AEW DOUBLE OR NOTHING 2026
MAY 24, 2026
LOUIS ARMSTRONG STADIUM
QUEENS, NEW YORK
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Post-PPV Audio Review (Instant Reaction LIVE)
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AEW Double or Nothing 2026 ZERO HOUR
- Five Minute Eliminator: Divine Dominion (c) vs. Zayda Steel & Viva Van
- The Conglomeration (Briscoe, Cassidy, Strong), Big Boom AJ, QT Marshall vs. Shane Taylor Promotions (Taylor, Moriarty, Dean, Bravo, Ogogo)
- Death Riders (Castagnoli, Garcia, Yuta) vs. The Opps (Shibata, Bowens, Hook)
AEW WORLD TITLE – TITLE VS. HAIR
DARBY ALLIN (C) VS. MJF
Darby Allin climbed the mountain and beat MJF for the AEW World Title on the excellent Spring BreakThru Dynamite, the Wednesday after Dynasty. He promised to fight until the wheels fell off, and he’s lived up to that promise with seven title defenses in five weeks. It has been such a boon to these television shows, and it’s made for an incredibly memorable title reign for Darby. MJF demanded a rematch every week, with Darby refusing unless MJF put something at risk. There was a nice tease of that being the TNT Title, but instead, MJF lost to Kevin Knight on the April 29th Dynamite.
MJF offered his beloved Burberry scarf, the Dynamite Diamond Ring that’s been his trademark since he first won it in 2019, and a straight cash offer of a million dollars. Darby refused and made the demand for a Title vs. Hair match at Double or Nothing to damage MJF’s ego, with MJF never getting a title match against him if he refused. Max relented and agreed to the terms but still tried to get out of the hair match by going so far as to try and help Speedball Mike Bailey win the title on the go-home Dynamite – unbeknownst to Bailey.
Ever since Ricochet’s heel turn at the start of last year, being bald has been a cardinal sin to AEW fans. You’re just as likely to hear a BALD chant at an AEW show as you are to hear a YEET at a WWE show. Taking advantage of that to make a compelling pay-per-view main event is such a smart idea. MJF being such a vain and pathetic person, wavering at the thought of regaining his World Championship just because he doesn’t want to be mocked and embarrassed, is quality character work that will lead to a red-hot atmosphere for this match from this sold-out crowd in Queens, no matter how late this show ends up going. (That’s not a challenge, Tony.)
I don’t think the result is as open-and-shut as most people think. While I doubt Darby will be main eventing Wembley as AEW World Champion, I don’t think MJF will either. The house money being on MJF could make for a great shock finish and a memorable moment at the end of the show, with MJF getting shaved bald like Adrian Adonis at Wrestlemania 3. Plus, you know MJF would relish the chance to do some hair comedy for a month.
With that said, I do expect MJF to survive with his rug still intact and leave Double or Nothing as a three-time AEW World Champion. The wheels fall off for Darby, leaving the legacy as an excellent World Champion. Prediction: MJF
STADIUM STAMPEDE MATCH
THE GOLDEN JETS (JERICHO & KENNY OMEGA), THE ELITE (JACK PERRY, MATT JACKSON & NICK JACKSON) & THE HURT SYNDICATE (BOBBY LASHLEY & SHELTON BENJAMIN) VS. THE DEMAND (RICOCHET, BISHOP KAUN, & TOA LIONA), THE DON CALLIS FAMILY (ANDRADE EL IDOLO & MARK DAVIS), & THE DOGS (CLARK CONNORS & DAVID FINLAY)
We’re in New York for this one, so we gotta have a Wu Tang Special on the card. Fourteen men comprise this Stadium Stampede match, the presumed blowoff to the Ricochet/”Don’t Call Him Chris” Jericho feud. This has been a solid midcard feud, complete with Jericho putting Ricochet over constantly while receiving no credit for it. Jericho & the Syndicate must have bonded over being acts that the more online contingent of the AEW fanbase dislikes, opposed to the positive reactions the live crowds give them, as they’ve worked together against their mutual foe in Ricochet.
Ricochet drew the ire of Jack Perry when he drew a 5-iron and put it to Perry’s back, costing Jungle Man the National Title. New National Champion Mark Davis brought in his Callis Family partner Andrade, while Perry brought Omega and The Bucks. The Bucks were in a steady TV feud with The Dogs, one that made me wonder if we were meant to have a Dogs/Elite trios match on this card before Gabe Kidd’s shoulder injury took him out of action.
It’s Stadium Stampede, which is Anarchy In The Arena, which is a big arena brawl with music playing. My money is on a Best of Fozzy medley that accidentally turns Jericho heel again. This will be fun mayhem, and with the Bucks involved, mayhem that should be well structured. Jericho hits the Lionsault to win, and we all party in Gotham City. Prediction: The Good Guys
AEW INTERNATIONAL TITLE MATCH
KAZUCHIKA OKADA (C) VS. KONOSUKE TAKESHITA
Speaking of matches that were affected by injury, I don’t believe this match would have happened if Kyle Fletcher were healthy. He was a lynchpin of this feud, and with him on the shelf with a knee injury, there was very little more AEW could do to string this feud out any longer than it already had been. Now, we’re finally getting SOMEWHERE with Okada and Takeshita. Never mind that they wrestled in the Continental Classic semifinals, and we kept it going with the exact same dynamic.
Joe and Rich brought up the idea on the Flagship of Okada being the one getting backstabbed, with Takeshita’s incredible patience coming from the knowledge that Callis would always pick him over anyone else. Honestly, that’s what I hope happens. An Okada face turn would be a fresh move, one that could reset him into a serious act and maybe remind people that the greatest wrestler of a generation works here.
Instead, I expect the chalk pick of Takeshita turning face. AEW has made an unfortunate habit of making Takeshita look impotent in this feud, with Okada always getting the better of him. I would love for Takeshita to be wise to Don Callis’ tricks and overcome Okada to win the title and create an interesting twist of Okada on the back foot for once in this rivalry. But I’ll continue to go chalk and pick Okada to win with Callis officially stabbing his former top charge in the back to keep this feud going. Prediction: Kazuchika Okada
AEW WORLD TAG TEAM TITLE I QUIT MATCH
COPELAND & CAGE CAN NEVER TEAM AGAIN IF THEY LOSE
FTR (CASH WHEELER & DAX HARWOOD) (W/STOKELY) (C) VS. ADAM COPELAND & CHRISTIAN CAGE
Yes, these two teams had a match that I gave ****1/4 last month. Yes, the feud has largely been good over the past year. Yes, FTR has had an enjoyable title reign that has peaked incredibly high. I don’t trust COPE. I don’t trust his instincts. I don’t trust that this match won’t devolve into his worst ideas and traits. I don’t trust that BETH will get her heat back at some point. As much as I’ve largely enjoyed this story between these four men, I’m still not at the point where I can give a big Adam Copeland blowoff match the benefit of the doubt. The result is obvious, as Cope & Cage will win these titles and give us a few big matches leading up to Wembley. I just hope that my worst fears go unrealized and we have a feud-ender that can live up to the feud itself. Prediction: Cope & Cage
AEW CONTINENTAL TITLE NO TIME LIMIT MATCH
JON MOXLEY (C) VS. KYLE O’REILLY
Much has changed since Full Gear regarding Jon Moxley. He overcame his slump in big matches by going on a run to win the Continental Classic. In doing so, he factory reset back into the Mox we all know and love. He’s showing Will Ospreay the ways of the Ace. But in the months since Full Gear, nothing Mox has done has helped him figure out Kyle O’Reilly, whose arm he broke at that show after getting tapped out for the second time in as many matches.
O’Reilly returned at Dynasty, helping his fellow Conglomerates win the Trios Titles before refocusing on Moxley and the Continental Title, which he never had a chance to fight for due to the injury. Mox’s surprising title win does make me wonder if the title was meant for O’Reilly all along, with Mox keeping it warm until he came back. It would be shocking for Mox to lose again to O’Reilly, but what would Mox really lose from it? Who is a better option for Mox to lose this title to? If you’re gonna put a guy over, put him all the way over. Plus, this can throw an interesting wrench into whatever Mox’s plans are with Will Ospreay and put some more doubt in Ospreay’s mind. I’m taking O’Reilly. Prediction: Kyle O’Reilly
OWEN HART FOUNDATION 2026 MEN’S TOURNAMENT QUARTERFINAL
SAMOA JOE VS. WILL OSPREAY
The Men’s 2026 Owen Hart Foundation Tournament kicks off with Will Ospreay taking on Samoa Joe in a first-time ever encounter. Encounter? Who am I, Sean Mooney?
Ospreay’s run has been very interesting since his loss to Jon Moxley at Dynasty. His neck continued to give him trouble, leading to a shock loss to Mark Davis via referee stoppage. The Death Riders then saved him from any more of a beatdown before Mox himself offered to help Ospreay get over the hump to being the Ace of the promotion. Ospreay accepted the offer and has spent the last few weeks training with the Death Riders, with the training adding a cross armbreaker to his arsenal and helping to heal Ospreay’s neck.
While we all know that Ospreay is one of the best wrestlers in the world, in AEW canon, he’s much closer to Ricochet or Takeshita than he is to Moxley. He’s been a champion in the midcard who’s had brushes with the main event but has come up short every time. And in AEW canon, no one comes up bigger in the big spot than Jon Moxley. He won the World Title in his first try, and he’s been World Champion four times.
I understand the logic being used here, and there’s an aspect of Moxley choosing to pass the torch to someone he sees capable of carrying the promotion the same way he did that I enjoy. But AEW has to thread the needle of Mox teaching Ospreay how to take that next step in a way that doesn’t leave people seeing Ospreay as Mox’s young lion. It’s a thin line to walk, and I’ve seen a lot of worry about the damage it could cause Ospreay if it fails. But these are two talented wrestling minds that I will trust to see the story through and stick the landing.
Samoa Joe offered Ospreay some backup with The Opps, given their history fighting against the Death Riders in the lead-up to All In Texas last year. Ospreay didn’t answer him, which offended Joe, and now they face off in The Owen. While I think Ospreay beating Joe by submission would be…bold, I think Ospreay’s training will help him defend against the Samoan Submission Machine and help him get the win. Prediction: Will Ospreay
OWEN HART FOUNDATION 2026 MEN’S TOURNAMENT QUARTERFINAL
SWERVE STRICKLAND VS. BANDIDO
Swerve Strickland and Bandido face off on the other side of the bracket in the Men’s Owen. Swerve is someone who’s gotten lost in the shuffle, possibly affected by the aforementioned injuries in the midcard, as he seemed to be poised for a Kevin Knight feud before Knight won the vacant TNT Title. He’s been floating around, rambling about power and being too dangerous for AEW television. He filmed a vignette to call out Bandido, and AEW made the match a first-round match in the Owen.
Bandido has lost some momentum from last year after a hand injury took him out for a month or so. A good showing here will get him some momentum back, but it will be in a losing effort as I expect Swerve to be in the Owen Final at Forbidden Door across from Ospreay, two years after their Forbidden Door title match that I voted second in my VOW Match of the Year ballot. Prediction: Swerve Strickland
OWEN HART FOUNDATION 2026 WOMEN’S TOURNAMENT QUARTERFINAL
ATHENA VS. MINA SHIRAKAWA
The Women’s Owen kicks off here, with Mina Shirakawa taking on the Forever ROH Champion Athena. Willow Nightingale was meant to take on Alex Windsor in this spot, but an injury forced Willow to vacate the TBS Title and her spot in The Owen, leaving us with this match. The winner of this match will take on the winner of Sareee vs. Skye Blue in the semifinal, so the winner of this match will take on Sareee in the semifinal. I’m over Athena, as her hype hasn’t matched her output in a number of years at this point, but I doubt they’ll have her lose to Mina here. Athena wins to set up, at least in theory, a big match against Sareee.
Somewhere, Billie Starkz will be quietly stewing to set up another loss at Final Battle. Prediction: Athena
AEW WOMEN’S WORLD TITLE FOUR-WAY MATCH
THEKLA (C) VS. HIKARU SHIDA VS. JAMIE HAYTER VS. KRIS STATLANDER
The traditional women’s four-way is back! Thekla defends against three former Women’s World Champions in Shida, Hayter, & Statlander. Shida’s been teasing a heel turn by being a jerk when speaking Japanese and faking nice when speaking English. Statlander has kinda just been standing around being clearly annoyed, but not annoyed enough to do anything. And Hayter is Hayter, she rocks.
There are rumors that this was meant to be a 1v1 Thekla title defense against Persephone, but an injury took Persephone out of the proceedings. Thekla has no reason to drop this title, and I have no reason to believe that she will. Prediction: Thekla
