Five Questions About Double Or Nothing

Double or Nothing is on Saturday, marking the first official event for All Elite Wrestling.

The stakes could not be higher for the new company, as many fans are hoping that AEW can provide a real alternative to WWE’s product. AEW has a television deal, talent signed, and lots of hype around it. With all that hype, there are still questions that linger around the event. Here are five questions surrounding Double or Nothing that we’ll get answers to soon.

1. What Surprises Are In Store?

AEW has been lining up their ducks in a row as Double or Nothing approaches. Some big names have already been added to the roster, like Dustin & Shawn Spears. It wouldn’t be a shock for more surprises to come at the event. The only question is – what kind of surprises? Some have theorized that Jon Moxley, f.k.a. Dean Ambrose, could be showing up at the event. Will he make an appearance? Will another surprising indy name show up? Will there be any major swerves to set up angles for television? We know there will be surprises, it’s just a matter of what they’ll be.

2. Who will win the Casino Battle Royale?

As of printing, we know 17 of the 21 superstars competing in the Casino Battle Royale on the pre-show. The winner of the match gets an AEW World Championship match somewhere down the line. Some favourites in the match include Maxwell Jacob Friedman and Joey Janela. Could AEW use the match to elevate someone quickly, like Brian Pillman Jr.? Will an established veteran like Glacier or Billy Gunn get the rub? The Battle Royale is a match packed with intrigue.

3. Where does Hangman Page fit in the card now?

The previously scheduled match between “Hangman” Adam Page and PAC is off, reportedly due to “creative differences”. With PAC off the card, where does Page factor into the show? Page looks to be a focal point of All Elite Wrestling going forward, so having him off the card seems like a strange choice. Could Page find another dance partner before the show? Page could also enter the Casino Battle Royale, where he’d be an instant favourite.

4. What is the main event?

There are three matches that could realistically main event Double or Nothing: Cody versus Dustin, Kenny Omega facing Chris Jericho, and the Young Bucks versus the Lucha Bros. for the AAA World Tag Team Championships. At All In, the Young Bucks main-evented in a six man tag match. Their build against the Lucha Bros. has been solid, but the two singles matches have more build. Cody and Dustin have a blood feud dating back to their time in WWE, and Omega-Jericho has been the backbone of Road to Double or Nothing for a while now. Omega and Jericho have the best bet to be the main event, but any of these three could fit the role.

5. Can it match the hype?

All In captured lightning in a bottle. It had expectations, but not the overwhelming hype that Double or Nothing has. Fans are clamouring to see what the AEW product will look like. They’ve created their own hype machine that might make living up to the expectations hard to accomplish. People expect the in-ring product to be top-notch, and the production value to be great as well. AEW will have to fire on all cylinders in order to match the expectations of their fans.

AEW Double or Nothing takes place on Saturday. Hopefully we’ll have more answers to these questions, and a clearer picture of the direction AEW will head in going forward.