Sunday night’s May 26th, AEW Double or Nothing, brought the once upstart wrestling organization back to its roots five years ago where it all started. The 6 hour pay-per-view was back at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas where it all started.

This year, AEW DoN was pretty spectacular, bringing with it the highly-anticipated return of MJF, two title changes, a blood-soaked cage match, and the grand finale of the three main events, this year’s “Anarchy in the Arena” between Team Elite vs. Team AEW, and this one, my friends, was the craziest, most risk-taking of them all!  Let’s take a look at some of the highlights below.

WILL OSPREAY WINS HIS FIRST AEW TITLE

Things got cooking early when the Aerial Assassin, and perhaps the greatest wrestler in the world, Will Ospreay went one-one-one or five-on-one with interference by the “Undisputed Kingdom” for the International Championship currently held by Roderick Strong. Supposedly, a member of the Don Callis family, when Callis came over to ringside to tell Ospreay to finish off and take advantage of an injured Strong, Will had a conflict of conscience which almost cost him the match. Eventually, he put away Strong and became the AEW’s new International Champion.

Photo: AEW

MJF RETURNS

Next, Adam Cole, who has not been on TV of late, and still recovering from ankle surgery, made his way to the ring. As Cole was in the ring, the lights went down and a video package was shown of MJF’s imminent return. Cole was freaking out. Then, MJF’s music hit, and out came the man himself! After Cole begs him to hug it out, Maxwell give him a low blow and then proceeds to grab the mic and deliver another epic promo.  This time, the former champ made it clear that the vulnerable person we saw during his run with Cole as bff’s is gone and the old and more focused version is back. MJF says he is now driven again by “Hate, hate, hate!”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QWD1ocnG6pA

The big question finally was 100% answered – MJF is signed to AEW: “I don’t need a New Japan or a Vince McMahon to make MJF because MJF made MJF,” he spewed. Pulling up his pant leg to reveal the back of his calf muscle, MJF showed the camera and the crowd he has AEW tattoo’d there, and he’s “not f–king leaving.”

It should be noted that later in the show, Juice Robinson also appeared for the first time in months. Looks like he is back in action with the “Bang Bang Gang” of Jay White and the Gunns.

Photo: AEW

C-E-O C-E-O

It has been a long drawn out several months since Mercedes Mone made her debut in AEW.  Since then, she hasn’t wrestled a single match but that all changed at ‘Double or Nothing’ when she finally took on her nemesis, Willow Nightingale for the TBS Championship.

The women put on a great match and Mercedes still has all the moves that made her a superstar in the WWE as Sasha Banks.  However, the real story coming out of the ppv is what went down in the final moments of the match and its aftermath.

Stokely Hathaway and Kris Statlander appeared to distract the referee to give Nightingale time to gather herself together. However, they kept Aubrey Edwards’ attention long enough that when Willow pinned Mercedes with a three-count, the ref was out of place to count it!

That led to Mone’ capturing the title and the swerve of the night. As Nightingale walked up the ramp, Statlander turned heel, clotheslining her “friend” while Hathaway looked on with glee!

Willow Nightingale just lost the TBS Title…now this?!

Order #AEWDoN on PPV right now!

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— All Elite Wrestling (@AEW) May 27, 2024

GANGREL RETURNS AND HELPS ADAM COPELAND

When Adam Copeland entered the steel cage that was laced with barb wire and other objects in a grudge match against Malakai Black, he came out to the ring in his “Brood” entrance theme. That was the pack he ran with early in his career, and that was the most violent side of his in-ring personas.

After beating each other senseless and bloody, it appeared that House of Black members Buddy Matthews and Brody King were going to join forces with Copeland on the outside of the ring, when both he and Black escaped the cage for a few moments. However, it was swerve on a swerve and the men beat down Copeland instead. To save the day, the lights go dark. Next, out from a carved out section of the ring comes Gangrel, who hasn’t been seen in a years. He comes to the aid of Adam and the two secure the win for the Rated-R Superstar.

Courtesy/AEW

ANARCHY IN THE ARENA

The Elite with Matthew Jackson and Nicholas Jackson (The Young Bucks) along with Kazuchika Okada and Jack Perry vs. FTR (Dax Harwood and Cash Wheeler), Bryan Danielson and Darby Allin.

The match (if you can call it that) was all over the arena, from the rafters, the concessions stands, the ring ramp, to the parking lot and more. The funniest part is the use of theme music just playing while the guys beat each other up all over the arena. However, Matt Jackson wanted Darby’s music to stop, As EVP’s they demanded the AEW technical team, put on The Young Bucks theme instead. Then, Danielson cut off the Bucks’ theme to play “Final Countdown” until Matt Jackson cut it off citing the over $200,000 in licensing fees this it is going to cost AEW to use it. Hilarious.

Photo: AEW

As the match disintegrated, Jack Perry attacked CEO and AEW GM Tony Khan in the guerilla position backstage, and dragged him out to the stage, only Darby Allin saved Khan by setting Perry on fire with a flame thrower!

Some of the other gnarlier moments occurred when The Young Bucks hogtied and hung up Allin by his feet (for what seemed like an eternity) and then crushed his already broken nose that he suffered from being hit by a bus the other week in real-life! As the match went on, fans were scared for Darby and began chanting “Check on Darby.”  Eventually, Perry pinned Danielson to secure the win and end this classic and outrageous match.

Photo: AEW

In other key matches:

“Timeless” Toni Storm retained her AEW Women’s Championship defeating Serina Deeb

Swerve Strickland retained his AEW World Heavyweight Championship defeating Christian Cage

Orange Cassidy beat Trent Berretta

Chris Jericho beat Hook and Shibata to retain the FTW championship.

Jon Moxley bested Konosuke Takeshita in IWGP Heavyweight championship eliminator

OVERALL GRADE

AEW Double or Nothing 2024 edition gets an A- for keeping it moving through a very long show; that provided something for every type of wrestling fan and delivered in the storylines as well. It also opened the door to new feuds, plus how the major returns will alter the landscape in the months ahead.

What do you think of AEW Double or Nothing 2024? Favorite moment or match? Excited for the in-ring return of MJF? Comment below.