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AEW Double or Nothing 2021 was one of the biggest events for the company so far this year. There were several matches that stood out as well as one or two match-of-the-year contenders in the pay-per-view.
Quite a few bouts delivered far more than was expected from them. The AEW Tag Team Championship match where The Young Bucks faced Jon Moxley and Eddie Kingston stole the show, while the AEW World Heavyweight Championship match delivered as well.
A new contender for a future shot at the AEW Championship emerged thanks to the Casino Battle Royale, while Cody Rhodes found himself struggling against Anthony Ogogo's powerful punches.
The Inner Circle battled The Pinnacle as the faction looked to survive in AEW and continue their existence in their Stadium Stampede Match. There was also a clash of titans when Lance Archer met Miro for the AEW TNT title.
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Quite a few superstars managed to stand out from the crowd at Double or Nothing. The following are the top five stars from the night:
#5 Serena Deeb dominated at Double or Nothing
There is no way enough can be said about Serena Deeb. She is one of the best wrestlers in women's wrestling at the moment. During a time when the AEW women's division was lacking, she and Thunder Rosa helped fill out a roster plagued with injuries and problems arising from the COVID-19 pandemic.
However, while she was always an exciting star, she has improved greatly by adding to her abilities in the ring. Since returning from injury to AEW, she appeared better than ever and even teased a change in character at Double or Nothing.
She was able to use her strength at Double or Nothing to dominate Riho, but she seemed less than friendly as well. Deeb has been more aggressive since returning from injury, and at Double or Nothing appeared to turn heel.
The dominant performance she put on, despite Riho fighting back, was something to be commended. Serena Deeb and Riho woke the crowd up with a fantastic opener on the Double or Nothing Buy In. If you missed this one, be sure to go back and watch what ended up being one of the best matches of the night.
#4 Kenny Omega retained his AEW Championship at Double or Nothing
Kenny Omega faced threats from two different superstars in the AEW Championship Triple Threat Match at Double or Nothing. PAC and Orange Cassidy both challenged for the title and Omega was in a position where he didn't even have to be pinned to lose the title.
By the time the match came to an end, all three men had been through hell. Throughout the match, PAC brought out his biggest moves as he sought to replicate the result of the last time he faced Omega, but in the end came up just shy of dethroning the Best Bout Machine.
Cassidy looked better than ever, leading to Omega taking things into his own hands. He knocked out the referee and used his title belts to knock out PAC. Cassidy came out of nowhere to hit the Orange Punch and laid out Omega. Unfortunately, by the time the referee got to the ring, the champion caught Freshly Squeezed in a crucifix pin to hold Cassidy down for the three-count.
Kenny Omega came out as the AEW Champion at the end of the night at Double or Nothing in what was a spectacular triple threat contest.
#3 The Young Bucks defeated Jon Moxley and Eddie Kingston at AEW Double or Nothing
The Young Bucks faced Jon Moxley and Eddie Kingston at Double or Nothing. The AEW Tag Team titles were on the line and it looked like nothing could stop Moxley and Kingston from knocking off Matt and Nick Jackson.
They had all the momentum on their side as they battled even before the bell rung to start the match. This was immediately seen as one of the best matches of the night as the wrestlers broke out every move in their arsenal.
However, The Young Bucks proved to be too much for Moxley and Kingston. Their teamwork was more than what the two friends were ready for. The Bucks brought everything out, hitting Moxley with the Meltzer Driver on the outside busting his head open.
They would hit him with the Driver inside the ring as well. In the end, they were able to take Kingston out and focus on Moxley. Although the former WWE Champion kicked out of several incredibly close calls, when they hit him with four BTE Triggers, it was too much even for him.
The Bucks were able to pick up the win at Double or Nothing, adding to their long list of great tag team matches.
#2 Miro got a dominant win at Double or Nothing
Lance Archer does not have the best record when challenging for the AEW TNT title at Double or Nothing. Last year, he faced Cody Rhodes for the AEW TNT title, but there he lost the match and Rhodes became the inaugural champion.
This year, he faced Miro at Double or Nothing in a match that was booked as a clash between titans. He wasted no time attacking Miro at the start of the match and even looked dominant in the early goings of the bout.
However, once Miro got a foothold in the match, there was no stopping him. He threw Archer around like he was nothing. When Jake Roberts tried to interfere, Miro not only took him out, he also threw the sack supposedly containing Roberts' snake up the ramp like it was trash.
Miro was completely dominant in the closing moments of the match as well. He destroyed Archer by putting him in the Accolade. When Archer tried to get up, Miro assaulted his back before wrenching back on him, so that he fell back and was ultimately left passed out.
#1 Britt Baker won the women's championship at Double or Nothing
Britt Baker faced Hikaru Shida at the AEW Double or Nothing pay-per-view where she ended the year-long reign of Shida with the AEW Women's Championship.
Baker's push was a long-time coming as she was a continuous presence in the women's division even when she was injured. Hikaru Shida carried the division during the worst time for AEW in the middle of the pandemic. She was honored with a new title but didn't get to hold it for long as Baker defeated her to become the new champion.
The match saw both women give everything and was by far the best match of the night. In a way, it was perfect, as it was the representation of how far the women's division has come in AEW, from being the most criticized, to delivering the best matches during events. Double or Nothing was the perfect place for Baker to reach a new level within herself.
Baker tried throughout to get the Lockjaw in, and she managed to do so at the end of the night. Baker locked it in and Shida had no option but to tap out, resulting in a new AEW Women's Champion for the first time in over a year.
We're in a new era for AEW's women's division, and it kicked off with one of the best matches we've seen from AEW this year. At Double or Nothing, Baker cemented herself as the face of the division.
