AEW’s Double or Nothing PPV aired live from the MGM Grand Garden Arena tonight. For full PPV results, check out our full recap by clicking here.
PreShow results:
- Hangman Adam Page won the Casino Battle Royal. Page will face the winner of the match between Chris Jericho and Kenny Omega at a future date to crown the first AEW Champion.
- Kip Sabian def. Sammy Guevara
Here are 6 takeaways from the PPV:
SCU Picked Up A Win
SCU (Christopher Daniels, Frankie Kazarian, Scorpio Sky) battled Strong Hearts (CIMA, El Lindaman, and T-Hawk) to start off Double or Nothing. CIMA and Daniels locked up to kick things off. CIMA applied a Headlock but Daniels quickly broke free. Daniels connected with a shoulder tackle and followed it up with an Arm Drag.
CIMA and Daniels both went for an Arm Drag and then had a staredown as the crowd applauded. Kazarian and T-Hawk tagged in and locked up in the middle of the ring. Frankie blocked an Arm Drag and rolled up T-Hawk for a two count. Kazarian leveled T-Hawk with a Clothesline but T-Hawk got up and connected with a chop to the chest.
Scorpio Sky tagged in and dropped T-Hawk with a Dropkick. CIMA knocked Kazarian and Daniels off the ring apron as El Lindaman tagged in. Lindaman connected with a Splash for a two count. Sky Bodyslammed Lindaman and Kaz tagged back in. Kazarian hit a Dropkick in the corner for a near fall before Daniels tagged back in.
Frankie planted Lindaman with a Neckbreaker and Daniels went for the cover. Lindaman kicked out at two and then grabbed the ropes to try and regroup. Lindaman tripped up Daniels and CIMA hit him with a Knee Drop. T-Hawk chopped Kazarian out of the ring and hit Daniels with Double Knees in the corner.
CIMA tagged in and immediately hit Daniels with a Senton as “SCU!” chants broke out in the crowd. Lindaman got back in and hit Daniels with a Jawbreaker. Strong Hearts isolated Daniels in the ring and took turns beating him down. T-Hawk locked in a Crossface but Scorpio Sky broke it up before Daniels tapped out.
Scorpio Sky and Lindaman tagged in and Sky cleaned house. Lindaman battled back with a German Suplex for a near fall. Scorpio hit a Dropkick and tagged Kazarian in. Frankie hit a Northern Lights Suplex for a near fall and Daniels tagged in. Daniels stomped on T-Hawk and then hit Lindaman with a Suicide Dive. Scorpio Sky hit a Neckbreaker on CIMA but turned around into a Dropkick from Lindaman.
T-Hawk and Daniels took each other out with a Clothesline as the crowd chanted “AEW!”. CIMA hit Double Knees off the top rope but Frankie broke up the count. Scorpio Sky took out CIMA and T-Hawk with a flip outside the ring. Kazarian and Daniels then hit Lindaman with the Best Meltzer Ever for the pinfall victory.
Double or Nothing started off strong with a great 6-man tag match and the crowd was into it.
Britt Baker Defeated Awesome Kong, Nyla Rose & Kylie Rae
Kylie Rae, Nyla Rose, and Britt Baker were set to battle in a Triple Threat Match but Brandi Rhodes interrupted and said that she wanted this match to be awesome. Awesome Kong made her way to the ring to a massive pop from the crowd and the match was now a Fatal 4-Way.
The match started out with a brawl and Kong booted Nyla out of the ring. Kylie went for a Sleeper Hold but Kong shrugged her to the canvas. Kong slammed Baker on top of Rae and then went for a Splash but hit nothing but canvas. Baker sent Kong to the outside and Rae went for a roll-up for a two count.
Baker slammed Kyle to the mat and mocked her smilie face. Britt went for a Crossbody but Kong caught her. Kylie Rae then took out both of them with a Suicide Dive. Baker and Rae connected with a Superkick that sent Awesome Kong to the floor outside the ring. Rose then hit Kong with a Spear into the steel steps. Baker connected with a Superkick and then a knee to Rae’s face for the victory.
Cody Outlasted Dustin In An Epic Match
Cody battled Dustin Rhodes tonight at Double or Nothing.
The crowd chanted “Dusty” before the match started and then transitioned into a “this is awesome!” chant. Cody controlled the match early and knocked Dustin to the outside. Cody followed it up with a Suicide Dive. Dustin then battled back and connected with a Cannonball off the apron.
Back in the ring, Dustin hit a Bulldog and then unloaded 10 punches to Cody’s face in the corner. Cody rolled out of the ring and then walked into the crowd to regroup for a bit. Cody took a sip of water and finally returned to the ring. Brandi hit Dustin with the water bottle and Cody capitalized with a Gutbuster for a near fall.
Dustin battled back with a Clothesline and then a boot to the face. Dustin set up Cody for Shattered Dreams but Cody took off the middle turnbuckle pad. Dustin saw the pad and launched it into the crowd. He opted to charge at Cody anyways and Cody sent his head into the exposed turnbuckle.
Brandi then leveled Dustin with a Spear as Cody tried to distract Earl Hebner. Earl saw the Spear and kicked out Brandi from ringside. DDP then showed up and carried Brandi backstage because she refused to leave. Dustin then got up and was busted open from hitting the exposed turnbuckle.
Cody went on the attack and bashed Dustin in the face several times. Cody had blood all over his hands and wiped it on his own chest. Dustin wildly missed with a Clothesline and turned around into a Dropkick for a near fall. Cody continued to beat the hell out of Dustin and blood streamed down his face.
Dustin’s blood was all over the ring at this point and Cody Curb Stomped Dustin’s face into the canvas for another near fall. Dustin hit a Powerslam out of nowhere for a near fall. Cody quickly locked in the Figure Four in the middle of the ring and punched his brother in the face while the hold was locked in.
Dustin was finally able to reach the ropes to break up the hold. Cody took off his belt but Hebner ripped it away. Dustin hit an Atomic Drop and then exposed Cody’s bare ass. Dustin whipped him with the belt and followed it up with a Sunset Flip Powerbomb for a two count.
The crowd got on their feet as the two wrestlers stumbled back up. Dustin perched Cody on the top rope and blasted him in the face. Dustin joined Cody on the top and planted him with a Superplex. Dustin followed it up with the Cross Rhodes for a two count. Cody hit Dustin with a low blow and then the Disaster Kick. Cody hit the Cross Rhodes but Dustin kicked out at two.
Dustin hit another Cross Rhodes but Cody once again kicked out at two. Cody and Dustin traded shots in the middle of the ring as blood continued to flow out of Dustin’s head. Cody finally prevailed and connected with the Cross Rhodes for the pinfall victory.
After the match, Cody grabbed a microphone and told Dustin that he doesn’t get to retire here. Cody asked Dustin to team up with him against the Young Bucks at Fight for Fallen and the two shared a hug in the ring to a great reaction from the crowd.
Dustin and Cody put on an excellent match tonight and the crowd was on the edge of their seat throughout. There was so much emotional already built into this match and the blood just added to it. This was the type of match that reminds you of why you are a wrestling fan. I was expecting a great match but this was simply phenomenal.
Bret Hart Presented The AEW Championship
Jack Whitehall came down to the ring and said that Bret Hart was here to present the AEW Championship belt. Bret got a great reaction from the crowd and a “holy sh*t!” chant broke out.
Bret stated that he was grateful to be here tonight and thanked AEW for giving him a chance to present the title. Hard called Hangman Adam Page down to the ring for the presentation.
Hangman Adam Page limped his way down the ramp and to the ring. MJF interrupted and was greeted by chants of “a**hole!” by the crowd. MJF joked that a fan was coming into the ring to attack him and then cackled into the microphone.
MJF called Page a horse and claimed that a horse cannot be the face of the company. He claimed that he was better than Page and stated that he should relinquish his title shot. Jungle Boy, Jimmy Havoc then came down to the ramp as Page exited the ring. The three surrounded MJF and launched him into the crowd. Havoc and Jungle Boy chased MJF through the crowd as Hangman got back in the ring. Bret Hart then raised the title in the ring as the crowd cheered.
The Young Bucks Retained The AAA Tag Team Championships
Lucha Brothers (Pentagon Jr. & Fenix) squared off against the Young Bucks (Matt & Nick Jackson) for the AAA Tag Team Championships.
Pentagon and Matt Jackson started the match off with some trash talking. Pentagon went for the Penta Driver early but Matt was able to escape. Fenix and Nick then tagged in. Fenix sent them both of them out of the ring and then posed to a great reaction from the crowd.
The Las Vegas crowd then broke out in a “tag team wrestling!” chant as Fenix and Nick traded chops. Fenix connected with a Dropkick and then the Lucha Brothers followed it up with a double Superkick. Pentagon connected with a Slingblade and Fenix followed it up with a Splash for a near fall.
Young Bucks battled back and isolated Pentagon Jr. in the ring. Nick accidentally hit Matt with a Double Stomp off the top rope and Pentagon capitalized by sending Matt and Nick to the corner. Fenix tagged in and hit an absolutely absurd Hurricanrana. Pentagon tagged in and Matt hit him with a Stunner.
Fenix tagged in and booted Nick off the ring apron. Matt connected with three Northern Lights Suplexes in a row and locked in the Sharpshooter. Nick planted Fenix with a Facebuster and then Moonsaulted onto Pentagon outside the ring. The Young Bucks isolated Fenix in the ring and Nick connected with a beautiful 450 Splash for a near fall.
Young Bucks connected with a Powerbomb/Neckbreaker combination but somehow Fenix kicked out at two. A Superkick party broke out and everyone fell the canvas as the crowd gave a standing ovation. Pentagon and Fenix hit Matt and Nick with two ridiculous Sunset Flip Powerbombs but the Young Bucks stayed alive as the crowd chanted “this is awesome!”.
Fenix leaped off Pentagon’s shoulders and hit a Splash onto the Young Bucks outside the ring. Back in the ring, Lucha Brothers hit the Penta Driver and a Senton off of the top rope for another near fall. Pentagon bashed away at Nick’s ribs but Matt connected with a Superkick.
Matt booted Fenix in the face and then perched him up on the top rope. Matt planted Fenix with an unreal Brainbuster on the turnbuckle and the crowd chanted holy “sh*t!”. Young Bucks hit Pentagon with Piledriver but somehow he kicked out. Pentagon snapped the arm of Matt and then slammed him to the mat for yet another near fall. Fenix tagged in and hit Matt with a couple of boots to his injured arm. The Young Bucks then planted Fenix with the Meltzer Driver for the pinfall victory.
AEW provided everyone with several examples of how great tag team wrestling can be tonight. Best Friends had a great match with Jack Evans and Angelico. Aja Kong, Yuka Sakazaki, and Emi Sakura battled Hikaru Shida, Riho Abe, and Ryo Mizunami in a great match. The show started off with SCU vs. Strong Hearts and that match was also very entertaining.
Young Bucks and Lucha Brothers put on a stellar match tonight. There was honestly too many holy sh*t moments to count. While WWE continues to put on the same stale tag matches every week, AEW has already burst onto the scene and presented something far superior to what WWE is offering in terms of tag team wrestling.
Jericho Earned A Title Shot, Jon Moxley Made His Debut
Chris Jericho squared off against Kenny Omega in the main event of Double or Nothing. The winner of the match will battle Hangman Adam Page at a later date to crowd the first AEW Champion. Jericho had an epic entrance that ran through all of his previous gimmicks before coming down to the ring to “Judas” from his band, Fozzy.
Jericho and Omega locked up to start things off. Jericho leveled Kenny with a shoulder tackle but Omega quickly battled back with some chops. The action spilled out of the ring and Jericho comically rang the bell to declare himself the victor. Omega slammed Jericho onto the timekeeper’s table and then hopped onto the barricade.
Jericho shoved Omega off the barricade and into the crowd. Back in the ring, Jericho took back in control and beat Omega down in the corner of the ring. Jericho then connected with a Clothesline for a near fall. Jericho gave the middle finger to the crowd as Jim Ross noted that Jericho is giving Omega time to regroup.
Omega connected with a Hurricanrana and then Clothesline Jericho out of the ring. Omega was busted open and bleeding from his nose as Jericho grabbed a table from under the ring. Omega flipped onto Jericho and both men crashed on the entrance ramp.
Back in the ring, Omega connected with a Bulldog for another near fall. Kenny perched Jericho up on the top rope and planted him with a Belly to Back Suplex. Jericho went for the Lionsault but Omega got his knees. Omega connected with the V-Trigger but Jericho responded with a release German Suplex. Jericho followed that up with two Lionsaults in a row for a near fall.
Jericho went for the Codebreaker but Omega blocked it and hit a knee to the face. Omega went for the Tiger Driver but Jericho countered into a Back Body Drop that sent Kenny flying through the table outside the ring. Omega got back up on the apron but Jericho leveled him with a Springboard Dropkick.
Omega climbed to the top rope and went for a Crossbody but Jericho countered into a Codebreaker for a two count. Omega responded with a snap Dragon Suplex but Jericho was still the first to his feet. Kenny hit another Dragon Suplex and then a Tiger Driver for a near fall.
Kenny went for the V-Trigger but Jericho countered into the Walls of Jericho in the middle of the ring. Omega broke free and sent Jericho to the mat with the V-Trigger. Jericho hit a DDT and then an Enziguri as the crowd chanted “Kenny!”. Omega lifted Jericho up on his shoulders and Chris once again countered into a DDT. Jericho followed that up with the Codebreaker and then the Judas Effect (back elbow) for the pinfall victory. Chris Jericho will battle Hangman Adam Page to crowd the first AEW Champion.
After the match, Jericho grabbed the microphone and scolded the crowd for booing him. Jericho called the crowd marks and boasted about this being his time now. He added that he is AEW and that this is not a company for the fans, it is a company for him. Jericho claimed he was the only reason AEW got a tv deal and is selling out shows. He demanded a “thank you” from Omega and the crowd.
Jon Moxley then came through the crowd and entered the ring as the crowd went insane. Moxley hit Dirty Deeds on Jericho and then did the same to the referee. Jon tried to do the same to Omega but Kenny tackled him out of the ring. The brawl spilled into the crowd as the crowd chanted “AEW!”.
Moxley and Omega then battled on the poker chips on the stage. Jon planted Kenny with a DDT as the crowd went insane. Moxley then lifted Omega onto his shoulders and sent him flying onto the ramp to close the show.
Jericho and Omega had a very good match, but Moxley showing up will be the thing that everyone is talking about. I have grown so sick of WWE, that a decent show from AEW tonight would have been enough for me. AEW knocked it out of the park tonight and it is impossible to not be excited as a wrestling fan. I’ve been waiting for a legitimate alternative to WWE for a long time and it looks like we finally have that.
Double or Nothing was not without its faults tonight. There were multiple spots that were missed because the camera wasn’t on the action. Super Smash Bros debuted in AEW tonight following the Best Friends match and attacked both teams. The crowd chanted “who are you?” during this and I was right there with them.
I’ve been covering WWE for years now and have been living in that bubble, so this fell flat to me because I honestly had no idea what was going on. However, these issues will be resolved once AEW goes live every week on TNT. Once this company can present storylines and build up characters on a weekly basis, they can absolutely be an alternative to WWE. I felt like I was watching a wrestling show for adults tonight, and cannot wait to see what the future holds for AEW.
