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Welcome to my live, ongoing AEW Double or Nothing 2024 blog, sponsored by our great friends at RingsideCollectibles.com, who have a ton of AEW and WWE action figures on sale right now as part of their Memorial Day Sale!
The barbed wire cage match is next. This is easily the biggest singles match for Malakai Black in AEW since the Cody Rhodes feud. They have weapons in the cage. Edge did a a Brood style enntrance. They battled with chairs early on. Copeland used barbed wire on Black's face quicker than you could spell Adullah the Butcher. Malakai was bleeding, the first blood of the night. It was quite a bit, peppering the mat. Copeland was in control. Copeland nailed the Implant DDT. Black gained control and grabbed a barbed wire bat, digging it into Copeland's head. Copeland was now bleeding as well. He set up for a Conchairto with the bat as Copeland was over a chair. Edge moved at the last second, grabbed the bat and drilled Black in the gut.
Copeland placed Black on a table and went to the ropes to set up but was kicked and fell, crotching himself on the top. They battled against the cage. Black nailed a powerbomb through a table for a close two count. Black set up for a kick but was speared for a two count. Copeland placed him on a table and wrapped him to the table with barbed wire. The crowd chanted You sick f*** and they would be correct. Copeland went to the top of the cage and hit an elbow drop from the top, smashing through the table. It looked like Edge was a little short on the drop. If they did a double TKO finish the fans would believe it.
Copeland covered Black, who kicked out. This brought the first AEW chant of the night. Black pulled a spool of barbed wire from the cage. They used it. Black kicked Copeland, who crashed through the cage door to the floor. Black followed but was speared on the floor. War of attrition. House of Black came to ringside. They teased attacking Copeland then acted like they were turning on Black, only to then attack Edge. Three weeks of storylines in 30 seconds! They all worked over Copeland. Who's going to make the save? Gangrel? The Dudleys? I have no idea.
They wrapped barbed wire around Edge's head, which Nigel McGuinness rightfully called a disgusting image. The lights went out and Brood music played. GANGREL emerged from a hole in the ring and attacked everyone. Vegas lost their minds. Malakai kicked Gangrel but was speared. Edge removed the barbed wire from his face and wrapped around Black's throat and choked him out. He retrieved his wedding ring.
Copeland left limping, helped out by Gangrel.
Don Callis announced he would be presenting someone a contract for the Callis family on Wednesday. The live crowd has booed every Callis appearannce so far by the way.
Next is Mercedes Mone vs. Willow Nightingale. After all the time and money invested, this is the moment of truth for Mercedes Mone. A big moment for Willow Nightingale as well. Mercedes had a marching band out of Tron as well as Vegas showgirls. Willow got the final entrance as champ and showed a lot of energy. During the entrances, Willow received a star's response. Really well deserved and earned.
CEO chants at the bell but some are booing that.
Mone immediately went to the ropes, so she's a heel.
Dueling chants for Willow and Mercedes.
Mone went to the floor and was chased into the ring, where she attacked Willow. Willow made a comeback and caught Mone going for a sliding kick, hitting a Doctor Bomb on the apron. That looked cool. I bet Dr. Tom never did that. Willow nailed a delayed vertical suplex. They battled to the top where Nightingale was going to suplex her off but Mone attacked her ankle, playing off the fact that Willow "hurt" her in New Japan.
Willow tried to fight back but Mercedes kept going after the leg. Mone continued to attack her ankle.
This has been good so far and Willow has looked like a star as well in how she is presented.
Nightgale escape an abdominal stretch and cinched in an ankle lock. She was kicked into the corner. Mone charged but was wiped out with The Pounce. Mone kicked out after a big spinebuster.
The crowd is as into this as any other match on the show and far more than they were Toni vs Deeb in my opinion.
Nightingale nailed a Perfectplex for a two count. The story is that her ankle is bothering her from the earlier attacks. Mone took control and locked on a figure four, but the champ made it to the ropes. Mone went to the top to hit a move on Nightingale, who moved. Willow attacked the legs and hit a knee breaker on the apron. In the ring, Willow spun her around in a hanging Cloverleaf, which looked good.
Mone ate a DVDR in the corner but avoided a charge. She went after the ankle again, then hit a Meteora off the top for a two count. Willow went to the floor and was hit with another. Mone shoved Kris Statlander. Kris and Stokely Hathaway argued with the ref, making her miss that Willow had the pinfall after a Doctor Bomb. She went for another but was caught in a STF. Nightingale fought to the ropes. Mone nailed the Moneymaker and scored the pin.
New Champ.
They worked super hard and this was enjoyable.
Mone looked really emotional. I don't blame her. She returned to the ring after being hurt for a year.
Stokely began berating Willow for losing, so Statlander shoved him on his rear. She helped Willow out of the ring, then attacked her. So after all those teases, Stat and Stokely are a new heel act.
More on Page 4.
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