AEW Double or Nothing 2021: Outcomes, Stadium Stampede highlights, analysis

Double or Nothing is AEW’s 2nd pay-per-survey of 2021, following AEW Revolution, and the first AEW repeat to make a decision on attach in front of a live crowd for the explanation that pandemic began. Unsurprisingly, the crowd used to be the celebrity of the repeat, injecting all of the energy that’s been sorely neglected from wrestling reveals all thru the last yr.

Double or Nothing closed with the Stadium Stampede match, which seen Chris Jericho’s Inner Circle defeat MJF’s The Pinnacle. Kenny Omega retained his AEW Championship in a extra special triple possibility match, and The Young Bucks retained their note group gold too. There used to be a brand fresh champion topped though, as Britt Baker gained the AEW Girls’s Championship.

Plus, in a an accurate highlight, we received to stare Sting successfully in circulate for the first time since 2015. 

The Inner Circle wins Stadium Stampede

The Inner Circle defeated The Pinnacle in a Stadium Stampede match. If The Inner Circle lost, they’d obtain to disband. The attain came no longer from MJF and Jericho, but somewhat with Sammy Guevara pinning Shawn Spears. 

It opens with The Inner Circle entering by absail. As The Inner Circle brawls with The Pinnacle, MJF hangs benefit in his limo. When he in some procedure comes out, we search Jericho is enchanting for him. They brawl into the backstage enviornment because the remainder of their factions battle within the stadium inexperienced. MJF and Jericho beat every varied with all manor of foreign object, including a laptop, sizzling coffee and an administrative center chair. 

The remainder of both factions obtain seeped into the stadium’s backstage, as we search Wardlow and Jack Hager preventing, in a extraordinarily choreogrpahed vogue, within the benefit. They brawl accurate into a freezer, the attach Wardlow threatens to stab Hager with an icicle. We switch to a brand fresh dwelling the attach Shawn Spears and Sammy Guevara are going at it. Here’s also extraordinarily choreographed, but Sammy’s athletics originate it fun. Their scene ends with Spears handcuffing Guevara.

The next scene pits FTR in opposition to Santana and Ortiz in a bar battle. Sooner than they may be able to open brawling, Tully Blanchard pours them whisky to shot — which they form. We search that Konnan is the DJ, which pops the crowd, and the battle is on. The intro to this used to be fine, however the remainder of the FTR versus Santana and Ortiz segment used to be mainly correct generic brawling — trash cans, irish whips into partitions, that form of divulge. Afterwards we return to Wardlow and Hager. Hager low blows Wardlow then chokeslams him thru a wood shelf.

Now we’re benefit to Jericho and MJF. They battle in a board room, main to a gnarly space the attach Jericho staples a poster onto MJFs head. MJF fights benefit with a piledriver onto a boardroom desk. MJF tries to break Jericho’s injured arm with a hammer, but Jericho clocks him with a nearby rubbish bin. Jericho opens a cabinet to gain his baseball bat, Floyd. Jericho beats down MJF with Floyd, then throws MJF thru a window pane. MJF spills the first blood of the match.

Jericho and MJF brawl into Each day’s Deliver — in front of the live crowd. Jericho smashes MJF thru a desk with a powerbomb on the bleachers, then we search Sammy poke down Spears into Each day’s Deliver with a golf buggy. Now within the ring in front of the live audience, Spears beats down Sammy with a chair. Spears items a chair up in between the turnbuckle ropes, but he’s lop off by Sammy sooner than he can employ it.

Sammy hits him with a GTH, slingshot kicks him into the chair and gets the pin after a 630 splash. The repeat goes off the air with The Inner Circle celebrating within the ring and the crowd singing Judas.

Rating: This used to be no longer a wrestling match, as it used to be more equivalent to an extended battle scene from a TV repeat, so I may perchance perchance no longer rate it as such. It used to be fine but also silly. Need to you fancy your wrestling severe, that is also too choreographed for you. Need to you survey wrestling more as an art or a TV repeat, that that you just may perchance gain this fun. The one divulge I will divulge in opposition to it is that remaining yr’s Stadium Stampede made essentially the most out of the very fact that there used to be no crowd. This yr it form of took a ways flung from the very fact that there used to be a crowd, as 90% of it took attach on a TV camouflage. 

Trace Henry joins AEW

Sooner than the predominant match, it is launched that Trace Henry will most definitely be joining the promotion as an analyst for the upcoming AEW Rampage TV repeat.

Kenny Omega retains AEW Championship

Kenny Omega retained his AEW Championship in an fine triple possibility match. He pinned Orange Cassidy with a crucifix rollup to keep shut.

This used to be a extra special match from open to attain. All individuals received to shine early, with Cassidy doing his fingers-in-pocket flurry on both Pac and Omega, hitting both with shotgun dropkicks and huricanrannas. Later, Pac upped the ante with a double dropkick from the head rope.

Heaps of fine spots for the duration of. Cassidy tried to roll up Omega and correct as Omega bridged out, Pac hit both with a 450 Splash. Later, Omega tried to german suplex Cassidy from the 2nd rope but Cassidy blocked by striking his fingers in his pockets — it doesn’t originate sense if you have confidence you studied about it, however the crowd cherished it. There used to be a tall unsuitable attain when Pac planted Omega with an avalanche Falcon Arrow, Cassidy ran in an tossed out Pac to salvage a shut to-3 pin on Omega.

The match wasn’t spared interference, though you knew that entering into. As Cassidy used to be Orange Punching all individuals, Don Callis ran in a pulled Cassidy’s leg. When Pac received Cassidy in a Brutalizer, Omega couldn’t destroy it up by kicking Pac, as Pac held on, so Omega laid out the referee. Omega then hit Pac with his all of his titles — the Impact, AAA and AEW.

As Omega paraded with his AEW Championship, Cassidy ran in and hit him with an Orange Punch. He covered Omegan, but his pin used to be countered accurate into a Crucifix, which is how Omega gained.

Rating: 4.75 stars. Exit of your technique to stare this.

Sting and Darby Allin beat Ethan Page and Scorpion Sky

The Icon is benefit.

This used to be Sting’s first accurate in-ring match since Night of Champions in opposition to Seth Rollins in 2015. He began it off with vogue, taking off his shirt and diving ontop of Scorpio Sky. And he appears to be like to be like insanely correct for his 62 years of age: No longer as tight as he once used to be, however the imposing frame is mute there. 

Allin began the match off, naturally, with Sky and Page snappily beating him down to kick off the warmth. Sting received a note in, but sooner than he may perchance perchance trudge wild the referee demanded him benefit to his nook, as she did now not search the note. Extinct faculty stuff. In a cool space, Ethan Page tossed Allin from internal the ring onto the crowd.

Once Sting in some procedure received his inevitable note, he ran wild — and looked wonderful. Stinger Splash to both Sky and Page, a Code Red for a shut to fall. The crowd used to be tall into it. There used to be a fun space the attach Sting had Page in a Scorpion Death Lock and Sky had Darby in a heel hook, and Allin and Page, within the course of being in submission holds, obtain been slapping and preventing every varied. 

Sting scored the keep shut for his group when Sky went for a twister DDT but Sting countered it with a Scorpion Death Drop.

Rating: 3.75 stars. Seeing Sting battle successfully in front of a live crowd used to be correct amazing. This used to be attach collectively perfectly, as all individuals, including Sting, looked solid. 

Britt Baker wins the Girls’s Championship

The crowd made this match. It began with dueling chants, with half the crowd for Shida and half the crowd for Baker, who has beocme one of AEW’s largest stars. After a lengthy bout, Baker gained with a Lockjaw submission withhold. No matter the crowd being very into this match — doubtless more than the rest on the repeat to this level — the circulate itself wasn’t elite tier, though it used to be above moderate. 

Even supposing there obtain been some piquant moments — in particular thanks to Shida, whose suplexes and knee strikes mainly looked tall — there used to be also some sloppy transitions and clumsy spots. They generally felt correct very somewhat off timed, and at one level botched a prime-rope suplex space. Making things worse used to be interference from Arise — every match on the repeat has featured interference, so it is wisely and in actuality overdone by this level. 

Easy, there used to be more correct than inferior, and the crowd used to be into this match so mighty that it made up for the inferior. Most importantly, Britt Baker, one of the largest stars within the promotion, is now Girls’s Champion.

Rating: 3.25 stars. 

Miro makes Lancer Archer cross out

Miro retained his TNT Championship after a huge-man bout in opposition to Lance Archer. It began with a bang, with Archer hitting a tall spectacular moonsault on Miro, and ended with Miro making cross out to the Sport Over choke. 

The match seen interference from Jake Roberts, who ran in with a sack allegedly carrying a snake. Miro hits Jake and tosses the to find into the benefit. Miro goes for a pump kick on Jake but is intercepted by Archer, who pumps him with a Chokeslam. After some more backward and forward, Miro made Archer cross out.

Rating: 2.5 stars. Merely circulate, but nothing in particular memorable originate air of the explosive opening moments. The interference is getting tiring too, as every match has featured it in some execute to this level. 

Cody Rhodes pins Anthony Ogogo

This used to be Anthony Ogogo’s third and longest match but, an accurate showcase of what he can — and can’t — form. Ogogo did extraordinarily wisely for his level of experience, as there used to be nothing egregious nor any glaring errors. After a correct (but no longer tall) bout, including transient intereference from QT Marshall, Cody Rhodes pinned Ogogo with a Vertebreaker. 

Ogogo’s vogue is difficult to translate into educated wrestling. He’s a boxer, and Cody bought gut pictures — that seek for the same to punches you search in every varied match — fancy it used to be an accurate boxing match. And while Ogogo did now not originate any glaring errors — no longer lower than to my eyes as a viewer — there obtain been sequences that obtain been obviously laid out, and which looked rehersed. Easy, he’s obviously a tall athlete and is liable to be a tall wrestler within the arriving years.

Rating: 3 stars. Looking out on what’s in Cody’s future, the possibility to keep shut is questionable. It would no longer disaster him to lose, and it arguably may perchance perchance obtain made Ogogo. Easy, Ogogo came off as a well-known competitor here. Even though, it will mute be great, that Cody used to be much less over with the crowd than Jungle Boy, Adam Page and Eddie Kingston. 

Jungle Boy wins On line casino Fight Royale

The foundations of the On line casino Fight Royale are somewhat confusing. It’s miles a battle royale wherein entrants join a trudge neatly with at a time, and each trudge neatly with has 5 males linked to it. 5 males open, and as every trudge neatly with joins at three minute intervals one other five join, despite the entire lot matches obtain joined. Then a Joker is available in on the end. 

The final four obtain been Christian Cage (who entered at no 1), Matt Hardy (who used to be being helped by Private Celebration), Lio Mosey (The Joker) and Jungle Boy. In essence it used to be a final six, since Private Celebration obtain been within the ring alongside Hardy for Hardy’s entire tenure within the match. 

After a tall flurry by Mosey, Private Celebration and Hardy salvage rid of him. Jungle Boy and Christian work collectively to make a decision on out Private Celebration, after which Christian eliminates Hardy. The final two are Christian and Jungle Boy. They’ve a in actuality correct benefit-and-forth on the ringside apron, with Christian teasing a Killswitch and Jungle Boy evading elimination with spectacular athletics. In spite of the entire lot, Jungle Boy flips out Christian to keep shut.

Rating: 2.75 stars. Merely, but chaotic. It used to be laborious for me to withhold up with the entire lot occurring — but no longer correct me, because the announcers obtain been generally perplexed. Matt Hardy in actuality being three of us, as no disqualifications allowed Private Celebration to be by his facet in any appreciate occasions, used to be also a scurry. Alternatively it received better and better because the crowd received thinner and thinner.

All’s wisely that ends wisely though, and the correct man gained. The crowd used to be bananas for Jungle Boy. 

Young Bucks beat Jon Moxley and Eddie Kingston

The highly anticipated note title match is up subsequent. Moxley and Eddie Kingston near in first, and the match kicks off as they ambush Gash and Matt Jackson because the Bucks are doing their muscle-man posing entrance. 

Heaps of chants for Kingston, a huge moment for him since that is the first time he’s performed in front of a fleshy AEW crowd. Once the ambush ends and the match begins, it is The Bucks beating down Kingston and his injured leg sooner than Moxley gets the note in for a round of warmth for himself. 

Karl Anderson and Doc Gallows snappily interfered, but Kingston took out Gallows and Elite Hunter Kizarian jumped in to fear off Anderson to the benefit. Because the ref used to be seeing off the riff raff, Matt Jackson sprayed Moxley within the eyes with miscallenous aeresol spray. The Bucks then hit a Meltzer Driver on the originate air for a shut to countout — a switch that busts originate Moxley. 

That entire sequence wasn’t a unsuitable attain so mighty as a warmth space. It’s miles somewhat OTT for a warmth space for me, but it absolutely works — the crowd rallies within the benefit of Moxley. After the Bucks lop him off, he in the end fights them off and tags in Eddie and the crowd goes wild. It’s miles a pink herring though, as while he’s cutting one Buck within the nook Eddie gets caught with a superkick to the leg from one other Buck. 

Quite so much of unsuitable finishes observe. Mox and Kingston hit a Doomsday Gadget — Moxley with a pair of sneakers on his fingers as he lands the clotheslin — for a two. Later, Moxley hits his huge DDT on Gash however the pin gets damaged up by Matt. We then salvage a Superkick Celebration, with The Bucks blitzing Moxley with a barrage of superkicks — but he kicks out at one. They then decide him out with more Superkicks, after which decide out Kingston with the similar. 

Four — four — BTE Triggers on Moxley ratings The Young Bucks the pin.

Rating: 3 stars. Here’s a laborious one to rate. To me, there used to be too mighty silly stuff. Moxley gets sprayed within the face with an aerosol can, but is greatest blinded for approximately 30 seconds. He gets killed with superkicks but kicks out at one. He’s proof in opposition to a BTE Dwelling off, in convey that they’ve to beat him with four. It’s correct too laborious to suspend disbelief.

That acknowledged, the crowd cherished it — so perchance it is correct me. 

Adam Page pins Brian Cage

The major repeat opens with Page versus Cage. The crowd is amazingly sizzling for Page — having crowds benefit guidelines.

These two worked laborious to make a decision on away darkness from the audience. Moments after it kicked off, Cage chucked Page from a powerbomb location into the turnbuckle. Later, he suplexed Page from center rope onto the entrance ramp — which didn’t seek for fancy it had tonnes of give. But other than the spots, these two correct worked very, completely. Heaps of cushy sequences, and the benefit-and-forth counters on the end worked to a sizzling attain.

Page received the keep shut with a Buckshot Lariat after interference from Team Taz contributors Ricky Starks and Hook backfired. Starks and Hook tried to reduction Cage, but Cage rebuffed them — and used to be caught with the Lariat and pinned. Large pop for the 1-2-3.

Rating: 3.75 stars. Mountainous starter, and the crowd used to be tall into Page — though the interference on the end used to be somewhat wacky, it appears to be like to be like to growth a Team Taz breakout for Cage.

Take care of-In Preshow results

Serena Deeb retained her NWA Girls’s Championship within the preshow match by beating Riho.

 After a extraordinarily solid preshow bout, Deeb made Riho tap out with a Serenity Lock.