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With Double or Nothing just a few days away, AEW put on their final episode of Dynamite before the big show.
We still had so many questions as we sat down to watch; will The Elite get on the same page? Will Jon Moxley reclaim his stolen world championship? Does Orange Cassidy still have a face?
Well all those questions and more were answered in this bumper edition of AEW Dynamite. We had Jake Roberts and Arn Anderson come face to face, a brutal women's tag team match, an intense, personal singles match between Matt Hardy and Sammy Guevara, and much more!
So let's waste no more time and get right into it. Here are five things we learned from the 20th of May edition of AEW Dynamite.
#5 Several injuries took place on AEW Dynamite
In AEW's short history, they've done a pretty good job in avoiding any big injuries with their talent. The majority of their competitors haven't picked up any long term injuries and, if anyone has been hurt, it's not been for that long. However, last night was the reminder that anything can go wrong at any time- which could have very negative connotations.
The lesser of the two involved one member of the Casino Ladder Match at Double or Nothing- Rey Fenix. After going head to head with Orange Cassidy in a singles match and picking up the victory, a mass brawl took place on the outside. A grouping of wrestlers congregated on the outside so Fenix went for a splash off the top rope. Have a look for yourself...
As you can see- Rey landed INCREDIBLY hard and looked to be in some pain. Thankfully, Tony Schiavone confirmed he was ok in the post-show discussion. However, the more serious injury took place to 'The Role Model', Britt Baker.
Baker had her knee bent when Nyla Rose was thrown directly onto the limb and Britt was immediately in serious discomfort. After the doctor checked on her, it was visible to see that something wasn't right. As a result of this, there has been discussion and queries within the wrestling community as to whether or not her Double or Nothing matchup against Kris Statlander will continue. Whilst we have had no concrete announcement of her condition as I write this- we all need to remember how human this individuals are.
#4 Jake Roberts and Arn Anderson face off
Two icons of the industry sat down to hype up one of the most exciting matches on AEW Double or Nothing as Arn Anderson and Jake Roberts conducted a war of words, and almost more on AEW Dynamite.
In a surprising turn of events, Jake Roberts suggested that the two men themselves engage in a fight, sometime down the road. It was brought to the viewers attention that, somehow, Jake and Arn had never competed in the same match as each other- a fact that blew the minds of many watching. Two of the greatest to ever lace a pair of boots, and two of the best ever to hold a microphone, never made contact inside the squared circle.
However, as the coach for the Nightmare Family, Anderson was more focused on the match between their two clients and the man who will be presenting the AEW TNT Championship, 'Iron' Mike Tyson. Questioning if Jake is brave enough to 'throw his snake on him'- it is revealed that Tyson will be ringside during the match itself, adding a further dynamic to the bout.
The segment ended with both men having to be separated by referees and, whilst I seriously doubt we will ever seen Arn Anderson vs Jake Roberts take place in an AEW ring- it further built up the credibility of the match, showcasing the passion both men have and how important this match up is for all involved.
#3 Brodie Lee Will Sacrifice Anyone
It was made abundantly clear last night on AEW Dynamite, despite Brodie Lee clearly having a preference to '10', his most prominent minion, he won't risk his own health and safety to ensure he remains intact.
Jon Moxley took on 10 and defeated him in short order with a DDT, pile-driver and finally a paradigm shift. However, the AEW World Champion wasn't finished there. Announcing that he wasn't going to 'chase Lee around backstage like a geek'- he announced that, if Mr Brodie Lee didn't come out and hand him back his world championship, he would break the arm of his most trusted Dark Order member.
As Lee only appeared on the titantron and stated 'Sacrifices need to be made', he refused to hand over the AEW World Title and allowed Jon Moxley to destroy 10's arm. This segment was successful for two main reasons. It first showed that, despite being a babyface- Moxley's character allows him to do objectively bad things as he will do anything and everything to get his title back into his hands.
Simultaneously, it played up to the emotionless character that Brodie Less has slowly been cultivating over the past few weeks. Yes, the Dark Order are useful to him as they provide an army for him to overwhelm his enemies with. But he truly does not care for their own well-being, it's the mindset of quantity over quality. Brodie Lee will stop at nothing to defeat Jon Moxley at AEW Double or Nothing, even if he must lose a few good men along the way.
#2 A New Match Is Announced For AEW Double or Nothing
During AEW Dynamite, Shawn Spears debuted a new segment, 'Shawn Spears News', and he wasted absolutely zero time in creating his usual controversy within it.
Announcing that Dustin Rhodes had 'retired' after his recent loss to Lance Archer in the TNT Championship tournament, obviously false, he stated that it was probably a 'hard pill to swallow'...before going onto say that Dustin had no issue swallowing pills 12 years ago.
Referencing Dustin's addiction past is one hell of a way to kickstart a feud and, after furiously challenging the older brother of Cody to a match at AEW Double or Nothing, the bout was made official for Saturday.
It will certainly be interesting to see where the result takes us with this one. On one hand, Dustin has been presented incredibly well since joining the company, having arguably the best match in the promotion's history alongside his brother but still needs a big win over an establish star.
However, on the other side, Spears has been low down on the card for a while now and, although his debut was shocking- he's not been able to get a full chance to showcase his talents. A win over a veteran would do him the world of good within AEW.
#1 The Elite are united...maybe?
If the ending of this last night's AEW: Dynamite is anything to go by, the 'Stadium Stampede' match-up is going to be insane.
After defeating Sammy Guevara in the middle of the ring, Matt Hardy was greeted by a titantron showing Kenny Omega tied to the Jaguars ringpost outside. When Hardy ran out to save him, he was jumped by The Inner Circle and beaten down. However, to save the day- The Young Bucks made their return to AEW television.
Although, the save didn't last long as they were still without the numbers advantage...until a cowboy began running in the distance and Hangman Adam Page returned to television with a huge lariat that eventually saw the Inner Circle off:
It is clear that The Elite, whilst victorious last night, are still not entirely on the same page. With Hangman leaving and not standing with his brothers, and Kenny Omega and Matt Hardy in less than physical brilliance after a tough fought match and a brutal beat down respectively, the 'Stadium Stampede' match at AEW Double or Nothing is sure to be as explosive as it sounds.
