6 ways AEW could upstage WWE WrestleMania 41 this week 

AEW is set to go head-to-head with WWE as their biggest premium live event of the year, WrestleMania 41, is set to take place this weekend. But as early as tomorrow, WWE will be beginning their festivities with Monday Night RAW.

The Stamford-based promotion has been untouchable with WrestleMania being the culmination of several of the previous year's storylines and the event regularly hits record-breaking viewership and attendance. While they may win in this regard, AEW has been putting on great TV as of late, despite the controversial finish they had for their Dynasty pay-per-view.

While the focus may be on WWE for WrestleMania 41, AEW is still set for four hours of their weekly programming. Here are some ways they can steal the show and upstage The Showcase of The Immortals.

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#1. A surprise debut takes place in the Owen Hart Foundation Tournament

This Wednesday on AEW Dynamite, the final match of the opening round of the tournament is set to take place, with 'Hangman' Adam Page set to take on a wildcard competitor. Coincidentally, Hangman was the wildcard in last year's tournament as he took on Jeff Jarrett.

It has been reported that Josh Alexander is set to join the promotion, but he has been working on his visa. The tournament could be the perfect way to introduce him and put him in a blockbuster match against Page. Pulling off an upset could also be a great way to increase his credibility.

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#2. A member of The Elite goes into business for themselves

There is no telling who could emerge as the wildcard for the Owen Hart Foundation Tournament, but another individual who would fit the bill could be Jack Perry. He has not been seen in AEW since Full Gear back in November, where he lost his TNT Championship.

His entering the tournament would be interesting as he would be going against Hangman, someone whom The Young Bucks have favored. This could be seen as Perry disobeying The Bucks and going into business for himself. He could end up eliminating the former AEW World Champion, much to the surprise of the EVPs.

They could also reveal an interesting angle of The Scapegoat being aligned with The Death Riders all this time. Jon Moxley has been fond of him, and this could be the reason why he has not taken any action against Mox during their takeover of AEW.

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#3. Swerve Strickland wants his revenge on Jon Moxley

At AEW Dynasty, Swerve Strickland had Jon Moxley dead to rights after hitting him with a Swerve Stomp. The Young Bucks interfered and cost him the chance to become world champion again.

While he has claimed that he is out to hunt The Bucks, he could remind Mox of their unfinished business. This could be similar to what Cope did and how he requested one final rematch between them. Seeing how far Swerve can go for what he wants, he could ask Tony Khan to give him a match with a stipulation, such as a steel cage match or anything equally devious.

A match like such would put him one-on-one with Mox, but there is no telling what sort of chaos could occur in a match like this.

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#4. One of The Death Riders walks away

With PAC dealing with an injury, Jon Moxley has filled in for him, and The Death Riders are set to put their World Trios Titles on the line against The Opps on AEW Dynamite. Samoa Joe sent a chilling message their way last week, and the trio looks to be a competitor that the champions finally need to worry about.

While every other trio has fallen short in taking them down, this may not be the same with The Opps. Joe, Hook, and Katsuyori Shibata all have the means to bring the fight to them, and they could be the ones to dethrone them.

This shocker could be the beginning of the end of The Death Riders, as we could see one member walk out on the faction. Claudio Castagnoli has remained loyal to Jon Moxley right from the start, but another disappointment may lead to his frustrations boiling over.

He, of all people, walking out on the already-weakened faction could lead to their end rapidly. This could force Jon Moxley to take drastic actions and look to find a replacement or a way of keeping his group together.

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#5. The AEW Owen Hart Foundation Tournament's dream matches steal the show

Apart from Hangman taking on the wild card entrant, two other matches have been announced for this Wednesday's Dynamite: Spring Break Thru. This will be two dream semifinal matches, which will see Will Ospreay take on Konosuke Takeshita in a rematch from Revolution last year, and Athena take on Mercedes Moné in their long-awaited matchup.

On paper, both these matches are pay-per-view worthy, with Ospreay and Takeshita being one of the matches that many deemed as the match of the year in 2024. While these may be on free TV this time around, this does not mean a drop in quality, as fans can expect great performances from them.

These matches could end up being better than some of the matches booked for WrestleMania 41.

#6. MJF hints at "completing" The Hurt Syndicate

Last week on Dynamite, The Hurt Syndicate voted on MJF's future with the group. Both Bobby Lashley and Shelton Benjamin did not want him in the group, so the majority won.

As a way to gain their favor, he could surprise everyone by playing middleman and bolster the group's ranks. Apart from offering his services to the faction, he could look to hint at bringing in Cedric Alexander. This may be what he needs to get Bobby and Shelton to trust him, as his potential big business move will benefit the faction.

AEW has a tall task ahead of them if they want to match whatever WWE will put on live TV this week. But with an already stacked card ahead of them, this may be doable on their part.

Fans should stay tuned to what both companies will showcase this week in what will be a celebration of pro wrestling.