8 AEW Double Or Nothing Impulse Reactions
5. Aja Kong, Yuka Sakazaki & Emi Sakura Vs. Hikaru Shida, Riho & Ryo Mizunami
Panic consumed much of the fanbase online when several run-throughs of the card on both the pre- and main show curiously omitted the planned tag match featuring the trio of Hikaru Shida, Riho & Ryo Mizunami matching up with Yuka Sakazaki, Emi Sakura and the legendary Aja Kong, but concerns should have been saved for the wellbeing of the babyfaces once Kong got her working boots on.
Delivering vile kicks and punches when she could be bothered to throw them, Kong was still in devastating form despite her advancing years, with a series of breakdowns punctuated by her terrifying punches and one almighty mid-match hoof to the back.
The lack of agency in entrances and introductions was a touch troubling, and the spots played to few reactions, but it was otherwise-enjoyable. The contest's conclusion was bogged down by a botched finish that saw the timekeeper and music cues ignore the referee's two count (and, oddly, the planned finish) but it wasn't enough to ruin what had otherwise been an enjoyable experiment.
If All Elite is to deliver the "change" its relentlessly promised thus far, they'll need to persist with more of the same.