IN LAIMAN’S TERMS #471 – Talking (With Myself) About AEW: Double or Nothing 2024

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Talking (With Myself) About AEW: Double or Nothing 2024

Hello everyone, I hope you’re enjoying your weekend. In America, it’s Memorial Day weekend, which to me has conjured one of the weirdest phrases I’ve ever heard. “Happy Memorial Day.” That… just doesn’t seem to work for me. I know people have fun on Memorial Day weekend, but outside of New Orleans, the idea of a happy memorial just feels like a contradiction. Anyway, I’m going to have a conversation about the most recent PPV, and hopefully by Forbidden Door 2024, I can get back into the TV columns.

Is it possible to have a triple main event?

No. Whatever goes on last is the main event. That’s kinda the whole point of there being a main event.

But is it one if they promote it as such?

Did all three of the matches go on last in three venues ala WrestleMania II?

Thank goodness, no.

I get it, it’s a marketing schtick and it makes more than one match feel like a bigger deal. Or at least that’s the intention. But also, given that the last match that went on had a bus crash and someone literally being set on fire, I can see how it would be difficult to follow that with a world title match.

Is it a good thing that the Elite won the Anarchy in the Arena match? I mean, who is more anarchy-esque than Darby Allin?

If you had Eddie Kingston with his gas can and Darby with his flamethrower, that might’ve been. But it’s absolutely a good thing that the Elite won. If you want to see what happens when a group forms or re-forms but then loses their first match, take a look at the pre-show and see how well that ends up looking. The Elite are all an actual team. FTR’s a team, one that recently feuded with Danielson’s stablemates, and Darby Allin used his face to win a fight with an oncoming bus. AEW has had multiple heel stables within the last year or two that start with a big reveal, only to fizzle out like the Nexus’s momentum at the end of Summerslam 2010.

Yeah, about that… I know you wrote back at the first Dynamite of the year that the reveal of the Undisputed Kingdom felt like the Firm 2.0. Has that held true, especially after the first match tonight?

I don’t see how it couldn’t be. Yes, Roddy won the International title, and that other show’s tag titles were also in the group thanks to Samoa Joe shenanigans and masks being involved, but despite some good potential angles, it never felt like it got off the ground. They got Firm’d. However, it did lead to an amazing match with Ospreay and Roddy.

How nervous were you in the first few minutes of that one?

Between Will’s slip upstage and the floor-based Doomsday Device, it’s safe to say I was more worried about the necks of the people involved, and that would not be the last time I was thinking that way tonight.

Was it best for Will to win that title here? Shouldn’t he be winning the Owen and headlining All In?

I can’t see why both wouldn’t be possible. Will Ospreay has been on an absolute tear since joining the AEW roster full-time. He seems genuinely over too. While arguments can be made about others on the roster who may have songs or catchphrases that are more over than the wrestlers themselves, I struggle to think of someone who made this immediate and momentous of an impact.

What about the pre-show? Did that get the show itself ready to go? 

Sorta? Kinda? I guess.

But didn’t you just mention groups that might have a catchphrase over more than the group themselves? And haven’t you been an Acclaimed fan for a while? 

That Deonna/Thunder Rosa match was really damn good, wasn’t it? It’s sad that the low bar of “women’s feud that is not over a title” took this long to really get prominently featured, but damn did these two make it feel like a real grudge match. I’d have traded this one for something on the main card, as that’s the next thing that’ll have to be cleared. Or at least, switch the two matches on the Buy In around.

That’s not what I asked. What about the Acclaimed?

Deonna and Thunder Rosa put on a match that had an ending, shenanigans aside, that leaves for more continuation and the stakes to be raised, and those stakes don’t involve one of the two titles that normally are the only place for that to happen. Once again, sad that it has to be something that’s pointed out, but it’s being done really effectively.

Ris…

Hey, you know how those raps were having a lot of trouble and sometimes they were messed up entirely? You know what we should do to fix that? Add more bars and take away any sense of verse or rhythm. Make them longer, that’ll help, right?

…

Everything post All In has felt superfluous at best. I don’t know where they’re going or what they’re even trying to do. But at least it wasn’t on the main show, I guess. Crowd still seems to love it though, so I guess it’s going to continue.

Maybe involving a mascot will make it more fun?

Damn, Thunder Rosa and Deonna was really good, wasn’t it?

Fine, I get it. Speaking of the Firm 2.0 that you mentioned earlier, did you know the minute Adam Cole came out post-INT title match that MJF was coming back?

Absolutely, and so did everyone else it seemed.

Did that lessen how awesome the moment was?

Not in the slightest. I’m sure the orchestral Devil theme or whatever it’s called gave it away before the scarf reveal and the reference that missed me but most people probably got. The pop when his music hit after that was out of this JBLdamn world, and appropriately enough, MJF sported his Triple H-MSG 2002 jacket, indicating that he knew it would be too. He looked shredded, motivated, and he found the fire that many were probably missing during the latter part of that title run last year.

Was the ensuing promo too long?

For most, it might’ve been. For him, not at all. He reclaimed his MJFness with authority, and got a little revenge on Adam Cole in the process in the most MJF way possible. Adam taking a bump is also hopefully a good sign that he’s close to being able to work the other side of this feud, since the entire Firm 2.0’s point was to continue it. I’m also guessing that having an AEW tattoo specifically is a sign that maybe he’ll get involved with the continuing AEW/Elite feud at some point along with Swerve, or at least that has been implied pretty strongly with those two.

That wasn’t the only return of the night, though.

It wasn’t. I didn’t expect the Death Triangle to win, which is a shame because Pac seems to be stuck in “gonna have awesome matches since I’ve returned but I’m going to lose” mode. Though I guess since he’s summoning his inner 1999 British Bulldog as he doesn’t currrrr, I don’t think it’s taking anything away from him. But hey, the Gremlin is back! Normally I’d say that two matches with a big surprise return back-to-back feels oddly placed, but where else would you have put this on the card?

Did the build-up to Toni and Serena’s match lessen how good the match was for you?

No. Timeless can do no wrong in my eyes, and as the perpetual purveyor of HAM on a per-show basis, it delights me to see her title feud continue. The match was fantastic, as would be expected from these two, but leading up to the match itself, I can easily say it felt a bit disjointed.

Did they really think Toni would be the heel in this? Did they really think they could make someone a face going against her with how much the crowd seems to love this gimmick?

I’m not sure they knew what they wanted in that regard. One week, we have an awkward promo, and to say it felt off would be like saying that RJ City’s interviews feel slightly esoteric, but alas. I think they were going for trying to make Serena a sympathetic face, which against most other wrestlers might’ve worked, but not this current incarnation of Toni at this particular moment in time. But then they had her being very heelish against Mariah and in the buildup, which may have indicated they saw the dynamic and how it was received and adjusted. And yet then tonight, there was a vibe of surprise that Serena’s offense wasn’t getting cheered? Like a “what, really?” series of facial expressions?

But the match itself was really good?

Very, very good. Serena is freaking amazing, and Toni continues to meld the great wrestling aspect of her persona with the outlandish, HAM of the Decade character. And if we get some totally platonic snuggles in the confetti and monochromatic celebration afterward, that also is very good.

That combination in mind, did you have the same impression with Orange Cassidy going into this match with Trent?

I geeked out a little bit hearing the Pixies theme return, I won’t lie. And having the slight adjustment of a black t-shirt was also clever in that “it makes sense because it’s Orange” kind of way. I’m also… surprised?

Because Orange is now 2-0 in this feud despite the momentous way they’ve built up Trent’s heel turn?

Doesn’t this feel like the ire he would’ve had for Mox had the injuries not taken place? Didn’t you see Orange chasing the International title and Mox for much longer after that huge encounter they had last year?

And the resulting second title reign felt like it missed the point of what made the first one great?

It did, though injuries can throw a wrench into even the best laid plains. I get that it had the personal aspect of Trent turning on him, and then retiring Chuck in the process with a vicious parking lot brawl. Orange eked out one win after being introduced to the steel steps with his face several times, and this was supposed to be the “straight-up wrestling match” in the series. Orange won this too.

Is Rocky supposed to be this oblivious?

As an autistic person who has often been on that level of clueless with social interaction, I can relate on some level. But he’s still out there trying. So there’s that. Rocky’s found the ability to get endless title shots even though he never wins, but it does result in great matches so it’s hard to complain too much.

So you did like it overall?

It feels weird. I don’t know if an injury or something else did derail what was supposed to happen, but this doesn’t feel like how a big heel turn and a shift in character against a sympathetic underdog is supposed to. Yes, Orange did lose the tag match after an epic display of HAM contrast with Will Ospreay, but… I don’t know. Where do they go now? “I lost the first match, I lost the straight-up wrestling match, but I bet you can’t beat me in a parking lot brawl?” Why? Why would he have to? Why would it even matter? And I’m a big Orange Cassidy fan (bring back Danhausen, I need more glorious HAM), so if I feel apathetic at best about it, what does that mean?

Hey, apathy is a good word considering what’s next… Has your opinion changed on Jericho and the Learning Tree?

Not really.

Really? Not at all? Not since he started leaning into it?

I’m sure Jericho saw these reactions coming as much as I’m sure that WWE always meant to have Danielson win at WrestleMania XXX. That’s absolutely what they intended when it started.

I’m picking up on your sarcasm. But now that he has adjusted from begging someone half his age to hang out with him, is it any better?

Hook and Shibata are really damn good, and I’m very intrigued by this aggressively-sought mentorship Samoa Joe appears to be going for.

But will this be good for Bill and Bryan Keith, who made a masked attack and reveal in the match?

Bryan Keith is fantastic, and I’m glad he’s involved in something. I don’t think the moment made as much of an impact as it would if we’d seen Keith since his big happy reveal moment do anything but be on the losing side of title opportunities, but if this can result in Bill and the Bounty Hunter getting some good TV time, it’s a net good, I’d say. If it goes the way of the Don Callis Family where they get three or four guys but they all inevitably lose anyway, not so much.

Hey, yeah, about that… Takeshita?

Takeshita looked like a worldbeater after going through Omega twice, and his epic beatdown of Darby at the first Dynamite of the year was one of the most effective showcases I’ve ever seen in that capacity. Now that he’s lost to Ospreay and Mox, and Don is distracted by making us think he’s actually interested in Orange Cassidy, where do we go from here?

Would you have had Takeshita win in order to get a shot at Mox’s title?

It would be nice if an eliminator match ever ended this way in this company, yes. And since it isn’t even a title match, Mox wouldn’t lose anything by getting taken out. However, I will say that Mox had some of the best selling for this type of encounter that I can remember. Mox’s face especially when he was just sitting there stunned was one for the ages, and likely very meme-able. Does Mox winning despite Takeshita taking him to the limit ruin that? I don’t think so but it remains to be seen for sure. Should Takeshita have won here to regain some of that momentum lost in the Callis Family shuffle? I think so, but a damn good match nonetheless.

Even though it happened before Copeland left the other company, did you geek out a bit over his Brood entrance?

Oh I totally did. If it’s a surprise to anyone that I’ve always loved the spooky characters, well… Okay then, surprise! Of course they couldn’t get the old Brood theme. That logo they had on the screen was badass as hell though, and their version of the Brood entrance with Slayer was Spooky Entrance perfection. Gangrel making the save in the match later was also really cool. We saw him in the Bucks/Hardyz feud a few years ago, but I loved every second of it anyway.

Is there any point to House of Black?

I don’t know. Selling the fear and mindgames they play when they always start a feud with being vicious and manipulative, but always lose in the end? Almost every feud they have results in them being defeated. Yes, I understand that it took them bringing out dark-sided Copeland to do it. Yes, the match was phenomenal, as were the matches with Brody and Buddy leading up to it. Yes, I was saying out loud, “Adam, you know you don’t actually have to die in the ring to prove the point, right?” But if they ultimately lose again like they have so many times before, what is the purpose of them? As Emmit Stussy would say, “what is the point of you?”

Will this change now that Copeland has them?

It was a three-and-a-half second bait-and-switch during the match when Buddy and Brody appeared to side with Cope, but it was one the crowd reacted to. We know that the stipulation was Cope would have to bend the knee to Khal Malakai, that was made very clear. What was not made clear was what would happen if Cope won. The opposite? They had to join him now? Maybe? It was mentioned on the pre-show and I think it was established, but not firmly enough? Some stakes, AEW drills into your head so many times that it’s impossible to forget, and others feel like a half-remembered dream. We don’t have to pull a “most stupendous” level of repeaty marketing, but clear definition would be good. More than fever dream, less than “too big for just one night.”

Should Mercedes have won a title in her first AEW match? Did this derail Willow Nightingale’s hard-fought reputation?

Absolutely not. Willow looked like a JBLdamn badass in this entire feud. Even in losing the way she did, she was in there with one of the most famous and successful women’s wrestlers of all time and looked like she belonged. Willow is so good, and now having everything taken away from her, including her charm bracelet friends, tale as old as time as some would say. Whether or not that is succeeded with a full story is anyone’s guess, but they’ve set it up well.

Should Stat and Stokely turned on her during the match?

I think they did, more or less. They stalled the ref just enough after a gutwrench powerbomb, it wasn’t very subtle. And there were enough matches with shenanigans tonight that we didn’t need more. But now Willow has fallen down to the bottom of the mountain and has the perfect comeback story to be told. The crowd loves her. It was more split tonight, but she won over crowds constantly in the segments leading up to it, with Mercedes being a heel about as subtle as a Mox rant about sandwiches. Let’s be honest though, Mercedes wasn’t coming in to lose right away. We’ve seen plenty of examples of how badly that can go. It may take months for Willow to get back up and get her revenge, but that’s okay if it’s followed through with the right way.

Also, have to ask, was it nice to see Stat turn on someone instead of having yet another friend turn on her?

Yes. That can only happen so many times before you look like Boo Boo the Fool.

Is anyone cooler than Swerve right now?

Maybe. My perception of cool has never matched up well with most people my entire life, but you throw a Warriors theme onto your entrance, and my cinema nerd brain is all in on that. The fact that it’s Swerve just puts it over the top. Christian was a perfect first opponent for Swerve, as he tormented Swerve for weeks… until his game didn’t work anymore. Nana returning with the coolest coffee sip in the history of wrestling was a nice touch too. Everything I’ve ever heard about Christian and how smart about the business he is, you couldn’t ask for a better first title feud opponent. Swerve wins against the Elite’s handpicked adversary, so now they have to come up with a better one, thus pushing those separate storylines closer together. The match itself was perfectly fine, though I doubt it’ll be among the first remembered of this particular show, but that’s okay.

Is the gimmick of Anarchy in the Arena now that music continues playing throughout?

Now we’ve added a TRL aspect to it, which was so glazed with HAM that it had to be done three times. The crowd ate it up too, with a chant of “we want music!” following the cut-off because of how much it costs to play “The Final Countdown.” Nice meta touch. (Does that song really cost 200 grand per use? Damn if that’s not making the most of being a One Hit Wonder.)

Did the match itself improve upon some of the continuity and visual problems from previous iterations?

It sure seemed like it tried to. We got split cameras for at least a few seconds, though the purpose is defeated if you have most of them following the same spot. It felt like they meant to do more with that but for some reason it just wasn’t working the way they wanted it to.

We’ve already established that it made sense that the Elite won. Did that make the match any less enjoyable? 

I have to admit to being concerned that Darby was hanging upside down for too long. I’ve seen too many Scary Interesting videos to know how that can result, and the crowd chant of “please help Darby” did get a laugh out of me. So did them using a bus. Or it would have if it was clearer that’s what was happening. Maybe I was just too tired to follow along more closely, but it appeared to happen on camera a few seconds too late? Like they forgot it was going to happen until it already started? I didn’t get home until 4am the previous morning, so by the time this match was on, I was fighting to keep my eyes open.

Should Danielson have been the one to take the fall?

You go tell Danielson he can’t do what he wants. I’ll wait.

Overall, was it an enjoyable, fun show? 

I had a great time. I’m not gonna say it’s my favorite show ever, or even my favorite Double or Nothing ever, but the matches were diverse and unique, nothing really felt repetitive within the show itself. Epic returns, huge spots, great in-ring work, characters flourishing, it was a damn fine night of AEW wrestling.

Does Toni Storm or MJF get the HAM as they always did in 2023?

Darby Allin literally set someone on fire with a flamethrower. Granted, right beforehand, Jack Perry came out of the bus looking like he’d bathed in baby oil for a week, but if that’s what it took to make sure he wouldn’t be harmed, I’m fine with it. Previously implied by a match like this was Eddie Kingston bringing a gas can to set someone on fire. Darby actually did it. In a professional wrestling match, we saw not just a flamethrower, but its use in said match. If setting someone on fire with a flamethrower isn’t HAM incarnate, I don’t know what would be.

Hope you all have had an amazing weekend, and (for now) I’ll see you at the next PPV. I don’t know if it’ll be June or July before I can get back to TV columns, but I will do my best. Thank you to everyone who has emailed me and otherwise corresponded.