AEW Double or Nothing: 5 big mistakes made by All Elite Wrestling

After four months of meticulous preparation and reinforced hoopla, All Elite Wrestling finally rolled out their first big show and the pro wrestling fraternity just can't stop raving about the newest player in town.

AEW, for all intents and purposes, performed beyond expectations with Double or Nothing. It had everything we were promised by Cody Rhodes. Typical indie-inspired wrestling sequences blended with excellent production value may have made it look like a glorified indie spot-fest, however, AEW backed it up with some refreshing booking and highlighted talents who will spearhead the so-called revolution.

The surprise appearances of Bret Hart, DDP and Awesome Kong allowed AEW to trend worldwide, which was the need of the hour for the upstart promotion. Jon Moxley's unhinged invasion was just the cherry on top of the cake.

All the scepticism has evaporated and it has been replaced with a sense of optimism. Could AEW actually give Vince McMahon a run for his money?

They surely can, but despite all the right decisions made at Double or Nothing, there were a few missteps that could have been avoided.

Nothing can be executed perfectly and Double or Nothing had its flaws too. Let's take a look at the mistakes made by AEW at Double or Nothing:

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#1. Costly PPV

For someone who is accustomed to spending $9.99 for WWE PPVs every month, shelling out $50 for Double or Nothing was always going to be a big ask. The steep pricing has been criticized in the build-up to the PPV as it could have hampered the overall buy-rate. And it probably did as well.

Being their first major event, AEW would have wanted its product to reach a larger audience but the high-priced PPV was a deterring factor. Patchy free live streams around the world may have forced many fans to buy the PPV during the show, but there were many fans who just waited until they could obtain the event for free after it ended.

Even the $20 set for international viewers was deemed to be costly.

WWE can afford to have their own streaming service as they have an extensive library to warrant a subscription. AEW is still in its infancy and has a long way to go before they can provide a cheaper streaming option.

#2. Glorified indie spot fest

I'll be honest. Double or Nothing, for major parts, seemed like a quintessential indie show with high-quality production value. That was until Cody vs. Dustin Rhodes happened.

Call me old school but personally, the gruesome showdown between the sons of the legendary Dusty Rhodes was the match of the night. It had in-ring psychology, a profusely bleeding 50-year-old, a mushy story, the iconic Earl Hebner, DDP hoisting Brandi Rhodes back to the locker room and last but not the least, a wild crowd cheering every nuanced action.

Compare that to other matches on the card and they felt flat to an extent, despite the fans being invested in the in-ring action. The amount of no-selling and the unnecessary number of near-falls took away from the general impact of the matches.

It was entertaining, but in order to attract the traditional pro wrestling fans, AEW needs to pay more attention to making its matches seem more natural, with an equal emphasis on showcasing the diverse move sets of its proficient roster.

A fair assessment can only be made after AEW strings together weeks of TV programming. Until then, we hope for the best.

#3. Dustin Rhodes being allowed to possibly blade

If caught in the WWE, blading carries a hefty fine and a potential suspension. One look at Dustin Rhodes' face during his 'bloody' battle against Cody would help you understand why WWE has stringent measures in place to avoid blading.

No man can bleed as copiously as Goldust did from an exposed turnbuckle bump. It had to be a blade job and it was one of the most terrifying instances in recent memory. It was like watching Eddie Guerrero's bloodbath against JBL from Judgement Day 2004.

It could have been a botched blade job but losing that much amount of blood should never be encouraged, especially when we're talking about a warhorse like Goldust.

Despite being an incredible bout, the match made for an unpleasant viewing as the fans were genuinely concerned about the well-being of Dusty Rhodes' favourite son.

In all honesty, the blood did enhance the impression that the match left on the fans' minds. However, it pushed the envelope to eerie limits. We do want edgy content, but not at the expense of a talent's health and safety.

#4. The Complicated Casino Battle Royale

Despite the delightful moments it presented, the first match in AEW history was a sloppy affair, and it's not the fault of the talents involved in the match.

The entire premise of the match itself was just too complicated. For starters, the rules of the match weren't clearly explained. A set of wrestlers were clumped in groups named Clubs, Diamonds, Spades and Hearts. Each group would be introduced in the match at 3-minute intervals with the final 21st entrant kcoming out last.

The fans sitting at home were left confused as there was no clock on the screen to show the time as well as the countdown before the arrival of a group of wrestlers. The first batch of wrestlers came out after the fans in attendance saw the big screen and began a loud countdown. AEW realised that they had fans watching at home and panned the cameras to the big screen during the subsequent entrances.

The match was messy as well, which is a norm when it comes to overly-stacked battle royale matches. It was still quite entertaining as there were high-impact spots, timely moments of comedic relief and MJF showing off his exemplary work as a heel.

AEW still has a lot of work to be done when it comes to the Battle Royale and the first step should be simplifying the rules of the said match.

#5. The AEW World title segment

It was great to see Bret Hart do the honours of unveiling the AEW World Championship. The title wasn't that shabby either. It looked great but wasn't the greatest title we've ever seen.

However, there were many issues with the monumental segment. The angle featuring MJF, Adam Page, Jimmy Havoc and Jungle Boy completely took the spotlight away from the real star of that moment - the AEW World title.

Adam Page, the #1 contender for the AEW title, came out before MJF interrupted and cut an outstanding heel promo. The snarky heel got cornered by Jungle Boy, Jimmy Havoc and Hangman Page, who would all administer him a beating in the midst of the crowd. This was when Bret Hart realised he was supposed to reveal the world title. He uncovered the belt and lifted it up in the air. The problem was he did so by facing the wrong camera.

The major revelation felt underwhelming as AEW first cramped up the segment with an unnecessary angle, and then got their camera angles completely wrong.

A simple yet effective promo from the WWE legend along with the belt being displayed would have been sufficient enough.