AEW Double or Nothing 2020: Jon Moxley and Top Stars Who Will Shine at PPV

All Elite Wrestling's biggest show of the year takes place this Saturday, with Double or Nothing featuring all four major titles on the line in Jacksonville, Florida. 

The main event of the show will feature Jon Moxley making his first pay-per-view defense of the AEW world championship against Brodie Lee, while Cody Rhodes and Lance Archer will lock horns for the inaugural TNT title. 

Those two bouts will have ramifications for the short- and long-term direction of AEW booking. Everything the company has been building toward since Revolution in February will come to a head this weekend. 

Before the second annual Double or Nothing show takes place, let's look at the stars who need to come out of the PPV with victories. 

2020 AEW Double or Nothing Card

AEW World Championship: Jon Moxley (c) vs. Brodie Lee

TNT Championship: Cody vs. Lance Archer

AEW Women's Championship: Nyla Rose (c) vs. Hikaru Shida

Casino Ladder match for AEW World Championship match: Darby Allin vs. Colt Cabana vs. Orange Cassidy vs. Rey Fénix vs. Scorpio Sky vs. Kip Sabian vs. Frankie Kazarian vs. Luchasaurus vs. TBD

Stadium Stampede match: Matt Hardy and The Elite vs. The Inner Circle

MJF vs. Jungle Boy

Dr. Britt Baker vs. Kris Statlander

No. 1 Contender Tag Team Championship match (pre-show): Private Party vs. Best Friends

Stars Who Must Win

Jon Moxley

There seems to be little doubt Moxley will retain the AEW world title on Saturday. This is his first major defense of the belt on PPV after ending Chris Jericho's unbeaten streak at Revolution. 

Since Cody is unable to challenge for the title based on the stipulation from his match with Jericho at Full Gear last November, Moxley is the top babyface in a way that The American Nightmare can't be until AEW tries to get around that booking decision.

Moxley has been fantastic in his role, particularly as the counterpart to Jericho as the top heel. There is an argument to be made that Lee, who is undefeated in AEW (5-0) and making his PPV debut with the promotion, should get the victory. 

But Moxley is still in the early stages of his title run and doesn't need to drop the crown right now. Lee has been properly built up with wins over fan favorites such as Christopher Daniels and Marko Stunt on Dynamite. 

Ultimately, though, Lee is being set up as the monster heel for the hero to take down. Moxley will get the rub and continue his reign into the summer.  

Cody 

AEW is in an interesting spot with Cody heading into Double or Nothing. He's currently ranked as the No. 1 contender in the men's division with a 9-1 record this year, but the aforementioned title stipulation makes it impossible for him to challenge for the crown. 

Despite that overall record, he has come up short in his last two pay-per-view matches dating back to Full Gear. The November event was used to set up MJF's heel turn, which in turn led to a head-to-head match at Revolution. 

MJF defeated Cody at the February event, albeit by using the Dynamite Diamond Ring behind the referee's back. 

Given Cody's positioning as the top babyface and his recent PPV shortcomings, Double or Nothing is the perfect place to get him back on track. There's also the poetic ending with him getting revenge for his brother, Dustin, who was retired by Lance Archer with a loss in the second round of the TNT championship tournament. 

This tournament also provides a workaround to the championship problem Cody backed himself into. He can win the TNT title, which will be positioned as the No. 2 men's singles crown on Dynamite. 

Britt Baker

If not for Jericho's presence on the roster, Britt Baker would be the best heel in AEW right now. The professional dentist has come into her own since giving up her underdog babyface gimmick. 

Her promo skills, in particular, have made her must-watch television each week on Dynamite. Her ongoing feud with Tony Schiavone and his love of coffee is as entertaining as any running joke in 2020. 

In the ring, AEW has clearly taken notice of Baker's rise. She recently challenged Hikaru Shida for the AEW women's championship on Dynamite and has won each of her last two singles matches after being pinned clean by Shida on April 8. 

There's a case to be made for the winner of Baker-Kris Statlander moving into the No. 1 contender spot for the title. They only trail Shida in the current women's division rankings, with Nyla Rose entering Double or Nothing as champion. 

Statlander is a promising talent, but her early run in AEW has shown she's not yet ready to be a top star. The Alien will get there eventually and is going to earn her spot. 

For now, though, Baker should be put in a prime position in the women's division because of her recent run as a great heel.