Ranking the top five matches from AEW's Double or Nothing 2024 in Las Vegas

From the 6:30 p.m. start Sunday on AEW’s YouTube channel, until after 12:30 a.m. Monday, AEW’s 6-hour production of Double or Nothing from Las Vegas provided moments unlike any I’ve seen in 40 years of watching professional wrestling.

Perhaps the most noteworthy moments came with MJF's profanity-laden return where he proclaimed he's not leaving AEW, showing off his new leg tattoo with AEW's logo on it. While he had a big moment, so did several wrestlers who competed on the card.

Here are the top five matches in my opinion:

5. FTW Champion Chris Jericho vs. Hook vs. Katsuyori Shibata (FTW rules match)

This no-disqualification match was quite entertaining. In a first (at least for me), Chris Jericho dumped out a bag of dice in the ring, and all three competitors were dropped on them throughout. I’ve stepped barefoot on a single die before, and it hurts. I can’t imagine falling on dozens of them. Jericho tried hitting both Hook and Chibata with kendo sticks at one point, but they barely flinched, then both took to lashing Jericho with kendo sticks of their own. Toward the end, the match fell apart as Big Bill and Brian Ketih interfered, helping Jericho retain the title. HE pinned Shibata, whose top half of his body was inside a trash can. Legs were still available to be hooked for the pin, though.

4. AEW International champion Roderick Strong vs. Will Ospreay

Ospreay was out numbered from the start as Strong was accompanied by Mike Bennett and Matt Taven. At one point in the match, Strong went to pull off a move from the ring apron to the floor, dropping Ospreay awkwardly on his neck. Luckily, he was OK. Since two henchmen weren’t enough, Wardlow came down to attack Ospreay. Moments later, Ospreay hit a sky-twister from the top rope to the outside on Wardlow, Bennett and Taven. Soon after, the three are removed by security. After that, the match finaly got good as both Strong and Ospreay could show off their actual wrestling abilities. Ospreay showed exciting moves through the air while Strong showcased some nice technical wrestling. It was a much better match after the Three Stooges exited. To their credit, 15 minutes in, these guys were beating the tar out of each other. The match halted later when the referee put Ospreay in a corner to check on Strong. The match got going again with more great fighting. Ospreay hit the Tiger Driver and won the title.

3. AEW Women’s champ “Timeless” Toni Storm vs. Serena Deeb

This match started a bit slow, but built as it went. Deeb dominated early and seemed frustrated that the crowd was cheering for Storm. The match started getting good when I witnessed another thing I had never seen in 40 years of watching wrestling: Toni Storm, with arms locked in a submission hold, carried Deeb to the ropes and bit the middle rope, forcing the break. Toni Storm then showcased some pretty good wrestling skills. It went back-and-forth, but as it went on, the crowd continued chanting for Storm, Deeb looking even more confused. Deeb tried to submit Storm late in the match and Storm’s understudy Mariah May wanted to throw in the towel. Luther stopped May, but Storm only saw Luther holding the towel and thought he was going to throw it in. After that, Storm regained control of the match. Storm then hit her signature finishing pile driver, but Deeb kicked out. Deeb then hits Storm's pile driver on Storm. She hits a second. But Storm kicks out! Storm regains control hits her pile driver from the top turnbuckle, then hits a second in the middle of the ring for the win.

2. TNT champion Adam Copeland vs. Malakai Black in a Barbed Wire Steel Cage match

Copeland rose out of the ground surrounded by flames, similar to how you might have seen him in the late 90s with the Brood. The match starts out quickly with steel chairs flying inside the barbed wire cage. Copeland tried removing some barbed wire and uses it on Black's forehead, blood streaming. As Copeland works over Black, blood is spattering all over the ring. Now Copeland is bleeding. Black is using a barbed-wire wrapped bat on Copeland. While trying to escape the cage, Black pulled Copeland down and he racked his sensitive area on the top rope. It prompted Tony Schiavone to say "I'd rather bleed than have that happen to me." Do you agree? Copeland laid Black on a table and wrapped him to the table using barbed wire. Copeland then goes to the top rope. Then to the top of the cage. Copeland is on top of the cage and jumps with the elbow onto Black below. The crowd chants "Holy Sh**!" And Tony Schivaone says it's the most apropos "Holy sh**" chant ever. He might be right. After some back-and-forth, Black kicks Copeland so hard, he blows through the steel cage door, breaking the lock and sending both men outside the ring. Blacks two henchmen Brody King and Buddy Matthews come out and mangle Copeland. As they appear to be in control, the lights started flickering and music hits. Gangrel rises out of the ring and destroys the House of Black. Copeland hits a spear and wraps Black in a cross face crippler with barbed wire wrapped around Black's face. He's out and Copeland wins. Copeland and Gangrel walk out together, looking a bit older, but just as dominant as 25 years earlier.

1. "Anarchy in the Arena:” The Elite vs. Team AEW

The match: Before Kazuchika Okada, Jack Perry, Matthew Jackson and Nicholas Jackson could be introduced Bryan Danielson, Cash Wheeler, Dax Harwood and Darby Allin ran out of nowhere to attack them and the match begins. As they beat the heck out of each other, different competitors keep grabbing the mic and demanding their theme song plays. Finally, "The Final Countdown" by Europe starts blaring as the match spills over to the crowd. Some of the competitors are fighting in the concession area. Some in the crowd. A real trash can got used by Dax. Garbage and liquid spilled everywhere.

A quad box is being used. It's like NFL Red Zone. About 5 minutes into the match, Matt Jackson demands the Europe song be stopped because it's costing him too much money in royalties. Finally, there's no more music blaring. Just beatdowns all over the arena. Everyone appears to be working their way back to the ring except Perry and Darby. The crowd is chanting "We want music." Are we in a bowling alley?

Darby tried drowning Perry in an ice bath. Who left that there?? The two have now reached a pile of random debris outside the arena, including a metal pipe, pallets and other objects. Inside the ring, Dax is bleeding. Not sure how. Back outside, Perry is seen speeding in a short bus. He rams the pile of debris, and we're meant to think Darby was in it. Perry looks injured after crashing into the pile. Did we just see vehicular homicide? Probably not.

Back inside. Bryan Danielson is now bleeding. Darby Allin emerges from nowhere. Maybe he wasn't hit by a bus? And where's Jack Perry? The Jacksons powerbomb Allin onto four set-up steel chairs. They're now dragging his lifeless body out of the arena. They put him on a platform backstage that lowered him down somewhere. I'm sure he'll re-emerge.

Now the Jacksons are beating Danielson. Bodies are strewn everywhere. Cash Wheeler showed up with a table near the ring entrance area. Bad idea. Nicholas Jackson climbed to the top of the tunnel and elbow dropped Cash through the table.

Wait, who’s that? Jack Perry just ambled into the arena and sees Tony Khan, so he grabs him and yanks him out of camera range. We've lost Perry and Khan, but Darby just emerged with a flamethrower. Again. As Perry shows up near the entryway with Khan, Allin set Perry on fire. You read that correctly. The Jacksons put Perry out with extinguishers, then soaked Allin with them. The Jacksons drag Allin to the ring. He's being beaten by the Young Bucks and Okada. A winch just lowered from the top of the arena hovering over the middle of the ring. The Jacksons are tying up the legs of Allin. They're going to hang him upside down by the ankles. Dax fights back to stop it. Allin is still tied up. One of the Jacksons hit Dax with  a chair that exploded like a bomb for some reason. It was like a cartoon — but real.

Okada is putting on an arm sleeve filled with outward facing tacks. He clotheslined Cash with it. Now Okada has a pair of shoes with thumbtacks on the bottom. Darby Allin is then hung upside down by his feet, dangling over the ring. The Jacksons each put one shoe on and super-kicked Allin with thumbtacked shoes while he hung like a piece of meat. Stick a fork in him. He’s done.

One Jackson brother accidentally kicked the other with the spiked shoes when trying to gt Danielson. The tide turns. Danielson got a shoe and is pummeling everyone with it. Allin is still just hanging ... and bleeding. Danielson is cleaning house.

Wait ... Jack Perry just got into the ring. A little crisper, but there nonetheless. Perry hits his finisher on Danielson and the Elite wins.

This article originally appeared on Florida Today: Here are the top five matches from AEW's Double or Nothing pay-per-view