12 Match Star Ratings For AEW Revolution 2022
1. Hangman Page Vs. Adam Cole - AEW World Title Match
As a story, this wasn't too ambitious or unfamiliar. Nor, as a result, was it special.
But in terms of execution, this simple tale of a cunning defensive wrestler countering the bombs of an explosive powerhouse was world class. Everything was right on the f*cking button.
Hangman Page killed Adam Cole with his best shots early. He rattled Cole's head with a brutal, full-on dropkick executed as he propelled himself through the ropes. The collision detection was meaty as f*ck. Everything Page struck - a vicious apron powerbomb in particular - looked like utter death.
Which made Cole's cut-offs all the more impressive.
There can be no doubting his star power now. After last night, that discourse - not all of which was debated in bad faith - seems wild. He effectively drew fans into the match and sold them on the switch with his flawless counter game. As best exemplified by a highlight reel superkick counter to the moonsault, which was millimetre perfect, the smaller Cole convincingly regained the momentum several times throughout. He was in tremendous form; a backstabber reversal to a pop-up powerbomb attempt was another memorable escape.
This dynamic informed several heart-pounding near-falls, as did the sheer physicality behind the signature moves. They went really, really hard to pop an exhausted crowd, and in the end, the babyface prevailed - but Cole was operating on such an awesome level that, much like in NXT, he felt like the fan's choice.
Pulsating and dramatic, structurally, it was nothing you've not seen.
In execution, it was something of which few other talents are capable.
Star Rating: ★★★★½