TJRWrestling AEW Double or Nothing 2022 Preview
AEW Double or Nothing 2022 is the fourth “DON” in AEW history with “Hangman” Adam Page set to defend the AEW World Title against CM Punk in the main event.
John: Welcome to the TJRWrestling AEW Double or Nothing 2022 preview. It’s another big show with a lot of matches (13 official matches as of this writing), so I’ll keep this intro simple. I’m intrigued by the main event, I think there are too many tag team matches, but it’s expected in AEW where they need to pile guys into tags to get more people on the show. I just think it will get repetitive. Anyway, I am looking forward to it because I think the strong wrestling match quality carries these AEW shows and it won’t be any different this time. I’m disappointed that FTR isn’t in a match. How can you leave them off? Other than that, they got most of their notable talent on the show.
If you need info on how to order Double or Nothing on PPV, check out AEW’s website for info on how to watch it in your country. It’s different depending on where you live. I’ll be using Fite TV in Canada, most likely.
Joining me for the preview are Joel McIntyre, Matthew Fowler, Alex Podgorski, and Marc Madison.
Alex: This is the big one, the AEW version of WrestleMania. A lot of time and effort has been put into building up this show, and now that we’re here…I think we can all expect some great things here. This show has a combination of carefully-built matches, long-term storylines, dream matches, and contests thrown together at the last minute. And yet, I honestly think there will be something for everyone here, which, to be honest, was the general theme for WrestleMania 38 as well. And since that show was pretty damn great all things considered, let’s see if AEW can meet those same standards with their flagship show.
Marc: At AEW’s third anniversary edition of Double or Nothing, it returns to Las Vegas for the first time since 2019. This year’s show has 13 matches scheduled, including the buy-in preshow. As a result, fans are sure to expect nearly four hours of wrestling. While that may be a little tiresome for some, the idea of an exciting match-up after an exciting match-up is intriguing.
With 13 matches on the card, I’m hoping to laugh at Danhausen, cheer the Blackpool Combat Club within the Anarchy in the Arena match and applaud the winner of the AEW World Championship match.
(Note: All graphics are from AEW.)
Hook & Danhausen vs. Tony Nese & Smart Mark Sterling (BUY IN PRE-SHOW)
Joel: I laugh at some of Danhausen’s stuff but this feud does not interest me even a little bit.
Winners: Hookhausen
Matthew: After months of anticipation, Danhausen finally made his in-ring debut against Tony Nese a few weeks back. Nese then proceeded to squash Danhausen in a few seconds. Things seemingly are looking up for Danhausen however, as he is now aligned with the undefeated Hook. I expect Hook and Danhausen to easily get the win here, with Hook doing the heavy lifting while Danhausen stands around cursing people.
Winners: Hook & Danhausen
Alex: Danhausen is entertaining. Hook is an undefeated ass-kicker. Both guys are popular for different reasons yet became a thus-far successful oddball pairing. They have wider appeal than Nese and Sterling and they have more opportunities to enter interesting storylines in the future. Plus there’s the combination of Hook being a dangerous martial arts specialist and Danhausen being able to curse people. Nothing Nese and Sterling have will be able to overcome such dangerous and evil forces.
Winners: Hookhausen (Hook and Danhausen)
Marc: Over the past few weeks, it appears to be when this match was set to come about. From the battle between Danhausen and Tony Nese to the ongoing attempts by Danhausen to form an alliance with HOOK. It was only a matter of time before this union came about. The problem with the booking isn’t so much that fans are clamoring for HOOKHausen but where does Team Taz come into play here with Hook.
Is he a part of that alliance under his father’s rule? It seems somewhat complicated to follow. Regardless, Sterling and Danhausen bring the funny with Hook and Nese bringing the serious. But if AEW is all about giving fans what they want, there is only one set of winners.
Winners: Hook & Danhausen
John: I doubt I’ll watch this since the main show will be around four hours and that’s a lot of writing for me. Anyway, I guess it counts as a comedy match since Danhausen is involved with Sterling, so expect some “funny” moments. Sure. Hook wins while the crowd loves it.
Winners: Hook & Danhausen
TBS Championship: Jade Cargill (c) vs. Anna Jay
Joel: The Women’s division has been booked nonexistent for months. I thought it would improve once the TBS Title was introduced, but all that did was decrease the amount of time the Women’s Title received. Jade has potential, but she is a long way away. Anna, like Ruby, rarely appears on television so how are we supposed to take her seriously? Jade for the win. I don’t see anybody currently on the Women’s roster who will end her undefeated streak.
Winner: Jade Cargill
Matthew: Just like Hook, Jade Cargill is so far undefeated in AEW. Also, like Hook, I do not see that streak ending here. I expect a quick, decent match here. Anna Jay will put up a good fight, but I suspect Cargill to be too much in the end.
Winner: Jade Cargill
Alex: Another easy prediction here. With all respect to Anna Jay, Cargill has been much more impressive as champion. AEW has something with her and are clearly earmarking her as a future star. Plus, Jay is still very much a rookie and has plenty of time to mature as a performer. It would be a case of too much too soon were she to win here. Expect no more than ten minutes here, especially since Cargill will likely be booked to put on a very strong performance.
Winner and STILL AEW TBS Champion: Jade Cargill
Marc: They’ve faced each other before and while it’s been a long time since Anna Jay has been poised to be in something that she could sink her teeth in this match could be it. As the former half of TayJay (with Tay Conti), Anna seemed to be as committed to being with her friend. Now, however it’s about her trying to learn and grow from others in the division.
For Jade Cargill, she will likely have the support of her baddie section there to help her out. As it stands there is no reason to believe that the Cargill train is pulling up to the station and handing over the title.
Winner: AND STILL TBS Champion, Jade Cargill
John: This match isn’t interesting at all. I guess Anna was the chosen woman to lose to Cargill this time around. I don’t even remember the last time Anna had a match on television, much less why she’s getting a title shot. Does she get wins on the Youtube shows? Okay. Let’s not pretend like those shows matter that much. Cargill should win in under ten minutes to remain undefeated.
Winner: Jade Cargill
Darby Allin vs. Kyle O’Reilly
Joel: Another thrown together match based on one attack on Sting. You would think with two and a half months in between pay per views, they would have time to promote a match with one of their hottest stars. Oh well, I’m going with Darby.
Winner: Darby Allin
Matthew: This match was a last second addition to the card, just getting added this past Friday on Rampage. Clearly, Tony Khan thought that 11 matches was not enough, so we better add more. Allin is supposed to be one of the “Pillars” of AEW, and deserves way better than a thrown-together last-minute match on this show. I have no doubt Allin and O’Reilly will have a good match, with Allin likely doing something crazy and dangerous at some point. In the end, Allin will win, but no one will remember or care by the end of the night.
Winner: Darby Allin
Alex: The story here is that O’Reilly injured Sting and Allin’s out for revenge. It’s great that they added a storyline reason for this match, but that story also forecasts what will happen on Sunday, which is a win for O’Reilly. The simple fact is that this injury happened so soon and is still fresh in fans’ minds. It makes much more sense to milk this injury angle for everything it’s worth and give Allin something to chase. If Allin were to win so soon then the payoff would be too immediate and lack the catharsis needed to make fans truly care. Having O’Reilly win would lead to Allin doubting himself and his ability to avenge his friend. That’s why Allin’s revenge needs to be saved for a later date. Angles like this need time to be digested otherwise they leave fans feeling unsatisfied, especially when the most important parts are rushed.
Winner: Kyle O’Reilly
Marc: As a last-minute announced match, it’s really hard to have any feelings about it as the agenda for both men is very different. For both men they were perennial contenders to walk out of the Owen Hart Foundation tournament victorious. In the case of O’Reilly that nearly happened if not for Samoa Joe. For Allin, having face one half of reDRagon doesn’t really seem to fit. So while Bobby Fish isn’t in action alongside Kyle O’Reilly, Allin’s place doesn’t seem to make much sense either here.
But since they’re facing one another and with little to no build, one has to wonder where does either man go from here? If the idea is the singles wrestler is meant to typically go over then, expect Allin to go over.
Winner: Darby Allin
John: This was added on the last Rampage before Dynamite because I think Tony Khan remembered he needs to get Allin on the show. The (weak) story is that Kyle hurt old man Sting at some point, so Allin wants revenge. Kyle is a good wrestler that has quality matches with everybody, but he’s still just a tag team guy in AEW and it should mean a win for Allin. They’ll have a solid match that goes around ten minutes. I just don’t think it will be that interesting or memorable, but at least it gets Darby on the show.
Winner: Darby Allin
Death Triangle – Penta Oscuro, Rey Fenix & Pac vs. House of Black – Malakai Black, Brody King & Buddy Matthews
Joel: This is a feud that has started hot and went cold very quickly. I love all the people involved, but House of Black took a credibility hit by feuding with Fuego for weeks. Malakai Black squashed Cody Rhodes upon arrival in AEW and now he needs help to beat Fuego? Makes no sense. The match will be good, but the feud is a dud.
Winners: House of Black
Matthew: Malakai Black went from being one of the most underutilized talents in WWE, to one of the most underutilized talents in AEW. House of Black should be a much bigger deal than it has been treated, with the faction spending a lot of time on AEW Dark. Death Triangle on the other hand is made up of three of the most entertaining wrestlers on the AEW roster, with all three of them having the potential to be main event superstars. Despite all of the talent in this match however, this match seems easily forgettable on a very loaded card. I will go with House or Black winning, to hopefully gain some sort of momentum.
Winners: House of Black
Alex: This will be your token spot-fest match, but it will be interesting seeing two opposing philosophies on spots being showcased. The Death Triangle trio are all high-flyers so they will focus on those sorts of spots. Expect to see PAC shine for his team, especially since we’ve already seen plenty of Penta & Fenix and we know what they’re capable of. As for the House of Black, they will probably keep things simpler with more hard strikes and classic power moves to counterbalance their opponents’ acrobatics. And while the live crowd will definitely be loud and lively for the 15-20 minutes this match goes on for, they’ll go quiet when the dastardly HoB win. They’re undefeated on TV and I think they’ll continue that here.
Winners: House of Black (Malakai Black, Brody King & Buddy Matthews)
Marc: The ongoing feud among these six men is sure to be something exciting. Fans have seen them all face each other in the past, but their longstanding issues with one another is finally meant to have this match months ago. After Fenix was injured and replaced by Erick Redbeard, it wasn’t until Fenix returned recently that this match would come about.
With the newly christened Penta Oscuro a key member of this trio and Pac once again looking to assert himself it will be about how well Fenix to acclimate himself in the match-up. We’d like to see more of a showing of Buddy Matthews in this match, but it could ultimately be the match that puts Death Triangle back on top.
Winners: Death Triangle – Penta Oscuro, Rey Fenix and Pac
John: This should be a great tag team match that was set up months ago, but then injuries and other stuff happened, so here we go. The Death Triangle babyface team is exciting to watch. I expect a lot of tag team rules to be ignored. Black and Buddy complement Black well. I was really hoping Malakai Black would have been featured more in AEW instead of just being in tag team matches. That’s a guy that could be in a main event spot wrestling the biggest names. That’s nothing against Death Triangle, who I like a lot, but I guess I was just hoping for Black to stand out more as a singles wrestler. Wasn’t he supposed to be bigger in AEW? He’s not. I don’t think it matters that much who wins this. Maybe it will matter when they have trios titles. Since those don’t exist yet, I’ll just pick the babyface team.
Winners:Death Triangle – Penta Oscuro, Rey Fenix & Pac
Women’s Owen Hart Foundation Tournament Finals: Dr. Britt Baker vs. Ruby Soho
Joel: There have been 21 Dynamites and 21 Rampages so far in 2022. That’s 42 events. Ruby Soho has been on six. That is an average of one television appearance every two months. Yet, I’m supposed to care because she’s been hotshotted to the finals of a first time ever tournament? I’d love to see Ruby win. However, Britt will win. It’ll be Ruby’s second tournament final in 2022 and her second tournament final loss.
Winner: Dr. Britt Baker
Matthew: Having not one but two tournaments to honor the great, late Owen Hart is incredible and well deserved. I am holding out hope that Bret Hart appears at this show, and helps crown the winners of the tournaments. As for the winners, I think AEW plans on starting a storyline with real-life couple Dr. Britt Baker and Adam Cole. Therefore, I will go with Baker winning here, to set up her boyfriend winning later in the evening.
Winner: Dr. Britt Baker
Alex: I simply see no reason for Baker to win here. AEW has pushed her to the moon for the better part of three years now. And while one can’t deny her importance to AEW’s women’s division, she can’t do all the heavy lifting herself. The division needs more than one star, which is why Soho will take this one. Though I’m not sure which of them is the better wrestler, from a booking perspective it makes more sense to elevate someone that needs it than to have an established star add a feather to her cap. Baker wouldn’t gain much from winning while Soho would. She needs this win to become a bigger player in a division that’s already being criticized for its lack of screen time and the repetitiveness of its competitors. Hopefully, Soho can make a few changes with a win here.
Winner of the Women’s Owen Hart Foundation Tournament: Ruby Soho
Marc: On this past week’s edition of Rampage, Ruby Soho defeated Kris Statlander leading to her and Baker meeting in the finals. Now, I can’t quite put my finger on it, but a jealous Statlander should get involved in the finals. If the need is for her to be taken seriously, maybe she does just that and cost Soho a chance at a win too. However, Baker seems to have every foil behind her and Statlander could ultimately prove to be just another asset by her side.
The thought of an alliance of Statlander, Hayter, and Baker would be quite formattable and if a women’s tag team championship is a consideration down the road then this could lay the breadcrumbs for that to happen.
Winner: Dr. Britt Baker
John: The winner gets a trophy of some kind. Do they get a title shot? I don’t think so. AEW never really made it clear. You could make the case that Baker doesn’t “need” the trophy since she held the AEW World Title for nearly a year. Ruby Riott could use the win to give her some positive momentum. I just think the crowd might turn on Ruby like they did on Rampage this week since they view Baker as the bigger star. I’m a bit torn on this prediction, but I’m going with Baker. It could go either way.
Winner: Dr. Britt Baker
Scorpio Sky, Ethan Page & Paige Vanzant vs. Frankie Kazarian, Sammy Guevara & Tay Conti
(If Sky’s team wins then Frankie and Sammy cannot challenge Sky for the TNT Title again.)
Joel: Stipulations like this usually favor the babyfaces. However, Cody Rhodes lost and couldn’t challenge for the World Title again. The Young Bucks won a year later when they used the same stipulation. I would love for Sammy to be away from the TNT Title. However, I think they are going to squeeze one for match out of this rivalry so I’m going with the babyfaces even though I’m not 100% sure of PVZ losing her first match.
Winners: Scorpio Sky, Ethan Page & Paige Vanzant
Alex: The stipulation for this match makes it a bit more interesting. If Sky’s team wins, then Kazarian and Guevara can never challenge Sky for the TNT Title again. That alone strongly suggests that Sky’s team will win. I think that it’s time for someone else to enter the TNT title scene besides Sammy, especially since he has been involved with the belt since September 2021. I don’t know about you but seeing Sammy in the same spot feels stale. He’s supposed to be one of AEW’s “four pillars” so it makes sense for him to move onward and upward to better things.
Winners: Scorpio Sky, Ethan Page & Paige Vanzant
Marc: On this past week’s edition of Rampage, this six-person tag team match came about. While there was always talk of a mixed person tag match, the pairing is a little odd. Let’s take a step back for a minute and recognize that the last-minute addition of Frankie Kazarian to team Sammy and Tay is strange. Fans clearly despise Conti and Guevara for their over-the-top public displays of affection.
They act over-confident so it’s impossible to ignore. The bizarre inclusion is that of Kazarian who is liked while his partners aren’t. Now, I didn’t see Rampage and unless they are uniting because they each have their own agenda, then it makes sense. What seems more than likely is that Men of the Year walk out victorious leading to Scorpio to move on to other challenges and Sammy and Frankie to feud with each other.
Winners: Scorpio Sky, Ethan Page & Paige Vanzant
John: Everybody is a heel in this match except Kazarian I guess, so who or what am I supposed to be rooting for? I’m so confused about why this story has gone on for so long. And why do they keep destroying versions of the TNT Title? I realize Tony Khan has a rich daddy with billions in the bank, but you can stick to one look for the TNT Title. It’s going to be okay. Sammy was one of my favorites until this story started. It has been bad for him. Anyway, I guess I’ll go with Sky, Page and Vanzant winning by cheating somehow and maybe they want to have Paige beat Conti with a submission to try to make Paige look impressive in her debut.
Winners: Scorpio Sky, Ethan Page & Paige Vanzant
Men’s Owen Hart Foundation Tournament Finals: Samoa Joe vs. Adam Cole
Joel: This will be an awesome match. The whole tournament just hasn’t done it for me. On both sides. Adam Cole needs it more. Joe is the current ROH Television Champion and is feuding with Jay Lethal. Adam Cole is coming off two big Word Title losses to Adam Page. Cole is the heel. Give him the win and something to brag about. It literally does nothing to benefit Samoa Joe.
Winner: Adam Cole
Matthew: As I said in my earlier prediction, I expect Adam Cole to win here. Hopefully Cole and Joe get enough time on this loaded show to standout however, as the match has the potential to be special. I expect Cole to win here, and then celebrate with his girlfriend Dr. Britt Baker.
Winner: Adam Cole
Alex: Has anyone in AEW been less impressive than Adam Cole? The guy was a big signing and was immediately outshined by Bryan Danielson. And since then, Cole has done precious little to justify being such a high-profile acquisition. For him, winning this tournament is redemption. He needs to prove that being signed and hyped up so much was worth all the time and money. He needs this win to become a credible main event player, which something he is not at this moment. Right now, he comes across as a bland midcarder lacking in big wins and credibility. And while beating Joe won’t turn his fortunes around 100%, at least it would be a step in the right direction.
Winner: Adam Cole
Marc: Is it all about the BOOM? As the finals of the Owen Hart Foundation is upon us it will be about having two men that were key parts of another couple of companies face each other in the finals here. Both men called ROH and NXT home at various points in their careers. However, this will mark the first documented match between the two of them. Fans have been critical of Samoa Joe’s time in AEW and critical of Adam Cole’s for various reasons (none of which I see but people will argue about anything).
But what appears to be the most notable is that Cole, a man who has often referred to Shawn Michaels as his mentor, is in the finals of a tournament in honor of one of Michaels’s greatest rivals Bret Hart. I think they’ll go that much further and have Cole walk out on top as he likely has enough allies and Joe has enough enemies to ensure it happens.
Winner: Adam Cole
John: It’s a battle of former NXT and ROH Champions who are apparently meeting for the first time because they missed eachother in those places. There’s a size difference with Joe as the power guy while Cole is the skinner, more athletic guy. I think their styles will mesh well. Since Joe is feuding with Jay Lethal and friends, perhaps they will cost Joe the win. If so, it makes sense since a heel like Cole would love an assist. Having Cole win the tournament on the same show as his girlfriend Britt Baker sounds intriguing I guess, but they are heels. I think a face should win here, so let’s go with Samoa Joe winning the Men’s Owen Hart Foundation Tournament.
Winner: Samoa Joe
Young Bucks (Matt & Nick Jackson) vs. The Hardys (Matt & Jeff Hardy)
Joel: I was hyped to watch this match five years ago. Now, not so much. Jeff Hardy has not looked like Jeff Hardy since arriving in AEW. The match will be decent but I think FTR would’ve been better opponents for The Hardys but it seems we can’t have a PPV without s Young Bucks match.
Winners: The Hardys
Matthew: This is yet another match that should feel like a big deal, but seems almost forgotten on this bloated card. The Young Bucks and Hardys are unquestionably two of the greatest tag teams of all time, and this match could be very good. I expect both teams to go all out, with Jeff Hardy likely jumping off of something very high at some point in the match. I have a feeling that this feud is just starting, with it possibly leading to an Ultimate Deletion Match in the future. Therefore, I will go with The Bucks getting the win here, with The Hardys getting the win back at some point in the future.
Winners: The Young Bucks
Alex: The easy prediction here would be that the Bucks win simply because they’re influential backstage at AEW and they have their reputation as ‘the best tag team ever’ to uphold (it took me a lot of effort to type out that sentence without laughing). But I don’t think the Bucks winning makes sense here; I think the Hardys should win instead, especially if AEW wants to grow their audience.
The Hardys are one of the better-known teams outside of AEW’s immediate wrestling bubble, and now that they’re teaming together, AEW has the opportunity to attract more casual fans that might have nostalgia towards the Hardys and their backyarder-inspired lunacy. Plus, the Bucks were inspired by the Hardys in a major way, so it makes sense to have a sort of ‘masters vs. students’ dynamic here. Plus, if the Hardys win, this feud can be drawn out over time to milk it for all it’s worth. Having the Bucks chase the Hardys and have a rematch and then a tiebreaker is a simple way to make the most out of such a special match-up.
Winners: The Hardys (Matt & Jeff Hardy)
Marc: Five. The number of times these two teams have faced one another. But this is the FIRST time they have faced each other in All Elite Wrestling. While many will argue that the Hardys aren’t what they were and the Young Bucks aren’t what they were it doesn’t matter. This match is as much about two-generational tag teams facing each other on a PPV. Both teams have won countless tag team championships.
But teams have a younger brother who is the greater risk-taker of the two. This is where the similarities end. Jeff and Matt have also had a great deal of success as singles wrestlers as well. While they face the modern-day version of the Hardys in the Jacksons, the question is will this match be everything fans want it to be. It has the potential of being all that and more we just hope their bodies can hold up to the beating they are likely to endure.
Unless the goal is for the win here to springboard the Hardy’s towards the titles, I can’t see why they’d win. So with that as the rationale as it’s a springboard for them to a team led by a formal rival, it makes all the more sense for a Hardys win.
Winners: The Hardys
John: I have seen AEW call this a “Dream Match” even though they have wrestled before in ROH and likely other places. A Dream Match should only be used for a match that has never happened before. Anyway, it is a highly anticipated match because The Hardys are one of the best tag teams ever while a lot of people would put the Young Bucks in that category as well. I don’t love the Young Bucks as much as some people (hi Uncle Dave), but they are really talented. I just think they’ve probably been bored in the last few months and barely wrestled in that time. Jeff also looks bored in AEW. Why didn’t they let him do a promo upon his arrival anyway? He feels like just another ex-WWE guy already.
Since I think AEW is going to want to get the Tag Team Titles on The Hardys before their bodies really break down (Matt is 47 while Jeff is 44), they should get the win here and then get the Tag Team Titles within the few months. It should be a great match, but perhaps some of the Hardys physical limitations will hurt them a bit in terms of doing big spots.
Winners: The Hardys (Matt & Jeff Hardy)
AEW Women’s Championship: Thunder Rosa (c) vs. Serena Deeb
Joel: Thunder Rosa has had one match since winning the title. The amount of screen time she has gotten on Dynamite since winning the Title has been LESS than 30 minutes. That’s combined in two months. It is borderline criminal how they have fumbled her title reign after building it up for so long. This will be the best women’s match on the show. I just wish it had a better build.
Winner: Thunder Rosa
Matthew: This match could be the sleeper match of the show, with these two women having the potential to have the match of the night. Both Rosa and Deeb are not only two of the best women wrestlers in the world but are two of the best wrestlers in the world period. As for who wins I am going to go with the upset here. I am predicting Deeb joins forces with her former Straight Edge Society leader, who helps her pick up the win.
Winner AND NEW AEW Women’s Champion: Serena Deeb
Alex: I get the feeling this match will go longer than needed. Instead of giving Thunder Rosa a quick and decimating squash to show how good she is as a wrestler, she’ll have an extended and ‘competitive’ match with Deeb instead. And while there’s nothing wrong with that, I think that Rosa needs to focus more on looking unstoppable than how many minutes of ring time she gets. If she gets fifteen minutes and lets Deeb almost pin her more than once, she won’t look good as champion. However, if Rosa were to spend whatever time she gets mauling and toying with Deeb because she knows she can end her opponent with ease, then that’s a different story. I think this’ll be a good match, but I think that the opportunity to make Rosa into a dominating force will go missed here.
Winner and STILL AEW Women’s Champion: Thunder Rosa
Marc: With the recent disrespect at the hands of Serena Deeb towards Dustin Rhodes and Tony Schiavone, Thunder Rosa has motivation behind her going into this match. We can assure fans that Deeb, who is the stronger of the two talents, will do everything she can to prove why she is the Professor of AEW. Deeb is a former NWA Women’s Champion but is committed to improving the skillsets of all the women in the division.
Fans recently saw another side of Rosa. A side showed she was ready to prove that her title reign would not be in vain. She recently was named a weekly co-host on Busted Open Radio on Friday’s and will use her appearance on next week’s show to discuss what took place in this match.
Winner: AND STILL AEW Women’s Champion, Thunder Rosa
John: There’s not much of a story here. Rosa is the AEW Women’s Champion that doesn’t get a lot of screen time while Serena is the top contender, so they are having a match. Great. Why isn’t there much of a story? It’s because AEW doesn’t put much effort into the women’s division sometimes and they just expect the talent to have a great match. Rosa and Deeb should have a solid match with Deeb in control for a lot of it working on a body part and Rosa makes the comeback to win. Rosa keeping the title seems like a lock.
Winner: Thunder Rosa
AEW Tag Team Championships: Jurassic Express (Jungle Boy & Luchasaurus) (c) vs. Team Taz (Ricky Starks & Powerhouse Hobbs) vs. Keith Lee & Swerve Strickland
Joel: This is the second straight PPV that Jurassic Express has been shoved into another storyline between two teams just to get them on the show. They’ve felt like afterthoughts since winning the titles. Hopefully this is the end, but I have my doubts. I’m going with Lee and Swerve.
Winners: Keith Lee and Swerve Strickland
Matthew: When the AEW rankings came out this week, Starks and Hobbs were number 2 and Lee and Strickland number 3 in the rankings. The number one ranked team was FTR, who are not booked on the show. I have no doubt that these three teams will have a great match, but not having FTR in this match is inexcusable and quite frankly stupid. Don’t have a ranking system at all if you are just going to ignore it completely. I will go with Jurassic Express getting the win, with the other two teams going back to AEW Dark wasteland.
Winners: Jurassic Express
Alex: This’ll be another token demolition match with lots of bodies flying all over the place. Lee and Luchasaurus will do most of the heavy lifting and Lee in particular will be booked to look unmovable early on. That will force a temporary truce between the JE and team Taz to try and isolate Lee. Lee will be isolated for a while, which will leave the remaining wrestlers to duke it out in a classic triple-threat tag. But try as they might, I don’t think that either JE or Team Taz will be able to overcome the combined efforts of Lee and Strickland. Especially since Lee has the power of three men on his shoulders.
Winners and NEW AEW Tag Team Champions: Keith Lee & Swerve Strickland
Marc: When teams are assembled that are typically singles wrestlers come together the results can be excellent. In this case, we have two teams: Team Taz’s Hobbs and Starks and Lee and Strickland. While a union is a great way to utilize these teams one has to wonder why the likes of FTR aren’t involved in this match. They are quickly becoming the most well-received duo in the division so a place here would have made sense too.
But the decision to use those other two teams to challenge Jurassic Express doesn’t leave us with the hopes that either team will defeat the well oil machine known as Jurassic Express.
Winners: AND STILL AEW Tag Team Champions, Jurassic Express
John: The feud has been between Starks/Hobbs and Lee/Swerve, yet somehow the Tag Team Titles got involved. They’re all good workers and all should be featured as singles guys, but the AEW roster is too big. Anyway, those two teams are high up in the rankings that AEW wants us to care about. You know what team is the number one ranked team in AEW right now? FTR! They’re the best team in the company and somehow aren’t even on a card with 13 freakin’ matches. What? Anyway, I’ll go with the champs retaining. Like I said earlier, the Hardys are going to win the titles soon. It wouldn’t shock me if Christian turned on Jungle Boy/Luchasaurus at that point to cost them the titles. Maybe the next PPV or before that. If there’s a title change, I’ll go with Starks & Hobbs since I think Hobbs has earned a title run at this point, but my official pick is for the champions to retain.
Winners: Jungle Boy & Luchasaurus
Maxwell Jacob Friedman vs. Wardlow
(If Wardlow wins, he will be granted his release from his contract with MJF. If MJF wins, Wardlow will be permanently banned from signing with AEW.)
Joel: We’ve seen this whole story before. The MJF/Wardlow angle is straight out of Triple H and Batista. The stipulations is straight out of MJF and Cody Rhodes. MJF sent Chris Jericho and CM Punk through the wringer to face him. The common denominator there? He’s lost both PPV matches. They would really stunt Wardlow’s push by having him lose here. Having Wardlow be “forced” to work for MJF is a played out angle. Give Wardlow the win and MJF’s rough patch of big PPV losses continues. He’s lost four out of his last five PPV matches as I pointed out in a recent column I did about MJF. I think that continues here.
Winner: Wardlow
Matthew: This match has been built up very well, with Wardlow looking like a true main event star. MJF for his part is a main event star now, and unquestionably a future world champion. The biggest issue with the match is who will win, as neither guy should be losing right now. Making things more interesting, is MJF letting it be known that he is considering jumping ship to WWE when his contract expires in 2024. In the end, I will go with Wardlow winning here due to the contract stipulation, with MJF moving on to a title feud after this.
Winner: Wardlow
Alex: Most people are predicting that Wardlow wins here because of the stipulation that states that he will permanently be banned from singing with AEW. Reading those specific words, I think that Wardlow might be able to work around that and still come out on top. To that end, I predict the following. MJF will win via cheap shenanigans after about twelve minutes. He’ll have his big gloating ceremony and mock Wardlow to his face. Wardlow will have no choice but to leave and will walk back up the aisle hanging his head in shame. Some time will go on and MJF will move on with his career. Then somewhere down the road, Wardlow will make a surprise appearance for Ring of Honor and will sign an exclusive contract with them. He will not be able to appear on AEW programming ever, but that won’t stop him from raking up wins and mocking MJF whenever possible. Eventually, MJF won’t be able to ignore Wardlow anymore and will go to Wardlow’s new home to take him on. That can lead to a win for Wardlow and a subsequent rubber match that’ll likewise lead to a big money payoff for both wrestlers.
Winner: MJF
Marc: The face turn of Wardlow has been among the most well-received and highly anticipated stories in AEW in recent memory. While it appears as though all signs are leading to a Wardlow will win the match and be granted his release from his contract with MJF, what if they played it as though he loses. He’s never been penalized for beating down the security or told MJF will fine him for his actions.
What if Wardlow does lose? It is possible that while Wardlow loses outright the possibility of Wardlow losing and remaining under MJF’s control could continue. If that does happen, wouldn’t it be something where MJF is in a situation where he NEEDS Wardlow down the line and that is when if he helps Friedman that is when Wardlow uses a scenario where if Maxwell needs his help, then he’s going to have to release Wardlow from his contract and lift all restrictions against him.
While plausible, the company will likely want to end the storyline on his night.
Winner: Wardlow
John: The story for this match is one of the better ones on the PPV because they get promo time to build it up and have booked Wardlow as a sympathetic babyface while MJF is a heel that’s easy to hate. The easy prediction is for Wardlow to win to become “free” of MJF and allow him to sign with AEW. As Joel pointed out, MJF loses nearly every feud he has. That’s going to happen here as well.
It wouldn’t surprise me if they tried to do a swerve where MJF gets the win in cheap fashion, but then it gets reversed and Wardlow comes back to get the win. Look for Wardlow to hit about 8-10 Powerbombs as part of his “Powerbomb Symphony” to finish off MJF. I expect a hot crowd for this match. The story has been very good, but also very predictable too.
Winner: Wardlow
Anarchy in the Arena 10-Man Tag Team Match: Jericho Appreciation Society (Chris Jericho, Matt Menard, Angelo Parker, Daniel Garcia & Jake Hager) vs. Blackpool Combat Club (Bryan Danielson & Jon Moxley), Eddie Kingston, Santana, & Ortiz (with William Regal)
Joel: It’s basically Stadium Stampede without the Stadium. I’ve enjoyed parts of this feud. Other parts have been cringe worthy like Jericho throwing fireballs and calling himself a wizard. I love all ten participants. This is the first PPV for both the JAS and The BCC which makes it tougher to judge. I’m going with the BCC simply because JAS has had the upper hand for most of this rivalry.
Winners: Danielson/Moxley/Kingston/Ortiz/Santana
Matthew: This match is basically the same thing as a Stadium Stampede Match, minus the football stadium. Also similar to the Stampede matches, I expect a lot of over-the-top backstage shenanigans in this match. Blackpool Combat Club is just picking up steam, with them likely being tag team champions in the future. Jericho Appreciation Society on the other hand, feels like a thrown together faction to give Jericho something to do. Therefore, I will go with Bryan Danielson, Jon Moxley, Eddie Kingston, Santana & Ortiz to get the win.
Winners: Blackpool Combat Club (Bryan Danielson & Jon Moxley), Eddie Kingston, Santana & Ortiz
Alex: This will be a rare case whereby a match fully lives up to its stipulation name. The match will more than live up to its ‘anarchy’ billing as it will have lots of nonsense, slaptstick violence, stilly and over-the-top comedy, and some raw violence courtesy of BCC and possibly help from William Regal. I don’t think this’ll be a fully serious match; it’ll probably be more meant to entertain than to further any major storylines. This’ll be a match meant to be played for laughs and serve as a ‘bring-down match’ to set the bar for the bigger matches still to come. This will be nonsensical yet still done in a good way to make everyone look good. After all, guys like Bryan, Moxley and Kingston can’t always be serious, can they?
Winners: Bryan Danielson, Jon Moxley, Eddie Kingston, Santana & Ortiz
Marc: If any match on the card has sheer brutality tied to it, this would be the one. Blackpool Combat Club love to fight. Eddie. Kingston loves to fight. Ortiz and Santana love to fight.
On the other hand, the Jericho Appreciation Society has no other choice but to fight. Whether or not what we anticipate comes true, it could be much ado about nothing. But if Moxley and Danielson have anything to do with it, fans will likely see a much more brutal rendition of what the Stadium Stampede was.
There won’t be any laughing or hijinks. What fans will likely get is a match that showcases the skill of the likes of Moxley and Danielson while elevating Daniel Garcia in the process. It is hard to pick a winner in this one. However, if we need to pick a side with the least amount of friction, we’d have to go with JAS as they are a united front.
Winners: Jericho Appreciation Society
John: They really didn’t talk about the rules match, but I believe it’s like a Street Fight tag team match where there are no tags and you can brawl all around the arena while using weapons. The finish will probably be in the ring. There will be blood in this match. I predict Moxley, Kingston and Jericho bleeding for sure. One of them will probably do a blade job within the first two minutes. Some of the guys in Jericho’s group barely wrestle in televised matches, so it will be rare to see them in action.
This seems like a lock for the babyfaces to win while also setting up Jericho in another singles match with Kingston likely to headline Dynamite in the coming weeks. I’ll go with Danielson or Moxley getting the win by beating Menard or Parker, who are the weak links on their team. It should get around 20 minutes too.
Winners: Bryan Danielson, Jon Moxley, Eddie Kingston, Santana, & Ortiz
AEW World Championship: “Hangman” Adam Page (c) vs. CM Punk
Joel: It’s a highly anticipated match. I’ve said since day one that CM Punk would be AEW World Champion by Double or Nothing. I’m standing by that. Adam Page has put on great matches as AEW World Champion, but he’s often felt like an afterthought. When Kenny Omega was AEW World Champion, you knew he was the top guy on the show. Same with Moxley and Jericho. Adam Page just hasn’t been treated the same as those two. He’s done a good job, but I think his time has run out here. I think they want Punk walking into Forbidden Door in the United Center as AEW World Champion. That’s a smart bet.
Winner AND NEW AEW World Champion: CM Punk
Matthew: When Adam Page finally won the AEW World Championship from Kenny Omega last November, it was a huge moment. Page is the closest thing that AEW has to a home grown star, and has been with the company since day one. CM Punk is obviously the opposite of that, as he was a huge name long before AEW ever existed. Will Tony Khan go with his home-grown talent, or go with the bigger name in Punk? I predict that a newly heel Punk will walk out as champion, with the help of his former ally and new Women’s Champion Serena Deeb.
Winner AND NEW AEW World Champion: CM Punk
Alex: There’s a compelling case to be made for either man to win this match. Page has been solid as champion. He has had great matches, has consistent fan support, and is the closest thing AEW has to a genuine homegrown creation. As for Punk, he’s still one of the biggest stars AEW has in terms of appeal and reputation. He’s still in pretty good shape and I’m sure many people are salivating at the prospect of Punk having ‘one last run with the big one’ as his career gradually starts winding down.
However, I have a better idea. One that will leave with everyone winning in one way or another.
I predict that the match will go around 25 minutes. Around the 20-minute mark, Page will go for his Buckshot lariat finisher but Punk will dodge and Page will hit the referee instead. The ref will be knocked out for some time, allowing Punk to make a comeback. Punk will lift Page onto his shoulders, only to be attacked from behind…by KENTA. KENTA has some unfinished business with Punk stemming from Punk’s use of the GTS that KENTA created. And with AEWxNJPW Forbidden Door fast approaching, this would be KENTA’s chance to setup that match. KENTA hits Punk with the mother of all GTS’s and Page uses that to land one more Buckshot to score the fall. by going in this direction, AEW accomplishes three things:
- Page gets a win on paper over one of the biggest wrestling stars of the last fifteen years;
- Punk has a justifiable reason to want a rematch for a future AEW show. This could lead to a steel cage match or some other stipulation to really make it into a bigger deal; and
- It sets up Punk vs. KENTA, which is a dream match for anyone that remembers when these two were tearing it up in the 2000s. They might be much older, but this is still a must-see match-up for many people.
Winner and STILL AEW World Champion due to KENTA: “Hangman” Adam Page
Marc: It would be easy to suggest that Page is booked as the heel and Punk as the face. Then if we lean on rumors and innuendo, then it may be something different altogether. While Page is saying he is fighting for AEW many will stand by the statement. While welcomed by some, Punk’s time in the company has been met with arguably a mixed result as some believe Punk’s motives aren’t sincere and for the company’s good.
Animosity with Colt Cabana and Eddie Kingston aren’t simply running jokes, but apparently one’s that some believe have legs. So when Page is here to build the company from the ground up, the question remains, will he be able to? Are there other forces preventing Page from maintaining his reign as champion? We could see Page win and Punk turn in the process. After the match, he beats down the champion leading to a future match between the two.
But it feels like they may sadly be abandoning Page as champion, despite many not wanting it to happen.
Winner: AND NEW AEW World Champion, CM Punk
John: I think CM Punk will leave this show as AEW World Champion. I don’t know this as fact, but I assume Punk is the highest-paid wrestler in AEW and if that’s the case, it makes a lot of sense to put the AEW World Title on him at what is arguably their biggest show of the year when he gets his first shot at the AEW World Title. Casual fans are going to know who CM Punk is while they don’t know Adam Page, so maybe it creates some buzz heading into the next Dynamite.
I had somebody on Twitter try to tell me Page should win because otherwise, he’d be like a transitional champion. What? He’s held the title for over six months while beating people like Kenny Omega, Bryan Danielson and Adam Cole, plus Lance Archer, who is pushed occasionally by AEW. Anyway, I don’t think Page is going to be hurt by a title loss. I certainly Page could win and if he does then it might be considered the biggest win of his career.
The way I would book it is to have Punk do something desperate to win like he hits a low blow or make some dreaded eye poke that blinds Page long enough to allow Punk to hit the GTS for the win. Then you can turn Punk into a heel champion bragging about his win. I expect a great match that could definitely be the match of the night since I expect them to get 20+ minutes for this match. At the end of a card with 13 matches that runs nearly five hours (counting the pre-show), it may be tough for the crowd to be hot for all of it, but I think the wrestlers are good enough to have an exciting match that the fans will be interested in. I’m going with CM Punk for the win, but I certainly don’t think it’s an easy pick or guarantee by any means. It’s just what I think will happen. I also think Punk will face NJPW’s Kazuchika Okada at the AEW/NJPW Forbidden Door PPV in Chicago with both men walking in as World Champions. That’s going to be great.
Winner AND NEW AEW World Champion: CM Punk
BONUS TOPICS!
The Match I’m Looking Forward To The Most
Joel: MJF vs. Wardlow.
Matthew: “Hangman” Adam Page vs. CM Punk.
Alex: “Hangman” Adam Page vs. CM Punk.
Marc: MJF vs. Wardlow.
John: “Hangman” Adam Page vs. CM Punk.
The Match I Care About The Least
Joel: Jade Cargill vs. Anna Jay.
Matthew: Jade Cargill vs. Anna Jay.
Alex: Jade Cargill vs. Anna Jay.
Marc: Jade Cargill vs. Anna Jay.
John: Jade Cargill vs. Anna Jay.
Longest Match
Joel: Anarchy in the Arena 10-man tag team match.
Matthew: “Hangman” Adam Page vs. CM Punk.
Alex: Anarchy in the Arena match (30-35 minutes).
Marc: Anarchy in the Arena 10-man tag team match.
John: “Hangman” Adam Page vs. CM Punk.
Shortest Match
Joel: Jade Cargill vs. Anna Jay.
Matthew: Jade Cargill vs. Anna Jay.
Alex: Hookhausen vs. Nese & Sterling (>5 minutes).
Marc: Hook/Danhausen vs. Sterling/Nese.
John: Jade Cargill vs. Anna Jay.
Excitement Level on a Scale of 1-10 (1 being low, 10 being high)
Joel: It’s a 6.5 for me. The matches should all be good. The issue that I keep going back to is the build. You’ve had two and a half months to build to this show and yet there are 6 of the 13 matches on this show that have had little to no build including all three women’s matches. You have three hours of television every week and you can’t be bothered to get Thunder Rosa more than five minutes. Several matches have four-star potential. It’s just the build. You only have four PPVs a year for a reason: to allow more time to develop stories and yet it isn’t happening the way it was in 2021. Something is off and I hope it gets fixed soon.
Matthew: 7 – Overall match quality for this show should be very good to great, with a couple of matches potentially reaching 5 stars. The only reason I didn’t go higher, is 13 matches is just too many. This show is going to be long and exhausting to watch, draining the live crowd by the end. Luckily for American fans Monday is Memorial Day so we can sleep in after this marathon of a show.
Alex: 8.75 – I think that this show will have lots of good matches but I think thirteen of them is a bit much for a four-hour show. Because of that, some matches might end up being rushed, which will leave viewers dissatisfied in some cases and upset in others. But to be honest, this is one rare case when I’m more interested in the match results than the matches themselves.
Marc: 8
John: I’ll go with a 7.75 out of 10 because I just can’t get to the 8 level. I think the match quality is going to be very good for most of the show, but I think there have been better and deeper AEW PPV cards in the past. They really didn’t put a lot of effort into some of the matches while others have been building for months. I’m most looking forward to Punk vs. Hangman in the main event, the ten-man tag should be a lot of fun and as a story, MJF vs. Wardlow should get some big crowd reactions. I think doing 13 matches (including the pre-show) is a lot and the crowd is going to be tired for some matches where you might think they should be louder. It’s tough to stay engaged for five hours (counting the pre-show). I look forward to watching and writing about it, but if it goes past four hours on the main show then that will be disappointing.
In Closing
John: I’ll be back with a review of AEW Double or Nothing on TJRWrestling.net during the show. Check that out during the show or after it’s over.
You can also tweet me @johnreport, Joel is @GiftedMoney, Marc is @themarcmadison, no Twitter for Alex and Matthew is @Collectiveheel with any comments as well. If you want to send an email, send it to me at mrjohncanton@gmail.com as well. Thanks for reading.