PWInsider’s Mike Johnson has clarified two of the central pre-show concerns around AEW Double or Nothing 2026, confirming that any blood seen during the Stadium Stampede match was legitimate hardway rather than blading, and that the rumored New York State Athletic Commission prohibition on fighting in the crowd was not actually in place.
The Stadium Stampede match at Sunday’s AEW Double or Nothing PPV from Louis Armstrong Stadium in Queens, NY saw Chris Jericho’s team defeat Ricochet’s team. Jericho led The Elite (Kenny Omega, Matt Jackson, Nick Jackson, and Jack Perry) and The Hurt Syndicate (Bobby Lashley, Shelton Benjamin, Cash Wheeler) against Ricochet’s coalition of The Demand, The Don Callis Family (Mark Davis and Andrade), and The Dogs (Anthony Henry, JD Drake, and Kaun). Jericho pinned Kaun after a Lionsault to end the match.
Johnson, who was at the event, addressed the pre-show NYSAC speculation directly.
“There was a rumor online that the New York State Athletic Commission wouldn’t allow fighting in the crowd. Well, The Young Bucks and The Dogs fought from the floor to the second level of the stadium and back down to the floor again, so that rumor wasn’t true. Any blood on the show was legitimate and hardway as the New York State Athletic Commission doesn’t allow blading.”
Tony Khan addressed the NYSAC question on the post-show media scrum, saying that AEW had hit a home run with the show within the regulatory constraints and that he was glad to keep the state of New York happy. The framing suggests AEW worked within the actual NYSAC rules rather than the speculated stricter limitations.
The Stadium Stampede match itself featured multiple notable spots, including The Young Bucks dishing out superkicks throughout the ring, Bobby Lashley spearing Mark Davis through a table, Kenny Omega delivering a One-Winged Angel to Andrade through a table, and the chaotic food fight that erupted in catering when Satnam Singh was used to push another wrestler into the food spread. Andrade was attacked by Luchasaurus in a wig who spit mist into his eyes during a photo opportunity with a model.
Jericho was the central character of the match, with his suplex onto a pile of tennis balls being one of the standout visual moments. The match also featured a hurricanrana sequence from the babyface side, a bus collision with a golf cart and car, and multiple double table spots from The Young Bucks. The babyfaces won the match after collective work, with Jericho pinning Kaun to close the bout.
Stadium Stampede has been one of AEW’s most-popular and most-debated match formats. The match originated at AEW Double or Nothing 2020 during the empty-arena era and has been used periodically since. The 2026 version was the first since AEW All In London 2023 and featured the most participants in match history at 14 total.
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