AEW Revolution: Results, grades & analysis: Jon Moxley wins World Title

Dustin Rhodes vs. Jake Hager (Inner Circle)

Dustin ran at Hager, but Hager drove him into the corner and hit a back suplex quickly before hitting some strikes. Dustin raked Hager’s eyes and threw Hager to the floor. Dustin threw Hager over the guardrail and started beating him in the crowd. Dustin has turned this from a fight in the ring into a dirty brawl, which allowed him to take on Hager.

Dustin smashed Hager’s arm into the ring post repeatedly to get some payback for Hager breaking his arm a few months ago. Hager ducked a clothesline and hit a back drop on the apron and then hit Dustin with a clothesline on the floor. Dustin crashed to the mat like a ton of bricks. Hager got a 2 count, and Dustin ended up back in the corner. Hager hit a series of knees and a snapmare before locking on an armlock.

Hager got the heat here for several minutes with strikes and basic submissions. Hager kept attacking the liver area of Dustin, constantly kee ping Dustin winded. Hager tried to attack Dustin on the apron, but Dustin fought back and hit a clothesline that drove Hager to the floor. Hager drove Dustin into the guardrail though and went to talk to his wife.

She was giving him a pep talk, but Dustin kicked Hager in the face and then gave his wife a kiss before hitting an uppercut and a bulldog on Hager. Hager kicked out and cut him off with a knee. Hager hit a Vader Bomb for a 2 count. Hager hit a series of hard clotheslines in the corner to hurt Dustin. Hager hit a gutwrench powerbomb, and got a nearfall. That was close.

Hager kicked the leg of Dustin and charged into the corner again, but Dustin sent him flying over the top rope and he crashed face first into the stairs. Dustin brought Hager back in and started to punch him in the corner before setting Hager up for the Shattered Dreams. The ref cut him off because it was a low blow, so Hager fought out.

Dustin hit Hager with a kick instead and went for the Code Red and got a 2 count. Dustin decided he was going to break Hager’s arm and went for the armbar. Hager countered into an ankle lock, leaving Dustin screaming in pain. Dustin rolled through and Hager almost hit the referee. As the ref’s back was turned, Hager hit a low blow with his knee and locked on a standing arm triangle to make Dustin pass out.

Result: Jake Hager

Rating: ***

This was a fine match, for the most part. The spot with Dustin kissing Hager’s wife against her will was a bit awkward, and a strange babyface move. It was kind of a standard thing in old school wrestling, but felt weird here. The match itself was not bad at all. The crowd was hot, and everything looked good.

Darby Allin’s video had his skateboard roll across the ring and he hit a moonsault onto it. That was awesome.