AEW Double or Nothing 2024 5/26/2024

AEW Double or Nothing 2024 5/26/2024

AEW International Title - Roderick Strong (c) vs Will Opsreay

Will goes for Strong while Strong is doing his entrance pose. They go out and Will attacks Taven and Bennett. Will then jumps off the rail onto them. Will hits shots on Strong outside then catapults him into the post. Will backbreakers him for 1.

Will hits chops. Taven and Bennett grab Will outside. Taven runs the ropes in front of the ref, the ref doesn't see and Will takes a bad looking dommsday device on the floor. Strong pounds on Will's bandaged head and stomps on it. Strong gets on Will's back with a chinlock. Will gets hiptossed off an abdominal stretch attempt.

They trade chops. Strong hits shots to the gut. Will handspring back corkscrew kicks Strong. Taven and Bennett distract the ref. Wardlow comes in and grab Will. The ref says Strong loses the belt if Wardlow doesn't get out. Will superkicks Strong against the top buckle then top rope corkscrew moonsaults outside to the floor.

They trade chops. Will step up enzugiri's him. Will fisherman suplexes him for 2. Will is crotched up top and misses a top rope corkscrew moonsault. Strong single leg crabs him then texas cloverleafs him. Will ropebreaks.

Strong hits chops and forearms on the ropes. Strong superplexes Will then backbreakers him. Strong gutbusters him, flies at him and is sitout powerbombed. They trade forearms. Will stupidly lets Strong forearm him. Will hook kicks him. Strong dropkicks him in the knee. Will rolls him up and drops him. Will hits an os cutter.

Strong is down, not enough to be pinned somehow, and the ref is checking on Strong and stops the match. Don Callis gets on the apron and tells Will to use the tiger driver '91. He says Strong is going to the hospital anyway. Will can't hit the tiger driver. Strong hits an olympic slam > gut buster > single leg dropkick for 2. Will counters a suplex with a hurricanrana.

Strong jumping knees him and takes a hidden blade soon after. Will hits a stormbreaker and wins it.

Thoughts: This was a stupid match on multiple levels. The heels cheated in front of the ref and he didn't seem to care. Will's knee was injured at one point here, Strong attacked it for a second then gave up. The ref stopped the match when Strong was out, but Strong wasn't out enough for Will to pin him. They didn't sell much here either and just did indy wrestling.

Adam Cole comes out to talk. He tells the crowd they suck. He said he should be home rehabbing instead of being here. He says nobody here knows the hell he has been through. He says he's one of the best wrestlers and says we all have a little devil inside of us. He holds up the devil mask. The lights go out an we see a video on the tron. It seems like MJF is walking around his room.

MJF's music hits and he comes out wearing similar attire to when Triple H returned years ago. MJF get in the ring. They hug and MJf kicks him in the nuts. MJF brainbusters him. MJF calls him a noodled armed bobble headed SOB. He says someone get this sh!tstain out of his ring.

MJF said he gave him something he never gave anyone before - trust. He said that's not happening again. He said he didn't take out MJF, he woke him up. He said he remembers who he is, the best wrestler on earth. He says he's better than you and you know it. He says he doesn't need a New Japan or a Vince McMahon to make MJF. He says MJF made MJF. He says no more BS and back to being driven by hate. He said nobody is safe when he's driven by hate.

He says masks are adorned by cowards who want to hide. He said no one compares to him and says all the crowds favs suck donkey ____. He says the dumb mask and everything it symbolizes can go straight to hell. He then Ric Flair elbow drops the mask and throws it into the crowd. He tells the camera man to zoom, and he has an AEW tattoo. He then says the f word and says he's not leaving.

Thoughts: MJF as usual had to do an over the top expletive promo here, really taking it up a notch. Some things never change. It seems the whole feud with Cole and The Undisputed Kingdom is over now, which defeats the whole purpose of them existing. It's better than having to continue that feud though. This promo also means the "I'm leaving AEW" gimmick is done since he now has an AEW tattoo on him.

Unified Trios Titles - Bullet Club Gold vs Death Triangle

Pac hiptosses Colten and shoulders him over. Pac hiptosses him again then does it to Austin. Pac hiptosses Austin again then lariats him over the top. Penta slingblades Austin twice then he rolls Fenix into a plash on Austin. Colten takes corner attacks and kicks from all 3. Colten takes a triple basement dropkick. Penta dropkicks Austin in the butt off the top.

Fenix and Penta do dives to the outside. Pac goes for a dive and is stopped. Jay ddt's Pac and Pac does a great sell for it....or maybe it was a real sell. Jay beats up on Pac some. Pac is dropped throat first on the top rope then catapulted into the bottom rope throat first.

Penta hits a top rope double crossbody on The Gunn's. Penta chops both. Fenix walks the top rope and kicks Austin. Penta codebreakers Austin then Fenix jumps off of Penta's shoulders with a splash on Austin.

Jay takes kicks from The Lucha Bros then Penta spinning attitude adjustments Jay. Jay chops Pac. Pac rebound germans Jay then Austin running lariats Pac. Penta canadian destroyers Austin. Fenix takes out Colten then Jay uranages Fenix.

Pac germans The Gunn's. Jay takes corner attacks then Jay takes a double stomp off the top + piledriver. Fenix topes outside. Juice Robinson comes out and trips Pac off the ropes. Jay bladerunners Pac and wins it.

Thoughts: It was a fast paced trios match with a lot of dives and big moves. It was okay but needed more time and a better finishing run.

AEW Women's Title - Toni Storm (c) vs Serena Deeb

They stand off early after headlock takeovers and headscissors. Toni rubs her face on Deeb's chest and is slapped. Deeb puts toni in a paradise lock and sits on her. Deeb dropkicks her out of it.

Toni hip attacks Deeb off the apron to the floor. Deeb dragon screws Toni between the ropes and knocks her off the apron. Deeb back elbows her then does an octopus hold. Deeb abdominal stretches her. Toni hiptosses her out and Deeb dragon screws her. Toni misses slaps then Deeb dragon screws her.

Deeb backslides her for 2 then Toni headbutts her. Toni backcrackers Deeb off the ropes then fisherman suplexes her for 2. Deeb armbars her then triangles her. Toni slams her down to break it. Toni texas cloverleafs her. Deeb slap flurries her then flying lariats her. Deeb corner lariats her.

Deeb neckbreakers Toni over the 2nd rope. Deeb spinning neckbreakers her. Deeb rebound germans her and pepsi twists her for 2. They slap each other and Deeb euros her. Toni sky highs her for 2.

Deeb single leg crabs Toni. She bangs Toni's knee off the apron then single leg crabs it again. Mariah May tries to throw the towel in and Luther fights her for it. Toni thinks Luther was trying to throw the towel in nd throws the towel into the stands. Toni germans Deeb. Deeb gives her middle fingers and Toni hits a storm zero for 2.

Deeb dragon screws Toni over the middle rope multiple times. Deeb then gordbusters her on the apron. Deeb then does it inside for 2. They fight up top. Toni hits a nasty piledriver off the 2nd rope and storm zero's her to win.

Thoughts: I didn't think the 2nd rope piledriver finish was necessary. The crowd were real jerks here as they booed Deeb and cheered Toni. Deeb worked the leg some here but Toni ended up winning. Deeb losing pretty much buries her and ensures she never wins the women's title. I thought this also went longer than it needed to.

Toni and May hug on the ramp after.

Trent Beretta vs Orange Cassidy

OC comes out to his older music. They hockey fight twice and shoulder each other. They trade forearms. Trent's head is banged off the buckles then Trent tornado ddt's him. Trent tornado ddt's him against the rails. OC hits mounted punches on the rail outside and OC's throat is pulled into the bottom buckle connector.

Trent hits mounted shots and germans him. OC boots him out of the corner then takes a backdrop coming off the buckles. Trent then germans him. OC puts his hands in his pockets then Trent forearms and chops him. OC hits dropkicks on him with his hands in his pockets. OC corner dropkicks him. They fight on the apron then Trent gotch style piledrivers him on the apron.

OC hits a beach break on the floor. OC michinoku drivers him and PK's him. Trent hits a strong zero for 2. OC beach breaks him for 2. Trent goes for a submission and OC pins him.

Thoughts: They did way too much here. Despite this being a big rivalry match, OC still found time to put his hands in his pockets, making a joke out of this. The whole set-up of the match made no sense either with Trent wanting a straight match when he should want to beat OC's head in with weapons and stuff. Trent's heel run also starts off hot here with a loss.

Trent walks to the back with his head down. Rocky Romero goes up to him. Trent says he's done and is not doing an interview. Trent shoves Rocky away.

FTW Title - Chris Jericho (c) vs Hook vs Katsuyori Shibata

Hook takes shots from CJ then CJ and KS trade germans. Hook germans CJ then exploders KS. A table is set up and Hook and CJ are facekicked off the apron by KS. KS chest kicks CJ from the apron. KS is thrown into the rails. CJ suplexes Hook on the floor.

CJ brings out dice and CJ is suplexed on them twice. KS and Hook throw dice at CJ. CJ takes a double backdrop on the dice then KS takes a northern lights suplex on the dice. KS no sells it then suplexes Hook on the dice.

They all grab kendo sticks. CJ hits them with it and is hit with two of them at the same time. KS ddt's Hook. A table is brought in and CJ is northern lights suplexed on dice. KS tries to 2nd rope death valley driver Hook onto CJ on a table but they just roll off and land poorly. CJ is sent into the table and KS dropkicks him there. KS does a double submission on Hook and CJ then is knocked over, making his indian deathlock on CJ worse.

CJ codebreakers Hook. Hook puts him in redrum. Big Bill comes in and beats up Hook. Hook exploders Bill off the apron through the table outside. CJ puts KS in the walls of Jericho. Jericho is in a double submission. Someone comes in with a mask and hoodie and sentons a trash can on KS. Bryan Keith then turns out to be the masked man. Hook hits Bryan with a kendo stick and throws him out. CJ spinning back elbows Hook and pins KS.

Thoughts: It was a goofy hardcore match that didn't do anything for anyone in it and was little more than a joke. I have no clue what the Bryan Keith stuff was supposed to be about.

Security comes out and hook beats them, suplexing one of them on the ramp. He then goes after CJ.

IWGP Title Eliminator - Konosuke Takeshita vs Jon Moxley

Mox hits foreamrs on KT then takes some. KT works on Mox's arm. Mox back elbows him then KT flying clotheslines him. KT slams him on his arm and Mox forearms him while he's on the buckles. Mox's arm is pulled down on the apron.

KT chokes Mox with tape then Mox pounds on him. Mox flying knees him against the rail. KT bulldogs Mox with the arm. They slap each other and KT brainbusters him. They trade forearms and Mox cutters him. KT armbars Mox then powerbombs him. KT armbars him again. Mox back body drops him over the top rope. Mox topes KT.

Mox lariats KT. KT package tombstones him then wheelbarrow germans him. Mox death rider ddt's him. They forearm and slap each other. KT running knees him. Mox chinlocks him and throws him over the back. Mox chokes KT with his bandage. Mox is thrown shoulder first into the buckle and is forearmed. KT death rider ddt's him for 2. KT brings a chair in and is curbstomped on it. Mox then death rider ddt's him and wins it.

Thoughts: It was a long, slower match. KT worked the shoulder/arm all throughout. Mox kind of got lucky at the end and won here. It was fine, just it may have been better on another show where it could have been the main featured match.

AEW TNT Title - Barbed Wire Steel Cage Match - Adam Copeland vs Malakai Black

Adam came out doing the old Brood entrance and his tron said "The Brood" on it.

They trade strikes and duel chairs. Adam flapjacks him then facekicks him against the cage. Adam puts barbed wire into Black's head and Black is bleeding. Adam 2nd rope shoulderblocks him. Adam puts wire around the buckle then powerbombs Black into the cage and on the mat. Adam impaler ddt's Black. Black catapults him into the buckles and Adam is brought down and ends up going head first into the wire.

Black high kicks Adam and rakes Adam's head with a barbed wire bat. Adam hits him in the gut with the barbed wire bat then hits him in the head with it. Adam hits headbutts then is crotched on the top rope. Black's head is banged off the cage and Black sunset bombs Adam through a table.

Adam spears Black then piledrivers him. Black is wrapped in barbed wire on a table. Adam goes up to the top of the cage and elbow drops him off of it. Black spinning high kicks him for 2. Black tries to stab him with some kind of barbed wire pole. Black kicks Adam into the cage then kicks him through the cage door. Adam spears Black on the floor.

Brody King and Buddy Matthews come out. Brody and Buddy stand beside Adam, teasing joing him then beat him up. Adam has barbed wire put around his head and the lights go red. Gngrel then comes out from under the ring and spits mist. Gangrel ddt's Brody and Buddy. Black spinning high kicks Gangrel. Adam then crossfaces Black with the barbed wire and wins.

Thoughts: The top rope elbow drop through the table should have ended the match. Buddy and Brody joining up with Adam would have worked better if they had really built it up instead of only mentioning it on Collision. Gangrel coming out was fine. The match was shorter than you would think and was mostly based around hardcore spots. It was okay but not great.

Don Callis is interviewed. He said things have never been better in his Family. He said he was very impressed with Orange Cassidy and will present OC a contract.

AEW TBS Title - Willow Nightingale (c) vs Mercedes Mone

Mone had some showgirls and drummers for her entrance. Mone backs up early and stalls outside. Will chases her around the ring and is stomped on. Mone hits forearms. Mone rolls her up when jumping off the ropes. She slaps Will then runs up the buckles and Will blocks her armdrag. Will chops and clubs on her in the corner.

Will hits slaps and chops then is pulled out. Mone tries a baseball slide, gets caught and is gutwrench powerbombed on the apron. Will suplexes her for 2. Will electric chairs her into a german. Will is pulled down from the 2nd rope, gets her leg stuck on the rope and has it kicked. Mone chopblocks her then meteora's her.

Mone rolls her into a leglock. They slap each other while in the leglock. Money dragon screws her then rolls and pulls on the ankle. Mone backcrackers her for 2 and Will ankle locks her. Will is pulled into the buckles then Will pounces her.

Will back splashes her in the corner then hits a lariat flurry. Mone comes off the 2nd rope and is spinebustered. Mone knees her in the head then Will rolls her up. Will deadlift powerbombs her the fisherman suplexes her for 2.

They fight on the buckles and Mone powerbombs her down for 2. Mone does a figure four variation. Will kneebreakers Mone on the apron and swings her around with an inverted cloverleaf. Will death valley drivers her into the buckles then misses a corner cannonball. Mone 2nd rope meteora's her for 2.

Mone meteora's her off the apron. Kris and Steok get on the apron and distract the ref. Will doctor bombs Mone but the ref is arguing with Stoke and doesn't see the pin. Mone crossfaces her. Mone hits a mone-maker and wins it.

Thoughts: Mone's mone-maker looks awful and shouldn't be a finsiher. It felt like it needed more time and had ended about half way through what they were going for. I didn't think it was anything special. Willow lost as expected here.

Stokeley yells at Willow after. Kris pushes Stoke down then walks out with Willow. Kris then turns on Willow and bangs her head off the ramp. Kris then throws her friendship bracelet at Willow. Kris spinning lariats Willow as Stokeley smiles.

Thoughts: It was stupid of Kris to turn on Willow after she lost the title. I don't know what the explanation is going to be but if she had turned on her prior to this match, she might have at least gotten a title match out of it. There was no build to the turn or any hints of it happening. She should have been happy Willow lost the title.

AEW World Title Match - Swerve Strickland (c) vs. Christian Cage

Nana bangs some bottles together and says Swerve, come out and play. Swerve is dressed is wearing a red leather vest and bandana. They have a slow start here.  They trade shots and Swerve side headlocks him. Swerve shoulders him over then stomps on his back. CC reverse ddt's him then hits mounted punches.

CC is pushed into the rails. Swerve boots him from the apron then misses a top rope dive on him, hitting the rails. Swerve is throne into the rails and has his head banged off the apron. CC hits chops then stands on him on the ropes. CC snapmares him over and pulls on his face. CC twists the neck.

CC tornado ddt's Swerve with the arm then top rope splashes him for 2. Nick Wayne cheapshots Swerve then CC pounds on Swerve in the corner. CC foot chokes Swerve then is thrown into the buckles chest first. CC sunset bombs him off the buckles. Swerve powerslams him off the powerbomb.

Swerve punches CC then 2nd rope euros him. Swerve neckbreakers CC then neckbreakers him on the ropes. Swerve fosbury flops him outside. Swerve top rope crossbodies him for 2. They nail each other at hte same time and both go down. Mother Wayne grabs the AEW Title, Nana takes it from her then the ref ejects Nana. This is stupid since people were in the ring earlier and the ref didn't even care.

Swerve is beat up by Killswitch and Nick outside. Mother Wayne distracts the ref and Killswitch hits CC on accident. Swerve double stomps Killswitch and back body drops Nick Wayne on the floor. CC hits a big spear for 2. The Patriarchy tries to cheat and gets ejected.

Swerve knees CC then rolls into a flatliner on him for 2. Swerve then rolls him out to the floor and suplexes him out there. They stare down on the apron. CC rakes Swerve's eyes. CC is double stomped on the apron. Swerve tries to spear him off the apron onto steps but CC moves and Swerve dives onto the steps. Nick Wayne then comes out and cutters Swerve on the floor. CC hits a killswitch on Swerve for 2.

Nan comes down and chases Nick Wayne with a pipe. CC slaps Swerve on the commentary table and Swerve M. Bison stomps CC onto the table. CC rolls Swerve up then pulls his neck over the top rope. Swerve flying knees him then top rope double stomps him. Swerve hits the house call kick and wins it.

Thoughts: It was all smoke and mirrors here with tons of shenanigans from outside. The logic here made little sense as people were running into the ring earlier and the ref didn't care, while he kicked out Nana for getting near the ring with a weapon. I thought they did too much with moves on the floor, apron and table not being enough to end it. I didn't think it was that good of a match.

Anarchy In The Arena Match - FTR (Cash Wheeler & Dax Harwood), Bryan Danielson & Darby Allin vs. The Elite (Jack Perry, Kazuchika Okada, Matthew Jackson & Nicholas Jackson)

Team AEW jump the fails before it starts. Darby comes down late, wearing some kind of medical mask with thumbtacks on his face and pounds on people. Jack chokes Dax then Darby chokes Dax. Matt gets on the mic and says "we should play a banger". He then asks for his new theme music to be played. This is happening as the fight is still ongoing. Bryan then gets the mic, says to shut it off and has his music played. Bryan flying knees Okada off the apron.

Multiple wrestlers fight out in the crowd. Dax beats up a Buck in the stands then beats him up in the concourse. Dax drinks beer and hits a Buck with a trash can. Darby coffin drops off a rail. Okada tries to throw Bryan off the stands then is pushed down steps. One of the Bucks says to cut the music. 

More fighting all around the arena here. Jack and Darby go backstage somewhere. Okada crossbodies someone over the rail. Jack bangs Darby's head off a trash can and jack is sent into and drink cooler where he gets soaked. Jack hits Darby with a pipe then chokes him with it. Cash is thrown out of the ring and The Bucks hit a shatter machine on Dax for 2.

Bryan goes to dive on Okada and is hit with a chair. Bryan then has a chair thrown at him. Jack drives a bus that says "scapegoat" on it. He was supposedly driving it at a pile where Darby was, but of course he wasn't there and we couldn't see it, so it didn't get that over. Jack is out on the steering wheel and both are likely out of this match.

A Buck takes a spike piledriver on the apron. A Buck takes a powerplex for 2. Okada dropkicks Dax then over the back neckbreakers him on the knee. Okada top rope elbow drops Dax. Cash bites Okada's hand then Okada dropkicks him. Okada tombstones Cash.

Darby comes down to ringside after being rammed by a bus. He trades forearms with Okada. Okada stomps on Darby's injured ankle. Darby eye rakes Okada and hits a code red for 2. Darby is powerbombed onto a 2v2 set of chairs. Darby flying dropkicks Okada against the rails. Darby is put on an elevator on the stage and The Bucks say to bring him down.  

Bryan fights a Buck on the stage then Bryan is thrown off the stage. Bryan is thrown into a giant casino chip. Bryan then takes a spike piledriver on the chip. Cash is backdropped on the chip then a Buck is ddt'd on the chip. Nick is sent into the tron. Dx is superkicked off the stage. Okada elbow drops Dax through a table off the step and Cash takes a swanton off the lighting rig through a table.

Jack Perry grabs Tony Khan. Darby comes out with a flamethrower. He lights Jack on fire with it and the Bucks use a fire extinguisher on Jack and Darby. Nick 450's a trash can when Darby moves. Darby low blows Okada then top rope coffin drops Okada for 2.

Darby's legs are tied up and a Buck takes a shatter machine. Dax takes an exploding chairshot. Okada puts a sleeve on with tacks then rainmakers Darby with it. Okada pulls out shoes with thumbtacks on them. Darby is hung upside down by the feet in the air about 10 feet up. Darby bites a Buck then takes a double superkick with tacks.

A Buck superkicks the other Buck on accident. Bryan gets the thumbtack shoe and hits the Buck's with it. Bryan flying knees a Buck with a chair for 2. Okada rainmakers Bryan. Jack flying knees Bryan and pins him.

Thoughts: This was a total joke from the start. This is supposed to be some big match where people are going to get hurt and The Bucks and Bryan are playing around with theme music over the speakers. Tony Khan got involved. They had some super ridiculous over the top spots with exploding chairs, people being hanged from the ceiling, people being lit on fire and thumbtack superkicks spots. None of it meant anything and they did too much. Okada was also totally out of his element here and this did nothing to put him over. The Elite also won which means we get more of this awful group with no clear opponents or ways to get out of it anytime soon.

Overall thoughts: This was a super long show and I didn't like it. If you started at the pre-show up until the press conference, it lasted over 7 hours. The main was AEW at its worst. Cage/Swerve had questionable calls from the ref and was filled with smoke and mirrors. Willow/Mone was so-so and Kris turning on Willow made little sense. The cage match was fine as was Mox/KT. The FTW Title match was a dangerous joke. OC/Trent had the usual OC goofiness and didn't make a ton of sense. The crowd didn't care about Deeb in her match and pretty much ruined it. The trios title match was okay but needed more time. MJF returned and seemed to end MJF/Cole thing. Ospreay/Strong had logic issues.