The Sons of Texas split, Mercedes Mone suffers shock defeat - 5 potential AEW surprises for Wrestle Dynasty 2025

Several top AEW Superstars are set to compete in marquee matchups at NJPW’s upcoming Wrestle Dynasty event. The show will emanate from the Tokyo Dome on January 5, 2025, and will also feature stars from promotions such as AEW, ROH, STARDOM, and CMLL.

After staying away from in-ring competition for the entirety of 2024, Kenny Omega will compete in a much-awaited singles bout against Gabe Kidd. Meanwhile, Ricochet will look to add some more gold to his collection when he challenges Zack Sabre Jr. for the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship.

The inter-promotional event will surely be an exciting affair that will affect the landscape of multiple companies. In this article, let’s look at five surprises that could take place at NJPW’s Wrestle Dynasty pay-per-view.

#5. Mina Shirakawa could defeat Mercedes Mone

At Wrestle Dynasty 2025, Mina Shirakawa will engage in a Winner Takes All match with Mercedes Mone. Shirakawa will defend her Undisputed British Women’s Championship, while The CEO will put her NJPW Strong Women’s Title on the line.

The two individuals are among the most exciting female talents in the world and have been significantly active in AEW as well. The CEO, particularly, has been quite dominant in the past few months, and fans expect her to prevail over Mina Shirakawa in their upcoming encounter.

However, The Venus of Pro Wrestling could pull off a swerve in the Tokyo Dome by defeating The Boss. Shirakawa could hand a crushing loss to Mone to become a double champion on January 5.

The Standard’s credibility would not be affected by a loss at Wrestle Dynasty, as she will still remain undefeated in All Elite Wrestling. It could be a way for NJPW to take the Strong Women’s Title off Mone, which she won at Forbidden Door 2024.

The defeat would allow the CEO to shift her attention fully towards her TBS Championship reign, which has been one of the highlights of AEW programming.

#4. AEW Continental Champion Kazuchika Okada could make an appearance at Wrestle Dynasty

Kazuchika Okada recently strengthened his claim of being the greatest tournament wrestler alive. At AEW Worlds End 2024, Okada defeated Will Ospreay in an epic bout to win the AEW Continental Classic 2024.

Moments after his historic win, The Rainmaker was confronted by a returning Kenny Omega, who handed the Continental Title to the 37-year-old star. Okada would certainly be agitated with Omega stealing his thunder at Worlds End, which could compel him to make an appearance at Wrestle Dynasty.

The reigning Continental Champion could return to his home soil on January 5 to confront The Cleaner after his bout against Gabe Kidd. Okada’s appearance would not only leave Omega stunned, but it would also generate a roaring ovation from the Tokyo audience.

#3. The Sons of Texas could break up after losing their championships

Dustin Rhodes and Sammy Guevara, collectively known as The Sons of Texas, have surprisingly emerged as a cohesive tag team unit in the past few months.

In December 2024, the duo successfully retained their ROH Tag Team Titles in a Double Bullrope match against The Righteous at ROH Final Battle. During the pay-per-view, Rhodes and Guevara were issued a challenge for Wrestle Dynasty by SHO & Yoshinobu Kanemaru from NJPW’s House of Torture faction.

The Natural and The Spanish God are set to compete in the Tokyo Dome on January 5, where they will defend their ROH Tag Titles against SHO and Kanemaru. In a surprising turn of events, the duo could end up losing their titles against the House of Torture.

The shocking defeat could spell doom for the pairing, as Sammy Guevara could turn on Dustin Rhodes immediately after the match. The former TNT Champion could return to his villainous roots by launching a heinous assault on his ally.

#2. Swerve Strickland could interfere in Ricochet’s match against Zack Sabre Jr.

At Wrestle Dynasty 2025, Zack Sabre Jr.will defend his IWGP World Heavyweight Championship against Ricochet. After coming up short in the Semi-Finals of the AEW Continental Classic, The One and Only would be eager to redeem himself in the Tokyo Dome.

However, Ricochet’s title aspirations could be crushed by a certain AEW star, who would be yearning to settle his score with the Future of the Flight. Swerve Strickland could cost The One and Only his title match against Zack Sabre Jr. on January 5.

On the latest episode of Dynamite, Ricochet brutally attacked The Realest One with a pair of scissors and left him lifeless in a pool of his blood. The 36-year-old star’s attack was in response to Swerve humiliating him in front of the Orlando crowd at AEW Worlds End 2024.

Not the one to back down from a challenge, The Killshot could return the favor to The One and Only at Wrestle Dynasty. The former AEW World Champion could launch a sneak assault on Ricochet behind the referee’s back, allowing Zack Sabre Jr. to capitalize and retain his title.

#1. Kenny Omega could squash Gabe Kidd

NJPW’s Wrestle Dynasty pay-per-view will be headlined by the in-ring return of Kenny Omega. After a year-long absence from pro wrestling, The Best Bout Machine will finally engage in physical combat against NJPW star Gabe Kidd.

The two stars have been trading verbal blows on social media for the past few months. Kidd has been particularly vocal about his disdain for AEW, and how the Tony Khan-led promotion has taken advantage of NJPW through their partnership.

The Cleaner would look to silence the War Ready when the two square off in the Tokyo Dome. In a shocking turn of events, Omega could score a convincing victory by pinning Gabe Kidd in a matter of minutes.

The Best Bout Machine may not allow Kidd to have any offense in the match. An instant win over his arch-rival would be a great way for Kenny Omega to announce his return to the pro wrestling arena.

Meanwhile, it will be a serious setback for the NJPW Strong Openweight Champion, who could eventually face Omega in a rematch in AEW.