Back in July 2021, we decided to have a little fun on Down the Middle.
We called it The Time Capsule — an episode where we’d predict where the major wrestling promotions would be “in about a year,” then come back later and see how right (or gloriously wrong) we were.
“We’ll go through and look at different wrestling companies that are out there today, and we’re going to predict where they’re going to be in a year… then next year we’ll go through this again and see where we were right and where we were wrong.”
A few years have passed, and the dust has settled. Let’s crack that capsule open and see how our crystal ball held up.
🧛♂️ Danhausen Joins AEW — ✅ TRUE
In 2021, Ben said confidently:
“Somebody who’s not in our little set group… likes the idea of wanting to win my title here… but more importantly, Danhausen’s gonna end up in AEW when his ROH contract’s up.”
At the time, that felt like a stretch. Danhausen’s character was still largely an indie phenomenon — half comedy, half curse. But sure enough, on January 26 2022, Very Nice, Very Evil Danhausen popped out from under the ring on AEW Dynamite: Beach Break, hexing Adam Cole and cementing his new home.
Since then he’s become one of AEW’s most marketable personalities, with action figures, comic cameos, and a loyal cult following that proves niche characters can thrive on national TV.
🤠 Hangman Page vs. Kenny Omega — ✅ TRUE
We said Hangman would be the guy to dethrone Kenny.
“It’s gotta be Kenny Omega and Hangman Page at All Out … and Page wins.”
The story stretched a little longer — AEW held off until Full Gear 2021 — but the payoff was worth the wait.
Page defeated Omega in an emotional classic, closing one of the best long-term storylines in modern wrestling.
Hangman’s reign wasn’t the longest, but it was symbolic: the first true “home-grown” AEW world champion built entirely within their narrative universe.
🦋 The Young Bucks Drop the Belts — ✅ TRUE
We predicted the Bucks would lose their tag gold around All Out 2021.
That’s exactly what happened on September 5 2021, when the Lucha Bros defeated the Bucks in an instant-classic cage match.
The aerial chaos, the thumbtack-covered shoe, and the deafening Chicago crowd made it one of AEW’s defining moments.
Even Nick Jackson admitted later that it was one of their favorite bouts — so chalk this one up as a perfect hit.
⚡ The Elite’s “Bullet Club Takeover” — ❌ FALSE (With a Twist)
“The Elite’s gonna lose everything… then remember, hey, we’ve got New Japan… maybe we take back over Bullet Club.”
That alternate timeline never quite happened.
Instead, Jay White carried the Bullet Club torch in Japan, while forming Bullet Club Gold with Juice Robinson and the Gunns inside AEW.
Kenny Omega did return to New Japan in 2023 — but for the IWGP U.S. Title, not the world belt — delivering two match-of-the-year candidates with Will Ospreay.
So no full-scale takeover… but the “Forbidden Door” opened just enough to make it feel possible.
🔥 Impact Wrestling vs. Ring of Honor — ✅ TRUE (for that window)
We said Impact would outlast ROH, and within a year, we were right.
ROH went dark after Final Battle 2021, releasing its roster and promising a re-launch that wouldn’t come until Tony Khan purchased the brand in March 2022.
Meanwhile, Impact Wrestling kept steady with its partnerships, crossover shows, and consistent fanbase.
The irony? Today, ROH lives on as AEW’s sister brand, streaming on Honor Club — but during that 2021-22 window, Impact was clearly stronger.
🗾 New Japan Pro Wrestling Rebounds — ✅ TRUE
“They’ll recover. They’ve got the L.A. Dojo, they’ll build back, and the AEW partnership will help.”
Post-pandemic, that’s exactly what happened.
New Japan re-opened borders, launched NJPW Strong, and partnered with AEW for Forbidden Door — a dream-card concept once thought impossible.
By Wrestle Kingdom 17 (2023), New Japan was back on track, blending Japanese tradition with global crossover appeal.
💼 WWE Sale Prediction — ❌ FALSE (But Close)
We called it like this:
“There are rumors that WWE might be selling — let’s assume they get bought by NBC.”
WWE did sell… just not to NBC.
In 2023 it merged with UFC under TKO Group Holdings, majority-owned by Endeavor.
The deal valued the combined sports-entertainment juggernaut at over $21 billion.
So while the buyer was different, the core idea — that Vince McMahon’s empire would change hands — was spot-on foresight.
🏆 WWE Remains #1 — ✅ TRUE
Even with record-low ratings in 2021, we said WWE wasn’t going anywhere.
Three years later, they’re still the global leader in revenue, live-event draw, and brand recognition.
Triple H’s creative direction post-2022 stabilized fan morale, and the Endeavor merger gave WWE unprecedented corporate muscle.
Sometimes the safe bet is still the right bet.
🧨 AEW Keeps Climbing — ✅ TRUE
We predicted AEW would maintain or grow its momentum.
Not only did it grow — it exploded.
By 2023, AEW had run Wembley Stadium’s All In London, drawing more than 80,000 paid fans, one of the largest gates in wrestling history.
They added Collision to the lineup, expanded internationally, and became a legitimate second powerhouse rather than an “alternative.”
Three years later, it’s safe to say AEW’s “experiment” worked.
🦅 NWA’s Bumpy Flight — ⚠️ MIXED
In 2021, we warned:
“They pulled off YouTube way too early — you’ve got to keep it easy to watch.”
That concern aged well.
NWA briefly reappeared on The CW App in 2023 but stumbled after controversy from a pay-per-view segment reportedly spooked the network.
By 2025, the promotion found a new streaming home on The Roku Channel, continuing its scrappy existence.
The product still feels niche, but the lineage of the NWA title keeps it culturally relevant.
🐺 MLW Still Fighting — ⚠️ MOSTLY TRUE
“MLW’s gonna be right underneath NWA… basically a developmental company for the big time.”
That’s largely what happened.
MLW struck short-lived TV deals (DAZN, REELZ), fought a high-profile antitrust suit against WWE — and settled — but remained a proving ground for hungry talent.
Stars like Alex Hammerstone and Jacob Fatu brought eyes to the brand, even as others jumped to AEW or WWE.
Still here. Still swinging.
📊 The Final Scorecard
Result | Count |
✅ Correct Predictions | 7 |
⚠️ Mixed / Partially Correct | 2 |
❌ Missed Calls | 2 |
Not too shabby for a couple of armchair bookers in 2021.
💬 Looking Ahead to 2026
The next Down the Middle Time Capsule is already in the works.
This time, we’ll look at AEW’s global reach, WWE’s TKO era, New Japan’s streaming ambitions, and whether Impact, NWA, and MLW can survive the next wave of consolidation.
Drop your own predictions in the comments — and when 2026 rolls around, we’ll open the vault again.
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