The fifth annual AEW Double or Nothing 2023 goes down at the T-Mobile Arena on Sunday, May 28th and promises to be a stacked and action-packed show.
The card will be topped by the AEW World Championship match between MJF, Darby Allin, Sammy Guevara, and “Jungle Boy” Jack Perry. Elsewhere, Adam Cole meets Chris Jericho in an Unsanctioned Match with ECW legend Sabu serving as the special guest enforcer.
The TNT, TBS, International, Women’s, and World Tag Team Titles will also all be on the line. Meanwhile, the war between The Elite and the Blackpool Combat Club will hit a new level of violence in Anarchy in the Arena.
The full card is as follows:
- MJF (c) vs. Sammy Guevara vs. “Jungle Boy” Jack Perry vs. Darby Allin – Pillars Four-Way Match for the World Championship
- Jamie Hayter (c) vs. Toni Storm – Women’s Championship
- The House of Black (c) vs. The Acclaimed and Billy Gunn – WorldTrios Championships
- The Elite vs Blackpool Combat Club – Anarachy in the Arena
- FTR (c) vs. Jeff Jarrett and Jay Lethal – World Tag Team Championships
- Wardlow (c) vs. Christian Cage – TNT Championship
- Adam Cole vs. Chris Jericho – Unsanctioned Match
- Jade Cargill (c) vs. Taya Valkyrie – TBS Championship
- 21-man Blackjack Battle Royal – International Championship
- Ethan Page and The Gunns vs. Matt Hardy, Jeff Hardy and Hook (If Page loses, Matt Hardy will hold his contract)
Who leaves Las Vegas with their hands held in victory? Let’s find out…
Ethan Page and The Gunns vs. Matt Hardy, Jeff Hardy and Hook
The first match of the night on the Buy In sees Matt Hardy continue his war with Ethan Page but this time his contract is on the line. The match saw the late edition of Hook after Isiah Kassidy was ruled out due to an injury bringing an extra level of threat to Page’s contract status.
Prediction: It’ll be great to see Jeff Hardy back in the ring and Page have to do Matt Hardy’s bidding following defeat in this match. The Hardy’s and Hook win.
21-man Blackjack Battle Royal – International Championship
Since winning the championship Orange Cassidy has successfully defended a total of 22 times and all of these bouts have taken their toll on his body. But the champ is still willing to defend the title telling the AEW roster to ask Tony Khan for a shot.
A multitude of wrestlers headed to Khan to answer the challenge, which resulted in the making of a 21-man Blackjack Battle Royal.
Prediction: The very nature of this match means anyone can win and it is the perfect way to take it off Cassidy without handing him the loss. Looking at the line up there are 5 or 6 clear favourites. Keith Lee, Big Bill, Jay White, Ricky Starks, Brian Cage, and Shane Strickland all have strong chances to remain the last man standing. The title has been readily represented on AEW television giving the winner much more exposure, which is something a talent as special as Shane Strickland needs. Strickland wins.
Jade Cargill (c) vs. Taya Valkyrie – TBS Championship
On the May 26th edition of Rampage Cargill successfully defended the TBS Championship Danni Bee in quick fashion. Following her 57th win Mark Sterling took to the mic and issued an open challenge. The challenge was answered by NWA’s Jennacide, who Cargill also defeated. After the victory, the champion was attacked and laid out by Valkyrie who then challenged her to a title match at Double or Nothing.
Ever since Valkyrie joined AEW she has targeted Cargill, her unbeaten streak and her title. The two recently clashed for the championship on the April 26th edition of Dynamite. During the match, Valkyrie was prohibited from using her Road to Valhalla finisher, which ended up costing her the match. She now gets a second chance to beat at the PPV.
Prediction: Upon her arrival in AEW it seemed as though Valkyrie was a strong option to dethrone Cargill as the champion. However, something just hasn’t quite landed and she just doesn’t feel like the right person to end Cargill’s undefeated streak. Cargill retains.
Adam Cole vs. Chris Jericho – Unsanctioned Match
Chris Jericho took offence to the over-the-top celebration AEW put on after Adam Cole defeated Daniel Garcia in his return match. The fallout saw Jericho orchestrate a vicious attack on Britt Baker while Cole was handcuffed to the ring ropes helpless to stop it.
An infuriated Cole sought revenge but Jericho and his crew continued to outnumber Cole. The shock debut of Roderick Strong evened out the odds, but Cole went one step further to ensure a fair fight with the surprise appearance of Sabu as the Special Enforcer for the Unsanctioned match.
Prediction: The unsanctioned stipulation ensures this outing will be a weapon-filled war with interference galore. Expect to see all of JAS, Strong, Baker and of course, Sabu get involved during the match before Cole picks up the victory over Jericho. Cole wins.
Wardlow (c) vs. Christian Cage – TNT Championship
After capturing the TNT title for a third time, it seemed as though Luchasaurus turned his attention to the champion. However, it was later revealed that it was Christian Cage who wanted the title.
Wardlow then called out Cage, who, alongside Luchasaurus, beat down the champ in a ladder-assisted attack. In response to the assault, the champion challenged Cage to a Ladder Match at the PPV.
Prediction: The Ladder Match is Cage’s speciality plus the backup of Luchasaurus certainly gives him the advantage. Plus Cage would make a great TNT Champion and bring an air of prestige to the title. But Wardlow is in desperate need of momentum after a string of stop/start pushes and a big win over Christian will do that. Wardlow retains.
FTR (c) vs. Jeff Jarrett and Jay Lethal – World Tag Team Championship
FTR and the duo of Jeff Jarrett and Jay Lethal have been on a collision course as they fight for the attention of Mark Briscoe and the AEW Tag Team Championships.
After weeks of being placed in between the warring teams, Briscoe announced himself as the special guest referee and to make he holds no bias to either team he beat them both up.
Prediction: Since arriving in AEW Jeff Jarrett has been heavily featured in the promotion, especially in the tag team title scene.
The Elite vs Blackpool Combat Club – Anarachy in the Arena
After months of brutal matches, sickening attacks and buckets of blood spilt the Elite and the Blackpool Combat Club will tear each other apart in Las Vegas.
The two factions have been at war ever since the BCC took out Hangman Adam Page and the Dark Order with a screwdriver-led attack. The group then turned their attention to the Young Bucks and Kenny Omega.
Following a series of assaults, parking lot brawls and a cage match the outnumbered Elite looked done for until the return of Adam Hangman Page to reunite the AEW originals in their collective battle against the BCC. The Elite reunion then led to the confirmation of Anarchy in the Arena at Double or Nothing.
Prediction: Absolute mayhem will ensue all over the T-Mobile Arena in what feels like the first part in a series of blood-soaked battles between the two groups. With Blood and Guts on the horizon, it makes sense to see BBC go over the reunited Elite to continue the chaos in one of the promotion’s best-ever storylines. Blackpool Combat Club win.
The House of Black (c) vs. The Acclaimed and Billy Gunn – World Trios Championships
The House of Black will defend the AEW World Trios Championship at Double or Nothing in an Open House Open Challenge match and although not technically confirmed it seems highly likely the Acclaimed and Billy Gunn will answer the demonic trio’s invitation.
Prediction: The House of Black have been great champions but everybody loves the Acclaimed (and Daddy Ass). The Acclaimed win, new champions.
Jamie Hayter (c) vs. Toni Storm – Women’s Championship
On the May 17th edition of Dynamite the Outcasts – Ruby Soho and Toni Storm defeated Britt Baker and Hikaru Shida in a match that was originally set to be a six-woman tag outing, but the Women’s World Champion Jamie Hayter was pulled from the show due to injury.
Following the win the former Women’s Champion, Toni Storm ridiculed Hayter for not being able to compete before challenging her to a rematch for the title at the PPV. Hayter defeated Storm at Full Gear last year to become champion. It was this title loss that resulted in Storm joining forces with Saraya and began taking out her revenge on the champ, Baker and the entire women’s roster.
Prediction: Reports have disclosed that Hayter is banged up and could usher in a big change to the women’s division. If these reports are to be believed then we could see the title change hands, however, with All In heading to London later in the year Hayter vs. Saraya for the title will be a marquee match. Hayter retains.
MJF (c) vs. Sammy Guevara vs. “Jungle Boy” Jack Perry vs. Darby Allin – Pillars Four-Way Match for the AEW World Championship
After MJF successfully defended his title in the epic Ironman Match against Bryan Danielson at Revolution, Darby Allin, Jungle Boy and Sammy Guevara all staked their claim to be the next contender. Following weeks of scathing promos, attempted bribes, uneasy partnerships and a can-they-co-exist tag team match the promotion’s “Four Pillars” will go at it for the title in the main event of Double or Nothing.
Prediction: This build has seen the promotion’s future stars all step up to the main event. However, apart from MJF, who has constantly proven himself to be lightyears ahead of his opponents, all have failed miserably and shown there is no way anyone but him should be champion. MJF retains.