half the year, he could easily succeed with a less than 100 day title reign, but the good will from audiences may help redeem a currently struggling main event scene. Plus, the guy has earned it — a modern day Mick Foley.
