The fifth Double or Nothing event marks the pay-per-view that started it all for AEW in 2019. Returning to the MGM Grand Garden Arena, its home venue except for two years during the pandemic when it was held in Jacksonville, Florida.
Although All In, held at Wembley Stadium in London, is by far their biggest show of the year, Double or Nothing is considered their marquee event and one of the original “Big Four” alongside Revolution, All Out, and Full Gear.
It’s been a weird ride for AEW over the past year, with the company both growing and also stagnating. They’ve expanded to nine pay-per-views a year and launched a new Saturday night TV show called Collision.
However, TV ratings and attendance haven’t grown accordingly, especially lately, though the post-Wrestlemania period often sees a dip. Despite this, pay-per-view buys are still strong, and the quality is often incredible. This was certainly the case for Double or Nothing 2024.
PRE-SHOW
There were just two matches on the pre-show hosted by Renee Paquette, RJ City, and Jeff Jarrett, with ten matches on the main card.
An important part of the pre-show was the announcement of the 2024 Owen Hart Cup with Martha Hart, Owen’s widow. Now in its third year, the finals are scheduled to be held in Calgary during Dynamite on July 10th.
It was the 25th anniversary of the Owen Hart Foundation, so it was announced that the winners of the tournament will earn a world title shot at All In. This is a good move, adding value to the tournament rather than just a trophy and a belt (which the winners never wear beyond the tournament anyway).
Last year’s winners, Ricky Starks and Willow Nightingale, did go on to win championship gold, receiving a decent push. Starks became a Tag Team Champion with Big Bill, and Nightingale picked up the TBS Championship.
Thunder Rosa vs Deonna Purrazzo
The best of the two matches on the pre-show showcased some good wrestling from AEW’s previously neglected women’s division. Hopefully, in another six months to a year, we’ll see even more progress.
It’s been great to have Thunder Rosa back. Purrazzo definitely suits being a heel and picked up a pinfall win using the bottom rope around the ten-minute mark. The way the contest ended probably means the feud between these two will continue a little longer.
The Acclaimed and Billy Gunn vs Cage of Agony
Max Caster’s rap wasn’t quite as bad as some of his more recent efforts. The girl behind Anthony Bowens did not look impressed, and instead of giving him a scissor, she handed him a card. Billy Gunn ended up flinging it on the floor, so I’m not sure what that was about.
Cage of Agony, made up of Brian Cage and Gates of Agony, are a big trio, although Billy Gunn is actually bigger than all three. He looks incredible for a 60-year-old man. This match was nothing special, with The Acclaimed still being over even if they’re not quite as popular as they once were. Gunn picked up the win for his team with a roll-up after Bishop Kaun was distracted by Chance, the Vegas Golden Knights mascot.
MAIN SHOW
AEW International Championship Match: Roderick Strong (C) vs Will Ospreay
It was a surprise to see Will Ospreay competing in the Casino Gauntlet on Dynamite to earn a shot at the International Championship. I genuinely thought he’d be pushed into the World Title picture, with a plan for him to face Swerve Strickland at Wembley in August. Maybe it will still happen. Besides MJF, there isn’t another wrestler on the AEW roster who is as over as Ospreay.
Roderick Strong hasn’t held the title for long, winning it from Orange Cassidy at Revolution in March, before defending it against Kyle O’Reilly at Dynasty in April. The match got off to a flyer, with Ospreay attempting a Hidden Blade before the bell even rang, and then the action spilled to the outside. The fans were really into this one, doing their Ospreay football chant after he cannonballed the Undisputed Kingdom over the barricade.
There was a crazy spot where the Undisputed Kingdom attempted a Doomsday Device on Ospreay to the outside. Matt Taven got caught on the top rope though, causing Ospreay to fall awkwardly on his head. There was concern that Ospreay was genuinely hurt, but thankfully he was OK.
Roddy is great in the ring and has plenty of experience. He’s reminiscent of Dean Malenko. This was a great choice for an opener, being fast-paced with some great back-and-forth action. The Undisputed Kingdom tried to distract the referee, during which Wardlow snuck in and set Ospreay up for a powerbomb, but the ref turned around and ejected Wardlow, furthering the story of his eventual exit from the group.
Don Callis left the commentary desk to try to convince Ospreay to use the Tiger Driver, which he had said he’d never use again after hurting Bryan Danielson at Dynasty. Ospreay hooked Strong up, who has a history of neck injuries himself, but he hesitated and Strong got free. Strong went for the End of Heartache, but Ospreay flipped out of it to land on his feet. Ospreay then hit Strong with the Hidden Blade and then a Storm Breaker to become the new International Champion.
Don Callis tried to claim it was his plan back on commentary despite nearly costing Ospreay the match, but the others weren’t having any of it. The end of Ospreay’s association with the Callis Family is coming to an end slowly. It should happen soon because no one gets booed like Callis does, whereas Ospreay gets the biggest cheers of anyone in the company since he joined.
The Big Return
After the match, Adam Cole’s music hit, and he came to the ring to say a few words. After hearing rumours in the days before that a certain individual might be returning, you knew what was coming, but the spoilers from Fightful didn’t make it any less amazing to see him back.
The fans were chanting his name while Cole spoke. The lights then went out, and a video played on the screen from inside MJF’s home where he held up a torn photo of him and his former buddy. Then MJF’s music hit, and the crowd popped big. It’s so good to see him back. Cole tried to reason with him and then asked for a hug. MJF eventually went in, but kicked him in the nuts and then gave him a brainbuster.
MJF then picked up the mic and proceeded to rip Cole apart for betraying him. He had a dig at his own creative, signalling he’s leaving the silly stuff behind. He then went on to say how he “doesn’t need a New Japan or a Vince McMahon.” I think it’s safe to say asshole heel MJF is back for the most part, but the fans are going to cheer him anyway.
MJF then went on to reveal a tattoo on the back of his right lower calf that said “Bet On Yourself” with a poker chip featuring the AEW logo, before shouting into the mic, “I’m not fucking leaving!” AEW has been good but struggling numbers wise a bit of late, with Dynamite ratings taking a dip, but MJF being back on TV and hopefully soon able to wrestle again should hopefully reverse this.
Unified AEW World Trios Championship Match: Bang Bang Gang (C) vs Death Triangle
This was only confirmed as a title match the night before, after the Lucha Brothers beat The Gunns on Collision. It’s been great to see Death Triangle reunited for the first time since January 2023, after their amazing best-of-seven series with Kenny Omega and The Young Bucks.
I’m not sure why the Bang Bang Gang (Bullet Club Gold was a better name) are carrying around three titles each, with two versions of the AEW Trios Titles and the Ring of Honor Trios Titles. They should unify them into one set of belts and be done with the ROH titles for good.
It’s been so good to have Pac back in action recently. Rey Fenix has also only just returned after dropping the International Championship back to Orange Cassidy due to injury—a title he only won because of Jon Moxley’s injury.
With the talent in the ring, this was a fun contest despite not being a classic. The trio combinations of Death Triangle were great early on, pulling off some spectacular moves. Jay White then took control of the match, isolating Pac after he landed brutally following a spike DDT.
The tag was eventually made, and the Lucha Brothers went on the offensive against The Gunns and then Jay White. At this point, you could see Pac’s chest torn up from Jay White’s chops. I can understand why Bret Hart hates them. I wouldn’t enjoy taking them.
The tag team element of the match then fell apart, with all six men in and out of the ring for a few minutes. The Bang Bang Gang picked up the victory after Juice Robinson, returning after months out, helped his friends. It was a decent enough trios encounter, and it’s wonderful to have Juice back with his unhinged character.
AEW Women’s World Championship Match: Toni Storm (C) vs Serena Deeb
The build to this match was quite fun. The best part was after Serena Deeb knocked Toni Storm out on the ramp, and Storm later responded by saying she was glad because it meant she didn’t have to listen to Deeb’s sob story any longer. Deeb was out for 15 months before returning last year.
Toni Storm is excellent in her latest movie star character role. She’s so good that she’s going to be cheered even if she tries her hardest to play the heel. Storm will likely hold on to the title for a little while longer, but Deeb was a good choice of opponent for her.
The match was a solid contest, going about 15 minutes. Deeb is probably the most technical wrestler AEW has in their women’s division, having the edge over Deonna Purrazzo in terms of technical wrestling ability.
There was a funny spot where Deeb had Storm in a hold with both of her arms locked, but Storm was still on her feet and able to move towards the ropes for a break using her teeth. It’s not something I’ve ever seen before.
Deeb was on the offensive for quite a bit of the match, spending the latter part working on Storm’s knee. Mariah May grabbed hold of the towel and wanted to throw it in the ring, but Luther prevented her. Storm didn’t see and blamed Luther, before tossing the towel into the audience.
Deeb looked to have it won after a Deebtox on the apron, followed by another in the ring. But Storm kicked out, showing a lot of heart. Storm eventually retained after a piledriver off the ropes, hitting Deeb with another on the canvas.
Both women put on an impressive showing with some great back-and-forth action. It’s great to see them get more time on pay-per-view. Hopefully, this is a sign of things to come. With Forbidden Door up next, Storm will likely face an opponent from Stardom before the story with Mariah May ends in them facing each other.
Orange Cassidy vs Trent Beretta
Orange Cassidy came out to “Where Is My Mind?” by Pixies instead of Jefferson Starship. Trent Beretta thought he wasn’t coming when his original theme started and then stopped. Cassidy was also wearing a black shirt instead of white, signaling a more aggressive persona.
Trent wanted a wrestling match, but this started off as just a fight between the former Best Friends. The two faced off just a few weeks earlier on Dynamite, with Cassidy picking up the win. Another Orange Cassidy win here is a little baffling because it kind of kills the feud, unless that’s the point?
It wasn’t a terrible match overall, but it’s not the most interesting of rivalries, which is why many may hope this is their last match for now. It’s good that those further down the card, like Trent, are being given storylines. Cassidy, however, is much more of a higher mid-carder.
After the match, Renee Paquette tried to get a word with Trent as he left the ring, but he appeared to say he’s done. Rocky Romero was also there trying to talk to him, but Trent left through the crowd.
FTW Championship Match: Chris Jericho (C) vs Hook vs Katsuyori Shibata
Despite how much more fun than expected the last match between Chris Jericho and Hook was at Dynasty, this match might have been even less anticipated than the Cassidy vs. Beretta match. Katsuyori Shibata was brought in after both he and Hook won by submission over Bryan Keith.
Jericho is really leaning into “The Learning Tree” gimmick, and it wouldn’t surprise me if he made it work, even with everyone wanting to hate him and shouting for him to retire, or at least take time off. Jericho also renamed the FTW title “For The World” from “Fuck The World” as part of his gimmick.
FTW matches are essentially hardcore matches, and it wasn’t long before Hook pulled a table out from underneath the ring. Jericho then got a bag out from under the ring that was filled with dice, and a series of suplexes were performed on them, three of which were on Jericho.
All three men then pulled out kendo sticks, with Jericho getting double-teamed by his opponents. Shibata introduced a table into the match, with Jericho saving Hook before taking another suplex on the dice, which were scattered everywhere.
The next spot was a bit of a disaster. Jericho was lying on the table with his arms raised, waiting to take whatever Shibata was planning to do to Hook off the top. But Shibata took too long preparing the move and almost missed Jericho, with the table not breaking as all three landed in a pile on the mat.
Big Bill then got involved when it looked like Hook had Jericho beat, taking a T-Bone Suplex off the apron from Hook through a table on the outside. Shibata and Hook then had Jericho in a double submission hold before a masked man interfered, who turned out to be Bryan Keith.
It seemed he was hired by Jericho, who pinned Shibata as he had a trash can over his head that Bryan Keith put on him before attacking him. After the match, Hook chased Jericho up the ramp, signaling yet another match between the two.
The matches have been better than expected, but it’s not the most compelling of feuds. It will likely end with Hook winning the FTW title back again, but it already feels a little drawn out.
IWGP World Heavyweight Championship Eliminator Match: Jon Moxley (C) vs Konosuke Takeshita
I really don’t understand the thinking behind this one. Why have an eliminator match at a pay-per-view, especially if you’re not going to put the challenger over? Why did Powerhouse Hobbs get a title shot on Dynamite, but Konosuke Takeshita didn’t at one of AEW’s biggest shows of the year?
Most of the match consisted of Takeshita working over Moxley’s arm/shoulder, which was bandaged up. It wasn’t a particularly short match either, clocking in at around 17 minutes. Takeshita was in control for most of the match, but Don Callis told Takeshita to go under the ring and get some chairs. Taking too long, Moxley caught him and got the pin.
A year ago, after Takeshita beat Kenny Omega, pinning him twice over a short period of time, it felt like Takeshita could be one of the next big things. But a year later, it feels like he’s become another next big nothing. I feel like this was poor booking. If Moxley was to win, then it should at least be an IWGP title match.
Moxley is carrying the prestigious New Japan Pro Wrestling title for the time being to help out an AEW partner company. It’s being done to elevate the title after New Japan has lost some of their best talent, a few of them to AEW itself. Pushing someone like Takeshita seemed like a good idea, but I guess they have other plans.
AEW TNT Championship Match in a Barbed Wire Steel Cage: Adam Copeland (C) vs Malakai Black
The House of Black’s entrance is normally among the best, but Adam Copeland’s topped it here. Coming out to Slayer’s “South of Heaven” and utilizing the elevator, with a reference to The Brood on the screen behind him, his original stable when he joined WWE with Christian and Gangrel.
Locked inside a steel cage with barbed wire along the top of the truss. There was also barbed wire around parts of the inside of the cage and several chairs and tables around the ring. We were only a couple of minutes in before we got blood, with Malakai Black the first to see color.
It was always going to be a bloody contest, along with Anarchy in the Arena later in the night. Barbed wire ended up being wrapped around one of the turnbuckles, which led to Copeland bleeding. There was also a barbed wire baseball bat hanging from the inside of the cage, which Black used to scrape Copeland’s forehead with and was later repaid.
I think the first pin attempt happened after Black powerbombed Copeland off the ropes through a table. This was followed by the craziest spot of the match, with Copeland hitting an elbow drop off the top of the cage after wrapping Black’s body with barbed wire on the table.
This was a grueling match, with both men eventually ending up on the outside after Black kicked Copeland through the cage door, breaking the lock. The other two members of the House of Black came out, and after teasing that they were joining Copeland, they attacked him.
Back in the ring with Copeland looking like he was in big trouble and the ring full of broken tables and bits of barbed wire, the House of Black went to work on Copeland. Black then put the wedding ring he stole off Copeland around his neck.
With the match seemingly over for Copeland, the lights turned red. Gangrel then emerged through the ring and attacked the House of Black. Black took out Gangrel, which allowed Copeland to take advantage of Black with a spear. He wrapped barbed wire around Black in the crossface, who passed out for Copeland to retain the TNT title.
AEW TBS Championship Match: Willow Nightingale (C) vs Mercedes Mone
It’s been over two months since Mercedes Mone first appeared on AEW TV at the Dynamite special Big Business, with some fans beginning to tire of her mic skills. Gradually turning her heel and putting her in a feud with Willow Nightingale was the correct path to take with her though.
Mercedes last wrestled almost one year ago, and it was against Willow. It was for the brand new NJPW Women’s Strong Title, and Mercedes was booked to win. But she injured her ankle during the match and called an audible to give Willow the victory. The feud that’s been building between them revolves around this.
Mercedes was given a special entrance with drummers and dancers. You could see in her eyes when she entered the ring that she’d missed wrestling. It also seems like a lot of people had forgotten how good she is.
This definitely had a big-match feel about it. The crowd was hot from the start. After a bit of trash-talking and Mercedes ducking out of the ring, the match got going and maintained a good pace throughout. Mercedes spent a chunk of the match working on Willow’s left ankle.
Willow hit Mercedes with a few power moves, but any time she tried to hit the Doctor Bomb, she couldn’t execute it. Willow is the fan favorite of the two, but there were a few “CEO” chants throughout the match.
Mercedes’s ankle also became a target of Willow as the match progressed, but the damage done to Willow’s was visibly worse. Kris Statlander received a shove from Mercedes when she was checking on Willow, which led to Statlander and Stokely Hathaway distracting the referee.
Willow finally hit the Doctor Bomb while the referee’s back was turned, and when she went to hit it again, Mercedes escaped before gaining advantage once again with submission moves and attacks on Willow’s ankle.
Mercedes managed to get Willow in the position for the Mone Maker and hit it, but not exactly clean. Given the size difference, it wasn’t easy, but it was enough to keep Willow down for the three count.
They were never going to let Mercedes lose her debut match, but it is a shame Willow’s TBS title reign didn’t last very long. After the match, there was a shove on Stokely by Statlander before she then turned on Willow on the ramp.
AEW World Championship Match: Swerve Strickland (C) vs Christian Cage
Christian Cage was a great choice for Swerve Strickland’s first pay-per-view title defense since he won it at Dynasty. Christian is arguably the greatest heel in the business right now and has been doing the best work of his career in AEW. The turtleneck he wears is a superb touch to his character.
They also have some history going back to last summer. They both teamed at All In, losing to Sting and Darby Allin. Swerve also attacked Nick Wayne, who has since been part of Christian’s Patriarchy stable alongside his mother and Luchasaurus.
Christian was hand-picked by The Young Bucks, who used their power to allow Christian to skip the line and ignore the rankings system, which appears to have been forgotten about after being reintroduced at the start of 2024. But the build was good, with Swerve finally getting the better of his challenger on the go-home Dynamite.
I’m not entirely convinced by Prince Nana, Swerve’s manager. But he seems pretty over, especially his dance. Managers tend to work best as heels, but Nana also gets the “who’s house?” chants going with the crowd.
Christian went for an intentionally slow start. He’s all about the ring psychology these days, and he’s a master at it. He rakes the eyes and uses the ropes to choke his opponent, using every second of the referee’s count before stopping.
Nick Wayne took a cheap shot at Swerve, but it was Prince Nana who was ejected from the ringside area after he took the AEW title off Mother Wayne. Leaving Swerve 1 against 4. Although Swerve was able to handle himself after Luchasaurus inadvertently headbutted Christian.
Eventually, the Patriarchy was ejected too to even things up. Although Prince Nana would reappear later in the match chasing Nick Wayne through the crowd with a metal pipe after he hit Swerve with a cutter out of nowhere.
Christian couldn’t pin Swerve after a Killswitch. In an effort to finish Swerve off, Christian cleared the Spanish announce desk. He failed to hit another Killswitch and was instead hit with a double stomp on the desk, which didn’t break.
Both men made it back into the ring, with Swerve just about beating the 10 count. Swerve then gained an advantage with a House Call, a Swerve Stomp, and another House Call to retain. After the match, Swerve went over to celebrate with Floyd Mayweather, who was at ringside.
Anarchy in the Arena: The Elite (The Young Bucks, Jack Perry and Kazuchika Okada) vs Team AEW (FTR, Bryan Danielson and Darby Allin)
The third Anarchy in the Arena match held at Double or Nothing, reminiscent of the first match of this kind at the 2020 edition during Covid, which was a Stadium Stampede match. They’re essentially the same thing, albeit with different settings.
I’ve been enjoying The Young Bucks playing the heel authority figures alongside other members of The Elite with their diplomatic immunity. It’s not the most original storyline, but the heel Bucks have been fantastic. Pairing a heel Kazuchika Okada and a heel Jack Perry with them has also been a great move.
All these kinds of matches have been crazy, and this one was no different. Ring announcer Justin Roberts described it as “the shitshow” when he introduced the match, and that’s certainly one way to describe it, albeit in a good way.
You knew something insane was going to happen when Darby Allin not only returned for the match but also turned up on Dynamite with a flamethrower. It was also Jack Perry’s first match back since his suspension last year after All In following his infamous backstage altercation with CM Punk.
After The Elite all made their entrances, including The Bucks coming down in their new Reebok Pumps, Team AEW skipped their entrances and went straight on the offensive. However, Darby Allin made a late entrance with his music playing, adding to the chaotic atmosphere.
It’s a theme of Anarchy in the Arena to have entrance music playing for the first part of the match. The Bucks grabbed the mic and demanded it be turned off and replaced by their new theme. Then Bryan Danielson took the mic and wanted “the greatest theme song in the history of wrestling” to be played.
‘Final Countdown’ then started playing, and the crowd went crazy for it. This was the most fun part of the match, with everyone brawling around the arena. We even got a four-way split screen. The funniest spot of the match was Darby Allin performing a coffin drop off a balcony almost perfectly in time with the opening chorus.
After a few minutes, Matthew Jackson of the Bucks then cut the music again, complaining that it costs $200,000 each time to play that song and how “we’re on a budget.” Superb stuff. After this, the fans chanted “we want music” for a bit, but they didn’t get any more. Superb stuff.
It was pretty much 30 minutes of mayhem. There are too many spots to mention. Darby Allin and Jack Perry were brawling out the back after Darby had been put in the EVP elevator by the Bucks and sent down. The cameras switched back and forth between the back and ringside. There was a sudden switch with Jack Perry driving his Scapegoat truck into a pile of rubbish, presumably to make you believe Darby Allin was underneath it. Jack Perry was also hunched over the steering wheel as if he’d cracked his head off it during the collision.
The camera cut back to ringside for a period. Darby Allin emerged, so it appears he wasn’t under the pile of rubbish. Darby Allin takes a powerbomb on some chairs at ringside before being dragged up the ramp and sent away on the Bucks EVP elevator they use for their entrance. Another fun spot, along with Bryan Danielson taking a Tony Khan driver (formerly the Meltzer driver) on the giant poker chips at ringside.
Cameras turned to Jack Perry stumbling through the back and past the gorilla position where he spots Tony Khan. He proceeds to grab his boss and take him toward the entrance way. Khan is tossed on the ground and rolls down the ramp, but Darby Allin is there with a flamethrower he teased on Dynamite and sets Jack Perry on fire. The Bucks then appear with fire extinguishers along with medical staff.
It seemed like that might be the end of Jack Perry’s night, but he was able to rejoin the match after getting medical attention. Fan footage also revealed Tony Khan escaping down the side after rolling all the way down the ramp, very uncomfortably. But that’s just Tony Khan for you. Everything he does is uncomfortable. He’s a lovely guy though.
Cutting to the finale, Darby Allin returned again, but he was beaten up. Nicholas Jackson then called down some rope from the rafters, tying Darby Allin’s legs and hanging him upside down. There’s an exploding chair, a Rainmaker by Okada with drawing pins on a sleeve he’s wearing. Okada then pulls out some Reebok Pumps from a box, which are covered in drawing pins, with Darby Allin taking a double superkick to the face with them.
It seems like his nose may be re-broken after he was hit by a bus, but apparently Darby’s nose is OK. Bryan Danielson begins a fightback but is overpowered. There’s a “please help Darby” chant from the crowd. Danielson reaches up to hold his hand, but Jack Perry hits Danielson with a flying knee and scores the victory for The Elite.
There’s probably a few bits I’ve missed out, but you should just go watch the match yourself. It’s crazy, with a good mix of comedy, drama, brawling, wrestling, holy shit spots, and moments. It was entertaining and creative. They took risks, but the violence and realism were spot on. Nothing was made to look fake.
Was it the best Anarchy in the Arena? I’m not sure. They’re all equally crazy. It was a great match though. I just hope Tony Khan leaves it as a Double or Nothing exclusive after adding a Stadium Stampede to All In at Wembley because he wanted to see brawling in the Royal Box.
Final Thoughts
Overall, this was another really enjoyable PPV from AEW. However, there were 2 or 3 matches in the middle section that could have been trimmed to make it shorter, as the show ran for about 4 1/2 hours in total. While I personally don’t mind the length, I understand why some viewers might find it too long. In contrast, WWE tends to have too few matches, typically around 5, which I feel is inadequate. Somewhere in the middle, with 7 or 8 matches, seems to strike the right balance.
Despite the high quality of the matches and all the chaos, the return of MJF might have been my favorite part. AEW has truly missed his presence; he’s undoubtedly one of their biggest stars. With Will Ospreay also garnering significant attention, Mercedes Mone finally stepping into the ring, and talents like Swerve Strickland shining at the top of the card, the future looks incredibly promising. If Tony Khan can learn from some of his booking mistakes.
RATING: 8/10
Glass Asylum 