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With All In: Texas on the horizon, AEW is currently gearing up for its upcoming pay-per-view, Double or Nothing 2025. The event is set to feature many of the Tony Khan-led promotion's top names in a variety of matches, advancing its ongoing storylines.
Recent All Elite programming has garnered positive reactions from viewers over improvements with respect to booking and presentation. Tony Khan will likely be looking to carry this wave of momentum forward, and to that end, could consider avoiding a few potential creative mistakes at Double or Nothing. Let us consider five such errors.
#1. Ricochet must not lose to Mark Briscoe
Ricochet has grown by leaps and bounds as a character since embracing his heel persona at the start of this year. Turning to the dark side has led to The One and Only running into conflict with a number of fan-favorites lately, including Swerve Strickland, Mike Bailey, Kevin Knight and Mark Briscoe. He crossed a major line, however, when he attacked former WWE Superstar Zach Gowen and stole the latter's prosthetic leg for opposing him.
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Not satisfied with beating Gowen one-on-one at AEW Dynamite: Beach Break, Ricochet had launched a post-match ambush on the 42-year-old until Mark Briscoe arrived to make the save. The former ROH World Champion has since challenged The Future of Flight to a Stretcher Match at Double or Nothing 2025. The former WWE Intercontinental Champion should not be booked to lose this bout.
Ricochet, it should be noted, has yet to win a singles PPV match in AEW since his debut in the promotion last year. The Excellence of Elevation could greatly benefit from defeating Briscoe at Double or Nothing. Playing a part behind temporarily writing off The Sussex County Chicken would draw considerable heel heat on the decorated high-flyer and could push his current run to the next level.
#2. Mercedes Mone must not win the Women's Owen Hart Cup
Mercedes Mone is still unbeaten in All Elite Wrestling. However, she did suffer a huge blow recently after losing one of her multiple championships - the NJPW Strong Women's Title - to AZM, despite not being pinned herself, in a three-way match. The CEO will be looking to make up for it by adding the AEW Women's World Title to her name, and to that end, she is resolved to win the 2025 Women's Owen Hart Cup.
Mercedes will take on Jamie Hayter in the tournament finals at Double or Nothing later this month. The two women have come to blows on TV over the past couple of weeks, and fans have been voicing excitement regarding their imminent showdown. Although a potential Women's World Title match between Mone and Toni Storm at All In: Texas would no doubt be a huge draw, it is Hayter who should arguably win the tournament.
The Englishwoman has a history with Toni Storm, since she was dethroned as World Champion by the latter at Double or Nothing two years ago. Winning the Owen Cup would allow Jamie to revisit her feud with The Illustrious One and avenge her previous loss to Storm. Mone, on the other hand, could move on to a title-for-title feud with Athena, the seeds for which were planted just last month.
#3. Tony Khan must not miss the chance to bring back Mariah May to AEW after Toni Storm's match
Toni Storm has a match scheduled for Double or Nothing 2025 herself. As she was pinned by Mina Shirakawa in a four-way Eliminator Match at Dynamite: Beach Break, The Timeless One will be defending her AEW Women's World Championship against The Venus of Professional Wrestling on the May 25 pay-per-view.
The two women had previously squared off over the belt at last year's Forbidden Door. However, the circumstances were different, as Storm's then-protege Mariah May managed to forge a bond between Toni and her long-time ally Mina after the bout.
Since then, of course, The Glamour has turned on both Storm and Shirakawa, and even registered a reign as Women's World Champion. However, she later lost the belt to her former mentor and has been missing in action since their violent and bloody war at Revolution 2025.
Recent rumors indicate that May could be WWE-bound, although her post anticipating Mina Shirakawa's AEW return as an official roster member has led some to speculate that The Fighting Princess could come back to reunite with her former Stardom teammate.
This reunion should ideally not be delayed much longer if Mariah decides to continue her All Elite Wrestling stint. Tony Khan should thus consider bringing May back into the fold after Shirakawa's title match against Storm at Double or Nothing.
#4. Hangman Page must not lose in the Owen Cup finals
The finals of the men's 2025 Owen Hart Cup will be contested between Will Ospreay and Adam Page. Both stars are beloved among the AEW fanbase, and either could feasibly win the tournament to receive a World Title shot at All In: Texas.
However, it can be argued that The Aerial Assassin holds the advantage as far as momentum is concerned. He is also being heavily advertised for Forbidden Door 2025 (set to air from London), birthing speculations that the Billy Goat could be pushed further into the World Championship picture.
That said, it is Page who should be picked as the winner of this year's Owen Cup, as his character needs a major victory to be re-established as a legitimate top act. The Hangman has not held the AEW World Title since 2022, and notably, has not fought for the belt one-on-one in nearly three years. It is Page, therefore, who should beat Ospreay at Double or Nothing and advance to All In: Texas for the opportunity to reclaim his belt.
A loss to The Cowboy at this stage would not hurt the former International Champion's trajectory or credibility either, as he can have his own crowning moment at any point in the future.
#5. Death Riders and The Elite must not lose to Team AEW
The Death Riders and The Elite have finally joined forces, judging from the developments on AEW Dynamite: Beach Break last Wednesday. After the challenge was laid out by Swerve Strickland, it appears that the Jon Moxley-led group will unite with The Young Bucks as well as with NJPW's Gabe Kidd to take on a unit of babyfaces in an Anarchy in the Arena match at Double or Nothing 2025.
While the exact composition of the two teams has not yet been confirmed, most of the players involved on either side are exceptionally suited for the violent, chaotic matchup. The heel alliance needs to score the win at Arizona to boost their credibility as a dangerous group. The Death Riders, especially, have taken multiple big losses lately, and a repetition of that at Double or Nothing could cause irreparable damage to their reputation.
The same goes for the AEW EVPs, who need to be part of a statement-making victory after their return last month. From a narrative standpoint, the heels winning Anarchy in the Arena would properly establish The Death Riders - Elite alliance as a force to be reckoned with, and allow their story to move forward to its next chapter en route to All In: Texas.
