I really enjoyed the show. It's not up there with AEW's very best PPVs, I think that point is inarguable, but I had a great time regardless.
I don't normally do these longform posts, but having read several others today I felt compelled to give my own longform impressions. So forgive me for all this guff:
Double of Nothing 2022
House of Black vs Death Triangle (*****) - My MotN. The two best looking factions in AEW (sorry Ricky) put on a rapid-fire clinic to remind everyone why just they've been feuding for so long. Simply put, these six dudes create magic together. The start of the match with all those standoffs... chills. I wish Death Triangle had won, but otoh I'm also glad they finally did the Julia thing. Is this the end of the feud? I can't imagine Triangle will let it lie, but I can't complain if we get another match like this. Also, yet another banger entrance theme (and entrance) for Death Triangle!
Anarchy in the Arena (*****) - Fuck me this was glorious. Loved Justin's intro. Loved the background music. Loved Moxley taking the ring apart only halfway through a show. Loved Eddie brawling in the concessions and returning looking like he just came out of a horror movie. What an image. Loved Santana and Ortiz being the only efficient team there, trying to get the job done first on Hager then on 2.0. Loved Danielson standing in the ring alone taking on both Jericho and Hager. He took the loss but still looked an absolute badass in the process. Plus this assault is how they have made things personal for the BCC, and this is how the Blood & Guts gets made. An extremely complex match put together extremely well.
Hangman vs Punk (*****) - The crowd were fantastic and added so much to this match. And they got me good, I really thought Hangman was gonna turn heel there. Like his defenses with Danielson and Cole, I thought this would be the first of a two-part story for Hangman and Punk. So this outcome is not what I expected at all, but I don't hate it. I'm hoping it will be weeks or months down the line before Punk turns, for the predictions Hangman (and Eddie) made about him to eventually bear fruit. No need to rush things. What a tragic end to his title reign, it was Hangman who beat Hangman last night. But this definitely isn't Hangman's last championship run either. The cowboy's struggles continue.
Rosa vs Deeb (*****) - Fantastic match, I never had a doubt these two great performers would deliver. They were given the time to shine and the good crowd eagerly ate it up. Truly two of the most talented women AEW have, although that number is growing all the time.
Jungle Express vs Team Taz vs Swerve Glory (*****) - Ending aside (and I can't believe they haven't pulled the trigger on Christian yet) this was a hell of a match deep in the card and a fantastic showcase for everybody involved. That dive to the outside... I'm not sure when I'll feel comfortable about Ricky landing on his shoulders but I'm definitely not there yet. JB is the kid with all the perseverance so I'm not even mad he kicked out of that beautiful spear. Glad that they at least protected that slingshot Roshambo (!!!) though.
Jade vs Anna Jay (****) - Given the experience of both women involved they put together a great outing, with just 10% too much malarkey on top. Awesome to see Athena, but Stokely's debut maybe could've waited until Dynamite. Like, is he replacing Mark or not? There are questions. Regardless, Kris is still super over.
Hookhausen vs Nese/Sterling (****) - A perfect bite-sized piece of pro-wrestling. A simple story that delivered in spades. Everyone involved got some shine. We're still waiting for Hook's first long match, but I'm sure that will be eventually excellent.
ATT vs Sammy/Tay/Kaz (****) - An abysmal match on paper that truly overdelivered. Sammy and especially Tay are settling into their role well - loved their outfits! Kaz saying, "fuck you both" mid-match was amazing. PVZ performed admirably, her strikes looked good. Plus Tay taking that superkick was just amazing. Well done AEW, you fixed it. Good job.
Kyle vs Darby (****) - These two stars have great chemistry. I'm liking Kyle more the more I see him wrestle. An impressive outing with a great clash of styles, scary bumps for Darby aside.
MJF vs Wardlow (***) - More angle than match, but exactly what it needed to be and I'm just glad we got to see it. The inevitability of the moment maybe diminished the hype, especially compared to Wardlow's initial betrayal, but it was still a very gratifying conclusion to this story. And clearly Hangman dropped the belt just to dodge the imminent Muscletits.
Hardys vs Young Bucks (***) - The Bucks never have a bad match on PPV, but while this was solid and fun, it was ultimately quite forgettable. Brandon continues to rule.
Britt vs Ruby (**) - Yo, maybe don't let the people who're going to win your Hart tournament dress in Hart-coloured tights to match their Hart-coloured trophies? One of Ruby's best matches in AEW so far, yet I couldn't get into it at all.
Cole vs Joe (I hate it) - Yeah, I think I'm done with Cole matches.
Overall grade: A-
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