It’s finally time for AEW to put their money where their mouth is as the sold out Double or Nothing emanates from the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nevada. No company has generated as much speculation and hype as All Elite Wrestling since WCW took on WWE in the Monday Night Wars. The card is stacked, and the stars are aligned, especially with the arrival of Jon Moxley. Make no mistake, Double or Nothing marks the first chapter in one of the most exciting times in wrestling history, ever.
Casino Battle Royale: “Hangman†Adam Page entered last to a huge pop and squared off with “Badboy†Joey Janela. All match long Maxwell Justin Friedman played killjoy, stealing the spotlight wherever he could. Luchasaurus just about murdered Janela when he Chokeslammed him over the top rope and through a table to eliminate him. In true hardcore fashion, Jimmy Havoc eliminated Tommy Dreamer by stapling his testicles and throwing him out. The final four came down to Page, Havoc, Luchasaurus, and MJF. Page managed to win it all after Friedman tried to eliminate him from behind but celebrated too soon and ate a massive Buckshot Lariat from the Hangman and got chucked over the top rope.
Sammy Guevara vs. “Superbad†Kip Sabian: Both competitors in this bout are more than comfortable taking to the skies, and it showed in this match. But Sabian impressed technically as well. Eventually, the match devolved into a game of “hold my beer†because the spots only got bigger and bigger. Guevara went for a 630 Senton but paid for it dearly. Superbad got his knees up and capitalized with Deathly Hallows, a Torture Rack Falcon Arrow to pick up a win in the first singles match in AEW history.
SoCal Uncensored: Frankie Kazarian, Scorpio Sky, and Christopher Daniels vs. #Stronghearts: Cima, T-Hawk and Lindaman: SCU was the clear fan favorites in this match, but it was back and forth in terms of offense. Every competitor in the contest got their stuff in, and overall it was just about as fast-paced, and fun as wrestling can be. In the end, Kazarian and Daniels hit the Best Meltzer Ever, a Best Moonsault Ever/ Meltzer Driver combination for the pinfall victory
“Smiley†Kylie Rae vs. Nyla Rose vs. Dr. Britt Baker, D.M.D. vs. Awesome Kong: Kong kicked off the match by booting Rose out of the ring and then it was off to the races. All four of these women can go, but Kylie Rae’s buttery-smooth offense was particularly impressive. At one point Kong took out the rest of the field with a Tower of Doom and went to plant Baker with an Awesome Bomb on the apron but got Speared into the steel steps by Rose. With the two power-houses laid out on the outside, Baker and Rae squared off. “Smiley†fired up but Baker came out on top, winning the match with an Ushigoroshi.
Best Friends: Chuck Taylor and Trent Baretta vs. Angelico and Jack Evans: Baretta and Evans kick started the action for their respective teams. Angelico and Evans quickly won the crowd over with their high-flying and hard-hitting offense. Taylor made his way into the match and came out swinging. Angelico and Evans came out of this match looking like a million bucks, but it was “Sexy†Chucky T and Baretta who stood victorious in the end, pinning Evans with a Best Friend Crusher.
Riho, Ryo Mizunami, and Hikaru Shida vs. Aja Kong, Yuka Sakazaki, and Emi Sakura: This match was a clear example of some of the best talents that Puroresu has to offer. It looked like the bout was going to end quickly when Kong planted Riho with a Piledriver, but Mizunami and Shida managed to break up the pinning predicament in the nick of time. Kong blasted Shida with a trash can, and Sakura tried to finish the job but wound up in a slugfest with the Kendo practitioner. An unfortunate miscall for the bell made the crowd erupt into “you f**ked up!†chants, but they were quickly silenced by a massive Running Knee from Shida to Sakura for the one, two, three.
“The American Nightmare†Cody w/ Brandi Rhodes vs. “The Natural†Dustin Rhodes: The Rhodes brothers started this match on the verge of tears as the crowd erupted into “Dusty†chants. At some point, Dustin got busted wide open, donning a crimson mask. A low blow into a Disaster Kick and a CrossRhodes nearly ended the match, but somehow the older Rhodes Brother managed to kick out at two and seven eighths. Dustin returned the favor with a CrossRhodes of his own, but Cody kicked out as well. After a Backdrop Driver, it looked like Dustin wasn’t going to be able to answer the count of ten, but Cody stopped the ref, opting to win by pinfall instead. He planted his older brother with one final CrossRhodes.
AAA Tag Team Title Match: The Lucha Brothers: Rey Fenix and Pentagon Junior vs. The AAA Tag Team Champions: The Young Bucks: Nick and Matt Jackson: It was pure adrenaline right from the bell as these two phenomenal tag teams squared off. There wasn’t a moment to breathe throughout the entire match. This was the pinnacle of the fast-paced, hard-hitting, death-defying styles these absolute madmen are known for. After flooring the gas pedal for the quickest twenty minutes ever, The Young Bucks kept Fenix down for three with a Meltzer Driver.
Chris Jericho vs. Kenny Omega: The Best Bout Machine and the self-proclaimed renegade don’t like each other. And boy did they wrestle like it. There was color within five minutes of the bell and Jericho busted Omega’s nose. The Cleaner went high-risk early with a Tope Con Hilo into Jericho while he was holding a table. A little while later, Jericho would Backdrop Omega over the top rope through that same table. Omega tried several times to hit the One-Winged Angel, but the veteran Jericho managed to slip out every time. Leading up to the match Jericho teased a new finisher, the Judas Effect, a Spinning Back Elbow. He hit it out of nowhere to put Omega away in a messy but captivating affair.
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