AEW celebrated its five-year anniversary in style.
Double or Nothing, back in the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas where it all started, saw a massive return, two title changes, a brutal cage match, some fantastic wrestling and a bonkers main event Sunday night.
It was all the things that powered AEW’s rise.
Here are five takeaways from the show:
Insanity in the Arena
Anarchy in the Arena was every bit insane as you would hope for and maybe a little bit too much.
The match, which saw The Elite come out on top against Team AEW as Jack Perry pinned Bryan Danielson, had a little bit of everything.
That included Danielson cutting off the Bucks’ theme to play “Final Countdown” throughout the first portion of the match before Matt Jackson cut it off and complained about how much it is costing AEW to license it.
There was a Coffin Drop off a balcony from Darby Allin, a thumbtacked Rainmaker by Kazuchika Okada and the Young Bucks kicking a hogtied and hanging Allin. He stayed there long enough while Danielson – who also took a Tony Khan driver on the giant poker chips — jumped in to attack the Bucks, that the crowd chanted to “check on Darby.”
The real mayhem occurred outside between Allin and Perry, who appeared to run over his opponent with a “Scapegoat” van but was also knocked out by the impact.
When Allin returned, he was sent down the EVP lift and then came back with a flame thrower. When Perry made his way back into the arena after grabbing Tony Khan from backstage, Allen set Perry’s legs on fire before the Bucks quickly extinguished it.
It was fun seeing Kazuchika Okaka after having technical classics in Japan flourish and have a blast doing this type of match that The Elite correctly won. They are likely on a long reign of terror, as it should be a while before Team AEW makes another attempt to take them out.
The Moné Maker
Mercedes Mone is your new TBS champion, but that doesn’t feel like the most interesting story coming out of her AEW debut match with Willow Nightingale.
Stokely Hathaway and Kris Statlander appeared to distract the ref to give Nightingale time to catch her breath and counter Moné into a doctor bomb, but they kept Aubrey Edwards’ attention enough so that she couldn’t count the pin quickly enough after it connected.
Moné slipped out of Nightgale’s next attempt at a doctor bomb and countered into a crossface and then an STF. The champion got to the ropes to break the hold. Moné went to the top turnbuckle, and knocked Nightingale away twice before flipping over her for a Moné Maker to win her first championship in AEW.
The Vegas crowd gave her some cheers in the moment, but as someone who is the heel in this match, she didn’t get the boos you would hope for. Her lack of connection with the AEW audience early on leaves her with some work to do.
While it wasn’t perfect, Mone showed why she is so good in the ring. Every move has a purpose and her selling and bouncing around made Nightingale — who showed off a vicious side — look great.
Afterward, Hathaway berated Nightingale, while Statlander appeared to come to her defense. But as the two walked up the ramp, Statlander turned heel, clotheslining her friend to the dismay of the crowd and delight of Hathaway.
It gives Statlander a fresh start as a heel, makes Nightingale a bigger babyface and moves Mone on to face her still unrevealed attacker.
Maximum Return
MJF made a surprise return to AEW and brought his old self with him after confronting Adam Cole, who came out unannounced after Roderick Strong lost his International championship to Will Ospreay.
After luring him in for hug, MJF kicked his backstabbing friend in the groin and suplexed him.
The former AEW world champion, who got a Batman-like suit-up video, hadn’t been seen since he lost to Samoa Joe at AEW Worlds End in December and left to heal up injuries.
MJF made an implied reference to Triple H, by showing up in a jean jacket like The Game did when he returned at MSG from his quad injury in 2002.
He made it clear in his very long promo that the nice and vulnerable person we saw during his run with Cole is gone and the old and maybe more focused version is back. No more ha ha, no more friendships, no more kangaroo kicks, no more bulls–t. He is back being driven by “hate, hate, hate.”
“He didn’t take out MJF, no all he did was wake him up,” MJF said.
He added: “I don’t need a New Japan or a Vince McMahon to make MJF because MJF made MJF.”
The Long Island native also commented on his contract status, saying he is the “Wolf of Wrestling” and he’s “not f–king leaving” before showing off an AEW tattoo on his ankle.
Juice Robinson also made his return later in the show.
Cope’s (Potentially) Costly Leap
Adam Copeland may have had the match of the night but he may have also paid a serious price for it.
During his bloody barbed-wire cage match with Malakai Black. Copeland decided to jump off the top of the cage and attempt an elbow drop on Black, who was lying on a table.
Copeland either got hesitant or jumped a little short on his leap and landed awkwardly and appeared to injure his knee. He was seriously limping when it was over.
Copeland broke out his Brood persona, fresh with a fire entrance from under the stage and the return of the faction leader when Gangrel came up under the ring when the House of Black had the best of him and Black appeared to be closing in on winning the TNT championship.
After Gangrel’s help, Copeland – still covered in barbed wire – delivered a spear and then used the barbed wire while putting on an STF the put the challenger out for good.
The match included a cool moment where it looked like Buddy Matthews and Brody King had turned on Black, only to attack Copeland.
Storm Brewing
Toni Storm continues to have excellent matches and Serina Deeb’s wrestling acumen allowed the champ to show off hers with plenty of counters and isolation of limbs.
The most important thing that happened was protegee Mariah May was ready to throw in the towel like Storm previously did to her, Luther stopped her, but when the champ rolled out she thought her butler was the one trying to do so. This could be the start of May’s eventual break.
After Storm, who actually had the crowd on her side, kicked out of Deeb’s finisher, the challenger uncharacteristically went to the top and paid for it.
Storm delivered an avalanche pile driver and then a Storm Zero to win.
Other Matches
Swerve Strickland over Christian to retain the AEW World championship
Nick Wayne nearly cost Strickland the title, but the champion kicked out of Christian’s Killswitch. Prince Nana chased Wayne away. Stickland countered a Killswitch with a standing stomp on the announce table. When they got back in he ring two House Calls and a vicious Swerve Stomp later and the champion won. Strickland got a major moment after the match celebrating with Floyd Mayweather Jr.
Will Ospreay over Roderick Strong to win the AEW International championship
Don Callis implored Ospreay to finish off Strong with the Tiger Drive 91, that he had retired. Ospreay eventually chose not to and his reluctance almost cost him before hitting a Storm Breaker and Hidden Blade to win.
Chris Jericho over Hook, Shibata to retain the FTW championship.
Jericho may have added a new member to the learning tree as Bryan Keith came out dressed in back and a mask and attacked Shibota and Hook with a trash can with the champ in danger of submitting and losing his title. Jericho landed the Judas Effect on Hook, but instead of pinning him, he pinned Shibota. Big Bill interfered earlier in the match, so Hook may need to embrace Samoa Joe’s help to get his belt back.
Jon Moxley over Konosuke Takeshita, IWGP Heavyweight championship eliminator
Don Callis telling Takeshita to bring another chair into the ring backfired. Moxley immediately stomped him on it and then hit the Death Rider DDT to win a match Takeshita — who can’t seem to get any momentum — had plenty of control of.
Orange Cassidy over Trent Berretta
Trent wanted to face Orange Cassidy in a straight-up wrestling match and eventually got outwrestled. Berretta, who delivered quite the beating to his former friend went for a shin submission. Cassidy flipped over him to pin his shoulders. Berretta didn’t bury the hatchet afterward.
Bang Bang Gang over Death Triangle to retain the Unified Trios championships
Juice Robinson returned to push PAC off the top rope when it looked like he had the match won. It opened the door for Jay White to hit a Blade Runner and pin PAC to retain the titles.
Deonna Purrazo over Thunder Rosa
Rosa out-wrestled Purrazzo most of the match but got outsmarted and cheated at the end. She had Puzzarro in a submission and used the ropes to try to push off. Instead, Purrazzo used it to pin Rosa’s shoulders to the mat while holding the bottom rope for leverage.
The Acclaimed and Billie Gunn over Cage of Agony
Billy Gunn won the match with a rollup when Bishop Kaun was distracted by the presence of the Golden Knights’ mascot Chance stealing a chair from Brian Cage.
Biggest Winner: Will Ospreay
Biggest Loser: Konosuke Takeshita
Best Match: Adam Copeland vs. Malaki Black
Grade: B+
