AEW Double or Nothing delivered a packed show on Sunday from the Desert Diamond Arena in Glendale, Arizona. It also set the main event picture for All In, the biggest AEW show of the year.
Mercedes Moné and Hangman Page showed they’re both ready to lead AEW into the next phase of the promotion’s journey. Anarchy in the Arena also provided the expected chaos. Plus, Toni Storm continued her world championship run.
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With just a few months to go before All In, here are our five biggest takeaways from Double or Nothing.
1. Welcome back to the main event, Hangman Page
Will Ospreay and Hangman Page gave us everything we expected in this one. Page, a former champion who lost it all, went a bit deranged, and is on a journey back to the top. Ospreay, the fresh star who hasn’t had his taste of world championship gold just yet, came in hungry for his first opportunity.
All of that background made for a really compelling match and the continuation of stories not quite at their conclusion. The drama and the stakes for both men built perfectly across the span of the match. At the end, it was Page clearing his redemption arc with a chance to win the promotion’s biggest prize, while Ospreay is now left searching for answers yet again.
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2. Swerve is the people’s champion
Anarchy in the Arena was fun, chaotic, and a brutal mess. The match was full of surprises and big moments, and the spotlight continues to follow Swerve Strickland in everything he does.
He’s a massive star for the AEW promotion, and it feels almost wrong that he didn’t walk out of Dynasty a month ago as World Champion. Whether that’s something that happens in the next month or next year, it’s almost unquestionable that he’ll continue to be the face of the company with or without the title.
3. Mercedes Moné is the belt collector
Just over two years removed from what could have been a career-ending ankle injury, Mercedes Moné is on an incredible run. With her feet firmly back underneath her, Moné is taking on all challengers in organizations around the world and claiming as much championship gold as she can handle.
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Her showdown against Jaime Hayter may have been one of her best since joining AEW with a blend of physicality and ring smarts. After doing essentially everything else she can do in AEW, Moné is next in line for an AEW Women’s World Championship title shot at the biggest show of the year, All In.
4. Toni Storm’s program with Mariah May program spoiled us
Toni Storm is one of the best gimmicks in all of wrestling right now, but it’s hard to connect with what’s going on in the world championship picture recently. Since winning the belt back from Mariah May in one of the promotion’s top rivalries, everything has felt a bit rushed.
From Megan Bayne to now Mina Shirakawa, Storm has moved quickly through challengers that felt like they should have had more runway for a program. Now she’ll face off against Moné at All In, and it should be a memorable one.
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5. Ricochet has his fire again
When Ricochet joined AEW, there were questions about which version of the high-flyer we’d get. He appeared complacent at times in his run with WWE, and his arrival in AEW immediately looked pretty similar to what we’d seen in recent years.
Since leaning into his baldness and a corresponding heel turn, Ricochet has been an unhinged nightmare in the absolute best way possible. His match with Mark Briscoe was violent and brutal. It provided another step forward in his evolution in AEW. It feels like Ricochet is finding unique ways to stand out, and that’s significant for what’s become an increasingly stacked roster.
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