10 Ups & 2 Downs From AEW Double Or Nothing 2021

Downs...

2. A Strange Atmosphere Amid Wrestling Bliss

Cody Ogogo
AEW

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.

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Contributor
Contributor

Michael Sidgwick is an editor, writer and podcaster for WhatCulture Wrestling. With over seven years of experience in wrestling analysis, Michael was published in the influential institution that was Power Slam magazine, and specialises in providing insights into All Elite Wrestling - so much so that he wrote a book about the subject. You can order Becoming All Elite: The Rise Of AEW on Amazon. Possessing a deep knowledge also of WWE, WCW, ECW and New Japan Pro Wrestling, Michael’s work has been publicly praised by former AEW World Champions Kenny Omega and MJF, and current Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes. When he isn’t putting your finger on why things are the way they are in the endlessly fascinating world of professional wrestling, Michael wraps his own around a hand grinder to explore the world of specialty coffee. Follow Michael on X (formerly known as Twitter) @MSidgwick for more!