AEW Double or Nothing 2022

AEW Double or Nothing 2022:

Buy in match 

Hookhausen vs. Tony Nese & Mark Sterling **1/2

(exactly what you expect you expected when you expected this match to happen)

For Wardlow’s freedom

MJF vs. Wardlow **1/2

(This really couldn’t of gone any other way)

Generations collide!! 

The Hardys vs. The Young Bucks **

(to put it bluntly this was not very good. In fact I wrote “this sucks” twice and deleted it because I didn’t wanna be that negative.. but negative or not it’s 100% accurate. I have a great deal of respect for the Hardee’s and they have earned every little bit of their beatupness. I have a great deal of respect for the young bucks ability to have a great match with anyone but I think they wrote a check that neither their ability or the Hardee’s bodies could cover)

AEW TBS Championship -- Jade Cargill (c) vs. Anna Jay -

(I don’t understand why they keep doing this to Paul Jade Cargill.. it’s not good for her it’s not good to watch it’s not good for women’s wrestling)

House of Black vs. Death Triangle ****1/2

(this was a pro wrestling gorilla match on a pay-per-view in front of a giant arena crowd! Super fun)

Men's Owen Hart Cup Finals

Adam Cole vs. Samoa Joe ***

(this was exactly as good or bad as I thought it would be I just didn’t think these two styles blended very well. It would’ve been better if it was a tiny bit shorter)

Women's Owen Hart Cup Finals

Dr. Britt Baker, D.M.D. vs. Ruby Soho ***3/4

(this was better than it’s male counterpart.. not by a lot and in very subtle ways but I think it just flowed better)

Mixed Trios 

America’s top team (Scorpio sky, Ethan Paige, and Paige VanZant) W/ Dan Lambert Vs Sammy Guevara, Ty conte and Frankie Kazarian) **3/4 

(there’s a great highlight reel to be made from this match but in real time it was just kind of a mess.)

Kyle O’Reilly Vs Darby Allin ****

(this was a great match I think it would’ve been even better with more time and better still with a little more build. Darby is well-known for his daredevil antics but he is a totally underrated wrestler between the ropes) 

AEW Women's World Championship -- Thunder Rosa (c) vs. Serena Deeb ****

(is it possible to really enjoy something but to be disappointed at the same time? This was great Deeb is one of the best wrestlers in the world. Rosa has all the pieces she’s just not always capable of putting them together. This was basic storytelling mixed with great execution. I think these two have a pro wrestling classic in them I hope they’re giving the platform to make it happen in the future. All things said this was a great match for fans of in between the ropes for wrestling. Two great no-nonsense incredible matches in a row I think that’s more than the distinguished competition has done in a year)

Anarchy in the Arena

Jericho Appreciation Society vs. Blackpool Combat Club, Eddie Kingston, Santana & Ortiz ****1/4

(I don’t care what anybody says I loved this. When Eddie Kingston re-emerge from the back with a container of gasoline I was just as engaged as I was with the comedy spot of Jericho busting the soundboard. This was a whole wrestling pay-per-view in one match. Great great stuff)

AEW Tag Team Championship -- Jungle Boy & Luchasaurus (c) vs. Team Taz vs. Keith Lee & Swerve Strickland ****

(these guys lived up to the unev enviable task of following up that wild anarchy in the arena match! Another very pro wrestling gorilla like match of sizzle no steak.. but this is a was delicious. If you’re a fan of intricate storytelling or even the two excellent pro wrestling matches to match his prior this may not be for you anymore than the anarchy in the arena match was.. but if you can relax and have a good time put away your red blazer and your loaded tennis racket you’ll totally dig on this. I will say I’m way more into the challenge teams than I am into the champions. I’d love to see them have a series of matches)

AEW World Championship -- "Hangman" Adam Page (c) vs. CM Punk ****1/4

(I was disappointed with the finish. I feel like the cowboy was one important victory away from being the first champion to really make the AEW belt matter on a grand scale… or maybe two it wouldn’t hurt if he turned away a big new Japan name… it’s also worth mentioning if I was booking AEW we wouldn’t be having a championship tournament right now and we wouldn’t of announced a dream match that we couldn’t deliver.. Tony I’m available and I love to work on Wednesdays)

My final thoughts

 this was not the best AEW pay-per-view but as good or better than any non-AEW show I’ve seen this year. If you got rid of the first three matches he would’ve cut the epic run time and a lot of complaining. I don’t mind long wrestling shows as long as they’re good and to be generous this started poorly.

With all that said Tony Kahn’s  booking in the talent of his diverse roster is outperforming every other wrestling federation on this planet.