Double or Nothing 2022: Spectacular Highs Fight through an Overstuffed Card

HOOKHausen got its crowd-pleasing revenge in the Buy-In opener when Danhausen pinned manager Mark Sterling. Tony Nese dominated Danhausen early, but Sterling joined in for the double-team and failed on a leg-drop attempt. HOOK then tagged in, threw Nese with a judo takedown and planted both opponents with El Camino. Instead of taking the fall himself, HOOK tagged Danhausen back in and let him cover Sterling with one foot. C- (5.8) recognizes an effective five-minute payoff to their rivalry without treating the brief comedy match as a substantial athletic contest.

Wardlow finally escaped MJF's control by pinning him after ten consecutive powerbombs in the opening pay-per-view match. MJF first tried to stall outside the ring, feigned a knee injury and attempted to use his Dynamite Diamond Ring, but referee Bryce Remsburg confiscated it. He then tried to buy Wardlow off by offering twice his pay; Wardlow responded with the first powerbomb and never let him recover. After the pin, MJF was stretchered away and Tony Schiavone announced Wardlow had officially joined AEW. D (4.5) grades a deliberately one-sided match with almost no competitive drama, even while recognizing the emotional value of Wardlow earning his freedom.

The Hardys defeated the Young Bucks when Jeff Hardy landed a Swanton Bomb on Nick Jackson after Matt Hardy's Side Effect. The Jacksons had attacked in combinations, including Risky Business and repeated superkicks, while Brandon Cutler pulled Matt from the apron to stall a tag. Nick later struck Cutler and his own brother by accident when Matt Hardy moved, giving the veterans an opening. Jeff's risky leap onto the ring steps also gave the match a sharper edge than a nostalgia showcase. B (7.6) reflects a lengthy, physical tag contest with a clear finishing team rather than a title match or a shortcut victory.

Jade Cargill retained the TBS Championship over Anna Jay after hitting an avalanche Jaded from the turnbuckles. Jay had fought past interference from Kiera Hogan and Red Velvet, then trapped Jade in the Queen Slayer as the champion struggled to escape. Mark Sterling came toward ringside with his crutch, but John Silver took him out with a brainbuster on the floor. Stokely Hathaway's arrival distracted Jay just long enough for Jade to finish her from above. C- (5.5) reflects a match whose interference overwhelmed its wrestling despite the title retention; the subsequent appearances by Kris Statlander and Athena were after the bell.

House of Black defeated Death Triangle when Malakai Black kicked PAC after Julia Hart blinded him with black mist during a blackout. The six wrestlers had traded remarkable offense beforehand: Rey Fenix escaped a Dante's Inferno with help, Penta Oscuro hit Brody King with an apron Canadian Destroyer, and PAC landed a 450 splash on Black. PAC then used a low blow while Alex Abrahantes distracted the referee, only for Hart's arrival to turn the final exchange against him. A- (8.5) recognizes the pace and inventive counters as well as an ending that advanced House of Black's story. Hart was an intervening ally, not one of the scheduled six wrestlers.

Adam Cole won the inaugural Owen Hart Foundation men's tournament by pinning Samoa Joe after the running knee strike known as the Boom. Cole repeatedly attacked Joe's damaged shoulder, first sending it into the ring post and later countering the larger man's power moves. Joe still hit an STO and challenged Cole with an STF, while Cole escaped the Muscle Buster setup and found space for superkicks. Bobby Fish grabbed Joe's arm during the closing sequence, adding outside help to Cole's win. B- (7.0) weighs the focused injury story against that interference; the post-match Martha Hart trophy presentation was separate from the actual decision.

Britt Baker defeated Ruby Soho in the inaugural women's Owen Hart Foundation tournament final by countering a victory-roll attempt into a pin. Soho had injured her ribs during a ringside dive, allowing Baker to target that area with the ring post and elbows. Soho recovered to land a superplex, then countered the Lockjaw attempt with No Future and trapped Baker in a sharpshooter until the ropes forced a break. Baker had sent Rebel and Jamie Hayter backstage before the match, so they did not win it for her. C+ (6.8) credits a competitive finishing stretch without exaggerating either the rib injury or the tournament victory as a championship change.

American Top Team's Scorpio Sky, Ethan Page and Paige VanZant defeated Frankie Kazarian, Sammy Guevara and Tay Conti when Sky pinned Kazarian after the TKO. Kazarian had briefly rallied against his former SCU partner, but Guevara repeatedly tagged himself in and distracted the group alongside Conti. VanZant and Conti eventually fought their own exchange, trading takedowns before Guevara accidentally kicked Conti in the head. Page then hit Kazarian, setting up Sky's finishing move. D+ (5.0) reflects a mixed trios match that leaned on interpersonal friction and interference over a sustained wrestling contest; the TNT Championship was not on the line.

Kyle O'Reilly pinned Darby Allin after catching him with a diving knee from the top rope. O'Reilly had bloodied Allin's mouth early and attacked his legs, while Allin fired back with a Code Red, a Scorpion Death Drop and a dangerous Coffin Drop on an opponent hung in the ropes that sent both men outside. Allin later tried another Coffin Drop inside, only for O'Reilly to counter into a hold before delivering more kicks and controlling the finish. B+ (8.0) recognizes a hard-hitting singles match in which the winner had credible answers for Allin's aerial risks. The decisive pin was not a submission victory.

Thunder Rosa retained the AEW Women's World Championship by pinning Serena Deeb after a superplex and Fire Thunder Driver. Deeb had nearly won with Deeb-tox, but Rosa reached a rope to invalidate the cover, then escaped the Texas Cloverleaf before her final rally. The two also traded submissions through a figure-four leglock and a stretch muffler, developing the bout beyond simple finish trading. B+ (8.3) rewards a lengthy championship defense built on persistent technical counters and a decisive pin. Rosa did not lose the belt here, nor should Deeb's near falls be counted as a successful title change.

The Jericho Appreciation Society won Anarchy in the Arena when referee Aubrey Edwards stopped the match with Bryan Danielson unconscious in Chris Jericho's submission as Jake Hager choked Danielson with a loose ring rope. Earlier, Jon Moxley's entrance music continued while wrestlers fought around the arena until Jericho destroyed the soundboard. Santana and Ortiz leapt from a ladder onto opponents through tables, and Eddie Kingston carried gasoline toward Jericho before Danielson intervened. The teammates fought among themselves, helping Jericho and Hager regain control. A (9.4) recognizes the inventive scale and dramatic final breakdown rather than treating the ten-person fight as a routine pinfall or single-team tag match.

Jurassic Express retained the AEW World Tag Team Championship when Jungle Boy pinned Swerve Strickland after his team's final tandem move. Keith Lee had earlier caught Jungle Boy outside and powerbombed him onto Luchasaurus, while Powerhouse Hobbs and Ricky Starks repeatedly interrupted pin attempts. Swerve's stomp on Hobbs threatened to end the three-team match before Luchasaurus broke up the sequence. Starks later attempted to involve the FTW belt, but Christian Cage stopped him, leaving the champions a path to the decisive fall. B+ (8.4) reflects a difficult three-way defense that found a definitive winning team without inventing a new pair of champions.

CM Punk won the AEW World Championship by pinning defending champion Hangman Adam Page after countering a Buckshot Lariat into the Go to Sleep. Page had punished Punk's injured-looking leg and survived a string of near falls, including a GTS attempt of his own, before an accidental collision left referee Paul Turner stunned. Page picked up the world-title belt and considered striking Punk with it, then threw the belt away rather than cheat. That moment of hesitation led into Punk's final counter and the title switch. A- (8.7) credits the psychological finish and competitive championship stakes without implying Page actually used the belt.