All Elite Wrestling pulled out all the stops for Double or Nothing 2024. The five-year anniversary show featured the return of their brightest star MJF and crowned two champions integral to the company's future, Mercedes Mone and Will Ospreay. To top it off, the Anarchy in the Arena main event could go down in history as an all-time great plunder brawl.
AEW's landscape has changed significantly since its launch in 2019 but Double or Nothing was an ode to everything that makes the company unique. World-class wrestling, a willingness to push the envelope and the ability to produce magic on any given night. Take a look back on all the action from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas on Sunday night.
CBS Sports was with you the whole way through the event with live updates, highlights and grades as the action went down.
2024 AEW Double or Nothing Results
Team AEW (Bryan Danielson, Cash Wheeler, Dax Harwood and Darby Allin) (Anarchy in the Arena match): Anarchy in the Arena over-delivered on its reputation. Matthew queued the production truck to play The Elite's new theme song during the match. Danielson took the microphone, demanded they "cut this s--t off" and play "the greatest theme song" in pro wrestling history. That song was Europe's "The Final Countdown," a track synonymous with Danielson's early career. The Las Vegas crowd erupted and sang along as all hell broke loose. At the song's climax, Allin hit a Coffin Drop off the arena gate onto his foe. Matthew hilariously demanded they stop the song, claiming the rights were far too expensive for AEW's budget. An enraged crowd chanted "We want music!"
There were too many deranged spots to count but early highlights included: Allin drowning Perry in an ice bucket, Perry knocking himself out while seemingly running over Allin with a small bus, Allin emerging from the wreckage only for the Young Bucks to trap him inside the stage elevator, a TK Driver onto giant poker chips and Nicholas hitting a senton atomico off the staging through a table. It turned out these spots were time fillers compared to what the eight participants had in store later.
Towards the end of the match, Perry grabbed AEW founder Tony Khan in a callback to the infamous physical altercation between Perry and CM Punk that led to Punk's AEW termination. Perry brought Khan to the rampway but was greeted by Allin's flamethrower. Allin launched a ball of fire at Perry that lit Perry up like a Christmas tree. AEW staff were on hand with fire extinguishers to rescue Perry. Matthew hit Harwood with an exploding chair, Okada used a thumbtacked sleeve to hit Wheeler with the Rain Maker and The Elite hung Allin upside down from the ceiling by his ankles before hitting him with thumbtack-laced superkicks. Danielson tried to save the day but was overwhelmed by his four foes. The crowd chanted "Please help Darby" as Danielson helplessly reached for his unconscious teammate. Perry hit a running knee to pin Danielson. Creative carnage at its finest. It won't be everyone's cup of tea, but Anarchy in the Arena should be on the shortlist of must-watch matches in 2024. The Elite def. Team AEW via pinfall. Grade: A + for Absolute Insanity.
AEW World Championship -- Swerve Strickland (c) vs. Christian Cage: Cage's cruelness could not overcome Strickland's viciousness. The challenger controlled long stretches of the match with underhanded tactics and veteran savvy. The Patriarch's family paid dividends throughout the match, particularly when Nick Wayne tricked the referee into ejecting Prince Nana by passing him the AEW world title. With Strickland stranded, Cage distracted the referee and allowed his subordinates to pounce on the champion. Cage's group eventually got sloppy with their interferences, leading the referee to eject Nick Wayne, Killswitch and Mother Wayne. The finishing sequence was a thing of beauty. Strickland intercepted Cage's spear midair with a House Call that brought the crowd to its feet. A Swerve Stomp and a second House Call sealed the deal. Strickland def. Cage via pinfall to retain the AEW world title. Grade: B+
AEW TBS Championship -- Willow Nightingale (c) vs. Mercedes Mone: A meeting between one of AEW's most beloved babyfaces and one of pro wrestling's most popular superstars. Mone competed for the first time since May 2023 when she legitimately broke her ankle in a loss to Nightingale. Mone earned her boos by violently attacking Nightingale's ankle, looking to injure the champion. Nightingale showed an increasing willingness to attack Mone's previously broken ankle as the intensity dialled up. Mone's speed and Nightingale's power nicely contrasted each other. Nightingale had the match won with a powerbomb, but an irate Stokley Hathaway -- flustered by Mone's disrespect -- distracted the referee for too long. Mone hit her Mone Maker finishing soon after to win her first AEW title. Stokley and Kris Statlander betrayed Nightingale post-match by attacking her. Interest in the feud increased in the last couple of weeks and the two women delivered big time. Strong storytelling, great pacing and believable intensity. Among the best women's matches you'll see this year. Mone def. Nightingale via pinfall to become TBS champion. Grade: A
AEW TNT Championship -- Adam Copeland (c) vs. Malakai Black (Barbed Wire Steel Cage match): The barbed wire steel cage match lived up to its violent premise. Black was busted wide open seconds into the match and Copeland joined him shortly after. Black ground a barbed wire bat into his forehead before powerbombing him off the ropes through a table. Copeland upped the stakes tenfold. The champion strapped his challenger to a table with barbed wire, scaled to the top of the cage and delivered an elbow drop. Somehow that wasn't the end of it. Black tried to impale Copeland with part of the cage before kicking him through the cage door.
With the action spilling outside, House of Black made an appearance. Brody King and Buddy Matthews teased a change of allegiance before beating down Copeland. The House of Black wrapped Copeland in barbed wire and placed a barbed wire crown on his head. Suddenly, the lights went red and Gangrel emerged from under the ring. Copeland's Brood brother took out King and Matthews with impaler DDTs. Copeland trapped Black in a barbed wire-assisted cross-face until he passed out. AEW's adult-oriented programming really allowed Copeland and Black to go all out with the stipulation. It was violent. It was rife with imagery. It had a great surprise. Pro wrestling insanity at its finest. Copeland def. Black to retain the TNT title. Grade: A-
Jon Moxley vs. Konosuke Takeshita (IWGP World Heavyweight Championship Eliminator match): Takeshita's game plan revolved around Moxley's injured arm. Takeshita violently attacked his opponent the night prior on AEW Collision, crushing Moxley's arm with a steel chair. Each time the IWGP champ gained momentum, Takeshita attacked the arm with excruciatingly effectiveness. When Moxley found moments of success he still expertly sold his injured arm. Takeshita and Moxley are two of wrestling's best strikers and struck with incredible impact. The finish saw Moxley hit a curb stomp onto a steel chair that Takeshita introduced while the referee was distracted. Moxley's handicapped performance stopped it from reaching the heights of their previous match on AEW Rampage but it was still a great showcase. Bonus points for telling a story and sticking to it. Moxley def. Takeshita via pinfall. Grade: A-
FTW Championship -- Chris Jericho (c) vs. Hook vs. Katsuyori Shibata (FTW rules match): The no-disqualification stipulation of "FTW rules" came into play early and often. First, Jericho emptied a bag of dice onto the mat, only for both challengers to take turns dumping Jericho's body onto the dice and hurling handfuls of them at his head. The crowd rejoiced in seeing Jericho pelted with dice. Hook and Shibata treated each other to the same fate before all three men grabbed kendo sticks. Jericho continued to suffer as the challengers blasted him with kendo shots. The next plunder introduced was a table. Shibata loaded Hook onto his shoulders before initiating a plunging Death Valley driver onto Jericho who was lying across the table. Shibata overshot and the table didn't break but the spot still looked brutal. Shibata made amends with fans by throwing Jericho into the table and caving his head in with a drop kick.
Hook was on the verge of reclaiming his father's title but Big Bill spoiled it. Hook got revenge by T-Bone suplexing Bill off the apron through a table ringside. The challengers were moments from making Jericho submit with dual submissions but a masked "Bounty Hunter" Bryan Keith saved the day for the champion. Jericho scored a pin amid the chaos. The wrestlers used the FTW stipulation to great effect. Fans have been begging to get Jericho off their screens so having him take the brunt of the damage worked to the match's benefit. Jericho def. Hook and Shibata via pinfall to retain the FTW title. Grade: B-
Orange Cassidy vs. Trent Beretta: Cassidy entered to the tune of "Where is My Mind?" by The Pixies, his old theme song. It read as a nod to his broken friendship with Beretta, paired with an uncharacteristically black t-shirt. The best friends turned bitter rivals traded punches out of the gate. Beretta's new mean streak was highlighted as he viciously gouged at Cassidy's eyes. The brawl kicked into overdrive once Beretta spiked Cassidy with a piledriver on the ring apron. Cassidy responded with a Beach Break off the apron to the floor. Cassidy defeated Beretta by bridging over Beretta's gogoplata submission for a quick pinfall. Beretta had challenged Cassidy to a straight-up wrestling match and that's exactly how Cassidy won. Beretta looked dejected and said "I'm not doing this" when Renee Paquette tried to interview him post-match. A good match but it would have benefitted from a stipulation to really sell the rivalry's intensity. Cassidy def. Beretta. Grade C+
AEW Women's World Championship -- Toni Storm (c) vs. Serena Deeb: A match that offered a little bit of everything. The early exchanges played to Deeb's technical brilliance before Storm took control with a series of power moves and submission holds. Eventually, the champion and challenger duked it out with palm strikes and running attacks. The match was solid but it struggled to win over the crowd for most of it. You can probably attribute that to the energy fans expended during the first two matches and MJF's return, plus the tepid build to the women's world title match.
The participants fortunately managed to win the crowd over in the closing stretch. The enthusiasm started when Mariah May tried to throw in the towel while Storm suffered through a submission attempt. Luther yanked the towel away from May but Storm mistakenly thought that Luther was attempting to forfeit the match. Storm hit Deeb with Storm Zero but Deeb survived and rebelled by flipping the bird. The fans bought into the closing near falls as Deeb hit a pair of Detoxes, including one on the ring apron. Storm rallied back with a violent top rope piledriver and a Storm Zero to win. A late bloomer of the match. Storm def. Deeb via pinfall to retain the AEW women's world title. Grade: B
Unified AEW Trios Championship -- Bang Bang Gang (Jay White, Austin Gunn and Colten Gunn) vs. Death Triangle (Pac, Penta El Zero Miedo and Rey Fenix): A frantic match that served as a playground for Death Triangle's tremendous athletic feats. The Gunns occasionally struggled with the pace but generally served well as punching bags. Pac was in tremendous form as usual and sold White's spiked DDT like a scene from "The Exorcist." AEW should seriously consider a prolonged singles program between Pac and White. The finale featured the surprise return of Juice Robinson, whose interference allowed White to hit Pac with a match-ending Blade Runner. High-paced action, a nice surprise return and a strong showing for Death Triangle in defeat. Bang Bang Gang def. Death Triangle to retain the AEW trios titles. Grade: B+
MJF made his shocking return, interrupting Adam Cole on the microphone. The pair embraced before MJF -- sporting a denim and leather jacket -- kicked Cole in the groin. MJF told the crowd that he made the mistake of trusting someone for the first time. It's a mistake he won't make again. Moving forward, MJF is only driven by hatred and no one is safe. "I don't need a New Japan or Vince McMahon to make MJF, because MJF made MJF!" the former AEW champ said to a huge pop from the crowd. MJF spat on the Devil mask and tossed it into the crowd, signifying a goodbye to 2023 and a fresh start. MJF closed by announcing he was staying with AEW, putting an end to questions about his contract status and the "Bidding War of 2024."
AEW International Championship -- Roderick Strong (c) vs. Will Ospreay: Ospreay had a bone to pick after The Undisputed Kingdom's bloody assault on him last week. Ospreay tried to blindside Strong with a Hidden Blade during Strong's entrance but the champ ducked it. Ospreay immediately took out Mike Bennett and Matt Taven ringside before attacking Strong. A bizarre moment early involved a distracted referee. The official attended to Strong while Bennett propped Ospreay on his shoulders. Bennett ran the ropes directly in the referee's view before hitting a flipping senton onto Ospreay ringside. The referee didn't turn despite the obvious interference, generating chants of "ref you suck." Even worse, Ospreay appeared to land on the crown of his head.
Later, Bennett and Taven distracted referee Bryce Remsburg as Wardlow tried to powerbomb Ospreay. Remsburg's eyes were functional this time but demanding Wardlow leave under threat of Strong losing the title goes against the rules of the match. Typically, a championship cannot change hands via disqualification. Towards the end, the referee checked on Strong for an extended period as Ospreay was looking to close the show. The spot was designed for Don Callis to (unsuccessfully) convince Ospreay to use his retired Tiger Driver 91 manuever. Ospreay eventually connected with the Hidden Blade and Stormbreaker for the win, kicking off the first championship reign of his AEW career.
The action was expectedly fantastic. Ospreay's top rope sky twister to ringside was breathtaking and Strong's chops echoed through the MGM Grand Garden Arena. The fast-paced action down the stretch drew multiple "This is Awesome" chants. Ejecting The Kingdom early was a good way to give the action room to breathe but marks must be docked for the officiating. It may seem like a small thing but it makes it difficult to suspend belief. Ospreay def. Strong to win the AEW international title. Grade: B+
The Acclaimed (Anthony Bowens, Max Caster and Billy Gunn) vs. Cage of Agony (Brian Cage, Toa Liona and Bishop Kaun): Cage is a remarkable physical specimen but Gunn towered over and overpowered him in the opening frame. A six-man brawl allowed Cage of Agony to isolate Caster. Liona trapped Bowens' leg between the steel steps and ring post before driving Gunn into the steps. Gunn eventually got the hot tag and rattled off punches on all three opponents. Cage tried to introduce a steel chair to the match but had the weapon snatched by Las Vegas Knights mascot Chance the Gila monster. Caster hit Cage with a Fameasser and Gunn rolled up Kaun in the confusion. A fine if forgettable match. Nice to see Cage of Agony were kept strong even in defeat. The Acclaimed def. Cage of Agony via pinfall. Grade: C-
Thunder Rosa vs. Deonna Purrazzo: Rosa's fire and Purrazzo's savvy collided in the night's first match. Rosa overwhelmed Purrazzo with offense but "The Virtuosa" wisely used ring positioning and underhanded tactics to level the playing field. Purrazzo's technical edge and willingness to do anything served her well in the final moments. Rosa attempted to lock on a submission; however, Purrazzo rolled her over and grabbed the ropes for leverage to secure the pinfall. A solid match that played into their respective styles, but lacked heat. Purrazzo def. Rosa via pinfall. Grade: C
