AEW Double or Nothing recap, review: MJF keeps his hair, wins title

Sunday was a sad night in the history of AEW. MJF was not shaved bald.

MJF won the world title from Darby Allin at Double or Nothing (May 24, 2026). The PPV also featured new champions in Adam Copeland & Christian Cage and Konosuke Takeshita, Will Ospreay advancing on his journey to win the Owen Hart tournament, Jon Moxley submitting his current rival, Stadium Stampede chaos, and more from Louis Armstrong Stadium in Queens, New York. Let’s break down the show from top to bottom.

AEW World Championship: MJF defeated Darby Allin (c) in title versus hair to win the gold. The main event was a nearly perfect payoff for the story. I mean the perfect payoff would have been MJF shaved bald. Seriously though, the action fit the storyline excellently. Allin started with a series of side headlock takeovers. There were about 20 side headlock takeovers during the match, and it made me smile every time. It’s funny how MJF and Allin made that simple move feel important. The most dramatic one was when Allin struck a low blow and the side headlock takeover. There was just enough to believe that could have been the finish.

Allin wrestled recklessly, as is his style to go until the wheels fall off. MJF dodged a suicide dive, and Allin collided head-first into the commentary table to damage his neck. Another example was MJF dodging a guillotine Coffin Drop on the apron, and Allin thumped his spine hard. MJF went to work softening that weak spot. He executed a package piledriver onto the ring steps.

That pain didn’t stop Allin from being a daredevil. He climbed the scaffolding roughly 20 feet high for a Coffin Drop onto MJF through the table. This came after choking MJF out cold on stage, and that’s why he had time to climb. The choke was a smart touch so as not to question why MJF laid there so long.

The finish played into Allin running his body ragged. He passed out while applying the Scorpion Deathlock. This part was stupid. It’s not believable. AEW must have shoddy doctors on staff not to check on Allin after this happened once before. Referee Bryce Remsburg was grossly negligent in allowing a passed out wrestler to continue fighting. These details are why that moment is stupid.

Allin salvaged the excitement. MJF thought he had easy pickings. Allin snapped awake to counter MJF into the Scorpion Death Drop. Allin went to finish with the Coffin Drop. MJF had juice in the tank as well. He popped up to hit the ropes and knock Allin off balance. MJF took control for an avalanche tombstone piledriver. Side headlock takeover for the win. MJF joins the elite list of three-time world champions at the age of 30.

The main event was fantastic in touching on the story points. Allin’s reign came to end, because he did run his body into the ground. He foretold that as the ending, and he wasn’t wrong. AEW did a great job overall with the storyline. They made me believe that there was a real shot of MJF being shaved bald. That was a smart way to hook engagement into finding out the answer. MJF and Allin backed it up be delivering a classic in the ring for their personal rivalry. The intensity of the match sold the stakes well.

The show didn’t end there. Tony Khan just can’t help himself from doing too much. Instead of letting the MJF moment breathe to close the show, Khan shoved in a heel turn from Kevin Knight. A heel turn that nobody asked for, especially not on this evening.

MJF posed over Allin’s body strapped into a gurney.

Knight ran out to chase MJF off. The heel turn came when Knight landed a UFO splash onto Allin. MJF smiled at the cheap shot. We’re left with questions of why Knight betrayed Allin.

Stadium Stampede: Team Jericho defeated Team Ricochet. This match was maximum chaos. It was parts stylish, artistic, creative, and brute force. The list of highlights is too long for the recap, so I’ll pick three memorable moments that stuck out to me. Andrade’s selfie with his sexy ladies was interrupted by Luchasaurus in a wig.

Andrade bumped into Satnam Singh to kick off a food fight.

Jack Perry tried to murder Mark Davis with his school bus.

The finish took place in the ring. The babyfaces went wild smashing opponents through tables, capped by Kenny Omega with the One-Winged Angel to Andrade through the wood. Ricochet was surrounded for a train of finishers. Chris Jericho lined up the Judas Effect, but Bishop Kaun shoved the bald man out of the way. Jericho’s squad unloaded a seven-way superkick to Kain, and he picked up the pin off the Lionsault.

Entertaining match. AEW did a good job catching the action in full screen. It wasn’t so chaotic to require a seven-way split screen. The comedy was funny, the wacky parts were amusing, the power spots were rugged, and the only thing missing was Ricochet eating dessert from Jericho. That will wait for another day.

AEW Women’s World Championship: Thekla (c) defeated Jamie Hayter, Kris Statlander, and Hikaru Shida to retain the title. This four-way truly felt like a four-way. The flow forced everyone to keep their head on a swivel. For example, Hayter clipped Thekla with Hayterade, then Shida delivered a knee from behind to break the pin. The story question was if Statlander could trust Shida. Hayter reversed position to send Statlander into a jumping knee from Shida. Their trust went downhill from there. Later as Shida worked for a submission, Statlander goozled her. Shida responded by slapping StatDaddy, and she snapped to run wild on the Shining Samurai.

Statlander pinned Thekla off Saturday Night Fever, but Shida hit her partner with a kendo stick to break the pin.

Hayter pulled Shida outside. On the inside, Thekla hit a curb stomp to pin Statlander. This match should spin off for a battle between Statlander and Shida, which will be interesting. Now, let’s get back to creating feuds for Thekla to shine as champion. She carried her weight here, but she was secondary to the other drama.

Owen Hart men’s quarterfinal: Swerve Strickland defeated Bandido. Swerve damaged Bandido’s neck, and that paid off when Bandido was unable to keep the bridge to pin on the deadlfit 21 Plex. If not for that pain, it sure felt like an upset win was coming. I like how Swerve gestured to his head for intelligence in that game plan.

Later, Bandido went back to the 21 Plex. Swerve countered into the vertebreaker. House Call kick for the win.

Great match with action fitting the characters. Bandido opened with aggression, which makes sense due to Swerve’s ambush in ROH. For a chuckle, Bandido channeled Brody King’s strut to get barking chants from the crowd. Swerve’s offense was in tune with calling himself the most dangerous man in AEW. It was like every move had intent to cause pain, such as this German suplex into the buckles.

Of course, Swerve was fly as well, such as standing on Bandido’s shoulders for a House Call.

Swerve also took his lumps when Bandido countered into a poison rana off the apron. Even the finish was in line with the story. All that neck work was sealed with a vertebreaker. I think Swerve could have won there, and the House Call was icing on the cake. Exactly how the most dangerous man would think.

Owen Hart men’s quarterfinal: Will Opsreay defeated Samoa Joe. Ospreay showed killer instinct for a surprise springboard cutter before the bell.

Ospreay blitzed on offense. Joe weathered the storm to dish out pain of his own. Ospreay was in deep trouble from a chokehold. The referee checked his arm for the dramatic rope grab at 3. Ospreay escaped the musclebuster to crack a Hidden Blade. A second Hidden Blade sealed the deal.

This match was great to show Ospreay’s journey toward the world championship. Joe put him in the grinder. Ospreay was strong in mind and in neck. It was a tough test that he grit through. That fits with the story of Death Riders training. The assumption is that Ospreay will win the Owen to advance to All In in London. I appreciate that this win felt earned, rather than merely a product of the story direction. Ospreay was impressive, and it builds support to cheer for his success.

AEW Continental Championship: Jon Moxley (c) defeated Kyle O’Reilly to retain the title. No time limit. Moxley worked the left leg, and O’Reilly targeted the left arm. The action called back to the eliminator match as O’Reilly trapped Moxley in an ankle lock. Mox refused to quit, and O’Reilly eventually released the hold. The action turned into a firefight of fists. They continued tussling, and O’Reilly snatched another ankle lock. Moxley kept his wits to grab O’Reilly’s leg for dueling ankle locks. O’Reilly gambled to roll it for a pin. That did not pay off. Moxley kept his ankle lock intact, and O’Reilly tapped out. Afterward, Moxley showed respect for a handshake.

There was a time when O’Reilly should have won this match. Unfortunately, that time passed due to injury. Moxley’s story developed in O’Reilly’s absence, and that’s what made this finish the right call. Moxley talks about rising to the top when the pressure is greatest. He did that here by tapping O’Reilly out in the ankle lock. Not only did he beat his rival, he beat him with the hold that he previously failed to escape. Moxley backed up his words, which is important in the mentor story with Ospreay.

Owen Hart women’s quarterfinal: Athena defeated Mina Shirakawa. Athena wrestled with aggression. Mina slowed her down by targeting the left knee. Mina applied the figure-four. Athena felt the pain, but she was able to reach the ropes to break the hold. Athena turned the tide with a cool pumphandle transition to the tombstone. The Fallen Goddess finished with the O-Face flying stunner. Solid match. Movement was award at times, but they made it work to feel like a fight. For those that don’t watch ROH, Athena showcased a glimpse of what she is capable of the longer she goes in the tournament.

AEW International Championship: Konosuke Takeshita defeated Kazuchika Okada (c) to win the title. Foreshadowing on the winner with Takeshita’s special entrance vignette? Yes, indeed. Okada received no such treatment.

AEW says they are where the best wrestle. This match fits the bill on that claim. Takeshita and Okada tore the house down with wrestling. The pace was a steady incline with no dips. The match peaked on the finish when Okada set up the Rainmaker lariat. Takeshita was quicker to the draw for a lariat of his own. Okada kicked out of a knee strike, so Takeshita kept on the pressure to win with the Raging Fire driver. Drama hit after the match. The Callis Family entered the ring. Prickly tension was in the air with Takeshita, so the Callis Family encroached forward with a menacing look. Kyle Fletcher made his grand return to call off the horses. Fletcher had Takeshita’s back, and the friends shared a hug. Just as I was writing in my notes that there was no sense of betrayal from Fletcher, the Protostar blindsided Takeshita with clothesline. He added a brainbuster for good measure. Fletcher and Okada exchanged a minor tug of war over the title belt, but Okada relented. Fletcher socked Takeshita with the gold.

That wrestling match was a doozy. It’s the type of match to add to the playlist rotation. The aftermath set up Takeshita for a babyface tour to seek revenge. Takeshita versus Fletcher should be fire. I really was suckered into thinking Fletcher was leaning babyface as well. Golf clap for that fake-out. The little touches of character work were interesting. During the match Don Callis stopped Okada from executing a tombstone on the floor, because he viewed it as damaging an asset. That attitude fits perfectly for that scumbag. Callis is only concerned about the riches that his family brings. Post-match, the interactions with Okada and Fletcher were amusing. If Fletcher happens to win the title from Takeshita, does that lead to a triangle over the gold? Or does Okada set his sights on a different championship?

AEW World Tag Team Championship: Adam Copeland & Christian Cage defeated FTR (c) in I Quit match to win the titles. The PPV opener was fantastic. It was main event worthy. If C&C lose, then the tag team must retire. No need to worry about that now. Copeland ripped the crotch of his pants early. I thought it would be evil if FTR tried to torture his junk. Instead, Christian used pliers to go medieval on Cash Wheeler’s groin.

FTR target Christian’s fractured forearm with a cinder block and a chair. When asked to quit, Christian replied, “I banged your mother.” That earned a chant from the crowd.

This match was nuts, and it only got nuttier when Beth Phoenix arrived to pound Stokely Hathaway. Dax Harwood smashed Beth into the ring steps. Harwood set up a burning table with bad intentions for Beth. She dodged a spear, and Wheeler tackled Big Stoke into the fire.

C&C&B teed off on Harwood with nut shots. Cope added a piledriver. Harwood wouldn’t quit on Christian’s Sharpshooter nor Copeland adding a crossface submission at the same time. Beth handed Spike (the nail weapon) to Cope to use on the crossface. Harwood quit.

This match was so entertaining that I’m ready to call it a night after just the opener. One small thing would be that I never felt C&C were in real trouble of losing. It was great seeing Beth return as a callback from the feud. The violence was intense but not over the top for this day and age. The Spike submission delivered satisfaction seeing the villains reap the whirlwind. The result was a feel-good ending to the story. Copeland and Christian can move on to other dream matches in the tag team division.

The Zero Hour pre-show had three bouts and Mick Foley.

Mick Foley is All Elite. AEW is why Foley fell in love with wrestling again, and it makes him want to be part of something. When analyzing the main event, MJF interrupted. MJF mocked Foley as an underdog loser, like Darby Allin. Foley pointed out that he never lost in 2 minutes and 15 seconds. Foley made a joke about waving goodbye to MJF’s hair, so MJF kicked him in the cojones. Allin ran in for the save. Foley gave a pep talk to not just be a champion tonight, become a legend. Fun interaction between MJF and Foley, which is what people wanted to see. Foley still has his way with words to set the emotional mood to root for Allin.

The Conglomeration and Boom & Doom defeated Shane Taylor Promotions. On the finish, the babyfaces were setting up a huge Tower of Doom blockbuster powerbomb maneuver. The sidekicks threw a beverage in the faces of the Infantry to loosen their grip. QT Marshall slipped off the turnbuckle, so no blockbuster combo. Just a Tower of Doom. Big Boom AJ pinned Carlie Bravo. Fun match that satisfied the crowd. Fans were hot chanting, “Boom,” for AJ’s punches. Harley Cameron was there as well as sort of the bodyguard for Rizzler. She beat up Christyan XO. After the contest, STP surrounded the ring. Eddie Kingston, Ortiz, and Mance Warner ran in to help the winners. This served as a NYC pop for Kingston and also Ortiz. Kingston posed with Rizzler to close the scene.

Claudio Castagnoli, Wheeler Yuta, & Daniel Garcia defeated Hook, Katsuyori Shibata, & Anthony Bowens. In the end, Claudio clobbered Hook and Shibata with a double clothesline. Bowens fought tough, but the numbers mauled him. Claudio finished with a running uppercut to pin Bowens. The way the finish played out made the Opps look sorry. Hook and Shibata couldn’t recover from a clothesline to help Bowens? Claudio looked like a beast in the match. I loved Shibata calling him out for a fight, and they backed it up with fisticuffs. That’s a singles match I want to see.

AEW Women’s World Tag Team Championship eliminator: Divine Dominion (c) defeated Zayda Steel & Viva Van. Five minutes on the clock. The challengers were put away with a double chokeslam to Van as Megan Bayne made the pin with 14 seconds remaining. Afterward, Bayne pummeled Christopher Daniels, and the champs hit a double chokeslam on Steel. Anna Jay and Tay Melo came out with weapons to stop the violence. This match served as an okay tease to the time limit. Nice touch by Steel to stall at the start and run clock. Divine Dominion showed urgency to smash when time was ticking down. It’s funny how often Daniels ends up being a punching bag.

Stud of the Show: Darby Allin

Allin’s world title reign was excellent. He cemented himself as a main event talent in AEW with that performance tonight on PPV.

Match of the Night: Konosuke Takeshita vs. Kazuchika Okada

Living up to where the best wrestle.

Another AEW PPV, another show with great wrestling. The action fit well within the storylines. The matches were booked clean and smooth for the most part, aside from the tag title bout, Stadium Stampede, and the main event which were expected to be chaotic. Those three also delivered in a big way.

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