All Elite Wrestling
AEW Double or Nothing 2026
May 24, 2026
Louis Armstrong Stadium
Flushing, Queens, New York
Watch: HBO MAX / Prime Video / MyAEW / YouTube / DAZN / & more!
Audio Review (Instant Reaction LIVE)
Meet our reviewer:
Jeri Evagood: Jeri Evagood hasn’t written a review in a while. She’s been too busy partaking in things she won’t mention because she wants to be somewhat kind to the editor. You can find her on blusky only. If you want to, it is Jeri Jeri Quite Contrary. Be warned: I talk BDSM as well as wrestling. So bring your safe word as well as your star ratings.
Note: I attended this live! First AEW PPV since 2024 Revolution. I want to say getting into the show was stressful but LEAVING almost ignited me in a panic attack. I don’t think I can ever do Louis Armstrong Stadium again. That said, one of the BEST AEW crowds I have been a part of. Electric.
Double or Nothing 2026 The Buy In
Five Minute Eliminator Challenge – Divine Dominion (Megan Bayne & Lena Kross) def. Viva Van & Zayda Steel
Five minutes of pre-show time isn’t a lot, especially when people are still piling in. Still, they went out and had an acceptable if mostly forgettable affair. **1/4
Double or Nothing 2026 The Buy In
The Death Riders (Claudio Castagnoli, Daniel Garcia, & Wheeler Yuta) def. The Opps (Anthony Bowens, HOOK, & Katsuyori Shibata)
Pretty fun, but I am always a sucker for Shibata being in the ring. To think after he almost ended his career with a shoot head butt (In an absolute banger of a match against Okada) we have been getting bonus Shibata years later. Sometimes the timeline throws us a bone.
Oh yeah the match, I dug it, good work, solid moments, and it got me in the mood for the pre show later. ***
Double or Nothing 2026 The Buy In
Boom & Doom (Big Boom AJ & QT Marshall) and The Conglomeration (Mark Briscoe, Orange Cassidy, & Roderick Strong) def. Shane Taylor Promotions (Anthony Ogogo, Lee Moriarty, The Infantry, & Shane Taylor)
I am going to level with you all. I had some hard personal news delivered to me during this match, which I won’t share. So it did not have my full attention. My apologies. It seemed fun, but nothing to fully go on about. N/R
AEW World Tag Team Titles – I Quit Match
Adam Copeland & Christian Cage def. FTR (with Stokely) (c)
On this day…. I see clearly ….I inevitably sing this theme!
I promise myself I wouldn’t fall into the singing theme once the song ends gimmick. The lie detector determined this was a lie. I have had mixed feelings about Adam in AEW, and sometimes I worry he is going to let his worse Sports Entertainment instincts kick in.
While there was some of that here, it mostly worked, and with FTR and Christian also having their working boots on, This really freaking ruled. Excellent opening match that got the crowd going immediately.
Throw in Stokely going through a table set on freaking fire, it’s not just the bronx burning anymore, along with a satisfying conclusion with FTR Bald screaming I quit, and I absolutely loved this. I really don’t want Copeland and Christian to have a long reign, but this was a satisfying way for them to earn the titles. ****1/4
AEW International Title
Konosuke Takeshita def. Kazuchika Okada (c)
At Hamburger America I had their Oklahoma Fried Onion Burger. Double pattie of course, I am not afraid of the meats. However, as delicious as that was, Takeshita versus Okada was where I knew I was truly going to eat well.
Okada has been uneven in AEW. When he is on his matches are amazing, as to be expected. When he is coasting, though, you fool yourself into wondering if the Okada that got me into NJPW has any desire to resurface. Takeshita has been excellent. Every time I see him live I feel I have gotten to witness something special. I keep waiting for AEW to fully pull the trigger on him. Tonight the trigger felt pulled and the aim was excellent.
Takeshita and Okada were my absolute match of the night. They absolutely rocked and had me biting on so much they did. I am an apologetic Okada fan but Takeshita through sheer will and effort was winning me over … AND THEN HE DID! Bonus spot in the match was Don Callis, creepy weasel freak as my best friend’s father used to say as an insult, convincing Okada to let up at one point and Takeshita deciding on the other hand that he does what he wants! Beautiful. Storytelling that does not water down or take away from the in ring. *****
After the match, The Don Callis Family and Takeshita seem like they are about to settle some grievances when Kyle Fletcher (A Top Five Kyle if I have ever seen one, sorry the rest of the list is secret). Kyle and Takeshita hug it out. I have watched pro wrestling long enough to know Kyle is about to ruin Takeshita’s day… AND IT STILL HURT! Damn it Kyle. You disappointed me more than the 1996 Atlanta Braves failing to win their second World Series in a row and making me hate the Yankees forever.
Women’s Owen Hart Tournament – Quarterfinals
Athena def. Mina Shirakawa
Originally, we were supposed to get Willow versus Windsor… but Willow is out with an injury. I wish her well and look forward to the return of her positivity and pure awesomeness.
That was a disappointment and I got to be sincere I wasn’t hyped for this as a replacement. Mina while fun hasn’t really clicked with me in AEW and Athena’s extremely long but otherwise somehow feeling like she is treading water title reign hasn’t really kept me excited about her.
To Mina and Athena’s credit they had a good march. Nothing to the level of the previous two matches, but I enjoyed it! Sometimes it is okay for a wrestling march to be good and enjoyable. I know the term “cool down match” will get used by some here, which is a shame because I feel they did their best in the spot given. Athena wins and advances, and I am glad she is doing something other than her extremely long ROH title reign, which will probably continue until Billie Starkz has reached a level of ability where they feel she can hold it.
…….So Athena truly is the forever champion. ***1/4
AEW Continental Title – No Time Limit
Jon Moxley (c) def. Kyle O’Reilly
I am a Moxley Girl, as anyone can tell you. His personality, how he comes off, his promos. Non gimmick-wise, I respect his sobriety and respect him for it. As someone two and a half years sober, he is a legit inspiration. Kyle O’Riley has always been consistent and reliable, and can find that higher gear when it is called for. I knew this match wouldn’t be fancy or glamorous, just two rough men not afraid to hurt each other just a tad.
This was not the best match they could have, but it was very good. I felt like they were trying to grind each other down. It wasn’t just physical toughness but mental toughness and endurance. Two hard men doing hard things to get a hard-earned victory. Pro wrestling at its most basic. Wrestling sometimes needs to be stripped down to the bare bones to make you truly appreciate it. I really enjoyed the graps here, and I appreciate that both men were more than willing to match grit for grit. All salt, no sugar. ***3/4
Men’s Owen Hart Tournament – Quarterfinals
Will Ospreay def. Samoa Joe
I was all in on this march the moment it started. This was under 14 minutes, and they did not waste a single minute. Ospreay has been wanting this match and he does not let it go to waste.
Joe reminds us once again that he is a killer. A man who will hurt you as if God himself gave him permission. Alas, there is no God, and Joe never needs anyone’s permission. This ruled. Ospreay is showcasing his new resilience and determination, and Joe is not giving a single shit.
This is the type of match that gets you excited for tournament action. Short, impactful, never dull, the feeling of legitimate stakes and desire to win. They aren’t simply having a great match, they are having a great match to move on to greater opportunities.
In the end, Osprey managed to get a hard-fought victory and advance. The story is potentially straightforward and predictable, but if we continue with this match quality, who cares! Sometimes you just need to stay the course and trust the process. You don’t always need a swerve. ****1/2
Men’s Owen Hart Tournament – Quarterfinals
Swerve Strickland (with Prince Nana) def. Bandido
I am okay with this, Swerve, though. Swerve is a top-notch bell-to-bell performer, but his character and promo work don’t always gel with me. However, this review is focused on the march only, and it excelled!
He and Bandido understood the assignment. They went at it, and it had some good wrestling, which we were all cool with … and then they flipped a switch, and I expressed “What The Fuck” multiple times in the match. I almost felt like that one scene in “The Wire”. You know the one.. and if you don’t I am questioning your television preferences harshly.
This match ruled, a theme for the evening, and Swerve ends up winning after Bandido’s neck takes too much damage and Swerve ends him with a nasty vertebreaker and boot to the head (Ed Gruberman emphasizes). Sorry, Bandido, but if you come for the king, you best not miss. (Seriously, The Wire rules) ****1/2
AEW Women’s World Title – Four-Way Match
Thekla (c) def. Hikaru Shida, Jamie Hayter, & Kris Statlander
Generally speaking, I am leery of four ways. Not that there haven’t been amazing four ways, there absolutely have. However, it can come off as lazy and, at times, fail to give sufficient spotlight to any of the competitors.
That said, this was pretty darn good. All four competitors have the credentials to work, and they kept things moving. It could be a little clunky feeling at times, but that is hard to avoid in these matches.
We got story progression with Statlander and Shida finally dissolving and Shida being responsible for Statlander taking the losing fall. I am perfectly okay with Thekla continuing her reign still has mileage.
Also, if she ever wants to call me a dumb bitch I wouldn’t object. I am kind of cool with it. ***1/2
Stadium Stampede
Chris Jericho, Jack Perry, The Elite (Kenny Omega & The Young Bucks), & The Hurt Syndicate (Bobby Lashley & Shelton Benjamin) def. The Demand (Ricochet, Bishop Kaun, & Toa Liona), The Dogs (Clark Connors & David Finlay), & The Don Callis Family (Andrade El Idolo & Mark Davis)
Don’t ask me to recap this. There is no way I can. I will say Shelton seemed like he was having the time of his life, and this match might be the most I have enjoyed him in AEW. This match was chaotic, all over the press, ridiculous, and was mostly what I expected.
You had beach balls and bodies flying, you had fighting backstage, fighting in the arena, fighting in the disco, fighting on the Taco Bell…. Sorry for being off track. The point is, everything was happening everywhere and all at once. It was the type of format you have come to expect.
Also felt watered down compared to previous Stadium Stampedes. Many of the cameos did little for me and gave me flashbacks to certain WWE-style matches during COVID that like to throw out random cameos to be cute. Water down does feel weird to say about a match featuring ATTEMPTED VEHICULAR MANSLAUGHTER, but what can you do? Also, I checked the Stadium Stampede Rulebook. Attempted Vehicular manslaughter is perfectly legal, provided you have a valid license and full liability.
I digress, watered down but still an enjoyable time. So much is going on, you can ignore what is not doing it for you, and focus on what is. In the end, Jericho still doesn’t get final revenge on Ricochet, but his team stands tall! ****
AEW World Title – Title vs. Hair
MJF def. Darby Allin (c)
Above the entrance, there was a scaffold, and all night I thought to myself … “Scaffold matches always sucked.”
Actually, what I thought was Darby is going to jump off that, and he did, with an elbow drop, and he put MJF through it. I don’t ask for much in life, and I appreciate it when I get it.
Excellent main event. An exhausted crowd mustered enough energy for it. Going into this, I thought “No way MJF is going bald,” then I started to doubt myself. I truly thought at times that Darby was going to retain. I appreciate that they had me reconsidering my preconceived notions.
It wasn’t to be. MJF spikes Darby with a tombstone from the turnbuckles and then takes Darby over with a headlock to bring it all home. Somewhat deflating ending but you know, the candle could only burn that hot for so long. Darby won his world title and then drove through competitors until the wheels fall off.Darby’s reign proves it isn’t just the length that makes the title, it is how it is booked, how it is presented, and how memorable you make your matches throughout. Darby got the most out of his sprint of the reign. His reign was short, but we will never forget it. ****½
After the match, Darby starts to get placed on a stretcher, and MJF decides he wants to take part in his favorite pastime (being a dick), but Kevin Knight runs out to prevent it. Then, in a moment, an attitude change, a body language change, a position change. The crowd picks up on it, the energy is felt, and Kevin Knight launches himself on top of Darby and then tells him and the stretcher over. Hell yeah, effective heel turn, and I am all for it. Two tragedies to end the night. MJF is the champion, and Darby Allin is dead (not really)
Final Thoughts
This was an absolutely amazing show. Okada/Takeshita stole the night but nothing on the main card made me feel like I was wasting my time. I felt the food was on the wrestling and the wrestlers. Not celebrities, not advertisements. My intelligence didn’t feel insulted, I didn’t have to max out my credit cards to attend. AEW is not perfect, it has its flaws, we should never fail to hold it accountable when we need to, and critique when appropriate. All that said, when it is focused and on point it is the best wrestling company in America today.
