All Elite Wrestling's third annual Double Or Nothing pay-per-view was a complete success. All but one of the matches delivered, and the capacity crowd at Daily's Place was hot throughout the entire show. AEW continues to produce thoroughly entertaining pro-wrestling events, and is developing megastars at an alarming rate. An amazing pay-per-view packed with brilliant matches. It's a great time to be a wrestling fan, but an even better time to be an AEW fan.
Winner: "Hangman" Adam Page Vs. Brian Cage
Page and Cage kicked off Double Or Nothing with a phenomenal opening match that threatened to completely deplete the energy of the capacity crowd at Daily's Place. The two mem were evenly matched to begin with, but as the match continued, Cage was able to utilize his strength advantage to gain the upper hand. At one point, Cage suplexed Page from the ring to the ramp outside, which looked really painful.
Team Taz members Ricky Starks and Hook came to assist Cage when Page proved too resilient for him to finish off. Hook distracted the ref while Starks tossed the FTW title belt into the ring. Cage tossed it back, and refused the help of his stable mates. Page took advantage of the chaos and hit Cage with a Buckshot Lariat for the win. Cage, Starks and Hook argued after the bell.
A really great opener and exactly what AEW's first capacity pay-per-view in over a year needed to get the crowd riled up. Cage held his own against a more technically gifted opponent, while Page showed why he is without a doubt a future AEW World Champion. The only way is up for Hangman, and he should be competing for a singles title very soon. It seems likely that Brian Cage will part ways with Team Taz, which could lead to match with his fellow big man, Powerhouse Hobbs.
Winner: The Young Bucks Vs. Eddie Kingston And Jon Moxley
Another barn burner. High octane action from the get go and excellent performances from all involved. Special shoutout to Eddie Kingston, who got in a lot of offence in what was unquestionably his best performance in an AEW ring to-date.
The rules went out the window after a certain point, and in typical Young Bucks fashion, things got a little chaotic -- much to JR's chagrin. The Bucks continued with their dastardly ways, with Matt spraying Moxley in the face with an aerosol and then hitting him on the head with the can. Moxley kicked out, and the Bucks hit him with a Meltzer Driver on the ramp.
The finish came when The Bucks hit Moxley with four BTE Triggers in a row. With Kingston incapacitated in the corner, there was nobody to break up the pin and The Bucks retained their AEW World Tag Team Championships in a thrilling match with a creative ending that took the crowd by surprise.
Loser: Nick Jackson's Sharpshooter
It looks like s**t and he should stop doing it.
Winner: Jungle Boy
One of AEW's most exciting young upstarts won the Casino Battle Royale and earned a shot at the AEW World Heavyweight Championship. In typical Casino Battle Royale fashion, it was a little clumsy, and the timing didn't always work out. It came down to Jungle Boy and Christian Cage, with the wily veteran pulling out all the stops in an attempt to subdue to his much younger opponent -- but to no avail. Jungle Boy was able to outwit Cage and eliminate him to win the match.
After the match, Marko Stunt and Luchasaurus came out to celebrate with their Jurassic Express teammate. In a touching moment, Christian embraced Jungle Boy and encouraged the up-and-comer to make the most of his opportunity.
Loser: Lio Rush
Former WWE Superstar Lio Rush made his AEW debut as "The Joker" entrant in the Casino Battle Royale. He got a hot reaction from the crowd and got a big cheer for every move he did. He had a lot of momentum, but was unceremoniously dumped out of the match by Matt Hardy. Not the worst debut of all time, but could've been a lot better.
Loser: Cody Rhodes Vs. Anthony Ogogo
The crowd was into this match for a few minutes but quickly lost interest. The strange build didn't do it any favors. Cody Rhodes hit the Vertebreaker on Ogogo for the win. It went on way too long, and the wrong man won. Cody didn't need the win, and a loss wouldn't have done him any harm. It also wasn't the kind of match where the new guy gets over despite losing as Cody hasn't quite reached Undertaker levels of greatness yet.
Winner: Anthony Ogogo
Despite losing to Cody Rhodes, Ogogo looked impressive and came across way less green than he actually is. He got some nice offence in, and sold Cody's moves well. A win would have done winders for his fledgling career but he showed enough promise that the loss probably wont damage him too much in the long run.
Winner: Dr. Britt Baker, DMD
It was a forgone conclusion, but one that was welcome. She's been one of the most consistently entertaining female wrestlers in the business throughout much of the pandemic era, but Britt Baker is finally the AEW Women's Champion after beating Hikaru Shida.
A solid match, but nowhere near as good as what both competitors are capable of. They seemed a little off the pace sluggish, but the finish was great and the crowd popped big for Baker's win.
It will be interesting to see who challenges Baker next, and whether or not AEW will be forced to turn her into a babyface due to all the positive reactions she's been receiving from the newly-returned crowds.
Winner: Sting
Sting is 62 and hasn't worked a match in almost 6 years -- but you wouldn't know it. Right off the bat (pun indented) Sting proved that he's still got it. He dived off the staging at the beginning of the match, which got a huge pop from the crowd. Later, he hit a Code Red. The finish came when Sting hit Scorpio Sky with a crisp Scorpion Death Drop. The match overdelivered, and Scorpio Sky and Ethan Page were perfect fodder for the legend's comeback.
Despite wowing the crowd, it might be time for Sting to take some time off. He's in danger of being overexposed, and should really be treated like the special attraction he is.
Winner: Orange Cassidy
"Freshly Squeezed" has already proven himself, and shown fans what capable of on numerous occasions. But in this AEW World Heavyweight Championship match, he shone like never before. The crowd was behind him all the way, and genuinely believed he could win. He came close on multiple occasions and almost certainly would have walked away with the gold if not for some dastardly interference from Don Callis.
Winner: Stadium Stampede 2
A bonkers match that somehow topped its 2020 predecessor. The Inner Circle came out on top this time around, and cemented their legacy as one of pro-wrestling's greatest ever factions.
