AEW Double Or Nothing 2026: 3 Things We Hated & 3 Things We Loved

Well, that was certainly a good time. With the latest edition of AEW's annual Double or Nothing pay-per-view, Tony Khan and co. may have delivered the best iteration yet, with thrilling in-ring action, storyline developments that have us waiting impatiently for "AEW Dynamite," and a surprise or two thrown in for good measure.

Tonight's show featured three title changes, including one in the opening tag match, which was a standout among the excellent top-to-bottom card. You'll find our praise for that vicious match below, along with our takes on Kazuchika Okada vs. Konosuke Takeshita, and the main event between MJF and Darby Allin.

To be honest, we found it difficult to string together three negative opinions for this PPV. The entire Wrestling Inc. crew who covered Double or Nothing walked away feeling pretty good about the event, so don't be surprised if you see us stretching the definition of the word "hate" just a little bit. We'll do our best to keep our praise somewhat grounded, but it is nice to come out of a significant wrestling show without any major complaints.

With that in mind, get ready to read our thoughts on the show, or check out our AEW Double or Nothing 2026 results for more detail.

AEW has come a long way in terms of spotlighting the women on the roster, but there is still room for improvement. Not counting the tag match on the Buy-In pre-show, Double or Nothing had just two women's matches on the card. Both matches were excellent, but it would've been nice to see at least one more bout featured on the show. It's obvious some plans had to be shifted around due to the recent injury suffered by Willow Nightingale, as well as other women in the tournament, but that doesn't change the fact that Double or Nothing was just a little bit too dude-heavy.

Part of the problem here is the apparent loss of two cornerstones of the division: "Timeless" Toni Storm and Mercedes Mone. Storm is taking time off and is not expected back any time soon, but Mone's break is becoming a little more mysterious. If she doesn't return to take Nightingale's spot in the Owen Hart Cup, it begs the question: where is she? And if she does return, then could it have made sense to replace one of the matches on Double or Nothing for her comeback?

These pay-per-views are already long as it is, so I'm not necessarily in favor of adding more to the show. It just boils down to this: on the main card, there were seven matches featuring men, and two featuring women. Even though injuries forced a change of plans, it just would've been nice to see the division highlighted a bit more.

Written by Nick Miller

The only one word that came to my mind after watching the opening I Quit title match between FTR, Adam Copeland, and Christian Cage: WOW!

A good opening bout on any given pay-per-view card should set a strong tone for everything else to come on the show. A great opening match like this one was manages to steal a show that has just begun while generating a ton of excitement for what's to come next. There wasn't a moment that passed throughout this match where something wasn't happening, making for an incredibly fast paced, intense, and action packed contest full of unique bumps that aren't often seen. I also quite enjoyed the in-ring psychology and storytelling that was at play here, with FTR targeting Cage's already injured hand and Harwood using his history with Copeland as a distraction for Stokely to sneak up on him in order to clock him with his watch (pun intended).

The cherry on top of this match for me was the inclusion of Beth Copeland. Not only did her presence immediately add to the match with how much star power she carries and her awesome new look, but she acted as the turning point in this match for Cage and Copeland in order for them to win the AEW World Tag Team Championship with the sharpshooter-crossface combination on Harwood using Spike the Bat to give Harwood absolutely no choice but to quit. It kept FTR looking strong, but still allowed the right team to ultimately come out on top in my opinion. 

I also have to give major props to Stokely for taking that insane bump through the flaming table on the outside, as it was arguably the craziest bump in a match that was full of crazy bumps. Everything about this was sheer perfection to me, and a prime example of why I absolutely adore professional wrestling.

Written by Olivia Quinlan

All in all, the pacing for Double or Nothing wasn't too bad, and it ended slightly before many of the company's other pay-per-views. Still, it ran past midnight. For some of our younger audience, that might be nothing, but some of us are old now.

In the past, when AEW has experimented with earlier start times for major events, it seems to have worked in their benefit (and the audience's). The shows are still longer, but at least they end at a reasonable time. I can only imagine the chaos unfolding in Queens tonight as thousands of wrestling fans shuffle through the dark on their way back home or to their hotels well past midnight.

Once again, I can fully acknowledge that we're getting quite nitpick-y with this criticism, but that serves as evidence of how enjoyable the show was. My gripe here is pretty minor: I wish it ended an hour or two earlier. Apart from that, and the aforementioned lack of women on the card, I didn't find much to dislike here!

Written by Nick Miller

As if Double or Nothing as an event wasn't one of, if not the, best AEW events of all time, Konosuke Takeshita and Kazuchika Okada wrestled what will undoubtedly be in the discussion for Match of the Year for the International title.

Okada and Takeshita were clashing as two rivaling members of the Don Callis Family, two that are argued as the greatest Japanese wrestlers of their generation, and were always going to deliver something adjacent to greatness at the very least. But when they did finally step up to the plate for a bout that was not just a semi-final in a tournament to be concluded later in the night, they left nothing unsaid or done with a story and a reason applied to every motion.

Okada started off cocky, unfazed by his opponent and any suggestion he was on his level. But soon enough he found cockiness to be complacency and fell victim to the sudden shifts that Takeshita is capable of. So he went brutal, stacking move after move and dropping him on the floor. He looked to go one step further with a Tombstone piledriver on the floor. But Don Callis, who had been on commentary for the match, said he didn't want to see one of his assets damaged and put a stop to it.

Takeshita sealed his eventual fate with the next move, using that mercy to drop Okada to the floor with a vertical brainbuster and flipping off Callis. They still wrestled for a prolonged stretch even after that, avoiding one another's killshots one-upping each other until Takeshita finally borrowed the Rainmaker for himself. He didn't get the win with that move but he did get the win after an instant classic, celebrating in the ring for just a moment before his fate with the Family was set.

The group he co-founded gathered around him and looked to be turning on the new International Champion. But then Kyle Fletcher made his return at the perfect moment to band with Takeshita and save him for the night. Or so it seemed, embracing and raising Takeshita's hand, before finally turning around and flooring him with a lariat.

Even with top quality match, a title change, a return, and a betrayal allocated to this one segment of the show, there was one more layer added; Okada went to pick up the title that he had called his, but Fletcher tugged it from him, eventually hitting Takeshita around the head with it to finish things off.

The drama will only continue to unfold and yield great matches, such is the marriage of superstars that is the Don Callis Family, and I am all the way here for it.

Written by Max Everett

Well, the match was great, the result was the right one, and the Kevin Knight heel turn was great, but there is a part of me that's disappointed not to be writing about MJF being shaved bald.

In full disclosure, Double or Nothing was earnestly such a great event that there was rarely a negative moment in sight. The worst matches on the card were solid at the very least and the rest ensured to hit home runs and then some. But, MJF is not bald. He was never really going to be bald, because as Darby Allin said when introducing the stipulation, he spent a significant amount of money on those follicles.

I also wholeheartedly prefer MJF in the role of World Champion and only really enjoy Allin for his innovative ways of testing the very notion of medical insurance. But if it meant my eyes would gaze upon MJF, shaved bald after losing a World title match, then it was a sacrifice I was willing to make.

That didn't happen, which is honestly probably the best outcome. The barber chair and accompanying table were both used in the match itself, so the only thing that didn't happen was MJF not getting shaved. Not a big deal, not even a marginally huge deal. But it would have been cool to see that and the ensuing weeks of TV where the vainest man on the roster struggles to deal with it.

Written by Max Everett

Darby Allin's title run come to an end and MJF escaped having to have his plugs shaved in the main event of Double or Nothing, completing the story of Allin burning the candle at both ends since winning the title 40 days ago.

Prior to this match, against a man that he may have beaten the last time they faced but still holds three losses to, Allin had made seven title defenses. He was entering this match beaten and battered and against perhaps the only man on the roster that can credibly say they have his number. But still he took MJF – as well as his own body – through the wars before finally falling victim to the only conclusion that seems right at this stage: the side headlock takeover.

There were some simply gnarly spots that only added to overall result of the match, several moments where Allin might have legitimately hurt himself, and even a few where MJF took the lion's share of risk. In fact, MJF went above and beyond to sell ice to polar bears in this match, giving every move a tangible sense of impact and effect.

Naturally, as an Allin match, there was a major bump that saw him deliver a Coffin Drop from scaffolding on the entrance ramp onto MJF through a table. And again, that only added to the finish as MJF hit a Tombstone piledriver from the ropes to compress the neck and spine.

It happened as MJF said it would happen, Allin pushed and pushed and pushed until there was nothing left in the tank. There he was to pick up where he left off, saving himself another trip to Turkey in the process.

But that was not it. Allin was being carted off on a gurney before MJF, classy as ever, chased away the medical staff to pose atop him. Kevin Knight emerged for what appeared to be a routine save, chasing MJF away and taking to the top rope to see him off. Only, he then turned and delivered a splash to Allin as he was being wheeled away, cementing a heel turn and planting the seeds for Allin's path coming out of the World title picture.

Written by Max Everett