As I was at the arena for AEW Double or Nothing, I was unable to leave my full match ratings. However, I've done a show review, which you can see above, and a full broadcast review, which is at FightfulSelect.com this week. You can check out those below
Top Contender Match
Hangman Page Wins Casino Battle Royal
4.5/10
This was much better in person than on TV, as production missed a ton, and Marvez's inexperience on commentary was highlighted. This was the match where you can get away with the likes of Orange Cassidy and some other things, but the rules are convoluted and don't make for much of a way to explain each participant and give background on them. I didn't have a clue who Marq Quen, Sunny Daze and Isiah Kassidy were, and I wish I did. Page and MJF as the last two was the right call by far. Luchasaurus got a lot of shine, which is good because he stands out among everyone else.
Kip Sabian defeated Sammy Guevara
6/10
Sabian held court in the media scrum, and it was very evident he's going to be really successful. This was a good match to help showcase what each guy could do, while giving Sabian a big win. Nowhere near the pace they can both keep, but consdering the evening, it was a great launching pad.
SCU defeated StrongHearts
6.75/10
This one was even better on TV than in person. All of these guys were a blast, and it lasted just the right amount of time. I thought StrongHearts would win to put over the OWE partnership, but you could do a lot worse. This was a great showcase for Scorpio Sky, who is gonna be around for quite some time.
Dr. Britt Baker DMD defeated Kylie Rae, Awesome Kong, Nyla Rose
5.75/10
If this were just Baker and Kylie, it probably would have been about 6.5/10. They are major league and work very well together. I understand putting a TV star like Kong in the match, because it makes the match bigger, but she wasn't doing so well three years ago, and hasn't gotten any better. Britt Baker and Kylie Rae are stars and didn't need the extra help.
Best Friends defeated Angelico And Jack Evans
5.75/10
Jack Evans was amazing to still watch flip around, and Best Friends were really good, but it seemed like Evans was going through the motions at other times. Another result I thought would go a different way, but Best Friends are amazing. One of the best teams around. I think Angelico and Evans will get there, but Evans should lay it in a little more.
Hikaru Shida, Riho, and Ryo Mizunami defeated Aja Kong, Yuka Sakazaki, and Emi Sakura
5.25/10
There really should have been something to help build this up. The work was good, outside of Aja being slow. The timekeeper error put a real damper on this match that should have been remembered much differently.
Cody (w/ Brandi Rhodes) vs. Dustin Rhodes
9.25/10
Dustin Rhodes is 50 years old and probably had the best singles match of his life, as did Cody. This was one of the greatest stories told in modern pro wrestling, and done with a handful of videos and a wretched WWE program to refer to. Blood enhanced this match, and that's not something I usually say. Cody and Dustin did an amazing job here, and if this is the best match either ever have, that's not a bad thing.
AAA Tag Team Championships
Young Bucks defeated Lucha Bros.
8.75/10
An amazing performance from both teams. The story wasn't quite what the match prior was, but how could it be? Combined with athleticism, Fenix does really well at making sense of his spots. The Young Bucks are the Young Bucks and are one of the great teams ever. This match was exactly what you'd expect and what it needed to be after the previous one.
Top Contender Match
Chris Jericho defeated Kenny Omega
6.25/10
Post Match Angle: 9.5/10
This one never clicked for me. There were some amazing spots, but the first match the two had was so amazing, that this one just couldn't live up to me. There were some spots that went awry, and it was still solid, but this was all about the post match angle. Jon Moxley's debut was nothing short of amazing, and accomplished a ton at once. It debuted Moxley, established his character, was a big surprise for the show, set up two future feuds, and especially a match with Kenny Omega.
Rating guide
10- Perfect, 9- MOTY Territory, 8- Excellent, 7- Great, 6- Good, 5- Average to above average, 4- Slightly below average, 3 or below: Poor
Each match starts at a 5 and slides up and down based on entertainment, execution, time, environment, reaction and stakes. The ratings are in no way an indication of a "star rating," which is a completely different system. A standard, non-offensive "TV match" lands at a 5.The gap between 5.75-6 is generally the largest, with anything reaching 6 being recommended viewing.
These are opinions, and incredibly inconsistent ones. Don't take them too seriously, and have (and share) your own!
