Sean Ross Sapp's AEW Double Or Nothing Blog, Match Ratings

It's been a rough week. Let's hang out and talk wrestling

Top Contender Match
Best Friends defeated Private Party
5.75/10

• Private Party don't exactly have the heat they did originally. Hey still have some work to go, but Best Friends are more than ready.
• Marq hitting the ropes isn't too smooth early in the match, but the action is solid. I'm not too keen on him wearing that ridiculous jacket either.
• I still love Private Party's Camel Clutch stomp. They really are picking it up. A big shooting star press, and PP are getting all the offense.
• Private Party hit Cryme Tyme's finish, the G9.
• Marq Quen gets piledrived on the floor, and for some reason he's up in about 20 seconds so he can kick out of a clothesline.
• Strong Zero gets the win for Best Friends.

Top Contender Match
Casino Ladder Match
Brian Cage wins
5.75/10

• Scorpio Sky and Kazarian start out and decide to wrestle instead of beat each other down.
• Kip Sabian is out, but Jimmy Havoc gets involved and helps him. Havoc's suit rules.
• There's a spot where Havoc goes for a super huracanrana, but lands onto a ladder.
• Darby Allin's suicide dive looks like he's trying to take someone out, as opposed to some that look like people lean through the ropes and push people over.
• Darby tries to skateboard stomp Kazarian through a ladder off a ladder, but misses.
• Orange Cassidy needs the rules explained to him, and still can't reach the chip. He takes everyone out effortlessly, though,
• Colt Cabana is next. He gets his little fingers mashed in the ladder.
• Joey Janela is next up, and he takes everyone out rapid fire.
• Luchasaurus is number eight, and lays everyone out.
• Brian Cage has debuted for AEW, with Taz managing him. He does an insane F5 to Darby.
• Cage runs through the field with relative ease and impressive offense. Everyone puts a bunch of shit on top of him.
• Having to bury Brian Cage under everything is a great way to debut him, get him over a little bit, and get him out of winning the match.
• Production missed Kip Sabian's fall onto the ladder.
• I think AEW has found a great new match type in the Casino Ladder Match. I've enjoyed it a lot more than the battle royal.
• Marko Stunt is there with a mini ladder to help Luchasaurus, especially against Orange Cassidy.
• Kazarian and Luchasaurus mess up a slingshot huracanrana spot.
• Janela Death Valley Drivers Orange Cassidy onto a giant poker chip, which Brian Cage is underneath. JESUS.
• Cage is alive and has a great series with Luchasaurus before powerbombing him into the ladder. A Drill Claw on Darby.
• Cage heaves Allin on a ladder and gets the win.

MJF (w/ Wardlow) defeated Jungle Boy
8/10

• No scarf for MJF here, but a lot of elements of it in his gear, which I like.
• Jungle Boy hilariously slaps MJF in a double headstand
• MJF fakes a hangnail injury and attacks.
• MJF has a great head and arm suplex and big heaving backbreaker.
• Jungle Boy has an amazing comeback. He later hits a really good tornado DDT.
• I hate the "let each other hit each other" spot.
• Jungle Boy with a Destroyer, but MJF instinctively superkicks him.
• Jungle Boy has a crossface applied, but MJF bites the hand and turns it into a Pumphandle Driver.
• Jungle Boy did a reverse rana on the apron, that MJF takes perfectly.
• MJF crotches Jungle Boy. Jungle Boy still manages an avalanche sitdown power bomb.
• MJF has been working the arm of Jungle Boy all night, and gets the win on a series of pin reversals.
• This was outstanding. Exceeded expectations.

AEW TNT Championship

• The title leaves a lot to be desired, but they just announced it's not done. Things got slowed down because of the Coronavirus.
• Mike Tyson's reaction to Lance Archer is gonna be a meme.
• BLACKOUT immediately! Cody counters an EBD Claw, but gets Pounced in midair.
• Bro Lance Archer is 43 YEARS OLD doing a ropewalk moonsault.
• That corner camera shot of Archer after the Cody press slam was PERFECT! Archer mugs for the camera.
• Cody gets his ass kicked for minutes, but fights back and applies a crossface.
• Cody gets a springboard cutter, Cross Rhodes, Curtain Call and Stinger Splash!
• Arn Anderson knocks Lance Archer off the turnbuckle.
• Jake Roberts and Arn get kicked out, and Jake comes back with a snake. Mike Tyson cuts him off.
• Cody wins with two straight Cross Rhodes.

Kris Statlander defeated Penelope Ford
4.75/10

• We see Britt Baker's doctor talking about her injury. She will make the announcement herself.
• This is not great. I'm not a fan of the cartwheels in the middle of an important pape match.
• The action is not smooth, but not gritty enough to have me interested.
• They go back to that punch trading spot I hate.
• Penelope is green, but getting better. Kris isn't green, but has too much gaga for me to stay interested when she does it early.
• As the match goes on, Kris gets even better.
• Statlander wins with the Big Bang Theory.

Dustin Rhodes (w/ Brandi Rhodes) defeated Shawn Spears
SQUASH

• Shawn Spears calls out Dustin, who isn't coming.
• Brandi appears and distracts him, and Dustin shows up to beat up Shawn.
• Shawn Spears has Tully Blanchard's face on the dickhole of his underpants......aight.
• Curtain Call. Pin.

AEW Women's Championship
Hikaru Shida defeated Nyla Rose (c) to win the title
7.25/10

• Shida's gear rules.
• Nyla throws Shida through a poker table at ringside.
• Back in the ring, Nyla gets a nice powerslam.
• Shida hiptosses Nyla onto the poker chips at ringside.
• A flying knee hits into another poker chip.
• Nyla and Hikaru with a No DQ stip works so well.
• Hikaru uses the kendo stick, then does a brainbuster onto it.
• Awesome draping knee drop follows an even better running powerslam for Nyla.
• There has been a gigantic improvement in the ring for several of AEW's women that didn't work a ton of TV before Dynamite. So many have adapted and thrived.
• Powerbomb into ta cornered table, and then a Death Valley Driver.
• Avalanche Falcon Arrow? GET THE HOSE!! Shida rocked that.
• Shida cracks Nyla with a kendo stick and wins. A great match.

AEW World Championship
Jon Moxley (c) defeated Mr. Brodie Lee to retain the title
8/10

• Brodie Lee carries the title into the match and demands to be announced as champ.
• Moxley does a great suicide dive that knocks over the barricade.
• Brodie beats Moxley's ass around the ring.
• Moxley using the Gotch Piledriver is great.
• Moxley back body drops Brodie off the stairs through a table.
• Superplex inside the ring, half nelson suplex through a piece of the set outside for Brodie.
• Brodie slams Moxley on the set piece and that sounded like it hurt.
• Paradigm Shift through the walkway! Damn!! That was nuts.
• Brodie Lee is busted up!
• Brodie kicks out of a Paradigm Shift at one. Moxley bites, throws knees, headbutts, elbows, and another Paradigm Shift at 2.
• Moxley chokes out Brodie.
• Moxley and Brodie put on a kickass title match. Moxley's MMA training for the Cagefighter movie has been evident and added to his in-ring.

Stadium Stampede
The Elite defeated The Inner Circle
8.25/10

• The Inner Circle is in football gear, and there are cheerleaders everywhere.
• Hangman Page comes in on a damn horse!
• Matt Jackson's ribs are heavily taped.
• Sammy misses a shooting star press on Hardy.
• Nick Jackson with a tope con hilo, Ortiz with an Asai moonsault, Sammy with a Shooting Star outside.
• Matt Jackson moonsaults off the goalposts!
• Omega gets slammed through a table on the field.
• Santana, Ortiz and Matt Hardy are in the pool and Hardy is being drowned. IT'S A LAKE OF REINCARNATION. 
• Ortiz is hit with THE BELL. He throws Santana in an ice cooler.
  
• Hangman is drinking at the bar and Hager attacks him. They're brawling on a pool table, which ends with Hager uranage-ing Page onto it. Page gets thrown all across the bar and Swagger Bombs Page through a table.
• Omega helps Page, and Page pours Omega some milk. 
• Matt Jackson suplexes Sammy across the whole field, thanks to clever edited. 
• Jericho and Nick Jackson are going at it, and the Jaguars mascot gets hit with a Judas Effect. 
• Aubrey and Jericho go to the replay tent over the nearfall. 
• Matt Jackson gets into the endzone and spikes Sammy. He celebrates, and Rick Knox penalizes him. Matt Jackson superkicks him.
• Nick Jackson jumps off a guardrail onto Jericho through a table.
• Hangman Page runs the line marker over Jericho. 
• Sammy crawls into the sprinklers. He has to run from Omega and Matt Hardy in the golf cart. 
• NEO 1, the new Vanguard distracts Sammy. 
• Omega does an insane One Winged Angel off the balcony through a structure. Elite win!

Rating Guide
10- Perfect, 9- MOTY Territory, 8- Excellent, 7- Great, 6- Good, 5- Average to above average, 4- Slightly below average, 3 or below: Poor

Each match starts at a 5 and slides up and down based on entertainment, execution, time, environment, reaction and stakes. The ratings are in no way an indication of a "star rating," which is a completely different system. A standard, non-offensive "TV match" lands at a 5. The gap between 5.75-6 is generally the largest, with anything reaching 6 being recommended viewing.
These are opinions, and incredibly inconsistent ones that may change upon a second viewing, or sitting on the match for a period of time. Don't take them too seriously, and have (and share) your own!