Double or Nothing VII - 5/25/2025

[For Great Justice]

Music has become such a huge part of AITA that next year they need a “winner picks the music” stip match between two representatives the Dynamite before and it would get over huge 

Amazing, exhausting show 

[The Natural]

Anarchy in the Arena was my MOTN.

[Phantom Lord]

This was a really good show. Really long, but really good. Anarchy in the Arena was amazing. I got a good laugh when Kenny said to change the music and "I'm So Excited" started playing. That was a good one. The match it self was just insane and more than lived up to the weak build up it had. I suspect that Eddie Kingston was not ready to go so that's why they had Mark Briscoe make the run in. Mark's match earlier in the night was good. Wasn't expecting that kind of blood from him but it really paid off later in the night with all that dried blood on his face.

Hangman vs. Osprey was an amazing match. The show would have went off before midnight had they not done that six man tag in between. I really thought Osprey was going to win so I was pleasantly shocked when Hangman won.

Overall a really good show. 

[Technico Support]

Hangman!  Fuck yeah.  

[NoFistsJustFlips]

I'm expecting to be ridiculed over this take, but I'm gonna drop it anyways. I couldn't pay attention to the main event because of their decision to do weird mood lighting for it. It just took me out of the match. Why did they not bring all the lights back up after the main event intros? You're a billion dollar company. You have some of the best production of any pro sports. Why would you reduce one of the biggest matches of the year to 'less than' by not giving them 100% of your production capabilities?

Any and all mood lighting in wrestling is dumb. Kane's red light. Sin Cara's orange light. When TNA did their ECW tribute and purposely made it all dark and moody. All of that sucked and takes away from the match, not adds to it. Even the videos they're sharing on social, they look bad compared to every other match on the same show. In much the same way I couldn't concentrate on a bunch of All In matches because of the stupid streamers stuck in the video board above the ring, I assume this is a me thing and no one else cares.

But it sucks because Hangman vs Ospreay was the match I was looking forward to the most. And almost none of it even registered for me.

[Go2Sleep]

AITA was really good. I don't know that they needed to let Bodies loop 3 times, but otherwise it was a perfect blend of comedy and violence. The Bucks were great stooging in their Continental Army getup, and I'm So Excited getting a music spot was great. Willow getting padlocked to the ring post through her gauged ear did not get enough focus. Swerve's staple gun-fu is always a blast, and the staple to the tongue was some fresh cringe. Briscoe driving the ambulance back to lock up the DRs and leave the stooging Bucks to get theirs was a good layout. The OWA through an exploding table being an afterthought was hilarious.

Hanger/Ospreay was great as expected, and didn't seem to run excessively long, refreshingly simple even. I liked the touch with each trying to finish with a move from their biggest rival, showing what they've learned through their epic battles. Hanger winning is cool and somewhat unexpected. Big question is what does Ospreay do at All In now?

[hammerva]

The only bad thing about the music playing during the Anarchy match is that when Cornette tells people that Bodies was Ohio Valley Wrestling opening music for about 2 or 3 years that social media is going to be absolutely insufferable with the tribalists.  But fuck them it was awesome

[Log]

2 minutes ago, NoFistsJustFlips said:

I assume this is a me thing and no one else cares.
 

You assume correctly. If they’d have lit the ring oddly, I could see, but I literally didn’t notice it until you said something. 
 

The production on the main was top notch. Someone else mentioned the longer shots, and that made a huge difference. There was a sequence near the end where they stayed with the ringside cam for the hidden blade and it really emphasized Osprey’s quickness and the impact of the move. They had a cameraman standing on the apron earlier in the match when Osprey hit the top-rope forearm and it just really took you in the ring. 
 

I think that main was one of the better examples of the current style of wrestling I’ve seen in a while. There were big moves and kickouts and all that, but they let things breathe and the big moments meant something.  

[The Natural]

17 minutes ago, hammerva said:

The only bad thing about the music playing during the Anarchy match is that when Cornette tells people that Bodies was Ohio Valley Wrestling opening music for about 2 or 3 years that social media is going to be absolutely insufferable with the tribalists.  But fuck them it was awesome

It'll piss off Jim Cornette and the Cult, good.

[Kevin Wilson]

I feel like Speedball/Okada deserves more recognition. I think Okada has been very good/not always great in AEW, not all his fault as he is kinda in his own bubble with minimal interaction with the rest of the roster but while I wouldn't say he has been coasting, he just has only reached that 'top level' a couple times (in my opinion) since joining the promotion. But man Speedball just got the best out of him last night, both of them killed it but seeing Okada show some urgency again felt right. And I bit hard on the last Speedball nearfall even though I KNEW Okada had to win to set up the Omega match for the title, so even knowing the result if a nearfall gets me you know the match has hooked me in. I have it has the third best match on the card but only because AITA and the main were *****ish matches, if I did stars I'd probably have Speedball/Okada around **** 1/2.

Every AEW PPV seems to have one match that really over-delivers and that was the match on this one for me, a match with minimal build just blowing away my expectations.

[The Natural]

16 minutes ago, Log said:

You assume correctly. If they’d have lit the ring oddly, I could see, but I literally didn’t notice it until you said something. 
 

The production on the main was top notch. Someone else mentioned the longer shots, and that made a huge difference. There was a sequence near the end where they stayed with the ringside cam for the hidden blade and it really emphasized Osprey’s quickness and the impact of the move. They had a cameraman standing on the apron earlier in the match when Osprey hit the top-rope forearm and it just really took you in the ring. 
 

I think that main was one of the better examples of the current style of wrestling I’ve seen in a while. There were big moves and kickouts and all that, but they let things breathe and the big moments meant something.  

Thanks for your review. How did Little Log find the show?

[Log]

2 minutes ago, The Natural said:

Thanks for your review. How did Little Log find the show?

He just watched the main. According to him: “That has to be one of the best AEW matches ever.”

[The Natural]

2 minutes ago, Log said:

He just watched the main. According to him: “That has to be one of the best AEW matches ever.”

Aww. Hope he likes the rest as well.

[Curt McGirt]

Niners has a good point about how good the layout of Anarchy was and how everyone got some individual shine. In particular, Hobbs really seemed to be the core of the match, they kept coming back to him being a destroyer. If he had also done a dive off the balcony during that spot too I think we would have all lost our collective minds. And the BIG BLACK AND JACKED shirt him and Willow were wearing was *chef's kiss*

Going back and looking at the comments from the Discord I made, 

1. It was disappointing that Kenny didn't throw the trashcan lid like he was Captain Canada

2. I mused that Swerve should use a Predator weapon and sure enough, a "bomb" goes off at the end of the match

3. Maybe the best bit storyline-wise was at the very end with Kenny kicking that goddamn case down the ramp. He's sick of it, he knows we're sick of it, and he let it be known. 

Hook is gonna be a loner with a golf club now? 

[The Natural]

Swerve Strickland countering Wheeler Yuta's running knee with the staple gun was my favourite moment of AITA.

[The Natural]

Chances are AITA will be run back in some formation in the annual Blood and Guts match.

[Raziel]

Oh, it will with team Death Riders winning, which will have Hangman show up at the end to start the program with Mox.  

[The Natural]

6 minutes ago, Raziel said:

Oh, it will with team Death Riders winning, which will have Hangman show up at the end to start the program with Mox.  

Yeah, Death Riders will definitely get their win back there.

[Log]

I was just thinking it would be cool if they focused on Mox/Hangman and left Blood and Guts to someone else. Don Callis Family have been pissing off a lot of people. 

[Curt McGirt]

Tanahashi participating in a Blood and Guts match? 

[Craig H]

So…I may have dozed off during all of Okada vs Speedball. I remember Speedball’s entrance and then Okada had won.

Stupid ADHD medicine (Jornay PM) thatthat makes me crash at the same time every day.

So I need to go back and watch that and probably AITA too because there were a bunch of times were I was looking at my phone and chatting on the DVDVR Discord.

[Jenalysis]

2 hours ago, Go2Sleep said:

AITA was really good. I don't know that they needed to let Bodies loop 3 times, but otherwise it was a perfect blend of comedy and violence. The Bucks were great stooging in their Continental Army getup, and I'm So Excited getting a music spot was great. Willow getting padlocked to the ring post through her gauged ear did not get enough focus. Swerve's staple gun-fu is always a blast, and the staple to the tongue was some fresh cringe. Briscoe driving the ambulance back to lock up the DRs and leave the stooging Bucks to get theirs was a good layout. The OWA through an exploding table being an afterthought was hilarious.

Hanger/Ospreay was great as expected, and didn't seem to run excessively long, refreshingly simple even. I liked the touch with each trying to finish with a move from their biggest rival, showing what they've learned through their epic battles. Hanger winning is cool and somewhat unexpected. Big question is what does Ospreay do at All In now?

 

Got to watch this with the wifey at home, which never happens.  My wife was pleading with willow not to rip her lobe out.   Rings especailly true given how much trouble she had with her last piercing.  (That said, if you're in the Triad part of NC, and need a piercer, full rec for Sarah Starling at Restful Souls in Archdale, NC)

 

We both loved the show, though wifey did fall asleep a few times because she gets to be a tired puppy given her job.   She loved Toni/Mina and the kiss at the end, and the other women's match.  She loved Hangman winning, as Hangman's her favorite.

 

I was really happy with the show all around, it was a great mix of stuff, but like all AEW PPVs, a bit too much of a good thing, but that's not really a complaint about AEW as much as it is a complaint about me.   I was kinda hoping for a different story from Hangman-Ospreay of Hangman overcoming his demons, but the story they did tell was really good and earned.  I wonder where Ospreay goes from here.  Hangman needs to win at All In, and I think he does.  If they let Mox win to hold it for Darby, I think it's going to hurt Darby as the fans will reject his win.

Darby really should be AEW's Goto- he needs to keep losing title matches.

 

I'm also wondering where HOOK goes from here, he seemed unhappy with the Opps upgrading from him, but I don't think a heel turn would suit him, and Hook and Hobbs have history too.

Edited May 26 by Jenalysis

[Curt McGirt]

[The Natural]

29 minutes ago, Curt McGirt said:

Swerve Strickland dressed as a Predator while Prince Nana is doing his dance is hilarious.

[hammerva]

5 hours ago, Curt McGirt said:

Tanahashi participating in a Blood and Guts match? 

Unfortunately I think the only thing helping him walk these days IS  blood and guts