Quick Thoughts: AEW Double or Nothing 2024

Five years ago the wrestling landscape changed with the formation of All Elite Wrestling and with their 2024 edition of Double or Nothing it was a chance to reflect and look back and celebrate the company and its achivements (and falls) in that time. While I feel the weekly TV has been hit and miss with dropped stories and a feel of lack of direction for many stars the PPV's for AEW normally deliver as they focus on the companies strength being the in ring action. It's no secret AEW ticket sales are down so hopefully they can boost things starting with this show. Failing that they can just manipulate the wrestling media like WWE and just lie about the show being good and have twitter lie and boost it as well. Anyway, forgetting that let's break down the action for Double or Nothing match by match. 

The Buy In:

Thunder Rosa vs. Deonna Purrazzo
This has been a good feud being built up on the past of both women being unavble to beat Toni Storm. I feel that Deonna works best as a heel and her promo game has been upped since her time in AEW started. Thunder Rosa gets better each time she's in the ring post injury so I was expecting this to be a good match. This was a fine match with Deonna getting the win to continue their feud. I can see them having a submission match or some form of gimmick match in the future. 

The Acclaimed (Max Caster, Anthony Bowens, and "Daddy Ass" Billy Gunn) vs. Cage of Agony (Brian Cage and Gates of Agony (Toa Liona and Bishop Kaun))
In order to celebrate AEW's five year anniversary you have to have their best homegrown act in The Acclaimed duo of Anthony Bowens and Max Caster, while I may be tiring of their act they are still very over but I just feel their current run may have run its course (and I'd love a Bowens singles run). Was a meh match nothing to really 

Main Show:

AEW International Championship Match: Roderick Strong (c) (with Matt Taven and Mike Bennett) vs. Will Ospreay
It's always nice seeing Will Ospreay. As someone else from Essex it's always nice to see Ospreay succeed (regardless of the lack of local press in Essex about actual sporting achievements because Marketing teams lack real research) and I've gone back and forth on him winning here. With WrestleDream in Swerve's hometown of Tacoma, Washington I can see him getting a big run past there (and deserved) so with the run Ospreay is on it makes sense to have him win a belt and the International Title is AEW's second biggest title so might as well have him win that. This match has a lot of intrigue for me as it's two of AEW's best in the last 12 months going at it and if MJF was to return anywhere it would be here it makes this probably a lot of people's most interested match of the night. Apart from the bit where The Kingdom tried to kill Will Ospreay I really enjoyed this (as expected). Very happy Will won and wonder who he faces at All In but good start for the show.

MJF being back is such a huge boost for AEW. He's so good at everything he does and adds a lot of quality to AEW. I wonder if the build to MJF vs. Adam Cole at All In again starts now. Confirming this is the place where you can see him for the near future is great news for AEW.

Unified World Trios Championship Match: Bang Bang Gang (Jay White and The Gunns (Austin Gunn and Colten Gunn)) (c) vs. Death Triangle (PAC, Rey Fénix and Penta El Zero Miedo) (with Alex Abrahantes)
Who doesn't love PAC he is the best. I'm glad he's back and Jay White also being a champion is great. I think in terms of the men in this it has a chance to be the best trios title match in AEW's history and all 6 men are great (yes even The Gunns they get better with each match). This match felt like it took a while to get going it was odd I don't know if there was a chemistry issue or it was just in a bad place on the card following Ospreay and then the MJF return. Good to see Juice back but match didn't live up to my hopes. I'll give it double the stars if they just have one trios titles but let's see. 

AEW Women's World Championship Match: "Timeless" Toni Storm (c) (with Luther and Mariah May) vs. Serena Deeb
With Mercedes going for the TBS title it makes sense not to have a big match for Toni and save bigger rivals and matches for later on (hopefully Jamie Hayer is back soon enough) and as such Serena is a good enough bell to bellt wrestler for a good match. Maybe I'm already looking past this match for the Toni vs. Mina Shirakawa match likely at Forbidden Door but I wasn't overly invested in the match. Don't get me wrong it was a good match in ring but I just never thought Serena would win. However, the last few minutes I thought were really good and enjoyable.

Trent Beretta vs. Orange Cassidy
Two men who have been there since the beginning and the Best Friends being no more. For Trent this needs to be a big match and a big showcase to launch his singles run and a win over one of AEW's top faces and most popular acts in Orange Cassidy would be a good way to do it. I enjoyed this match I think it was a good showing for Trent which was the main idea to boost his stock as a singles guy maybe a little long but still fun. No idea what the post match Trent stuff was about but with no wins and no friends I guess I'd quit as well. 

FTW Championship Match: Chris Jericho (c) (with Big Bill) vs. HOOK vs. Katsuyori Shibata
I'm mixed on this Jericho gimmick. I find parts of it fun but I do think it would've been better if he had been away for a bit, still let's move HOOK away from the FTW title and do something else let's see how the works when really tested with something new. I can only imagine all three are hurting after all this dice bumps that stuff hurts. Good to see Bryan Keith get a featured roll on the show hopefully he gets more I'd like to see him win some matches. I enjoyed this match as well not the best match you'll ever see but still an enjoyable watch. 

IWGP World Heavyweight Championship Eliminator Match: Jon Moxley vs. Konosuke Takeshita (with Don Callis)
Takeshita deserves more. He's too good to just be a goon behind Don Callis and I was hoping he will win this match. That's all I have for the build to this just give Take a big win then build him up (if you split Ospreay from Don Callis him vs. Takeshita 2 would be great). Good match with the simple story of the injured babyface fighting up and it building and building. I am surprised Mox won I guess New Japan didn't want to give Takeshita a title match weird I don't pretend to understand Japanese wrestling politics but still good match. 

AEW TNT Championship Barbed Wire Steel Cage Match: Adam Copeland (c) vs. Malakai Black
Can't wait for Cope to escape the cage because Malakai Black won't take a loss, surprise me and everyone Malakai take a pin. Regardless of me being over Malakai Black (send him back to WWE he idol worships Triple H for some fucking reason), I do enjoy this run for Adam Copeland and would rather he stayed as TNT champion for a while yet. This was fun and violent match given the stipulation you'd expect it to. I hope Cope it ok after his flying nothing off the top of the cage. It was fun to see Gangrel again.

AEW TBS Championship Match: Willow Nightingale (c) vs. Mercedes Moné
Time to see Mercedes really shine in AEW. Having her cut promos isn't her strength but in ring there's not many better so let's see how she is post injury. I hope this match lives up to its hype being the main featured women's feud and match on this card above the Women's World Title so expect it to be good. I thought this was a really good match and delivered on the expectations set. While Willow will likely run a gauntlet of foes back to the title in Statlander and maybe Megan Bayne I do wonder who Mercedes will face. I do think she should be facing someone from Stardom at Forbidden Door or even a women from CMLL.   

AEW World Championship Match: Swerve Strickland (c) (with Prince Nana) vs. Christian Cage (with Killswitch, Nick Wayne, and Mother Wayne)
Swerve is good, so good and he deserves to be world champion for a very long time. Christian is great and deserve all the credits and hall of fame inductions possible. It's interesting this feud intertwines with the Elite with them buddying with Christian I wonder if that will cause issues later (maybe Young Bucks vs. Edge & Christian) but we will see. Swerve has been good since his feud with Hangman and is a deserved face of the company I just hope he can continue his momuntum and a champion. Good match for Swerve in his first PPV defence, you expect Christian to be a good opponent but I felt these two had better chemistry then I thought they would. 

Anarchy in the Arena Match: The Elite (Kazuchika Okada, Jack Perry, and The Young Bucks (Matthew Jackson and Nicholas Jackson)) vs. Team AEW (Bryan Danielson, Darby Allin, and FTR (Cash Wheeler and Dax Harwood))
The Elite are doing great, the additions of Okada & Jack Perry really help add life to what has been a fun gimmick. Anarchy in the Arena is always a lot of fun and chaos so wondering how this will work especially for Okada with this being so different to what he normally does. This is just so hard to keep track of. I love the music coming on and off and being stopped because it's too expensive to keep playing final countdown and Jack Perry running over Darby (again). Jack Perry getting set on fire what a madman something I would never do fair play to him. I just don't know how to review something like this just an insane match if you can call it that more of a fight. 

Please stop ending this shows a 5:30 UK time it hurts my sleeping pattern for a good week after just an hour less please. While not as good as Dynasty I did enjoy the show overall and it had some good matches and moments. I do wonder if AEW would benefit from a head booker who can dedicate their entire time to just the show with Tony Khan giving approval just so they have a dedicated head point with a sole focus. Anyway, Forbidden Door is next and I do wonder who from New Japan will be used given the fact all their former top guys (even from last years two biggest matches) are now in AEW.