10 Ups & 2 Downs From AEW Double Or Nothing 2021
Downs...
2. A Strange Atmosphere Amid Wrestling Bliss
This was uneven - which explains a later entry in the Ups portion - but the all-important atmosphere of Cody Rhodes Vs. Anthony Ogogo felt off.
It feels strange to discuss the complex cultural fracture of the United States of America in the context of a review of a professional wrestling show, and that's because professional wrestling isn't the medium for a nuanced take on it.
Anthony Ogogo developed a cult following in the build, which didn't help the feeling going in, and everything just felt tentative. Did the American crowd feel nervous about expressing their patriotism? Were they even patriotic? Did they, at this stage of their lives more than ever, just wish to escape?
For so much of its life-affirming duration, AEW Double Or Nothing 2021 functioned as an escape from the horrors of 2020. This...did not. Nobody knew how to feel, so they expressed very little.