The “World’s End” event may be concluding, but AEW is gearing up for more action in 2025. Ahead of Saturday’s year-end pay-per-view, AEW, led by Tony Khan and based in Jacksonville, revealed some exciting matches set for their special “AEW Dynamite: New Year’s Smash” episode.
The first announced match features Ricochet defending his AEW National Championship against Jack Perry. Despite Perry’s less impressive six-point performance in this year’s Continental Classic Gold League compared to Kyle Fletcher and Kazuchika Okada’s nine points that tied them for the championship, Perry managed a key victory alongside Luchasaurus and Jetspeed against Ricochet, Toa Liona, Bishop Kaun, and Josh Alexander at the “World’s End” Zero Hour. If Perry manages to take the title from Ricochet in this fourth defense, he could redeem his earlier setbacks and finish 2025 on a high note.
The second match announced involves AEW TBS Champion Mercedes Mone facing off against AEW Women’s World Tag Team Champion Willow Nightingale for the TBS title. Mone recently challenged Nightingale and Harley Cameron for the Women’s Tag Team Championship alongside Athena, but suffered an uncommon loss for a “CEO.” After a tough match, Nightingale pinned Mone to keep the titles, and in a subsequent backstage interview, Mone officially challenged Nightingale to a singles title match. This face-off will be their first one-on-one encounter since Double or Nothing, adding extra excitement to their rivalry.
“New Year’s Smash” will air live from Omaha, Nebraska, on Wednesday, December 31st.
Fan Take: This announcement is significant as it promises high-stakes contests that could reshape AEW’s landscape going into the new year. For fans, these matches highlight fierce rivalries and potential title changes, keeping the sport thrilling and unpredictable as 2025 kicks off.
