All Elite Wrestling's inaugural pay-per-view was Double or Nothing. Since that event in May 2019, the company has grown considerably, and the card for Double or Nothing 2020 on Saturday was proof of its expansion...
Jon Moxley Beats Brodie Lee, Retains AEW World Title at Double or Nothing 2020
May 23, 2020
TOKYO, JAPAN - JANUARY 06: Jon Moxley looks on during the New Japan Pro-Wrestling 'New Year Dash' at the Oita City General Gymnasium on January 06, 2020 in Tokyo, Japan. (Photo by Etsuo Hara/Getty Images)
Jon Moxley beat Brodie Lee at Double or Nothing on Saturday night to retain the AEW World Championship.
Moxley delivered the Paradigm Shift on three occasions, one of which sent both competitors through the entrance ramp.
Through the table! Order the Double or Nothing reply NOW on all major cable & satellite providers / @BRLive / @FITETV (Intl Fans Only) #AEWDoNpic.twitter.com/iiFJ8YsoGi
The combined impact from the moves still wasn't enough to keep a bloodied Lee down for the three-count.
Moxley changed his approach and locked Lee in a sleeper hold. Lee couldn't fight out of the move and eventually passed out, forcing the referee to call for the bell.
The feud between the two men started May 6 when Lee and The Dark Order attacked Moxley after he beat Frankie Kazarian in a singles match. It was then that Lee made his intentions clear and declared he was coming after the AEW world title.
Since Moxley is never one to turn down a fight, he accepted the challenge immediately, and a match was made for Double or Nothing.
Mox entered the pay-per-view with a great deal of momentum on his side. Ever since making his AEW debut at last year's Double or Nothing, he has been a dominant force and has essentially developed into the face of the company.
He beat Chris Jericho for the AEW World Championship at Revolution in February and continued to take on all comers in the weeks that followed. That included a No Holds Barred championship match against Inner Circle member Jake Hager.
While Hager gave Moxley everything he could handle and nearly beat him on multiple occasions, Moxley managed to retain and handed his opponent the first loss of his AEW career in the process.
Moxley was off television for the next few weeks because of the coronavirus pandemic, and Lee emerged as a major threat during that time. He was announced as the leader of The Dark Order on March 18, and he went on to win a number of squash matches after that to establish dominance.
Lee was also featured in many vignettes that showcased his character and the leadership style he would employ as the ruler of The Dark Order. Given his demeanor and the army of minions behind him, it made him an ideal foe for Moxley.
Moxley and Lee did battle many times throughout their careers before meeting in AEW, including their overlapping stints in WWE. While AEW didn't specifically mention the clashes between The Shield and The Wyatt Family, there were plenty of nods to their past leading up to Double or Nothing.
The combatants entered the PPV with a lot of built-in chemistry because of their history, and that made them logical opponents, as the COVID-19 situation made it difficult for AEW to put together a card with a ton of build.
AEW's decision-makers were well aware of the fact that most fans knew about the past battles between Moxley and Lee, and they used that to their advantage.
Moxley came away from Double or Nothing with his title reign still intact, but given how deeply ingrained Lee is as a top heel now, it won't be at all surprising if he gets another shot at the championship in the near future.
Listen to Ring Rust Radio for all of the hot wrestling topics. Catch the latest episode in the player below (warning: some language NSFW).
The biggest night of All Elite Wrestling's year arrived Saturday at Daily's Place in Jacksonville, Florida, with Double or Nothing, the one-year anniversary of the revolutionary company's ...
AEW Double or Nothing 2020: Live Stream, PPV Schedule and Predictions
May 23, 2020
All Elite Wrestling will return to pay-per-view on Saturday for its second show under the Double or Nothing name.
This will be AEW's first major event without fans in attendance, so the company is taking WWE's cue and creating some unique matches to make the night memorable.
Here is a rundown of what you need to know about Double or Nothing 2020.
Venue: Daily's Place, TIAA Bank Field, Jacksonville, Florida
Start Time:8 p.m. ET
How to Watch: BR Live and most PPV providers in the U.S., FITE TV for international fans
Double or Nothing Card
AEW has put together a total of nine matches. Three bouts will be for titles and two will be for future title shots. Here is the lineup:
Private Party vs. Best Friends (No. 1 Contender's match for the tag titles)
Cody vs. Lance Archer (TNT Championship)
MJF vs. Jungle Boy
Jon Moxley vs. Brodie Lee (AEW World Championship)
Casino Ladder match (Winner receives future world title shot)
Nyla Rose vs. Hikaru Shida (AEW Women's Championship)
Penelope Ford vs. Kris Statlander
The Elite and Matt Hardy vs. The Inner Circle (Stadium Stampede)
Shawn Spears vs. Dustin Rhodes
Predictions
After Britt Baker was injured during Wednesday's episode of Dynamite, she will be unable to compete in her scheduled match. She was originally the favorite, but now Statlander is the more likely choice to leave with a victory.
Bleacher Report's writers recently shared their predictions for the entire card. Here is the roster of writers who participated:
Private Party vs. Best Friends (KB, EB, DW, AM, JJ, GM, CM)
Cody (AM, JJ, GM, CM) vs. Archer (KB, EB, DW)
MJF (KB, EB, DW, AM, JJ, GM) vs. Jungle Boy (CM)
Moxley (KB, EB, DW, AM, JJ, GM, CM) vs. Lee
Darby Allin(EB, KB, DW, GM)vs. Colt Cabana vs. Orange Cassidy vs. Rey Fenix vs. Scorpio Sky vs. Kip Sabian vs. Frankie Kazarian vs. Luchasaurs vs. TBD(JJ, AM, CM)
Rose (KB, EB, JJ) vs. Shida (DW, AM, GM, CM)
Baker (KB, EB, DW, AM, JJ, GM, CM) vs. Statlander
The Elite and Matt Hardy (KB, EB, DW, AM) vs. The Inner Circle (JJ, GM, CM)
As you can see, some of the matches have unanimous predictions. If we are correct, Best Friends will defeat Private Party, Moxley will retain the AEW World Championship and Baker would have defeated Statlander had she been able to compete.
Most people chose MJF to win his bout with Jungle Boy and it's easy to see why. The biggest heel in AEW is also one of the most successful in 2020 with a record of 6-0.
Jungle Boy is a scrappy underdog who needs this win more than MJF. With Marko Stunt and Luchasaurus by his side, it wouldn't be surprising to see Jack Perry score the upset.
The only two choices in the Casino Ladder match who received any votes were Allin with four and the final mystery entrant with three.
The rest of the matches are also almost evenly split. The Elite and Matt Hardy have one more vote to win than The Inner Circle, and so does Shida against Rose.
Cody has more people predicting he will win the AEW TNT Championship, but everybody picked Moxley to retain his title against Lee.
Baker's injury could not have come at a worse time. She was just starting to become one of the most popular stars in the company because of her heel turn and recent character developments.
With Ford subbing in to face Statlander, the odds have shifted to favor AEW's resident alien, but Ford is a talented performer who will get a good match out of Statlander.
The Stadium Stampede match sounds like it is going to be wild. The Elite, Matt Hardy and The Inner Circle will basically be competing in an Empty Arena bout, but AEW will likely have a few surprises planned to make it memorable.
Double or Nothing is supposed to be the flagship PPV for the company, so let's hope it ends up being as fun as it was last year.
All Elite Wrestling Double or Nothing 2020 is set for Saturday on B/R Live, with the pre-show at 7 p.m. ET...
How to Watch AEW Double or Nothing: B/R Live-Stream Info, Start Time, Match Card
May 22, 2020
All Elite Wrestling's second pay-per-view of the year, Double or Nothing, is this Saturday.
A loaded card features the AEW World Championship match between champion Jon Moxley and Brodie Lee, the long-awaited bout between The Inner Circle and The Elite along with Matt Hardy, and Cody taking on Lance Archer for the inaugural TNT Championship, among other intriguing contests.
Here are details of how to watch the PPV, the current match card and four things to pay particular attention to at Double or Nothing.
Where and How to Watch
Double or Nothing will be held Saturday, May 23.
Those in the U.S. and Canada can order the event for $49.99 on B/R Live or through cable providers.
The main card starts at 8 p.m. ET, preceded by a pre-show called The Buy In at 7:30 p.m.
Announced Matches
Jon Moxley (c) vs. Brodie Lee (AEW World Championship)
Cody vs. Lance Archer (inaugural TNT Championship)
Nyla Rose (c) vs. Hikaru Shida (Women's World Championship)
The Inner Circle vs. The Elite and Matt Hardy (Stadium Stampede match)
Darby Allin vs. Colt Cabana vs. Orange Cassidy vs. Rey Fenix vs. Frankie Kazarian vs. Luchasaurus vs. Kip Sabian vs. Scorpio Sky vs. TBA (Casino Ladder match for a future world championship shot)
MJF vs. Jungle Boy
Dustin vs. Shawn Spears
Dr. Britt Baker vs. Kris Statlander
Best Friends vs. Private Party
1. Will the 'self-proclaimed AEW world champion' become the official champion?
After stealing Moxley's championship and proclaiming himself the new world champion, Lee looks to become the legitimate titleholder when they face off this Saturday.
Moxley defends his title for the second time since defeating Chris Jericho for the belt at Revolution on February 29. Lee made his surprise AEW debut in March and has since led The Dark Order, showcasing his power in and out of the ring by expanding the group and attacking Moxley earlier this month.
Moxley has since vowed to get his revenge. He told B/R Live that he'll "unleash absolute hell on him for what he's done." This match could get wild.
Lance Archer and Cody are heated adversaries ahead of Double or Nothing.
In the TNT Championship tournament, The American Nightmare defeated Shawn Spears and Darby Allin while Archer beat Colt Cabana and Dustin to get to the final.
The Murderhawk Monster and Cody then came to blows after Jake Roberts, Archer's manager, threw a giant snake on Brandi Rhodes on the May 6 edition of Dynamite.
Whoever comes out as the inaugural TNT champion will likely propel the title immediately as its holder. It helps that boxing legend Mike Tyson will be there to crown the winner and give them further exposure.
Tyson will also be the ringside enforcer for the match, so expect him, Roberts or Arn Anderson to potentially mix it up.
3. How wild will the Stadium Stampede match get?
The Elite and The Inner Circle have been sworn enemies since Dynamite kicked off last October.
Things escalated with the addition of Matt Hardy to the AEW roster in March when he helped The Elite fend off The Inner Circle.
Since then, Hardy and Kenny Omega have competed against Chris Jericho and Sammy Guevara in a Street Fight.
On Wednesday's episode of Dynamite, the two stables started brawling in the TIAA Bank Field Stadium a little early. "Hangman" Adam Page and The Young Bucks also returned after months of being out.
Nine wrestlers—Darby Allin, Colt Cabana, Orange Cassidy, Rey Fenix, Frankie Kazarian, Luchasaurus, Kip Sabian, Scorpio Sky and a mystery participant—will fight for a shot at the AEW World Championship in the Casino Ladder match.
The match begins with two competitors, and a new entrant will step into the ring every 90 seconds. It's not yet known in what order the wrestlers will appear.
The winner of this match could take their singles career to a much higher level with a shot at the company's prized possession. The added wild card of a mystery participant will also certainly make waves as fans tune in to see who it could be.
Regardless of who it is, though, this is sure to be a fun match.
All Elite Wrestling will hold its first fan-free pay-per-view on Saturday, and as with WWE and WrestleMania 36, this was supposed to be the company's biggest show of the year. Double or Nothing is AEW's premier event...
Updated 2020 AEW Double or Nothing Match Card Ahead of PPV
May 22, 2020
Nyla Rose, from left, Chris Jericho, Brandi Rhodes, Jon Moxley, Awesome Kong and Jungle Boy attend New York Comic Con to promote TNT's
One year after bursting onto the scene with Double or Nothing, AEW will hold the second edition of the pay-per-view Saturday in Jacksonville, Florida.
While the card looks strong on paper, it will have a decidedly different feel than last year's event since the coronavirus pandemic will prevent fans from being in attendance. That means AEW's performers will be tasked with putting on a great show only for those watching from home.
With the AEW World Championship, TNT Championship and AEW Women's Championship all on the line, the stakes will be high at Daily's Place, even without a live crowd.
Here is everything you need to know about the Double or Nothing PPV, including a full rundown of the scheduled card.
Where: Daily's Place and TIAA Bank Field in Jacksonville, Florida
When: Saturday, May 23 at 8 p.m. ET (pre-show starts at 7 p.m. ET)
Stadium Stampede: The Elite (Matt Hardy, Kenny Omega, "Hangman" Adam Page, The Young Bucks) vs. The Inner Circle (Chris Jericho, Sammy Guevara, Jake Hager, Santana, Ortiz)
TNT Championship: Cody vs. Lance Archer
AEW World Championship: Jon Moxley (c) vs. Brodie Lee
AEW Women's Championship: Nyla Rose (c) vs. HikaruShida
Casino Ladder match: Darby Allin vs. Rey Fenix vs. Orange Cassidy vs. Scorpio Sky vs. Frankie Kazarian vs. Luchasaurus vs. Kip Sabian vs. Colt Cabana vs. TBA
MJF vs. Jungle Boy
Britt Baker vs. Kris Statlander
Dustin Rhodes vs. Shawn Spears
Tag Team Championship No. 1 Contender match: Private Party vs. Best Friends
Top Matches to Watch
Stadium Stampede
While several titles are set to be vied for at Double or Nothing, all signs point toward the unique Stadium Stampede match between The Elite and The Inner Circle headlining the show.
The two factions were originally scheduled to do battle in the first-ever Blood and Guts match on March 25, but the COVID-19 outbreak forced a change of plans. The rivalry between the two groups continued, though, and they will finally go at it in a five-on-five match.
Although the rest of the matches are scheduled to take place inside the ring at Daily's Place, the Stadium Stampede will emanate from the Jacksonville Jaguars' TIAA Bank Stadium. Fans got a taste of what it could be like on the May 6 edition of Dynamite when Matt Hardy and Kenny Omega faced Chris Jericho and Sammy Guevara.
That match featured plenty of hijinks, including both Jericho and Guevara getting run down by their opponents in a golf cart.
On the go-home edition of Dynamite before Double or Nothing, The Inner Circle attempted to teach Omega a lesson on the field, but The Young Bucks and "Hangman" Adam Page returned to make the save. Page ran about 50 yards to deliver a devastating clothesline to boot.
There are many factors that should contribute to the Stadium Stampede match being the most entertaining bout on the card. In addition to the novelty of where it is occurring and the fact that there are no rules, it will feature a ton of talented performers.
The Elite and The Inner Circle are the two dominant stables in AEW, and it is only fitting that they will settle the score at what is arguably the company's biggest pay-per-view of the year.
Cody vs. Lance Archer
A midcard champion will finally be crowned Saturday at Double or Nothing, when Cody and Lance Archer face off in the finals of a tournament to determine the inaugural TNT champion.
Ever since Archer debuted in AEW on April 1 with WWE Hall of Famer Jake "The Snake" Roberts as his manager, he has had his sights set on Cody. It was obvious the two men were set to clash at some point, but the TNT Championship tournament raised the stakes.
Since Cody and Archer were on opposite sides of the bracket, they were the odds-on favorites. The latter scored dominant wins over Colt Cabana and Dustin Rhodes, while the former beat Shawn Spears and Darby Allin to reach the finals.
The match could be the best on the Double or Nothing card from a technical in-ring perspective, plus it has arguably the best story attached to it with the popular underdog babyface Cody trying to get past the monster heel in Archer.
Additionally, fans will have to keep track of what is going on outside the ring with Roberts in Archer's corner and both Arn Anderson and Brandi Rhodes in Cody's corner. The American Nightmare's matches tend to be overbooked, but that can lead to some entertaining moments.
It is always exciting when a new championship is awarded, but that is even more so the case with the TNT title, as former heavyweight boxing champion Mike Tyson will award it to the winner.
Tyson has been doing some intensive boxing training as of late, so perhaps he will get involved physically as well.
Jon Moxley vs. Brodie Lee
It can be argued that the AEW World Championship has been overshadowed to some degree entering Double or Nothing, but there is no doubt the title match between Jon Moxley and Brodie Lee will be of particular interest to the fans.
This will mark Moxley's first pay-per-view title defense since beating Jericho for the championship at Revolution on February 29, and it will come against someone he has a great deal of history with.
Moxley and Lee did battle years ago during their time on the independent scene and it carried over to WWE. Moxley was a member of The Shield as Dean Ambrose and Lee was a member of The Wyatt Family as Luke Harper, and those factions had some epic clashes.
Ambrose and Harper also had a rivalry after those factions dissolved and went at it in some matches with the Intercontinental Championship hanging in the balance.
Saturday's match will be their biggest encounter yet due to the prize that is on the line. Both performers also have a lot to gain and lose in terms of momentum and credibility as they attempt to establish themselves as faces of the company.
Moxley is arguably the top babyface in AEW, and while Lee only debuted on March 18, it hasn't taken him long to rise up the ranks and become one of the top heels.
It is difficult to envision Mox dropping the title already and Lee can ill afford a loss at this stage, so AEW will likely have to get creative with how it decides to book the match.
Listen toRing Rust Radiofor all of the hot wrestling topics. Catch the latest episode in the player below(warning: some languageNSFW).
"Do you want to change the world?" It was a question asked by Cody and The Young Bucks from the very inception of All Elite Wrestling , a question that would become the foundation ...
The Elite Outshines Lackluster Title Match Leading into AEW Double or Nothing
May 20, 2020
Normally there are close to 70,000 people filling TIAA Bank Field in Jacksonville, Florida, for every Jaguars game. That wasn't the case on AEW Dynamite, as 10 men did battle in the cavernous tomb, 10 tiny ants alone on a field of glory, filling a space meant for an army.
But the Inner Circle and the Elite didn't need a crowd to light up the stadium. They bring their own, seemingly endless supply of energy with them everywhere they go. There was no audience in sight, not even the small cadre of wrestlers who normally surround the ring. But you could sense the ghost of one, inserting its cheers and boos where they fit, the AEW audience there in spirit if not flesh.
The Young Bucks made a triumphant return, only to be outdone by "Hangman" Adam Page, running the length of the field in a button-up and cowboy boots before unleashing weeks of pent-up aggression on anyone foolish enough to come in his field of vision.
For a moment, the Elite were together, truly together, for the first time in ages, four men (seven if you count Matt Hardy and his various essences) standing tall and prepared to lead wrestling into a bold new future. It was, of course, a vision that couldn't last long.
Page, still struggling with self-doubt and a particular brand of millennial angst, walked off alone. The other four stood united but incomplete, a Hangman-sized hole allowing negativity, recrimination and doubt to slither home where moments earlier only positivity reigned.
If you didn't close the show with the kind of elevated heartbeat that only accompanies the buildup to a particularly compelling wrestling match, you may, in fact, be legally dead.
Unfortunately, not every big match managed to evoke that kind of excitement and anticipation. While I'm salivating for the Stadium Stampede match and the TNT Championship tournament final, the AEW World Championship match leaves me cold.
The Dark Order, from day one just shy of one year ago at the inaugural Double or Nothing, has been the only major AEW act to fail at launch. No one seemed to know the group at the time and its placement on subsequent cards as a rival to the popular Young Bucks was rejected by fans.
In a promotion whose fanbase loves just about everything it's presented with, the Order's failure was glaring. Great effort was spent rehabilitating the premise, with a series of really fantastic "recruitment" videos laying the foundation for a self-help guru/cult leader to emerge and lead his fanatics to glory.
The group sought out struggling talent and promised to help improve their lives. The group had, it claimed, infiltrated the wider world. Having a hard time at home, on the job, navigating life? The Dark Order could help.
It was, dare I say, interesting.
That all ended when Brodie Lee was revealed as the "Chosen One." The Dark Order, at least as it had been pitched to us for weeks on AEW programming, completely disappeared. Lee wasn't a charismatic self-help guru helping to unleash the potential in others. He was a garden-variety bully in a suit, playing a version of Vince McMahon that no doubt popped the people in the back, but did little to make him an interesting character on screen.
To be fair, this is an opinion completely forged in a vacuum. Normally, the crowd is there as a guide. Some wrestling acts don't really do it for me. But the audience serves as a sort of fact-checker, with the roar or indifference of the crowd serving as a powerful barometer for what's working and what isn't.
Lee's entire tenure has transpired in the COVID-19 era. We don't know if the AEW audience is rabid for him or if he's being met with polite silence or worse—a rare occurrence during Dynamite.
Either way, the title match with new champion Jon Moxley feels incredibly premature. In a promotion where wins and losses matter, five quick victories over mostly enhancement talent doesn't seem like enough to compel a championship opportunity.
The shot is unearned, the build lukewarm, and Lee himself appears to be a step off his best game. Moxley, in his first opportunity to shine since winning the belt from Jericho in February, is playing third fiddle as a world champion.
I understand that this kind of criticism is probably unfair. The promotion has played the pieces left on the board, not necessarily making the moves it wanted to, but rather the ones it could. With talent scattered across the country, often unable to travel because of COVID-19 restrictions and concerns, AEW has been forced, like so many of us, to make the best of a bad draw.
With the Elite vs. the Inner Circle, it's dealt the audience an ace. And, while the title match may be nothing more than a solid seven, at this point, action-starved wrestling fans are ready to rejoice, double down and bet big that AEW delivers its normal bell-to-bell extravaganza.
Jonathan Snowden covers combat sports for Bleacher Report.
