5 things AEW shouldn't do at Double or Nothing 2023: John Morrison returning, WWE Hall of Famer helping Darby Allin
AEW Double or Nothing 2023 is just a couple of hours away. It will emanate from Paradise, Nevada, and feature several top matches, such as the Four Pillars AEW World Championship bout between MJF, Sammy Guevara, "Jungle Boy" Jack Perry, and Darby Allin.
There is also the Anarchy in the Arena Match between The Elite and the Blackpool Combat Club, as well as Adam Cole vs. Chris Jericho in an Unsanctioned bout. A lot is riding on the potential success of the event, with the company heading into the summer debuting a new show, AEW Collision. Moreover, the All In mega show at Wembley Stadium is also scheduled for August.
AEW President Tony Khan would be wise to avoid making the following booking decisions, as it could take away from a promising card that will likely deliver. Here are five things All Elite Wrestling shouldn't do at Double or Nothing.
#5 Sting shouldn't help Darby Allin win the AEW World Championship
“What Sting taught me more than anything is 'if you're as good as you think you are, you can win in losing’
I love putting other people over if I know…if the person is somewhat new to the company & they're going to take that ball & run with it”
- Darby Allin
(via DDP Snakepit) https://t.co/peQYJHMPou
Double or Nothing 2023 is built around the Four Pillars AEW World Championship Match. Darby Allin is among the few All Elite Wrestling originals who have enjoyed mainstream success in the company. Winning the world title would be a great achievement for the 30-year-old and the most significant milestone of his career thus far.
But Darby must go at it alone if he wants to create history this Sunday. That means his mentor, the legendary Sting, should avoid accompanying him at ringside during the match.
The Icon has been a great partner to the younger wrestler. However, his presence would only overshadow the moment. It would make more sense for Sting to appear if Allin wins the title and celebrates with him.
A singles clash between the two close friends would definitely be a great first rivalry for Darby. The former TNT Champion would welcome a one-off match with his tag team partner, as Sting is seemingly winding down his career.
“I’m down for whatever Sting wants to do. He’s probably got a good year left. I would say so if a singles match is what he wants then a singles match is what he’ll get,” said Allin about a possible bout against Sting.
For that to happen, Allin must overcome the challenge of Jungle Boy, Guevara, and the current champion, MJF.
#4 Wardlow shouldn't turn on Arn Anderson if he loses the TNT Championship
“He (Wardlow) is such a class act, he is focused, he carries himself like a professional.
He does everything right, he’s just been getting some bad advice from day one.”
- Arn Anderson
(via Ask Arn Anything) https://t.co/UpKAmHuNO6
Wardlow is set to defend his TNT Championship against Christian Cage in a ladder match at the upcoming pay-per-view. The War Dog has been managed by legendary wrestler Arn Anderson in recent weeks, and it has paid dividends. Wardlow regained his title from Powerhouse Hobbs under Anderson's tutelage.
Arn has made it clear that he is frustrated with Wardlow's tenure in AEW so far. He has seemingly called out the company for not taking advantage of the momentum The War Dog had following his rivalry with MJF nearly a year ago.
Wardlow will lock horns against a formidable challenger in Captain Charisma on Sunday. Cage is a wily veteran and an expert in the ladder match stipulation. He also has a monster by his side, Luchasaurus. There's a very high chance that Cage could get an upset victory over the current champion through underhanded means.
This could drive Wardlow over the edge and cause him to turn on Arn Anderson in frustration. However, Tony Khan should avoid booking a heel turn for the former Pinnacle member. Wardlow still has a lot of mileage as a babyface and needs a credible run with the title. Keeping him with Arn makes sense for now.
#3 John Morrison shouldn't return to AEW
Tony Khan comments on John Morrison aka Johnny Elite’s debut with #AEW nodq.com/news/tony-khan… https://t.co/cXUfJOE0EV
Nearly a year ago, former WWE Superstar John Morrison (aka Johnny Elite) debuted in All Elite Wrestling. He competed in the Owen Hart Foundation Tournament and several matches afterward. But the former champion never officially signed a contract with the promotion. He has not wrestled for AEW since losing to Miro on the June 1, 2022, episode of Dynamite.
Since then, Morrison has kept himself busy with independent gigs and even entered a boxing ring for a boxing bout against Harley Morenstein at Creator Clash 2 in Tampa, Florida.
In the third round, he knocked his opponent out with WWE Superstars such as Karrion Kross, LA Knight, Scarlett, and Morrison's wife, current AEW star Taya Valkyrie, in attendance.
In an interview with Sportskeeda Wrestling's Aiden James, Morrison mentioned he is open to the possibility of an All Elite Wrestling return:
"Good [chance of working for either company], but there's no definite answer to that question. I think that's one thing that's interesting about wrestling. What happens and when and why, it sometimes comes down to the most talented people, and it sometimes comes down to opportunity, needing luck, right place, right time." [11:28 – 11:50]
While that might be an interesting possibility, Tony Khan should not sign the former WWE Superstar. The roster is already stacked as it is, and adding another wrestler to the mix will take opportunities from the homegrown stars that the company already has.
#2 Jade Cargill shouldn't lose the TBS Championship
Congratulations to @Jade_Cargill who has spent 500 DAYS as the Undefeated TBS Champion 🏆
#Jade500 https://t.co/EiS2V5a9ba
Jade Cargill has surpassed 500 days as TBS Champion. She is set to clash with Taya Valkyrie in a rematch for the title on Sunday. In a recent interview with Chris Van Vliet, the former Franky Monet had positive words for her opponent:
“Yes, Jade has been fantastic. Jade obviously has not been in the business in a really long time, but her passion and determination, and her athleticism and like you can tell she’s an athlete, because and you can’t tell her sh*t either. She really wants to prove herself, and I’m happy to be in a ring with someone like that." (H/T: Chris Van Vliet)
While Taya has the advantage of experience over Cargill, she should not be the one to dethrone the dominant champion. Tony Khan should save that monumental moment for a bigger event, perhaps All In at Wembley Stadium. Ideally, it should be another homegrown talent like the currently injured Kris Statlander that gets the win.
#1 Kota Ibushi shouldn't debut to help The Elite
“In the case of a contract with AEW, I would like to sign a contract with AEW that I will participate in for about a week every month
Until the basic foundation of the dojo is solidified”
- Kota Ibushi
(via @PuroresuFlow) https://t.co/EDim2a0Iiq
Former New Japan Pro-Wrestling star Kota Ibushi wants to wrestle in AEW and has made his intention publicly known. Tony Khan himself has commented that he is interested in meeting the Japanese star for contractual talks.
It helps that The Golden Star is close friends with current EVP Kenny Omega. While it might be tempting to debut Ibushi during The Elite's match with Blackpool Combat Club, it would take away from the heated rivalry between the rival factions.
It would make more sense to have Ibushi appear at AEW X NJPW: Forbidden Door 2023 instead. Given Ibushi's link to his former company, he would be a draw to both audiences, especially if he were to reform the Golden Lovers tag team with The Cleaner.