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AEW is trying to be an alternative to what wrestling fans are used to, and their recent announcement seems to provide evidence for that. The company announced, via press release, that a new tiebreaker stipulation has been added to the match.
"In the event there is no winner at the end of the 60-minute time limit, a panel of three esteemed judges, who will be seated at ringside, must vote for a winner. In the event there is not a unanimous choice, the majority decision will be the winner. This will ensure that a draw will not be the outcome of this World Championship title match."
This is all about bringing that sporting vibe to the product. AEW has been pretty adamant that their company will be more in this vein and less sports entertainment. At the same time, they are incorporating these entertaining elements without distracting from the in-ring action.
The same can be said about how AEW has used wrestling legends in the format. They have been in the background rather than in the foreground. They complement the current stars rather than overshadow them. Cody and the rest of the booking team really do believe that is the best way to use them.
With that being said, there will be speculation over who will be the guest judges for this event. Here are 5 wrestling legends who could be the selected as judges.
#5 Raven
Raven may seem like an odd choice, but it makes sense. Raven was considered one of the most popular wrestlers in ECW and was a multiple-time WWE Hardcore Champion. He also appeared on The Road to Double or Nothing YouTube series when AEW first got started. Moreover, he's a frequent guest at Starrcast and it doesn't hurt for AEW to include him as one of the judges. Esteemed as a man with one of the best minds for the wrestling business and the psychology behind it, Raven could be an odd, but actually very fitting choice.
#4 Jake "The Snake" Roberts
Jake "The Snake" Roberts is a real legend in the business. He is arguably one of the greatest WWE Superstars of all time who never won a World title but is still remembered as one of the best in-ring psychologists and an innovator of the DDT finisher. It could be argued that Jake The Snake was more popular than Hulk Hogan himself. The famous spot with his pet snake Damien biting Macho Man Randy Savage is still remembered to this day.
When it comes to AEW, the connections are quite clear. Jake Roberts was the dealer in the "Road To All Out" YouTube videos for the women's Casino Battle Royale match, handing out the cards to the various female wrestlers. He's also a regular at Starrcast and he will be attending Starrcast 4 on the same weekend as AEW Full Gear.
Furthermore, Jake The Snake has a very important connection to Diamond Dallas Page. Many wrestling fans may know by now that Jake Roberts struggled for many years with drugs. Thanks to DDP, he was able to overcome his addictions. Given DDP's connection to Cody, it's highly likely he could be one of the three judges at Full Gear.
#3 Ron Simmons aka Farooq
Ron Simmons may be known for his "Damn" phrase, but he is a legend in every shape and form. Modern wrestling fans are well aware of his WWE exploits where he founded the Nation of Domination and was one-half of one of the greatest WWE tag teams of all time, Acolytes Protection Agency (APA).
The APA were entertaining in their own right as a couple of mismatched tough guys who enjoyed drinking their b**r and were wrestlers for hire. Their backstage segments were highly amusing and their in-ring antics were essentially beating down on their opponents as both Simmons and Bradshaw were known for being stiff in the ring.
What some wrestling fans may not realize is that Ron Simmons was the first African American World Champion in WCW. One of the reasons could be that Dusty Rhodes was a big supporter of his and winning the title made for a good underdog story. Simmons has always praised Dusty Rhodes and credits him for having the biggest impact on his career. He further said,
"He always wanted to make sure that you remembered the fundamentals, the basis of what the business was built around. He always told me to never become too big to forget about the people, to always stay in touch with the people. He wasn’t the greatest worker on Earth, but he was so good talking to people."
Like others, he will also be part of the many superstars who will be appearing at Starrcast 4 during the week of AEW Full Gear. It'll be interesting if he does show up to be to be one of the judges.
#2 Bret Hart
One of the interesting notes from the official press release was that the AEW World Championship match between Jericho and Cody could exceed the 60-minute time limit. While it's unclear that this is true, 60 minutes could mean the Iron Man match or a Last Man Standing match.
When a 60-minute match is mentioned, the one name that comes to mind is Bret "Hitman" Hart. His legendary match with Shawn Michaels at WrestleMania 12 brought the house down and is perhaps on most top ten lists as one of the greatest WWE matches of all time.
Most wrestlers who have been in the ring with Bret Hart has said that was one of the most innovative wrestlers of his time and his skill set was unmatched. When it comes to AEW, he was there in Las Vegas to present the new AEW World Title and was roasted by MJF for his troubles.
While Bret Hart has said in interviews that this was likely a one-time appearance, he doesn't rule out appearing in the future. This would make the most sense as his credibility in the wrestling industry is unmatched and his presence alone would add value to the match.
#1 Eric Bischoff
Eric Bischoff has been in the news lately for all the wrong reasons. A few months ago, he was hired by WWE as the Executive Director of SmackDown but sadly, he was recently fired from the company. The reasons for his departure have not been made clear, but rumors persist that it was due to declining ratings on SmackDown on Fox.
Bischoff opened up on the WWE's decision and said that while he was disappointed, he wasn't surprised. Bischoff is currently still doing his 83 weeks podcast and even joked recently that he may do one about his recent short tenure. While his firing was a shock, it didn't take long for news to appear that he will be appearing at Starrcast 4.
This is where the speculation begins. Bischoff has been known to have given Cody advice when he first booked All In and Cody has taken that forward into AEW Dynamite. There is nothing stopping from Bischoff appearing as one of the judges at ringside as he doesn't have the non-compete clause in his contract and is free to appear where he wishes.
The obvious connection is WCW. Cody has made small but powerful references to the company that his father helped build and it would be fitting to bring in the man who made it a powerful entity for a short period of time. Bischoff will not be part of AEW in any sort of backstage capacity, but his mere presence adds major credence to the company.
Will one of these guys show up at the event? Wrestling fans will just have to tune in and find out.
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