AEW president and head booker Tony Khan did a short scrum after Saturday’s Double or Nothing pay-per-view, giving some insights into the health of both Britt Baker and Fenix in addition to news on Fyter Fest.
Khan said more details on AEW Fyter Fest will be announced on this Wednesday’s episode of Dynamite but Jon Moxley will defend the AEW World title against Brian Cage, winner of the Casino ladder match.
Fyter Fest was originally supposed to be the company’s debut in London, England, but the pandemic prevented it.
He said several people contributed ideas to the Stadium Stampede match including himself, Chris Jericho, the Young Bucks, and others.
He said Britt Baker’s injuries to her right knee will keep her out anywhere from six weeks to two months. She will be on Dynamite Wednesday to address them.
Fenix was limping and the company made the decision to pull him from the ladder match. There was no timetable given for his return, but Khan made it sound like it wouldn’t be too long before he returns.
Brian Cage did sign in January and was indeed injured when he signed. Khan believed in him and wanted to present him with Taz the whole time.
New TNT Champion Cody Rhodes and Moxley were also on the call. Some highlights:
Cody said that Lance Archer is one of the top three people he’s ever been in the ring with. Khan and QT Marshall were the main drivers of bringing him in and he was initially questioning that move, but not any more.
He got into talking about different approaches and how the Young Bucks have a Deadpool inspired version, Omega has a DDT inspired version and he has a Crockett inspired version. They don’t always agree, but have those different styles they bring to the table as VPs.
Cody loves the design of the TNT belt, especially how the Turner mansion is on the belt. There apparently is a silver plated version that is being delayed due to the pandemic, but he likes the current belt so much, he might just stick with the one he has.
Moxley wants to work with everyone on the roster so he can adapt his styles to work with people like Cody, MJF, Joey Janela, Darby Allin, etc.
Britt Baker’s injuries were revealed at AEW Double or Nothing Saturday as were the dentist’s intentions to appear on Dynamite Wednesday to address when she could return.
Baker did not appear on the pay-per-view, but AEW physician Michael Sampson did, revealing that she suffered a partial LCL tear, an interior tibia fracture, and a small tendon tear in a tag team match on last week’s Dynamite. He then said she would be on Dynamite Wednesday to discuss the injuries.
The 29-year-old sustained the injury when Kris Statlander and Hikaru Shida slammed Nyla Rose into her while she was seated in a ring corner. She immediately grabbed at her right knee and was out of the match shortly thereafter. 2020 has been rough injury wise on Baker as she also suffered a nose injury in a match with Shida in April.
Baker was scheduled to wrestle Statlander at Double or Nothing, but was replaced by Penelope Ford.
Hikaru Shida’s magical 2020 continued Saturday at AEW Double or Nothing with a victory over Women’s Champion Nyla Rose to take the title in a no DQ, no countout match.
In a physical match, Shida hit Rose with a kendo stick shot to the head and followed that up with a running knee strike to pin Rose and become the third women’s champion in company history (Riho, Rose). The end was fitting as Rose assaulted Shida with a kendo stick in recent weeks.
With the win, Shida runs her record to 10-1 in the calendar year with her only loss coming in a four-way on the January 1st Dynamite. She made her AEW debut at the company’s first Double or Nothing show last May.
The 37-year-old Rose had held the title since February when she defeated Riho on the February 12th Dynamite to win the belt. Since then, she only officially defended the title once against Kris Statlander at the February Revolution pay-per-view.
Brian Cage has arrived in AEW and is in line for a future shot at the promotion’s World Championship.
Cage was accompanied by Taz and made his AEW debut as the ninth entrant in tonight’s Casino Ladder Match at Double or Nothing. The finish of the match was Cage retrieving the poker chip that was hanging above the ring after a spot where he picked up a ladder with Darby Allin laying across it and threw it out of the ring.
As the winner of the Casino Ladder match, Cage will get a future shot at the AEW World Championship. Jon Moxley is defending the title against Brodie Lee at Double or Nothing later tonight.
A storyline leading into Double or Nothing was that Taz had been offering to help Allin, but Allin didn’t want his advice. Taz cut a brief promo after Cage’s win and said Cage will continue dropping bodies.
Scorpio Sky, Frankie Kazarian, Kip Sabian, Allin, Orange Cassidy, Colt Cabana, Joey Janela, Luchasaurus, and Cage were the entrants in the Casino Ladder Match. It started with two wrestlers in the ring, then a new participant was added every two minutes until all nine were in.
Fenix was originally set for the Casino Ladder Match but was replaced by Janela due to injury.
It was reported by SoCalUncensored.com in January that Cage had agreed to a multi-year deal with AEW. But Cage posted an update on his injury and contract status later that month. Cage confirmed that he was no longer under contract with Impact Wrestling but said he would need to undergo surgery to repair a torn right biceps. Cage said that he wasn’t technically with any promotion then.
AEW returns to pay-per-view tonight with Double or Nothing 2020, the second annual edition of what was the promotion’s inaugural event.
The PPV will include The Elite (Matt Hardy, Hangman Page, Kenny Omega, Matt Jackson and Nick Jackson) facing The Inner Circle (Chris Jericho, Jake Hager, Sammy Guevara, Santana and Ortiz) in a Stadium Stampede match inside TIAA Bank Field.
Three title matches are also set for tonight. AEW World Champion Jon Moxley will defend his title against Mr. Brodie Lee, The Exalted One of The Dark Order. Cody and Lance Archer will face off in the finals of the TNT Championship tournament. And AEW Women’s World Champion Nyla Rose is set to defend her title against Hikaru Shida in a no DQ, no countout match.
Cody will have Arn Anderson and Brandi Rhodes in his corner, while Jake “The Snake” Roberts will corner Archer. Mike Tyson will be on hand to present the TNT Championship to the winner.
A Casino Ladder Match will also be held. A poker chip will be suspended above the ring. The first participant to retrieve the chip will earn a future AEW World Championship match. The announced participants for the match are Darby Allin, Orange Cassidy, Colt Cabana, Kip Sabian, Scorpio Sky, Frankie Kazarian, Luchasaurus and Joey Janela. Janela replaces the injured Rey Fenix. An unannounced ninth participant will be added to the match.
Penelope Ford, replacing the injured Britt Baker, will face Kris Statlander on the show. MJF is also scheduled to take on Jungle Boy. Dustin Rhodes vs. Shawn Spears was a late add to the card, announced on Wednesday’s Dynamite.
The pre-show will feature a number one contender’s match for the AEW World Tag Team Championship, featuring Best Friends taking on Private Party.
Our live coverage begins with the Buy-In pre-show at 7:30 p.m. Eastern time.
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Number one contender match for the AEW Tag Team titles: Best Friends defeated Private Party
A fun opener. This was primarily a spot fest. Trent sold his ribs throughout the match but this was otherwise a series of moves loosely strung together.
Taylor and Kassidy began. Kassidy repeatedly kipped up out of a trip takedown by Taylor. They slapped hands in respect and tagged out.
Quen hit a standing moonsault on Trent for a near fall. Trent took over on Quen with a spear. All four guys jumped in. Kassidy and Taylor hit dueling standing sliced breads.
Kassidy and Trent ended up as the legal men. Kassidy connected with Silly String on Trent but came up selling his lower back and did not attempt a cover.
Quen tagged in and put Trent’s headband on. Kassidy whipped Trent into te barricade on the floor. Trent came back with a spear to Kassidy. Quen hit a tope con giro to Trent.
Trent and Taylor teamed up for a doomsday device superplex on Quen for a near fall. Taylor continued working over Quen in the Best Friends corner. Trent tried a swing DDT but Quen blocked and hit a dropkick.
Kassidy got a hot tag. He landed a moonsault off the post to Taylor on the floor then hit Trent with a flatliner for a two count.
Quen used a pop-up double stomp on Trent for a two count. Trent used a pair of back suplexes on both members of Private Party before tagging out.
Best Friends hit their half-and-half suplex/sole food combo on Kassidy and did their hug spot. Quen used Trent as a launch pad for a standing shooting star press. Quen and Kassidy hit a clunky G9 on Taylor in tribute to Shad Gaspard.
Quen hit a shooting star off the top on Trent for a two count. Taylor was late on the save but the ref held up the count. Private Party tried Gin and Juice but Taylor pulled Kassidy out of the way. Trent used a sunset flip for a near fall on Quen.
The finish saw Taylor pull Kassidy to the floor. Trent set up Strong Zero. Taylor hit the foot stomp off the top and Trent pinned Quen.
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Tony Schiavone interviewed Arn Anderson.
Anderson listed a series of things that could happen tonight. He said he may DDT Jake Roberts. He said Jake may DDT him. He said Mike Tyson might knock both of them out since he has free reign.
Anderson said that Archer may be the favorite tonight if you’re just looking at ability, but that doesn’t take things like grit and heart into consideration.
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After a Moxley/Brodie Lee hype video, Excalibur introduced Tony Schiavone and Jim Ross as his broadcast partners for the PPV.
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Casino Ladder Match: Brian Cage won a future AEW World title shot
This was crazy. A very good match with some scary bumps. There were some botches and sloppiness but overall very good.
Two men started off. A new competitor was introduced every two minutes. The match could be won at any time.
Scorpio Sky and Frankie Kazarian were the first two competitors. They had a hot opening exchange.
Sabian was out next. As he and Ford posed on the stage, Jimmy Havoc climbed out of the crowd and introduced ladders to the match. Havoc and Sabian hit a tandem Michinoku driver/dropkick.
Kazarian suplexed Havoc into a ladder. Sabian teased a dive off a huge ladder on the floor but didn’t deliver at this point.
Darby Allin was out next. He immediately hit a tope to Sky, Sabian and Havoc. Allin set up a ladder bridge from the apron to the barricade. Allin threw a skateboard at Kazarian.
Allin went for a skateboard jump off the ladder to Kazarian on the floor. Kazarian moved and Allin smashed through the ladder bridge.
Orange Cassidy was out next. He asked the commentators the rules of the match. Cassidy did some comedy spots in trying to figure out how to set up a ladder and trying to reach the poker chip without the ladder.
Colt Cabana was the next entrant. Cabana climbed a ladder and touched the chip but took a nasty flat back bump while still holding onto the ladder. Cassidy hit his trademark kicks and a tope to Sky and Kazarian.
Joey Janela was the next participant. He hit a dive off the stage and a step up leg lariat off a chair over the barricade. Kazarian climbed a ladder and Sky nailed him with a chair. Sabian hit Kazarian with a DDT off a ladder.
Luchasaurus was the next man in. He powerbombed Sabian over the top rope and a bunch of guys caught him on the floor. Luchasaurus slammed Kazarian on a ladder. Allin hit a code red off the second rope on Luchasaurus.
Brian Cage was the mystery participant. Taz entered with Cage. Cage hit a series of trademark spots, laying out everyone but Cassidy.
Cage climbed the ladder. Cassidy jumped on Cage’s back. Everyone teamed up to pull Cage off the ladder and threw him outside. Everyone piled ladders, a piece of the barricade, a chair and a poker chip from the set on top of Cage.
Sabian hit a coast-to-coast into a ladder on Cabana. Sabian climbed but Kazarian dropped him with a ladder shot. Sabian and Cassidy climbed the ladder. Sabian took a bump off the ladder into another ladder.
Ford climbed the ladder but Cassidy sent her off the ladder on to Sabian. Jimmy Havoc interfered. Best Friends ran in to help out Cassidy and neutralize Havoc.
Marko Stunt ran in and set up a tiny ladder. He hit an assisted chokeslam to Cassidy off the ladder and a tope.
Luchasaurus and Kazarian tried a spot that didn’t work. It looked like Luchasaurus botched it.
Janela hit a running death valley driver off the apron on Cassidy, landing on top of the pile of plunder on Cage.
Sky and Kazarian climbed the ladder but Luchasaurus and Cage took them out. Luchasaurus and Cage traded strikes. Cage powerbombed Luchasaurus on a ladder.
Cage began to climb. Allin jumped in and Cage stopped climbing. Cage hit his finisher on Allin.
Cage set up a ladder on across the top rope. Allin laid across the ladder, then fell off. The camera cut away and they tried again. Cage pressed the ladder and Allin over his head and threw Allin out of the ring into a ladder on the floor.
Cage climbed the ladder and retrieved the chip.
Taz said that Cage will continue dropping bodies.
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MJF defeated Jungle Boy
This was another very good match. They started slow and built to an excellent crescendo.
They began with some old school chain wrestling. They executed some nice bridges.
MJF feigned a knee injury and the ringside doctor jumped in to check on him. MJF popped up and went after Jungle Boy with hard strikes.
MJF hit a backbreaker. Jungle Boy came back with hard chops and three consecutive dives. MJF cut him off with a springboard double stomp to the left arm.
They traded chops and palm strikes. Jungle Boy hit a destroyer. MJF no-sold it and popped up into a thrust kick.
Jungle Boy grabbed a crossface but gave up the hold when his left arm gave out. MJF hit a package driver for a near fall.
Jungle Boy hit a poison rana on the apron. They executed it safely but man, there’s no margin for error on a move like that.
Jungle Boy hit a sit-out powerbomb off the middle rope for a near fall.
MJF went for a shoulder breaker but his back gave out. They traded cradles for a pair of quick near falls. MJF fought to get the Salt of the Earth applied. Jungle Boy used a schoolboy for a two count.
The finish saw another exchange of quick cradles. MJF used a Euro clutch and got the pin.
Mike Tyson entered with the unfinished TNT Championship. The belt had silver plates on a red strap. Apparently gold plating will be added to the silver at a later date.
Lance Archer entered and hit a chokeslam on Lee Johnson. Tyson acted appalled by this behavior.
Ref Bryce Remsburg offered the competitors an opportunity to shake hands before the opening bell. Nope.
TNT Championship match: Cody (w/Arn Anderson) defeated Lance Archer (w/Jake Roberts) to win the title
This would have worked in front of a crowd. Cody matches really need crowd participation.
Archer hit Blackout right away. He went for a cover but Cody rolled outside. Archer went for an EBD Claw but Cody grabbed an armbar. Archer broke the hold.
Cody went for a cutter but Archer hit him with a pounce. They brawled outside where Cody took a biel on the floor.
The pace slowed as they made their way back inside. Archer walked the top rope into a moonsault. Cody hit a delayed vertical suplex. Archer answered with a vertical suplex.
Archer exposed a buckle. Cody sent Archer into the exposed buckle. Archer press slammed Cody over the top rope to the floor. Archer choked Cody with the bottom rope.
Archer hit a ripchord uranage for a near fall. Archer hit a splash. They brawled outside and traded punches on the floor.
Cody used a crossface, then hit a DDT to Archer in front of Roberts. Cody hit a springboard second rope cutter but Archer kicked out at one. Cody hit flip, flop and fly and a final reckoning. Cody hit Cross Rhodes but Archer kicked out at two.
Cody hit a Stinger splash. Ha. Archer no-sold it and hit a chokeslam for a two count. Archer used the EBD Claw but Cody kicked out.
Roberts took the referee while Archer walked the top rope. Anderson crotched Archer on the top rope. Cody hit a superplex.
A second referee ran to the ring and alerted the referee to Anderson’s actions. Anderson was ejected. Roberts was ejected too, I think.
Roberts came back out with his snake. Tyson jumped on the stage to cut him off. Tyson took his shirt off and postured up. Jake sold like he was scared of Tyson.
Archer went for Blackout again. Cody blocked and hit Cross Rhodes for the pin.
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Alex Marvez interviewed Dr. Samson.
Samson said Britt Baker has a fracture in her leg, a ligament tear and a tendon tear, but the injuries were not as bad as the “pretty high maintenance” patient.
Samson said Baker will be back on Dynamite on Wednesday to announce when she will be able to return.
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Kris Statlander defeated Penelope Ford (w/Kip Sabian)
They worked hard but this was sloppy and they were put in an impossible situation. Their match had no story and followed a long attempt at an epic.
Sabian entered on crutches and with bandages on both legs.
Statlander used a side headlock takeover. Ford grabbed Statlander’s hair. Sabian distracted Statlander and Ford hit a draping DDT.
Ford used a chinlock. Statlander came back with a suicide dive to both Ford and Sabian. Statlander hit a high kick and a running knee.
Statlander hit a falcon arrow for a near fall. Ford blocked a Big Bang Theory and answered with an inverted DDT.
Ford did a matrix back bend and tried a stunner. Statlander blocked. Ford hit a top rope rana.
The finish saw Statlander block a back handspring, hit a blue thunder bomb, then hit Big Bang Theory for the pin.
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Shawn Spears entered in a suit. He said Dustin Rhodes isn’t there, he’s home washing his tights. I popped for the 1989 Batman reference.
Spears played Dustin’s music, then said we were stupid for falling for that. Spear demanded that the referee ring the bell and count out Rhodes.
A total comedy match. Fine for what it was, but no idea why this was on pay-per-view.
The ref rang the bell and started counting. Brandi appeared on the stage. Dustin appeared in the ring behind Spears and ran wild on him with strikes. Dustin tore Spears’s clothes off and beat him around ringside.
Concerned that his ass wasn’t hanging out enough, Spears pulled his underwear down some more. Tully Blanchard’s face was on the crotch of the underpants.
Dustin hit Final Reckoning and pinned Spears.
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All Out was announced for September 5. No venue was announced.
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A Hana Kimura graphic was displayed. Excalibur gave a sincere speech about the tragedy of her death at 22 years old and asked everyone to be nicer to each other on social media.
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Hikaru Shida defeated Nyla Rose in a no countout, no DQ match to win the AEW Women’s World Championship
This was a good match. Rose is good when she’s in there with the right opponent and Shida was the right opponent tonight. Not the match of the night, but a good effort.
Rose entered with Shida’s trademark kendo stick. They brawled over the stick. Rose blocked a kendo stick shot and used the stick. Shida answered with a running knee lift.
They brawled outside. Rose put Shida through a poker table and hit her with a chair. Back inside, Shida blocked a Beast Bomb and came back with a series of knee strikes.
They brawled back to the floor and around the arena. Shida used some of the poker chips from the set to deliver knee strikes.
Rose hit her top rope draping knee strike for a near fall. Rose set up a table in the corner and teased a DVD but Shida blocked. Rose instead hit a powerbomb through the table for a two count.
Rose hit a DVD and used the kendo stick to deliver more punishment. Rose went up top but Shida cut her off and hit a falcon arrow off the top for a near fall.
Shida hit a shining wizard but Rose kicked out at two.
Shida dropped Rose with a kendo stick shot, then hit another shining wizard for the pin.
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AEW World Championship Match: Jon Moxley defeated Mr. Brodie Lee to retain the title
This was a good back and forth brawl.
Lee missed a high kick in the corner and fell to the floor. Moxley hit a tope suicida and Lee wiped out through a piece of the barricade.
Lee came back with a suplex on the floor, then hit a series of front chancery suplexes in the ring. Lee then hit his own tope suicida. Lee suplexed Moxley on a piece of the barricade.
The fight returned to the ring where they traded strikes. Moxley hit a lariat and a Gotch-style piledriver for a near fall. They went back outside where Moxley set up the ring steps. Moxley tried a Regal knee but Lee blocked with a one-legged dropkick.
Moxley hit a backdrop on Lee off the steps through the time keeper’s table. They went back inside for a Lee superplex to Moxley. They went back to the floor where Lee whipped Moxley through some of the playing card set pieces.
Back inside, Lee teased a powerbomb. Moxley blocked. Lee hit his trademark big boot and then hit a sit-out powerbomb for a two count.
They brawled to the stage. Moxley used a poker chip as a weapon. They brawled on the ramp. Moxley hit a double-arm DDT through the ramp. That was a spectacular spot. Moxley protected Lee’s head but had to hit the gimmicked portion of the stage with enough force to break it.
Referees and road agents came to the stage. Moxley crawled out of the hole in the stage first. Lee then climbed out after blading his forehead.
Moxley hit a Paradigm Shift but Lee kicked out at one. Moxley hit a second Paradigm Shift and Lee kicked out at two.
The finish saw Moxley use a bulldog choke, then transitioned to a rear naked choke. Lee passed out in the hold and the referee called for the stoppage finish.
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A commercial for the upcoming AEW action figure line aired.
A video package aired with highlights from the earlier matches.
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Time for the main event. This is going to be one of those polarizing things. I enjoyed it but I can also understand if this wasn’t your cup of tea. It was goofy and wacky and not for everybody.
The Jaguars cheerleaders and marching band were there.
The Inner Circle wore football uniforms and were announced with their uniform numbers.
The Elite were introduced but entered wearing wrestling gear. Hangman Page was announced last but did not enter with his team.
Stadium Stampede match: The Elite defeated The Inner Circle
Ref Aubrey Edwards blew a whistle and the match began. They brawled all over the football field. Matt Hardy used a trashcan.
Hangman Page then entered on a horse and the did a callback to the golf cart spot and Page chased Guevara off the field and back up the tunnel on the horse.
Santana and Ortiz and the Bucks did some spots in the ring. Omega hit a snap dragon suplex on Santana. Hager hit a throw on Omega. Hardy hit a side effect on Hager.
Guevara ran back on the field. He climbed to the top rope but missed a shooting star press attempt on Hardy. Hardy hit another side effect on Guevara. Omega went for a v-trigger but Jericho pulled him out of the ring.
Santana hit an asai moonsault on a crowd of guys. Guevara hit a shooting star off the post onto the group. Matt Jackson hit a moonsault off the goal post, taking out Jericho and Hager.
Omega and Hardy brawled in the stands with Santana and Ortiz. They used a traffic cone as a weapon.
Page was shown riding his horse through the stadium tunnels looking for Guevara. He gave up, then went off to find the stadium bar.
Santana and Ortiz used mad ball loaded socks on Hardy. Omega then used the mad balls on Santana and Ortiz. Ortiz threw salt in Omega’s eyes. Santana and Ortiz hit a gutbuster on Omega on a barricade.
Santana and Ortiz hit a tandem powerbomb on Omega through a piece of barricade as they balanced on table tops. That was impressive.
Santana and Ortiz threw Hardy in one of the stadium swimming pools. They dunked Hardy and he emerged from the water in his classic Matt Hardy gear. They dunked him again and he emerged as Matt Hardy V1, complete with a Matt Fact. They dunked him again and he came out as Broken Matt.
Hardy hit Ortiz with the stadium bell, then duct taped him to a chair of wheels. Hardy stuffed Santana in a freezer and barred the freezer doors with a broom.
Hager encountered Page’s horse in the tunnels. Page was sitting at the stadium bar. Hager joined him. Page asked if he came to fight or drink. They each had a drink and then began to fight. Page broke a pool cue over Hager. Hager no-sold it. Hager hit a chokeslam on Page on top of a pool table.
Hager dragged Page across the top of the bar. Hager hit a gutwrench powerbomb through a table for a near fall. Omega appeared and broke a bottle over Hager’s head. Hager no-sold it. Page and Omega broke a series of bottles over Hager’s head.
Omega hit Hager with a v-trigger. Page hit a Buckshot Lariat and Hager flew over the bar. Omega and Page toasted with milk and whiskey, respectively.
Matt Jackson hit Guevara with a series of northern lights suplexes on the field. Jericho hit Nick with a first down chain. Matt continued hitting suplexes on Guevara down the length of the field. Nick threw footballs at Jericho. Jericho sent Nick into the mouth of a Jaguar. Jericho hit the Jaguars mascot with a Judas Effect and did his witch spot with a traffic cone.
Jericho hit Nick with Floyd the bat for a two count. Jericho said he was challenging the play. Aubrey went into the replay tent. Jericho followed her in, still arguing. Aubrey said the call stands.
Matt finished his suplex series in the endzone. He did a touchdown dance but was penalized by Rick Knox for excessive celebration. Matt hit Knox with a superkick.
Jericho went for a bat shot on Nick but Matt saved. Nick hit a splash out of the stands on Jericho through a table. Page brought out the field chalk and lined Jericho with it.
Guevara was awakened from his suplex slumber by the stadium sprinklers. He woke up thinking he had won the match. Omega and Hardy appeared with the golf cart and chased Guevara into the stands with it.
This set up the finish.
Guevara hit Omega and Hardy with boots to the face. The NEO 1 drone appeared to distract Guevara.
Omega then hit a One-Winged Angel out of the stands through a gimmicked platform on the field and pinned Guevara.
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Matt Jackson gave Omega a Gatorade bath after the win. The Elite posed on the field with fireworks going off to close the show.
Editor’s Note: This preview was submitted before the removal of Fenix and Britt Baker from the card. Also, note this is an opinion-based preview.
AEW is back tonight with a pay-per-view, live in the middle of a global pandemic. Wrestling, like the rest of the world, has been a strange, strange place over the past few months. This preview won’t dive into the pros and many cons of running live events while a pandemic is happening because that topic has already been exhaustively documented just about everywhere.*
With nine matches (including the pre-show), I’m tired just thinking about how many words I’m going to have to hammer into this Google doc having just started a new job this week. But don’t worry: I will never abandon you, whomever is reading this. Thanks for letting me yell into the abyss about wrestling whenever I feel like it. I certainly need it now more than ever, so let’s run through this exhausting card and try to make sense of it.
Pre-Show: Private Party (Isiah Cassidy and Marq Quen) vs. Best Friends (Chuck Taylor and Trent) in a no. 1 contenders match for the AEW Tag Team Titles
I, a professional wrestling writer, forgot about the AEW tag team division. No matter how big you get, you are never too big to fail. I think most of that comes from the fact that the only team that has consistently been around during the pandemic has been Best Friends, who are great. But, the real champions haven’t been around; the champions of my heart, the Lucha Bros, haven’t been around; and the Young Bucks have been gone (and not really missed, honestly). Trent and Chuck really have been holding down an entire division for nearly two months.
Private Party have technically been around on Dark the past few weeks, but they sure haven’t been top of mind. Remember all the momentum they had from upsetting the Bucks in the tag team championship tournament? That is long gone, a cloudy memory in an already hazy brain. You can sort of remember what happened, but you can’t quite remember how it made you feel — you just know that something noteworthy happened. I guess that’s my problem with Private Party in their current state. They don’t make you feel anything…but they will, just not now.
I’d love to see Trent and Chuck get rewarded for keeping the tag division alive. I predict Best Friends will get the win and get to have a delightfully weird program with Kenny and Hangman.
MJF (w/Wardlow) vs. Jungle Boy
If all goes according to plan, this match could be run back for a major title in a year or so. It features two of the youngest competitors in the company that have the most upside, one a charismatic babyface and a loathsome heel. It’s not a complicated story, but sometimes, it doesn’t have to be.
Once again, I ask is MJF good? Sure, this is written to be a hot take but is he good at wrestling? He’s great at creating moments and getting a reaction, which, to be fair, is like 90% of wrestling, but has he had a standout match? Honestly, what is your favorite MJF match? Let me know as this is an honest question I would love the answer to. We remember his betrayal of Cody and recognize his abhorrent actions, but what has he done in the ring that has made any kind of impression? I guess my actual question whether MJF is good or if he is just a noisy boy.
Jungle Boy falls into the rare category of wrestler that has it, the it that can be explained. Nothing about the gimmick should work as he’s not overly big, fast, or strong. It doesn’t matter as it all works. He just works. His 10 minute match with Chris Jericho got a better reaction than just about anything on WWE television this year. It’s kind of wild that he and Darby Allin both have that it, and could not be more different.
MJF seems destined for more than this and he’s closer to realizing his ceiling than Jungle Boy so he takes this one. And remember, Luchasaurus is still terrible.
Shawn Spears vs. Dustin Rhodes
I don’t care about this match, so I’m not writing about it. Maybe Spears wins? I certainly don’t care. Take your dog for a walk during this. Tell your parents you love them. Anything, really.
Penelope Ford vs. Kris Statlander
Statlander is cool and good at this, freakishly good for someone so early in her career. The edges that need polishing might show up Saturday more than anyone would like, but she is capable of some seriously impressive things in the ring. Ford’s addition likely means Statlander goes over here.
Darby Allin vs. Colt Cabana vs. Orange Cassidy vs. Joey Janela vs. Scorpio Sky vs. Kip Sabian vs. Frankie Kazarian vs. Luchasaurus vs. TBD in a Casino Ladder Match for a future AEW World title shot
AEW makes their cards way too long and I already write too many words as it is, so let’s keep this short. Here is a super official power ranking of everyone in the match:
504. Luchasaurus: I’d rather watch an actual fossil try to wrestle
8. Colt Cabana: LOL
7. Joey Janela
6. Kip Sabian: lol
5. Francis Kaz: whatever
4. Scorpio Sky: sure
3. Orange Cassidy: please yes
2. TBD
1. Darby Allin: the real king of the goths* (I originally had Fenix as no. 1 before he was pulled)
The unnamed entrant is now predicted to win.
AEW Women’s Champion Nyla Rose vs. Hikaru Shida
Do we actually know anything about Shida? Does she have any definable characteristics as a wrestler? What’s the hook? What’s the gimmick? The talent isn’t in doubt as she can absolutely work, but there’s something missing that makes it hard to connect with her. I always enjoy her matches, but they all blur together. It’s only 5% that’s missing, but that 5% boldly stands out.
To me, this is more of an AEW issue than a Shida issue. They are still really focusing on one or two women at a time. Right now, Rose and Baker are getting the shine, but did we really need the lame Spears news segment on Dynamite? How many gimmicks does he get to try at the expense of others? Couldn’t we get more character development for Shida or Big Swole or Statlander instead of him?
Rose gets her character. The Native Beast nickname is cool and the handlicking is weird but cool. This is the right way to do things with her. She’s great in promos and backstage segments, and does things in the ring that no other females can. She’s a good champion that should not be losing the belt here. Let her get into a real feud with an actual build before she loses it.
I talk about the builds a fair amount in these previews because there is a clear distinction between those that have a build, the feuds that don’t, and my level of interest in them. A Venn diagram of that would be two circles pretty much side by side. Rose retains here.
It’s another AEW PPV and another Cody match I care about more than I should. The builds to his matches are so thoughtful and have so many layers that I can’t help but care. Look at the build to this: Archer showed up and wanted a match with Cody. Cody said that’s not how it works but that’s exactly how it works! That’s how it always works! Brodie Lee just showed up and already has a championship match! If Cody was really interested in Archer, there would have been no hoops to jump through.
All of this goes to say Cody is the bad guy. MJF has been telling us that for months and it’s actually true. Cody is, both in kayfabe and reality, an Executive Vice President of AEW. He makes the matches, he books the card, and decided not to give Archer what he wanted. He decided not to throw in the towel for his brother against Archer when he was bloodied and broken. Maybe he really was keeping MJF under his thumb all along.
AEW has done a lot of things in its short existence, but the one thing I can trust them to do is pay this off or at least make us think about the true direction that Cody’s compass is pointing.
Archer is the goods though — a dude who danced just outside the biggest spotlights for a long time is very deserving of one. He should get that here. Roberts provides him with validation from those who might not be aware, and enhances his mystique to those who are familiar. I’m not really sure what Anderson is doing though. “Head Coach of The Nightmare Family” is one of the cringiest things in all of wrestling. Archer wins here, and everybody, most assuredly, will die.
Stadium Stampede: Matt Hardy and The Elite (Tag Team Champions Hangman Page and Kenny Omega & The Young Bucks) vs. The Inner Circle (Chris Jericho, Jack Swagger, Sammy Guevara, Ortiz, and Santana)
I have no idea what this is going to be, but it’s going to be fun. Here are some things I’m excited about:
Chris Jericho fighting at least one drone.
Hangman Page’s perfect weirdness making a return
Wrestling in an actual empty football stadium
Matt Hardy with total creative freedom and a budget
Kenny Omega wearing knee pads over weird jeans. Why does our man Ken look so strange in anything but wrestling gear?
The Jacksonville Jaguar (Jaxson de Ville if you’re nasty) getting involved
Here are some things I’m not excited about:
The Young Bucks coming back and being extremely on their bullsh*t
As you can see, there isn’t that much to hate on in this match. It will mean nothing and will be a whole bunch of fun. I joked about the Bucks coming back and being in full Young Bucks mode right away, but there truly isn’t a team more suited for a match like this. Maybe they’ll even bust out a Meltzer Driver off the goalpost or something.
I hope this isn’t meant as a replacement for the cancelled Blood and Guts match. I hope that they use Saturday to formally restart the full Elite vs. Inner Circle angle that has been in stasis since March. Who knows: maybe they can pay it off in the fall or the winter and maybe they’ll never pay it off because we all just exist in our homes for the next 18 months. This is the first big faction feud in AEW and it deserves time to heat back up.
Normally, this is the type of match the heels win, but since the Bucks and Hangman are making fairly triumphant returns, The Elite take this one.
AEW Champion Jon Moxley vs. Brodie Lee
The fruit could not be hanging any lower, but my god, Jim Ross on commentary is atrocious now. It’s more glaring after Jericho’s outrageously good performances filling in. Going from Jericho to the old pervert version of JR is such a downgrade that I can’t even find an apt comparison for it. The recent line that made me think of this when he said he “hasn’t looked forward to a main event like this in a long time.” My eyes just about rolled out of my head when I heard that. This isn’t even the best match on this card, let alone a can’t miss main event.
This match feels hollow because there was no real build. The Undertaker has been making the podcast rounds this week and constantly talks about how no matter how good a match is, the story and the build are what makes it. This just doesn’t have that, especially compared to the build to Jericho vs. Moxley. That was given time to simmer and time to build while this all kind of happened within a few weeks. Lee just decided he wanted the belt and he took it. Mox is down to fight anyone, so here we are. Maybe if this had more time, this would be worth more than one paragraph of exposition.
Of all the matches on the card, this has the most certain outcome. Mox is still flaming hot, close to untouchable as it gets, and wins a match that turns out to be far better than the build.
*An additional thought now that the preview is done as it is worth discussing how the two major wrestling companies are handling this staggering situation, and how one has done so much more than the other.
While WWE acts as if their audience is made up of people who only watch wrestling and nothing else, AEW treats them like, you know, human beings. By saying, “Yes, this is an unprecedented time in human history and we are just figuring it out”, they elevate the audience to the same level of humanity. People are going through a shared experience, one that, no matter how terrible, can bring us closer together. We relate, we empathize. The experiences can resonate more deeply.
That’s why AEW has been relatively successful in this time compared to WWE. Their simple act of showing humanity does that. It makes the escape they are trying to provide us with actually succeed, even in small doses. That’s really all we can ask at this point. This is actually an event I’m looking forward to, which is the first time I’ve said that in a long time. In a time when most of us vacillate between being numb from feeling nothing to being numb from feeling everything. I’m not asking anyone to forget anything or marginalizing the suffering of so many, but a brief, mindless, respite from that can just be nice.
Due to injury, Fenix is out of the Casino Ladder Match at Saturday’s Double or Nothing pay-per-view.
AEW announced tonight that Joey Janela is replacing Fenix in the match. They noted that Fenix is not expected to miss significant time: “@ReyFenixMx is out of the #CasinoLadderMatch due to injury. Fenix isn’t expected to miss significant time. @JANELABABY is now entered in the Casino Ladder Match. 1 mystery wrestler is still TBA. DOUBLE or NOTHING is available on all major providers @brlive @FiteTV tomorrow 8/7c”
Fenix was injured on this week’s Dynamite after a match with Orange Cassidy. Fenix, Cassidy, and other participants in the ladder match were brawling outside the ring. Fenix attempted a springboard dive and landed on his back on the floor.
Janela, Darby Allin, Colt Cabana, Cassidy, Scorpio Sky, Kip Sabian, Frankie Kazarian, and Luchasaurus are the confirmed participants for the Casino Ladder Match. An additional mystery participant will be revealed on the Double or Nothing PPV.
The Casino Ladder Match will start with two wrestlers in the ring, then a new participant will be added every 90 seconds until all nine wrestlers have entered. The stipulation is that the chip hanging above the ring can be grabbed at any time, so the match could end before everyone has entered. The winner will get a future shot at the AEW World Championship.
Fenix is the second performer to be pulled from Double or Nothing due to an injury suffered on this week’s Dynamite. Britt Baker was removed from her scheduled match against Kris Statlander at the PPV and replaced by Penelope Ford.
AEW announced Friday night that Penelope Ford will replace Britt Baker in her match against Kris Statlander at Saturday’s AEW Double or Nothing.
Baker was injured at AEW Dynamite Wednesday in a tag team match and an update on her status will be given at the pay-per-view. The injury came when Statlander and Hikaru Shida slammed Baker’s partner, AEW women’s champion Nyla Rose, onto her as she sat in a corner of the ring, injuring her right knee in the process. She managed to make it through a few spots before tagging out and having an AEW doctor tend to her on the ring apron.
Baker has yet to address the extent of her injury on social media.
This will be Ford and Statlander’s first singles match in AEW, but they have competed against each other in two four way matches. Since failing to take the title from Rose in February, Statlander has had just one straight up singles match, a May 6th Dark win over Dani Jordyn.
AEW VP and challenger for the inaugural TNT Championship Cody Rhodes spoke to the media for 45 minutes Thursday afternoon, talking up Saturday’s Double or Nothing show and other questions about the company.
You can listen to the free audio by clicking below.
Of note, Rhodes wasn’t asked about any of the injuries suffered on last night’s Dynamite. However, he did discuss a few items of note over the 45-minute stretch:
He said 90% of what fans will see at Double or Nothing is what was creatively planned prior to the pandemic.
Per Tony Khan, Cody said the TNT champion won’t be in top 5 rankings for the World title. They don’t know how the new title is going to work, so they aren’t committing to it being a midcard title or anything like that. He claimed to have not even seen the belt yet.
He said their plan is to stay in Jacksonville, FL, for the time being as traveling to different locations right now can add to the risk. He is very excited to work again in front of fans, however.
Their COVID-19 testing is done away from Daily’s Place and wrestlers and staff are tested in separate areas. Even with a positive test, that wouldn’t shut down production.
He said they met Mike Tyson last year in Las Vegas and having someone with an element of prestige to present the belt was the final touch for Saturday’s show.
He said over the next two weeks, he expects some reschedule dates announcements for previously postponed shows. He’s remaining optimistic despite what some experts think about arena shows.
Both The Young Bucks and Hangman Page reappeared on tonight’s episode of Dynamite.
In the final moments of tonight’s broadcast, The Young Bucks appeared to even the odds against The Inner Circle, who had Kenny Omega tied to a goal post inside TIAA Bank Field and were laying out Matt Hardy. When The Inner Circle regained the advantage, Hangman Page ran down the football field and made the save, with The Inner Circle retreating to close out the show.
Both Matt Jackson and Hangman Page had been absent from AEW since March, when the COVID-19 pandemic caused a number of states to issue stay-at-home orders. Nick Jackson had been selling in-storyline injuries following a backstage attack. While they were not featured on Dynamite, all three were on new episodes of Being The Elite.
Kenny Omega, Matt Hardy, The Young Bucks & Hangman Page will face The Inner Circle (Chris Jericho, Sammy Guevara, Santana & Ortiz, and Jake Hager) In a Stadium Stampede match at Double or Nothing this Saturday. Announcers tonight described the match as a no countout, no DQ, falls count anywhere match in the TIAA Bank Field. A ring will be set up in the 50 yard line.
Saturday’s AEW Double or Nothing card appears to be complete with the addition of Shawn Spears vs. Dustin Rhodes, made official on Wednesday’s edition of Dynamite.
Playing a broadcaster on “SSN” (Shawn Spears News), Spears mocked Rhodes and said he was retired before making a comment about how Rhodes had no problem popping pills 12 years ago. He then said he was upset about not being booked for Saturday’s show and challenged Rhodes. The match was then announced by the broadcast team a few minutes later without Rhodes appearing to officially accept.
Spears and Rhodes have wrestled once in a tag team match on AEW Dark, but never in a singles match. Spears has won his last three singles matches while Rhodes was last seen in a losing effort to Lance Archer in the TNT championship tournament semifinals.
As of now, Saturday’s pay-per-view is as follows:
AEW Champion Jon Moxley vs. Brodie Lee
AEW TNT Championship: Cody vs. Lance Archer
Stadium Stampede: The Inner Circle vs. The Elite & Matt Hardy
The final participant for AEW’s Casino Ladder Match won’t be revealed before Double or Nothing.
AEW announced today that the final participant for the Casino Ladder Match is a mystery and they’ll be revealed at Double or Nothing. Darby Allin, Colt Cabana, Orange Cassidy, Fenix, Scorpio Sky, Kip Sabian, Frankie Kazarian, and Luchasaurus are the other wrestlers who will be in the match at the pay-per-view.
The ladder match will start with two wrestlers in the ring, then one more participant will be added every 90 seconds until all nine wrestlers have entered. The stipulation is that the chip hanging above the ring can be grabbed at any time, including before all of the participants have entered.
The winner of the Casino Ladder Match will receive a future shot at the AEW World Championship.
Double or Nothing is taking place this Saturday (May 23). Here’s what’s been announced for the PPV:
AEW World Champion Jon Moxley defending against Brodie Lee
TNT Championship tournament finals: Cody vs. Lance Archer (Mike Tyson will present the TNT Championship to the winner of the match)
AEW Women’s Champion Nyla Rose defending against Hikaru Shida in a no DQ, no countout match
The Elite (Kenny Omega, Hangman Page & The Young Bucks) & Matt Hardy vs. The Inner Circle (Chris Jericho, Sammy Guevara, Jake Hager, Santana & Ortiz) in a Stadium Stampede match
Casino Ladder Match (Darby Allin, Colt Cabana, Orange Cassidy, Fenix, Scorpio Sky, Kip Sabian, Frankie Kazarian, Luchasaurus, and a mystery participant)
Britt Baker vs. Kris Statlander
MJF vs. Jungle Boy
Tag team number one contender’s match: Private Party vs. Best Friends (pre-show)
The lineup for AEW’s Casino Ladder Match at Double or Nothing is almost fully set.
AEW announced today that Luchasaurus will be taking part in the Casino Ladder Match. He’s the eighth participant confirmed for it, joining Darby Allin, Colt Cabana, Orange Cassidy, Fenix, Scorpio Sky, Kip Sabian, and Frankie Kazarian.
There’s only one more participant left to be announced for the Casino Ladder Match. It will start with two wrestlers in the ring, then a new participant will be added every 90 seconds until all nine wrestlers have entered. The chip that’s hanging above the ring can be grabbed at any time, so the stipulation is that the match could end before all of the wrestlers have entered.
The winner of the Casino Ladder Match will receive a future shot at the AEW World Championship. Jon Moxley is the current champion and will defend his title against Brodie Lee at Double or Nothing.
Luchasaurus is part of Jurassic Express with Jungle Boy and Marko Stunt. Jungle Boy is facing MJF at Double or Nothing.
Double or Nothing is taking place on Saturday (May 23). Here’s the updated lineup for the pay-per-view:
AEW World Champion Jon Moxley defending against Brodie Lee
TNT Championship tournament finals: Cody vs. Lance Archer (Mike Tyson will present the TNT Championship to the winner of the match)
AEW Women’s Champion Nyla Rose defending against Hikaru Shida in a no DQ, no countout match
The Elite (Kenny Omega, Hangman Page & The Young Bucks) & Matt Hardy vs. The Inner Circle (Chris Jericho, Sammy Guevara, Jake Hager, Santana & Ortiz) in a Stadium Stampede match
Casino Ladder Match (Darby Allin, Colt Cabana, Orange Cassidy, Fenix, Scorpio Sky, Kip Sabian, Frankie Kazarian, Luchasaurus, and one more participant)
Britt Baker vs. Kris Statlander
MJF vs. Jungle Boy
Tag team number one contender’s match: Private Party vs. Best Friends (pre-show)
Darby Allin, Colt Cabana, Orange Cassidy, Fenix, Kazarian’s SCU stablemate Scorpio Sky, and Kip Sabian have also been announced for the ladder match. The winner will get a future shot at the AEW World Championship.
The Casino Ladder Match will feature a maximum of nine participants in total. It will begin with two wrestlers in the ring, then another wrestler will be added every 90 seconds until all nine have entered. There will be a chip hanging above the ring that can be grabbed at any time, so the stipulation is that the match could potentially end before everyone has entered.
Double or Nothing is taking place on Saturday, May 23. Here’s what’s been announced for the pay-per-view:
AEW World Champion Jon Moxley defending against Brodie Lee
TNT Championship tournament finals: Cody vs. Lance Archer (Mike Tyson will present the TNT Championship to the winner of the match)
AEW Women’s Champion Nyla Rose defending against Hikaru Shida in a no DQ, no countout match
The Elite (Kenny Omega, Hangman Page & The Young Bucks) & Matt Hardy vs. The Inner Circle (Chris Jericho, Sammy Guevara, Jake Hager, Santana & Ortiz) in a Stadium Stampede match
Casino Ladder Match
Britt Baker vs. Kris Statlander
MJF vs. Jungle Boy
Tag team number one contender’s match: Private Party vs. Best Friends (pre-show)
Two wrestlers will start the Casino Ladder Match. A new participant will then enter every 90 seconds until everyone has entered. The chip that’s hanging above the ring can be grabbed at any time, meaning it’s an advantage to enter the match early. The winner will get a future shot at the AEW World Championship.
Double or Nothing is taking place on Saturday, May 23. Here’s what’s been announced for the pay-per-view:
AEW World Champion Jon Moxley defending against Brodie Lee
TNT Championship tournament finals: Cody vs. Lance Archer (Mike Tyson will present the TNT Championship to the winner of the match)
AEW Women’s Champion Nyla Rose defending against Hikaru Shida in a no DQ, no countout match
The Elite (Kenny Omega, Hangman Page & The Young Bucks) & Matt Hardy vs. The Inner Circle (Chris Jericho, Sammy Guevara, Jake Hager, Santana & Ortiz) in a Stadium Stampede match
Casino Ladder Match
Britt Baker vs. Kris Statlander
MJF vs. Jungle Boy
Tag team number one contender’s match: Private Party vs. Best Friends (pre-show)
