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The 2022 Double or Nothing was the fourth annual Double or Nothing professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) event produced by All Elite Wrestling (AEW). It took place during Memorial Day weekend at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. The event saw the inaugural winners of the men's and women's Owen Hart Cup.

Production

Background

Double or Nothing is considered All Elite Wrestling's (AEW) marquee event, having first been held in 2019, which was the promotion's first pay-per-view (PPV) produced. It is held annually around Memorial Day and is one of AEW's "Big Four" PPVs, which includes All Out, Full Gear, and Revolution, their four biggest shows produced quarterly. The 2022 event will be the fourth event in the Double or Nothing chronology. After the previous two years' events had to be held at Daily's Place in Jacksonville, Florida due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2022 event will return Double or Nothing to Las Vegas, which is where the inaugural event was held, although the venue for the event has not been confirmed.

Storylines

Double or Nothing featured professional wrestling matches that involved different wrestlers from pre-existing feuds and storylines. Wrestlers portrayed heroes, villains, or less distinguishable characters in events that built tension and culminated in a wrestling match or series of matches. Storylines are produced on AEW's weekly television programs, Dynamite and Rampage, the supplementary online streaming shows, Dark and Elevation, and The Young Bucks' YouTube series Being The Elite.

In September 2021, AEW announced the establishment of the Owen Hart Cup, an annual tournament to honor the legacy of Owen Hart, a prominent wrestler for WWE (at the time known as the World Wrestling Federation) during the 90s who tragically died at that company's 1999 Over the Edge PPV. The tournament was established in collaboration with The Owen Hart Foundation. On December 17, AEW revealed that there would be both a men's and women's tournament of the Owen Hart Cup, and the winners would receive a trophy called "The Owen". It was also confirmed that the tournaments would begin in May with the finals to be held at Double or Nothing. AEW President and Chief Executive Officer Tony Khan revealed that he had considered concluding the Owen Hart Cup at Revolution, but as Las Vegas is closer to Martha Hart's (Owen's widow) home than Orlando, Florida is and due to her teaching schedule in Canada, Khan decided to conclude the tournaments at Double or Nothing so that Martha could be involved. In deciding why there would be both a men's and women's tournament, Khan likened it to the Wimbledon, which also has both men's and women's tournaments.

On the May 11, 2022 episode of Dynamite, Danhausen was defeated by Tony Nese in a quick fashion before being attacked by Nese and his manager Mark Sterling. Hook, who Danhausen had been trying to put a curse on for multiple weeks, made the save. As a result, a tag team match was made official for the Buy In Pre-Show.

Following Adam Cole's victory over Jeff Hardy on the May 18, 2022 episode of Dynamite, during the wild brawl that ensued, Sting was put out of action after a chair was wrapped around his leg and Kyle O'Reilly nailed the chair with a Flying Kneedrop. On the May 27, 2022 episode of Rampage, Sting's ally Darby Allin challenged O'Reilly to a match at Double or Nothing, with the match being made official that night.

After Scorpio Sky won the TNT Championship from Sammy Guevara on the March 9, 2022 episode of Dynamite, Paige VanZant, another member of American Top Team, signed her AEW contract. Guevara regained the championship at Battle of the Belts II before losing it again to Sky in a Ladder Match on April 27, 2022. Following a defence by Sky against Frankie Kazarian after Ethan Page and Dan Lambert interfered, along with constant bickering between the two groups, which involved Guevara and Conti destroying Lambert's car, a Six Person Tag Team Match between American Top Team (Page, VanZant & Sky) and Kazarian, Guevara & Conti was made official for Double or Nothing with the stipulation that if ATT won, Guevara and Kazarian would not be eligible to challenge Sky for as long as he is champion.

The formation of The Jericho Appreciation Society, following the dissolution of The Inner Circle only helped heighten the feud between Chris Jericho's new group of "sports entertainers" and Eddie Kingston, Ortiz & Santana. After Kingston, Ortiz & Santana were defeated by Jericho, Daniel Garcia & Jake Hager on the April 13, 2022 and Jericho delivered a fireball to Kingston on the April 27, 2022 episode of Dynamite, the Blackpool Combat Club helped even the odds on the May 11, 2022 episode of Dynamite. It was made official the next week that Jon Moxley & Bryan Danielson would team with Kingston, Ortiz & Santana to take on Jericho, Angelo Parker, Garcia, Hager, & Matt Menard in an Anarchy In The Arena Match.

Following PAC's return after being misted by Malakai Black, Penta El Zero M was also misted by Black, transforming himself into his sinister Penta Oscuro persona. Due to the addition of Buddy Matthews into the House of Black and Rey Fenix still being out of commission due to injury, House of Black defeated PAC, Penta, and Erick Redbeard at Revolution 2022. Death Triangle would continue feuding with House of Black after Fenix's return, with the group challenging House of Black to a Six Man Tag Team Match for Double or Nothing on the May 20, 2022 episode of Rampage.

On the May 20, 2022 episode of Rampage, Kris Statlander was jumped by Kiera Hogan and Red Velvet after defeating the latter. Ruby Soho attempted to even the numbers, however, TBS Champion Jade Cargill quickly put Statlander and Soho at a disadvantage. Anna Jay ran out to chase off Jade, Hogan, and Velvet, before Cargill challenged Jay to a match at Double or Nothing later in the night.

After many confrontations between The Hardys and The Young Bucks, a match between the two brother tag teams was made official on May 20.

Due to Wardlow costing MJF his match against CM Punk at Revolution 2022 after producing the Dynamite Diamond Ring to Punk instead of the man he was contractually obliged to, Wardlow would announce that he was no longer going to be allied with MJF or The Pinnacle, however, MJF explained that Wardlow was still under contract with MJF. As a result, MJF stripped Wardlow of his entrance music, forced him to make his way around in handcuffs surrounded by security, and complete a set of stipulations in order to face MJF at Double or Nothing. Wardlow successfully completed the two stipulations, firstly enduring ten lashes from MJF and Shawn Spears without retaliation, before defeating Spears in a Steel Cage Match with MJF as guest referee. It was soon made official that Wardlow would face MJF at Double or Nothing with the stipulation that if Wardlow won, he would no longer be under contract with MJF, while if MJF won, Wardlow would be forced to remain under the orders of MJF.

On the May 18, 2022 episode of Dynamite, Keith Lee & Swerve Strickland defeated The WorkHorsemen (JD Drake & Anthony Henry) to enter into the top five tag teams in the AEW rankings. However, Lee & Strickland were interrupted by Team Taz members FTW Champion Ricky Starks & Powerhouse Hobbs. While the two teams traded insults, the AEW World Tag Team Champions Jurassic Express (Jungle Boy & Luchasaurus), along with Christian Cage, interrupted, with Cage proposing a Triple Threat involving Jungle Boy, Starks, and Strickland for the May 25, 2022 episode of Dynamite, followed by the announcement of a Triple Threat Tag Team Match between the three teams at Double or Nothing.

On the May 4, 2022 episode of Dynamite, AEW Women's World Champion Thunder Rosa called out the number one ranked women in the company, Serena Deeb, who was coming off a rivalry with Hikaru Shida. The pair showed respect for each other, however, Deeb explained that the best woman should be champion, with the match being made official for Double or Nothing that night.

CM Punk, coming off a victory over MJF at Revolution 2022, began climbing the rankings in the weeks leading up to Double or Nothing, leading to Punk and AEW World Champion Adam Page confronting each other after Punk defeated Dustin Rhodes. Following the stare down, the match between the pair was made official for Double or Nothing the next week.

Results

Numbers in parentheses indicate the length of the match.
(c) refers to the champion(s) heading into the match.

Other on-screen talent

Commentators
Interviewers
Ring announcer
Referees

External links

Double or Nothing
2019202020212022202320242025


All Elite Wrestling Events
2019
Double or NothingFyter FestFight For The FallenAll OutFull Gear
2020
RevolutionDouble or NothingFyter FestAll OutFull Gear
2021
RevolutionDouble or NothingAll OutFull Gear
2022
Battle of the Belts IRevolutionBattle of the Belts IIDouble or NothingAEW-NJPW Forbidden DoorBattle of the Belts IIIAll OutBattle of the Belts IVFull Gear
2023
Battle of the Belts VRevolutionBattle of the Belts VIDouble or NothingAEW-NJPW Forbidden DoorBattle of the Belts VIIAll InAll OutWrestleDreamBattle of the Belts VIIIFull GearWorlds End
2024
Battle of the Belts IXRevolutionBattle of the Belts XDynastyDouble or NothingAEW-NJPW Forbidden DoorBattle of the Belts XIAll InAll OutWrestleDreamBattle of the Belts XIIFull GearWorlds End
2025
Grand Slam AustraliaRevolutionDynastyDouble or Nothing
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