AEW Double or Nothing: Two Former WWE Stars Arrive After Jade Cargill Retains
Two former WWE stars made their AEW debuts in a chaotic TBS Title match at AEW's Double or Nothing. While TBS champion Jade Cargill retained against a scrappy Anna Jay, it was the appearance of Stokely Hathaway and Athena that made the match even more memorable. Hathaway seems to be Cargill's new manager, while Athena will almost certainly be Cargill's next challenger.
The match started with Cargill coming out via the Codyvator surrounded by Vegas showgirls. Cargill quickly took control of the match, hitting several moves from the top rope. Jay scored a big superplex from the top rope to even things up and then scored several counters, before hitting a flipping blockbuster from the top rope again to
Hogan and Red Velvet tried to get involved, but Anna Jay hit a double DDT. The distraction gave Cargill an opening for her Jaded finisher, but Anna Jay countered. When Smart Mark Sterling ran to the ring for a distraction, Anna Jay took advantage and used a crutch meant for Cargill as a weapon. John Silver ran in to neutralize Sterling, and Anna Jay cinched in a Queenslayer chokehold. While Cargill was able to get out of that, it directly led to a chaotic ending.
Things started when Stokely Hathaway (formerly Malcolm Bivens during his NXT run) ran in for yet another distraction. Anna Jay seemed surprised by Hathaway's appearance, and that allowed Cargill to score a Jaded from the second rope for the pin. But the chaos was over yet – Kris Statlander ran in to save Anna Jay from a post-match beatdown. Then, another big name made her long-awaited AEW debut: former NXT Women Champion Ember Moon, who is now wrestling as Athena.
Given that Athena and Cargill had a brief Twitter feud earlier this year, it seems likely that Athena will be Cargill's next challenger. Athena will certainly be Cargill's toughest opponent and adds a major star to the AEW's women division.