The new TBS champion. AEW

Kris Statlander Is Back and Biggest Takeaways from AEW Double or Nothing 2023 Results

Doc-Chris Mueller

Once again, AEW and its fans descended on Las Vegas for the annual Double or Nothing pay-per-view.

This is one of the biggest events on the AEW calendar, and Tony Khan made sure to pack the card with some huge matches to make the night feel special. Here is the full lineup from Sunday's show.

Let's look at some of the biggest takeaways from Sunda's show.

It's Time to Push Hook

The pre-show for this year's pay-per-view only featured one match instead of the usual four, but the bout included a few big names.

Matt and Jeff Hardy teamed up with Hook to take on Ethan Page and Austin and Colten Gunn. The story here was that if Hook and the Hardys won, Matt would gain control of Page's contract the way The Firm once controlled Matt's.

Hook replaced an injured Isiah Kassidy, and while it was great to see him in action, having in this match highlighted just how underused Hook has been.

During his rookie year, it made sense to only have him work the occasional match while he was learning and growing, but he has more than proven he is capable of more. It's time to give him a real shot at success.

We need to see the Coldhearted Handsome Devil appearing on TV regularly, working longer matches against bigger opponents, and going after bigger prizes than the FTW Championship.

The popularity is already there. AEW just needs to capitalize on it before the fans lose interest.

Jim Ross Needs an Assistant

Jim Ross is a legend in the wrestling business and has nothing left to prove to anyone, but it would be lying to say he hasn't had some issues in AEW.

During the PPV broadcast, he made several mistakes that should have been easily avoidable. He is great during pre-taped segments, so it's only an issue with live commentary.

At one point, he seemed to think that all of the masked wrestlers in the Battle Royal were related and during the unsanctioned match, he was under the impression that Sabu was the referee instead of a special enforcer.

At this point, AEW needs to make a decision. He should either be saved for specific matches and events, or he needs to have someone brief him on the things he needs to know before the show.

There is no shame in having someone give him notes, and since JR is a professional, he would likely do whatever was asked of him to make sure his commentary was as good as possible.

JR still has a lot of insight to offer and maintains a high level of popularity, so he still brings a lot of value to the table.

Mark Briscoe Is a Star

FTR defended the tag titles against Lethal and Jarrett on Sunday night, but heading into the match, the one guy who has been making it all feel worthwhile has been Mark Briscoe.

The Sussex County Chicken Farmer has become one of the most likable talents in AEW and Ring of Honor in recent months, and management was smart to integrate him into this feud.

The segment at his farm with Jarrett, Lethal, Satnam Singh and Sonjay Dutt was a great piece of business and served to increase interest in this feud, which was somewhat low before that video aired.

It's hard to explain why Mark is so beloved. It's a combination of his talent, his track record for producing entertaining moments and his overall personality, but there's more to it than that.

Having him serve as the special guest referee was the right move because he didn't distract from the match taking place. He added to it. That's not always an easy balance to manage with special guest refs, especially when the match itself is nothing special.

Wardlow Is Jeff Hardy in Batista's Body

The Public Enemy Podcast once said on Twitter, "Wardlow is Jeff Hardy living in Batista's body." It may be the most accurate description of any pro wrestler ever.

During Sunday's TNT Championship Ladder match, The Wardaddy pulled out all the stops to retain his title, including a few spots that we usually don't see from powerhouses with his size.

At one point, Wardlow jumped from the top turnbuckle onto the ladder, but he was so heavy that he broke the step he landed on and caused the entire ladder to tip over.

A few minutes later, he climbed to the top of a massive ladder and hit a Swanton Bomb to put Luchasaurus through two tables. It was identical to a spot we have seen from Hardy multiple times throughout his career.

Having a guy who looks like Wardlow and can perform high-flying spots like this is incredibly valuable. AEW has something special with the TNT champion, so it was smart to have him pick up a big win over a veteran performer at a PPV to keep his push alive.

It Might Be Time to Take Double or Nothing out of Las Vegas

Sunday's PPV had some great moments, but if you based your impression of the show on the crowd's reaction to some of the less spectacular moments, you might think it was one of the worst AEW events ever.

The finish of the Cole vs. Jericho match was met with stark silence, and most of the FTR vs. Jarrett and Lethan tag title bout barely got the fans to react until Briscoe got more involved.

Even though the booking is partly responsible for how the crowd was reacting, the audience in attendance never really reached the level of energy we are used to from most PPV crowds. Again, some of this was due to the booking, but Vegas has never been the strongest city for AEW.

The company has a lot of markets with raucous fans who will show up and cheer at the top of their lungs. It might be time to consider other locations for some of the PPVs that have typically taken place in the same city every year.

Kris Statlander Was the Right Choice

For 60 matches, Jade Cargill was undefeated in AEW. For most of that run, she has held the TBS Championship and successfully bested all comers.

On Sunday night, that all came to an end when Kris Statlander made a shocking return at Double or Nothing and defeated Cargill to win her first title in All Elite Wrestling.

The crowd went nuts as the self-titled alien arrived on the stage after being out for almost a year with an injury. As soon as the ref counted to three and raised her hand, it erupted again.

Before she went down with an injury, it felt like AEW was preparing Statlander to be the one to defeat Cargill for the belt, so the fact that the company waited until she was healthy to follow through on those plans is awesome.

This is great for the women's division because it means the TBS title is finally about more than just one woman. Jade did a great job establishing the belt. Now, Statlander gets to see if she can continue to build its credibility.

Having Cargill lose after just having defended the title will protect her and give her a reason to continue bragging without having the belt around her waist anymore. This was a good way to book this for everyone involved.

The Four Pillars Proved Their Worth

Double or Nothing was a PPV with a lot of ups and downs, but one match that had the crowd invested from start to finish was the world title bout with MJF, Allin, Perry and Guevara.

The entrances were all epic, but Guevara stole the show when he and Tay Melo announced their pregnancy using his old cue card gimmick on the stage.

From bell to bell, the action was fast and furious. All four men hit several memorable spots and gave us more than one time when we thought the title might change hands.

These four men have been built up as the future of AEW and this match justified that booking. There wasn't a single weak link.

Even though they didn't close the show, the four pillars were not outshined on this night. They proved to everyone that they deserved to be in this spot and cemented their place in the AEW hierarchy.

AEW had some highs and some lows. What were some of your favorite moments from the pay-per-view?

   

Read 6 Comments

Download the app for comments Get the B/R app to join the conversation

Install the App
×
Bleacher Report
(120K+)