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AEW Double or Nothing 2021 preview and predictions

The fans return for the third annual Double or Nothing PPV.

May 29, 2021

The fans are back! To celebrate the first live show at full capacity since the pandemic began, AEW is pulling out all the stops for Double or Nothing 2021. Every championship is on the line: Hikaru Shida defends her historic reign against Dr. Britt Baker D.M.D., The Young Bucks looks to evade the red hot team of Mox and Eddie Kingston, Miro is “GONNA KILL YOU” Lance Archer, Kenny Omega must face off against both “The B*stard” Pac and Orange Cassidy, and the fate of The Inner Circle hangs in the balance as MJF’s group, The Pinnacle, looks to destroy them once and for all.

Our panel of experts will take you through each match on the card with their predictions. The AEW Double or Nothing 2021 Buy-In pre-show starts at 7:00 p.m. ET and will be available for free through the B/R Live streaming service. The show proper begins at 8 p.m. EST and is available through the B/R Live streaming service at a cost of $49.99, and you can also watch the event via the traditional PPV cable provider service for the price of $49.99.

Serena Deeb (c) vs. Riho – Singles match for NWA World Women’s Championship

AEW

Darius: Riho is very well-protected in AEW, but I think for character reasons, she’s going to lose here. Not only am I ready to see more of Riho away from a title, but Deeb’s new aggression will make this match VERY interesting and her next steps afterward — still as NWA Women’s champion — even more captivating.
Winner: Serena Deeb

Jason: I’m one of those people who just doesn’t get Riho. I wish I did, but I just don’t find her matches all that spectacular (comparatively) and she has no character that I can invest in, so she’s just kind of there. That combined with what are likely to be continued complications for international travel lead me to believe that Serena’s retaining on Sunday.
Winner: Serena Deeb

Brendan: Nobody on the roster benefits more from the return of fans than Riho. She’s been a fan favorite since the inception of AEW and will likely receive a pre-match hero’s welcome. Even against the backdrop of what will be one of the hottest live crowds in recent memory, it’s still hard to see Deeb dropping the belt right now. She’s locked in as champion and should retain.
Winner: Serena Deeb

Christian Cage vs. Matt Sydal vs. Powerhouse Hobbs vs. Penta El Zero Miedo vs. Jungle Boy vs. Matt Hardy vs. Marq Quen vs. Isiah Kassidy vs. The Blade vs. Evil Uno vs. Colt Cabana vs. Preston “10” Vance vs. Griff Garrison vs. Brian Pillman Jr. vs. Max Caster vs. Anthony Bowens vs. QT Marshall vs. Nick Comoroto vs. Dustin Rhodes vs. Lee Johnson vs. TBA – Casino Battle Royale for a future AEW World Championship match

AEW

Darius: Throw out my whole prediction if the joker is Bryan Danielson, but looking at the list above, there’s one name on the list who hasn’t had a match with Omega yet but could bring a great dynamic out of it: Jungle Boy. It just kind of calls out to me like a siren, and while Christian Cage will get his match, I foresee Team Taz shenanigans in his near future. If anyone who wins this match is guaranteed to lose, let it be Jungle Boy for now and build that “Can he finally do it?” story for later.
Winner: Jungle Jack

Jason: This is the Blade’s time to shine! Nah, it’s gonna probably be Christian Cage taking this one. It’s the boring answer, but I feel like the Battle Royales in AEW tend to play things fairly safe. Unless the TBA wrestler is a certain American Dragon, I think Cage wins the title match. I think Kenny will make him look like a star in defeat, too.
Winner: Christian Cage

Brendan: The safe pick here is Christian Cage, but I’m hoping AEW provides a surprise or two here. It’s tempting to fall in love with the idea of Bryan Danielson, but Andrade’s non-compete is up. He also has a AAA Mega Championship match booked with Kenny too, so that could work both for and against the idea of him being the surprise entrant. If we’re dealing strictly with the announced competitors, my heart is with Jungle Boy. His body transformation and continued in-ring growth should be rewarded with his first main event storyline.
Winner: Jungle Boy

“Hangman” Adam Page vs. Brian Cage w/Team Taz

AEW

Darius: This is one of two toss-ups for me because, while this should be a Hangman win, I think making him #1 Contender right now threatens THE plan. That being said, there’s still the matter of the Casino Battle Royale winner between Double or Nothing and the winner of this match, so maybe that buys us time until All Out. Cage vs Omega would be fun and an unusual big vs little match for Omega, so I wouldn’t be sad if that happens, but come on. I don’t root against the cowboy. (Except for the times where I absolutely did.)
Winner: “Hangman” Adam Page

Jason: Page is the guy you want to build the company around, Cage is the guy you build a small house upon. Let Hangman take this one and lets get back to some cowboy $h!t.
Winner: The guy not on HGH

Brendan: The Ballad of Adam Page is the best long term story in all of pro wrestling. Every match he wrestles and every feud is a chapter that matters in the context of the larger narrative. It was surprising to see him drop that initial match to Cage, but he will redeem the loss and maybe help Cage turn babyface at the same time. Helping someone see the error of their ways is real cowboy s–t.
Winner: “Hangman” Adam Page

Cody Rhodes w/Arn Anderson vs. Anthony Ogogo w/QT Marshall, Nick Comoroto, and Aaron Solow

AEW

Darius: The face has to go over here. It’s Ogogo’s time. Seriously, though, if The Factory was created for any reason, it’s to get the younger/newer stars over. There has to be a reason why Cody beat Penta and QT, right? For Ogogo and the boys? Right? Please.
Winner: Anthony Ogogo

Jason: I want Ogogo to just trounce Cody and rip his jacket, but I have a sneaking suspicion that the EVP is going over here. They made too big of a deal about his emotional dog whistle…I mean promo, so I think the expectant father fighting the evil foreigner in his daddy’s jacket is gonna win here. I’m willing to bet this results in more QT Marshall matches too.
Winner: The American Nightmare

Brendan: The booking for this feud was extremely effective in getting me invested in Anthony Agogo. That’s about the only positive here. As the match itself is concerned, it strains credibility that the boss is going to lose to a rookie within the promotion on Memorial Day weekend while employing his father’s “American Dream” gimmick. Everything else about this build-up was extremely tonedeaf, so why should the finish be anything less?
Winner: Cody’s extremely healthy, 218 lbs. ego

Miro (c) vs. Lance Archer w/Jake Roberts – Singles match for the AEW TNT Championship

AEW

Darius: I don’t typically agree with Bully Ray, but his take on Busted Open Radio that it’s a waste to feed Lance to Miro is correct. That being said…Lance is going to be fed to Miro. I think that AEW is telling a story of Lance being held back by Jake (for some reason), so a loss here might play into that. All I know is it’s weird that Archer has a match that has nothing to do with Sting, and that Miro is the TNT Championship now. Not just the champion — he’s the whole belt until further notice.
Winner: Miro

Jason: For the love of god, just let Miro wholly devour Archer and spit his terrible back tattoos out. I’m a big supporter of aggro Miro, and want him to stay off the leash for a while. A signature win over the Murderhawk will go a long way to correcting the misstep that was “The Best Man” partnership with Kip Sabian.
Winner: Miro Crush

Brendan: AEW and Miro have gone a long way to redressing the mistakes of “The Best Man” era. Having him be the TNT Champion allows for some pretty high stakes boss fights. A slobberknocker of a match with Archer should fully illustrate that point. There was an organic “MIRO’S GONNA KILL YOU” chant on TV recently, and they should capitalize on that goodwill.
Winner: Miro

The Pinnacle (MJF, Wardlow, Shawn Spears, Cash Wheeler and Dax Harwood) (with Tully Blanchard) vs. The Inner Circle (Chris Jericho, Jake Hager, Sammy Guevara, Santana and Ortiz) – Stadium Stampede match: If The Inner Circle lose, they must disband as a team forever

AEW

Darius: The other toss-up! This could be a chance for The Inner Circle to get their heat back, or it’s a chance for The Pinnacle to double up on their naughtiness. I actually can’t imagine The Inner Circle breaking up (mostly because I cannot fathom what happens next with Hager), but I also feel like Dax’s point from last week’s Dynamite about needing to put the Inner Circle down before they can get gold rings true. I say this prediction with a heavy, confused heart.
Winner: The Pinnacle

Jason: If it weren’t for the breakup stipulation, I would have called this for the IC, but I think the group has run its course and it’s time for them to go their separate ways. Well, Santana and Ortiz can stay together, but the rest of them need to stop hanging out. This will likely be the match of the night for how silly it is, and I expect some underhanded shenanigans for a finish, but MJF’s squad should definitely win this one.
Winner: The Pinnacle

Brendan: It’s not just The Pinnacle that needs this victory; it’s AEW fans too. The sheer volume of faction-heavy booking dictates that breaking one up isn’t a staggering loss. It’s time for these wrestlers to move on to the next stages of their careers. Inner Circle accomplished many things, not the least of which was putting Sammy, Santana, and Ortiz way over with fans. Jericho went from babyface to heel and back again during that time. Hell, it even rehabilitated Jake Hager. It’s sad to see them drift apart, but this match will be one hell of a sendoff before their inevitable reformation in several years. RIP The Inner Circle, Long Live The Pinnacle.
Winner: The Pinnacle

Hikaru Shida (c) vs. Dr. Britt Baker D.M.D. w/Rebel – Singles match for AEW Women’s World Championship

AEW

Darius: I have the same take with this match as I did with the Omega triple threat, only Britt IS Shida’s Hangman. Shida’s goal has been to make it to a full crowd as champion. She gets that on Sunday. With that out of the way, let’s stop keeping the belt warm and just give it to Dr. Baker, someone whose character necessitates more visibility for the Women’s Championship. Still, I have been an actual fan of Shida’s reign, and this match will rule!
Winner: And NEW AEW Women’s Champion, Dr. Britt Baker, DMD

Jason: I hate to keep copying Darius here, but he keeps making strong points. I really enjoy Shida’s work, and think she’s been a strong champion, but it’s been Britt’s for a while now, and I think TK has probably learned from the mistakes of RoH. Baker’s a star in the making, so just make her already. I want a fun heel champion at the top of the women’s division again.
Winner: Dentists everywhere

Brendan: Britt Baker cements herself as the breakout star of AEW with a win here. It’s well-deserved and will be an instrumental step in elevating the Women’s Championship moving forward. Shida receives full honors for holding the belt during the pandemic era and bringing stability to a Women’s division that was anchorless at times during her tenure. But it’s Britt’s time now and we’re just lucky enough to be here too.
Winner: Britt Baker

Sting and Darby Allin vs. Scorpio Sky and Ethan Page

AEW

Darius: I don’t even think I like the team of Sky and Page as much as I did when it started, and that’s mostly because I think that as long as they’re heels, Page is going to be in a different league than Sky. So while I’d normally complain about throwing a new, young threat at Sting for him and Darby to vanquish, I can’t get too worked up about it. It’s Sky and Page.
Winners: Sting and Darby Allin

Jason: Sky and Page could use the win, but I don’t think it happens on Sunday. You don’t bring Sting in just to have him lose in his first real match with your promotion right?…I mean again? Still, I think Sting and his stepson are going to win this one to give the crowd a strong babyface win, in what is otherwise a largely heel-heavy card.
Winners: “You’re not my real dad, Sting!”

Brendan: As a former Little Stinger, it hurts me to say that this match should not be happening. Sting is an excellent choice for cinematic matches or weekly television spots, but I am not interested in seeing him wrestle live in a ring in 2021. Casting sentiment aside, I think that “injuring” Sting could help Sky establish the instant heel heat that he needs to make this version of his character function properly. Darby is over enough to take a PPV loss and can spend the summer avenging his mentor by beating Page and Sky with stacked odds, which also happens to be the circumstance where his character works best.
Winners: Scorpio Sky and Ethan Page

The Young Bucks (c) w/The Elite vs. Jon Moxley and Eddie Kingston – Tag team match for the AEW World Tag Team Championship

AEW

Darius: Mox and Kingston are REALLY good as a tag team. On the mic, in the ring, entering together — they’re just amazing, and this match will slap. But yeah, I still think the Young Bucks have this. I feel that the Bucks’ eventual loss will be to put over a full-time tag team, and even if this team isn’t the one that beats them, I think they HAVE to take on career rivals Stu Grayson and Evil Uno in a championship match, yeah? So, just for the future’s sake, Nick and Matt take this. And I’m going to boo so hard when they do so.
Winners: The Young Bucks

Jason: I love Eddie Kingson. I love John Moxley. I do not like Eddie Kingston and Jon Moxley as a team. I get that their real-life relationship makes for a fun dynamic, but they just don’t work for me. Sure they can eat The Acclaimed’s lunch and not ruffle too many feathers, but I don’t want them holding the tag belts. As much as I am over The Bucks at the top of the card, Darius is right. Their downfall should come at the hands of an up and coming team, not two vets who don’t need the rub.
Winners: The Young Bucks

Brendan: Coming off of the Death Match debacle, AEW seems to have caught lightning in a bottle with the team of Moxley and Kingston. Their enthusiasm for each other, talking s–t, and pro wrestling in general is infectious. There’s real value in a prolonged feud with The Bucks and the Super Elite. The Bucks are finally the best versions of themselves outside of the ring again. That turn could be enhanced could be dropping the belts and becoming obsessed with getting them back. Just imagine the BTE content. There’s more story left to tell here and this shouldn’t end at Double or Nothing.
Winners: Jon Moxley and Eddie Kingston

Kenny Omega (c) w/Don Callis vs. Orange Cassidy vs. Pac – Three-way match for AEW World Championship

AEW

Darius: Don’t even talk to me about Omega losing his title until Hangman shows up with his fringe jacket and his roses-on-white tights. This match will be amazing, and any singles match between these three competitors will make for compelling TV, but it’s more because of the moves than the potential of a title loss. Prepare for at least one amazing kick-out, though!
Winner: Kenneth Omega

Jason: I’d love to see a chart detailing the rate of retention for incumbent champions in triple threat matches. I’m betting that that statistic gets boosted even further on Sunday when Kenny Omega holds on to one of his many titles. I feel like his belt-collector gimmick needs to continue, so as much as I want Pac to take this (or Andrade to win the AAA title for that matter) I think Omega keeps on rolling for some time yet.
Winner: The Omega Man

Brendan: AEW typically shys away from triple threat matches. So it was a curious decision to book one in the title match, especially with the inclusion of Cassidy. Pac has thrown four star matches with both of these guys and Omega’s ability to interpret and accommodate his opponent’s style is unmatched. Even in the context of kayfabe, it’s hard to bet against Omega. He needs belts to sustain the most interesting gimmick in wrestling, so he will retain for that reason alone.
Winner: Kenny Omega