What's new, clientele of cosplaying competition?!
A busy week means we'll be pulling from the modern day for this week's iteration of the Watchlist. I didn't even get a chance to dig around for anything else, as soon as I saw this match, I knew it was going to be discussed as the week's feature. It's just that good.
So, let's not waste any more time, yeah? Read on!
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| Fox News. AEW |
Here's what I watched for the week;
Double or Nothing 2026
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| AEW |
It's kinda hard to pick just which AEW show is their biggest show of the year, isn't it? I mean, All In is the easy answer, given how they build up those shows year on year, but Double or Nothing has consistently been one of their heaviest hitters since year one. If we want to talk in fed terms, this show is probably your SummerSlam equivalent to All In's WresrtleMania feelings. Some of the most built up and anticipated matches were on this card, and I'm gonna give each of them just a wee bit of love here, if you don't mind.
FTR vs. Adam Copeland & Christian Cage - I Quit Match - 🟢
An exciting way to open the show, a violent, brutal tag team "I Quit" street fight started things off. With 4 people, 5 if you count Stoke and (spoilers!) 6 if you count a returning Beth Copeland later on in the match, there's a lot of moving parts in this match but it always felt exciting and fun. There were bits of outside brawling and chaos, with Christian defiantly declaring "I banged your mother!" when asked if he said he quits, 2-on-1 in-ring dominance from FTR in the middle, and wild, flame-doused table violence near the end. The finish mercifully came when Christian locked in a sharpshooter and Copeland, with the assistance of his "signature" bat "Spike," scraping the face of Dax to force him to quit for FTR. The reign of the greatest tag team on God's green has come to an end, with Cope and Cage standing tall finally. Fantastic way to open the show.
Athena vs. Mina Shirakawa - 🟢
An opening round match for the Women's Owen Hart tournament, the ROH forever champion Athena looks fit and ready to challenge a woman she injured late last year in Mina. Admittedly, it was Mina's use of a backfist on Athena that put her out of action for a brief window, but still, she'd be fine if her face wasn't so damn tough! I won't lie, there were a few blow/missed/repeated spots in this match that I noticed, but it's probably just because I'm so chronically wrestling-brained that I notice even slight missteps at this point. It's a problem. I need help. Those aside, this match was great. Athena sold like hell for Mina and both women looked fantastic. Despite being the forever champion, Athena always wrestles in a manner that makes you think "wait, is she gonna actually lose this match?!" but she manages to pull the victory out in the end anyways, just like she did in this match. Fun stuff.
Jon Moxley vs. Kyle O'Reilly - 🟢
I was really hoping for a title change in this match, full transparency. I feel like having the Continental Championship actually change hands during the calendar year is something that needs to happen sooner than later. But that's a discussion for later in the year, this match was a lot of fun. Moxley's biggest hill to climb being Kyle-O has been so much fun, with someone who may otherwise get lost in the shuffle getting a spotlight shone on him in a major way. They tell a fantastic little story in this match, with Mox being afraid of every submission attempt Kyle gets him into, but having enough confidence and grit to want to fight through the holds and work his way up the hill. Kyle is confident, yet careful, knowing Mox's weaknesses but never taking him lightly for a moment. In the end, he manages to force Kyle to submit, knowing that he can, in fact, climb the Kyle-O shaped mountain, finally putting his losses behind him. Respect is shown after the bell, earned and given as Moxley has found a worthy rival. Fantastic stuff.
Samoa Joe vs. Will Ospreay - 🟢
With Ospreay's new found vigour and fire after spending a few nights training at Jon Moxley's school of choke holds and group push-ups, Ospreay jumps the gun to get an early advantage! He jumps Joe during his entrance, landing an Oscuter to start things hot, with the Joe from Samo' being put on the back foot immediately. It's not long before Joe gets his feet back under him, with this being another example of "styles make matches." Man, I've been really liking that lately, haven't I? Regardless, Ospreay and Joe work really well together, with Ospreay able tp pinball around for Joe but also give it to him just at well at various points in the match. There was something about how Ospreay uncoiled out of the muscle buster that really stuck with me, and also how Joe did his signature "nope" sidestep to another Oscutter attempt. It seemed elementary that Ospreay would win this match, with Joe giving him a bow of respect while going up the ramp after the fact. Fantastic stuff.
Swerve Strickland vs. Bandido - 🟢
I'll be honest, the excitement from the last match kinda had me sitting on my hands for the start of this match. The crowd was pretty quiet for the opening moments, with Swerve, the heel that is still accepted as a face, working over Bandido with slow holds and beat down spots early on. Thinking about it now, I feel like they read the crowd well and started low to meet them where they were so they could bring them back up again, and for that, I respect it. The action picked up in a major way throughout this match, with a well placed House Call from Swerve after standing on the fucking shoulders of Bandido woke the crowd up in a major way. From there, the match was a spring of exciting moves that had everyone with them. Swerve getting the win wasn't a major surprise, really, but I wouldn't have been upset if 'Dido, arguably one of the best wrestlers of 2025, got the dub here. Regardless, fantastic work from both.
Thekla vs. Hikaru Shida vs. Jamie Hayter vs. Kris Statlander - 🟢
Once again getting snubbed the semi-main event spot, the Women's World Championship is defended in one of the most loaded four ways in a while. We've got the current champ Thekla defending against the longest (single) reigning champion in Hikaru Shida, a woman who feels she's been screwed out of the title more times than she can count in Jamie Hayter, and the former champion Kris Statlander. They managed to keep all four moving parts pretty active in this match, with the tension between tag partners Shida and Stat bubbling throughout the match until it fully boiled over near the finish. All four were in exceptional form and were looking to show out in this match, and more than carried their weight in this match. Thekla is a fantastic champion and I hope she holds that title for a good while. Great stuff from everyone involved.
Stadium Stampede Match - 🟡
Well, this was a match that happened. I dunno, man, this really didn't do a lot for me. Stadium Stampede and Anarchy in the Arena seem to be interchangeable names for the exact same match, unless I'm mission something crucial. With last year's AitA being one of the most wild, incredible matches I've watched in a long time, it set a high bar that this match just could not match up to. I couldn't help but feel like this match felt too controlled, careful, and confined to the ring. The backstage bits were a bit too hokey for me and didn't really lend themselves to making what is supposed to be a wild, stadium-wide brawl feel any more violent. I mean, a bit in a hallway, fighting at the merch stand and an escalator, a food fight, Ricochet dodging tennis balls, and Mark Davis nearly being the ooey-gooey bit in the middle of a vehicle sandwich (which was far and away the best in-the-back segment) didn't really do a lot to make this feel any better. Jericho's involvement honestly made this match drag too, with the tennis balls in lieu of thumbtacks getting a groan out of me rather than the polite laugh from the folks in attendance. A match that, in reality, should have been the blow off to this whole Jericho/Ricochet feud only served as a way to build to their match on Dynamite from this week, with 14 men being involved in a pretty lacklustre arena-wide brawl. Not great, not bad either. Thumb in the middle.
Darby Allin vs. MJF - Title Vs. Hair Match - 🟢
Here we go folks, the main event! This match was fantastic, with years of tension and history between these two making for a really fun, really gripping main event. Lots of attempts at the side headlock takeover for pinfalls, Darby nearly killing himself in the first minute and a half of the match, and further letting himself be a human crash test dummy for the remainder. He channels his inner Cactus Jack, with Foley being the newest recipient of the "is All Elite" graphic, diving off the entrance scaffholding and crashing through both MJF and a barbers table set up at the top of the ramp. I was honestly pulling for Darby this whole match, but Max proved to be a touch more resilient and dangerous in this match, with a top rope tombstone piledriver being enough to finally knock the wheels off of the Darby Allin championship reign. It's not hyperbole to say that Darby's reign may be one of the very best short title reigns wrestling has seen in a long time, with this match being a great way to cap it off. He did everything he could, but in the end, Max retains his follicles and regains gold for a historic third time.
| Match | Show | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Kazuchika Okada vs. Konosuke Takeshita | AEW Double or Nothing 2026 | 05/24/2026 |
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Basic Breakdown
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| Salute, to you. AEW |
2 years after its formation, Okada stopped hanging around with The Elite and began hitching his wagon to Callis, quickly establishing himself as the Ace of the family. Picking up the slack where Takeshita failed, namely in his match against Omega at All In: Texas in 2025 to win the International Championship that Omega took from Takeshita months earlier. Okada, now holding the International and Continental Championship at the same time, with the Unified Championship soon being introduced to act as the bridge betwen the two belts, he was firmly established as the figurehead of the Don Callis Family, but Takeshita didn't exactly approve of this. He had been with Don the longest and had the most to prove, being in the early years of his career with Okada nearly 20 years into his career at this point in time. It's safe to say that Takeshita was feeling like he was being given the little brother treatment.
Time and time again, Okada took the spotlight from Takeshita, with Okada laughing off Takeshita's advances and attempts to move into his spotlight. Begrudging tag team matches, a singles clash at Worlds End 2025 in a Continental Classic 2025 Semi Final match, and numerous on-screen segments where they nearly come to blows, this singles match was brewing for months.
With Okada's International Championship on the line, it's time for the rubber to meet the road. Will the Ace of the Don Callis Family be able to snuff out the first born? Or will Takeshita prove that he's been wrongfully placed in the backseat this whole time? Time, and this match, will tell.
Bell To Bell
Slowly marching to centre, Takeshita and Okada lock eyes, staring each other down and challenging each other to make the first move. Trading forearms, they skip the formalities of a lockup, a test of strength, or even a handshake, instead going straight for violence. Okada does snatch a side headlock but gets sent off the ropes by Takeshita, with a shoulder block in the middle met by a Takeshita-sized brick wall. Takeshita tries a rebound but gets caught with a boot under the jaw, allowing Okada to hit the ropes himself.
A dropdown, and a leapfrog later, Okada is able to snatch the waist of Takeshita from behind, he's looking for the Rainmaker! Takeshita fights out and gets sent into the ropes himself, sunset flipping over Okada but his wrist is caught as he floats over, with Okada pulling him to his feet, firing off a Rainmaker lariat! But Takeshita ducks! Getting behind Okada, Takeshita has his adversary up and nearly spikes him heavy with Raging Fire, but Okada shifts his weight and gets free. Going for the Rainmaker one more time, Takeshita breaks his grip and stares daggers through the champion, both men caught in the middle.
A point has been proven in the opening moments, "one slip up, one opportunity, and I will put you away."
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| So close, yet no cigar. AEW |
Resetting in the middle, they seem to go for a test of strength or, at the very least, a knuckle lock, but Okada clearly thinks better of engaging with Takeshita that way. Emboldened by the stage he finds himself on, Takeshita gives Okada a hard shove to the chest, trying to force him to challenge him, to make a mistake. The normally stoic and composed Okada rarely makes mistakes, and Takeshita wants to try and force him into making an error. Fighting back, a boot to the gut and a forearm to the head rocks Takeshita, but he's still got enough to stop a rebounding Okada with a boot under his jaw. Tit for tat, as it were. Taking off for the ropes himself, he ducks a pair of clotheslines from Okada, taking flight with a huge Takeshita-line, taking the champion off his feet.
Collecting himself in the corner, Okada gets crushed by a running forearm from Takeshita, with Takeshita pulling Okada out and looking to set him up for an exploder suplex, but Okada grabs the ropes and holds on tight, not wanting to go for the ride this early. Dodging another charge, Okada seats Takeshita on the top and lands one of his signature, picture perfect dropkicks, sending his challenger tumbling to the floor. Both men take a few heartbeats to catch their breath, with Okada rolling to the floor to grab Takeshita and send him shoulder first into the ring steps. It's your tyupical slow, methodical Okada pace here, wasting no extra breath to send Takeshita into the barricade spine first before rolling in and out of the ring to break the count.
Stalking Takeshita around ringside, Okada hones in on the back, driving him into the rail again before sending him back inside the ropes. This is the exact pace that works for Okada, each step measured and each action weighed and assessed. He pulls Takeshita by the neck and drills him with a neckbreaker, going for a single-foot on the chest for a pinfall. Sure, it's arrogant and east for Takeshita to get out before one, but it's a message, "I am not threatened by you, I could beat you just like that." It's almost as if Okada feels like he's toying with Takeshita here, like he's playing with his food. It's cocky and disrespectful but it tells you everything about Okada in one move.
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| Just stay down. AEW |
Another neckbreaker takes Takeshita down, and another one foot pin forces him to fire up out of the pin, using the ropes to help him stand. Watching with a cocky grin, Okada stands firm, pulling Takeshita to the middle with him, with Takeshita firing back with a limp forearm shot, the damage to the back hampering his ability to drive up with enough power. He fires again, but still nothing. A third does something to Okada, but he responds with a strike of his own, a European uppercut lifting Takeshita out of his boots and down to one knee. Turning his back to his challenger, Okada laughs to himself, his grin a mile wide.
Rebounding off the ropes without a care, Okada returns to find Takeshita back on his feet, getting caught and tossed with a big exploder suplex out of nowhere! Staggering around, he walks right into the grasp of Takeshita, drilling him with a second. Ascending to the middle rope, Takeshita rallies the audience and leaps with a senton, but Okada's knees get up in time to crack him and send him rolling across the ring in pain. Both men are on their feet rather quickly, with Takeshita recovering quicker, charging across the ring and cracking Okada in the jaw with a jumping knee strike!
The camera misses it, but Okada slips to the floor, with Takeshita wasting no time to join him, leaping over the top rope to crash into Okada on the floor. Rolling Okada back inside, Takeshita lines him up from the opposing corner, charging across only to catch a boot to the face. He counts his chicklets, then returns, only for Okada to pop him up in the air, catching his legs on his shoulders and pulling him to centre, Takeshita's position perfect to land his signature across-the-thigh neckbreaker.
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| Something something protect ya neck. AEW |
Keeping the match at his pace, a bodyslam puts Takeshita in position for his signature elbow drop, with Okada clearly feeling like he's got this match well in hand. His signature (a lot of signature stuff here, eh?) middle finger salute to the camera, making sure to rub it into the face of Takeshita, means Okada is ready to finish this match right here and now. Pulling Takeshita to his feet and holding him in position for the Rainmaker, Takeshita fires off back elbow shots to break the hold, knowing what eating a Rainmaker this early could do to his chances of winning.
Maintaining the grip, Okada takes Takeshita over with a German suplex, but Takeshita lands on his feet! Okada is slow to rise, confident he just drilled Takeshita, but finds him vertical when he turns around. Charging, he gets sidestepped and sent into the ropes, with Takeshita pulling him up for a Blue Thunder Bomb, but Okada drops his weight and lands on his feet, able to pull Takeshits to his shoulders from the reverse DDT position, looking for a tombstone piledriver. Takeshita is able to slip out, however, pulling Okada into the tombstone position himself after landing on his feet, landing his signature driver/wheelbarrow suplex combo!
Okada is able to get to his feet quickly, drilling Takeshita in the chest with a dropkick to the chest, but Takeshita rolls through the fall to get back to his feet! Firing off a lariat of his own, Okada catches the limb and lands a modified Rainmaker, ripcording Takeshita but hitting him with a discus lariat instead. Insane shit.
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| Survive that? Survive this! AEW |
Both men are down in the middle, catching their breath and collecting their limbs, with Takeshita finding himself on the apron and Okada out to join him. They exchange forearm shots back and forth, tired and groggy from what they just went through, but able to remain standing thanks to the ring ropes. Okada lands shot after shot, with Takeshita responding with a single forearm shot that staggers Okada big, a knee strike to the face dropping him to a knee on the apron.
Pointing to the floor, Takeshita calls for the killing blow, Raging Fire. He pulls Okada up, but he's able to slip free of the grip and adjust his position, landing inside the ring. Ducking a lariat shot from Takeshita, Okada grabs the wrist of Takeshita and ripcords him out, cracking him across the throat with a Rainmaker! Crashing to the floor, Takeshita is all but dead on the outside, with Okada climbing out to meet him. Slowly, he pulls Takeshita to his feet, drilling him with a DDT on the floor, laughing as he does so, confident he's landed more than the killing blow.
Pulling Takeshita up, he looks to actually kill him now, going for a tombstone piledriver, only for Callis, who has been on commentary for this match, to leap from his chair and plead with Okada, asking him not to actually kill Takeshita. Sure, they're at each others throats here, but Callis has a vested interest in seeing Takeshita come out of this match alive. Why kill two of your cash cows? It's fine if they hurt each other, but god forbid they injure each other.
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| Let's be reasonable here, guys! AEW |
Only partially listening to Callis' pleas to get Takeshita in the ring, Okada drops him and rolls inside the ropes himself, leaving his fellow family member to rot on the floor. Catching his breath on the inside, Takeshita is slow to rise, with Okada climbing out to the floor when he feels he may be getting to his feet a bit too quickly. As it turns out, this was a carefully laid trap by Takeshita, who pulls Okada in and drills him with a brainbuster on the floor! Outraged, Callis flies out of the chair, getting in Takeshita's face. Bellowing back at him, it doesn't take a genius to figure out that Takeshita is at his limit with Callis, telling him in not completely dissimilar language "shove it."
Move Of The Match
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| This doesn't seem possible. AEW |
Tossing Okada in the ring, Takeshita lines him up from the corner, charging to a Okada in the opposing corner and cracks him with a helluva kick. Acting quick, he seats him up top and plants him with a massive superplex! Going for a falcon arrow in the centre, Okada slips behind and stumbles but is able to grab Takeshita for a Rainmake- no! Takeshita gets a boot up to block the lariat, cracking him with a heavy forearm shot and an insane double gutwrench German suplex. Honestly, I have no idea what else to call it other than that. Just nutty.
He tries to hold OKada down for three, but he's out at two. Lining him up in the corner, Takeshita calls for the Power Drive knee, charging in only for Okada to snatch him with a tilt a whirl tombstone! Insane work from these two, honestly. And we've still got a ways to go! Takeshita fights to his feet with the ropes, with Okada vertical in the middle as well. Trading heavy forearms again, both men are on on jelly legs but fight hard to stay standing. One of Okada's forearms stagger Takeshita enough for Okada to flash his double bird salute, an act of defiance even against a challenger as formidable as Takeshita.
Punching himself in the face to bring him back to his feet, Takeshita bellows to the heavens, straight up eating a forearm from Okada like it wasn't anything at all. A second has no effect, and a third gives Takeshita the room to wind up a shot of his own, catching Okada with Straight Murder, a heavy, heavy forearm to the jaw. Over and over, Takeshita cracks Okada, a discus lariat nearly landed before Okada ducks and catches him in position for the Rainmaker, but Takeshita pulls Okada in instead off the ripcord, landing a Blue Thunder Bomb!
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| Gotcha, bitch! AEW |
Shoving Okada out of pinfall position, Takeshita goes for the Power Drive again, but Okada tilt-a-whirl's him around into a powerslam, which Nigel likens to an Emerald Flowsion on commentary. Almost, Nige, but not quite. Going for the Rainmaker again, Takeshita is able to roll him up (brother, what?!) and float over for a tight pinfall attempt, but Okada squirms out, his face that of someone who is certain, positive they just got pinned. No bell, so he's safe. For now. Turning around on his knees, he's able to catch another Power Drive attempt from Takeshita, but Take drills him with punches to the top of the head, trying anything to break his grip.
Snatching Takeshita's arms, Okada goes for a backslide on his challenger, but Takeshita slips right out as soon as he pulls him down, not even registering a one count. Pulling Takeshita to his feet while maintaining wrist control, he lands it, finally. The Rainmaker connects. Not letting his wrist go, he pulls Takeshita up and goes for it again, but he ducks and takes off for the ropes. Rebounding, he runs straight into an Okada dropkick, the champion working back into a comfortable gear. Pulling Takeshita up, he has wrist control and goes for the Rainmaker, ripcording him out, he conn- no! Takeshita lands it! Takeshita lands the Rainmaker!
Firing out of the corner, he goes for the Power Drive, but Okada snipes him with another dropkick, but it has little effect. It does little more than stagger Takeshita, who still drives through the head of Okada with the Power Drive, collapsing only after it makes impact. A cover is made, but Okada is out at one! He bites the ropes as he pulls himself to his feet, trying to transfer his pain and regain focus. Finding each other in the middle, Straight Murder catches Okada under the jaw again, dropping him like a shot to his knees.
Pulling Okada back up, Takeshita drills him with Raging Fire and covers. It's one, it's two, and it's three. Konosuke Takeshita is the new International Champion.
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| The fire continues to rage. AEW |
Match Time: 19:01
Following the bell, Callis is in the ring to congratulate Takeshita and check on Okada, with fellow Don Callis Family members Rocky Romero and Mark Davis are in the ring to help Okada to his feet. What is said next is heard only by the men in the ring, with Callis and Takeshita upset with one another, shouting back and forth. Whatever was said earlier at ringside probably coming up again or the first major crack in this connection. It looks like Don Callis and his boys are ready to jump Takeshita, when suddenly, a familiar guitar riff rips through the speakers.
Protostar! It's Kyle Fletcher!
Ditching his suit jacket at the top of the ramp, Fletcher marches to the ring to help the other half of ProtoShida. A mere 3 months shy of his broken tibia and ankle, Fletcher is back and looking better than ever, focused as he marches to the ring. Inside the ropes, he stares down Callis and his boys, sending them packing, embracing Takeshita in the middle when it's just the two of them. He hands Takeshita his newly won gold and raises his hand, celebrating with his frie- WHAT?! You bastard, Fletcher!
Cracking Takeshita with a lariat, Fletcher stands above his fallen partner and is showered with boo's, Callis and his boys chuckling at ringside and on the apron the whole while. A well executed plan.
Pulling Takeshita to his feet, he makes feeble attempts to fight back, but Fletcher doesn't register any of it, pulling him up for a disgusting brainbuster in the middle. Statement made.
Welcome back Kyle Fletcher, you son of a bitch.
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| Why are we even surprised. AEW |
Now, about the actual match itself. Incredible! The slower, measured pace at the start really helped the manic, heavy-handed finish sequence feel a lot more impactful and exciting. Hitting each other with their very best moves and counters one after another was so, so fun and exciting. I bit on every near fall and counter and couldn't believe some of the stuff they were pulling out to try and best one another. Just straight up crazy work from both men. I loved this match, an easy Match of the Year contender.
• • • • •
Until next week. Be well, stay safe, and love one another.
cliffmorganwstl@gmail.com
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