SPOTLIGHTED PODCAST ALERT (YOUR ARTICLE BEGINS A FEW INCHES DOWN)...
AEW DOUBLE OR NOTHING
MAY 26, 2024
LAS VEGAS, NEV. AT MGM GARDEN ARENA
AIRED LIVE ON PPV
Commentators: Excalibur, Tony Schiavone, Taz, Nigel McGuinness
CLICK HERE TO LISTEN TO OUR POST-SHOW PODCAST
[PRE-SHOW]
(A) DEONNA PURRAZZO vs. THUNDER ROSA
Purrazzo held the bottom rope to secure the three count.
WINNER: Purrazzo in 10:00.
-Renee Paquette interviewed Martha Hart and Tony Khan on the stage. TK said that the Owen Hart Cup winners this year will get title shots. He said the finals will take place on July 10 in Calgary, Alb.
(B) THE ACCLAIMED (Max Caster & Anthony Bowens) & BILLY GUNN vs. BRIAN CAGE & GATES OF AGONY (Toa Liona & Bishop Kaun)
Caster’s rap on his way to the ring included saying Cage cosplays a main event wrestler and said he’s not a man because of his limp penis. There was also a line about toe-sucking. For the finish, Gunn pinned Liona with an inside cradle.
WINNERS: Acclaimed & Gunn in 12:00.
(Keller’s Analysis: Is this just a rib on Tony Khan to see how long it’ll take TK to stand up to Billy and tell him he’s not around to score wins over his younger full time wrestlers? Why is Gunn no-selling, dominating, and scoring pins in so many of his matches?)
[MAIN SHOW]
(1) RODERICK STRONG (w/Matt Taven, Mike Bennett) vs. WILL OSPREAY – AEW International Title match
Don Callis joined in on commentary. Excalibur noted to Callis he hadn’t seen him hanging out with Ospreay all weekend. Callis said their relationship is all business. Ospreay jump-started the match with a Hidden Blade, but Roderick Strong ducked. Ospreay knocked Strong to the floor. He kicked Matt Taven and tossed Mike Bennett into the crowd. Strong then jumped Ospreay from behind. Strong got in some hard chops.
When Ospreay rallied back in the ring, Taven grabbed Ospreay’s boot and then Bennett put him on his shoulders. Taven leaped over the top rope at Ospreay, but Ospreay seemed to bump backwards early and almost had a terrible landing on the back of his neck with his full weight on him. The announcers gasped. Schiavone speculated Ospreay broke his neck. Ospreay landed safely enough, but barely.
Strong took control of the match in the ring. When Ospreay made a comeback, Taven and Bennett distracted the ref and Ospreay. Wardlow entered from the other side and set up a powerbomb. The ref caught him and ordered him out of the ring. He left. Storm charged Ospreay with a flying knee, but Ospreay ducked and sidekicked Strong, who tumbled to ringside. Ospreay then leaped off the top turnbuckle onto the three heels gathered below waiting to catch his Sky Twister. Fans chanted, “Holy shit!” The ref ejected them from ringside.
Ospreay sold jamming his knee on a flip off the top rope when Strong moved. Strong then applied a single-leg crab mid-ring. Ospreay kicked out of it pretty quickly, but Strong just shifted into a Texas Cloverleaf. Strong superplexed Ospreay later and then delivered a lift-and-drop backbreaker (that largely missed the knees) for a two count. Strong lifted Ospreay onto his shoulders and delivered a gut buster. When Strong charged at Ospreay with a boot, Ospreay caught him and powerbombed him. Both were down and slow to get up.
They stood and exchanged strikes mid-ring. Strong dropkicked Ospreay’s knee. They countered a few moves from each other. Ospreay landed a leaping OsCutter, but clutched his left knee afterward. He scored a two count. As the ref checked on Strong, Callis told Ospreay to use the Tiger Driver and “snap his neck.” He turned and set it up. Taz said Ospreay looked conflicted. Ospreay hesitated and Strong flipped out of it and then landed a Samoan Drop into a gut-buster followed by a running high boot for a near fall. Callis was frustrated at ringside.
Ospreay rolled up Strong as a counter seconds later for a two count. Strong landed a leaping knee. Ospreay absorbed it and landed a Hidden Blade followed by Storm Breaker for the win.
WINNER: Ospreay in 18:00 to capture the AEW International Title.
(Keller’s Analysis: Really good match, even if two or three moves definitely looked off and, in one instance, looked like a close call for a potential injury. Ospreay can elevate the International Title. Strong, as rock solid a worker as he is, just wasn’t at Ospreay’s level so Ospreay needed to overcome interference and win this one decisively. The downside is Ospreay shouldn’t be in opening matches if the goal is to build around him soon, and he’s won one of many AEW singles titles that can frame him as something less than world-title-level in the eyes of some fans.)
-As the announcers were chatting at ringside, Adam Cole’s music played. “I remember this guy,” said Taz. Cole walked out in black pants, black shirt, and black leather jacket. Cole entered the ring and told the fans they all suck. He said he should be in the back checking on Strong. He said he shouldn’t even be in Las Vegas because he should be home rehabbing his ankle. He said he’s been through heel these last few years and still gets disrespected. He said he is one of the best pro wrestlers of this generation. The lights went dark and a video appeared on the screen. It appeared to be MJF in his room with a scarf. A hand appeared and it held up a photo of MJF and then Cole torn in half.
MJF’s music played and he made his entrance to his music. Fans chanted, “MJF.” MJF then walked up to Cole and hugged him. Then he stepped back and kicked him in the crotch and then gave him a brainbuster suplex. Taz said, “Well, MJF is back.” Schiavone said he looked great.
MJF, looking a little gruffer and very well tanned told Cole a “noodle-armed, bobble-headed son of a bitch.” He bent down and asked if he hurt him. “Somebody get this shit stain out of my ring, huh?” He said he gave Cole his trust, something he hasn’t done much of in the past. They showed Cole being helped to the back by referees. MJF said Cole helped wake him up to who he is. He said he is the greatest wrestler on God’s green Earth. He said he is MJF and he is better than them and they know it. Fans cheered.
A red-faced and intense MJF yelled that he doesn’t need a New Japan or a Vince McMahon to make MJF because MJF made MJF. Fans chanted, “MJF! MJF!” He said, “No more ha ha, no more friendships, no more Kangaroo kicks, no more bullshit,” he said. He said he is going to be driven by hate, not love. Fans chanted, “Hate! Hate! Hate!” He said when he’s driven by hate, nobody is safe. He picked up the mask in the ring. He said masks are adorned by cowards who want to hide. He said he’s done apologizing for the fact that he’s the best. “No one is more complete in the sport than me,” he said. He said people’s comparisons of him to others suck a big bag of donkey dicks. He said he doesn’t need a mask to show no one is on the level of the devil. He said that mask smybolizes the end of 2023 and it makes his stomach turn. He said it can go straight to hell. He yanked off his jean jacket and did a Ric Flair strut and dropped an elbow on it. He then threw it into the crowd. Fans chanted, “Welcome back!”
MJF said he’s been betting on himself since Day One. He said regarding his contract status, he showed a calf tattoo that said
“AEW.” He said when it comes to AEW, “you can call me the wolf of AEW vecause I am not f—-ing leaving.” He then stood on the ropes and struck a pose. The announcers talked about MJF’s loyalty to AEW. Taz said it’s great news for AEW and fans around the world.
(Keller’s Analysis: Well, he’s back and that’s a big gain for AEW. He very deliberately divorced himself from all of the nonsense from last year other than continuing the feud with Adam Cole. It’s good that he acted aware of and disgusted by all of the overwrought aspects of his character last year and made it clear that’s in the past. Retiring the scarf to the closet and debuting a more gruff and edgy look is a good change, too. Making it clear he’s signed to AEW now also helps get AEW fans to invest in him. Some day, he’ll have the confidence to not going into “crazed Ric Flair yelling” since his peak mic work is when he’s more deliberate and in-control.)
(2) JAY WHITE & THE GUNNS (Colten & Austin Gunn) vs. DEATH TRIANGLE (Pac & Penta El Zero Miedo & Rey Fenix) – AEW & ROH Unified Trios Title match
The bell rang 45 minutes into the hour. White and Pac squared off, but White tagged out to Colten before locking up. Early in the match, White countered Pac and DDT’d him. Pac sold it with convulsions. White scored a two count and then landed a neckbreaker for another two count. Colten tagged in and stomped away at Pac.
After some chaos with everyone in the ring, everyone was slow to get up. Fans chaned “This is awesome!” Pac kicked White and then suplexed Austin and Colten. Fenix and Penta beat up White in the corner. Fenix leaped off the top rope and delivered Fear Factor to White. Pac climbed to the top rope to set up his Black Arrow finisher. Juice Robinson showed up and shoved Pac off the top rope. White hit the Blade Runner for the win. Juice lifted White’s limp body and danced with him.
WINNERS: White & The Gunns in 12:00 to retain the AEW & ROH Unified Trios Titles.
(Keller’s Analysis: Lots of chaos and big moves start to finish. Juice isn’t the biggest name to return tonight, but he’s a good part of the Bang Bang Gang.)
(3) TONI STORM vs. SERENA DEEB (w/Mariah May, Luther) – AEW Women’s Title match
Nigel McGuinness stepped in for Taz at the announce desk. Deeb took control early including a Paradise Lock. Deeb dropkicked Storm’s to untangle her limbs. They brawled at ringside. Deeb scored a two count back in the ring. Storm forced a break from Deeb’s submission hold by biting the middle rope. Deeb applied an abdominal stretch next. Later, Deeb snapped Storm with a neckbreaker over the middle rope. She delivered a mid-ring neckbreaker next. Fans chanted, “Toni! Toni!” Deeb looked at the fans with disappointment. Deeb took Storm down with a German suplex and a lariat for a near fall.
Deeb put Storm in a leglock. May was going to throw in a white towel, but Luther blocked her. Storm managed to break on her own. She rolled to ringside and confronted Luther. The announcers said Storm thought Luther was going to throw in the towel. Storm angrily yanked it away from him and threw it into the crowd.
Back in the ring, Storm landed a Storm Zero for a believable near fall. Deeb made a comeback and landed her Detox on the ring apron. She delivered a second one inside the ring for a dramatic near fall. Storm came back with a leaping piledriver off the middle rope and then a piledriver mid-ring for the win.
WINNER: Storm in 15:00 to retain the AEW Women’s Title.
(Keller’s Analysis: Good match with a strong story with Deeb going after Storm’s leg and going for a submission throughout, with Storm making strong comebacks. The crowd is ready for Storm to be a babyface and use her sass against heels who have it coming.)
(4) ORANGE CASSIDY vs. TRENT BERETTA
Trent came out first. Then Cassidy’s music played, but he didn’t come out. Then the music switched to Cassidy’s original entrance theme. Orange leisurely strolled to the ring. Excalibur asked Callis if he had anything to do with this retro Cassidy entrance. Schiavone said Jim Ross is battling the flu and couldn’t be at the event. Excalibur noted he was part of the first Double or Nothing five years ago.
Trent methodically beat up Cassidy in the early minutes. Cassidy let Trent beat him up with his hands in his pocket, but then hit Trent with a dropkick. When Cassidy went for a top rope move, Trent rolled to the ring apron. Trent eventually landed a Gotch-style piledriver on the ring apron. Cassidy fell to the floor. Cassidy showed signs of life with a Beach Break at ringside.
Trent made a comeback. Cassidy set up an Orange Punch, but Trent blocked it and went for a submission hold. Cassidy countered Trent and leveraged his shoulders down for a three count.
Renee Paquette tried to get post-match comments from Trent, but he said, “I’m not doing this, I’m done.” He left through the crowd. Rocky Romero had come out to check with him, but Trent just went the other way.
WINNER: Cassidy in 14:00.
(Keller’s Analysis: Good intensity, with a dose of the Cassidy nonchalance with the story being whether he could meet the intensity of Trent. Not sure what’s up with Trent walking away like that.)
(5) CHRIS JERICHO vs. HOOK vs. KATSUYORI SHIBATA – FTW Title match
Jericho dumped a bag of dice on the canvas early. Hook suplexed Jericho on the dice and then Hook and Shibata threw the dice at him. They double-suplexed Jericho on the dice. Shibata then belly-to-belly tossed Hook onto the dice. Hook and Shibata grabbed kendo sticks from under the ring. Nigel squeezed in a reference to “Live Aid” and “Lionel Richie.” When Jericho returned to the ring, Hook gave him a Northern Lights Suplex onto the dice.
Hook put Jericho on a table in the corner and climbed to the top rope. Shibata caught him up there and then took quite a while to set up a Death Valley Driver style move onto Jericho. Hook seemed to have his head away from Shibata’s arm so he could secure it and eventually he realized it and shifted it so Shibata could get a grip. They overshot the table slightly. Shibata sent Jericho into a table propped in the corner, breaking the table in half leading to a two count.
Shibata put Jericho in a leglock. Hook tried to intervene, but Shibata locked up Hook at the time with his arms that he had Jericho locked up with his legs. A “Shibata!” chant broke out. Hook overhead suplexed Shibata. Jericho gave Hook a sudden Code Breaker for a near fall. Hook came right back with Red Rum. Jericho collapsed and nearly tapped, but Big Bill intervened and broke up the hold. The announcers noted it’s legal in a three-way match. Bill gave the crowd the up-yours arm gesture, then went after Hook with a chokeslam attempt on the ring apron. Hook broke free and then delivered a T-Bone off the ring apron through the table below. “Holy shit!” chanted the crowd.
A wrestler in a mask showed up and attacked Shibata and Hook. He unmasked and revealed himself as “Bounty Hunter” Brian Keith. Jericho then gave Hook a Judas Effect, but then covered Shibata and scored a three count. As Jericho headed up the ramp, he called for security to protect him as Hook began to pursue him. Hook easily tossed three security guys aside, but Jericho escaped in the mean time.
WINNER: Jericho in 13:00 to retain the FTW Title.
(Keller’s Analysis: The crowd ate up some of the big spots during this one. The legal interference in three-way matches just makes the whole match feel like a farce, but that’s an ongoing issue and nothing new. Hook earns some toughness cred in brawls like this.)
(6) JON MOXLEY vs. KONOSUKE TAKESHITA (w/Don Callis) – IWGP Title eliminator match
Moxley came out with his arm and shoulder heavily bandaged. Nigel asked which doctor or official would dare to tell Mox he isn’t cleared to wrestle if Mox wants to wrestle. Takeshita went after Moxley’s arm. “We know Moxley won’t give up because he’s stupid,” said Nigel. Takeshita drove Mox’s shoulder and arm hard into the ring apron as he leaped to the floor. Back in the ring, he continued to focus on Moxley’s left arm. He leaped into the air and drove Mox shoulder-first into the mat.
Mox attempted a comeback and set up a piledriver, but Takeshita countered into an armbar on the mat. Mox transitioned into a triangle sleeper. Takeshita powerbombed out of it. Takeshita gave Mox a wheelbarrow German suplex a few minutes later, but Mox surged with a Paradigm Shift. Both were down and slow to get up as fans chanted, “This is awesome!”
Takeshita landed a knee drive to score a two count a minute later. Takeshita blocked Moxley’s offense and then landed a Death Rider of his own for a believable near fall. Takeshita set up a chair in the ring at the urging of Callis at ringside, but Mox stomped him on it and then landed a Death Rider for the win. Nigel said Mox got lucky and mistakenly said he escaped with his title in tact when it wasn’t actually a title match.
WINNER: Moxley in 17:00.
(7) ADAM COPELAND vs. MALAKAI BLACK – TNT Title match in a cage
They went right at each other at the bell. Copeland mounted Malakai in the corner and cut him open with barbed wire. The blood bean to flow from Malakai’s forehead. Copeland rammed Malakai into the side of the cage and the cage seemed to have a lot of give. Copeland then hit an Impaler. Excalibur asked if that was it, even though it was just a few minutes into the match. Copeland didn’t make a cover. When he went for a spear, Malakai blocked him. He then knocked Copeland into the corner. Copeland came up bleeding from his face.
Malakai used a barbed wire wrapped bat against Copeland. He picked up a chair and methodically walked over to Copeland with it. He stomped Copeland in the chest, then put his face over the chair. Copeland made a comeback, though, and used the barbed wire bat against Malakai. He grinded it into his forehead against the ropes. Excalibur described “a geyser of blood erupting from Malakai’s head.”
Copeland put Malakai on a table. Copeland climbed the side of the cage to the top rope, but Malakai recovered and kicked him onto the top rope. Schiavone said he’d rather bleed than land on the top rope like that. Malakai powerbombed Copeland off the top rope through the table leading to a near fall.
Copeland climbed to the top of the cage and leaped at Malakai with a flying elbow drop. “Never was a chant of ‘holy shit’ more apropos than right now,” Schiavone said. Copeland took a while to recover before draping his arm on Malakai for a near fall. Malakai countered a spear by Edge with his finisher for a near fall. Malakai tried to jab Copeland with a metal part of a broken table. He kicked Copeland, who fell through the cage door to the floor.
Brody King and Buddy Mathews walked out to check on Malakai and then turn toward Copeland. They then walked over to Copeland and stood next to him. “Oh my god!” gasped Schiavone. Fans cheered. But then Brody clotheslined Copeland and Buddy attacked him. Buddy threw Copeland into the ring. All three House of Black members entered the ring and teamed up on Copeland. Brody wrapped barbed wire around Copeland. Excalibur noted that Copeland wedding ring was hanging around Malakai’s neck.
Malakai looked around with concern for a few seconds and then the lights went dark and red. (It seemed to take longer than ideal.) Gangrel crawled out from a hole in the canvas and sprayed Brody in the face. He gave Brody and Buddy with Impalers. Malakai took Gangel down. Edge, though, speared Malakai. He then took a halo of barbed wire and put it around Malakai’s head and then applied a crossface. Malakai passed out and the ref called for the bell.
Copeland then grabbed his wedding ring back as his theme song played. Copeland limped over to Gangrel and they hugged. Excalibur talked about their history.
WINNER: Copeland in 21:00 to retain the TNT Title.
(Keller’s Analysis: This match delivered on its implied promise of being a hardcore bloodbath cage match. The return of Gangrel was a nice touch for long-time fans. Crawling up from under the ring worked here.)
-Lexy Nair interviewed Don Callis backstage. He talked about how impressed he was with Cassidy. He said based on what he saw, he said on Dynamite this Wednesday, he will present a contract offer to join the Don Callis Family.
-They showed Swerve Strickland warming up backsatge. Excalibur hyped the Triple Main Event.
(8) WILLOW NIGHTINGALE vs. MERCEDES MONE – AEW TBS Title mtach
A video package previewed the match. Then Mercedes narrated a video seemingly comparing herself to Billy Jean King and Amelia Earhart, among ground-breaking women. Her ring entrance then took place with a live drum corps followed by a line of Vegas dancers wearing feathers. Mercedes then made her way down the ramp as Excalibur noted Taz was back with him and Schiavone for the three main events. During formal ring introductions, Mercedes was mostly booed. Excalibur prepared viewers for that, saying the Willow is a home-grown AEW rising star who will likely be favored by the fans. Taz acknowledged that Willow got the more favorable reaction.
The bell rang at the start of the fourth hour of the show. Willow dominated the early minutes. Mercedes took over and worked over Willow’s left ankle. Willow came back and knocked Mercedes hard to the mat with a Pounce. Both were down and slow to get up. Willow landed a spinebuster for a near fall.
Willow leaped off the ring apron and drove Willow into the edge of it. She then applied an inverted clover leaf and spun her around by her legs center-ring. She delivered a Death Valley Driver into the corner, but when she charged, Mercedes moved. Mercedes kicked Willow and then leaped off the middle rope with a Meteora for a two count. (It felt a little phony that Willow sat up in perfect position for that move, when rarely do wrestlers sit up like that otherwise.) Mercedes then landed a Meteora off the ring apron onto Willow at ringside. Kris Statlander ran over and gave words of encouragement to Willow. Stokely Hathaway yelled at the ref on the ring apron as Willow landed a sitout powerbomb on Mercedes. The ref finally turned around and counted, but Mercedes kicked out at two. Stokely gave Statlander a frustrated look at ringside.
Willow lifted Mercedes for a gut-wrench suplex, but Mercedes maneuvered into an STF. Willow reached the bottom rope to force a break. Mercedes then landed the Mercedes Maker for the win. Schiavone said she earned that win. Mercedes then started crying as she held the belt in the air. She then danced as the “CEO!” chant rang through the speakers.
WINNER: Mercedes Moné in 18:00 to capture the TBS Title.
(Keller’s Analysis: Good match. Willow really looked like she belonged in there. Mercedes didn’t play into the boos and just felt like she was hedging reacting to the crowd not being all that into her, or at least not into cheering her like a huge star. I hope they choose a direction and go hard in that direction, and the right direction is her as a heel who is full of herself.)
-Afterward, Statlander shoved a worked up Hathaway as he was yelling at Willow. Statlander helped Willow up the ramp, but then slammed her hard to the ramp. Hathaway then laughed. She tore off the friendship bracelet she got from Willow. Taz said what happened earlier with the referee distraction makes more sense now.
(Keller’s Analysis: I’m glad they’ve finally moved to the next chapter of this story. It’s too bad they did two swerve turns already on this show, first with Brody and Buddy and now this. The novel thing to do would be to just do a straight forward turn without the overdone trope of a fake moment before the turn. Statlander was in the muck as a babyface, especially on promos, so now she might really find a groove with Hathaway as a heel.)
(9) SWERVE STRICKLAND (w/Prince Nana) vs. CHRISTIAN CAGE (w/Nick Wayne, Mother Wayne, Killswitch) – AEW World Hvt. Title match
Prince Nana stepped onto the stage and clanged three bottles together and sang for Swerve to “come out in play.” Swerve them made his entrance to his theme song as Nana danced. After formal ring introductions, the bell rang 30 minutes into the fourth hour.
Christian told the fans to shut their mouths and threatened them. Christian ducked in the ropes early. He took over and pounced away at Swerve on the mat. Swerve missed a top rope diving headbutt. Swerve leaped off the top rope toward Christian at ringside, but Christian moved. Christian then threw Swerve into the ringside barricade. Back in the ring he landed a top rope frog splash for a two count. Nick Wayne took a cheap shot to extend Christian’s offense.
Swerve made a comeback and landed a leaping turning powerslam. He danced a bit and then pulled Christian’s shirt over his head hockey-jersey-style and delivered two neckbreakers. He then delivered a draping neckbreaker over the middle rope. He followed with a flip dive onto Christian at ringside. He played to the crowd and then threw Christian back into the ring. Swerve landed a top rope crossbody but then missed with his leaping sidekick. Christian then took over and put Swerve in a sharpshooter mid-ring.
When Mother Wayne teased interfering with the belt, Nana intervened and took the belt. Nick Wayne ran over and alerted the ref that he had the belt in his hand. The ref booted Nana to the back. The crowd chanted, “Ref, you suck! Ref, you suck!” Killswitch and Nick attacked Swerve and threw him into the ring where Christian scored a two count. Killswitch went for a headbutt on Swerve, but Swerve moved and he hit Christian. He knocked Nick to the floor, and then leaped off the top rope with a Stomp. Christian moved and then speared Swerve for a near fall. Fans chanted “Who’s house? Swerve’s house!”
The ref booted Nick, Mother Wayne, and Excalibur when they threatened to interfere again. Swerve took over and gator rolled Christian to the floor where he suplexed him. Christian raked Swerve’s eyes and went for a powerbomb of Swerve off the ring apron. Swerve blocked it and stomped on Christian on the ring apron. Christian went for a suplex off the ring apron, but Swerve kneed him and broke his grip. When Swerve dove through the ropes toward Christian, Christian moved and Swerve crashed into the ringside steps. Nick Wayne showed up again and delivered a leaping cutter on Swerve at ringside. He threw him into the ring where Christian landed a Killswitch. The announcers declared the match over as Christian made the cover, so of course Swerve kicked out.
Nana ran out with a pipe and chased Nick into the crowd. Christian and Swerve fought on the announce desk. Christian set up a Killswitch, but Swerve countered with a stomp on the desk. Both went down and were slow to get up. Swerve landed a Swerve Stomp back in the ring for a win.
WINNER: Swerve in 25:00 to retain the AEW World Title.
(Keller’s Analysis: This delivered. Christian is a veteran craftsman. They had a lot of bells and whistles, but it worked for the story of the match since Christian wasn’t an actual threat on his own to end Swerve’s reign this early.)
(10) THE YOUNG BUCKS (Matthews & Nicholas Jackson) & KAZUCHIKA OKADA & JACK PERRY vs. FTR (Dax Harwood & Cash Wheeler) & DARBY ALLIN & BRYAN DANIELSON – Anarchy in the Arena match
They brawled at ringside to start the match. Matthew ordered their new theme song to be played. Danielson called for it to be cut in favor of the best theme ever. “Final Countdown” then played, which was Danielson’s theme for most of his career pre-WWE. The wrestlers paired off and battled in various places i the arena. Dax fought Matthew in the concourse. Darby dove off a tunnel. They went to a four-box shot of everyone paired off as “Final Countdown” continued to play. Matthew yelled, “Stop that music! It costs me like 200 thousand dollars every time it plays.” He complained it was breaking the budget.
As the brawl continued, the crowd chanted, “We want music!” Okada held up a “Rainmaker Drive” street sight and dove at Danielson and hit him with it. Darby and Perry fought into the parking lot. Darby slammed Perry into a tub filled with ice water and held him underwater briefly. Perry came out of it and took control. Back in the ring, the Bucks landed a Shatter Machine on Dax for a near fall.
The ring filled with Dax, Cash, and Danielson battling the Bucks and Okada. Danielson dove through the ropes, but Okada blocked him with a chair and then threw it into Danielson’s head. Perry drove a black truck with “Scapegoat” spray painted on it. He sped it into a pile of stuff and Excalibur was worried Darby was in that stack of stuff. The camera showed Perry KO’d in the truck, apparently hitting his head on the windshield.
Back to the ring, the battle with the other six continued. FTR spike piledrove Nicholas on the ring apron. Then they hit their superplex/top rope splash combo on Matthew. Okada broke up the cover. He then gave Dax a shoulder breaker. They cut to Danielson at ringside who was bleeding from his forehead. Okada landed a top rope elbowdrop on Dax. He then gave the crowd the middle finger. Cash entered the ring and bit Okada’s middle finger. Okada fired back with a leaping dropkick followed by a tombstone piledriver.
Darby showed he was alive and returned to the ring. His flurry of offense against Okada was thwarted by the Bucks, who powerbombed him onto four chairs at ringside. Danielson recovered and kicked Okada at ringside. The Bucks dragged Darby to the stage and placed him on the elevator. They called for him to be lowered. The Bucks brawled with Danielson near the giant poker chips. They delivered a TK Driver on Danielson on the stack of giant chips.
As more dives took place in the stage area, the camera showed Jack Perry walking backstage. He saw Tony Khan and grabbed him. Taz said Perry saw that the SUV that Darby stepped out of was driven by Tony Khan. Darby showed up on stage with a flame thrower, looking around for a victim. When Perry dragged TK onto the stage, Darby set Perry on fire. The Bucks extinguished Perry as his legs were engulfed in flames. Fans chanted “Holy shit!” A team of people toweled off Perry and put out any more flames.
The Bucks took over against Darby and threw him into the ring. Matthew removed a broken nose protective mask Darby was wearing. Then Matthew went for a 450 splash onto Darby as Nicholas held him over a trash can. Darby moved. He fended off an Okada attack and landed a Coffin Drop for a near fall, broken up by the Bucks. Nicholas threw Darby head-first into a trash can held by Matthew. Okada entered the ring with a giant rope. Matthew called for a cable to be lowered. Okada and the Bucks tied up Darby’s leg. Dax and Cash tried to save Darby, but they knocked them to the floor. FTR made their way into the ring and gave a Shatter Machine to Matthew. Okada broke up the cover.
Dax set up Okada for a piledriver, but Matthew intervened with a chairshot to the head that exploded with sparks upon impact. “Just when we thought we’ve seen everything,” said Excalibur. Matthew superkicked Cash. Okada then put on his forearm a thumb tack wrap and delivered a Rainmaker with that on. (It wasn’t the best Rainmaker, unfortunately.) Okada then pulled a shoe box out from under the ring and revealed the Bucks branded shoes. He handed them to Nicholas who put them on. Darby was then raised in the air by his leg. He bit Nicholas from that position briefly. Okada held Darby as the Bucks landed stereo superkicks. Schiavone called it a “revolting scene.” Danielson landed Busaiku Knee on Okada and then picked up the thumb tack spiked shoe and hit the Bucks with them. Darby was dangling behind him as he threw a barrage of Yes kicks at the Bucks.
Danielson played to the crowd and stomped away on Nicholas while holding his arms. Danielson then delivereda. running Busaiku Knee with a chair in hand. Okada broke up the cover. “When will this thing end?!” exclaimed Schiavone. Okada hit Danielson with a Rainmaker. The Bucks delivered a V-Trigger to Danielson. Fans chanted, “Please help Darby!” Excalibur said the production team was scared. Perry landed a running knee to Danielson’s head as he was about to help Darby. He scored the pin. “I’ve seen enough to know I’ve seen it all,” Schiavone said. Darby was lowered to the mat.
WINNERS: The Young Bucks & Okada & Perry.
(Keller’s Analysis: I don’t even know. That was A LOT.)
-Excalibur said they aren’t stopping anytime soon. The final scene as The Elite on the ramp.
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