AEW Double Or Nothing 2020 Preview & Predictions

The second annual AEW Double Or Nothing pay-per-view event takes place today, May 23, 2020 at Daily's Place in TIAA Bank Field in Jacksonville, Florida at 8pm ET (with the Buy-In Pre-Show beginning an hour before at 7pm ET). Fans can watch the show on traditional pay-per-view, B/R Live, or FITE for fans outside the United States. There will be no non-personnel admitted due to COVID-19. The event was originally scheduled to take place at the MGM Grand Garden Arena.

There are eight matches on the card with one match on the Buy-In Pre-Show. Mike Tyson will make a special appearance during the AEW TNT Championship Match and "present the championship to the winner". There is also added excitement to the Casino Ladder Match with one mystery entrant that will be announced during the event. Below is a preview of each match on the card and predictions based upon recent booking. In the comments, please share your predictions

AEW WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP
Jon Moxley (c) vs. Brodie Lee

Since debuting at the first Double Or Nothing one year ago, Jon Moxley has settled into a groove as the lone-wolf anti-hero of AEW. His program with Kenny Omega took Moxley to his most violent state of mind in years. Moxley's feud with Chris Jericho and the Inner Circle reminded us of how great the two worked together in the past and showed that Moxley could be that kind of Stone Cold Steve Austin type of anti-hero champion. Moxley is at his best as an underdog. Brodie Lee & The Dark Order are an excellent match-up for Moxley's skills.

Moxley & Lee's only recorded match previous to this one was a Chicago Street Fight that opened WWE Extreme Rules 2015 *With Brandi as ring announcer*. The match started hot but went backstage and eventually into an SUV that drove away for about forty minutes. The two had to work to get the crowd back upon their return and succeeded by the finish.

It will be exciting to see the wrestling skills of Brodie Lee and Jon Moxley outside of their brawling ability. Although there is likely to be some shenanigans involved in this match from The Dark Order, look for Jon Moxley & Brodie Lee to showcase their evolution from their previous match with chips on their shoulders big enough to fill TIAA Bank Field. Moxley is a hero that is right for right now. Many feel isolated, some because they are literally isolated, and Moxley is a man who stands alone against all odds and fights until he absolutely can't anymore. Moxley will pull off a win here and push Lee to an even more extreme state of rage that will continue to burst out of his Mr. Lee persona as the feud continues.

WINNER
Jon Moxley via pinfall

AEW WOMEN'S WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP (NO DQ/NO COUNT-OUT)
Nyla Rose (c) vs. Hikaru Shida

Hikaru Shida has been on a roll in 2020, picking up nine singles competition wins while her only loss came in a four way match on January 1st. Nyla Rose has been dominant since her victory over Riho in February to win the AEW Women's Championship. Nyla's power and size advantage is undeniable: Rose outweighs Shida by at least 60lbs. Shida won't back down from Rose one bit in this match. She's been number one contender for months without a title opportunity. The No DQ/No Count-Out stipulation added to the match favors Rose on the surface, but Shida's offense against the larger Rose would be limited without weapons.

This match is a conundrum because there aren't any babyfaces with a legitimate win/loss record to challenge Rose if Shida fails. Riho could challenge Rose rematch, but it's unclear when she'll be allowed back into the United States. Although it seems premature for Rose to lose here, AEW has a wealth of heels in the women's division and needs to develop more babyface talent as legitimate challengers for the Women's Championship. Look to Shida to use her knee strikes and weapons to her advantage to pick up the upset victory over Rose.

WINNER
Hikaru Shida via pinfall

AEW TNT CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH
Cody vs. Lance Archer
Mike Tyson to present title to the winner.

Cody has been snakebit when it comes to big matches in AEW. His loss to Jericho at Full Gear followed by his loss to MJF at Revolution. Outside of those big losses, Cody has won 9 matches in 2020 and has looked dominant. The only man more dominant than Cody has been Lance Archer. Archer's convincing victories over Colt Cabana and Dustin Rhodes show that the veteran is ready to step up to the next level in AEW. Archer has Jake "The Snake" Roberts in his corner while Cody has Arn Anderson in his. Archer has shown no weaknesses for Cody to exploit in his matches in AEW so far. As great as Cody is, it's hard to see him winning this match. The crowd seems to fuel Cody when he's most broken down and there will be no audience for this match outside of AEW personnel. Mike Tyson the x-factor in this match. Tyson in 2020 is looked at as a loveable former lethal weapon. Tyson has been training extensively for a return to the boxing ring. Watch for Tyson looking to show off that he's still dangerous and can still draw money as an attraction.

Archer has advantages over Cody in the size and power department with Cody having the edge in speed. Watch for Archer to test Tyson and get knocked out. Cody will pick up the win and get to pose with Tyson at the end of the match, but Archer will be gunning for a rematch ASAP with Tyson banned from ringside.

WINNER
Cody via pinfall

CASINO LADDER MATCH
Darby Allin vs. Colt Cabana vs. Orange Cassidy vs. Joey Janela vs. Scorpio Sky vs. Kip Sabian vs. Frankie Kazarian vs. Luchasaurus vs. TBA (Mystery Entrant)
Winner receives future AEW World Championship Match.

This match concept was created by Chris Jericho (and Brian Gewirtz) for WrestleMania 21, so it's only natural to have the match follow Jericho to AEW. Building to this match, Colt Cabana has issues with Kip Sabian's disrespect, and Kip Sabian just can't beat Darby Allin. That leaves Scorpio Sky, Frankie Kazarian, Luchasaurus, Orange Cassidy, Joey Janela, and the mystery entrant as participants that have no serious personal distractions to get in the way of winning.

Rumors of the identity of the mystery participant point to Brian Cage, Drew Gulak, Sting, Jeff Cobb, and Jimmy Havoc as the names most likely to appear – performers recently released by WWE are still under no-compete clauses for two more months so no Zack Ryder.

Watch for Scorpio Sky to shine in this match as AEW keeps kicking the tires on a Scorpio Sky singles run. Colt Cabana will be looking for some revenge after Sabian defeated him on AEW Dark with the help of Penelope Ford and a low blow – Sabian's taking a shot to the pills in this match. Joey Janela is replacing Rey Fenix after Fenix took an ugly fall on Dynamite. Hopefully Cassidy is still relatively injury free after taking an ugly fall as well on this past week's Dynamite. With Fenix out of the match, Cassidy's largest obstacle to victory has been removed. Cassidy has taken a beating in recent weeks and will have to overcome a fresh Darby Allin on top of all the other competitors to win. It's not time to break up the Jurassic Express yet, so Luchasaurus won't win here, but will make plenty of mayhem and serve as a mobile big man that can help high spots. Kazarian's role in all this is unclear. Watch Kazarian in this match because he's the only competitor that seems out of place in this match. If Brian Cage shows up, he will win. If he doesn't show up then, Darby Allin makes the most sense here. Allin's first match with Moxley in November was fantastic and left us wanting more.

WINNER
Brian Cage (or Darby Allin if Cage isn't our mystery entrant)

STADIUM STAMPEDE MATCH
The Elite (Kenny Omega, Hangman Page, The Young Bucks and Matt Hardy) vs. Inner Circle (Chris Jericho, Jake Hager, Sammy Guevara, Santana, and Ortiz)

The Inner Circle and Elite have been feuding since the birth of AEW and the two factions will clash in the first-ever Stadium Stampede Match. Seeing Hangman Page run over 50 yards to deliver a lariat during their brawl on this past week's Dynamite gave us a great preview of tonight's match-up. The more ridiculous, over-the-top, and jaw-dropping stunts in this match the better. This feud has gone from blood and guts to a DDT-style comic book feud. With reality being not very fun right now, this match will be a welcome vacation from the laws of nature. The match was reportedly taped in advance on Friday night and includes multiple cameos and interesting elements that couldn't be achieved in a live broadcast. Hangman Page's emotional journey will be something to watch here as he clearly is still not on the same page as his fellow members in The Elite, but Matt Hardy will bring that extra special element to avenge Vanguard I and get the victory for The Elite.

WINNERS
The Elite via pinfall

MJF vs. Jungle Boy

MJF returned two weeks ago after a "life-threatening" hangnail injury and looks ready for Jungle Boy. MJF tapped out Marko Stunt and punished him after the match with the aid of Wardlow. If Jungle Boy doesn't have Luchasaurus to back him up against Wardlow on the outside, this will be an incredibly difficult match for Jungle Boy to win. Jungle Boy can lose here and not lose his momentum as a rising star in AEW. This match definitely feels like an opportunity for an upset, but MJF and Wardlow seem like they're destined for AEW gold in the near future. Jungle Boy (much like Scorpio Sky) is someone that AEW is taking a hard look at for a singles run, but breaking up Jurassic Express seems premature here. Jungle Jack Perry is young and full of potential, but he's got more to accomplish in the tag team division before he moves forward.

WINNER
MJF via submission

Penelope Ford vs. Kris Statlander

Britt Baker had to drop out of this match after her leg was crushed by Kris Statlander & Hikaru Shida slamming Nyla Rose on top of her leg. Penelope Ford steps in to replace Baker in this match and she will fill in admirably. Ford scored a tremendous upset win by executing a bridging Fisherman's Suplex pinning combination on former AEW Women's Champion, Riho on the March 11th AEW Dark. Statlander isn't ready for the focussed Ford, who gave her fits in the four-way match on the May 13th Dynamite. Statlander needs something to give her a mental reset to bring her back into contention for the AEW Women's Championship. Until then, Statlander remains a woman full of potential.

WINNER
Penelope Ford via pinfall

Dustin Rhodes vs. Shawn Spears

Shawn Spears has spent most of 2020 searching for a tag team partner, but as the COVID crisis hampered his ability to work with different wrestlers from around the world, Spears has shifted his focus to Dustin Rhodes. Dustin's humiliating loss to Lance Archer has left him vulnerable and Spears smells blood in the water. These two excellent wrestlers will clash in a classic match-up of the wounded veteran looking to stay alive against the hungry up-and-comer. Rhodes looks vulnerable here, but look to him to pull off a surprise victory against Spears. Spears has plenty of ability, but needs direction. If Spears can ever put it together, he can be a great star. Spears' CNN parody on this past week's Dynamite could be the vehicle that helps drive him to the top. After Spears loses, he'll attack Dustin and put him on the shelf. Spears wants revenge on Cody and will come after him once Cody and Lance Archer finish their business.

WINNER
Dustin Rhodes via pinfall

THE BUY IN

Best Friends vs. Private Party
Winners are the number one contenders for AEW World Tag Team Championship.

With The Dark Order unable to travel due to COVID19, The Best Friends and Private Party have been elevated to the #1 & #2 contender spots in the tag division, respectively. The Best Friends have huge victories over Jurassic Express, Havoc & Sabian, The Butcher & The Blade, and TH2. Best Friends & Private Party have also faced each other once on AEW Dark previously with The Best Friends getting the victory in that meeting. Chuck Taylor's "Awful Waffle" finishing move has looked devastating and Trent has looked perfectly in sync with his tag team partner. As exciting as Private Party is to watch, The Best Friends have a lot of momentum going for them right now and they should match up well against Kenny Omega & Hangman Page for the AEW Tag Team Championship.

WINNERS
Best Friends via pinfall