AEW Dynamite’s two year anniversary is headlining our wrestling schedules this week, with not only a huge eight-man tag match between The Elite and a slew of AEW’s top babyfaces but also a stacked Casino ladder match for a shot at Kenny Omega’s championship. Confirmed for the match so far are Jon Moxley, Orange Cassidy, Matt Hardy, Lance Archer, Andrade El Idolo and ‘The Bastard’ PAC, but the x-factor of the match is the currently anonymous Joker who will be revealed at the top of the hour on Wednesday night.
AEW’s Casino Jokers always deliver on the hype and either usher in a huge debut for the promotion or gives a returning face a massive wave of momentum. In previous battle royals we’ve seen the likes of Ruby Soho, Matt Sydal and Lio Rush all debut to great receptions, so it’s a safe bet to assume that whoever AEW has up their sleeves for the ladder match will be equally well-received.
With that in mind, let’s have a think of which 5 wrestlers could enter the Casino ladder match as the Joker on the second anniversary show. Make sure you leave your own speculations down in the comments below.
1. Hangman Page
Having mysteriously vanished from the AEW roster after missing out on his big AEW Championship match against former BFF Kenny Omega, ‘Hangman’ Adam Page is set for a big return in front of the live audience in the coming weeks.
Plans are currently being kept under wraps but most AEW fans are expecting Page to be put at the front of the line for a big pay-off to the Omega/Page saga which started in early 2020. Page’s road to redemption as part of the Dark Order and his simmering feud with ‘The Cleaner’ has been one of AEW’s strongest storylines yet, making him a natural choice for the Casino ladder match’s Joker on Wednesday night.
With so many big names who each have a claim to the main-event scene already involved, whoever does end up competing as the Joker entrant must have enough name value behind them to hold a torch to the other six. Adam Page is considered one of AEW’s top home-grown talent, and if they’re serious about putting the AEW Championship on him after Omega, then a big win against the likes of Moxley, Andrade and PAC would be a huge way to start building back that lost momentum.
2. Malakai Black
Since defeating Cody Rhodes for the second time at AEW Grand Slam, Malakai Black seems to be wrapping up his feud with The Nightmare Family. So what’s next for the former NXT Champion? Perhaps an entry into the AEW Championship scene would be the perfect next step for Black as he ascends the AEW roster.
Malakai Black would be a huge threat to all the other competitors involved in the Casino ladder match – especially those that he has had previous encounters with, such as Andrade El Idolo and PAC. Should Black walk away with the biggest win of his AEW career thus far, this could mean huge things for Full Gear, with an impending dream match between he and Omega then set for the main event, providing they don’t go with the rematch between Omega and Bryan Danielson.
Black would be an easy sell to give The Elite’s leader a run for his money, giving him more of an anti-hero aura as he picks apart the other members before bringing the darkness to Omega at Full Gear.
3. Miro
Now that ‘God’s Favourite Champion’ has passed the TNT Championship on to Sammy Guevara, it begs the question of what’s the next step for Miro going forward. Miro has been a fantastic TNT Champion, in my opinion he has been the best one yet after some incredible performances against the likes of Darby Allin, Fuego and Eddie Kingston. Miro is competing in the prime of his young career and should undoubtedly be considered for the main event scene in the near future.
Whether Miro is given that opportunity as part of the Casino ladder match or not, only time will tell. Miro would be a game-changer if he were to storm to the ring as the Joker, changing the dynamic of the match into more of a hoss-fest, slapping meat with Moxley and Archer until only one stands supreme.
Miro might not be everyone’s first choice to enter the ladder match this week, but I’d certainly love to see him achieving his full potential as part of the AEW title picture.
4. CM Punk
Everyone’s highlight of AEW this year, CM Punk is now 2-0 in All Elite Wrestling. Now, I’m sure CM Punk would be the first to refuse an opportunity at the AEW Championship this early on in his comeback, but nevertheless, fans would go wild to see Punk involved in the Casino ladder match on Dynamite this week. Punk has yet to set up another feud since defeating Powerhouse Hobbs on Rampage, so mixing it up with some of AEW’s best and brightest would be a fantastic way to give him some direction heading into Full Gear.
Let’s not forget that Punk has plenty of experience with ladder matches, being a two-time Money in the Bank winner during his WWE days and competing in some instant classic TLC matches against both Edge and Jeff Hardy. Punk could easily bring some fire and big moments to the Casino ladder match, giving fans even more of a reason to pay attention to who’s stepping up to the AEW champion next.
Punk will undoubtedly find himself competing for the AEW Championship at some point. Whether that’s sooner than later, I guess we’ll just have to wait and see.
5. Bray Wyatt
Rumours were heavily in favour of Bray Wyatt/Windham Rotunda making his AEW debut in Rochester, the hometown of one of his closest friends, the late Brodie Lee. Even though this didn’t actually come to pass, it was still a great show and a touching tribute to Brodie and his legacy. Wyatt’s absence leads me to believe that they have something else planned for his eventual AEW arrival, and that could be as part of the Casino ladder match.
Wyatt has been a former world champion as part of WWE so this could easily justify his entry as the Joker. Wyatt/Rotunda could make a huge impact, giving wrestling fans yet another reason to tune into AEW Dynamite each week to see what sort of dark dealings he’s going to bring to life during this stage of his career.
Wherever Wyatt goes next, he’s destined for big things. AEW would be a fantastic place for him to unleash his creativity and the Casino ladder match would only go to cement his place among the stars of the show.
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