Double or nothing was one of the pay per views that was not built the greatest but was one of the weaker AEW PPV’s after it was aired. Aside from the “double” main event that they started to market it as during the show. Nothing else was really memorable or that good. The crowd was probably the weakest Vegas crowd as well. Obviously with a number of title changes, MJF retaining and Takeshita’s turn, there is plenty of things to anticipate moving forward.
AEW Double Or Nothing has a double marque with two high profile matches. The Four Pillar Four Way, Sammy Guevara Vs Darby Allin Vs Jungle Boy Vs MJF for the AEW World Championships. And The Arena will embrace Anarchy when The Blackpool Combat Club faces The Elite. All AEW championships are on the line as well as an Unsanctioned Match between Adam Cole and Chris Jericho.
The Hardys and Hook Vs Ethan Page and The Gunns (The Buy In):
Results: Hook by Submission via Red Rum On Ethan Page
GOOD AEW International Championship Blackjack Battle Royal – Orange Cassidy Defending Champ:
Fundamentals: 0.75
Atmosphere: 0.75
Storytelling: 0.50
Psychology: 0.50
Innovation: 0.75
A story of two different matches, the first with the rules being odd and convoluted and wrestlers needing to enter the ring to become an entrant of the match. Heels like Swerve and Brian Cage waiting to enter. The first half of the match overall was not that good and too confusing. The second half had a lot of storyline advancing with Jay White and Ricky Starks, Keith Lee and the Mogul Embassy. The second half felt like a different match and had that edge of your seat action. Big Bill got a rub with the big eliminations he got.
Results: Orange Cassidy by Surviving via Last eliminating Swerve Strickland
Coby Galenzoski WR Star Rating – 3.25 Stars
GOOD Adam Cole Vs Chris Jericho – Unsanctioned Match, Special Enforcer in Sabu:
Fundamentals: 0.50
Atmosphere: 0.75
Storytelling: 0.50
Psychology: 0.75
Innovation: 0.50
This was a weirdly laid out match with the chaos starting as the JAS brawled with Sabu, Roderick Strong and Adam Cole. The match slowed down and had some good things and a couple of things that didn’t look good. Jericho almost badly messed up a lionsault and the panama sunrise didn’t go smoothly either. The match finish saw a chain assisted last shot but then it seemed Jericho was either knocked out or the ref stoppage ending was poorly delivered.
Results: Adam Cole by Referee Stoppage via Repeated Blows To Jericho
Coby Galenzoski WR Star Rating – 3.00 Stars
GREAT FTR Vs Jeff Jarrett and Jay Lethal – AEW Tag Team Championship Match, Special Guest Referee Mark Briscoe:
Fundamentals: 0.75
Atmosphere: 0.75
Storytelling: 0.75
Psychology: 0.75
Innovation: 0.75
Started off slow, but had good and solid tag team psychology. The match picked up with Mark Briscoe getting a bigger involvement. Karen Jarrett hit Aubrey Edwards with a guitar, Mark Briscoe had a ref spot. Nearfalls with FTR almost losing and overall was getting you invested more and more as they got into the match. The first match that delivere,d since the start of the show.
Results: FTR by Pinfall via Big Rig
Coby Galenzoski WR Star Rating – 3.75 Stars
GREAT Wardlow Vs Christian Cage – TNT Championship Ladder Match:
Fundamentals: 0.50
Atmosphere: 0.75
Storytelling: 0.75
Psychology: 0.75
Innovation: 0.75
This match was very much a solid showing for both Christian and Wardlow. There was the obvious ladder jump botch that bumped the rating of fundamentals down. There was good spots with Arn Anderson and Luchasaurus in the match. Really fun ladder match aside the jump botch.
Results: Wardlow By Retrieving The Championship via Catching Powerbomb to Christian
Coby Galenzoski WR Star Rating – 3.50 Stars
SQUASH Toni Storm Vs Jamie Hayter – AEW World Women’s Championship:
Too short to rate as the match relied on the run ins from the outcasts, Britt Baker and Hikaru Shida. Jamie Hayter is legit injured so this was the smart play of having a short match to get the title off of her. The crowd liked the Britt and Shida run-ins but the title change did not garner much of a reaction.
Results: Toni Storm by Pinfall via Storm Zero
GOOD House Of Black Vs Daddy Ass and The Acclaimed – AEW World Trios Championship Open House Rules Match:
Fundamentals: 0.75
Atmosphere: 0.50
Storytelling: 0.50
Psychology: 0.75
Innovation: 0.75
Overall just a fun match, the crowd was really behind both the Acclaimed’s entrance rap and Daddy Ass’s hot tag. I was shocked to see the hot tag shut right down but it was a nice ending. Alright match but nothing too spectacular.
Results: Malakai Black by Pinfall via Black Mass
Coby Galenzoski WR Star Rating – 3.25 Stars
GOOD Jade Cargill Vs Taya Valkyrie – TBS Championship:
Fundamentals: 0.75
Atmosphere: 0.50
Storytelling: 0.75
Psychology: 0.75
Innovation: 0.50
I think this match was solid and probably one of the top title defenses for Jade Cargill. Jade’s entrance made her truly look like money. Nothing stood out as off and Jade really sold her ass off. The Taya double knee spot was really nice, the kick out of the road to Valhalla was good. Personally they should have traded finisher kick outs but Taya lost after one Jaded.
Results: Jade Cargill by Pinfall via Jaded
Coby Galenzoski WR Star Rating – 3.25 Stars
SQUASH Jade Cargill Vs Kris Statlander – TBS Championship:
Kris Statlander gets a title shot as Mark Sterling had said nobody could beat Jade Cargill. Kris get the win after the Saturday Night Fever. The crowd was really for Kris’ return.
Results: Kris Statlander by Pinfall via Saturday Night Fever
MUST WATCH Sammy Guevara Vs Darby Allin Vs Jungle Boy Vs MJF – AEW World Championship Match:
Fundamentals: 1
Atmosphere: 0.75
Storytelling: 1
Psychology: 1
Innovation: 1
The one thing stopping this from being a five star is there were a few moments where the crowd was somewhat quiet. Everything was done well, from getting the Sammy Guevara face turn for the match with Tay Melo’s pregnancy announcement. Everything in the match was top notch from the match structure and booking. To everyone getting nearfalls, there were really good sequences and MJF getting the victory was of course the right move. Because of the headlock takeover story I think MJF Vs Darby will happen once more this year before MJF’s potential departure.
Results: MJF by Pinfall via Headlock Takeover on Darby Allin
Coby Galenzoski WR Star Rating – 4.75 Stars
MUST WATCH The Elite, Hangman Page, The Young Bucks and Kenny Omega Vs The Blackpool Combat Club, Jon Moxley, Claudio Castagnoli, Wheeler Yuta, and Bryan Danielson – Anarchy In The Arena: See a Clip HERE
Fundamentals: 0.75
Atmosphere: 1
Storytelling: 1
Psychology: 0.75
Innovation: 1
A match like this is hard to rate as it wasn’t the typical match. I probably should have continued the tradition and not rated it like I didn’t rate last years. The match was intense and rightfully so the music should not stay on the whole time.Konosuke Takeshita turns heel and aligns with Don Callis, whether or not they are with the BCC is another story. Just a bloody brawl that had solid spots.
Results: Wheeler Yuta by Pinfall via Seatbelt On Kenny Omega
Coby Galenzoski WR Star Rating – 4.50 Stars
Overall…
Double or nothing was one of the pay per views that was not built the greatest but was one of the weaker AEW PPV’s after it was aired. Aside from the “double” main event that they started to market it as during the show. Nothing else was really memorable or that good. The crowd was probably the weakest Vegas crowd as well. Obviously with a number of title changes, MJF retaining and Takeshita’s turn, there is plenty of things to anticipate moving forward.
Matches: 0.50/1 Stars
Show Structure: 0.50/1 Stars
Atmosphere…: 0.75/1 Stars
Storytelling: 0.75/1 Stars
Production/Theme: 1/1 Stars
Overall Rating. 3.50/5 Stars
Photo Credit: (AEW – May 28 2023)
For inquiries about the rating criteria check out the article announcing the new system here:
