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AEW Double or Nothing 2024 results, grades and analysis: Mercedes Moné wins TBS Championship in AEW in-ring debut

Moné captured her first championship in the company and MJF made his surprise return

Mercedes Moné makes her AEW debut during an episode of
Mercedes Moné makes her AEW debut during an episode of "Dynamite," (Lee South/AEW)

AEW "Double or Nothing" took place Sunday night at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. "Double or Nothing" was the first signature event AEW had after its inception in 2019. Sunday, the company celebrated the five-year anniversary of the event with a loaded, 12-match card that featured seven championships at stake.

The main card was bookended by the two most entertaining contests of the night.

The first saw Will Ospreay win his first championship in AEW, as he continues to showcase his immense talent amid a meteoric rise in the company. After that match, AEW's biggest homegrown star, MJF, made his surprise return and announced that he's resigned with Tony Khan's company for the foreseeable future.

On the women's side, Mercedes Moné had her first match since debuting last March, picking up a victory to dethrone Willow Nightingale as the TBS Champion.

The night closed with a chaotic Anarchy in the Arena match, where The Elite defeated Team AEW.

Deonna Purrazzo def. Thunder Rosa by pinfall in 10:13.

  • Grade: B

  • Best spot: Purrazzo grabbing the rope to win

  • Analysis: Purrazzo and Rosa put on a solid opening match, with contrasting styles and personas meshing nicely. The Virtuosa working heel and using underhanded tactics to pick up a victory over Rosa suggests we’re likely to see a third contest between these two.

The Acclaimed def. Cage of Agony by pinfall in 11:40.

  • Grade: B

  • Best spot: Brian Cage’s second-rope suplex

  • Analysis: The Acclaimed walked out with a win and could be in line for a shot at the trios championship in the near future. Beyond that, there were some fun moments between Billy Gunn and Cage as well as some impressive offense from Cage of Agony even in a losing effort.

Will Ospreay def. Roderick Strong by pinfall in 17:46 to win the International Championship.

  • Grade: A

  • Best spot: Ospreay not using the Tiger Driver ‘91

  • Analysis: Ospreay and Strong earned the highest grade of the night, and deservedly so. Ospreay’s ascent in AEW continues as he manages to steal the show every time he steps into the ring. It was a smart move to have Don Callis suggest Ospreay use the move he retired just last month and then have him not follow through, but still win. It’ll be interesting to see what happens with the Undisputed Kingdom, especially with MJF’s surprise return coming at the expense of Adam Cole after this contest.

Bang Bang Gang def. Death Triangle by pinfall in 12:22 to retain the Undisputed Trios Championship.

  • Grade: B+

  • Best spot: Lucha Bros. offense in closing moments

  • Analysis: Death Triangle returning to the trios picture was very welcome and they looked to have not missed a beat despite going longer than a year without competing together. The involvement of Juice Robinson in the finish allows Bang Bang Gang to stay on top of the division while also protecting Death Triangle. An ongoing feud between these teams may be in the cards and after this match I don’t think anyone would complain if it is.

'Timeless' Toni Storm def. Serena Deeb by pinfall in 15:42 to retain the AEW Women's World Championship.

  • Grade: B

  • Best spot: Mariah May/Luther fighting over throwing in the towel

  • Analysis: The biggest takeaway from this match is the cracks showing in the Luther/Mariah May/Storm triangle in the wake of the towel debacle during the contest. Deeb had a strong showing and pushed the champion to her limits, so while she may be out of this title picture, she could make for a solid first opponent for new TBS Champion Mercedes Moné. Storm’s “Timeless” character is one of the best in AEW at the moment, so keeping the championship with her is the right move for the foreseeable future.

Orange Cassidy def. Trent Beretta by pinfall in 13:46.

  • Grade: B+

  • Best spot: Beretta’s Gotch piledriver on the apron

  • Analysis: A frustrated Beretta stormed out of the arena after losing to Orange Cassidy, so his future direction isn’t exactly clear, but he likely remains a heel. This was a different Cassidy match than we’re used to seeing, as it was very hard-hitting and personal. Cassidy remains a major fan favorite and another win at a major AEW show continues to raise his profile.

Chris Jericho def. Katsuyori Shibata and Hook in 12:42 to retain his FTW Championship.

  • Grade: B

  • Best spot: Hook suplexing Big Bill through a table

  • Analysis: There were plenty of fun spots in this match and Jericho took an absolute beating at times. Hook looked strong throughout the match and didn’t take the pinfall in the triple threat. Even afterwards as he stalked Jericho and took out security he was presented as a destructive force. We’re going to see him regain the FTW Championship from Jericho sooner rather than later.

Jon Moxley def. Konosuke Takeshita in 17:26.

  • Grade: B

  • Best spot: Takeshita focusing on Moxley's arm at the start

  • Analysis: Moxley sold an arm injury for the duration of this match, which helped showcase Takeshita’s ruthlessness and precision at times. Moxley overcoming that to deny Takeshita in the IWGP Heavyweight Championship eliminator leaves him looking like an overwhelmingly tough and strong champion. He has a title defense early next month and should he survive, will sniff around the main-event picture for Forbidden Door at the end of June.

Adam Copeland def. Malakai Black by submission in 20:20 to retain the TNT Championship.

  • Grade: A-

  • Best spot: Gangrel’s surprise appearance

  • Analysis: From a physical standpoint, this match was brutal, with blood being introduced less than 90 seconds into it. From a storytelling standpoint, it was nothing short of compelling. A barbed wire, steel cage match certainly has the potential to take things a step too far, but Black and Copeland masterfully walked the line during this match. The surprise appearance of Gangrel was a nice touch as Copeland tapped into something he hasn’t in a long time. Copeland grabbing back his wedding ring and exiting to his normal music likely signifies the end of this brief character change.

Mercedes Moné def. Willow Nightingale by pinfall in 18:01 to win the TBS Championship.

  • Grade: A-

  • Best spot: Nightingale’s gut-wrench powerbomb onto the apron

  • Analysis: Moné and Nightingale have great chemistry in the ring together and this match had the crowd more hyped than any other besides the Anarchy in the Arena. The two women told an excellent story, with callbacks to their match last year in NJPW and there was even subtle character development in the sense that Nightingale charged head-first into several scenarios that Moné was able to capitalize on — something she’ll learn as she gains more experience. Moné winning the championship unlocks a host of new possibilities and the betrayal of Kris Statlander and Stokely Hathaway sets up Nightingale’s next feud.

Swerve Strickland def. Christian Cage by pinfall in 24:52 to retain the AEW World Championship.

  • Grade: B+

  • Best spot: Strickland’s backflip kick

  • Analysis: Cage and Strickland put on an entertaining match, even though the outcome was never really a question. This was a much-needed match for Strickland’s development as AEW World Champion as he regained his swagger and overcame what was essentially a four-on-one at one point during the match. Cage remains a main-event level talent, but this match fell just a shade below what we’ve come to expect from AEW.

The Elite defeated Team AEW in 30:21.

  • Grade: A

  • Best spot: “The Final Countdown”

  • Analysis: There were plenty of remarkable moments during this match which, depending on your preference, was among the best of the night. The Elite winning here, and Jack Perry being carried out by the EVP Young Bucks continues their hostile takeover of AEW while also building the “Scapegoat” into an even bigger star. Darby Allin took an absurd level of damage and I do think stringing him up was probably a bit too far, but overall it was an entertaining match to close the show.

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  • Anarchy in the Arena – The Elite vs. Team AEW

    The Young Bucks and Kazuchika Okada were introduced and as Jack Perry's music played, Team AEW blitzed with a surprise attack. As Bryan Danielson and FTR battled with The Elite, Darby Allin's music hit and he emerged wearing a mask that appeared to have thumbtacks on it.

    Matt Jackson took a microphone and demanded they play the Young Bucks' new theme music as the brawl continued. Danielson then took out Jackson and made his own demand — play the greatest theme song in the history of wrestling.

    Suddenly, "The Final Countdown" by Europe began to play, drawing a huge pop from the Vegas crowd.

    A fitting music choice for the chaotic ending of Double or Nothing, the action was difficult to keep track of. Danielson and Okada battled in the crowd, Dax Harwood took the fight to the concourse. Darby Allin landed a Coffin Drop from a crowd entrance.

    Matt Jackson demanded the music stop because of budgetary restraints and the crowd began to chant "we want music."

    Most of the action returned to the area near the ring, with only Allin and Perry fighting away from the six other parties. Perry gained an advantage over Allin by using a steel pipe and choking out his rival.

    In the ring, the Young Bucks and FTR battled, with the EVPs landing a Shatter Machine for a near-fall on Harwood. Danielson ducked an Okada splash, leading the Bucks to kick their Elite teammate. Danielson went for a suicide dive but was met with a steel chair.

    The action turned back to Perry and Allin, and Perry appeared to drive a bus into a passed-out Allin, leaving even the other Elite members stunned.

    For Team AEW, FTR was doing most of the work against the Young Bucks, but with Danielson laid out ringside, the numbers game was too much for the tag team.

    Allin limped down the ramp and briefly gained the upper hand over Okada, but again the Elite had too much of an advantage, with the Bucks slamming Allin onto steel chairs and taking him to the elevator at the top of the ramp, appearing to eliminate him from the match.

    The Young Bucks then turned their attention to Danielson, who attempted to rally. The Young Bucks delivered a TK Driver to Danielson onto the prop poker chips. FTR and the Young Bucks then exchanged offense on the ramp, with Cash Wheeler setting up a table.

    Naturally, the table would backfire, as Nick Jackson landed a swanton from the top of the entrance ramp onto Cash Wheeler.

    Perry then reemerged and grabbed Tony Khan and brought him out to the ramp. As he did, Allin returned with a flamethrower and lit Perry on fire. The Young Bucks extinguished Perry and moved Allin to the ring in a two-on-one.

    Matt Jackson removed Allin's mask, protecting a real-life broken nose. Nick Jackson missed a 450 splash, landing on a trash can, Allin ducked a Rainmaker from Okada and then hit the Japanese star with a Coffin Drop. The Elite recovered, however, and then tied up Allin, threatening to hang him by his ankles. FTR came to his rescue briefly before being hit with an exploding chair by Matt Jackson.

    Okada returned to the ring with a thumbtack sleeve and delivered a Rainmaker to Cash Wheeler before introducing a pair of Young Bucks Reebok Pumps that had thumbtacks fastened to the soles. Finally, the Bucks strung Allin up and hit a double superkick on him.

    Danielson retuned to the ring and swung things into Team AEW's favor, landing his Yes Kicks on the Young Bucks and a Psycho Knee with a steel chair. His pinning attempt was foiled by Okada and then Danielson was hit with the EVP trigger.

    Perry returned to the ring and hit Danielson with a knee and scored the pin.

    The Elite defeated Team AEW in 30:21.

  • Christian Cage vs. Swerve Strickland for the AEW World Championship

    Strickland got a special, self-narrated video entrance, with him being driven through the Las Vegas strip. He was then introduced by Prince Nana with a "Warriors" reference as Nana clanged three glass bottles together saying "Swerve, come out and play." Strickland's gear was also a homage to the classic film's titular gang.

    The match began with a stare-down between the two. Cage taunted both Strickland and the crowd while the champion smiled and stalked his opponent. The two engaged in a collar-and-elbow, wrestling around the ring before it was eventually broken. A second collar-and-elbow was won by Strickland who made Cage flinch in the corner.

    Strickland maintained his early advantage with a series of punches and cinching in a headlock. Cage countered a suplex attempt from Strickland into a reverse DDT. As Cage gloated, Strickland was able to recover and shift things back in his favor yet again.

    As action shifted outside the ring, Cage built momentum by sending Strickland into the barricade and unleashing a series of chops. Cage stayed on top of Strickland back in the ring, focusing on his neck for the next portion of the match. Some small offense from Strickland was derailed with a tornado DDT and frog splash from Cage.

    Nick Wayne from the Patriarchy — Cage's stable — took a shot at Strickland with the referee distracted. After a vicious sunset flip powerbomb from Cage, Strickland pulled off a scoop powerslam for a near-fall. Strickland started to turn the tides and energize the crowd, landing a trio of neckbreakers and an impressive backflip kick from the ring to the floor on Cage.

    Strickland followed up that sequence with a top-rope cross body and near-fall, but Cage found a way to lock in a sharpshooter. Strickland fought out of the hold, but both men took each other out. The Patriarchy's Mother Wayne tried to bring the AEW World Championship belt into the ring, but Nana stopped her. The referee saw Nana with the title and tossed him from ringside.

    The Patriarchy members would punish Strickland while Cage distracted the referee. A second attempt backfired as Kill Switch delivered and accidental headbutt to Cage and Strickland took out Nick Wayne. Strickland went for a Swerve Stomp, but Cage avoided it and speared the champion for a near-fall.

    The third interference from the Patriarchy would finally be caught by the referee and they be ejected from ringside, allowing the match to be carried out on even terms.

    Action shifted outside the ring once again, with Strickland setting up steel steps. There would be a few teases, but the steps wouldn't come into play until a little later when Strickland attempted a suicide dive. Cage moved out of the way and Strickland's head hit the steps. Cage once again grabbed the referee's attention and Nick Wayne reemerged for a cutter on the champion.

    Cage hit a Kill Switch finisher but Strickland kicked out. Irritated, Cage brought Strickland to the announce table, but the champion countered a finisher attempted into a Swerve Stomp onto the table.

    Strickland would cap off a chaotic closing sequence with a Swerve Stomp sandwiched between two House Call finishers to pin Cage and retain his championship.

    Swerve Strickland def. Christian Cage by pinfall in 24:52 to retain the AEW World Championship.

  • Mercedes Moné vs. Willow Nightingale for the TBS Championship

    Moné got a special entrance, with a video package featuring trailblazing women serving as a prelude for light-up drummers and showgirls introducing her. Moné had "CEO" written in her orange, yellow and black hair. There was clear emotion on her face as she stepped into the ring.

    Nightingale entered accompanied by Kris Stratlander and Stokely Hathaway. Stratlander and Hathaway held a massive friendship bracelet and remained ringside.

    Moné drew a mixed reaction from the crowd while Nightingale was cheered during pre-match introductions.

    Nightingale charged right at Moné as soon as the match started, but Moné ducked through the ropes. Moné continued to work heel early on, running away from the headstrong champion. Moné eventually landed a deep arm drag and went for a pin on Nightingale, but the champion kicked out. A second arm drag attempt failed and Willow began to build momentum.

    Despite falling to the ring floor and getting kicked by Moné, Nightingale countered a baseball slide and powerbombed Moné onto the ring apron for the first big move of the match. Nightingale got her first near-fall after delivering a standing suplex on Moné. Nightingale's power was on full display with a German suplex.

    Nightingale went for a gut-wrench powerbomb from the second rope, but Moné countered and began to focus on Nightingale's left knee. The two women exchanged blows in the middle of the ring as Moné kept Nightingale locked in a knee bar. Moné's focus remained on Nightingale's leg with a dragon screw and ankle lock.

    Moné kept momentum with a backstabber and abdominal stretch, but Nightingale would finally score some offense with an ankle lock of her own and a massive shoulder tackle. Nightingale continued to unload on Moné with blows in the corner and then a spinebuster from the second rope. A near-fall from Nightingale drew "this is awesome" chants from the crowd.

    Nightingale's next offensive spurt came with another powerbomb and a fisherman's suplex into a pin, but Moné up for a superplex, but the challenger slipped through and slammed the champion down to the mat. Moné then locked in a modified figure four leg lock.

    Moné ascended the turnbuckle, looking for a stomp on Nightingale on the apron, but the champion rolled out of the way and then began to focus on the challenger's ankle — a callback to the match last year where she was injured.

    Moné would dodge a cannonball attempt from Nightingale and hit the champion with a second-rope meteora, baseball slide and a second meteora onto the floor. Statlander and Hathaway inadvertently distracted the referee while Nightingale landed a gut-wrench powerbomb and pinned Moné. The count was longer than three, but Aubrey Edwards didn't realize. Moné eventually kicked out.

    Nightingale went for the same maneuver, but Moné countered into a submission hold and would hit her finisher, the Moné Maker, to win her first match and championship in AEW.

    Mercedes Moné def. Willow Nightingale by pinfall in 18:01 to win the TBS Championship.

    After the match, Statlander and Hathaway turned on Nightingale, setting up a future storyline between the former friends.

  • Malakai Black vs. Adam Copeland in a barbed-wire, steel-cage match for the TNT Championship

    Copeland had been teasing at this leading into the match, but he ditched his normal ring entrance for a Brood-esque emergence from under the stage. Copeland's video display even had "The Brood" written on it, a reference to his early WWE days where he was in a stable alongside Gangrel and Christian.

    The pace started off frenetic, with both men grabbing steel chairs and clanging them against each other. Black went for a spinning roundhouse kick that Copeland dodged and Copeland went for a spear that Black dodged.

    Less than 90 seconds into the match, Copeland ripped off some barbed wire cut open Black's forehead. Copeland remained in control by slamming Black into the cage and then following up with a powerbomb for a near-fall.

    Black's first sustained offense came as he countered a spear attempt from Copeland and sent him into the barbed-wire turnbuckle. Black began to focus on striking Copeland before turning his attention to a baseball bat wrapped in barbed wire, which he raked across Copeland's forehead.

    Copeland avoided a blow from Black and took the bat into his own hands, using it to brutalize Black's midsection and forehead. Copeland set up one of two tables in the ring and placed Black onto it. As Copeland climbed the cage, Black came to and kicked Copeland's feet out from under him.

    Both men again began to climb the ropes and cage and Black landed a sunset flip powerbomb to drive Copeland through the table. After a near-fall, Black went for a spinning heel kick, but Copeland countered into his spear finisher, resulting in another close call.

    Copeland set Black up on the second table in the ring, tying the House of Black leader to the table using the barbed wire. Copeland then climbed to the top of the cage and drove his elbow onto Black and through the table. Copeland took a long time to recover and couldn't pin Black in time, resulting in the latter kicking out after two.

    With both competitors struggling to their feet, Copeland rushed in for a spear but was met with a spinning heel kick from Black. Black then continued his assault on Copeland with a series of kicks the last of which sent him flying though the steel cage door. Unlike most cage matches, the stipulation was that this match must end by pinfall or submission.

    Brody King and Buddy Matthews, Black's cronies, emerged and after initially appearing to side with Copeland, began to beat him down and tie him up in barbed wire.

    As Black was ready to deliver the final blow, red lights began to flicker and Gangrel emerged from beneath the ring, taking out King and Matthews. The distraction was enough for Copeland to recover and spear Black. Copeland then used barbed wire to lock in a crossface and make Black pass out.

    Adam Copeland def. Malakai Black by submission in 20:20 to retain the TNT Championship.

  • Jon Moxley vs. Konosuke Takeshita

    Moxley entered with his entire left arm and shoulder wrapped up, a result of an attack Saturday by Takeshita, and the Japanese star immediately focused on it in the early stages of the match.

    Takeshita kept up the slow, deliberate pace, and as he taunted the crowd from the top rope, Moxley recovered to punch Takeshita off the turnbuckle. As Moxley attempted a big move on the ring apron, Takeshita reversed it to deliver more punishment to the IWGP Heavyweight Champion's arm. Don Callis came over to Takeshita and suggested the Moxley's arm was broken.

    Moxley mounted a brief offensive before Takeshita regained the upper hand, removing Moxley's bandages and ensnaring his arm in a steel chair. Takeshita continued to use the chair and steel steps to focus on Moxley's arm.

    Takeshita remained in control, taking a brief break in his assault on Moxley's arm to land an impressive brainbuster. A brief rally from Moxley was stopped as Takeshita overpowered a triangle choke into a powerbomb and locked in an armbar. Takeshita continued to work heel by gouging Moxley's eyes and threatening the referee.

    As Takeshita moved outside the ring, Moxley recovered for a suicide dive and then hit a huge lariat for the longest stretch of offense that he had to that point in the match. Moxley then countered an attempted big boot from Takeshita into a Paradigm Shift.

    Both men recovered and went blow-for-blow in the middle of the ring before Takeshita delivered a forearm shiver and knee strike for a near-fall on Moxley. Frustrated, Takeshita removed his elbow pad to enact more punishment on Moxley.

    Moxley's next round of offense, a submission hold, was quickly countered by Takeshita, who sent his opponent shoulder-first into the ring post and then landed an elbow strike and Death Rider finisher for a near-fall. The champion's refusal to lose frustrated Takeshita, and Callis called on him to introduce steel chairs into the match again.

    The match came to a sudden end as Moxley smashed Takeshita onto the chair and hit a Death Rider finisher to score the pinfall.

    Jon Moxley def. Konosuke Takeshita in 17:26.

  • Hook vs. Katsuyori Shibata vs. Chris Jericho for the FTW Championship

    As the match began, Jericho pandered to the crowd before turning his attention to Hook. Shibata would draw Jericho's attention and allow Hook to deliver two big suplexes to both Jericho and Shibata.

    Hook quickly moved outside the ring to set up a table, drawing a pop from the crowd. The table wouldn't come into play right away, but Jericho would introduce a new foreign object into the ring — a massive bag of dice.

    Jericho's play backfired as Hook and Shibata both delivered suplexes to Jericho onto the dice and then the two challengers teamed up for a big belly-to-back suplex. Jericho landed high and rolled out of the ring. Hook and Shibata traded suplexes on each other before moving outside the ring to grab kendo sticks.

    All three men returned to the ring with their weapons, but once again, Shibata and Hook set their sights on Jericho. Shibata then set up a table in the ring and looked to drive Hook through it. Jericho took out Shibata and went for a powerbomb of his own, but Hook reversed it into another suplex on Jericho before placing the champion on the table.

    Hook and Shibata moved to the top rope and Shibata delivered a death valley driver to Hook onto Jericho, but the table did not break. In an audible, Jericho set the table up in the corner before being driven through it and then dropkicked by Shibata.

    Action began to focus on Hook and Jericho, as the champion landed a Codebreaker for a near-fall. Jericho then went for a Judas Effect that Hook countered into a Redrum submission. With the champion fading, Big Bill ran out to save Jericho and beat down Hook. Hook rallied and put Bill through the table previously set up on the outside.

    Jericho locked in the Walls of Jericho on Shibata with Hook incapacitated outside the ring. Shibata reversed it into the Figure Four and Hook returned to lock in Redrum. With the two submission holds locked in, a masked figured came out to aid Jericho. The masked man was revealed to be Bryan Keith.

    Jericho pinned Shibata and escaped with his FTW championship reign intact.

    Chris Jericho def. Katsuyori Shibata and Hook in 12:42 to retain his FTW Championship.

  • Orange Cassidy vs. Trent Beretta

    This intensely personal matchup began with both men trading furious punches followed by heavy forearms. The crowd played along, cheering Cassidy and booing Beretta.

    Cassidy was whipped into the turnbuckles, but flipped over the ropes a la Ric Flair and slammed Beretta's head against two of the four turnbuckles several times. Cassidy landed a modified cross body, tornado DDT and suicide dive on Beretta. He then shifted the action outside, delivering punches to Beretta on the barricade.

    After resetting the count, Cassidy returned outside the ring but Beretta gouged Cassidy's eyes and attacked his throat. Beretta kept up the offensive by pummeling Cassidy and hitting a quartet of German suplexes, drawing the ire of the Vegas crowd.

    Beretta stalked Cassidy around the ring, hitting him with big forearms in each corner of the ring, but Cassidy rallied and did his signature taunt, putting his hands in his pockets and finally built momentum with a rollthrough and series of kicks and dropkicks.

    Cassidy went to the top rope, but Beretta rolled out to the ring apron. Undeterred, Cassidy launched himself at Beretta, who delivered a kick to the kneecap and hit a Gotch piledriver on the apron. Beretta looked to utilize the steel steps, but Cassidy countered and both battered men returned to the ring.

    The pace picked up briefly as Cassidy landed a Michinoku Driver into a near-fall and then both men countered several finishers from one another. Beretta scored a near-fall of his own and the counters continued.

    As Beretta went for a triangle choke on Beretta, Cassidy reversed it into a bridge pin and pick up the win.

    Orange Cassidy def. Trent Beretta by pinfall in 13:46

  • Serena Deeb vs. 'Timeless' Toni Storm for the AEW Women’s World Championship

    The crowd began supporting Storm once the bell rang. Both Storm and Deeb exchanged headlock takedowns before coming to an early stalemate.

    Deeb locked Storm up in a pretzel and then delivered a drop kick to the champion. Storm would deliver a hip attack to Deeb, but the challenger refused to back down, landing a dragon screw takedown and swinging neckbreaker to Storm outside the ring.

    A submission specialist, Deeb locked the champion in an octopus hold before Storm forced a break by biting the ropes. Deeb continued to focus on Storm's midsection and knee with another abdominal stretch and another pair of dragon screws. Storm countered a third dragon screw into a pinning combination for a near-fall.

    The next sequence saw Deeb attempt to disorient Storm by spinning her around before going for a backslide pin. Storm finally gained the upper hand with a backstabber and by overpowering Deeb's armbar to reverse it into a powerbomb. Storm locked in a deep cloverleaf that was eventually broken as Deeb struggled to the ropes.

    Deeb regained the upper hand with a series of slaps, a big clothesline and then a neckbreaker through the ropes. Deeb's offensive continued with a swinging neckbreaker, German suplex and lariat for a near-fall. The two women went toe-to-toe for a moment before Storm landed a chokeslam powerbomb on Deeb.

    Just as it looked like Storm was building momentum, Deeb reversed a potential hip attack and back-body drop into a pair of half crabs. Mariah May then attempted to throw in the towel to prevent the champion from suffering any more punishment and Luther stopped her. Both competitors moved outside the ring and Storm delivered a huge headbutt to Deeb. Storm then berated Luther, who was holding the towel.

    Back in the ring, Storm scored a near-fall with a Storm Zero finisher. Frustrated after Deeb kicked out, Storm went for the same move on the ring apron, but the challenger countered into another flurry of dragon screws and a pair of Deeb Tox finishers. Stunningly, Storm kicked out and turned the tables to hit an avalanche Storm Zero and normal Storm Zero to retain her championship.

    'Timeless' Toni Storm def. Serena Deeb by pinfall in 15:42 to retain the AEW Women's World Championship.

  • Death Triangle vs. Bang Bang Gang for the Undisputed Trios Championships

    Death Triangle — Pac, Pentagon El Zero Miedo and Rey Fenix — entered first in matching black and yellow gear. The group reunited on the go-home episode of "Dynamite" last Wednesday.

    Bang Bang Gang — Austin and Colton Gunn and Switch Blade Jay White — came out with their standard entrance.

    Pac and White were set to kick off the action before White tagged in Colton Gunn. Pac abused Colton Gunn, showing off his combination of power and speed, forcing Gunn to tag in his brother Austin. Pac remained dominant before forcing the Bang Bang Gang to retreat and regroup.

    The early stages of the match remained all Death Triangle as Pac tagged in Penta for a brief flurry of offense. All three Death Triangle members delivered punishment to the Gunn brothers, capped off by a suicide dive and top-rope attack from the Lucha Bros.

    Back in the ring, Pac was setting up a high-risk maneuver of his own, but White gained the upper hand with a massive DDT. Finally with momentum, Bang Bang Gang isolated Pac from his corner and focused on his head/neck. White would go for a pin that Pac would invalidate by putting his foot on the bottom rope.

    Pac attempted to fight back to his corner, but White stopped him and hit a slingshot into the bottom rope, again focusing on the neck of Pac. Pac would finally be able to roll through a tandem Gunn move to tag in Penta and allow the Lucha Bros. to unleash their own version of tag-team offense. Penta would score a near-fall on White before tagging Pac back in.

    A frantic sequence would see all six men land big moves and leave them all down on the ring mat, drawing "this is awesome" chants from the crowd.

    Pac and White were first to their feet, and Pac set Switch Blade up for Black Arrow. White moved out of the way and Pac took out the Gunns with snap German suplexes. After the Lucha Bros. took out White and forced the Gunns outside, Pac was on the top rope for his Black Arrow finisher. Before he could launch himself, Juice Robinson emerged and attacked Pac, allowing White to hit Blade Runner and win the match.

    Bang Bang Gang def. Death Triangle by pinfall in 12:22 to retain the Undisputed Trios Championship.

  • Adam Cole make an appearance and MJF returns

    Cole, the leader of the Undisputed Kingdom, came to the ring unannounced and cut a promo.

    Despite being over with the crowd, Cole began taunting the audience and pulled out his devil mask. As he was about to say "Adam Cole Bay-Bay," the arena went black and a video played on the big screen, teasing the return of MJF.

    MJF's music then hit to raucous applause and the former AEW champion emerged with an intense, new look. MJF was clad in a leather/denim jacket and confronted Cole in the ring, who pleaded with his former best friend. After a brief hug drew the ire of the crowd, MJF delivered a low blow and brainbuster to Cole.

    MJF picked up the microphone and delivered a promo about how he's not trusting anyone anymore and that he's a self-made star, insulting the majority of the AEW roster in the process. It was an intense — if somewhat vulgar— powerful promo from AEW's biggest homegrown star. He also revealed an AEW tattoo on his right leg, and confirmed that he was staying with Tony Khan's company, ending any confusion about his contract status.

  • Will Ospreay vs. Roderick Strong for the International Championship

    The main card got underway in a big way, with Ospreay and Strong — a match that many expected to steal the show on Sunday night.

    Ospreay entered first, receiving an overwhelmingly positive reaction from the crowd.

    Strong, the champion, was accompanied to the ring by the Undisputed Kingdom — Matt Taven and Mike Bennett. Ospreay didn't waste any time, going for the Hidden Blade before the match even began. Ospreay's assault continued as he took out Bennett and Taven outside the ring with fast-paced offense before finally returning inside the ropes.

    Strong was able to gain momentum, with the help of Undisputed Kingdom, who took out Ospreay with a scary-looking Doomsday Device. Ospreay took a rough spill, landing on his head outside the ring. Once cleared, Ospreay returned to the ring but Strong remained on the offensive, snuffing out any attempts from the challenger to gain an advantage.

    The two men exchanged chops and counters during the next sequence and Ospreay finally hit an impact move with a springboard kick followed up by a running boot to Strong in the corner. Undisputed Kingdom would again get involved, distracting the referee and Wardlow ran in to set Ospreay up for a powerbomb.

    The referee, finally wisened up to the antics, tossed all three additional members of Undisputed Kingdom. Ospreay finished the job with a huge corkscrew moonsault from the top rope to the floor.

    With the match finally back to one-on-one, Ospreay continued to build momentum before two failed corkscrew moonsault attempts resulted in a storyline knee injury. Strong countered a Hidden Blade into a half crab and cloverleaf submission holds targeting Ospreay's injured knee.

    Strong tied Ospreay up in the ropes and landed a series of vicious chops and elbows. He'd slam down Ospreay and go for a pin, but the challenger kicked out at two. After the near-fall, Strong set Ospreay up for a superplex into a backbreaker and then a gut buster.

    As Strong went for a high knee, Ospreay caught him and landed a quick sitdown powerbomb. The two men would exchange blows and counters in a frantic sequence, but Ospreay came out on top by launching himself from the second rope to deliver a headbutt. With Strong selling an injury, Don Callis stepped away from the commentary table to tell Ospreay to deliver the Tiger Driver '91.

    Conflicted, Ospreay finally went for the finisher, but too much time had passed and Strong countered into a series of offense and a near-fall. Strong continued to punish Ospreay before the challenger was able to reverse a Strong maneuver into his Stormbreaker finisher for the win.

    Will Ospreay def. Roderick Strong by pinfall in 17:46 to win the International Championship.

  • Cage of Agony vs. The Acclaimed

    Cage of Agony — Brian Cage, Bishop Kaun and Toa Liona — entered first as the heel team. The Acclaimed — Billy Gunn, Max Caster and Anthony Bowens — was next, with Caster performing his usual freestyle rap, which garnered a positive reaction from the Las Vegas crowd.

    Kaun and Caster kicked off the action with a fast-paced sequence, with Kaun gaining the upper hand and Caster tagging in Gunn. Gunn, the oldest performer in the match, called out Brian Cage, who obliged and tagged in.

    A brief pose-off turned into Cage overpowering Gunn and taunting. Gunn repeated Cage's sequence — a quick shoulder block and taunts, which ended with a "suck it" gesture.

    Action moved outside the ring with Cage of Agony slamming The Acclaimed members into various barricades and steel steps. Bowens would take the worst of it, selling a knee injury after getting trapped in the steps.

    Back in the ring, the Cage trio isolated Caster and hit three massive moves — a turnbuckle backbreaker, senton on the ring apron and Cage's patented second-rope suplex.

    Liona would get his turn in the ring next, continuing to punish Caster before tagging in Cage. Cage set Caster up for a superplex that Caster was able to counter and hit a cross body on newly tagged-in Kaun. An eventual hot tag to Gunn resulted in the veteran clearing out all three Cage of Agony members and getting a near-fall on Kaun.

    The numbers advantage for Cage of Agony continued to work in their favor, with the trio landing a triple powerbomb on Gunn for a pin that was broken up by Bowens. Frustrated, Cage of Agony introduced a steel chair into the equation. Before they could use the foreign object, Chance, the Vegas Golden Knights mascot stole the chair to aid the Acclaimed.

    With four of the matches participants engaged outside of the ring, Gunn scored the win for The Acclaimed with a small package rollup.

    The Acclaimed def. Cage of Agony by pinfall in 11:40.

  • Dr. Martha Hart and Tony Khan make an announcement

    Dr. Martha Hart announced that in honor of the 25th anniversary of the Owen Hart Foundation, the Owen Hart Foundation Tournament would be returning for a third consecutive year.

    Khan announced that the winners of the men's and women's tournament would get world championship matches. The finals for both brackets would take place July 10 in Calgary, Alberta, Canada and the eventual championship opportunities would take place at "All In" at Wembley Stadium on August 25.

  • Thunder Rosa vs. Deonna Purrazzo

    Rosa was first to make her way to the ring, going full Las Vegas with an Elvis impersonator entrance. Purrazzo donned a green, feathered robe during her entrance.

    After a brief stare-down and circling sequence, the women locked in a collar-and-elbow, with Purrazzo forcing Rosa into the corner and delivering several blows. The women exchanged counters before Rosa gained the upper hand with a hurricanrana.

    The first big blow of the match came as Purrazzo escaped outside the ring and Rosa landed a dropkick through the first and second ropes. Purrazzo recovered as action remained outside the ring and shoved Rosa into the ring apron, creating her first sustained momentum of the match.

    Purrazzo began to focus on left arm of Rosa, who had her left shoulder taped during the match. Purrazzo continued to deliver punishment and had the first near-falls of the contest. As Purrazzo continued mat work, Rosa reversed a submission into a pinning combination and eventually a recliner submission for a brief reprieve.

    After both women took each other down, a head-to-head screaming match ended with Rosa landing another high-impact drop kick and getting near fall. Rosa went for a high-risk move on the top turnbuckle that Purrazzo countered to set up a Tree of Woe and land a massive spear to Rosa for another near-fall.

    Rosa recovered to lock in a cobra clutch submission and a discus forearm. As Rosa went for the Tijuana Bomb, Purrazzo countered into an armbar and began the closing sequence.

    Rosa was able to reverse the submission into another cobra clutch, forcing Purrazzo to crawl toward the ropes to force a break. Rosa shoved off the rope to keep the hold intact, but in the rollup she wound up in a Purrazzo pinning combination. The Virtuosa grabbed hold of the bottom rope for leverage and scored the pinfall victory.

    Deonna Purrazzo def. Thunder Rosa by pinfall in 10:13.

  • AEW Double or Nothing card and predictions

    AEW is celebrating the five-year anniversary of Double or Nothing, and the 2024 edition of the annual event features 12 matches. Two pre-show bouts will take place before the show officially kicks off at 8 p.m. ET. Seven of the ten matches on the main card will be for championships.

    Here's a look at the whole card and predictions for the main card from Friday's preview piece.

    Christian Cage vs. Swerve Strickland (c.) for the AEW World Championship – The deck is stacked against Swerve, who is arguably AEW’s most popular star right now. Swerve overcoming all of the odds and walking out of Double or Nothing as AEW World Champion is the right move in building him up as one of the faces of the company. Prediction: Swerve retains the AEW Championship

    Mercedes Moné vs. Willow Nightingale (c.) for the TBS Championship – Moné winning here could set up the potential trilogy match between the two and allow The CEO to lean further into her heel persona. Moné doesn’t need the belt as much as she needs a win to establish a level of dominance as a relative newcomer in AEW. Prediction: Mercedes Moné wins the TBS Championship

    Will Ospreay vs. Roderick Strong (c.) for the AEW International Championship – I don’t think we need to overcomplicate things or make too intense of a case for Ospreay. He’s going to be at the top of the company sooner rather than later and a championship win over Strong is just the latest step in that journey. Prediction: Will Ospreay wins the AEW International Championship

    Serena Deeb vs. “Timeless” Toni Storm (c.) for the AEW Women’s World Championship – While there would be a bit of irony in Storm losing after she set this match up by throwing in the towel for Mariah May earlier this month, her “Timeless” run has been very strong and I predict her reign will continue. Deeb seemingly snapped on Wednesday’s “Dynamite,” looking strong heading into the match, but Storm is still likely to walk out of Las Vegas champion. Prediction: 'Timeless' Toni Storm retains the AEW Women's Championship

    Malakai Black vs. Adam Copeland (c.) in a barbed-wire, steel-cage match for the TNT Championship – The storyline built here has been Black and the House of Black trying to coax Copeland into tapping into a more violent side, which we saw on the go-home episode of Dynamite. That’ll undoubtedly happen during this match and I can see Copeland winning, but giving House of Black exactly what they wanted and him joining forces with the faction. Prediction: Adam Copeland retains the TNT Championship

    Death Triangle vs. Bang Bang Gang for the Undisputed Trios Championships – This match just came together this past Wednesday as Pac reunited with Penta and Rey Fenix to challenge Jay White and the Gunns. It’s the first match for Death Triangle in over a year and I expect all six men involved to put on an epic show. Death Triangle likely walks out on top and begins another Trios reign. Prediction: Death Triangle wins the Undisputed Trios Championships

    Hook vs. Katsuyori Shibata vs. Chris Jericho (c.) for the FTW Championship – A bit of a swerve in the sense that this felt like a build toward a one-on-one match between Hook and Jericho, Shibata’s presence could allow the brewing rivalry between the two to stew a little longer. Jericho, who began this story as a mentor-like character, could tap into his decades of experience to pin Shibata while Hook is protected. Prediction: Chris Jericho retains the FTW Championship

    Anarchy in the Arena – The Elite vs. Team AEW – The Elite’s hostile takeover of AEW should continue with a win in the Anarchy in the Arena match. Depending on when this match takes place on the card could indicate how it plays out, though. If this is the main event, I won’t rule out a Team AEW win with a helping hand coming from a returning MJF in the night’s biggest surprise. Prediction: The Elite wins

    Jon Moxley vs. Konosuke Takeshita – The stipulation here being that if Takeshita wins he gets a shot at Moxley’s IWGP Heavyweight Championship all but assures that Moxley will lose and potentially sets up a rematch at Forbidden Door next month. Prediction: Konosuke Takeshita wins

    Orange Cassidy vs. Trent Beretta – Orange Cassidy doesn’t put on bad matches, so despite there not being a championship on the line or a stipulation involved, this match should be a good one. Perhaps the most emotionally driven contest on the card, Cassidy standing tall over his former friend after a grueling battle is the outcome to expect here. Prediction: Orange Cassidy wins

    Deonna Purrazzo vs. Thunder Rosa (pre-show)

    Cage of Agony vs. The Acclaimed (pre-show)

  • ICYMI: Mercedes Moné interview

    Mercedes Moné makes her AEW debut during an episode of
    Mercedes Moné makes her AEW debut during an episode of "Dynamite," (Lee South/AEW)

    Ahead of Double or Nothing, Mercedes Moné spoke to Yahoo Sports about her journey back from injury and to AEW.

    “It took a year to get back to the ring,” Moné said. “I have been training since December, so I feel really, really good. Really mentally ready, really physically ready and really excited to make my in-ring debut. I’m excited to show the world and the fans an all-new side of Mercedes Moné. There’s a whole new chance in my career to make things happen that I always dreamed of. I’m ready to go do it.”

    You can read the full interview here.