Double or Nothing 2021: AEW Sends the Pandemic Era Out with a Crowd-Fueled High

Serena Deeb retained the NWA World Women's Championship by making Riho submit to the Serenity Lock in the Buy-In opener. Deeb targeted Riho's leg with a dragon screw and repeatedly slowed the faster wrestler, but Riho responded with a diving stomp and a dragon suplex that almost settled it. Riho escaped an earlier single-leg crab by finding the ropes, yet could not reach safety once Deeb reapplied pressure late. B+ (8.2) credits a technically focused contest whose finishing hold followed the limb work. The belt was the NWA women's title, not AEW's own Women's World Championship.

Hangman Adam Page defeated Brian Cage with the Buckshot Lariat after Cage refused an underhanded assist from his Team Taz allies. Page survived a spinning Liger Bomb and other heavy power moves, while Cage tried a version of Page's own signature lariat. Ricky Starks and Hook came to ringside, and Starks slipped the FTW Championship belt toward Cage. Cage kicked it away rather than use it, giving Page the opening to hit his finish and score the pin. B (7.6) recognizes the contrast between Cage's power and Page's resilience, with Cage's rejection of the shortcut driving the outcome rather than an unrecorded disqualification.

The Young Bucks retained the AEW World Tag Team Championship when Matt and Nick Jackson hit Jon Moxley with repeated BTE Triggers, finally keeping him down for the pin. Moxley and Eddie Kingston had ambushed the champions before the bell and repeatedly threatened to end the reign, including a Doomsday Device and a Paradigm Shift. The Good Brothers appeared to interfere but Frankie Kazarian chased them away, and the Bucks isolated a bloodied Moxley during their comeback. A- (8.6) reflects a physically intense, dramatic title defense whose actual decisive fall belonged to the Bucks, not the challengers.

Jungle Boy earned a future AEW World Championship match by eliminating Christian Cage last from the Casino Battle Royale. Christian had earlier cleared Powerhouse Hobbs and, with Jungle Boy, eliminated the Private Party group; he then dumped Matt Hardy to create the final one-on-one showdown. Christian attempted a spear near the ropes, but Jungle Boy dodged and sent him over the top. Surprise final entrant Lio Rush provided a burst of speed before Matt Hardy eliminated him, keeping the Joker entrance from deciding the match. B- (7.3) credits a battle royal that found a genuine closing rivalry; it did not award Jungle Boy the world title that night.

Cody Rhodes defeated Anthony Ogogo with a Vertebreaker after surviving the former boxer's heavy punches and aerial offense. Ogogo made Cody's ribs a target, caught a dive attempt with a strike and nearly won with a frog splash, but paused rather than cover immediately. Cody used that hesitation to draw Ogogo into longer wrestling exchanges, including a figure-four attempt. QT Marshall tried to interfere until Arn Anderson forced him back with a chair. D+ (5.0) reflects a celebrity-style clash that reached a decisive finish without gaining much rhythm. Ogogo was Cody's scheduled singles opponent; Marshall's involvement was at ringside, not a second competitor.

Miro retained the TNT Championship by rendering Lance Archer unconscious in Game Over, prompting referee Aubrey Edwards to stop the match. Archer had launched himself over the ropes and driven the champion through a ringside table, then threatened another win with a chokeslam. Jake Roberts arrived carrying a snake bag, but Miro threw it toward the ramp before returning his attention to Archer. Miro took advantage of the challenger being caught on the ring rope, struck Archer's back and trapped him in the submission. B- (7.2) credits an intense heavyweight exchange while identifying a technical stoppage rather than an ordinary tap-out or title change.

Britt Baker won the AEW Women's World Championship by making Hikaru Shida submit to Lockjaw. Shida fought past Baker's early attempts to trap the arm and struck back with hard knees after Rebel provided distractions, but Baker kept attacking at close range until the champion could not escape her submission. The finish ended Shida's year-long reign and delivered Baker's first women's title, with the crowd and commentary treating it as a major generational moment. B+ (8.3) reflects both the competitive exchanges and the consequential, decisive tap-out; the title changed hands here, not at the subsequent congratulations.

Sting and Darby Allin defeated Scorpio Sky and Ethan Page after Sting countered Sky's cutter attempt into a Scorpion Death Drop. Allin had been thrown into the crowd by Page and spent much of the match struggling to regain the corner, giving Sting's eventual hot tag its payoff. Sting also leapt from the oversized poker-chip set piece onto both opponents, then weathered Page's Ego's Edge threat. B (7.5) credits Sting's athletic comeback and the team dynamics rather than pretending he won alone. Allin and Sting were the scheduled winners; this was a non-title tag match.

Kenny Omega retained the AEW World Championship by reversing Orange Cassidy's roll-up into a pin after a chaotic three-way against Cassidy and PAC. PAC nearly won with the Black Arrow and a Brutalizer, while Cassidy landed Orange Punches that threatened to steal the title. Don Callis pulled PAC's leg to prevent one cover, and Omega struck PAC with championship belts after knocking out the first referee. Aubrey Edwards entered to count the final exchange, where Omega turned Cassidy's pin attempt against him. A (9.1) reflects a spectacular contest with overlapping near-finishes, although the interference is crucial to its outcome. Neither challenger won the championship.

The Inner Circle survived its disbandment stipulation by defeating the Pinnacle in Stadium Stampede II when Sammy Guevara pinned Shawn Spears after a 630 senton. The fight began around the football stadium, with Chris Jericho chasing MJF through offices and Jake Hager brawling Wardlow into a kitchen wall. Santana and Ortiz confronted FTR, while Guevara eventually followed Spears back to Daily's Place and fought through chair attacks. His finishing splash gave the Inner Circle the deciding fall, keeping the group together. B+ (8.0) rewards an inventive venue-wide cinematic brawl and a crowd-pleasing finish; no other faction member actually scored the final pin.