AEW Double Or Nothing: Star Ratings For All 9 Matches
6. Britt Baker Vs. Nyla Rose Vs. Kylie Rae Vs. Awesome Kong
A not inauspicious start to AEW's Women's division, this was enhanced considerably by the last-minute arrival of Awesome Kong, whose formidable aura carried her contributions to a mostly solid but eye-catching match at various points.
It's a good job Kylie Ray's brand of charisma is infectious, because the act itself is divisive in its cute overkill. The work helps, too; raw but very eager to impress, Ray's battling performance threaded the story of two marketable faces escaping and enduring the daunting physical threats of Kong and spiritual successor Nyla Rose, whose limited but credible skill-set was deployed well enough in this multi-person context - although she mistimed her part in a late multi-woman sequence, undermining the momentum built in no small part by the formula.
The other marketable face, Britt Baker, justified her win and presumed big push. She wrestled smartly enough to mask the lack of proper oomph in her offensive game. Her performance, the match, and the division all felt like a work in progress, albeit one with potential to succeed beyond the remit of a Brandi Rhodes vanity project.
In what became a very astute theme, for AEW's debut show, this match doubled as a building block for a singles clash opposite Ray.
Star Rating: ***