Tag: Wardlow

Wardlow update: Tony Khan expects him back on AEW TV ‘when the time is right’

Tony Khan said this week that Wardlow has been a great star for AEW and that he expects him back, but didn’t say when.

Thanks to Jade Cargill signing with WWE, the topic of notable homegrown AEW talent has never been more relevant than it is right this moment. One big (in multiple senses of the word) wrestler who fits that description but hasn’t been seen in some time is Wardlow.

The three-time TNT Champion saw his most recent reign end when he lost the title to Luchasaurus on the debut episode of AEW Collision in June — and he hasn’t wrestled since.

There haven’t been reports that Wardlow was injured, and he noted that a panel during Terrificon in August that he wasn’t happy being away from the ring. So what gives?

Tony Khan was asked for an update on Wardlow during his pre-WrestleDream media call this week, and his answer made it seem like it’s simply a lack of creative plans that has led to the big man’s absence.

“Wardlow’s a great star for us,” Khan said. “I think he’s been one of the greatest TNT Champions we’ve had. He’s been a great star, and I’m a very big fan of Wardlow. And I think that he will surly be back on AEW TV when the time is right.”

It’s interesting, though, that “the time” hasn’t happened during an unprecedented run of big AEW events, which included All In London and All Out just a week apart, followed not long after by the Grand Slam shows at Arthur Ashe Stadium in NYC.

There’s still a chance he could appear at WrestleDream this weekend. Perhaps he shows up to neutralize Lucahsaurus from interfering in the Christian Cage-Darby Allin TNT Championship match, which would be logical given the history he has with the dinosaur man. Regardless, it appears fans will just have to be patient and secure in the knowledge that it will be a matter of “when” and not “if” he’ll be back.

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AEW Collision results 06/17/23: Saturday night’s alright for CM Punk

Can AEW Collision make Saturday night must see TV for wrestling fans? Tonight’s Chicago debut will start putting that to the test.

Is the world ready for another two hours of prime time All Elite Wrestling each week? We’ll begin to find out tonight as the highly anticipated debut of AEW Collision comes to us live from the United Center in Chicago.

Call it the ultimate test of one of Tony Khan’s longtime assertions. He’s made it known that AEW has a big and talented enough roster to support more hours of programming each week. Warner Bros. Discovery agreed and said “let’s see what you can do on Saturday nights.”

The debut episode has some extra buzz around it thanks to a story you might have heard about if you follow wrestling at all: the return of CM Punk. Back in action for the first time since a combination of injury and suspension following All Out last fall, he’s been a boon to ticket sales for tonight’s show in his hometown, and curiosity over what he might say may attract plenty of TV viewers too.

It’s almost secondary (but not quite, since Punk has never wrestled at the United Center) that he’s in the main event, teaming with FTR to take on Bullet Club Gold and Samoa Joe.

Several other interesting returns are set for the Collision premiere. Both Miro and Andrade El Idolo will return to the ring after months away. Plus Wardlow will defend the TNT Championship, and The Acclaimed are scheduled to be in the house.

There’s a brand new (to AEW, that is) announce team. The set will likely be different from the one used on Dynamite. And Khan paid for a famous Elton John song to be the show’s opening theme.

AEW Collision results from Chicago:

(click on any match with a link for more details)

  • “I am the truth, and the truth is painful.” Fittingly, CM Punk starts off the show, walking to the ring to a huge reaction and carrying a bag with him; Punk says he’s done being nice and tells the crowd to tell him when he’s telling lies, saying people can call him whatever they want because they know he’s the truth

  • (cont.) Punk takes a shot at Young Bucks and also still has his title belt with him (presumably, as he never takes it out), saying it belongs to him until someone pins or submits him; he also has his boots and says until there’s someone in the company can fill them, he’s the one who needs to wear them

  • Luchasaurus def. Wardlow by pinfall after Christian Cage blasts Wardlow in the head with a camera he took from ringside, and Luchasaurus is the new TNT Champion (though Cage is celebrating like he won)
  • QT Marshall says Powerhouse Hobbs will win the Owen Hart tournament, something Hobbs himself asserts

  • Andrade El Idolo def. Buddy Matthews by submission, utilizing a move his wife made famous, the Figure Eight; afterward, Andrade tries to shake Matthews’ hand, but the lights go out to reveal he’s surrounded by the House of Black

  • A video package shows Scorpio Sky highlights and teases his return

  • Tony Nese tries body shaming the Chicago fans and says it’s time for group training, but he’s mercifully cut short by the return of Miro
  • Miro def. Tony Nese by submission
  • Skye Blue and Willow Nightingale def. Toni Storm and Ruby Soho by pinfall as Blue pins Soho, who accidentally was hit by spray paint in the eyes from Storm
  • Ricky Starks announces he’s entering the Owen Hart tournament and feels like it’s “absolutely” meant for him
  • Jeff Jarrett challenges Mark Briscoe to a Concession Stand Brawl, saying he’s played the long game and never loses at it
  • The Acclaimed and Daddy Ass say they’re about to get back on track for the trios titles and that AEW now also stands for “Acclaimed Every Weekend” before doing the first ever Collision Scissor, which includes Tony Schiavone as well
  • FTR and CM Punk def. Jay White, Juice Robinson and Samoa Joe by pinfall as Punk pins Robinson

AEW: Collision preview — CM Punk, more set for Chicago debut

Can AEW make a big impression with the premiere of Collision in Chicago?

It’s probably a little bit of hyperbole to suggest that the eyes of the entire pro wrestling world will be on Chicago tonight — but only a little. The highly anticipated nd much discussed premiere of AEW: Collision takes place at the United Center, ushering in a brand new era of AEW that will offer five hours of televised wrestling each week.

Can Collision become must watch TV? It’s taking a big swing early on with a return you might have heard about. CM Punk will not only get a chance to get some things off his chest, but he’ll also feature in the six-man tag team match that serves as the main event. Punk will team with good friends FTR to take on the Bullet Club Gold duo of Jay White and Juice Robinson, along with Samoa Joe.

Wardlow will also put his TNT Championship on the line, perhaps fittingly since the show is on TNT. He’ll battle Luchasaurus, but will have to keep his head on a swivel for Christian Cage too.

The women’s division will see yet another effort to shake it free from the grasp of The Outcasts when Skye Blue and Willow Nightingale step in against Ruby Soho and Toni Storm. And two other wrestlers who have been absent from AEW programming for some time, Andrade El Idolo and Miro, will return to the ring as well.

On top of all that, it stands to reason that Tony Khan and company may toss in a few surprises too. After all, they want people not just to tune in tonight, but to make Collision appointment viewing on a night that isn’t usually set aside for that for many people.

We’re anxious to see if they can pull it off. The premiere of AEW: Collision will kick off at 8 p.m. ET on TNT, and we’ll have full coverage right here on Wrestling Junkie.

AEW: Collision — Date, card for Chicago debut

Take a look at the match card for AEW: Collision ahead of its premiere episode this weekend.

After months of hype and speculation, AEW: Collision will finally premiere. How will two more hours of wrestling impact the company’s storylines with a full summer of pay-per-views? Fans will find the answers ahead.

Collision is being built around CM Punk‘s return to the ring after dealing with injuries and the aftermath of the infamous brawl at All Out in 2022. Promising Punk a microphone in his hand, AEW will give him the chance to speak in his hometown of Chicago at the United Center. One can only imagine what he will say after so much time off, and who his first program will be with, especially with Forbidden Door near.

Punk will also wrestle on Collision, as he and FTR will team up to face Samoa Joe, Juice Robinson and Jay White in a star-studded main event.

Miro and Andrade El Idolo will also make their returns to the ring at AEW’s Collision premiere after extended absences due to injury and other factors. Fans did not see much of either wrestler in 2022, as Miro only wrestled four times and El Idolo last competed at All Out in September.

Wardlow and Luchasaurus will compete for the TNT Championship in the lone title match of the night (at least so far), and Skye Blue and Willow Nightingale will team up to face Toni Storm and Ruby Soho, continuing the events of Wednesday’s episode of Dynamite.

AEW: Collision premieres on Saturday, June 17. The show starts at 8:00 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT on TNT. Here are all the matches on the card to date, which we’ll update as necessary until showtime:

  • CM Punk and FTR vs. Samoa Joe, Juice Robinson and Jay White
  • Wardlow (c) vs. Luchasaurus – TNT Championship match
  • Miro in action
  • Skye Blue and Willow Nightingale vs. Toni Storm and Ruby Soho
  • Buddy Matthews vs. Andrade El Idolo
  • CM Punk will speak

AEW Dynamite results: The Forbidden Door gets kicked wide open in D.C.

Get live AEW Dynamite results from D.C., featuring MJF vs. Adam Cole and more pieces of Forbidden Door falling into place.

Sometimes you can just feel when wrestling companies want to put their best foot forward, and tonight is one of those nights as AEW Dynamite airs from the Capital One Arena in Washington D.C.

Not that Tony Khan isn’t trying to hit every show out of the park, mind you. But with the debut of AEW: Collision this Saturday, followed quickly by Forbidden Door next week, it behooves this particular episode to have that “can’t miss” feeling about it.

Whether it does or not is in the eye of the beholder, but the card looks compelling from here. MJF and Adam Cole will battle in a world title eliminator, and while “beat the champ to get a shot at the champ” matches are sometimes silly, this one appears very legit.

The Blackpool Combat Club and The Elite may literally fight forever at this point, which will be the case again tonight as they meet in trios action. AEW Women’s World Champion Toni Storm defends her title against Skye Blue, and Wardlow does the same with his TNT Championship against Jake Hager, and a big eight-man tag team match sees the Mogul Embassy go up against a fan favorite group made up of Darby Allin, Sting, Keith Lee and Orange Cassidy.

Plus Sammy Guevara will be on Dynamite for the first time since his unsuccessful world title bid at Double or Nothing. Add it all up and it has the makings of a very fun two hours, and that’s not even counting the fact that perhaps a NJPW talent or two will drop by.

AEW Dynamite results from Washington D.C.:

  • Adam Cole vs. MJF goes to a 30-minute time limit draw after MJF’s two attempts to cheat both backfire, and Cole has him beaten with the Panama Sunrise only to have the bell ring with the count at two; Cole asks MJF for five more minutes, but the champ takes his title belt and leaves

  • A video package promotes the return of CM Punk at AEW: Collision

  • Sammy Guevara talks to Renee Paquette about the highs and lows of his last few weeks and says he has to make some personal changes; Darby Allin arrives and suggests Guevara needs to leave the Jericho Appreciation Society to reach the next level … which in turn brings Chris Jericho to the ring, demanding an apology; that in turn brings out Sting, who has a brief, tense staredown with Jericho amid suggestions they might all be in a tag team match next week

  • IWGP World Heavyweight Champion Sanada issues an open challenge for his title at Forbidden Door and says he’s anxious to see who from AEW will step up and accept it

  • Darby Allin, Sting, Keith Lee and Orange Cassidy def. Mogul Embassy by pinfall when Sting pins Brian Cage
  • Paquette asks The Gunns about their relationship with Bullet Club Gold, but they play dumb and would rather talk about their challenge to The Hardys for next week … and then they diss Renee’s hair for some reason

  • Wardlow def. Jake Hager by pinfall to retain the AEW TNT Championship, with Brock Anderson helping fend off outside assistance for Hager by the JAS; afterward, Christian Cage and Luchasaurus appear on the screen to accept Wardlow’s challenge on Collision and show that they’ve beaten up Arn Anderson
  • Hiroshi Tanahashi makes a challenge to MJF for Forbidden Door, and Paquette gives the bad news to the AEW world champ backstage and he says he’s not doing it

  • Paquette is talking to Orange Cassidy about what the future holds when Zack Sabre Jr. says it should be the two of them facing off for the AEW International Championship at Forbidden Door; Daniel Garcia arrives as well, so Cassidy says he and Katsuyori Shibata will face ZSJ and Garcia next week on Dynamite

  • Toni Storm def. Skye Blue by submission to retain the AEW Women’s World Championship, with help from the other Outcasts, of course; Willow Nightingale sprints down to prevent a post-match beating
  • “Jungle Boy” Jack Perry tells the very busy Paquette he’s accepting Sanada’s title challenge for Forbidden Door and asks Hook to have his back; Hook looks like he accepts with a fist bump

  • A video package promotes the main event for the debut episode of AEW: Collision on Saturday night
  • The Elite (Hangman Adam Page and Young Bucks) def. Blackpool Combat Club (Claudio Castagnoli, Jon Moxley and Wheeler Yuta) by pinfall as Page pins Yuta, leaving Bryan Danielson on commentary going “you’ve got to be kidding me”
  • After the bell, the BCC attacks The Elite, but Eddie Kingston comes rushing down and goes right after Castagnoli, eventually clearing him from the ring; Kingston and Moxley have a brief showdown and Eddie tries to play peacemaker, but Konosuke Takeshita runs down and attacks Kingston from behind before Kenny Omega joins them and battles Takeshita … but gets assaulted in turn by Will Ospreay, who hits the Stormbreaker on Omega to end the show

AEW Dynamite preview 06/13/23: Preparing for a Collision

AEW Dynamite hits D.C. tonight with two title matches, a title eliminator and much more ahead of the AEW: Collision debut this weekend.

With the debut of AEW Dynamite just days away, you didn’t think the company was going to just phone it in for its existing two-hour show, AEW Dynamite, right? Perish the thought.

The card for tonight in Washington D.C. is, in fact, pretty loaded. It starts with MJF taking on Adam Cole; not for the AEW World Championship itself, but in a title eliminator agreed upon after the two men exchanged pointed insults last week. That means if Cole wins, he gets a shot at the BBB, which is something MJF would undoubtedly prefer to avoid.

Two other titles will be on the line in D.C. Skye Blue won her opportunity to challenge Toni Storm for the AEW Women’s World Championship, but considering how the other Outcasts are always there to back Storm, she may come to regret that unless she has backup of her own. TNT Champion Wardlow, on the other hand, made it clear he’s not done with Christian Cage and Luchasaurus, but his business on this particular evening is with Jake Hager (and his hat), who he obviously can’t afford to take lightly.

And the feud between the Blackpool Combat Club and The Elite rages on, this time in trios form. Claudio Castagnoli, Jon Moxley and Wheeler Yuta will go up against Hangman Adam Page and the Young Bucks — you can also call them the Hung Bucks, collectively — in a match that’s sure to be entertaining.

AEW is also promoting that Sammy Guevara will be at Dynamite tonight for the first time since losing his chance at MJF’s world championship. No word on what he’ll be up to, but a thought: He’d be great when matched up against a high flyer from NJPW at Forbidden Door, which is also less than two weeks away.

That’s a lot to cram into two hours (there’s also an eight-man tag we didn’t even get to) but we have faith it’s all going to come together. Check it out beginning at 8 p.m. ET on TBS, or hop back here to Wrestling Junkie as we’ll have live results and commentary.

AEW Rampage results 06/09/23: Skye Blue soars to title opportunity

See who emerged as the No. 1 contender for the AEW Women’s World Championship on AEW Rampage.

It’s time to find out who’s going to be next to challenge Toni Storm for the AEW Women’s World Championship.

There are a handful of wrestlers with their eyes on Storm’s title, so the easiest way to settle the pecking order among them is to throw them into one match. Naturally.

That happens tonight on AEW Rampage, with Britt Baker, Skye Blue, Mercedes Martinez and Nyla Rose all vying for the title shot. Logic would dictate that Baker will win, both because she’s the highest profile competitor and is part of an ongoing narrative with Storm and The Outcasts, but you never know.

This episode of Rampage will also have a couple of intriguing trios matches (any night where Rey Fenix and The Acclaimed are all competing is a good one) and Powerhouse Hobbs will be in action as well.

So even though I’m personally invested in and distracted by Game 4 of the NBA Finals (#BringItIn), I’m looking forward to this Rampage as well. Let’s see what we’ve got.

AEW Rampage results:

  • Lucha Bros. and Bandido def. Ethan Page, Big Bill and Lee Moriarty by pinfall after Matt and Jeff Hardy and insist that Page pull up Jeff Hardy-like arm sleeves, after which he is quickly pinned by Bandido
  • QTV is back in effect, with QT Marshall saying they need to be edgier, but despite one funny joke about “making an announcement about an announcement,” they settle on just sending Powerhouse Hobbs out to show people what Collision will be about
  • Powerhouse Hobbs def. Caleb Crush in a squash
  • Arn Anderson gives Renee Paquette an update on his son Brock and warns Christian Cage and Luchasaurus that what goes around, comes around; Wardlow says he’ll make them pay but needs to take care of Jake Hager first
  • The Acclaimed and Daddy Ass def. Spanish Announce Project by pinfall
  • Paquette attempts to interview Jay Lethal, Jeff Jarrett and company but Karen Jarrett wants to use the time to handle her beef with Aubrey Edwards; the referee arrives with Mark Briscoe in tow, and Edwards says she’s going to kick Karen’s ass despite AEW not sanctioning a match between them; Briscoe says AEW will sanction a mixed trios match, which will be Lethal and the Jarretts against Edwards, Mark … and Papa Briscoe!
  • Skye Blue def. Nyla Rose, Mercedes Martinez and Britt Baker to earn an AEW Women’s World Championship match on the next episode of Dynamite

AEW Dynamite results 05/31/23: Britt, Adam lower the Boom, CM Punk confirmed

Get filled in on all of the action from AEW Dynamite in San Diego.

AEW Dynamite usually promotes a bunch of matches and segments well ahead of time. For tonight’s show in San Diego? Not so much.

That’s not to say we didn’t have any advance notice about what’s on the card. For instance, the mixed tag match pitting Adam Cole and Britt Baker against Chris Jericho and Saraya was advertised last week. And after his dramatic betrayal of The Elite Sunday at Double or Nothing, we knew we’d hear from Konosuke Takeshita (and, sadly, Don Callis).

But the rest of the slate was a mystery until this afternoon. Now we know some more of the matches, starting with a title defense by a champ whose reign has only been a few days. TBS Champion Kris Statlander has issued an open challenge, and it was answered by Nyla Rose.

Other wrestlers who were prominent at Double or Nothing will also be in action. The Blackpool Combat Club is undoubtedly riding high after defeating The Elite, but they’ll have to be on top of their game to defeat the Lucha Bros. and Bandido. Swerve Strickland, Big Bill and Trent will collide in a three-way dance, and Orange Cassidy will team with Darby Allin to face the Gates of Agony.

So that’s a lot more info than we had before. Plus we haven’t even gotten to the thing that has been the subject of equal parts excitement and eye-rolling, another announcement from Tony Khan about the debut episode of AEW: Collision next month. Will he confirm the participation of a certain Mr. Brooks? And will anyone be salty if the announcement is anything else?

(Spoiler: Yes. Yes they will.)

Let’s see how this all goes down.

AEW Dynamite results from San Diego:

  • Blackpool Combat Club (Claudio Castagnoli, Jon Moxley and Wheeler Yuta) def. Lucha Bros. and Bandido by pinfall
  • Matt Jackson says the BCC brings out the worst in The Elite, Nick Jackson says one setback won’t bring them down, and Hangman Adam Page is interrupted by what’s left of the Dark Order, who seem jealous; Page also confirms that Kenny Omega has left the country … but he’s not in Canada
  • Tony Schiavone talks to Jay White and Juice Robinson, who say Ricky Starks doesn’t have any friends and call FTR “a little bit slow,” and after beating the Top Guys up, they flee as Starks chases them off and challenges White to a match next week
  • Tony Khan has another announcement about the debut of AEW: Collision, and it’s what we expected: the show will feature CM Punk
  • Swerve Strickland def. Big Bill and Trent by pinning Trent
  • The Acclaimed and Daddy Ass tell Rene Paquette they want gold again, and that Billy Gunn deserves to hold gold one more time — an idea that proves popular with the fans
  • Don Callis and Konosuke Takeshita come to the ring to plenty of boos, with Callis saying his new family is going to cut The Elite out of AEW
  • Arn Anderson and Wardlow tell Luchasaurus if he wants to be next in line, so be it
  • Darby Allin and Orange Cassidy def. Gates of Agony by pinfall, and Sting is on hand to prevent a post-match beating from the Mogul Embassy
  • A pre-recorded MJF promo has the champ claiming that no one is on the level of the Devil
  • Schiavone welcomes Hook to the ring, and when La Faccion Ingobernable attacks him, a chair-wielding Jack Perry comes to his aid
  • Toni Storm and The Outcasts scoff at the idea that there’s anyone good enough to hang with them
  • Kris Statlander def. Nyla Rose by pinfall to retain the AEW TBS Championship, as Taya Valkyrie looks on backstage
  • Britt Baker and Adam Cole def. Saraya and Chris Jericho by pinfall, with Hikaru Shida and her kendo stick on hand to neutralize the other Outcasts

AEW Double or Nothing: Top takeaways after a night of Anarchy, Pillars and title changes

See what stood out the most during a busy night in Las Vegas for AEW Double or Nothing 2023.

An exciting weekend of wrestling was capped off with the fifth annual AEW Double or Nothing in Las Vegas.

Did we crown a new world champion? And how much anarchy did The Elite and the Blackpool Combat Club get into?

Here are my takeaways from Sunday’s event.

Takeshita helps the Blackpool Combat Club defeat The Elite

Anarchy in the Arena for sure lived up to its name at Double or Nothing.

This match had a little bit of everything. You had a band named Violent Idols playing “Wild Thing” during Blackpool Combat Club’s entrance, then continued to play for a good 10 consecutive minutes in the closest thing I have ever seen to a cold open to a wrestling match.

The lead singer of the band had a peculiar look that raised quite a few eyebrows on social media, but the music ended when said lead singer was double superkicked by the Young Bucks.

Speaking of superkicks, there was an exploding superkick at one point. Someone’s foot was slammed into thumbtacks. Those same thumbtacks were also poured down someone’s mouth. Renee Paquette, AEW interviewer and wife of Blackpool Combat Club leader Jon Moxley, summed up the match in one tweet:

At the end of the day, Konosuke Takeshita returned to hit Kenny Omega with a flying knee, which led to Wheeler Yuta pinning Omega to pick up the win.

This was exactly what I was expecting and then some, because I definitely did not expect to see an exploding superkick coming.

This may not be everyone’s taste and I understand that. Some people are turned off by the excessive violence of matches like this or Blood and Guts, which usually features thumbtacks, glass, forks and other various sharp objects. However, I am OK with it when it is used within reason.

I’m not really a big fan of ultraviolence or violence just for the sake of it, but when you have a hot feud between two sides that, in storyline, hate each other’s guts, a little bit of blood can enhance the experience.

But again, within reason. I thought Anarchy in the Arena accomplished that by doing a good job of just dipping its toe into absurdity and nothing more.

The Four Pillars tear down the house

While Anarchy in the Arena may have been the craziest match of the night, the world title match featuring the proclaimed four pillars of AEW was the best pure in-ring contest of the evening.

It was so good that it almost made me forget about the fact that it didn’t close the show and that Anarchy in the Arena did.

It really should not be all that surprising considering Darby Allin, “Jungle Boy” Jack Perry and Sammy Guevara are all capable of wowing fans with their athleticism and MJF is great at telling a story and using sound logic to dictate his decisions.

On this night, MJF used Allin’s Coffin Drop against him by placing the world title on top of a prone Perry. Allin crashed into the belt, which allowed MJF to use another headlock takeover to defeat Allin and retain his title.

The question moving forward is where does AEW go with MJF? Moxley, Omega and Adam Page are all tied up in the Elite-Blackpool Combat Club feud, and I’m not sure who else is just ready to step up and assume the top challenger role.

That is unless AEW slots potentially returning CM Punk into that spot.

Regardless of who it is, it has to be worth potentially putting the match in the main event of All Out in Wembley Stadium.

Two new women’s champions

The AEW women’s division saw a major shakeup Sunday night as two new champions were crowned. Toni Storm defeated Jamie Hayter to become the first woman to win the world title twice thanks to A LOT of help from Saraya and Ruby Soho.

However, that wasn’t that big of a surprise to me, as I predicted as much to happen given Hayter’s uncertain injury status.

What did shock me and many others was Jade Cargill’s undefeated streak coming to an end. No, she’s not 59-1. She’s actually 60-1.

Cargill and Taya Valkyrie had a pretty good match for the TBS Championship, which ended in another victory for Cargill. Mark Sterling then got on the microphone and said that there was no one left for Cargill to beat for the title and that she’d take on anyone at any time.

Obviously, that meant someone was going to answer the call right away. That person was a returning Kris Statlander. In what felt like a Money in the Bank cash-in, Statlander quickly upended Cargill to end the undefeated streak and become the TBS Champion.

There were some fans on social media that pondered why AEW didn’t wait to build up the next match between Cargill and Statlander, but I’m not mad at AEW’s approach. It created an unexpected moment that the fans in Las Vegas actually got excited for, which was not the case throughout the rest of the show.

It also provides Cargill an out even in defeat, as she can say she had just competed in a grueling match and her manager put her in a position to fail by issuing an open challenge right away.

In one night, AEW has two pretty good rivalries on its hands in its women’s division, which I think is pretty good by AEW standards.

If it had my way, though, I would find a way to get Cargill in the world title picture sooner rather than later. I know AEW could create a great atmosphere for Storm versus Hayter in Wembley Stadium if it chose to run that back, but Cargill needs to be in the title’s orbit soon after.

Sidenote: Cargill’s entrance was a tribute to her sorority, Alpha Kappa Alpha, which is a member of the historic Divine Nine sororities and fraternities and is an integral part of Black culture.

FTR produces yet another banger; Chris Jericho & Adam Cole do not

Going back to their days in NXT, Cash Wheeler and Dax Harwood have been producing banger after banger in tag team matches.

On Sunday night, FTR produced another. This time, it was with Jeff Jarrett and Jay Lethal.

As good as their match was Sunday night, I think I have had my fill of watching Jarrett wrestle in title matches in AEW.

On the flip side, I think the “unsanctioned match” between Chris Jericho and Adam Cole was a big bowl of meh, which did not give me high expectations for the tag match scheduled for Dynamite with Jericho teaming with Saraya to go against Cole and Britt Baker.

Wardlow puts on his workin’ boots

I don’t think I am speaking out of term when I say AEW has yet to truly capitalize on Wardlow despite giving him plenty of victories. As a result, Wardlow isn’t quite as over as many thought he would be by this point.
At Double or Nothing, Wardlow tried his damndest to flip the script by putting on a show during his ladder match for the TNT Championship against Christian Cage.

Wardlow pulled out all of the stops, including a Jeff Hardy-esque swanton bomb from the top of a ladder onto Luchasaurus and through a table.
Time will tell whether that performance at Double or Nothing will provide the spark he truly needs, but it will not be for a lack of effort on Wardlow’s behalf.

The vibes in Vegas were lackluster

I’m not sure if it was an audio issue or what, but the crowd in Las Vegas didn’t sound very active for large portions of the night, and I think it hurt the show in some ways.

If wrestling fans learned anything from the COVID-19 pandemic it’s that a lively crowd can enhance a match. The wrestling in the ring was good enough to elicit strong reactions, but based on the audio I heard coming out of my TV and the posts I saw on social media, the reactions were frequently tepid.

AEW Double or Nothing 2023: Predictions for every match in Las Vegas

See who we expect to win every match at AEW Double or Nothing this weekend in Las Vegas.

AEW has been in the headlines for many reasons outside of wrestling lately between its new television show and the daily behind-the-scenes soap opera that involves its most marketable star.

But there is business to attend to this weekend with Double or Nothing, which has a main event that features the promotion’s famed “Four Pillars.” Can those pillars hold up the annual extravaganza or will an anarchic match steal the show?

I break it all down with my predictions:

AEW World Heavyweight Championship: MJF (c) vs. “Jungle Boy” Jack Perry vs. Darby Allin vs. Sammy Guevara

AEW tried really hard — I mean really hard — to convince people that the three challengers in this match have a real chance of walking out of Vegas with the world title.

Unfortunately, that effort was all for naught, in my eyes.

For starters, I don’t see a reason to take the title away from MJF. On top of that, I don’t see any of the other three pillars being in a position to carry the mantle of being the world champ. Maybe they will be one day, but it doesn’t feel like they are at the moment.

Because of that, MJF is a good bet to retain.

Winner: MJF

Anarchy in the Arena: Blackpool Combat Club vs. The Elite

This is the match that I am most looking forward to watching on this show, and it is by a wide margin.

I can’t wait to see the wild antics these wrestlers will have up their sleeves. Oh, and you better believe there will be blood. This will not be for the squeamish.

I wrestled (no pun intended) with who I was going to pick to win this match, but at the end of the day, I think The Elite will walk away with a win at Double or Nothing. Since Kenny Omega already lost to Jon Moxley in a cage match on Dynamite, I feel like picking up the win here would be a good way to even the score without beating Moxley.

Winners: The Elite

Unsanctioned Match: Chris Jericho vs. Adam Cole

Unsanctioned matches always make me laugh because they always still look pretty sanctioned, and I always find that odd.

What I find even more odd is the inclusion of enigmatic ECW legend Sabu. I have no idea what to make of Sabu being involved in this story. Judging by my timeline’s reaction, I don’t think I’m alone in that feeling.

However, I am eager to hear how AEW explains the connection between Sabu and Adam Cole. Not because I need the gaping hole in the plot to be filled, but because I simply want to hear how absurd the promotion’s explanation is going to be.

As far as a winner. I’m going with Cole.

Winner: Adam Cole

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AEW Women’s World Championship: Jamie Hayter (c) vs. Toni Storm

If you asked me last week, I would have quickly chosen Jamie Hayter to retain the title.

However, Hayter is apparently injured and her status is still seemingly up in the air as of this writing. AEW CEO, GM and Head of Creative Tony Khan was non-committal when asked whether Hayter will defend her title at Double or Nothing during a recent conference call, only adding to the mystery behind Hayter’s status.

Because of this, I’m going to go with Toni Storm to become a two-time champion.

Winner: Toni Storm

AEW World Tag Team Championship: FTR (c) vs. Jeff Jarrett & Jay Lethal

Here we are in the year of our lord 2023, and Double J has a chance to become a world tag team champion. Ain’t he great?

The most intriguing part of this match is the fact that Mark Briscoe is the special guest referee, and judging by him slapping everyone in sight on the most recent edition of Dynamite, he’s got heat with both sides.

By the way, I’ve probably watched Briscoe slap Jeff Jarrett’s hat off at least — at least — 78 times.

At least.

It was giving Bernie Mac in “Head of State” vibes.

As far as a winner, I just couldn’t imagine AEW putting the tag titles on Jarrett and Jay Lethal. I guess the promotion could always go in that direction for the heat alone, but it would feel more like a decision WWE would make. Copying WWE isn’t always a bad thing, but in this case, it would be horrible.

Winners: FTR

AEW TNT Championship (Ladder match): Wardlow (c) vs. Christian Cage

I know Christian Cage is supposed to be the master of the ladder match, and rightfully so, but Wardlow winning should be the only outcome here.

Maybe, just maybe, this could prove to be the catalyst that sparks Wardlow again.

Winner: Wardlow

AEW TBS Championship: Jade Cargill (c) vs. Taya Valkyrie

In my opinion, Taya Valkyrie represents the biggest threat to Jade Cargill’s title to date.

Under ordinary circumstances, I would still go with Cargill to retain. But with the uncertainty surrounding Hayter and the world title, maybe this could be a good time to move Cargill away from the TBS title and on the path to finally winning the division’s top prize.

So yes, I’m making the bold prediction of Valkyrie finding a way to dethrone the dominant champion, but only because said champion is moving on to bigger and better things.

Winner: Taya Valkyrie

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AEW International Championship: Blackjack Battle Royal

The list of participants as of this writing are as follows:

• Orange Cassidy (c)
• Blade
• Butcher
• Bandido
• Komander
• Lee Moriarty
• Big Bill Morrissey
• Ari Daivari
• Tony Nese
• Chuck Taylor
• Trent Beretta
• Kip Sabian
• Fenix
• Pentagon
• Swerve Strickland
• Brian Cage
• Ricky Starks
• “Switchblade” Jay White
• Juice Robinson
• Keith Lee
• Dustin Rhodes

Since the story is that Orange Cassidy is practically being held together by duct tape, it feels like a good time to have him drop the title. It’s also a battle royal, meaning that he doesn’t even have to get pinned to lose.

That means a new champion will be crowned and I think that person will be …. *drumroll please*… Jay White.

I know Starks is the sentimental favorite heading into the match, but putting the title on White with Starks pursuing it could make for great television throughout the summer. I could even see Starks being the last one eliminated at Double or Nothing after some dastardly tactic by White.

Also, it could elevate the International Championship to another level. Cassidy has done all he probably can with the title. But White and Starks are capable of doing something special.

Winner: “Switchblade” Jay White

Six-man tag: Ethan Page and The Gunns vs. Matt Hardy, Jeff Hardy and Hook

I must admit, Hook teaming with the Hardy Boyz is pretty wild. It doesn’t feel that long ago when Hook’s father, Taz, was wrestling the Hardys during his as an in-ring performer for WWE. Now, they’re teaming up with his adult son.

It’ll be so wild that they will come away with the victory.

Winner: Matt Hardy, Jeff Hardy and Hook