Jon Moxley

All Elite Wrestling Double or Nothing is three weeks away, but with just one match officially set for the show, AEW's decision-makers will undoubtedly be hard at work when it comes to building and adding matches on Dynamite.

Pre-taped episodes of Dynamite have aired in recent weeks because of the coronavirus pandemic, but with Dynamite set to go back live next week, the Double or Nothing card should take shape quickly so that AEW can begin ramping up the advertising for the show.

The only match that is set in stone for Double or Nothing thus far is the final of the TNT Championship tournament between Cody and Lance Archer, as Cody beat Darby Allin and Archer beat Dustin Rhodes in the semifinals this week.

Although there is a great deal of uncertainty regarding who will and won't be available for Double or Nothing because of the impact COVID-19 has had on the company and its talent, here are three matches you can expect to see on the May 23 pay-per-view.

Chris Jericho vs. Matt Hardy

While few rivalries have truly been built in recent weeks, AEW has managed to focus on the issues between Chris Jericho and Matt Hardy.

Hardy debuted on Dynamite several weeks ago and was named part of The Elite's Blood and Guts team against The Inner Circle, but that match has yet to happen because of the restrictions that exist because of the coronavirus. Even so, Jericho and Hardy have continued to be at odds.

They engaged in a bizarre promo battle weeks ago that resulted in Hardy turning down Jericho's offer to join The Inner Circle. Hardy later challenged Jericho to an "Elite Deletion" match, but Jericho has yet to accept.

Since this year's Double or Nothing won't have the usual big-event feel since no fans will be permitted to attend, doing the Elite Deletion match between Jericho and Hardy on the card makes all the sense in the world.

WWE was dealt a tough hand with WrestleMania 36 having to take place in front of no fans, which forced it to get creative and stray from having only in-ring matches.

The Boneyard Match between The Undertaker and AJ Styles and the Firefly Funhouse Match between John Cena and Bray Wyatt were both universally praised because of their cinematic nature and the fact that so much effort was put into making them different from everything else.

An Elite Deletion match between Jericho and Hardy can fill that same role at Double or Nothing and would have a good chance to steal the show given how creative the two participants are.

Hardy held cinematic-style matches and segments at his compound in both Impact Wrestling and WWE, so he has the experience needed to make it a success in AEW as well.

There likely wouldn't be a ton of interest in a basic singles match between Jericho and Hardy now since they are both somewhat limited compared to what they used to be able to do, but an Elite Deletion match would play to both of their strengths.

Jon Moxley vs. Brodie Lee

AEW World champion Jon Moxley said on Wednesday's episode of Dynamite that he would be on the show live next week, and he strongly suggested that he will find an opponent for Double or Nothing.

Moxley won the title from Jericho at Revolution and then beat Jake Hager in a No Holds Barred match to retain. Since he seems to have moved on from The Inner Circle, it is time for a new challenger to emerge.

There is no obvious person who has issues with Moxley, but Brodie Lee makes plenty of sense as Mox's next opponent given how quickly he has risen through the ranks in AEW.

Lee was introduced as the leader of Dark Order last month, and he has run roughshod over AEW since then. AEW has also firmly established him as a villainous egomaniac, which makes him the perfect foil to Moxley.

Mox thrived against Jericho and The Inner Circle since he was a lone wolf overcoming the odds, and he could do the same against Lee since Lee has Dark Order backing him up.

The timing of when Moxley's promo aired this week is worth noting, as it was played immediately after Lee's win over Marko Stunt, which may have been the company's way of planting the seeds.

Moxley and Lee have plenty of experience facing each other dating back to WWE and the independent scene before that, so they should be able to deliver a great match even with an abbreviated buildup.

Kip Sabian vs. Orange Cassidy

Since AEW Women's champion Nyla Rose and one-half of the AEW World Tag Team champions, Adam "Hangman" Page, haven't been on television in weeks, it is difficult to predict if they will be available for Double or Nothing.

Given that uncertainty, it stands to reason that AEW will include a match on the card that features performers who have been at odds in recent weeks.

The newly formed trio of Kip Sabian, Jimmy Havoc and Penelope Ford have had no shortage of issues with Best Friends lately. On Wednesday's Dynamite, Trent and Chuck Taylor beat Sabian and Havoc in a No Disqualification and No Count-Out tag team match.

Prior to that, Orange Cassidy beat Havoc in a singles match on a recent episode of Dynamite, so pivoting to a never-before-seen Sabian vs. OC match is a strong possibility.

Sabian has been a steady presence on Dynamite lately, including last week when he pushed Dustin Rhodes to the limit in the first round of the TNT Championship tournament.

AEW fans seemed to enjoy Cassidy's match against PAC at Revolution a few months ago, and they would likely react positively on social media to a clash between Cassidy and Sabian as well.

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With Double or Nothing less than one month away, one of the biggest questions related to the pay-per-view is who Jon Moxley will defend the AEW World Championship against.

Double or Nothing is set to happen on a closed set with no fans in attendance rather than in Las Vegas as planned because of the coronavirus pandemic, but it still promises to be a huge show, and Moxley will undoubtedly be one of the headliners.

COVID-19 forced AEW to tape a lot of content in advance and the absence of several top stars has made it tough to build storylines, but that may soon change, as AEW President Tony Khan confirmed that Dynamite will return to Daily's Place in Jacksonville, Florida, for a live episode May 6.

With the build toward Double or Nothing likely to ramp up in a big way on that show, here are a few AEW stars who stand out as the top candidates to challenge Moxley at the pay-per-view.

Brodie Lee

No performer in AEW has been more consistently dominant in recent weeks than Brodie Lee, who was revealed as the leader of Dark Order last month.

While most of Lee's bouts have been enhancement matches, it is clear that AEW is trying to build him toward a top spot, and it won't be at all surprising if that leads to him getting an AEW World Championship match at Double or Nothing.

After beating Chris Jericho for the title at Revolution and retaining it against Jake Hager a couple of weeks ago, it seems likely that Mox is done with The Inner Circle for now. That is supported by the fact and Jericho and Co. seem more preoccupied with Matt Hardy and The Elite.

If that is the case, then someone new has to emerge, and Lee makes sense on multiple levels.

For starters, Lee is the leader of a heel stable, and Moxley is coming off a feud with the leader of a heel stable in Jericho. Moxley thrives as the lone wolf babyface who is ready and willing to beat the odds at all times, which is an angle that AEW could go back to with Moxley against Lee and all of Dark Order.

Also, Lee previously wrestled in WWE as Luke Harper where he and Moxley, then known as Dean Ambrose, mixed it up plenty of times.

Since Lee and Moxley already have familiarity and chemistry, putting them in the ring against each other on somewhat short notice with little build is a good way to mitigate the risk of the AEW World Championship match falling flat.

While it may seem a bit soon to put Lee in such a big spot, having him go for the title early will help establish him as a top heel, and there are also ways for him to lose without looking bad, such as botched interference from his minions, which would play into his unreasonable boss character.

MJF

MJF began 2020 on an absolute roll and scored the biggest victory of his career at Revolution when he cheated to defeat Cody.

While MJF seemed well on his way to the top of the card and an AEW Championship opportunity, things changed due to the coronavirus pandemic. MJF hasn't had a match since the March 11 episode of Dynamite and his appearances have been sporadic.

MJF appeared on last week's show and cut a promo in front of his home saying he was injured. While it is possible that the injury could be legitimate, it is likely that AEW is using it as a storyline explanation for MJF being away due to the fact that he is from an area that has been hit hard by COVID-19.

AEW has avoided using wrestlers based in coronavirus hot spots such as New York and California, but that may soon change with Dynamite going back live May 6.

If that is the case and MJF isn't actually injured, he makes plenty of sense as Moxley's opponent. He has earned the right based on his victory over Cody, plus he is arguably the strongest heel AEW has.

MJF and Moxley could have some great battles on the mic, plus the presence of Wardlow in MJF's corner would allow Moxley to work as the underdog.

Starting the feud this late in the game wouldn't be ideal, but MJF is such a skilled heel that he could make an AEW World title feud and match with Moxley feel like a big deal in a short amount of time.

Darby Allin

Moxley's Double or Nothing opponent could depend on how the TNT Championship tournament plays out on Wednesday's episode of Dynamite.

The semifinals of the tourney are scheduled for Wednesday with Cody facing Darby Allin and Lance Archer taking on Dustin Rhodes. If Cody and Archer win as expected to set up an anticipated showdown at Double or Nothing, it would leave a clear path for Allin to the AEW World Championship.

While Moxley and Allin are technically both babyfaces, Allin is more of a tweener who is willing to act heelish and work against faces in certain situations.

Moxley and Allin already have plenty of history that could contribute to them facing off at Double or Nothing.

They had a singles match against each other back in November that Moxley won, and they later teamed together in March against Jericho and Sammy Guevara.

Mox never made it into the match, though, since he was attacked by The Inner Circle ahead of time. That forced Allin to fight on his own in a losing effort. It wasn't until the match was over that Moxley showed up and attempted to fight back.

Perhaps Allin could spin Moxley's absence into a narrative that Mox purposely hung him out to dry, which would be a good jumping-off point for their rivalry.

Listen to Ring Rust Radio for all of the hot wrestling topics. Catch the latest episode in the player below (warning: some language NSFW).

Much of the attention in All Elite Wrestling goes to the stars at the tippy top of the promotional pyramid. The wrestlers main-eventing on pay-per-view shoulder the bulk of the media responsibilities and both the fan praise and criticism alike.

And that's probably how it should be.

These are the wrestlers best-suited for the spotlight right now, competent, seasoned professionals with the experience to handle the pressure that comes from having all eyes on you. The life of the company depends on these performances both inside the ring and out, and it only makes sense to put people in those roles who are ready to succeed right away.

Jon Moxley, Chris Jericho, Cody Rhodes and Matt Hardy are all established wrestling superstars with one thing in common beyond their Hall of Fame pedigrees—and that's extended runs in Vince McMahon's WWE. Wrestling fans know them, and they've created a legacy and a relationship with the fans they've carried with them into this new venture.

The truth is, it will be rare, going forward, to find a high-profile free agent who hasn't spent time in the WWE system. New York has been the mecca for professional wrestlers, after all, longer than most of us have been alive.

But that common experience has done more than help generations of wrestling talent shine under the brightest of lights. It's also given AEW, in certain circles, an unfair rap as a promotion full of its competition's leftovers, a place for failed WWE stars to come for a second chance at success.

This episode of AEW Dynamite, like so many others before it, shows that criticism of the promotion to be unfounded at best and cynical nonsense at worst. Because, while it's the WWE veterans who have secured many of the prime spots in the AEW hierarchy, it's the newcomers and found gold that have given the promotion luster and life.

Far from feeling like a WWE knockoff, the combination of old talent energized by a fresh start and wrestlers new to the national stage has helped AEW create something vibrant and unique. AEW is a Frankenstein's monster, a mixture of old-school WCW, the energy of ECW and the ethos of the modern indies quite distinct from the sports entertainment WWE has presented for over a decade now.

The quarterfinal matches in the TNT Championship tournament was the perfect example of the balance AEW has maintained throughout its short existence. Dustin Rhodes main-evented the show, but it was the opening match between newcomers Darby Allin and Sammy Guevara he was attempting to equal, two young prospects who have lit a fire underneath a roster that has been forced to do more than merely jog in place to stay a step ahead.

Allin and Guevara, two otherworldly athletic talents with charisma oozing off them by the bucket full are hardly alone. They were followed by the cult superstar Orange Cassidy, the personification of "too cool to care," who has become one of the promotion's most popular figures despite (or because of) doing, well, absolutely nothing.

The week before it was Dr. Britt Baker, and before the pandemic, Jurassic Express was on the same rocket ship to the stratosphere. Acts like Penelope Ford, Kris Statlander and Joey Janela are just an opportunity away from a similar chance to take the wrestling world by storm.

AEW isn't a promotion full of the scraps left over after the WWE machine was created. It's, instead, a promising new creation built with parts from all over the wrestling world, the diversity of style and approach a feature to be shared, not a weakness to strip away until only an exhausting sameness of purpose and intent remains.

In an era of overwritten, overproduced wrestling, AEW has brought the wrestler back into the creative process—and the difference is obvious. The promotion trusts its talent to follow their own instincts and hearts. And, it turns out, when wrestlers care about the material they're performing and feel invested in it, good things happen. It creates an authenticity that doesn't (and can't) exist when the same television writers attempt to create dialogue for 20 different characters.

The AEW formula for creating new stars is innovative in its simplicity. Generally, they film an introductory video, giving the audience the opportunity to meet the wrestler and get a glimpse of their world. From there, it's totally in the talent's hands to sink or swim.

Allin and Guevara not only have distinct in-ring styles but also film different kinds of promos and video packages. Each AEW wrestler has the freedom to create the kind of character that works for them.

And, so far, it's worked for me too.

Jonathan Snowden covers combat sports for Bleacher Report.

It's not often professional wrestling can shock me anymore. From the Four Horsemen brutally attacking Ricky Morton in the dressing room to Mick Foley getting tossed off the top of a steel cage, to the not-so-surprise betrayal of Cody Rhodes by the villainous Maxwell Jacob Friedman, I've seen it all over the years, consistently delighted by wrestling's predictable unpredictability.

But when I looked up at the clock on the wall as Jake Hager made his way out to the ring for an empty-arena title match with Jon Moxley and saw more than 30 minutes of television time remained, my jaw dropped to the proverbial floor.

That's a long match for anyone to pull off, especially without the benefit of an enthusiastic crowd to help provide spiritual support. Without an audience to help guide the emotional beats of the match, empty-arena bouts can feel sterile and devoid of spirit. There's an emptiness there that extends beyond the vacant chairs, a lifelessness that steals away whatever it is that makes wrestling hum.

There are a handful of AEW wrestlers who could make a match like that work, charismatic technicians capable of flights of artistic wonder—but Moxley and Hager are not those men.

You could see what the two were trying to accomplish. And my goodness did they ever try. No one could possibly claim the effort wasn't there to make this a memorable moment for fans who could use a respite from the real world right about now.

Unfortunately, it just didn't click.

The opening section, a display of slow and ponderous mat wrestling, never quite jelled. Somehow the match got even more meandering as they took it to the outside, the opportunity for hardcore spots appearing and disappearing, 10 endless minutes devoid of anything remotely violent.

It picked up at the finish, not surprisingly, when the two returned to what they know best—straight-up professional wrestling. Moxley nailed Hager with a hard clothesline and earned a stiff knee in response as a receipt. Business, as they say, picked up from there, and it came to a close with a satisfyingly clean finish.

It stands out as a dud, in part, because until the main event the show had been a consistent delight, another triumph for a promotion that has been knocking it out of the park week after week, meeting the coronavirus pandemic head-on and consistently delivering fantastic television no matter the challenges it faced.

Dynamite had already delivered several entertaining enhancement matches, each one made special by the incredible impromptu announcing team of Chris Jericho and Tony Schiavone. The already-iconic duo play off each other like the best broadcast partners, showing the chemistry that made Jesse Ventura and Vince McMahon or Bobby Heenan and Gorilla Monsoon such immortal pairings.

That energy was lost when the main event shifted to a one-man booth featuring Jim Ross, a legend of the industry who doesn't have the style to carry a long match solo. No one really does—but the contrast between Ross and the comedy duo that preceded him was jarring. It's like we were watching one show, light and breezy fun with Pineapple Pete and Orange Cassidy and the whole gang, before being dropped into the middle of a grim and apocalyptic hellscape for the main event.

AEW, like everyone else in sports and entertainment, is learning what works and what doesn't in this new world, testing limits and trying to find what the audience wants to see in this unusually grim time for the nation and the world.

AEW has leaned heavily on two of its strengths, comedy and amazing video packages that humanize the performers—and it's working. And the promotion will continue to get better as it gets more opportunities to both try and, occasionally, fail.

Hager and Moxley took their best swing at a moving target—and they missed. It happens, even to a promotion as consistently on the mark as AEW. These rare failures aren't fatal, and having the courage to dust yourself off, get up and try again is how AEW will perfect a formula it is well on its way to creating.

Jonathan Snowden covers combat sports for Bleacher Report.

Jon Moxley beat Jake Hager in a No Holds Barred match on Wednesday night's episode of AEW Dynamite to retain the All Elite Wrestling World Championship.

Moxley hit Hager with a Paradigm Shift onto a steel chair and got the pin for the win.

The AEW world champion tried to finish Hager with the Paradigm Shift earlier in the match, but Hager soon countered with an arm triangle:

Overall, Moxley and Hager exchanged heavy blows throughout the match, with Moxley getting the better of his opponent with this flying knee strike:

Undeterred, Hager soon hit this gut-wrench suplex:

Moxley later responded with a lariat onto Hager:

Hager nearly got Moxley to submit with an ankle lock late in the match, but the champion rebounded and stayed undefeated in singles competition.

There were again no fans in attendance at Wednesday's show because of the coronavirus pandemic, but it arguably worked in favor of the two men since they were able to do battle anywhere they desired in a match with essentially no rules.

While Moxley has been at odds with The Inner Circle for months, especially leading up to his AEW world title win over Chris Jericho at Revolution on February 29, his issue with Hager began two weeks ago.

After Hager won a squash match in quick fashion, Moxley sought him out and attempted to take down the undefeated Bellator MMA fighter. Instead, Hager managed to put his rival to sleep.

While Moxley is one of the toughest and most fearless performers in professional wrestling, Hager is as legitimate as they come because of his success as a collegiate wrestler at the University of Oklahoma coupled with his transition to MMA.

Hager has also done some big things in the world of professional wrestling, including winning Money in the Bank and the World Heavyweight Championship in WWE, plus being the final Lucha Underground champion before the company ceased operations.

Meanwhile, Moxley is a former WWE champion in his own right and was one third of arguably the greatest stable in wrestling history: The Shield.

Since making his surprise AEW debut at Double or Nothing in May last year, Moxley has arguably been AEW's biggest star, and he appeared unbeatable entering his highly anticipated clash with Hager.

The same could be said for Hager, though, as he ran through the competition after finally having his first official AEW match against Dustin Rhodes at Revolution.

While Hager's level of competition didn't quite measure up to that of Moxley, he had the advantage in terms of size, strength and real-life fighting skills, plus the possibility of The Inner Circle interfering had to loom large in Moxley's mind.

Even so, Moxley prevailed and handed Hager his first loss in AEW, which means a new challenger must emerge ahead of the scheduled Double or Nothing pay-per-view on May 23.

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