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#2. Glorified indie spot fest
I'll be honest. Double or Nothing, for major parts, seemed like a quintessential indie show with high-quality production value. That was until Cody vs. Dustin Rhodes happened.
Call me old school but personally, the gruesome showdown between the sons of the legendary Dusty Rhodes was the match of the night. It had in-ring psychology, a profusely bleeding 50-year-old, a mushy story, the iconic Earl Hebner, DDP hoisting Brandi Rhodes back to the locker room and last but not the least, a wild crowd cheering every nuanced action.
Compare that to other matches on the card and they felt flat to an extent, despite the fans being invested in the in-ring action. The amount of no-selling and the unnecessary number of near-falls took away from the general impact of the matches.
It was entertaining, but in order to attract the traditional pro wrestling fans, AEW needs to pay more attention to making its matches seem more natural, with an equal emphasis on showcasing the diverse move sets of its proficient roster.
A fair assessment can only be made after AEW strings together weeks of TV programming. Until then, we hope for the best.
