As we have an entire week of shows to jam through, we’ll just run down the action from this week’s Dynamite and Rampage before getting to our main event of Double or Nothing 2022.
—
5/25/22 AEW Dynamite Results
- Wardlow def. Shawn Spears via pinfall in a steel cage match, earning himself a match against MJF at Double or Nothing.
- CM Punk & Adam Page had a face-to-face, ahead of their AEW World Title match, where Hangman said that he was protecting AEW from Punk.
- Eddie Kingston & Jon Moxley def. Private Party via pinfall. Post-match, there was a brawl with Kingston, Mox, Bryan Danielson, Santana, Ortiz, and the Jericho Appreciation Society.
- FTR vs. Roppongi Vice for the ROH Tag Team Championships ended in a No Contest after Jeff Cobb and Great O-Khan of NJPW’s United Empire attacked both teams.
- “Swerve” Strickland def. Jungle Boy & Ricky Starks via pinfall with his Diving Double Stomp. Post-match, Luchasaurus, Keith Lee, and Powerhouse Hobbs had a big man brawl that ended with Lee standing tall alongside Swerve.
- Dr. Britt Baker DMD def. Toni Storm to advance to the Owen Hart Foundation Tournament women’s finals after Jamie Hayter assisted Baker.
- Samoa Joe def. Kyle O’Reilly via stoppage to advance to the Owen Hart Foundation Tournament men’s finals with the Coquina Clutch.
—
5/27/22 AEW Rampage Results
- Bryan Danielson def. Matt Sydal via submission.
- The Young Bucks def. Taylor Rust & Jon Cruz via pinfall. Matt & Nick were dressed up as the Hardys and were accompanied by Gangrel to the ring. Post-match, the Bucks turned on Gangrel and beat him down until the real Hardys showed up to make the save. Brandon Cutler saved the Bucks from a double Twist of Fate, but found himself on the receiving end of an Impaler from Gangrel, a Twist of Fate from Matt, and the Swanton from Jeff.
- Dante Martin def. Max Caster via pinfall with the Nosedive.
- Scorpio Sky, flanked by Ethan Page and Dan Lambert, unveiled his new LA Lakers-inspired TNT Championship belt. On the big screen, Sammy Guevara, Tay Conti, and Frankie Kazarian were at the American Top Team headquarters, where they broke a case of MMA-related championships and stole them. Scorpio angrily challenged Sammy, Tay, and Kaz to a mixed trios match at Double or Nothing.
- Ruby Soho def. Kris Statlander via pinfall to advance to the Owen Hart Foundation Tournament women’s finals with a roll-up pin.
—
AEW Double or Nothing 2022 Results
The Buy-In: HOOKHausen (HOOK & Danhausen) def. Tony Nese & “Smart” Mark Sterling
The much-anticipated debut of HOOKHausen did not disappoint in getting the live crowd hot for a 12-match Double or Nothing card.
In what was a relatively short match, the end came when “Smart” Mark tagged himself in and soon found himself getting rocked by HOOK. Eventually, Danhausen would get tagged and he did a hilarious cocky pin on Sterling to get the pinfall win.
This match was never gonna be a technical showcase, but in terms of hyping the fans up for the show, it was an overwhelming success.
—
Double or Nothing – Match 1: Wardlow def. MJF (7:30)
Culminating a near-two year saga that kicked into overdrive in the past few months, fans were anticipating the moment Wardlow would finally get his hands on MJF. Having earned this match after enduring 10 lashes from MJF and Shawn Spears, as well as defeating Spears in a cage match, all that was left for Wardlow to earn his freedom from MJF’s contract was to win this match. And win it, he did.
There were fears that this match would not even take place due to the rather frosty situation concerning MJF’s contract status with AEW, and his no-show at the company’s Fan Fest event further raised concerns. Those fears seemed to be put to rest when it reported that this match would open the show.
This match started when MJF tried to delay the inevitable and stalled for as long as he could, frequently running out of the ring to avoid Wardlow’s wrath. Max got a brief respite with a thumb to the eye, but that was fleeting. He tried to feign a knee injury to use the Dynamite Diamond Ring, but referee Bryce Remsburg caught him in the act. This would eventually lead to Wardlow unleashing the mother of all Powerbomb Symphonies on MJF, rocking his former boss with 10 consecutive powerbombs before pinning him to set himself free.
After the match, MJF was taken away from the ring in a stretcher, while Wardlow got the #AllElite graphic to an uproarious reaction from the Vegas fans.
Even with the growing unease with the MJF/AEW situation, that didn’t take away from the satisfying conclusion the Wardlow story got with this match. It’s unclear what MJF’s future in AEW is, but one thing is for certain: the Wardlow story is only beginning, and he’s never been more popular with AEW fans than he is right now.
—
Match 2: The Hardys def. The Young Bucks (19:15)
Billed as “Elite vs. Delete”, this matchup between two of the greatest tag teams of all time kinda got off on the wrong foot with Jeff Hardy looking a bit off.
As the match wore on, Jeff seemed to find his footing and we got both teams getting right down to business, playing their greatest hits to pop the crowd. The end came when Jeff took Matt Jackson with a Swanton on the steel steps, which allowed for the Hardy brothers to finish off Nick Jackson for the victory.
This match may have not been the true “dream” match fans were hoping for between the Hardys and the Bucks, but it still managed to be entertaining enough that it didn’t detract too greatly from the match.
—
Match 3: Jade Cargill © def. Anna Jay to retain the TBS Championship (7:25)
As Jade and Anna were in a standoff on the turnbuckle, a familiar face sauntered down the ramp. Stokely Hathaway (last seen on WWE NXT as Malcolm Bivens) walked down to the ring, which caused enough of a distraction for Jade to hit an avalanche Jaded on Anna to retain her TBS Championship.
Post-match, the Baddies looked to lay a further beating on Anna until Kris Statlander arrived for the save. Jade’s crew still had the numbers advantage… that was until Athena (the former Ember Moon in WWE) entered the fray to even the odds.
Slotting in Stokely as Jade’s new manager is a smart decision. Big Stoke’s presence and reputation as a great promo will help elevate Jade’s credibility even further. Meanwhile, Athena looks poised to bbe the one to stop Jade’s dominant unbeaten run to be the new TBS Champion.
—
Match 4: The House of Black def. Death Triangle (15:35)
Initially, I thought this match really had no place on the Double or Nothing card, but as it went along, I was quickly proven wrong. All six competitors seem to thrive in the trios environment and this match proved why.
Just as it seemed that Death Triangle would have the definitive win over their foes, the lights shut off and quickly came back on. And when it did, a now-evil Julia Hart appeared in front of PAC and spat black mist in his face. This allowed Malakai to end things with his back-heel kick to get the win for the House of Black.
If this match was to be a proof of concept for how AEW’s trios championship division would be like, then it was an all-around success.
—
Match 5: Adam Cole def. Samoa Joe (12:30) – Owen Hart Foundation Tournament Men’s Finals
For what we got in this roughly 12-minute match, Joe vs. Cole mostly delivered in terms of being the finale for the men’s Owen Hart Foundation Tournament.
This match was as hard-hitting as you’d expect a Samoa Joe match to be, though Cole kept pace by targeting Joe’s hurt shoulder throughout.
The finish came, of course, with the usual heel distraction finish for Cole, where Undisputed Elite ally Bobby Fish ran interference on Cole’s behalf, which allowed him to lower the Boom knee on Joe to become the inaugural Owen Hart Foundation Tournament winner.
—
Match 6: Dr. Britt Baker DMD def. Ruby Soho (13:20) – Owen Hart Foundation Women’s Finals
A good way to wrap up the women’s portion of the Owen Hart Foundation Tournament that saw Ruby and Britt give it their all in the hopes of becoming the first-ever winner of this prestigious tournament.
Britt reversed a Soho victory roll into her own pin to get the win. While Britt managed to get this win without her usual heel shenanigans (even giving respect to Ruby after the match), this is something she honestly didn’t really need to win.
—
Match 7: Men of the Year & Paige VanZant def. Sammy Guevara, Frankie Kazarian, Tay Conti (12:30) Mixed Tag Trios Match
If Double or Nothing had any true duds in the evening, then this match would most definitely qualify. It’s no secret that the TNT Championship scene has been a bit of a mess. The title has been largely held hostage by a storyline where nearly everyone involved (save for Kaz) is an unlikable jerk, and this match where the “face” team could never challenge for the TNT Title if they lost didn’t help matters.
About the only notable highlights here included Paige VanZant’s involvement – where she looked like she belonged in the ring – and Kaz’s growing impatience with the Guevara/Conti lovebird routine.
The match’s closing moments came when Sammy accidentally hit Tay with a superkick, which led to Kaz falling victim to Ethan Page and Scorpio Sky getting their double team moves in for the win.
—
Match 8: Kyle O’Reilly def. Darby Allin (9:45)
One of the last-minute additions to the Double or Nothing card, with the technically-sound O’Reilly surprisingly coming out on top in this contest. He utilized submission counters to match up against Darby’s high-flying offense – like blocking a suicide dive to turn it into a guillotine choke.
K.O.R. would pick up the win after flattening Darby with two penalty kicks, before taking flight with a diving knee for the shocking win.
—
Match 9: Thunder Rosa def. Serena Deeb to retain the AEW Women’s World Championship (16:55)
Heading into their Women’s World Title match at Double or Nothing, the feud between champion Thunder Rosa and challenger Serena Deeb wasn’t exactly anything to write home about. However, this match managed to surpass the lackluster build to deliver one of the finest AEW Women’s World Title matches in recent memory.
This match saw some snug, brutal action between Rosa and Deeb, as the valiant champion tried to overcome the technical superiority of her challenger. Rosa survived Deeb’s offense long enough to deliver the Fire-Thunder Driver to retain her title.
It’s a testament to the talent of both women that they were able to bring a crowd that seemed on the verge of feeling burnt out back into it.
Rosa’s successful title defense definitely gives her the signature win that she desperately needed to kickstart her Women’s World Title reign into another gear.
—
Match 10: Jericho Appreciation Society def. Bryan Danielson, Jon Moxley, Eddie Kingston, Santana and Ortiz (22:45) – Anarchy in the Arena
With a match called “Anarchy in the Arena”, nobody knew what to expect heading into this encounter between the sports entertainment “wizards” of the Jericho Appreciation Society and the loose alliance of Blackpool Combat Club and L.A.X.
True to its name, this match was pure, unbridled anarchy that matched the chaos of the previous two Stadium Stampede matches of the past two years. Right from the opening moments of Anarchy in the Arena, we got a taste (pun intended) of the madness when fights between B.C.C. and the J.A.S. broke out while Jon Moxley’s entrance song continued to play.
From there, things escalated even further with smaller brawls invovling barbed wire tables, ring ropes being used as weapons, and a bloodied Eddie Kingston brandishing a gas can cylinder. The end came when Bryan Danielson tried to fight back against J.A.S.’s Chris Jericho and Jake Hager, but utlimately fell short when he was choked out with the ring ropes, forcing the referee to stop the match.
The manner that the J.A.S. won presumably means that this feud is far from over, and it seems clear that we’re due a rematch inside the confines of AEW’s bloodiest cage match known as Blood and Guts. How we get to that point should make for an interesting, violent summer between the B.C.C. and the J.A.S.
As for this match, it has to be seen to be believed from start to finish. An entertaining romp that stands out as one of the best matches of the Double or Nothing card.
—
Match 11: Jungle Boy & Luchasaurus def. Ricky Starks & Powerhouse Hobbs and Keith Lee & “Swerve” Strickland (17:15)
Jungle Boy and Luchasaurus faced the biggest challenge of their Tag Title reign to date when they took on Team Taz’s Powerhouse Hobbs and Ricky Starks, plus the team of “Swerve” Strickland and Keith Lee.
Christian Cage’s attempts to assist Jungle Boy on two occasions almost cost his team the match, but it woudln’t matter in the end as Jurassic Express managed to retain their tag team gold.
Jurassic Express’s victory in this match probably isn’t the best booking decision at the time, especially with the continued “will or won’t he” maybe-betrayal from Christian Cage looming. A title loss to either Team Taz or “Swerve in Our Glory” could’ve finally put that story beat into motion. That said, the match itself was a quality tag team encounter between three of AEW’s finest tag teams, which has practically become a hallmark of the company.
—
Match 12: CM Punk def. “Hangman” Adam Page to win the AEW World Championship (25:40)
This main event title match found a renewed intensity when Hangman Page vowed to “protect” AEW and its richest prize from CM Punk, hinting that he saw right through the Best in the World’s supposed “charade”.
Punk attempted to twice hit a Buckshot Lariat on Page, but couldn’t get the right footing for it. Page responded by hitting the GTS for a close near fall.
We reached our conclusion with a referee bump, which gave Hangman an opportunity to come through with his promise to destroy Punk by way of a shot with the AEW World Title belt itself. However, a crisis of conscience provided hesitation and Page opted not to use his championship as a weapon. Instead, he tried to go for a Buckshot, that was soon reversed by Punk into a GTS for the 1, 2, 3.
Now comes the most interesting aspect, which is the aftermath of this match’s outcome. What will happen to Hangman’s confidence now that he’s lost the one title that he fought like hell to earn? Will we see his fears about CM Punk’s “true nature” shine through and a heel Summer of Punk happening once again? Only time will tell, and it can be said that this wild ride has only just begun.
—
Marc Quill is the editor of RingCrashers, GateCrashers’ home for all your All Elite Wrestling and indie wrestling needs. He’s also the web novelist behind Skye Emery: Bluebird, which you can read here. You can chat with him about wrestling, comics, and stuff in general on @MarcQuill on Twitter.
