AEW Double or Nothing 2023 Match Card and Predictions

The fifth installment of AEW Double or Nothing coming up Sunday, May 28, 2023 promises to be an eventful night despite the less-than-stellar build since Revolution.

It wasn't until just recently that the card started to take shape with multiple matches being announced. Six were confirmed as of Wednesday's edition of Dynamite and three more were added during Rampage on Friday.

All in all, it's a stacked show on paper, with the top matches looking particularly appealing.

The main event will see MJF defend his AEW World Championship in a four-way against Darby Allin, Jack Perry and Sammy Guevara. The battle of AEW's "four pillars" will determine who deserves to serve as the face of the franchise.

Scores will also be settled when Blackpool Combat Club collides with The Elite in the second-annual Anarchy in the Arena and Adam Cole and Chris Jericho meet in a highly-anticipated Unsanctioned match.

One week out from the event, here is the currently-advertised card for Double or Nothing 2023 as well as predictions for each bout.

The Hardy Party vs. The Firm

Per the stipulation, Matt Hardy will own Ethan Page's contract if he is again able to beat The Firm.

He previously served as a lackey for Page before freeing himself thanks to his win in the Firm Deletion match earlier this month. All signs pointed to the program ending with that, but apparently bad blood remains.

Ideally, Page's team would win to put this rivalry to rest once and for all, but it's much more likely that The Hardy Party will again get the upper hand and reverse the roles with Page now working for Hardy.

The issue is that it will drag out the once-entertaining angle even further and accomplish very little. Matt and Jeff Hardy should be racking up wins and building toward a shot at the AEW World Tag Team Championship down the road instead of staying involved with Page, who has untapped potential as a singles star.

Although this is a rather pointless addition to the stacked Double or Nothing card, Jeff being back in the ring for an actual match makes this somewhat noteworthy.

Prediction: The Hardy Party wins.

Jade Cargill vs. Taya Valkyrie (AEW TBS Championship0

AEW's booking of the Jade Cargill vs. Taya Valkyrie rivalry has been fairly inconsistent and has therefore failed to live up to expectations.

Valkyrie arrived in AEW two months ago to a decent amount of fanfare and posed an immediate threat to Cargill's AEW TBS Championship. Unfortunately, she rarely ever appeared on Dynamite and was quickly overshadowed.

Their initial one-on-one outing was enjoyable but had a horribly-executed finish. That killed interest in a rematch for some fans, and the lack of follow-up until just this week on Rampage was also disappointing.

If Valkyrie couldn't capture the championship the first time around, there's no reason to think she'll get the job done at Double or Nothing. It's quite clear that AEW is holding off on Cargill finally losing until a higher-profile opponent comes around, namely Kris Statlander.

That makes the outcome to this clash extremely predictable, and the women shouldn't be blamed for a quiet crowd. The company completely dropped the ball with this one.

Prediction: Jade Cargill retains.

21-Man Blackjack Battle Royal (AEW International Championship)

An argument can certainly be made for Orange Cassidy being the best booked champion in all of AEW at the moment.

He's been a fighting champ since late last year and has gone unbeaten in one-on-one action. Notable challengers include Katsuyori Shibata, Jay Lethal, Wheeler Yuta and Buddy Matthews.

Since he hasn't had any formal feuds during his title reign, it makes plenty of sense for him to take on all comers in a 21-man Blackjack Battle Royal at Double or Nothing where his gold will be up for grabs.

As of this writing, only Powerhouse Hobbs, QT Marshall and Aaron Solo have been named among the other participants.

Cassidy's lengthy run coming to an end in a Battle Royal would be disappointing, and him barely being able to outlast everyone would be the right story to tell. Barring a major surprise entrant, Cassidy retaining is the right call.

Prediction: Orange Cassidy retains.

FTR vs. Jay Lethal and Jeff Jarrett (AEW World Tag Team Championship)

FTR are far and away the best choice to hold the AEW World Tag Team Championship right now, and yet it feels as if AEW hasn't had the slightest clue of what to do with them since they regained the gold.

Although it wasn't long before they started a storyline with Jay Lethal and Jeff Jarrett, it isn't worthy of the pay-per-view stage and would be better off happening on Dynamite or Rampage. This comes after months of Lethal and Jarrett already being overexposed in the tag team title picture.

Mark Briscoe serving as the special guest referee adds an interesting dynamic, but it doesn't make the outcome any less obvious.

Coming out of this event, AEW should focus on building up credible teams for FTR to defend against and letting them stellar matches on a weekly basis. Relegating them to sports-entertainment segments on the weekly shows has cooled them off considerably.

Additionally, Lethal and Jarrett need an indefinite break from championship contention.

Prediction: FTR retain.

Wardlow vs. Christian Cage (Ladder Match for the AEW TNT Championship)

As a result of constant hot-potato booking, the AEW TNT Championship has never meant less than it does currently. Likewise, Wardlow's momentum is nearly nonexistent because of how he's been handled on his own.

No one on the AEW roster was hotter heading into Double or Nothing last year than Wardlow. Winning the TNT title was the appropriate next step for him at the time, but being treated like a total afterthought severely hindered his momentum.

Wardlow went on to win it for a second time at Revolution, only to lose it days later to Powerhouse Hobbs on Dynamite. Now in his third reign, AEW must send the message that both he and the belt will be prioritized going forward.

That begins with a decisive win in this Ladder match against Christian Cage.

Eventually, a run as TNT champ would be perfectly fitting for Cage, but it shouldn't come at the expense of Wardlow, who needs significant rehabbing. A strong showing from these two can go a long way in changing fans' perception of the once-prestigious prize.

Prediction: Wardlow retains.

Jamie Hayter vs. Toni Storm (AEW Women's World Championship)

The AEW Women's World Championship has gotten lost in the shuffle with The Outcasts wreaking havoc in the women's division all year long.

They've won a majority of their matches but not on the occasions when it has mattered most. Ruby Soho has proven to be a nice addition to the group, but interestingly, Toni Storm will be the Outcasts member challenging for the title at Double or Nothing.

It's far from a fresh match since Hayter and Storm waged war several times in 2022, but it should undoubtedly be excellent. In fact, it was Storm who Hayter unseated to become champ at Full Gear in November and Storm has been in pursuit of a rematch ever since.

Storm had her title run last year (albeit brief) and thus she would be the wrong choice to dethrone Hayter. AEW should build to a bigger bout this summer where Hayter can finally drop it, not as soon as Double or Nothing.

Hayter vs. Saraya seems inevitable and could be the ultimate attraction at All In.

Prediction: Jamie Hayter retains.

Adam Cole vs. Chris Jericho (Unsanctioned Match)

Adam Cole made his triumphant return to the ring in late March with a win over Daniel Garcia and kicked off a feud with Chris Jericho that same night.

It wasn't until Jericho led an assault on Cole's girlfriend Britt Baker shortly thereafter that things got personal between the two, leading to an Unsanctioned match being booked for Double or Nothing.

Cole has a high ceiling as a babyface and should steamroll through Jericho en route to the AEW World Championship picture. If the rivalry extends beyond this event (which is unnecessary), then Cole losing is a possibility but not ideal.

Jericho doesn't always need to lose on pay-per-view, but this is an instance where it would be detrimental for Cole to come up short on the big stage. He should remain strong with a straightforward victory over The Ocho, giving him his comeuppance in the process.

AEW should be mindful about making this unique enough so it doesn't feel too similar to the equally-chaotic Anarchy in the Arena.

Prediction: Adam Cole wins.

The Elite vs. Blackpool Combat Club (Anarchy in the Arena Match)

Some of AEW's greatest storyline on the road to Double or Nothing has come in this angle alone between Blackpool Combat Club and The Elite.

The slow-burn approach to the reunion of The Elite involving The Young Bucks, Kenny Omega and Adam Page has been brilliantly done and has created compelling cliffhangers week after week on AEW TV.

The Dynamite segment that saw The Elite formally challenge Blackpool Combat Club to an Anarchy in the Arena match received a raucous reaction and for good reason. Everyone has played their roles remarkably well in this ongoing saga.

If any one thing is certain, it's that Double or Nothing will not mark the end of this heated rivalry but rather the beginning. That said, it would be logical for Blackpool Combat Club to come away with the win here in order to keep The Elite in chase mode so to speak.

Blood and Guts is on the horizon, and that could be where The Elite get their big moment. For now, Blackpool Combat Club will remain dominant.

Prediction: Blackpool Combat Club win.

MJF vs. Darby Allin vs. Jack Perry vs. Sammy Guevara (AEW World Championship)

Above all else, it's refreshing to have four homegrown stars in the main event of one of AEW's premier pay-per-views.

MJF, Jack Perry, Darby Allin and Sammy Guevara have all had great success throughout their respective runs and have been four of the most consistent performers in the promotion's history. For them to be put in such a prominent position at such an important event is an incredible accomplishment and a testament to how all four of them are the future.

However, even after six months as AEW World champion, MJF dropping the title to any of those three men at Double or Nothing would be premature.

MJF has barely scratched the surface of what he can do in the role, along with the many credible competitors waiting in the wings to challenge him. He must be the one holding the gold going into All In at the end of August.

Perry and Guevara are still a ways off from being ready for a run with the world title, while Allin shouldn't beating MJF until they go one-on-one again eventually. MJF overcoming the odds and escaping this four-way with his title reign intact is the only acceptable scenario.

Prediction: MJF retains.

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Graham Mirmina, aka Graham "GSM" Matthews, has specialized in sports and entertainment writing since 2010. Visit his website, WrestleRant, and subscribe to his YouTube channel for more wrestling-related content.