Takeaways From AEW’s 'Double or Nothing': Recap, Highlights and Analysis

All Elite Wrestling's 'Double or Nothing' event served as a reminder of the excitement AEW brings to the wrestling industry.

Kenny Omega retained the AEW world title. Dr. Britt Baker defeated Hikaru Shida, finally starting a highly-anticipated reign as women’s champion. And The Inner Circle defeated The Pinnacle in a Stadium Stampede match, meaning they do not have to disband.

But the story of the night at Double or Nothing took place in a different match. It was Sting, at the age of 62, making his in-ring return in compelling fashion. Sting teamed with Darby Allin against Scorpio Sky and Ethan Page, winning his first match in the ring since 2015.

The Young Bucks were spectacular in their match against Jon Moxley and Eddie Kingston. They retained their titles, meaning the excruciatingly long wait to see Kingston with AEW gold continues. The card started off hot with “Hangman” Page defeating Brian Cage, and the packed house at Dailey’s Place helped make Double or Nothing a very solid show.

Here are the results:

—NWA Women’s Champion Serena Deeb defeated Riho on the pre-show

—“Hangman” Adam Page defeated Brian Cage

—The Young Bucks defeated Jon Moxley and Eddie Kingston to retain the AEW tag team titles

—Jungle Boy eliminated Christian Cage to win the Casino Battle Royale

—Cody Rhodes defeated Anthony Ogogo

—TNT Champion Miro defeated Lance Archer

—Dr. Britt Baker defeated Hikaru Shida to become the new AEW Women’s Champion

—Sting and Darby Allin defeated Ethan Page and Scorpio Sky

—AEW World Champion Kenny Omega defeated Pac and Orange Cassidy in a triple threat match

—The Inner Circle defeated The Pinnacle in a Stadium Stampede match

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And here are my takeaways from Double or Nothing:

The Stadium Stampede took place at the Jacksonville Jaguars’ TIAA Bank Field, and started off in fashion as The Inner Circle repelled down from the top of the scoreboard.

Now THAT'S an entrance! #InnerCircle #StadiumStampede#AEWDoN pic.twitter.com/n8vohYP5kX

— All Elite Wrestling (@AEW) May 31, 2021

The match had cameos from Jaguars head coach Urban Meyer and assistant head coach Charlie Strong, which garnered a reaction from the crowd. But it was also a risky match to undertake considering that there was a live crowd at Dailey’s Place, and the action all took place away from the ring. Unlike last year, which was an empty show pay-per-view and had pre-taped the Stadium Stampede match, this match was an indication that the cinematic-type matches do not project the same way with a live crowd. And following their WarGames-esque match at Blood & Guts, there were moments—like the bar fight—where this affair felt too gimmicky. With that being said, Konnan as the DJ was a nice touch. Konnan was instrumental in Santana and Ortiz’s success in Impact Wrestling. A six-man, pitting Santana, Ortiz, and Konnan against Dax Harwood, Cash Wheeler, and Tully Blanchard has no doubt crossed the mind of AEW owner Tony Khan.

Multi-man matches like this, with the fighting only happening when on-camera, are built for a movie, not a wrestling card. This also ran long, which didn’t help, but the intensity picked up again when the Jericho and MJF brawl spilled into Dailey’s Place.

This match, especially with the stakes—The Inner Circle would have been forced to disband with a loss—needed to end in the ring. Surprisingly, that happened in a one-on-one affair between Sammy Guevara and Shawn Spears. Guevara won that battle, pinning Spears and sending the crowd home happy.

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Kenny Omega retained his AEW world title in a three-way bout against Pac and Orange Cassidy.

The triple threat format worked for this match. And, when the outcome was in doubt, Omega was forced to cheat, knocking out the referee and then taking turns hitting Pac with his different world title belts. With Pac knocked out, Cassidy hit the Orange Punch on Omega and appeared to have Omega beat, until the pinfall was reversed into a crucifix for an Omega win.

Pac was tremendous here, but Cassidy deserves credit, too. That character is not the prototype for a world champion, but he showed fire and intensity. And Pac belongs in the main event, with a look and delivery unlike anyone else in the industry.

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Dr. Britt Baker is the new AEW Women’s Champion.

Baker and Hikaru Shida worked a physical match, which perfectly embodied the feud. There were a number of false finishes here, which added even more meaning to the title change. Baker had a counter or kickout for every single one of Shida’s signature moves, and the champion ultimately had no answer for the challenger. This outcome is tailor-made to continue the program, as Shida and Baker have two styles that contrast one another especially well.

Shida was a fantastic champion for AEW, but this was the right call. Baker is one of the top acts in AEW, and the title further legitimizes her.

#AndNew @RealBrittBaker #AEWDoN pic.twitter.com/bz2RC3aXoK

— All Elite Wrestling (@AEW) May 31, 2021

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Double or Nothing marked Jon Moxley’s AEW debut two years ago. Last year, he successfully defended the AEW world title against Mr. Brodie Lee in a physical affair. But his hot streak came to an end in 2021, with a mix of blood and perspiration on his face, as he and Eddie Kingston were defeated by the Young Bucks in the tag title match.

Watching Moxley take the pinfall was a surprise, and the finish was clean. Kingston was already laid out, and Matt and Nick Jackson finished Moxley with four consecutive BTE Triggers. This was the type of finish you would not see in WWE, where tag teams are often used to put over top singles stars. Here, the Bucks elevated their status—showcasing the strength of tag team wrestling—by working together to defeat Moxley and Kingston.

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Those watching on pay-per-view were fortunate enough to hear Tony Schiavone call a Sting match in 2021. A couple of years ago, whoever could have predicted that?

Courtesy of AEW

Sting teamed with Darby Allin against Scorpio Sky and Ethan Page, picking up the win in his first in-ring match since 2015. Even at the age of 62, Sting looked sharp. He is clearly more protected in a tag than he would be in a singles match, but this was a wonderful reintroduction for Sting in front of a crowd. Having a legend like this is a great resource for AEW.

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Jungle Boy picked up the biggest win of his career by surprising the wrestling world with a win in the Casino Battle Royale.

The match, which included a surprise appearance from Lio Rush, finished with Christian eliminating Matt Hardy, a nice callback to the legendary Hardys-Edge/Christian feud, and then Jungle Boy eliminating Christian for the win. This was a perfect use of Christian, who used his star power to put over Jungle Boy.

With the win, Jungle Boy earns himself a world title shot, which will take place in two weeks on TNT.

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The future of pro wrestling was on display in the opening match of the pay-per-view, as “Hangman” Adam Page defeated Brian Cage.

Cage controlled the latter half of the match but lost his focus when Team Taz’s Ricky Starks and Hook tried to interfere on his behalf. A key part of the story had been Cage being adamant that he would win this match on his own, and he did not want any help from Starks and Hook. Page capitalized upon the distraction, drilling Cage with a Buck Shot Lariat for the win. Taz was phenomenal here on commentary, especially as he vocalized his frustration when Cage lost.

Long-term, Page makes the most sense to be the one to dethrone Kenny Omega as world champ. They are former tag team partners, with Omega defeating him in their pay-per-view singles bout at Full Gear last November, and as Omega further becomes drunk with power as champion, the loner Page continues his ascent up the card.

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Miro looked strong in his win against Lance Archer. Unfortunately for Archer, who is outstanding, he has been placed in a role to help put over stars—which he was done convincingly for Jon Moxley, Cody Rhodes (in a match that took place at last year’s Double or Nothing), and now Miro, who has no ceiling in AEW. This would have fit better as a main event on Dynamite, and moving forward, Miro needs an opponent with more of a contrasting style.

Cody Rhodes also defeated Anthony Ogogo. Though Rhodes is likely to draw some negative reactions on social media for defeating an up-and-coming talent in Ogogo, the program put a bright spotlight on Ogogo. It will be very interesting to watch how his story develops following the loss.

The pre-show also had a really entertaining match, as Serena Deeb looked outstanding in her win against Riho. And a new addition was announced, as WWE Hall of Famer Mark Henry was introduced as the newest member of the AEW Rampage broadcast team, as well as a coach for the roster.

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Double or Nothing served as a reminder of the excitement AEW brings to the wrestling industry. It was boosted, significantly, by a red-hot crowd, and a title change, as Dr. Britt Baker starts her long-awaited run as champ after defeating Hikaru Shida.

The match of the night was the tag team title bout. I was surprised to see Jon Moxley take the pin. Moxley was the company’s premier star in 2020, but tag team wrestling should be an altogether different landscape—and the Bucks were provided another opportunity to showcase why they are the best tag team in AEW.

Following Double or Nothing, a lot of stories can continue. Jericho and MJF still have more of a score to settle, Shida needs her rematch, and though Omega needs a single opponent for the next pay-per-view, there are still opportunities to have title matches against Cassidy and Pac.

I am always partial to shows that end with the world title in the main event, but Double or Nothing more than exceeded its mission by showcasing the strength of the AEW brand.

Justin Barrasso can be reached at JBarrasso@gmail.com. Follow him on Twitter @JustinBarrasso.