Forward of Sunday night, in case you had requested me to call AEW’s Mount Rushmore of exhibits, I might have stated All Out 2021, Revolution 2020, All In 2023, and Dynasty 2024.
Double or Nothing 2026 would kick a kind of exhibits off and take a spot on the mountain. No, I cannot decide which one, and nobody could make me.
In what was a banner present for All Elite Wrestling, followers got 5 hours of banger match after banger match, and at present, we’ll assessment each.
FTR (champs) vs. Adam Copeland & Christian Cage, I Give up Match (AEW World Tag Crew Championships)
I Give up matches are typically formulaic and considerably predictable, however all 4 males made this a enjoyable automotive crash opener and gave the stipulation some new flare. Whether or not it was Christian saying “Go f—ok your self” or “I banged your mom” when requested if he would stop, or Money Wheeler and Stokely Hathaway recreating the Edge-Mick Foley spot – which was such a chef’s kiss doing so in a match with the person previously often called Edge and with Foley himself kicking off the night within the pre-show – the match was thrilling from begin to end. I can do with out the wood plank with nails in it named Spike – bit cartoonish for my liking – however to see Christian and Copeland holding tag gold collectively for the primary time in 25 years was a good way to kickoff the present.
Kazuchika Okada (champ) vs. Kinosuke Takeshita (AEW Worldwide Championship)
This match has been constructing for the higher a part of a 12 months. Each males within the Don Callis Household have made it blatantly clear that they don’t look after each other, which led to the Worldwide Championship match. Simply based mostly off who was dealing with off, you knew you have been in for a basic strong-style struggle, and each males introduced their very best in bunches. A Rain Maker from Okada on the apron. A mind buster from Takeshita on the surface. A Rain Maker countered right into a Blue Thunder Bomb by Takeshita. A kick out at one by Okada after a Energy-Drive Knee. All culminating in Takeshita hitting Okada with a Raging Fireplace to lastly get a giant win on pay-per-view after a stretch of losses. The heel flip by Kyle Fletcher after the match places us on a transparent path for Takeshita vs. Fletcher at Redemption or at All In, and sure give me that match in a number of servings.
Match score: 4.75/5 stars
Athena vs. Mina Shirakawa
Within the first quarter-finals match of the Girls’s Owen Hart Memorial Cup Match, the longest-reigning Ring of Honor Girls’s World Champion Athena clashed with Mina Shirakawa. The 2 placed on a strong match, which was anticipated, but it surely additionally felt rushed. Whereas it was removed from a nasty match, it additionally by no means received any legs underneath it to be thought-about an ideal one. Athena was additionally a really predictable winner.
Jon Moxley (champ) vs. Kyle O’Reilly (AEW Continental Championship)
Jon Moxley is comfortably one of many 20 most necessary wrestlers in historical past, and he continues to indicate that he’s the ace of AEW with each pay-per-view outing. The story he and O’Reilly instructed was masterful. KOR’s kicks are certainly one of his finest weapons, so Moxley focused his plant leg to riddle them practically nugatory. O’Reilly has been Moxley’s kryptonite, although, making him faucet out on two separate events. It seemed as if he was about to finish the hat trick, however Moxley refused to faucet whereas in a seemingly endless ankle lock. The match ended by reversing roles, with Moxley making O’Reilly faucet. The Continental Champion confirmed an indication of respect to O’Reilly after the match, shaking his hand in the midst of the ring.
Match score: 4.25/5 stars
Will Ospreay vs. Samoa Joe
Will Ospreay and Samoa Joe rule so exhausting. Joe will go down as among the finest wrestlers of all time for ball-knowers, and Ospreay’s story with the Dying Riders is extremely engaging. The 2 confronted off within the opener of the Males’s Owen Hart Basis Memorial Match and placed on a present. Ospreay kicking off the match with an Oscutter whereas Joe was nonetheless making his entrance started the dash. The 2 paying homage to Joe’s match with A.J. Types again in TNA, which was a stunning contact. Ospreay went for the arm bar, which he has been utilizing as a finisher since changing into a sort-of-member of the Dying Riders, however Joe saved his arms clutched to forestall it. Joe turned the match right into a brawl with a number of punches, chops, and kicks. Ospreay focused the left arm of Joe to weaken his strikes and finally gained with a Hidden Blade. Two one-of-one performers placing on a clinic.
Match score: 4.5/5 stars
Swerve Strickland vs. Bandido
It’s not too typically {that a} wrestling match provides us a one thing we’ve by no means seen, however the Home Name from Swerve whereas he was standing upright on Bandido’s shoulders was such an revolutionary and inventive spot. Bandido vertically urgent Swerve and throwing him out of the ring was additionally incredible, as was a operating senton to Swerve sitting in a chair on the surface of the ring and a reverse hurricanrana from the apron to the ground. Swerve gained by reversing a 21-plex right into a vertebreaker and superior to the semi-finals of the Owen.
Thekla (champ) vs. Kris Statlander vs. Hikaru Shida vs. Jamie Hayter (AEW Girls’s World Championship)
Thekla has been a much-needed jolt to the ladies’s division within the absence of Toni Storm and Mercedes Mone. Her reign as champion alongside Skye Blue and Julia Hart has been persistently entertaining, and this four-way was no exception. Every girl received to have their large moments, together with however not restricted to Hayter practically knocking Thelma’s head off with a Hayterade. Statlander and Shida lastly got here to blows after the previous hit the latter with a kendo stick, which led to a Philly Road Struggle being introduced for Dynamite. In the end, Thekla took benefit of the chaos and gained after hitting Statlander with a curb stomp.
Crew Jericho vs. Crew Ricochet, Stadium Stampede
This actually ought to have been referred to as Anarchy within the Area, because it didn’t happen on a discipline however that’s neither right here nor there. This was precisely what you’d anticipate from a gimmick match like this, however the Reservoir Canines introduction for Crew Jericho was my favourite a part of all of it. Capped off with Kenny Omega trying just like the utter badass he’s smoking a cigar for his name-frame, earlier than coughing and choking on the smoke. As regular, there have been some enjoyable spots. Jack Perry wrecking his bus into Mark Davis, each Bobby Lashley and Shelton Benjamin exhibiting they’ve misplaced zero steps to the mantra of “We harm individuals.” The Younger Bucks doing Younger Bucks issues. Ricochet persevering with to indicate that going to AEW was the very best resolution of his profession. My solely problem is that it went on a bit too lengthy.
Match score: 3.75/5 stars
Darby Allin (champ) vs. MJF (AEW World Championship)
Darby Allin and MJF are the current and future {of professional} wrestling. Allin’s world title reign was a dash of chaos and carnage, defending the title seven instances in his 4 weeks as champion. His all-or-nothing strategy, although, is what finally value him. Proper off the bat, he landed awkwardly on his head whereas lacking MJF on a tope to the surface. MJF then focused the again of Allin’s head and his again with a litany of strikes. A springboard cutter, an influence bomb together with his knee touchdown in the midst of his backbone, a bundle pildedriver on the steps. Allin nonetheless had a couple of tips up his sleeve, with a coffin drop from the scaffolding via a desk on MJF trying like a possible swing, however he as soon as once more hit his head. MJF ended the match with a tombstone piledriver from the highest rope and pinned Allin with a headlock takeover to turn into a three-time world champion. Allin’s temporary however chatosprtophic reign as world champion goes down as among the finest in firm historical past, and Max continues to construct a legacy that may rival most of the biggest to ever do all of it by the age of 30.
Match score: 4.75/5 stars
