Double or Nothing has come and gone!!! The fourth rendition of AEW’s biggest show returned to Las Vegas for its biggest card yet! Us fans were treated to a wide array of crazy action and fantastic matches. There were all kinds of matches throughout the evening: Championship matches, triple threats, trios, and whatever Anarchy in the Arena became.
With such a loaded card, the possibility for Show of the Year was high. Did Double or Nothing live up to the hype? Or was the show a little too bloated?
Let’s find out!
Buy-In!
HookHausen vs. Tony Nese & Mark Sterling
Omg Sterling’s outfit hahaha
Our lone Buy-In matchup saw the debut of HookHausen taking on Tony Nese and Mark Sterling. This match was the perfect way to get the crowd happy and ready for the show. It was silly and everything it needed to be.
Hook and Danhausen play off of each other so well. Danhausen seems to bring out a little personality from the stoic Hook. And Hook has been training Danhausen to improve his in-ring work. Tony Nese tried to take advantage of Danhausen’s lack of experience, but Hook quickly grabbed the hot tag and finished the match. Hook even posed for the fans! Danhausen posed and pinned Mark Sterling to avenge his loss. Good stuff.
3/5
Main Card!
MJF vs. Wardlow
Our opening match marked the culmination of one of the longest-running storylines in AEW history. The MJF/Wardlow story has been running since the inception of Dynamite. A story built for that long needs a slow burn payoff, which is exactly what we got. Wardlow finally got his hands on the ‘Salt of the Earth’ after passing test after test after test. This match was not a slow burn, however, but a perfect cathartic culmination in how to build a star.
The match started with Wardlow being locked inside a holding cell, which I assume implies that’s where he’s been during the last few months. We got the usual Wardlow chants during his entrance, except that’s not all we got from the crowd. They were rowdy. They were chanting all sorts of stuff at MJF, mostly about his rumored issues with Tony Khan.
The match story itself was short, sweet, and a perfect sendoff for this long burn of a feud. MJF started the match with all the usual dirty tricks, once he stopped running from Wardlow. He bit the big dog, poked his eyes, faked an injury, and even tried using the Dynamite Diamond ring. The referee caught the last one, which was MJF’s last resort. He eventually tried to talk to Wardlow, which fell on deaf ears as Wardlow tuned up the band.
The crowd exploded with cheers as Wardlow started the Powerbomb Symphony! The big man savored this time as he hit multiple powerbombs in a row. He eventually hit TEN powerbombs and pinned MJF to raucous applause. MJF was stretchered out like he needed serious medical attention and Wardlow was officially handed an AEW contract. This was everything it needed to be story-wise, albeit I do have a couple of thoughts…
3.5/5
Everyone has heard about MJF’s disappearing act this past weekend. I have zero sources and nothing to comment on regarding that. The match itself, however, felt like a sendoff to the MJF character. I don’t know what that means, but Wardlow squashed him. The stretcher at the end felt a little over the top, which took from Wardlow’s moment. Maybe MJF wasn’t happy with being destroyed at a huge Pay-Per-View? Nobody knows, but I hope Tony Khan and MJF can work out their differences.
The Hardys vs. The Young Bucks
Up next we had the Elite vs. Delete match with The Young Bucks facing the Hardys. It was a dream match in everyone’s book. And outside of a few issues during the beginning moments, I loved this match. I’d consider both teams in the top five tag teams in history, so I’m happy everything lived up to the hype!
The story of this match revolved around the Young Bucks being younger and overall better at this age than the Hardys. However, The Hardys would not go quietly. They hung with the Jacksons for a good portion of this match. I enjoyed how the Jacksons would use quintessential Hardy for obvious heel points.
At one point during the match, Jeff Hardy hurt himself. He almost looked concussed, which the Young Bucks took advantage of. A lot of this match was simply move after move after move. This all came to a head as the Bucks tried to take the Hardys out with constant Superkicks. Matt and Jeff would not go down as the Jacksons couldn’t finish them. Multiple Swanton Bombs were hit, with one of them being through Steel Steps. The Hardys outlasted the Young Bucks in a fantastic match.
4.25/5
TBS Championship: Jade Cargill vs. Anna Jay
Up next was the TBS Championship match between the undefeated Jade Cargill and Anna Jay. This rematch wasn’t bad, but it felt like these two had chemistry issues. I enjoyed the post-match angle more than the match itself.
This match revolved around Anna being able to outsmart Jade’s power game. Anna Jay looked really good for a lot of this one. Both ladies had great parts, and parts where their communication was off. She had a nice superplex, avalanche blockbuster, and she used the steel steps well too. She also has had really cool counters that lead into her Queenslayer choke, which was the case here.
All kinds of shenanigans happened towards the end of the match. Eventually the Baddies got involved, Mark Sterling almost caused Jade the match, and John Silver neutralized Sterling. The match escalated to a finish as Stokely Hathaway (FKA Malcom Bivens) distracted Anna Jay for Jade to hit an Avalanche Jaded for the victory.
3/5
Jade and the Baddies attempt to take out Anna Jay post-match. Statlander comes down to confront the Baddies and she doesn’t come alone. We have the official debut of ATHENA!!!!! That’s awesome! Such a fantastic addition to the women’s division. She walks in the door as one of the most complete pro wrestlers in the division.
The House of Black vs. Death Triangle
Up next was the Trios match between House of Black and Death Triangle. Everything about this was fantastic, and if not for a match I’ll touch on later, would have been my match of the night. This was everything I could have possibly wanted from a trios match between the six of these titans of the industry. It was fast, furious, and nothing like those garbage movies. And it had a story! I couldn’t believe it!
The match was pure energy from the get-go. They might as well have called it a Tornado Tag match because that’s what it was. Tags in and out were few and far between. Trios action in AEW is always like that and I love it. I also loved the face paint of the House of Black. They were creepy, dark, and matched perfectly. It was awesome!
The Lucha Brothers were here, which means we got an insane Canadian Destroyer. I don’t understand how they innovate that move every single time. There was just move after move after move. My head was spinning at how crazy this match became, but I loved every second of it.
I also loved how it ended.
The Lights went out as PAC ascended to the top rope. Julia Hart appeared out of nowhere to spit the Black Mist in his face, which allowed Malakai Black to hit the Black Mass for the victory. I’m so happy that they finally paid off the Julia Hart story. Everything about this was fantastic.
4.5/5
Owen Hart Men’s Final: Samoa Joe vs. Adam Cole
Up next was the first of two Owen Hart Tournament finals between Adam Cole and Samoa Joe. Both Owen Hart tournaments failed to hit my lofty expectations for them, but I cannot complain about getting to see Adam Cole versus Samoa Joe in a pretty damn good match. Legendary referee, Mike Chioda, also made a surprise appearance for this match!
The story of this match revolved around Samoa Joe’s previously injured shoulder. Cole constantly targeted it after throwing Joe into the steel ring post. Samoa Joe eventually overpowered Cole, despite the shoulder. This match ended up playing out as Cole’s craftiness outlasting Samoa Joe’s pure power. I enjoyed the match, but I thought there was a little something missing. Maybe it was the abrupt ending that soured me.
Towards the end, Bobby Fish appeared out of nowhere to distract Joe. Apparently Samoa Joe was ‘prepared for it,’ but after taking out Fish he succumbed to the BOOM knee anyway. Adam Cole wins a match that did not need an interference ending. Samoa Joe, in my opinion, should be smart enough to not fall for Heel 101 distraction techniques. Still a good match, despite the ending.
3.5/5
Owen Hart Women’s Final: Dr. Britt Baker DMD vs. Ruby Soho
AEW does a cool job of creating awesome PPV entrances for their superstars, regardless of the match outcome. It truly felt like the coronation of Ruby Soho when Punk legends, Rancid, played her namesake song as she came to the ring. That was a cool moment. The match was pretty good too!
The story of this match revolved around Ruby’s back and midsection. She hurt her back after an awesome shotgun dropkick on the floor. This allowed the good Doctor to target it and take over. Unfortunately for Ruby, this played into the final decision. She couldn’t ever catch her breath, despite gaining momentum throughout the match. Every move caused her pain. She was successful at blocking the Lockjaw, but despite connecting on the No Future Kick and a Sharpshooter, it wasn’t her night against Britt.
The finish of this one caused a knee-jerk reaction of disappointment, but I like it in retrospect. Ruby was able to counter Britt into a Victory rollup pinfall for a close two, but Britt countered that with her own trap rollup and steals the victory from Ruby. I believe AEW is telling a story of Ruby not being able to beat Britt. There’s a good babyface story to tell there. I also like the match story of Ruby not being able to hold Britt because of her midsection. That inevitably caused her defeat. I did not expect to enjoy that match as much as I did.
4/5
American Top Team vs. Sammy Guevara, Tay Conti, and Frankie Kazarian
Up next was the hopeful final blowoff between American Top Team, Sammy Guevara, and Tay Conti. This feud has really soured my views of everyone involved. I’ve not been a fan of anyone, outside of Ethan Page. We also got to see the debut of Paige VanZant in the ring, which was nice.
The story here was a simple one. Everyone hates Sammy and Tay. They couldn’t keep their hands off of one another throughout the match and freaked out any time the other was getting hit. Their own teammate, Frankie Kazarian, couldn’t stop berating them either. Kazarian was the only one I thought actually shined in this match. He played the 1v3 game a lot, due to Sammy and Tay’s incessant makeout sessions.
The match escalated towards the close after Sammy inadvertently superkicked his girlfriend in the face, which effectively knocked them both out of the match. Kazarian was then hit with a TKO by Scorpio Sky. American Top Team ends this feud victorious. Can we please end all of this nonsense now?
2.75/5
Kyle O’Reilly vs. Darby Allin
This last-minute addition match between Kyle O’Reilly and Darby Allin was a good one! Darby wanted some revenge for the Undisputed Elite taking out Sting, which KOR was happy to oblige. This match was a fantastic meshing of two opposite styles, which ended up in one of my favorite matches of the evening.
This match was high energy from the start. Darby ended up bleeding from the mouth early on, but that didn’t stop him. He’s apparently blending some of Sting’s moveset, as he hit the Scorpion Deathdrop at one point. One of the coolest spots was when Darby went for his insane suicide dive, except KOR caught his head into a Guillotine choke on the floor.
They traded moves throughout the match, with Darby spamming the Coffin Drop button a little too much. KOR was too smart, caught an attempt into an armbar. This allowed O’Reilly to build momentum, which was followed by a bunch of kicks and a knee for the victory.
This was great. A perfect blend of Darby’s crazy style with KOR’s technical mastery.
4/5
AEW Women’s Championship: Thunder Rosa(c) vs. Serena Deeb
AEW’s third Women’s match of the evening was, by far, the best. I loved how much representation the ladies got at Double or Nothing. Three women’s matches, and four if you count the mixed trios match. A quality step in the right direction! Regardless of the number of women’s matches, Thunder Rosa and Serena Deeb KILLED it in this one.
Everyone knows the technical mastery of Serena Deeb, but I was pleasantly surprised by how technical Rosa was! There were chain wrestling segments where I thought Rosa outperformed Deeb. Rosa continues to prove how great she is. She needs a Championship defining feud. MAKE ME CARE ABOUT THE TITLE! She deserves it.
Neither lady gained any ground on the other. There was a nice touch with Rosa targeting Deeb’s knee, similar to how Deeb targeted Hikaru Shida’s knee. They spent the majority trading moves back and forth. Thunder Rosa simply outlasted the Professor of Professional Wrestling. Deeb hit the Detox and Serenity Lock, but Rosa survived to hit the Fire Thunder Driver for the victory. This was a top-three match on the night for me. I loved this one! These ladies killed it.
4.5/5
Jericho Appreciation Society vs. Blackpool Combat Club, Eddie Kingston, Santana, and Ortiz
At this point in the show, the audience was visibly exhausted. It was already way past my bedtime, I can’t imagine how taxing cheering for five or six hours straight in a packed arena was. What would wake up the audiences in the building and at home?
How about a little Anarchy!
Sometimes there are things that are so good, that they must be seen to be believed. I’m not sure what I was expecting when AEW announced that this 5v5 would be “Anarchy in the Arena,” but it surely wasn’t what we got. All Elite Wrestling does hardcore style matches really well, but regardless of stipulation, a lot of them feel similar. This hardcore style match set itself apart by being exactly what the name suggested.
It was pure chaotic anarchy.
The brawling began before “Wild Thing” had even stopped playing. This set a really cool party vibe because AEW continuously played it over and over again, which then allowed Heel Jericho to shut the party down by smashing the music board. The carnage never stopped, however, because it wasn’t long into the match that everyone either was bleeding or wearing someone’s blood.
Brawling happened all over the arena: in the ring, backstage, in the crowd, and even in the concourse area with the merch stands. Huge props are given to the production team, as they didn’t miss a second of the action. The pace was intense throughout the whole thing.
Everything came to a summit as Eddie Kingston came down to the ring, blood spewing from everywhere, holding a gas can. He literally tried to burn Jericho alive, which caused him and Danielson to fight. These issues inevitably led the Jericho Appreciation Society to overwhelm Danielson and pick up the victory.
This was special. Easily match of the night, and possibly match of the year. That’s difficult for a hardcore match to achieve.
5/5
Match of the Night
Segments:
- Andrade is tired of the Andrade Family Office. The fans are too! He believes he has a fix, which means that he’s partnering with an old friend. Andrade is bringing former Ring of Honor champion, RUSH, as a business partner to save his faction. I’m happy with this! Give me good Andrade storylines. Could this be leading to a Los Ingobernables reunion?! Fingers crossed for Tetsuya Naito showing up.
- Scorpio Sky has seemingly returned to the TNT Open Challenge, which has been accepted by Dante Martin for Dynamite. That match is going to be great! Give me weekly TNT Title defenses again! That will rebuild the title picture!
Tag Team championship: Jurassic Express vs. Team Taz vs. Swerve in Our Glory
That small segment break allowed everyone to catch their breath after all the Anarchy, but the intensity wouldn’t subside all that much with the next match. The Triple Threat tag team championship match between Jurassic Express, Team Taz, and Swerve in Our Glory was an amazing battle.
Unlike a lot of multi-man matches in AEW, I was surprised by how much actual match story there was here. This match only allowed for two people in the ring at once, which gave way for interesting story beats where non-tag partners needed to tag out to save themselves for later. I enjoyed that aspect of this match.
The stars of this match were Ricky Starks and Keith Lee. Starks has an aura and charisma that shines every single time he steps into the ring. His wrestling style isn’t insane, but he does the small things perfectly whilst adding his flair. Keith Lee, on the other hand, is an insane person. He throws his monstrous bodyweight around like a cruiserweight. At one point he did a perfect Tope con Hiro onto three guys. The crowd loved it and he looked to be having a blast out there.
The pace was inevitably going to ramp up at one point, but what I didn’t expect was how much Christian Cage was going to be involved. There were numerous times when he stopped Team Taz from their dirty tactics. That still didn’t stop Ricky Starks from neutralizing Keith Lee with the FTW Championship towards the end. All of the craziness came to an end after Jurassic Express hit their cool finisher to retain their titles! I was honestly surprised by that decision, but I still love Jurassic Express as champs.
4.25/5
AEW Championship: Hangman Adam Page(c) vs. CM Punk
AND NEWWW!!!!
Imagine that picture one year ago. All Elite Wrestling was still at Daily’s Place one year ago, and now are having amazing shows at packed arenas where CM Punk wins the All Elite Wrestling Championship. Even the most passionate AEW loyalists couldn’t have imagined that!
The main event saw CM Punk defeat Hangman Adam Page in a really good match that was only a few missed moves away from perfection. The story they told was great, the crowd was en Fuego, and Hangman looked like the champion. CM Punk, on the other hand, couldn’t keep up with Hangman. Thankfully this was the story they told.
You could feel Hangman’s hatred for Punk throughout the whole match. He stayed with the advantage for the majority, keeping the wily veteran from gaining momentum with elbow strikes, top rope maneuvers, and using his clear strength advantage. He outclassed Punk for most of the match. Punk would gain momentum until Hangman would overcome.
Halfway through, Hangman hits an Orihara moonsault and tweaks his knee. Punk would take advantage of this by targeting it to gain a little momentum. Here’s where the story takes a turn. Up until this point, Hangman felt unstoppable, except he couldn’t put CM Punk away. Eventually, he grabs the AEW championship and screams, “THIS IS MINE.”
The insecurity of Hangman came to a head as referee Paul Turner was knocked out, causing Hangman to threaten to finish Punk with the AEW title. He didn’t do it but got caught by Punk in the GTS for the pinfall. Punk only needed a slight opening to finish Hangman off. The Anxious Millennial Cowboy lost because of his insecurity. I wish Hangman won, but I like how they told this story.
4.25/5
Overall
Double or Nothing was a great show. It was a little long for my tastes, but every match held its own on the card. All Elite Wrestling has an unbelievable roster that deserves Pay Per View audiences and paychecks. Maybe just cut the running time back down to four hours.
Obviously, I wasn’t the biggest fan of the mixed trios match. I do appreciate All Elite Wrestling trying new things, however! I think it was the participants in the feud, rather than the match itself. Everything on the card was good or great and I cannot complain about that!!
But that Anarchy in the Arena match…That’s not something I’ll forget for a long time! That match was special.
Verdict: 4/5