AEW Double Or Nothing 2020 begins in earnest with a video package giving thanks to first responders and including a quick note about Shad Gaspard. We hear from the participants in the Casino Ladder Match.
Joey Janela notes that he wasn’t even supposed to be in this match tonight until Tony Khan himself called him to tell him about Fenix’s injury. Janela says what a great story it’d be for him to climb that ladder to retrieve that title shot and the future AEW champion was a bad, bad boy. Kip Sabian says ladders are in his blood. This match has no disqualifications. Is Jimmy Havoc going to be involved, Penelope Ford going to be involved? Well he’d tell but that’d be telling. Havoc says they have no problem with the people involved, the only important thing is getting Sabian that title match. Kip says they’ll make them suffer and enjoy every single minute. Christopher Daniels says tonight is all about opportunity. Months ago Scorpio Sky had a chance at Chris Jericho and came this close to being champion. A few weeks ago Frankie Kazarian took on Jon Moxley and got this close to an upset. From those matches they learned and they have all the ingredients to become world champion. Says Kaz and Scorpio have the experience and a win for either of them is a win for SCU. Orange asks his buddies who is hanging above the ring. They struggle to explain the concept of a ladder match to him.
Now, finally the match itself begins with Frankie Kazarian and Scorpio Sky being the first two men out there, what are the odds!
Casino Ladder Match (Scorpio Sky vs. Frankie Kazarian vs. Darby Allin vs. Colt Cabana vs. Kip Sabian vs. Orange Cassidy vs. Joey Janela vs. ???)
The two immediately go outside and grab ladders, pull them inside… but then they opt not to, shove the ladders aside. Lock-up, Scorpio flips out of a wristlock and reverses it but Frankie does the same! Side headlock, Scorpio shoots him off, leap frogs but they both stop short and square off. Scorpio with a back body drop but Frankie lands on his feet, more duck unders and leap frogs, Frankie with a big head of steam and a mid-air collision takes them both out! So quickly, out comes the third entrant and it’s Kip Sabian! And on his way out, Jimmy Havoc sneaks up behind SCU and takes a ladder into the ring, throws it into their faces!
Havoc and Sabian hit Scorpio with a Michinoku Driver/Dropkick combo! They take Kazarian up top, Havoc hooks the ladder onto the bottom rope. Havoc tries to cinch him but Frankie trips him onto the ladder! And a big German Suplex right onto the steel! Kip takes Scorpio onto a set of steel steps and scales a ladder on the outside! But as he’s doing this, Kazarian sets the ladder up in the center of the ring and climbs, Kip has to go over to stop him. Frankie ducks a shot and scrambles up the ladder!! But Sabian pulls him to the mat, big knee lift to the face! Scorpio takes Kip off the ladder as the fourth entrant, Darby Allin emerges!
Darby ducks a Scorpio clothesline and hits a suicide dive on Sabian and Havoc! Scorip pursues him out there but gets driven into the post hard! Allin back into the ring, OTT Stunner to Kazarian! Darby out there grabbing ladders, and is pulling the barricade in closer to the apron to set up a ladder bridge! Frankie catches him with a shot, Darby whips him but Kazarian slides under the ladder but Darby tosses a skateboard into his face! Darby climbs way up the tall ladder with the skateboard… SKATEBOARD-ASSISTED DOUBLE FOOTSTOMP SHATTERS THE LADDER!!! Kazarian avoided it and now Darby’s down on the outside selling his knee! And now an entrant who will come out just as fast, Orange Cassidy is the fifth man!
He strides towards the announce table and asks how he wins the match. Orange does not seem to understand the ladder match rules and is a bit agitated. He slowly strips off the shirt. It’s a good thing everyone’s down, as he takes his time slinking into the ring. On the outside, Scorpio and Kazarian stand as Cassidy tries to reach up there with his bare hands. He stands atop a downed ladder to reach but uh, can’t quite do it. Kip into the ring to clothesline him but it’s ducked and he just falls from the ring! Cassidy lap frogs Scorpio and sends him barreling to the floor too! Dumps Kazarian! Slowly setting the ladder up… but then it just falls, he didn’t actually open it. Cassidy is just not feelin’ it right now. Colt Cabana is the sixth man out now!
Colt comes in behind Cassidy as he continues to be confused. He tries to explain it to him as the crowd chants “Help Him Colt”. Instead Cabana shoves Cassidy to the floor and sets the ladder up in a hurry! But Kazarian and Kip come in, Kip pulling him down, SCU tip the ladder over and send him bouncing into the corner and the ladder shuts on his fingers! Kip gets double arm dragged onto the leaned ladder! Cassidy facing off with SCU, weak leg kicks, ducks a clothesline, dropkick to both men! Hits the ropes with his hands in his pockets, tope suicida to Scorpio and Kazarian without even losing his sunglasses! Drives both men headfirst into the apron but he takes his time getting back into the ring and allows SCU to fight back. Number 7 is Joey Janela!
And he rushes right in with a big rolling senton off the stage to all three men! He rushes around the crowd area and clobbers everyone! Into the ring, he comes in with a missile dropkick to Cabana! Kazarian pulls Joey off the ladder as he scales though. Joey goes out, grabs a chair and takes it back in to smack it across Frankie’s back! Scorpio blocks the second shot though and cracks it across his back! Kazarian turns around and thinks Scorpio hit him! Sabian attacks Scorpio, takes Kaz off the ladder and springs off a rung for a Tornado DDT! And of course #8 is Luchasaurus!
Lucha rushes right in, big chop to Janela, blocks a shot from Cabana and headbutts him! Reverse Hip Toss to Scorpio into a Spinning Knee Strike! Kip staggers over, Lucha hoists him up and powerbombs him out of the ring onto the crowd! Snap kicks to Kazarian, goozle! Chokeslam sends Kazarian bouncing off a rope-hung ladder! And he bounces back up into another chokeslam! Darby Allin finally gets up to the apron, Lucha pulls him to the top rope, Darby with a ton of headbutts! Second Rope Code Red!!! Darby scrambling to get the ladder up as the timer ticks away, who is the ninth man?! Darby climbing… NUMBER NINE IS BRIAN CAGE!!!!
And Taz gave the voiceover for his theme and out Cage comes with Taz accompanying him! He rips a ladder in half on his way out as he goes over and pulls Darby off the ladder with ease, big spinning F-5! Mandhandling Darby, drives him right into the second buckle! Pop-Up Powerbomb to Kip! Sets a ladder up. Scorpio rushes him but gets tossed to the corner, enziguri, German Suplex sends Scorpio flying! Joey charges, Cage takes him to the apron, steps onto the bottom rope and suplexes him right into the ring! My God it’s been too long since I’ve seen Cage, what a beast. Kazarian scales the ladder but Cage pulls him, Wheelbarrow Neckbreaker! Cassidy is piggybacking Cage as he scales the ladder!!! Everyone trying to pull Cage free but Cassidy and Cage kick them away! Finally they pull them down, it takes everybody to get Cage to the mat! Now they’re swarming on him, putting the boots to Cage. They take the ladder out of the way as they pull Cage to his feet, SCU with a ladder and drive it right into his face!
Janela and Colt work together to post him! And now they’re burying him in ladders and barricades! Wow, Kip, Frankie and Cassidy pick one of the giant prop chips! Everybody pitching in, and they drop the chip atop the pile! Kip with a springboard dropkick sends a ladder into the face of Cabana! Scorpio dumps Kip, sets the ladder up in front of Kazarian. Hits the ropes but Kip low bridges him to the outside! SABIAN WITH A COAST TO COAST, SENDS THE LADDER INTO COLT’S FACE! Sabian sets the ladder up, Frankie slams the ladder right into the back of his head! Cassidy stops Kaz with a big Superman Punch! He climbs up, Sabian scales as well and now they’re fighting it out! Penelope Ford watches from the stage… Cassidy winning out with punches! No Sabian hits back, flips him off but Cassidy grabs the middle finger! Tweaks it, punches him and sends him flying right onto the ladder! Penelope Ford into the ring scales the ladder opposite Cassidy! Orange blocks both punches, then just lets her fall right onto Kip against the ladder!
Jimmy Havoc in the ring to pull Cassidy to the floor, Chuck Taylor and Trent rush out to deal with Havoc, send him outside the ring! In the ring, Luchasaurus waits for Orange to get up, shoves the ladder aside. Lucha blocks a punch, tries for a chokeslam but Cassidy escapes and now he’s goozling Lucha! He’s going for it but Lucha just stares him. Marko Stunt in the ring now with a tiny ladder! He stands atop the bottom rung, Assisted Chokeslam on Cassidy! Marko with a charging dropkick to Scorpio, Lope Suicida to Kip’s bunch, Kazarian leaps over a ladder for a flying headscissor to Luchasaurus. Joey Janela picks the tiny ladder and nails Cassidy right in the face with it! Out on the apron, he hoists him up onto his shoulders, RUNNING DEATH VALLEY DRIVER ONTO THE POKER CHIP! Yikes!!!
Back in the ring, Janela scaling the ladder. Scorpio stops him, pulls him off the ladder for a wonderful TKO! Kazarian with the springboard to the opposite side of the ladder as Scorpio is scaling it! They fight it out up there but Luchasaurus tips the ladder to send them both onto the ropes! Lucha sets the ladder up, Cabana wants a springboard but Lucha with a big boot takes him down. But as this happens, Cage rises from the pile! He gets into the ring to confront Lucha, breaks free of a chokeslam, ducks a roundhouse, Ripcord Elbow, combination of kicks, Lucha ducks a clothesline and flips into a kick to the gut, Tail Whip! Goozle but Cage incredibly flips out of a chokeslam attempt, high knee to the face!
Hoists Lucha up and Powerbombs him as hard as he can into a corner-leaned ladder! Cage sets the ladder up, but goes down to intercept Darby Allin who slowly stands in the ring… Cage flips him with a clothesline! Hooks him, Drill Claw plants him! Good God! Taz emerges with an orange towel… Cage with some effort sets Darby up atop a smaller ladder on the top rope. Cage hoists the ladder up with Darby’s body atop it! AND HE HURLS HIM, LADDER AND ALL TO THE OUTSIDE INTO A STANDING LADDER! Cage scales the final ladder and pulls down the chip!
Winner: Brian Cage
Man that was a helluva match and a hellacious debut for a crazy new signing in Cage. AEW was already Hoss Country, this was basically the last one left to get. And he may be the most impressive yet! Hot dayam.
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