Next Wednesday, AEW's most grueling event returns as the company hosts "AEW Dynamite: Blood and Guts" from the First Horizon Coliseum in Greensboro, North Carolina. For this year's show, both the men and the women will step inside the Blood and Guts cage, but of course, only one division can potentially main event. According to WWE Hall of Famer Bully Ray, that distinction should belong to the women.
"Since they're doing the women's Blood and Guts for the first time, I'd like to see the women's Blood and Guts match main event the show ... I think the Death Riders and the men have all had their chance at the main event spot in this featured gimmick match. Let's give the women an opportunity," Ray said on "Busted Open Radio." "And when you start singling out some of these women, you start to see the strength in the division. Mercedes [Mone], Marina [Shafir]."
Former AEW Women's Champion Jamie Hayter initially called for the first ever women's Blood and Guts match back in September due to her ongoing feud with The Triangle of Madness (Thekla, Julia Hart, and Skye Blue). AEW President Tony Khan later made Hayter's challenge official, with the likes of Toni Storm, Harley Cameron, Willow Nightingale, Mina Shirakawa, and current AEW Women's Champion Kris Starlander backing her. Standing across from that team will be the Triangle of Madness members, Marina Shafir, Megan Bayne, and AEW TBS Champion Mercedes Mone.
Queen Aminata was amongst the originally planned lineup for Blood and Guts. Due to an injury, however, Shirakawa replaced her. Bayne seized a win over Shirakawa in the Blood and Guts advantage series, which will continue with Hayter vs. Blue and possibly Cameron vs. Thekla on this Saturday's edition of "AEW Collision."
In the 2025 men's Blood and Guts match, the Death Riders (Jon Moxley, Claudio Castagnoli, Wheeler Yuta, Daniel Garcia, and Pac) will take on Darby Allin, Roderick Strong, and The Conglomeration (Mark Briscoe, Orange Cassidy, and Kyle O'Reilly).
If you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit "Busted Open Radio" with a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.
