AEW Double or Nothing 2026: full review and match grades

Ahead of Sunday evening, if you had asked me to name AEW’s Mount Rushmore of shows, I would have said All Out 2021, Revolution 2020, All In 2023, and Dynasty 2024.

Double or Nothing 2026 would kick one of those shows off and take a spot on the mountain. No, I will not pick which one, and no one can make me.

In what was a banner show for All Elite Wrestling, fans were given five hours of banger match after banger match, and today, we’ll review each one.

FTR (champs) vs. Adam Copeland & Christian Cage, I Quit Match (AEW World Tag Team Championships)

I Quit matches tend to be formulaic and somewhat predictable, but all four men made this a fun car crash opener and gave the stipulation some new flare. Whether it was Christian saying “Go f—k yourself” or “I banged your mother” when asked if he would quit, or Cash Wheeler and Stokely Hathaway recreating the Edge-Mick Foley spot – which was such a chef’s kiss doing so in a match with the man formerly known as Edge and with Foley himself kicking off the evening in the pre-show – the match was exciting from start to finish. I can do without the wooden plank with nails in it named Spike – bit cartoonish for my liking – but to see Christian and Copeland holding tag gold together for the first time in 25 years was a great way to kickoff the show.

Match rating: 4/5 stars

Kazuchika Okada (champ) vs. Kinosuke Takeshita (AEW International Championship)

This match has been building for the better part of a year. Both men in the Don Callis Family have made it blatantly clear that they don’t care for one another, which led to the International Championship match. Just based off who was facing off, you knew you were in for a classic strong-style fight, and both men brought their absolute best in bunches. A Rain Maker from Okada on the apron. A brain buster from Takeshita on the outside. A Rain Maker countered into a Blue Thunder Bomb by Takeshita. A kick out at one by Okada after a Power-Drive Knee. All culminating in Takeshita hitting Okada with a Raging Fire to finally get a big win on pay-per-view after a stretch of losses. The heel turn by Kyle Fletcher after the match puts us on a clear path for Takeshita vs. Fletcher at Redemption or at All In, and yes give me that match in multiple servings.

Match rating: 4.75/5 stars

Athena vs. Mina Shirakawa

In the first quarter-finals match of the Women’s Owen Hart Memorial Cup Tournament, the longest-reigning Ring of Honor Women’s World Champion Athena clashed with Mina Shirakawa. The two put on a solid match, which was expected, but it also felt rushed. While it was far from a bad match, it also never got any legs under it to be considered a great one. Athena was also a very predictable winner.

Match rating: 3/5 stars

Jon Moxley (champ) vs. Kyle O’Reilly (AEW Continental Championship)

Jon Moxley is comfortably one of the 20 most important wrestlers in history, and he continues to show that he is the ace of AEW with every pay-per-view outing. The story he and O’Reilly told was masterful. KOR’s kicks are one of his best weapons, so Moxley targeted his plant leg to riddle them nearly worthless. O’Reilly has been Moxley’s kryptonite, though, making him tap out on two separate occasions. It looked as if he was about to complete the hat trick, but Moxley refused to tap while in a seemingly never-ending ankle lock. The match ended by reversing roles, with Moxley making O’Reilly tap. The Continental Champion showed a sign of respect to O’Reilly after the match, shaking his hand in the middle of the ring.

Match rating: 4.25/5 stars

Will Ospreay vs. Samoa Joe

Will Ospreay and Samoa Joe rule so hard. Joe will go down as one of the best wrestlers of all time for ball-knowers, and Ospreay’s story with the Death Riders is incredibly enticing. The two faced off in the opener of the Men’s Owen Hart Foundation Memorial Tournament and put on a show. Ospreay kicking off the match with an Oscutter while Joe was still making his entrance began the sprint. The two paying homage to Joe’s match with A.J. Styles back in TNA, which was a lovely touch. Ospreay went for the arm bar, which he has been using as a finisher since becoming a sort-of-member of the Death Riders, but Joe kept his hands clutched to prevent it. Joe turned the match into a brawl with several punches, chops, and kicks. Ospreay targeted the left arm of Joe to weaken his strikes and eventually won with a Hidden Blade. Two one-of-one performers putting on a clinic.

Match rating: 4.5/5 stars

Swerve Strickland vs. Bandido

It’s not too often that a wrestling match gives us a something we’ve never seen, but the House Call from Swerve while he was standing upright on Bandido’s shoulders was such an innovative and creative spot. Bandido vertically pressing Swerve and throwing him out of the ring was also fantastic, as was a running senton to Swerve sitting in a chair on the outside of the ring and a reverse hurricanrana from the apron to the floor. Swerve won by reversing a 21-plex into a vertebreaker and advanced to the semi-finals of the Owen.

Match rating: 5/5 stars

Thekla (champ) vs. Kris Statlander vs. Hikaru Shida vs. Jamie Hayter (AEW Women’s World Championship)

Thekla has been a much-needed jolt to the women’s division in the absence of Toni Storm and Mercedes Mone. Her reign as champion alongside Skye Blue and Julia Hart has been consistently entertaining, and this four-way was no exception. Each woman got to have their big moments, including but not limited to Hayter nearly knocking Thelma’s head off with a Hayterade. Statlander and Shida finally came to blows after the former hit the latter with a kendo stick, which led to a Philly Street Fight being announced for Dynamite. Ultimately, Thekla took advantage of the chaos and won after hitting Statlander with a curb stomp.

Match rating: 4/5 stars

Team Jericho vs. Team Ricochet, Stadium Stampede

This really should have been called Anarchy in the Arena, as it didn’t take place on a field but that’s neither here nor there. This was exactly what you’d expect from a gimmick match like this, but the Reservoir Dogs introduction for Team Jericho was my favorite part of it all. Capped off with Kenny Omega looking like the utter badass he is smoking a cigar for his name-frame, before coughing and choking on the smoke. As usual, there were some fun spots. Jack Perry wrecking his bus into Mark Davis, both Bobby Lashley and Shelton Benjamin showing they’ve lost zero steps to the chant of “We hurt people.” The Young Bucks doing Young Bucks things. Ricochet continuing to show that going to AEW was the best decision of his career. My only issue is that it went on a bit too long.

Match rating: 3.75/5 stars

Darby Allin (champ) vs. MJF (AEW World Championship)

Darby Allin and MJF are the present and future of professional wrestling. Allin’s world title reign was a sprint of chaos and carnage, defending the title seven times in his four weeks as champion. His all-or-nothing approach, though, is what ultimately cost him. Right off the bat, he landed awkwardly on his head while missing MJF on a tope to the outside. MJF then targeted the back of Allin’s head and his back with a litany of moves. A springboard cutter, a power bomb with his knee landing in the middle of his spine, a package pildedriver on the steps. Allin still had a few tricks up his sleeve, with a coffin drop from the scaffolding through a table on MJF looking like a potential swing, but he once again hit his head. MJF ended the match with a tombstone piledriver from the top rope and pinned Allin with a headlock takeover to become a three-time world champion. Allin’s brief but chatosprtophic reign as world champion goes down as one of the best in company history, and Max continues to build a legacy that would rival many of the greatest to ever do it all by the age of 30.

Match rating: 4.75/5 stars