Last night, AEW returned to Glendale, Ariz., for its sixth annual “Double or Nothing” PPV.
“Double or Nothing” (2019) was AEW’s inaugural event, and last night’s show happened to coincide with the sixth anniversary of the event. For AEW, this was more than an event: this was a victory lap. To celebrate, we were rewarded with the finale to both the Men’s and Women’s Owen Hart Foundation Tournament, three title defenses, and a stretcher.
Was this year’s “Double or Nothing” worth the $50 price of admission?
Mercedes Moné vs. Jamie Hayter
The show began with the finale of the Women’s Owen Hart Foundation Tournament, pitting Mercedes Moné against Jamie Hayter.
I have to applaud Tony Khan for bookending the show with the Owen Hart Foundation Tournament matches. This was a rousing opening contest. Moné and Hayter are two of the most prolific wrestlers alive; the former holding the TBS women’s championship and the latter being a former AEW women’s world champion. Seeing them square off is a dream scenario, let alone to have their first encounter be on this stage.
It’s no secret that the “CEO” planned on concentrating her offense on Hayter’s back, in hopes of exacerbating her preexisting injury. Unfortunately for Hayter, Moné’s game plan was successful.
Moné was methodical, whittling away at Hayter until her inviolability had finally eroded. However, her game plan wasn’t necessarily easy to execute. Hayter’s offense is characterized by her incredible stopping power, and she swung for the fences in this contest.
In the end, Moné was able to survive Hayter’s onslaught, punctuating the affair with an improvised DDT, which she leveraged into a pinning predicament.
With that, it’ll be Moné who advanced to “All In” Texas, where she’ll square off against “Timeless” Toni Storm for the AEW women’s world championship.
Rating: ***¼
FTR vs. Nigel McGuinness & Daniel Garcia
The second contest saw FTR face Nigel McGuinness & Daniel Garcia.
The highest compliment that I can afford this match is that it wasn’t offensive. It was a solid tag team contest, which is the bare minimum for a match involving Dax Harwood & Cash Wheeler.
McGuinness and Garcia gave a valiant effort, but it wasn’t enough to overcome the institution that is FTR.
I’m interested to see how FTR’s journey as the “Living Legend Killers” progresses from here.
Rating: **¾
Ricochet vs. Mark Briscoe
Ricochet and Mark Briscoe’s feud has been brewing for months now, beginning at the $400,000 Four-Way Match and culminating in this match at “Double or Nothing.”
This was no mere single’s contest, though. This was a “Stretcher Match.”
I’ve loved Ricochet’s heel work as of late and Mark Briscoe is, quite frankly, one of my favorite babyfaces in pro-wrestling today. So, the equation is simple:
(Ricochet + Mark Briscoe) x Stretcher Match = A Great Wrestling Match
Mark Briscoe’s best efforts are always heroic, fighting against all odds and spilling his fair share of blood in the process. Unfortunately, Ricochet has no compunctions; using a pair of scissors to viciously incapacitate Briscoe.
Not only was this a terrific match, but Ricochet finally earned his first victory on PPV.
Rating: ****
The Hurt Syndicate [c] vs. The Sons of Texas
The fourth contest saw The Hurt Syndicate defend their AEW world tag team championships against the The Sons of Texas.
While Dustin Rhodes & Sammy Guevara are ROH world tag team champions in their own right, their titles weren’t on the line in this contest. Instead, they had everything to gain and nothing to lose.
Bobby Lashley & Shelton Benjamin on the other hand, seemed unphased by the spotlight and their opponents pedigree. For The Hurt Syndicate, this was business as usual.
MVP was on commentary, while MJF was ringside — pacing the squared circle, trying to help the champions gain a decisive advantage. While Lashley initially seemed unreceptive of MJF’s help, he ultimately acquiesced when Friedman raked Rhodes’ eyes; creating an opportunity for Lashley to spear the “Natural” through a leather ring barricade.
From there, it was simply a matter of isolating Sammy Guevara, who quickly fell victim to The Hurt Syndicate’s overwhelming speed, size, and power.
Rating: ***½
Kazuchika Okada [c] vs. “Speedball” Mike Bailey
We’re over a year into the Kazuchika Okada experience, and I’ll be the first to admit that he’s been operating on cruise control since his arrival in AEW. I am a proud Okada apologist, though, because when the “Rainmaker” is firing on all cylinders; he’s simply one of the best professional wrestlers alive.
This match is proof positive of that.
Like Ric Flair or Randy Orton before him, Okada is the perfect foil for any opponent; matching their pace and rising to the occasion. In this instance, it was against one of pro-wrestling’s most dynamic performers in “Speedball” Mike Bailey.
Rating: ***¾
“Timeless” Toni Storm [c] vs. Mina Shirakawa
The sixth contest saw “Timeless” Toni Storm defend her AEW women’s world championship against the “Glamour” Mina Shirakawa.
Last Wednesday, Shirakawa applied a vicious Figure-Four Leglock on the champion, hell bent on injuring her right leg. Unfortunately for Storm, Shirakawa’s gambit paid off, gaining a decisive advantage in this match that she was able to methodically exploit.
In many ways, Shirakawa wrestled the perfect match — relentlessly targeting Storm’s leg. Against most opponents, that would have been enough to stand victorious.
“Timeless” Toni Storm is not like most opponents, though. She’s the ace of this division, enduring all of Shirakawa’s punishment and still finding a way to narrowly escape from the jaw’s of defeat.
After the match, both women reconciled with a passionate kiss. Yes, you read that correctly.
Rating: ***½
Anarchy in the Arena
“Anarchy in the Arena” has become a yearly tradition for “Double or Nothing,” pitting two factions against each other. This year, it was the combination of The Death Riders & The Young Bucks versus Kenny Omega, Swerve Strickland, The Opps, & Willow Nightingale.
Twelve competitors in an anything-goes match, that must be won by pinfall or submission.
Traditionally, the entrance music of the last competitor to enter the match plays throughout the bulk of the contest. In this case, it was a revolutionary era song — signifying the introduction of Matt & Nick Jackson, who have christened themselves as “Founding Fathers,” as of late.
During the fray, Omega asked the production crew to change the song. His request was hilariously met by “I’m So Excited,” by the Pointer Sisters — which played as the title theme of this year’s “Fight For The Fallen.”
After that, Omega asked the production crew to play an alternative-rock song from the 2000’s, that the fans could sing along too. Queue “Bodies” by Drowning Pool.
This was an electrifying environment. Who knew that violent professional wrestling would pair well with a dance party?
The action here was as gratuitous, varied, and creative as you could imagine. Jon Moxley, Claudio Castangoli, Wheeler Yuta, Kenny Omega, and The Young Bucks are all veterans of the affair. Willow Nightingale and Marina Shafir both excelled as the first women to compete in “Anarchy in the Arena.” Samoa Joe, Katsuyori Shibata, Powerhouse Hobbs, and Swerve Strickland all made terrific contributions to this match.
As did HOOK, Gabe Kidd, and Mark Briscoe — who all interfered in the final act of the match. HOOK made his long-awaited return to attack Castagnoli, but refused to stay and help his fellow Opps members. Gabe Kidd attacked Samoa Joe with a briefcase and delivered a piledriver to Kenny Omega, seemingly swinging the odds in the Death Riders’ favor. Then, Mark Briscoe returned — still covered in blood from his match against Ricochet — to even the odds, helping “Team AEW” lock the members of the Death Riders in the ambulance from his Stretcher Match.
All that remained were The Young Bucks, isolated in the ring with Omega and Strickland. Omega drove one of the Jackson brothers through an exploding table with a One-Winged Angel, while Strickland used a spiked-pair of his new signature Reeboks to finish the other Jackson brother off with a House Call.
This was a terrific affair and certainly one of the better “Anarchy in the Arena” matches to date.
Rating: ****¼
Paragon vs. Don Callis Family
The penultimate match saw the Paragon face the Don Callis Family. For those who don’t watch “Collision,” the Paragon is the former Undisputed Kingdom, consisting of Adam Cole, Roderick Strong & Kyle O’Reilly.
This iteration of the Don Callis Family was a veritable murderer’s row: Konosuke Takeshita, Kyle Fletcher & Josh Alexander.
While this match might’ve seemed pointless in the grand scheme of things, there’s no denying the sheer level of talent involved.
This was a terrific pro-wrestling match. In the end, it was the Don Callis Family who prevailed — with RPG Vice and Lance Archer joining the fray afterwards to crush the Paragon.
Brody King and Tomohiro Ishii intervened on the Paragon’s behalf, followed by NJPW’s president, Hiroshi Tanahashi.
As a New Japan Pro-Wrestling fan, it’s always exhilarating to see the “Ace of the Universe” in AEW.
Rating: ***½
MATCH OF THE NIGHT: “Hangman” Adam Page vs. Will Ospreay
The main event. The finale of the Men’s Owen Hart Foundation Tournament.
Despite sharing a locker room in NJPW, ROH, and AEW; this was the first time that Page and Ospreay squared off in single’s completion. The sheer talent alone speaks volumes, which was only magnified by the stage and opportunity.
The winner of this match will advance to “All In” Texas, to face Jon Moxley for the AEW world championship.
For Page, this was the culmination of a three-year long journey — which began at “Double or Nothing” (2023), when he lost the AEW world championship to CM Punk.
For Ospreay, this was an opportunity to perform on AEW’s grandest stage, for its grandest prize — for the first time since last year’s “Forbidden Door,” where he lost to Swerve Strickland.
Both men are beloved figures, with paths to “All In” that fans can invest themselves in, but only one could leave the Desert Diamond Arena with the Owen Hart Cup.
This was a grueling 37-minute firefight, with both men exhausting their arsenals to gain a decisive advantage. However, the build to climax was gradual, with both men showing a great deal of restraint throughout the contest. Every tool in their arsenal carried a palpable sense of weight and force that made this match feel like a physical game of chess. By the end of the contest, both men were broken and haggard, but incessant; willing to try anything to gain a slight advantage.
In the end, it was Page who prevailed — leveling Ospreay with an emphatic Buckshot Lariat.
This was utter perfection and as great as a main event could possibly be.
Rating: *****
Final Verdict
On the sixth anniversary of the inaugural “Double or Nothing,” this year’s installment was a victory lap for the little pro-wrestling company that could. Titles were defended, number one contenders were determined, sh*t hit the fan, and the fans were rewarded with a main event for the ages.
This was well worth the price of admission.
Rating: ****½
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