Backstage News On 'Costco Guy' AJ's AEW Full Gear Match

It may only be taking place on Zero Hour, but one of the most anticipated matches on AEW Full Gear this weekend is the bout between QT Marshall and TikTok star "Big Boom" AJ," aka "Costco Guy" AJ. The match, a battle between two men who first crossed paths back when AJ was wrapping up his wrestling career as Eric Justice, has largely played out over social media, indie shows, and one "Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon" appearance, though that will change this week when AJ appears on "Dynamite."

As it turns out, that wasn't the original plan. Fightful Select reports that, originally, the AJ/Marshall program was supposed to play out strictly as it has, away from AEW TV, with AJ promoting the match as part of a media tour. Among the reasons for this was because AEW didn't want to "discourage" talents by featuring the Marshall vs. AJ feud over full-time storylines. Because of the buzz AJ has generated, however, AEW decided to go with a segment for this week.

Overall, AEW is very happy with the work AJ has done in promoting the match, and those within the promotion have been impressed with how "respectful" AJ and his family had been throughout the process. One AEW talent also noted that AJ's work in promoting the match made it clear that AJ was still a pro at wrestling, despite the fact that he wrapped up his independent career nearly two decades earlier. It was also confirmed that the match had come about thanks to AJ being contacted by Marshall and AEW producer Sonjay Dutt, something AJ had previously alluded to while promoting the match.