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Never hold a show at MGM Grand Garden Arena again.
I was at AEW Double or Nothing live in Las Vegas. To be at the premier show of this new promotion was quite memorable to say the least. Other then the forty-five minute wait to get into the Arena, the show lived up to its hype.
AEW Double or Nothing was an exciting show that provided plenty of surprises for all that were watching on Saturday night. The three main event matches delivered in a way that provides so many storyline possibilities going forward for this young promotion. Just figure out how to get people out of the hot Vegas sun faster, please All Elite?
With the thoughts of all the possible Jon Moxley matches in my mind, I present my list of the top five most surprising moments of AEW Double or Nothing:
#5 So Many Surprise Appearances
Cody promised some true surprises for the show and he sure delivered. The Garden Arena was filled with some loud reactions for sure on Saturday night. I spent most of the night standing to the many shocking appearances throughout the four hour show.
Awesome Kong was quite a pleasant surprise for sure. She hasn’t really wrestled since 2016. To see the 41-year old veteran hanging with three young competitors was a great addition to the division. It was a fast-paced match and she provided some needed energy that the women’s match could truly use.
Bret Hart’s appearance was a shock as well. Sure he made a few minor errors in his promo but it provided some needed gravitas to the unveiling of the AEW World Title belt. The fans enjoyed other surprise appearances by DDP and Tommy Dreamer. All Elite seems to be off to a great start providing nostalgia moments with truly exciting content around it.
#4 Omega Loses Clean
It seems Kenny Omega was the only AEW Executive Vice President that was really willing to lose in Las Vegas at the first AEW show
It is still very strange to see Kenny Omega, one of the biggest stars in the world, lose to 48-year old Chris Jericho in 2019. It happened in such a sudden fashion as well. Kenny was unable to hit his finisher multiple times and Jericho countered with his new finisher for the win. It was brief and quite sudden.
It is still so surprising to see Omega lose clean. Since he was destroyed by two former-WWE wrestlers on Saturday, you wonder how they will be able to build up Kenny's credibility going forward at AEW shows. But it does allow for many possible feuds for “The Cleaner” going forward. I mean, who doesn't want to see Omega versus Moxley?
#3 The Young Bucks Retain
I feel that counts as a subdued Young Bucks’ match.
The Young Bucks versus the Lucha Bros was an athletic contest filled with moves that humans shouldn’t be able to do so easily. Fenix’s move set makes him the star of the match. He used his own brother, Penta El Zero, to jump onto the Young Bucks. The Young Bucks also moved at a speed that seemed difficult for a nearly twenty-five minute encounter. They focused on selling the injuries and limiting the “Superkick Party”.
The shock for us in the arena was seeing the Bucks retain. It seems like AAA would want a more full-time team with the titles going forward. But it does allow the possibility of a rematch. I believe everyone would be ok with that match.
#2 The Emotions of Dustin versus Cody
It is still hard to believe that Dustin Rhodes is 50 years old. The performance he was able to put on in Vegas on Saturday was quite impressive to say the least. If that was to be his last match it would have been just about perfect. However, surprisingly it is not his final match.
Dustin Rhodes literally poured a lot of blood into his twenty-three minute brawl with his brother. The match was full of believable near falls and a lot of emotion. The most emotional moment was after the match when Cody asked his brother to tag with him one more time in July AEW show against the Young Bucks.
They both sold the emotion of that moment so beautifully. Their father would be proud of what they delivered at Double or Nothing.
#1 Jon Moxley Arrives
I mean could it really be anything else?
As I watched it live at MGM Garden Arena, there was no doubt that something was going to happen after the Jericho-Omega match ended. Jericho was his usual heel self and the longer his promo it lasted, the more you knew something major was up. You can’t go on that long without a big payoff. Jon Moxley certainly fits that bill.
It was certainly one of the loudest reactions I have ever heard live at a show. Moxley came through the crowd to the delight of everyone in attendance. I don’t know what really to think of Moxley taking out Chris Jericho and Kenny Omega on the same night but it sets him up as the major star for sure. AEW is in great shape for main event stars going forward. The entire promotion can say the same.
