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AEW Double or Nothing 2021 takes place this Sunday at Daily's Place in Jacksonville, Florida. The event will have a capacity crowd on hand, marking the first time this has happened for an AEW pay-per-view since February 2020.
As great as it will be to have fans in attendance at AEW Double or Nothing, that is far from the only talking point heading into the show. Every major championship in the company will be defended on the card. In addition, legends will be celebrated and some serious grudges settled.
Having passed the second anniversary of its debut show earlier this week, Tony Khan's promotion is currently firing on all cylinders.
The company recently announced a brand new television deal and will add a second weekly prime time television show, AEW Rampage, in August. On top of this, AEW will also produce four annual special events for its US broadcast partner TNT.
With so much upcoming expansion, these are exciting times for AEW fans. The next step in the company's evolution comes this Sunday at AEW Double or Nothing. With the eyes of the wrestling world watching, here are five things that should happen at the pay-per-view.
#5 Dr. Britt Baker should receive her crowning moment at AEW Double or Nothing
At last year's AEW Double or Nothing event, Hikaru Shida began a record-breaking title reign when she defeated Nyla Rose.
Shida has held the AEW Women's World Championship ever since, racking up more than a year with the gold. However, while Shida has been the woman to beat in AEW over the last 12 months, Dr. Britt Baker has been the company's fastest-rising female star.
The charismatic Baker really found her groove as a heel in 2020 and enters her championship match with Shida at AEW Double or Nothing on the back of a six-match winning streak in singles competition.
Baker is also a hit with the AEW audience, as her appearance on Friday's edition of Dynamite proved. One of the loudest reactions of the whole show came as the crowd chanted Baker's DMD title along with her at the end of an interview. The time has come for Baker to become one of the faces of the promotion.
Only three women have ever held the AEW Women's Championship. At AEW Double or Nothing 2021, Dr. Britt Baker (D.M.D) should be the fourth.
#4 Anthony Ogogo should leave AEW Double or Nothing looking strong after his match with Cody Rhodes
Former professional boxer Anthony Ogogo makes his pay-per-view debut this weekend at AEW Double or Nothing.
The 32-year-old Brit has made quite the impact since aligning himself with QT Marshall and The Factory on the March 31 edition of Dynamite. The newly-formed faction immediately went after Cody Rhodes, who Ogogo will face on Sunday night.
A legitimate athlete with an Olympic bronze medal to his name, Ogogo has been wrecking opponents ever since with brutal body shots. AEW has something special on its hands in Ogogo and they need to protect his credibility when he squares off with Cody.
The Rhodes vs Ogogo match at AEW Double or Nothing has been built around a 'USA vs. Great Britain' theme. Rhodes has adopted the American Dream nickname of his late father Dusty for one night only and it is questionable whether AEW will allow Cody to lose a match in such circumstances.
Ogogo, however, has such great potential as a heel that AEW should ensure Cody does not get the better of him easily. If Ogogo was to land one of his trademark shots to the midsection of Rhodes, only for Cody to rise to his feet seconds later, the reputation of The Guv'nor would take a big hit.
AEW Double or Nothing is a huge showcase for Anthony Ogogo. He has a chance to secure his status as a fixture on pay-per-view for years to come with a strong showing against Cody.
#3 Sting needs to emerge victorious at AEW Double or Nothing
Sting returns to live, in-ring action for the first time in nearly six years at AEW Double or Nothing. The Icon will team up with Darby Allin to take on the duo of Scorpio Sky and Ethan Page.
The WCW legend joined forces with Allin to defeat Brian Cage and Ricky Starks in a Street Fight back in March at AEW's Revolution pay-per-view. But that was a cinematic match, pre-taped on location.
This Sunday at AEW Double or Nothing, Sting will wrestle again in front of a live crowd. The Stinger has not participated in an official match since he suffered a neck injury during a match with Seth Rollins at WWE Night of Champions in September 2015. He announced his retirement shortly after.
Much to the delight of fans everywhere, the 62-year-old will compete again at least one more time in his storied career. Sting's run in WWE was considered a disappointment, largely because the veteran lost every major match he had in the company. AEW should not make that same mistake this weekend.
At AEW Double or Nothing, Sting should leave with his hand raised on the big stage. Scorpio Sky and Ethan Page can always get retribution later. On Sunday evening though, AEW should give its audience the chance to cheer a wrestling great.
#2 Tony Khan needs to deliver on the "great surprises" he has promised at AEW Double or Nothing
With the company entering one of the biggest periods in its history, AEW Double or Nothing 2021 is a massive show for all involved.
This is especially true for Tony Khan. The AEW boss appeared on the most recent edition of AEW's Unrestricted podcast to preview this weekend's pay-per-event. It is fair to say that a newsworthy show was promised:
"There’s gonna be a huge expansion of the company and I think that’s where Double Or Nothing comes in. Our huge signature pay-per-view, we take our quarterly events seriously. I want Double Or Nothing to be one of the great pay-per-views we’ve done and I think the return of crowds is gonna help boost this great card. But I also think that we have to start expanding the roster in AEW and there’s gonna be great moments and great surprises on the show," vowed Tony Khan.
Khan has a generally sound track record of delivering on his word. However, with so many exciting free agents on the market, he really needs to come through at AEW Double or Nothing.
With the likes of Daniel Bryan and Andrade technically able to join AEW at present, anything other than a major name debuting for the company this weekend will likely be viewed as a disappointment, particularly with Khan touting "great surprises" for the show.
AEW Double or Nothing seems certain to be a top-tier show. Whether it can provide a truly shocking moment remains to be seen.
#1 The Inner Circle should remain a unit by defeating The Pinnacle in the Stadium Stampede match at AEW Double or Nothing
Should The Inner Circle lose to their fierce rivals The Pinnacle at AEW Double or Nothing, Chris Jericho's group will be forced to disband.
The two warring factions will meet in the second-ever Stadium Stampede match. Essentially an all-out, anything goes, five-on-five brawl inside TIAA Bank Field (home of the NFL's Jacksonville Jaguars franchise), last year's edition of the match was one of the most unique bouts in all of 2020.
In that match, The Inner Circle were defeated by The Elite after 33 minutes of absolute carnage throughout the stadium. A loss for the team of Jericho, Hager, Guevara, Santana and Ortiz at AEW Double or Nothing 2021 will have permanent consequences.
Over its couple of years in existence, AEW has proven that it is determined to abide by its stipulations. Cody Rhodes stated he would never again challenge for the AEW World Championship after failing to win the gold in 2019 - and, to date, he has stayed true to his word.
With that in mind, if The Inner Circle lose at AEW Double or Nothing, they are almost certainly done as a unit. This is why they must not lose on Sunday night.
The faction dates back to AEW's very first television show and is one of the best established acts in the company. The five members of The Inner Circle play off each other perfectly and still have plenty more mileage in them as a collective.
Having four stablemates by his side also allows Chris Jericho the opportunity to build feuds and storylines without necessarily having to wrestle on a regular basis. By not overexposing its most well-known mainstream star, AEW can utilize Jericho to his fullest over the long-term.
As with most teams, there may come a point where it is time to break up The Inner Circle. That moment, though, is not at AEW Double or Nothing this weekend. Jericho and company should pick up the win on Sunday and continue their legacy as a group.
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