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

Cody Rhodes (The Elite) w/ Brandi Rhodes & Arn Anderson vs. MJF w/ Wardlow

MJF immediately bailed to the floor, as Cody went after him. After a quick exchange, Cody went for the Cody cutter, but MJF bailed to the floor again and hopped into the crowd and flipped the fans off. Arn told Cody to stay in the ring and not play MJF’s game, and the crowd chanted “coward” at him.

MJF grabbed the beer of a fan and threw it into another fan, to a chorus of boos. MJF bailed again, and Cody simply waited for him. MJF came back in and they started to exchange punches with Cody hitting the Cody Cutter for a 2 count. MJF rolled onto the ramp and Cody was thinking about hitting a dive to the ramp again, but felt the scar on his eyes.

Cody thought better off it, ran all the way up the ramp and down the tunnel before running back and killing MJF with a clothesline into the ring. That was great. Cody spun MJF around with an airplane spin and the crowd popped. Cody then hit the Alabama Slam before going for a pinfall, but picking MJF up at 1.

Cody started punching him in the face and kicking him. Wardlow pulled MJF to the floor again, as this wasn’t looking good for his boss. Brandi came over with a beer in hand and threw it into Wardlow’s face! Cody then hit a suicide dive on Wardlow and took him out, leaving MJF all alone. That was a fantastic spot.

Cody threw MJF back into the ring, but MJF cut him off with an arm wringer over the rope. Wardlow pulled Cody’s arm into the post, and then continued to work over the arm with a wheelbarrow powerbomb onto the arm! That was a very Arn Anderson style move. MJF’s previous finisher, before the Double Cross, was an armbar.

MJF did the Fargo strut to boos and locked on a double wristlock that Cody tried to fight. Cody rushed MJF into the corner, and tried an Irish whip, but MJF yanked on the arm, kicked it, and locked on Salt of the Earth. MJF figure foured the arm and started to yank on the other arm. Cody tried to reach it with his feet, but MJF grabbed a leg like ZSJ would.

Cody managed to pull himself to the ropes and broke the submission by biting the rope. That was a great spot. MJF took Cody’s boot off, leaving the toe that Cody broke in the cage match with Wardlow exposed. MJF then bit Cody’s foot, to the horror of the crowd. Arn Anderson got on the apron and started yelling at the ref for it.

MJF put Cody on the top rope and hit a throat thrust to him. Cody slipped out and sent MJF flying into the turnbuckle face first. Cody put MJF on the top rope and hit a top rope inverted superplex! Cody hit a disaster kick, and went for a dive, but Wardlow cut him off. Arn Anderson grabbed a chair and chased him off.

MJF came up, covered in blood, and Cody punched him repeatedly. MJF countered a move attempt and hit the heat seeker and went for a pinfall. Wardlow put MJF’s feet on the ropes, and the ref saw it and threw him off. Brandi went for a dive on Wardlow, but he caught her and went for the F10 on her, but Cody cut him off.

Cody went for a pump kick, but Wardlow moved and Cody nailed Arn Anderson. MJF low blowed Cody for a 2 count. Cody tried to hit a vertical suplex over the top rope to the floor, but MJF held on and pulled Cody over the top rope onto the floor. That was insane. Both barely made it back into the ring, and they stumbled about and started exchanging punches and forearms.

Cody then hit the Flip, Flop, and Fly, but MJF just fell to the mat to avoid the Bionic Elbow. Cody went to pick him up, but it was a trick as MJF countered into the Double Cross for the 2 count. MJF grabbed Cody’s weight belt and went to whip him, but the ref took it away, playing off the story of the whipping angle.

Cody then booted MJF low when the ref couldn’t see it. Cody hit Din’s Fire and scored a 2 count. Cody then grabbed the belt and looked at it, thinking revenge. Cody whipped him, and the crowd exploded. The ref told him to stop, but Cody said “One more!” and the ref reluctantly looked away as Cody killed him.

MJF went to the corner, and begged Cody to forgive him. Cody accepted a hug, but MJF spit in his face. Cody hit him with two Cross Rhodes before going for a third. MJF hit a knee right to Cody’s face and then pulled the diamond ring out of his trunks and smashed Cody right in the mouth with it and collapsed onto Cody for the pinfall victory.

Result: MJF

Rating: ****

I thought this was a very good, old school heel match. It was hurt by the tag match being so blow away earlier that nothing could live up to it. However, this, and the women’s match, was so different from the tag match that it might be enough to help the crowd reset after that. It might have been best to put the tag match on last, as I don’t think anyone can top that one.