AEW Double or Nothing 2022 Post Examination
Las Vegas, Nevada—T-Mobile Arena
May 29, 2022
Eddie Kingston (photo courtesy of allelitewrestling.com)
Wardlow def. MJF
(We’ll save discussions on MJF’s status with AEW for the podcast).
There really was no other way to do this other than MJF eating 10 powerbombs. It wasn't a punishment or a burial, and regardless of what is a work or a shoot, or a worked shoot that turned into a shoot that now they’re working (Jesus)…whatever, this was a 2 year build-up and for months the Pinnacle feared Wardlow’s powerbomb because they dreaded this inevitable outcome. I’d by laying if I said I didn’t want to see MJF take at least one of those powerbombs like Shawn Michaels at WrestleMania XI to really agitate the plebeians. ★
The Hardys def. The Young Bucks
I don’t feel like a buzzkill anymore now that the entirety of the internet wrestling community seems to be in agreement with me that the Hardys need to retire. Matt can work backstage, Jeff can play Alice in Chains covers or race scoots or fucking God knows what. No snark, it was genuinely sad to seem them in their current state. Matt’s legs were shot and Jeff looked like he was pilled out (he wasn’t) with his boot all in disarray. The Young Bucks had to stall in the start of the match—and that wasn’t getting some meta heel heat with the fanbase from not knowing how AEW would squeeze in all these matches—it was to buy Matt and Jeff time. Just go home early. I don’t know what else is going to give this (hopefully) last run a sense of completion, but let’s hope they heal up, get this taste out of the fanbases mouth, and have one last program to regain their dignity or else they’ll go out worse than Goldberg and Taker. ★
Jade Cargill def. Anna Jay
While everyone is in agreement Jade is a star, there’s an expectation always within each new match of Cargill’s that her in-ring workrate will nip at the heels of Bryan Danielson's just because he’ll coach her here or there. Anna Jay was no threat and fed a cold program. You can (rightly) point out how Thunder Rosa hasn’t had meaningful TV time, but Jade has gotten her secondary title over on the level of RVD’s old TV title.
Great to see Stokely Hathaway be her new manager, his verbal skills will only make her a greater attraction. Athena will also be an awesome feud for Jade and push the women’s division. ★
The House of Black def. Death Triangle
This was expected to be a show stealer and they didn’t disappoint, adding some much needed excellence to a PPV show that was disappointing. I couldn’t describe what the hell they did with their reversals and high-flying moves but it was great. Any of these teams could be the trios champions when those belt debut and any of these guys could be a great TNT champion. Really looking forward to Buddy Matthews to get some time in the ring as a singles competitor, even if for just one match on Rampage.
The ending was completely silly. I know there’s a booking philosophy to close the book with loose ends such as Julia Hart to wrap this up, but the crowd is fatigued from how long it took to get her here which may make them not come along with her and she could easily go the way of Alex Abrahantes when he decided to wear his costume from Halloween USA to TV. The lights turning out has to finally fucking go, too. Had that finish been erased and they had a drawn out sequence that build to a fiery climax, this could have been a 5 star match. ★★★★1/2
Adam Cole def. Samoa Joe
Just a TV match. ★★
Dr. Britt Baker, D.M.D def Ruby Soho
Just a TV match, albeit with one of the worst attempts at a sharpshooter on video. It’s not like it’s a buckshot lariat, come on! You'd think she’d get that locked down considering who the match was for. Also, Ruby’s stuttering, walk-ish-looking run looks putrid. No nice way to say it.
After these matches Dr. Martha Hart spoke to the crowd. She certainly earned the right to have her moment and it was heart warming to see her enjoy pro wrestling again. ★★
The King and Queen of Harts (Photo courtesy of allelitewrestling.com)
Scorpio Sky, Ethan Page, and Paige VanZant def. Sammy Guevara, Frankie Kazarian, and Tay Conti
Filler for Rampage. ★
Kyle O’Reilly def. Darby Allin
What a low-key burner this match was, especially considering it was hidden in the card and added cold at the last minute. KOR hit an unbelievably stiff knee strike on Darby to start this off. Great outside dive by Darby that looked like a botch but fit his reckless abandon style, too bad it caused all of us watching to wonder if/when his neck will break. Darby then upped it with another dive that KOR impressively countered into a front face lock. Darby put on another sloppy sharpshooter. KOR finished this off by strangling Darby with his own chocker chain, before dropping an old school knee off the top rope to win. This match will stealthy resurface in appreciation in time. ★★★★
For Uvalde (photo courtesy of allelitewrestling.com)
Thunder Rosa def. Serena Deeb
A much deserved, “this is wrestling!” chant broke out and how validating must it feel for Rosa and Deeb, delivering what this much maligned and criticized division needs—good, basic ass pro wrestling. Nothing but crisp execution and snug holds and strikes. Let’s hope Rosa is healthy and she gets meaningful TV time moving forward. ★★★
The Jericho Appreciation Society def. The Blackpool Combat Club, Eddie Kingston, and Santana and Ortiz
I preferred Anarchy in the Arena as a concept over Stadium Stampede. Tony Schiavone played that up as well on commentary, perhaps subtly signaling to the crowd that cinematic wrestling was a Covid-era phenomenon. This was like one of the WCW falls-count anywhere matches that Cactus Jack had with the Nasty Boys. It wasn’t as hard to follow, just by the basic discipline by the production truck to cut shots every 3 seconds. Watch the match again and you’ll see in the start it’s pretty consistently on that rhythm, as opposed to the mess that is Kevin Dunn’s production. Also greatly helping the match, is that guys were not sleeping or hiding just barely off camera to pop out and do finisher spams on weapons.
As wild as the match was, and as much as we’ll remember that iconic shot of Eddie Kingston walking down the aisle, psychology-wise it was hurt with Jericho and Eddie touching for such a brief snippet in the start of the match, with Eddie not really seeking out for Jericho, especially with Moxley being the one who beat up Jericho to take him away from the fray. Eddie also didn’t need to take the Judas effect elbow and sell for as long as he did while Danielson tapped. Another match that will sneak up again during year-end best of lists. ★★★★
Jurassic Express def. Swerve Strickland and Keith Lee and Team Taz
Surprise win with Jurassic Express going over, you thought they’d have Christian screw them here, but I suppose the titles can be kept for FTR and Starks, Swerve, and Keith Lee can hopefully challenge for the TNT Title. Great tandem bit of business where Kieth Lee caught Ricky Starks diving and power bombed him on Luchasauras’s back. We all popped for Ricky Starks strutting as he did the rope walk. Keith Lee seems to have his wind back and looked great. I’d like to see a more traditional tag match at the next AEW PPV, we’ve had three-way tag matches to cram guys on the last show, and I have to imagine Forbidden Door will most likely follow suit. ★★★★
CM Punk (photo courtesy of allelitewrestling.com)
CM Punk def. “Hangman” Adam Page
What a great run Hangman had as a champion. Well, not so much creatively, but in-ring, I’ll contend that his run had better matches then Omega. Relatively as 50/50 split from the audience, perhaps a bit more for Punk. Elongated opening to slow down the crowd after two crazy ass multi-man matches, but they had stiff lockups and chops to each other’s chests. Punk deserves credit for having the least shitty sharpshooter of the night!
Simple story for the finish, Hangman didn’t have it in him to hit Punk with the belt and it cost him. Not sure who will turn heel for their next bout but there feels like there’s a new arch for Hangman to go on. The first act of AEW’s history was built on him one day becoming the champion. Looking forward to how the second act will unfold. ★★★★
Post Examination:
This show had a lot to overcome, with the BR app having loading issues minutes before the show, and the added other annoyance of if MJF was working or shooting and going to no-show the event or sandbag Wardlow’s moment.
Personally, I’m never going to dislike a wrestling show that’s full of wrestling running nearly 5 hours. If there’s endless commercials and backstage filler then yes, it’s a timing issues, and least here it was intentional for some reason and at least more of the boys and girls got a payday.
The highs were high but never as high as some of the better AEW PPVs, and the lows were objectively cringeworthy. Nevertheless, this was still a very, very solid PPV, it just wasn’t as good as the all-time great string of PPVs in All Out, Full Gear, and Revolution.
New AEW World Champion (photo courtesy of allelitewrestling.com)
