AEW Double or Nothing has concluded.
The sixth annual Double or Nothing PPV event went down at the MGM Grand Garden Arena this past Sunday. The main card featured 10 matches, seven of which had various titles on the line.
For those who missed out on the show, here’s what went down at AEW Double or Nothing.
- Deonna Purrazzo defeated Thunder Rosa at the Double or Nothing pre-show
- The Acclaimed (Anthony Bowers and Max Caster) and Billy Gunn defeated Cage of Agony (Brian Cage, Toa Lona and Bishop Kaun) at the Double or Nothing pre-show
Will Ospreay vs. Roderick Strong kicked off AEW Double or Nothing
Backdrop: Roderick Strong had defeated Orange Cassidy for the title at AEW Revolution. He retained it against Kyle O’Reilly at AEW Dynasty. Ospreay, on the other hand, won a number one contender’s Casino Gauntlet to earn a shot at Strong on April 24, 2024 Dynamite.
Analysis: A great opening match for AEW’s biggest PPV of the year; might be a MOTY contender. Their chemistry was evident from the get-go. The interference by Undisputed Kingdom made for some interesting spots. The Tiger Driver reversal by Strong was smooth as hell. Ospreay will bring it back at some point. The “Aerial Assassin” sealed the win with a brutal Hidden Blade and Strom Breaker combo.
Related: Will Ospreay Beats Roderick Strong To Win AEW International Title At AEW Double Or Nothing
MJF returned to resume his storyline with Adam Cole
Backdrop: MJF and Adam Cole headlined AEW All In at Wembley. Cole would betray his “best friend” at the Worlds End PPV last December. Max took a hiatus from the promotion, and finally made his return at Double or Nothing this past Sunday.
Analysis: For those unaware, MJF isn’t going anywhere. He practically confirmed his status with AEW with a new tattoo. The NJPW and Vince McMahon reference could’ve been avoided. I say New Japan because they are practically in a working relationship with AEW. Vince McMahon because his mere mention makes for nothing but cheap heat in the wake of all those horrific allegations. The elbow drop on the Devil mask was a hilarious callback to Ric Flair’s WCW shenanigans.
Bang Bang Gang vs. Death Triangle for the Unified World Trios Championship
Backdrop: Bang Bang Gang (Jay White and The Gunns) unified the AEW and ROH World Trios Tag Team Championship on the AEW Dynasty pre-show. The trio attacked PAC on Collision during the lead-up to AEW Double or Nothing. PAC reunited with the Lucha Bros. to reform Death Triangle, setting up a unified trios tag team title match for DoN.
Result: Bang Bang Gang defeated Death Triangle to retain their titles.
Analysis: A solid trios tag team match, but not up to par with Death Triangle vs. The Elite. Just how Rey Fenix is able to defy gravity is beyond my imagination. Juice Robinson’s return to cost Death Triangle the match was a nice little surprise to cap off the match. Bullet Club Gold is back, and they’re stronger than ever.
Toni Storm (c) vs. Serena Deeb for the AEW Women’s World title
Backdrop: Toni Storm became a three-time AEW Women’s World Champion at AEW Full Gear 2023. Storm retained her title against Riho and Deonna Purrazzo at Worlds End and Revolution, respectively. She successfully defended her championship against former champion Thunder Rosa at AEW Dynasty.
Analysis: Sloppy, lacking in structure and a slightly overbooked finish! For a match that had a solid build-up, the in-ring action was disappointing. These two women clearly lack chemistry. Some spots looked outright bad due to apparent miscommunication. The action did get slightly better toward the end. Luther stopping Mariah from throwing in the towel served as a glimpse for things to come. The avalanche Storm Zero should’ve sealed the win for the champion.
Read More: AEW Double Or Nothing: Toni Storm vs. Serena Deeb Result
Former best friends collided at AEW Double or Nothing
Backdrop: Trent Berretta turned heel on Orange Cassidy in the lead-up to Double or Nothing. Chuck Taylor took sides with OC, and his allegiance cost him his career. Don Callis got himself involved in the feud teasing an alliance with Cassidy in the process.
Result: Orange Cassidy defeated Trent Berretta via pinfall.
Analysis: A good match with an underwhelming ending. OC and TB have solid chemistry. They packed quite a look of action in under 14 minutes. The slam on the outside looked brutal. I didn’t like the small package ending. It undersold the whole animosity between the two former best friends. Berretta walked away after telling Renee he was done.
Chris Jericho (c) vs. Shibata vs. HOOK – Triple threat match for the FTW Championship
Backdrop: Chris Jericho beat HOOK for the FTW Championship at AEW Dynasty. Big Bill helped Y2J retain his title against Shibata two weeks later on AEW Dynamite. HOOK returned in the lead-up to AEW Double or Nothing to set up a triple threat match for the championship.
Analysis: I’ve seen better triple threat matches. They should’ve just let Jericho take on HOOK in a rematch. All three men spent the majority of the match throwing each other on a pile of dices in the ring. The table suplex to Big Bill from HOOK was impressive. Shibata was their to take the pin even though it was HOOK who took the heavily protected Judas Effect. He popped out of it moments later after the match to take care of security.
IWGP world title eliminator match at AEW Double or Nothing
Backdrop: Jon Moxley won the IWGP title from Tetsuya Naito at NJPW Windy City Riot. He retained it against Powerhouse Hobbs in a short match on AEW Dynamite #238. Don Callis then picked Takesh*ta as Mox’s opponent for Double or Nothing.
Result: Jon Moxley defeated Konosuke Takesh*ta
Analysis: A hard-hitting match ruined by its ending. Takesh*ta did a great job working Mox’s heavily-bandaged arm. The champion took some brutal shots to his injured shoulder. That elbow from Takesh*ta nearly took Mox’s head off. Takesh*ta spent the majority of the match manhandling the champion, but still lost. A win would have been nice for the former DDT standout considering this was an eliminator match.
Adam Copeland (c) vs. Malakai Black – Barbed Wire Steel Cage match for the TNT title
Backdrop: Adam Copeland defeated Christian Cage for the TNT title at AEW Dynamite #233. The champion began hosting a “Cope Open” that saw him successfully retain his title against the likes of Matt Cardona, Penta, Buddy Matthews, and Brody King. Cope and Malakai Black would continue to play mind games with each other in the lead-up to Double or Nothing.
Result: Adam Copeland defeated Malakai Black via referee stoppage.
Analysis: This match feature some major callbacks to Cope’s solo career-making match against Mick Foley at WrestleMania 22. Cope and Black made good use of foreign objects to dish out brutal punishment on each other. I like how they focused on making the most of barbed wire objects to really sell the gimmick. Matthews and King teasing an alliance with Cope to pull a swerve was a great spot. The elbow drop from the top of the cage could’ve gone horribly. Thankfully, it didn’t. Gangrel’s surprise appearance was the highlight of the match. Nobody does the Impaler better than the living vampire himself. I was quite surprised they booked Cope to retain his title.
Willow Nightingale (c) vs. Mercedes Moné for the AEW TBS Title
Backdrop: Mercedes Moné picked up her feud with Willow Nightingale after making her AEW debut at Big Business. The feud was tied to the ankle injury Mercedes sustained during her previous outing against Willow at an NJPW event. The TBS title match was part of the triple main event announced for Double or Nothing.
Analysis: Mercedes Moné got a special entrance for her AEW in-ring debut at Double or Nothing. The challenger and the champion threw everything they had on each other. Willow used her size and strength advantage over Mercedes. There were some cool spots, like the gutwrench powerbomb on the apron. Mercedes’ finisher looked weak as a heel. A submission or a frog splash would’ve looked more effective against the much bigger Willow. They teased Kris Statlander and Stokely’s heel turn on Willow throughout the match. Kris attacked Willow on the ramp to kick off their feud.
Swerve Strickland (c) vs. Christian Cage for the AEW World Title
Backdrop: The Elite introduced Christian Cage as Swerve Strickland’s first title defense on the May 1 episode of AEW Dynamite. The two men would spend the following weeks trying to destroy each other. Cage successfully convinced Cage of Agony to betray Swerve in the build-up to Double or Nothing.
Analysis: The penultimate match of the night marked a solid first successful title defense for Swerve. Of course, there were plenty of interferences from The Patriarchy, who ultimately got ejected. Swerve and Christian had a methodical match befitting of their individual in-ring styles. The champion picked up the win following a Stomp and House Call combo. He then celebrated with Floyd Mayweather in the crowd.
Read More: AEW Double Or Nothing: Swerve Strickland vs. Christian Cage Result
Anarchy in the Arena match headlined AEW Double or Nothing
Backdrop: The Young Bucks assaulted Tony Khan to set up a power struggle storyline on AEW Dynamite. The Elite also took out Kenny Omega in the build-up to AEW Double or Nothing. Omega proposed an Anarchy in the Arena match between The Elite and Team AEW (originally Bryan Danielson, FTR and Eddie Kingston). However, Kingston’s injury prompted AEW to replace him with Darby Allin.
Analysis: AEW somehow manage to top the insanity that is Anarchy in the Arena every where. This year’s Anarchy in the Arena match was crazy from start to finish. Both teams literally tried to commit murder on live television. The Young Bucks and Bryan Danielson cutting each other off with their theme songs was entertaining and popped a huge reaction from the crowd. Tony Khan made a cameo as well. Darby Allin setting Jack Perry on fire could is definitely in the top three craziest moments in AEW history. Bucks pulled off a brutal but brilliant marketing ploy with their sneakers as well. Darby Allin handing upside down while taking superkicks made for a terrifying visual. The Elite won and Dynamite got a lot more interesting.
Read More: AEW Double Or Nothing: Anarchy In The Arena Result
That caps off our AEW Double or Nothing recap. Did you enjoy the review? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below!
