This week's AEW Dynamite featured many important developments for the future, especially when it came to the upcoming Double or Nothing pay-per-view. With several titles being put on the line during this episode, fans were reasonably excited for the matches.
Apart from that, a few dramatic elements in high-stakes situations made this a good show in terms of storytelling. Last week's Blood & Guts special was a very newsworthy affair. AEW maintained a certain level of consistency in this department during their latest episode as well.
How did NXT fare against AEW in terms of quality this week? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.
Here are the five biggest news stories from AEW Dynamite (May 12, 2021).
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#5 Miro became the new AEW TNT Champion through a powerful performance
While Darby Allin did a great job as the TNT Champion, his reign came to a noteworthy end during this week's AEW Dynamite.
For months, fans have advocated for Miro to receive a major push in the promotion. So it came across as great news when he won the TNT title during his first singles match against Allin, that too, in a mostly dominant performance by the new champion.
Allin showed a lot of heart and resiliency to his credit, despite being manhandled like a rag doll. Meanwhile, Sting was present in the ringside area for this main event contest, and he had his own subplot with Ethan Page and Scorpio Sky.
Sky and Page ambushed Sting outside the squared circle during and after the match, as The Dark Order came to the WCW icon's rescue in the latter case.
Miro's first-ever AEW title victory will go down as one of his career-best moments. But just a few moments after his win, Lance Archer came out and publicly expressed his desire to target the new TNT Champion.
Perhaps Archer and Miro could fight each other at AEW Double or Nothing. Now that Allin isn't the TNT titleholder anymore, he may team up with Sting to settle their scores against Scorpio Sky and Ethan Page at the said pay-per-view.
#4 The Pinnacle received a bubbly bath on AEW Dynamite
The major talking point from last week's show was the AEW Blood & Guts main event between The Inner Circle and The Pinnacle. During the latest edition of AEW Dynamite, The Pinnacle's members celebrated their triumph from the previous episode.
According to the storyline, Santana had been detained for using a fork in the match. Meanwhile, MJF and his crew assumed that Chris Jericho was heavily injured.
Unfortunately for The Pinnacle, The Inner Circle entertainingly interrupted their coronation. Not only did Jericho appear with his crew in a custom golf cart, but Sammy Guevara doused The Pinnacle's members with a lot of bubbly.
As many have pointed out, this seemed like a callback to Stone Cold Steve Austin's infamous beer bath segment.
MJF eventually offered The Inner Circle a rematch at Double or Nothing. He wanted both factions to take it one step further in the return of the Stadium Stampede match.
Additionally, Jericho's crew would have to break up forever if they fail to win at Double or Nothing. Now it's up to The Inner Circle to respond next week, and it seems very likely that they will accept the challenge.
Interestingly, Jericho and his teammates lost in this cinematic contest last year, but this time around, the stakes are even higher for them in AEW.
#3 Cody Rhodes revealed his AEW Double or Nothing opponent during an emotional promo
Cody Rhodes' feud with his former best friend, QT Marshall, has now turned into a bigger AEW storyline involving several players. During this week's AEW Dynamite, Cody addressed one of those players — ex-Olympian boxer Anthony Ogogo.
The former TNT Champion called out Ogogo for verbally burying the United States. Cody then cut an emotional promo about The American Dream, which pertains to his own past and the United States as a whole.
“You [Ogogo] like to educate. You like to pontificate on what the United States is," Cody said. "In 2021, in the very same city, my wife will give birth to a beautiful white, a beautiful black American princess, shun neither, and I want her to know, I didn’t just lay down under another man’s flag. I got up off my a** and I fought back! And here’s where we’re going to do the fighting: at DOUBLE OR NOTHING."
"It’ll be Anthony Ogogo versus myself," Cody added. "But he will not be wrestling ‘The American Nightmare.’ For one night, it’ll be Anthony Ogogo versus ‘The American Dream’ Cody Rhodes!”
Next week, Anthony Ogogo is set to fight one of Cody Rhodes' allies — Austin Gunn.
Although Ogogo will likely win during the next episode of AEW Dynamite, can Cody overcome the former professional boxer's dominant presence at Double or Nothing?
#2 Kenny Omega will face double trouble at AEW Double or Nothing
Pac and Orange Cassidy fought each other during this week's AEW Dynamite to determine the top contender for Kenny Omega's AEW World Championship.
Last week, AEW teased that Cassidy would end up facing Omega at Double or Nothing. Some fans felt their segment was a misdirection and Pac would receive that opportunity instead.
But towards the end of Pac and Cassidy's contest this week, Omega got involved in some shenanigans in an attempt to ensure that neither of them could face him at the upcoming pay-per-view. The AEW World Champion ambushed Pac when the referee was distracted. As a result, both title contenders weren't able to get up before the 10-count.
Kenny Omega thought this result wouldn't have guaranteed either of them a title shot, as no clear winner was determined. However, Tony Schiavone soon informed everyone that both Pac and Cassidy would face Omega in a three-way match at Double or Nothing.
The AEW World Championship match itself should be quite fun to watch at the upcoming pay-per-view. However, this three-way feud seems to have sprung into existence out of nowhere. Let's hope AEW can add more depth to the top title scenario in the next two episodes.
#1 SCU had to forcibly split up after an AEW Tag Team Championship match
Back in December, SCU's Christopher Daniels and Frankie Kazarian agreed that they would disband the next time they lost together in AEW as a tag team. That "next time" happened to be this week's AEW Dynamite. Daniels and Kazarian lost to The Young Bucks (Matt and Nick Jackson) in a high-stakes contest for the AEW Tag Team Championships.
Keep in mind that this result only occurred due to some unfair shenanigans that took place in the ring. While it may not seem like the best way to conclude the story of one of AEW's earliest tag teams, the unfairness of the situation only allowed The Young Bucks to gain more heat.
The outcome of this tag team match also served as a good contrast to the opening bout, which ended respectfully after Jon Moxley retained his IWGP U.S. Championship against the legendary Yuji Nagata.
As SCU's chapter comes to a close, The Young Bucks' notoriety is set to increase even further over the next few weeks. Matt and Nick Jackson will defend their titles against The Varsity Blondes in the next episode.
Additionally, the AEW Tag Team Champions challenged Jon Moxley and Eddie Kingston to a "superkick party" at Double or Nothing. Will Moxley and Kingston be able to dethrone The Young Bucks from the top of AEW's tag team division? Sound off in the comments section below.
In the video embedded above, do check out Sportskeeda Wrestling's 'The Debrief,' where Jose G and Rico El Glorioso review the latest AEW Dynamite and NXT episodes.