AEW’s first official event, and their second unofficial one if you choose to count All In, takes place in just over a month. There are still a few gaps, but the card is already looking like a must-see event. How will things play out as AEW truly takes shape?
AEW has received flack since the announcement of the company’s formation because, despite the news coverage and hype, they hadn’t hosted a single event. That all changes on May 25 in the MGM Grand Garden Arena. In Paradise, Nevada, a stone’s throw south of Las Vegas, AEW brings us Double or Nothing.
With 32 announced wrestlers on the roster, AEW will put together their first event, and it’s one that’ll be headlined by two of the greatest tag teams in wrestling today. We’ll see AEW Executive Vice Presidents Cody Rhodes, The Young Bucks, and Kenny Omega all competing on a fairly stacked card.
While seven matches have been announced, there are still some openings to be filled and the opportunity for further surprises. If you look at All In, which is really the only thing we have to compare Double or Nothing to, the event was four hours long, not including the pre-show. There were 11 matches in total, 9 of which were on the main card. All In ended up coming very close to running over their allotted time, and as such the main event of the show had to be shortened.
With this circumstance in mind, it wouldn’t be surprising to see AEW go more conservative with Double or Nothing’s total matches, leaving them some room if a few go longer than anticipated. If the Over Budget Battle Royal goes to the pre-show, as it did at All In, six matches would certainly give them breathing room on a four hour, or even three hour, event.
Here, we’ll look at each match that’s been announced so far, the potential competitors that could be added to “to be announced” slots, and who the favorites are to walk out victorious at AEW’s first event. You can count on the winners at Double or Nothing being the favorites to take center stage as AEW starts to grow, and championships enter the mix.
Over Budget Battle Royal (Announced Participants: Sonny Kiss, Kip Sabian, Brandon Cutler, Ace Romero, Glacier, Brian Pillman Jr., Sunny Daze, and MJF)
With its cheeky name, the Over Budget Battle Royal was first seen last year at All In. That night, the 19-person contest featured a mix of veterans, young talent, surprise appearances, and even a single female competitor, Jordynne Grace. Much like that match, there’s really no telling what we’ll get from this one at Double or Nothing.
We already know of eight competitors who will be involved. Perhaps the most surprising inclusion will be WCW veteran Glacier, who last appeared as that character in WCW over 20 years ago. Since then, he’s continued to make sporadic appearances on the independent scene, and should be a fun addition to this battle royal. Don’t expect him to win, though.
The match also features rising stars who look to gain some momentum early in their AEW journey such as Sonny Kiss, Kip Sabian, Brandon Cutler, Ace Romero, Brian Pillman Jr., and Sunny Daze. We’ve also got several announced AEW talents who don’t have an official match yet, including male competitors Joey Janela, Chuckie T, Trent Beretta, Sammy Guevara, Jungle Boy, Jimmy Havoc, Michael Nakazawa, Darby Allin.
It’s not yet clear if AEW will follow the intergender lead of Jordynne Grace’s involvement in All In’s Over Budget Battle Royal, but if they do there are plenty of women who could join the fray. Yuka Sakazaki and Aja Kong are expected to be at Double or Nothing, but don’t have a confirmed match yet. You’ve also got Penelope Ford, Bea Priestley, Sadie Gibbs, Allie, and Hikaru Shida as potential entrants if they aren’t involved in a second women’s match at Double or Nothing.
However, the favorite has got to be MJF. Maxwell Jacob Friedman is only 23-years-old with less than five years of in-ring experience, but he’s quickly become one of the best and most entitled heels in independent wrestling. Fans love to hate him, and AEW would be smart to invest in this young talent with a big win here.
Prediction: MJF
“Hangman” Adam Page vs. PAC
One of AEW’s very first rivalries was birthed at their inaugural rally in Jacksonville, Florida. As “Hangman” Adam Page spoke at the rally, he found himself interrupted by one of wrestling’s hottest free agents. PAC, formerly known as Neville during his tenure with WWE, is arguably one of the most skilled in-ring competitors of this generation.
Adam Page proclaimed his goals in AEW, specifically stating he would be the first All Elite Wrestling Champion. The moment Page uttered these words, he found himself confronted by PAC. With no shortage of brash confidence, PAC boasted about already being a champion, having Dragon Gate’s Open the Dream Gate Championship with him.
PAC still holds that title to this day, and it would be interesting if AEW took the step of having that title on the line at Double or Nothing, should PAC still hold it next month. Regardless of the official stakes, this match is crucial to seeing who can put themselves forward into AEW’s top tier division.
Both of thee men are important founding members of AEW who will play key roles moving forward, but the winner of this contest is likely to be near the front of the line when the AEW Championship is created. PAC feels like the favorite going in, but it is for that reason I’m expecting Page to pick up the win. Hangman can benefit more from it, and PAC won’t be harmed at all by a hard-fought loss here.
Prediction: “Hangman” Adam Page
SoCal Uncensored (Christopher Daniels, Kazarian, Scorpio Sky) vs. CIMA and Two Others From OWE
Since the company formed, AEW has announced partnerships with two other entities in professional wrestling. One is Lucha Libre AAA, arguably the biggest promotion in Mexico, and the other is OWE. Oriental Wrestling Entertainment was founded in 2017. While technically the second Chinese professional wrestling promotion, OWE has an opportunity to be the first to survive and thrive in a constantly growing and global media environment.
After the company was founded, OWE brought in CIMA, a two-decade wrestling veteran and legend of Japan’s Dragon Gate promotion, to help train OWE’s young recruits and get the company off the ground. Since forming, OWE has already taken the wrestling world by storm, partnering at times with established companies Wrestle-1 and DDT Pro-Wrestling. While largely featuring completely new Chinese talent, OWE has also featured Japanese talents such as El Lindaman and American talents like Dezmond Xavier and Zachary Wentz.
At Double or Nothing, CIMA will be competing against the trio SoCal Uncensored. Christopher Daniels, Frankie Kazarian, and Scorpio Sky. These three veterans, mainstays in the past of Ring of Honor, were some of the first names signed on to AEW. As exciting as it will be to see them go up against a veteran like CIMA, it will be just as interesting to see who CIMA brings with him.
We know CIMA will bring two wrestlers from OWE, and OWE is holding a tournament to pick those competitors. Interestingly, OWE’s tournament will reportedly select four talents to travel to Double or Nothing. We can expect two to be a part of this match, and the other two may find themselves in the Over Budget Battle Royal.
The tournament hasn’t concluded, but we are sure to see great things from two of OWE’s most promising talents in this contest. On top of that, it’s one I can almost guarantee the OWE team winning. SoCal Uncensored are so established that a loss wouldn’t tarnish them at all, while a win for CIMA and his team would give OWE’s representatives a huge boost as AEW gets off the ground.
Prediction: CIMA and OWE
Kenny Omega vs. Chris Jericho
For as many important names have signed with AEW, it’s hard to dispute which two stand out from the pack. When AEW held their inaugural press conference back in January, there was no denying the biggest name to appear was Chris Jericho. Coming up on three decades in the industry, Chris Jericho is arguably one of the greatest professional wrestlers we’ve ever seen.
Capturing gold in just about every promotion he’s appeared in, Chris Jericho has also shown a skill that few wrestlers possess. Jericho has exhibited his ability to adapt and change with the times. There are common threads running through every iteration of his character, but it’s difficult to quantify just how many different Chris Jerichos we’ve seen over the years.
Jericho is also a multimedia star who has made plenty of waves outside of wrestling. He’s the lead singer of the heavy metal band Fozzy, who have released seven studio albums since forming in 1999. Jericho has been in movies, on television, and even competed on Dancing With The Stars. His brand has continued to grow with the extremely successful Talk is Jericho Podcast, and his cruise ship experience dubbed “Chris Jericho’s Rock ‘n’ Wrestling Rager at Sea.”
It’s not surprising that a man with that kind of a resume would have an ego big enough to claim sole responsibility for all of the hype and early success that AEW has had. However, there’s a younger name in wrestling whose presence in AEW has certainly played a role as well. Kenny Omega, revealed as an Executive Vice President of AEW, is seen by some as the greatest professional wrestlers of this generation.
Dave Meltzer’s widely respected rating system has only put 13 matches ever above the rating of 5 stars. Kenny Omega was a part of 8 of those 13 matches. Only five have been rated 6 stars or above, 4 of which involved Kenny Omega. At 7 stars, Meltzer’s highest rated match of all time was the 2-out-of-3 Falls Mach between Kenny Omega and Kazuchika Okada at Dominion in 2017.
That match also saw Omega capture the IWGP Heavyweight Championship, one of few non-Japanese wrestlers to do so, and hold it for over 200 days. In many ways, that reign and the matches leading up to it established Omega as undeniably one of the best in wrestling.
At Wrestle Kingdom 12, we finally saw these two personalities clash for the first time, and it was Kenny Omega who walked out with the win. Now, over a year later, Chris Jericho is looking for redemption. That loss has clearly eaten away at him, and this is his chance for revenge. I have no doubt these men will be mainstays of AEW moving forward, but Kenny Omega is at his best when he’s chasing someone, which means Chris Jericho is likely to even the score at 1-1 this time.
Prediction: Chris Jericho
Dr. Britt Baker vs. Nyla Rose vs. Kylie Rae
Since the founding of AEW in early 2019, we’ve heard about a commitment to women’s wrestling. Chief Brand Officer Brandi Rhodes has led that charge from within, and the company has signed some of the hottest names in women’s wrestling from the independent scene to anchor their division.
Dr. Britt Baker is a practicing dentist in Florida and an accomplished wrestler in her four years on the scene. Baker has slowly made her mark on the independent scene over these years, even earning opportunities to compete in NXT, on WWE Raw, and becoming a standout of the Fatal 4-Way Match at All In that also included Madison Rayne, Chelsea Green, and Tessa Blanchard.
Baker was one of the first talents to sign with AEW, but she’s got stiff competition at Double or Nothing. Her first opponent is “Smiley” Kylie Rae, whose bubbly personality and undeniable in-ring talent has endeared her to fans through her short 3-year career. Rae has competed all over the independent scene, locking up with names like Ember Moon, Barbi Hayden, Laynie Luck, Hyan, Kiera Hogan, and Jordynne Grace.
It was big news at the Las Vegas Rally for AEW to sign Kylie Rae, but she wasn’t the only woman revealed that night. An undeniable force inside the squared circle, AEW signed Nyla Rose, who will carry the edge in experience and sheer power against both Dr. Britt Baker and Kylie Rae at Double or Nothing.
The signing of Rose was huge news, as she was the first openly trans athlete to sign with a major wrestling promotion. Now, with Double or Nothing on the horizon, Rose is positioned right at the front of what looks to be an impressive women’s division. All three of these women will come together to put on a truly spectacular contest, but only one can pick up the victory.
Baker and Rae will surely find themselves at the top of AEW’s women’s division eventually, but this looks like it could be Rose’s night. This will be a close contest, but I see Nyla Rose making an imposing statement right out of the gate with a win that will put her right in line to lead AEW’s women’s division from the start.
Prediction: Nyla Rose
Cody vs Dustin Rhodes
After weeks of speculation from fans, Cody’s opponent for AEW Double or Nothing has finally been revealed. Going back to his roots, Cody will be up against his very own brother Dustin Rhodes. In the latest episode of AEW “The Road to Double or Nothing,” we heard from Dustin Rhodes himself about this upcoming contest. He dubbed it “one last ride,” but left us on a cliffhanger at the end with a simple “or is it?”
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The history between these two men writes itself. The two sons of wrestling legend, WWE Hall of Famer, and 3-time NWA World Heavyweight Champion Dusty Rhodes, Cody and Dustin have carved very different paths in the world of professional wrestling. Their history, and certainly their relationship as brothers, was undoubtedly shaped by the fact that they were born 16 years apart.
Not only were Cody and Dustin born into entirely different worlds, but also to entirely different fathers. Sure, they’re both the sons of Dusty Rhodes, but Dusty’s career in 1969 was a far cry from what his career would be in 1985. In the late ’60s and early ’70s, Dusty Rhodes was still making his mark on professional wrestling. He wasn’t a mainstay of NWA territories until 1974, and didn’t win his first NWA World Heavyweight Championship until 1979. It’s not difficult to imagine how this stage at his career made Dusty less than a perfect and present father.
On the other end of the spectrum, Cody Rhodes was born in 1985 when Rhodes was already a 2-time NWA World Heavyweight Champion and had taken over duties booking Jim Crockett Promotions, which would eventually become WCW. Cody got to be there for a father who had already proved himself in the industry, but was riding high on his laurels. Dusty’s two year run in WWF started when Cody was just four years old.
When Dusty returned to WCW in 1991, he found himself back in a booking role with a growing and eventually national company. Dusty was surely busy, but he didn’t have the same grind needed to establish himself, which let him be a better father to Cody than he’d had the chance to be for Dustin. To this day, it’s clearly something Dustin Rhodes is abundantly aware of, claiming Cody was born “with a silver spoon in his mouth.”
When Cody was a toddler, Dustin Rhodes was already cutting his teeth in the industry. From Florida to Japan to WCW, Dustin was an 8-year-veteran by the time he came to WWF and debuted the Goldust personality. Cody Rhodes made his in-ring debut in 2006, and was on Monday Night Raw only one year later. Dustin’s career was a hard-fought grind, and Cody seemed poised time and time again to take advantage of his heritage for quicker success.
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The two brothers even found their way to one another years later, teaming together for an eventual two reigns as WWE Tag Team Champions. Now, things have changed once again. Cody is the Executive Vice President of AEW, poised to lead what could be one of the most highly anticipated company launches the industry has seen.
Dustin is 50 years old, saying goodbye to a character that defined his career, and looking for “one last ride,” or something more, at the expense of his little brother. These two have everything to prove, both to us and to each other, and that will make this a truly unforgettable match. Either man could walk out the victor, but I think experience will take an edge over the cocky little brother on this night.
Prediction: Dustin Rhodes
AAA World Tag Team Championship Match: The Young Bucks (c) vs. The Lucha Bros
It’s the debut show for AEW, and many might guess that would mean the AEW Championship would be on the line in the main event. On the contrary, that title has yet to even be revealed. Instead, AEW is showing their commitment to tag team wrestling. Independent wrestling veterans, AEW Executive Vice Presidents, and arguably one of the greatest tag teams of this generation, The Young Bucks will take on another outstanding duo.
One of the most in-demand duos of the last five years, The Lucha Bros have been making their mark on an international scale. Their decision to sign with AEW was a huge acquisition for the fledgling company, and shows a true commitment to both the present and future of tag team wrestling.
When it first came together, this was a match that looked to simply represent great tag team wrestling. Wrestling fans know, without a single bit of doubt, that The Young Bucks and The Lucha Bros can put together a truly main event worthy instant classic inside the squared circle. However, things got personal between these two teams.
The Lucha Bros decided to make a statement, attacking The Young Bucks at AEW’s Las Vegas Rally only moments after their signing with AEW was announced. By the time the dust had settled, one of the Bucks had received a package piledriver from Pentagon Jr. and The Lucha Bros were standing tall. What started as an exhibition of two great teams had gotten very personal very quickly.
Just one month ago, things heated up when The Young Bucks made a visit to Mexico, confronting The Lucha Bros right after they’d captured the AAA World Tag Team Titles. Never ones to back down from a challenge, The Lucha Bros exhibited “cero miedo” and accepted the challenge with their newly won titles on the line. Unfortunately, two matches was too much, and The Young Bucks were victorious, capturing their first championship in Mexico.
Now, we look to AEW Double or Nothing. The Young Bucks hold titles that not only belonged to The Lucha Bros, but titles that belong in Lucha Libre AAA in Mexico. The Lucha Bros will bring everything they have to take them back. I expect a fantastic match, and both sides will get close to victory at different times, but The Lucha Bros weren’t at 100% when they last fought The Young Bucks. That won’t be the case this time, and we’ll see the titles change hands once again.
Prediction: The Lucha Bros