All Elite Wrestling returns to pay-per-view tonight (Solar., Could 26) with Double or Nothing 2024. The present comes our means from MGM Grand Backyard Area in Las Vegas, Nevada, with the principle card beginning at 8 pm ET.
Mercedes Moné may really lose her debut match
AEW made an enormous splash earlier this yr by bringing in Will Ospreay, Kazuchika Okada, and Mercedes Moné as three main acquisitions who ought to all be featured acts close to the highest of the cardboard. Issues have gone extremely nicely for Ospreay, who has caught hearth and could possibly be world champion by the tip of the summer time. Okada is doing simply effective too because the Continental champion and a protected member of The Elite.
Then there may be Mercedes Moné, whose AEW run to date has been extraordinarily underwhelming. AEW just about botched it proper from the beginning by debuting the previous Sasha Banks in mid-March on Dynamite to a lot fanfare, just for Mercedes to not really wrestle a match for over two months. We’re now in late Could and she or he is lastly going to step within the ring for her first official match in AEW when she challenges Willow Nightingale for the TBS title tonight.
After debuting in March, Mercedes rapidly referred to as her shot for a TBS title match in Could, however this occurred nicely earlier than April’s Dynasty PPV happened. Mercedes has been concerned in a few bodily segments since then, however for probably the most half she has spent this time doing an entire lot of speaking on the mic. The combined bag outcomes of those promos have cooled her off with reside audiences, to say the least.
In the meantime, Willow has been so good within the ring and on the mic that the AEW reside audiences appear totally behind her on this story with Mercedes. The story relies round the truth that Mercedes missed one yr of ring time as a consequence of an harm she suffered in an NJPW match with Willow final Could. Nightingale is set to show as soon as and for all that she’s the higher lady on this rematch, whereas Mercedes needs that storybook comeback victory and to reclaim her spot as the perfect ladies’s wrestler alive in the present day.
The best way the viewers popped when Willow just lately powerbombed Mercedes by way of a desk is tough to disregard. If AEW is paying shut consideration to the way in which the followers are reacting to each ladies, and prepared to just accept that Mercedes is a chilly act proper now, then there’s a state of affairs the place Willow retains the belt tonight. On this state of affairs, Moné ought to rapidly change course to a full-on heel persona, which is her sturdy swimsuit as a performer.
Finally, I don’t assume that’s what is going to occur right here. AEW has an excessive amount of invested in Mercedes to confess this early that it’s not working. And to be honest, there’s a probability that Mercedes can flip issues round now that she is definitely wrestling. It’s not hyperbole to say that Mercedes Moné is certainly among the finest wrestlers on the planet, and she or he lastly will get an opportunity to point out AEW audiences tonight what the hype is all about as soon as the bell rings. Who is aware of, perhaps she’ll have the AEW followers in Las Vegas consuming out of her palms by the point this match is over.
The remainder of the cardboard
These 11 matches are additionally at the moment marketed for tonight at Double or Nothing:
Workforce AEW (FTR, Darby Allin, Bryan Danielson) vs. The Elite (Younger Bucks, Jack Perry, Kazuchika Okada) in an Anarchy within the Area match
Jack Perry returned to AEW ultimately month’s Dynasty PPV and helped the Younger Bucks defeat FTR to win the AEW world tag staff titles. Later that week, Perry pretended to make up with Tony Khan, just for it to be a setup the place The Elite injured AEW’s president with a spike piledriver. EVP’s Matthew and Nicholas Jackson have ironclad contracts that make it okay to assault the boss their boss, and so they have tried to run the present in Khan’s absence. That introduced again the still-injured Kenny Omega for one evening, who used his EVP powers to e book this Anarchy within the Area match after The Elite despatched him to the hospital on a stretcher. Bryan Danielson, Darby Allin, and FTR are all combating to face up for AEW within the face of this energy play by The Elite, however Claudio Castagnoli appears very nervous that this match could have horrible penalties for Bryan’s well being.
Swerve Strickland (c) vs. Christian Cage for the AEW world championship
One of many first issues Swerve did as the brand new AEW world champion was speak shit about The Elite, so EVPs Matthew and Nicholas Jackson labored out a take care of Christian Cage to grant him this title match. Cage instantly yanked out a few of Swerve’s hair and watched alongside as Brian Cage and the Gates of Agony turned their backs on Strickland. Nick Wayne then got here for payback on Swerve after final yr’s bloody assault at his dwelling, busting the champ open and smearing his blood throughout an image of his circle of relatives. Prince Nana has remained by Swerve’s facet and helped him entice Christian for an outdoor beating on the go dwelling present, and it was a tease for simply how badly Swerve intends to harm Christian tonight.
Toni Storm (c) vs. Serena Deeb for the AEW ladies’s world championship
Serena missed over one yr of ring time as a consequence of a scary well being scenario involving a number of seizures. She returned to motion earlier this yr and climbed the (sporadically up to date) AEW Rankings with an undefeated document to date in 2024, together with a win over Toni’s understudy, Mariah Could. Deeb is a really critical wrestler who plans to stretch Toni into submission on the mat, whereas Toni doesn’t give a shit about Deeb’s seizures and prefers to play thoughts video games like wrapping her bare physique in Serena’s flag. What sort of timeless antics will Storm resort to tonight as a way to outmaneuver The Professor and retain her belt?
Adam Copeland (c) vs. Malakai Black in a Barbed Wire Metal Cage match for the TNT title
Malakai has been attempting to attract out Adam’s true vile nature, and he seems to have efficiently achieved that by taking the person’s wedding ceremony ring. Copeland has channeled his internal vampire since then, dousing Malakai in a blood bathtub and searching to attract much more of the crimson stuff from him tonight in a barbed wire metal cage. Kyle O’Reilly was dragged into this feud alongside the way in which, so search for him to run in and even up the taking part in area if the opposite members of the Home of Black attempt to use the numbers sport to overwhelm the Rated R Famous person.
Roderick Sturdy (c) vs. Will Ospreay for the AEW worldwide championship
Ospreay is undefeated in AEW singles matches to date in 2024 and received a On line casino Gauntlet match to earn this title shot. I believe Roderick Sturdy realizes that his reign as champ is in critical jeopardy going up towards the perfect wrestler on the planet, so his boys in The Undisputed Kingdom laid a bloody beating on Will only a few days in the past. I believe it’s Wardlow’s job to verify Roddy retains the belt, so search for him to take the blame if issues don’t work out that means. This one has potential to be the match of the evening, given the in-ring prowess of each stars.
Chris Jericho (c) vs. HOOK vs. Katsuyori Shibata for the FTW championship
HOOK has been attempting to win again his household’s FTW belt ever since Jericho cheated to win it from him final month. Since then, Massive Invoice has taken a seat beneath The Studying Tree and can little question intrude on Jericho’s behalf tonight. HOOK and Shibata could have to work collectively to cut down The Redwood, however any such alliance received’t final for lengthy given the stakes of this bout. Is there a rule for who wins the belt in the event that they each submit Jericho on the similar time, similar to they did to Bryan Keith en path to incomes this title match?
Bang Bang Gang (c) vs. Demise Triangle for the Unified world trios championship
PAC was despondent after shedding final month’s Dynasty match towards Kazuchika Okada. Jay White and The Gunns determined to kick the bastard whereas he’s down by taunting him over the absence of his Demise Triangle teammates, Pentagon and Rey Fenix. That motivated PAC to stay concerned in Bang Bang Gang enterprise, together with the latest return of his companions simply in time for a trios title match at Double or Nothing.
Jon Moxley (c) vs. Konosuke Takeshita in an IWGP world heavyweight title eliminator match
Moxley efficiently defended the belt towards Powerhouse Hobbs on a latest episode of Dynamite, and Hobbs blew out his knee within the course of. Now that the muscle of the Don Callis household is on the shelf, the remainder of the household is coming for revenge on Mox. Takeshita is their finest man, and he’ll get a future title match towards Jon if he can beat him tonight. I suppose there will need to have been some politics behind the scenes the place NJPW wouldn’t log out on this being a title protection, as a result of the truth that it’s an eliminator match makes the end result appear apparent, even when the champ is coming into the match at lower than 100% as a consequence of a Takeshita ambush final evening.
Orange Cassidy vs. Trent Beretta
Trent turned on Cassidy after they had been eradicated in a tag staff title match, and Trent has since ended the wrestling profession of his former finest pal, Chuck Taylor. He now intends to do the identical factor to Cassidy, however couldn’t get the job achieved with a latest piledriver onto metal steps. OC used an uncovered turnbuckle to beat Beretta on Dynamite of their first singles match. Trent has demanded a “straight up wrestling match” tonight the place these sorts of shenanigans received’t occur, however which means Trent is the one who will most likely cheat, similar to he tried to do of their first match.
In the meantime, Rocky Romero is conflicted about every part that’s occurring and might want to finally decide a facet. Then there’s Don Callis, who’s hanging round like a dingleberry whereas teasing that he needs to be aligned with OC. I’ve a sense Trent might be a brand new member of the Don Callis household when all is claimed and achieved.
Thunder Rosa vs. Deonna Purrazzo (pre-show)
These two ladies began off on the identical facet, however their alliance rapidly deteriorated over the pursuit of Toni Storm’s world championship, which they each didn’t win. Now they’re at one another’s throats, with Thunder holding a win over Deonna from an episode of Rampage in April. Can Deonna even the rating right here to set the stage for some type of violent gimmick rubber match sooner or later?
Daddy Ass & The Acclaimed vs. Cage of Agony (pre-show)
Brian Cage and the Gates of Agony are attempting to show they’re higher off with out Swerve Strickland, and a win over the previous AEW trios champions would go a great distance in direction of making that assertion.
Abstract
AEW is billing the highest three matches (that includes Mercedes, Swerve & The Elite) as a TRIPLE MAIN EVENT, which is a type of issues professional wrestling promoters typically try this often will get an eye fixed roll out of me. Just one match will be the principle occasion, and I believe AEW goes with the triple major occasion billing partially to deflect from the truth that Swerve’s first title protection on PPV is secondary to The Elite’s energy wrestle angle.
I believe AEW can also be doing it to remind followers that Mone’s debut match is a giant deal regardless of her actually underwhelming rollout on TV to date. We’ll have to attend and see if Mercedes’ arrival really does lead to a ladies’s PPV major occasion tonight, or if the triple major occasion billing is simply an excuse to faux like that’s what’s taking place right here.
With that gripe out of the way in which, Double or Nothing seems like one other spectacular pay-per-view lineup from AEW. This firm constantly delivers prime quality matches on PPV, and this one needs to be no completely different. It’s been 5 years because the very first AEW PPV, Double or Nothing 2019, and there’s little question that AEW will pull out all of the stops to verify tonight’s present is value your cash.
What’s going to you be in search of at Double or Nothing?