One member of The Sports Chief said that “We need crowds back” after watching this and I couldn’t agree more, but all things considered, AEW put on a tremendous show. Having talent surround the ring makes the experience a lot better, because it gives the feel of a crowd and a lot of what the performers do is based on crowd reaction. This is uniquely an AEW thing and I think it is a good thing. If there were an arena full of fans however, I think this would have been AEW’s best show to date and I am going to grade each match with that in mind. The show was a little longer than expected, but it wasn’t extraordinarily long. There weren’t many bad moments in the show, so the extra length wasn’t really even noticed. Here’s my breakdown of each match and my reactions.

- Men’s Tag Team Match: No 1 Contender for AEW World Tag Team Championship

Best Friends over Private Party

This was the only match in the Buy-In show and I thought it was a good match for that. I’m not going to say it was outstanding, because the purpose of the buy-in match isn’t to go above and beyond. Best Friends getting the win here wasn’t a shock in the slightest and I think they be the next champions when the time comes.

GRADE: 8.1/10

- 9-Man Casino Ladder Match

Brian Cage (with Taz) over Darby Allin, Colt Cabana, Luchasaurus, Scorpio Sky, Frankie Kazarian, Joey Janela, Orange Cassidy, and Kip Sabian

There was a lot of anticipation as to who that mystery competitor would be and Brian Cage was on the short list. I don’t really watch Impact Wrestling, but I knew who Brian Cage was despite never really seeing him wrestle. I guess we’ll see what he can do from a character standpoint, but it is difficult not to be impressed with his abilities in the ring. With all of that being said, the match was fun to watch. It was a little draggy at first, but as soon as everybody was in the match, it was good chaos. As a matter of fact, I think that good chaos was a great way to describe the whole show. It was announced that Brian Cage will have his title match at Fyter Fest within the next couple of months.

GRADE: 9.0/10

- Men’s Singles Match

MJF (with Wardlow) over Jungle Boy

This would’ve been Match of the Night if it were for a title. MJF and Jungle Boy put on a tremendous performance. It was a little over 17 minutes, which I thought was about perfect for all that they accomplished. MJF picked up the win, but this was a long-term win for Jungle Boy. He got a chance to shine on another big level and outperformed. These two are the future of AEW and it is going to be interesting to see where things are at with these two in the next 5-10 years.

GRADE: 9.8/10

- Men’s Singles Match: TNT Championship Final

Cody (with Arn Anderson) over Lance Archer (Jake “The Snake” Roberts)

Besides the main event, it was the longest match on the card, but I felt like it didn’t have to be. Was it a bad match? Absolutely not. In fact, it was a really good match, but it could’ve been a little better. Placement was key and the fact that it was just thrown in the middle was a slight mark against it. Mike Tyson sat ringside for the bout and I thought he was very entertaining. To be honest though, I think Arn and Jake took away from this match a little bit. I personally thought that they caused an unnecessary distraction from the competition. I am being very picky here, but that is my opinion. My first thoughts on the new title were that it looked incomplete and it so happens that is the case. However, looking at it closely, it doesn’t look terrible. I still would like to see the finished product though. Cody is the new TNT Champion and it wasn’t a shock, but nevertheless, it was the right call in my book. I didn’t really consider this a wrestling match, it was more like a fight and that is a good thing.

GRADE: 9.3/10

- Women’s Singles Match

Kris Statlander over Penelope Ford (with Kip Sabian)

This match was one of only two matches on the card that were single digits in the minutes category. Statlander winning was not a surprise and it was the right call moving forward. Statlander looks like she will get a little bit of a push and I think it is warranted. Penelope Ford got a big chance to showcase her skills here as well and while she isn’t the most impressive in-ring performer, she certainly does have good qualities. Much like Britt Baker, the camera loves her and that is a wonderful quality to have. The match was short, but it felt a lot longer. As both competitors get more comfortable in the a PPV setting, I think this notion will be squashed. I’m am excited to get the chance to see them improve.

GRADE: 6.8/10

- Men’s Singles Match

Dustin Rhodes (with Brandi Rhodes) over Shawn Spears

Shawn Spears wasn’t prepared for a match and it showed. Obviously, this was on purpose, but it came across as lazy booking. This match does nothing for either competitor and I would say it was a waste of time, but that may be a little harsh. It was meant to be an entertaining segment rather than a culmination of a long feud and I get that. This isn’t a match that you want to go back a rewatch, but it stands out as the bad outlier of a show with very good matches.

GRADE: 6.4/10

- Women’s No Disqualification Match: AEW Women’s World Championship

Hikaru Shida over Nyla Rose (C)

This was the biggest shock of the night by far. I didn’t expect to see Shida take the win. I have liked Shida ever since I first saw her wrestle. She is a great in-ring performer and the No-DQ stipulation gave a more logical way for Nyla to drop the title in such a short build up. Nyla had good run, but her run was starting to get a little stale, although that wasn’t Nyla’s fault. Shida winning last night gives more possibilities for the belt especially considering the fact that there seems to be more heels in the women’s division. This was a nice surprise and I hope that Shida gets a nice run with the belt.

GRADE: 9.3/10

- Men’s Singles Match: AEW World Championship

Jon Moxley (C) over Brodie Lee *Match of the Night*

This was a wonderful, wonderful match. This just goes to show you how underutilized talents elsewhere can put on iconic performances if they’re given the chance to prove themselves. Brodie Lee did just that last night. It was a grueling match in the best way possible and this establishes Brodie Lee as an automatic contender whenever they feel like pushing him in that direction. My only gripe about the match was that it sure seemed like a No-DQ match despite not being one. That is one thing AEW has still failed to explain. With that being said though, it was a wonderful match and one that has a ton of rewatch value.

GRADE: 9.9/10

- Stadium Stampede Match

The Elite and Matt Hardy over The Inner Circle

No one knew exactly what to expect here, but we did know that we were going to get some creative spots. While it certainly wasn’t a traditional match, it was extremely entertaining. Given the fact that there were no fans in the crowd in an empty football stadiums, possibilities were endless. This match was fun, raw and exactly why fans of AEW love their brand. It is unique and unlike anything that is in the wrestling industry at the moment. Each competitor had a chance to shine and that was a goal in this match. My favorite part was when they kept dunking Matt Hardy into the water and he would have a different persona each time he rose out of the water. A match like this probably wouldn’t have happened under normal circumstances, but we can look back at this time and reflect on how entertaining this was. Was it a little corny? Yes, but I thought it was awesome and it shows that AEW is giving their best effort to entertain us.

GRADE: 9.6/10

Yacs

AEW Double or Nothing (2020) Results and Reaction