Early Picks for Omega vs. Jericho and Full AEW Double or Nothing Match Card
All Elite Wrestling's Double or Nothing extravaganza will invade Las Vegas' MGM Grand Garden Arena on May 25 with a card headlined by the second showdown between Chris Jericho and Kenny Omega.
That match, as well as the other six on the jam-packed lineup, will help shape the course of the company's first year. But which performers can fans expect to leave victoriously, and why would those stars be the best options?
Find out now with these way-too-early predictions for the monumental pay-per-view spectacular.
Hangman Page vs. Pac
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Hangman Page vs. Pac is, arguably, the most interesting match on the Double or Nothing card.
Page is clearly the future of the company. He has every tool necessary to be a world champion and to carry the promotion into the future. Pac, though, is an international star with the potential to be the AEW's top heel.
The question becomes which of the two competitors AEW is most interested in pushing in its infancy.
While Page may be the future, this feels like the perfect opportunity to get Pac off to a hot start and set him up for matches with the other members of The Elite.
Prediction: Pac
SoCal Uncensored vs. CIMA, T-Hawk and El Lindaman
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Cima, T-Hawk and El Lindaman may be internationally recognized and majorly respected by the hardcore wrestling fanbase, but SoCal Uncensored's Christopher Daniels, Scorpio Sky and Frankie Kazarian should pick up the win in this one.
SCU is a fun, energetic act that pops the crowd, as we witnessed back at All In, when Kazarian and Sky defeated The Briscoe Brothers in the pre-show opener.
There is not much of a backstory to this point, but the contest should be a fast-paced, high-energy encounter that sets the tone for the rest of the card.
The opposition will get the hero's welcome from an appreciative crowd, but it should be Daniels, Sky and Kazarian who go over in THE WORST TOWN THEY'VE EVER BEEN IN!
Prediction: SCU
Britt Baker vs. Nyla Rose vs. Kylie Rae
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The dynamic in the women's Triple Threat match is an interesting one.
Kylie Rae may well be the best wrestler of the three, while Nyla Rose will be showcased as the powerhouse of the bunch. It is Britt Baker, though, who has received the camera time on Cody Rhodes' The Road to Double or Nothing YouTube show and has been the face of the women's division since the inception of the company.
The only competitor to return from the All In Four-Way match that also involved Chelsea Green, Tessa Blanchard and Madison Rayne, she is the heavy favorite to win here. Look for someone like Penelope Ford or Allie to make their presence felt during or after the match as the company uses this bout to jumpstart its women's division.
Prediction: Britt Baker
Over the Budget Battle Royal
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Participants: Sonny Kiss vs. Kip Sabian vs. Brandon Cutler vs. Ace Romero vs. Glacier vs. Brian Pillman Jr. vs. Sunny Daze vs. MJF vs. Joey Janela vs. Chuck Taylor vs. Trent Baretta vs. TBA
Assuming there is not a massive surprise in the Over the Budget Battle Royal, there are two competitors who are clear favorites to emerge from the bout victoriously: Maxwell Jacob Freeman, better known as MJF, or Brian Pillman Jr., son of the iconic former WCW and WWE star.
MJF feels like the sure thing based on the amount of exposure he has received over the past year. One of the brightest young stars in the industry, with momentum on his side and several appearances on both The Road to Double or Nothing and Being The Elite, he feels like a star ready to break out.
What better place to do that than Las Vegas on May 25?
As is often the case in the wrestling business, the most obvious thing is rarely what promoters throw at their fans.
Pillman has the name value and the potential to be a valuable asset to AEW. If there is anyone to spoil MJF's crowning moment, it would be him.
Keep an eye on "Bad Boy" Joey Janela, who may be the biggest star in this match but, for whatever reason, does not have the type of momentum on his side ahead of the Battle Royal that he did when he battled Hangman Page at September's All In event. A potential dark horse, this could be the spark he needs to propel him into a high-profile feud in AEW.
Prediction: MJF
Cody vs. Dustin Rhodes
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The most intensely personal match on the AEW card is the showdown between brothers Cody and Dustin Rhodes.
"I love my brother," Cody said in The Road to Double or Nothing episode 14 before delivering what may be the best promo of his entire career, in which he compared Dustin's career (and Attitude Era contributions) to a dying animal that he will put out of its misery on May 25.
Dustin, a week earlier, had taken exception to Cody's view of him as an over-the-hill wrestler who cannot go anymore.
The work by both Superstars in setting up their match at Double or Nothing has been nothing short of extraordinary. The promos, the emotion and the storytelling will fuel what may be the most classic example of a story-based match in recent memory in Las Vegas.
It may also be the most predictable match on the card, one almost certain to end with Cody's arm raised in victory, but every other contest on the lineup will struggle to match the emotion it generates from the audience.
Prediction: Cody
AAA Tag Team Championship Match: The Young Bucks vs. Pentagon Jr. and Rey Fenix
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The rivalry between The Lucha Bros and The Young Bucks began at the Double or Nothing on-sale party in February, where Pentagon Jr. and Rey Fenix attacked Nick and Matt Jackson, leaving them lying following a particularly nasty piledriver to Nick on the stage.
The Young Bucks recovered, made their way to Mexico and defeated their new-found rivals for the AAA World Tag Team Championship.
On May 25, the titles will be up for grabs as the teams look to tear down the MGM Grand Garden Arena in what should be one of the most chaotic bouts on the Double or Nothing card.
The Young Bucks winning and retaining the title would suggest a working relationship with AAA that would see them return to Mexico in the weeks between Double or Nothing and Fight for the Fallen in July. While that is absolutely a possibility, this feels like The Lucha Bros' opportunity to pick up the win, regain the titles and deal The Elite a defeat on this card.
Throw in reports by Dave Meltzer of Wrestling Observer Radio that Pentagon Jr. and Fenix may be on their way to signing exclusive U.S. contracts with AEW, and you have even more reason to believe a victory is inevitable.
Prediction: The Lucha Bros
Kenny Omega vs. Chris Jericho
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The outcome of Kenny Omega vs. Chris Jericho depends greatly on AEW officials' desire to book a third showdown between The Best Bout Machine and Y2J.
Omega defeated Jericho at Wrestle Kingdom 12 in 2018, fueling Jericho's anger and thirst for vengeance. A Jericho victory would intensify his heel act, which has been on full display in The Road to Double or Nothing, and create an insufferable villain fans cannot wait to see silenced by a babyface.
At the same time, Omega is as much the face of AEW as Cody and The Young Bucks, so a win in the company's first pay-per-view event would make sense.
Saturday's revelation that Jericho will challenge Kazuchika Okada for the IWGP Heavyweight Championship at New Japan Pro-Wrestling's Dominion on June 9 enhances the importance of a Jericho victory as he prepares for a huge title opportunity.
The heart says Omega wins, but the head says Jericho scores the victory to set up Round 3 between the industry icons.
Prediction: Chris Jericho
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