8 Match Star Ratings For AEW Revolution

7. Jake Hager Vs. Dustin Rhodes

Jon Moxley
AEW

This match divided opinion - many thought it shouldn't have opened - but it needed to open. It might have died altogether in any other spot because the enthusiastic crowd and their profound love of Dustin Rhodes carried it.

The hot, logical start - Dustin Rhodes in badass babyface vengeance mode targeted Jake Hager's arm - simmered down when Hager took control in a match that had a certain generic WWE main roster vibe about it. This punishing arm work didn't factor into much else, either, which on any other night would have marred it. But this Chicago crowd adored Dustin, which elevated the match as much as the man himself did. He sold for Hager brilliantly, but in a match designed to get Hager over as a killer, this did not succeed in its remit.

Aspects of his work looked very good - a vaulting lariat crashed into Dustin's neck, and it looked brutal - but elsewhere, Dustin barely looked in grave danger in the face of this built-up MMA killer. It dragged, wasn't dynamic, and Hager didn't do enough to project himself as a specialist capable of tapping Rhodes in an instant.

AEW somehow conspired to make Goldust Vs. Jack Swagger something to look forward to in 2020, and Goldust Vs. Jack Swagger is what we got. We didn't get a new, motivated, legitimised Jake Hager.

The most gentlemanly of...

Star Rating: ★★★

Contributor
Contributor

Michael Sidgwick is an editor, writer and podcaster for WhatCulture Wrestling. With over seven years of experience in wrestling analysis, Michael was published in the influential institution that was Power Slam magazine, and specialises in providing insights into All Elite Wrestling - so much so that he wrote a book about the subject. You can order Becoming All Elite: The Rise Of AEW on Amazon. Possessing a deep knowledge also of WWE, WCW, ECW and New Japan Pro Wrestling, Michael’s work has been publicly praised by former AEW World Champions Kenny Omega and MJF, and surefire Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Cody Rhodes. When he isn’t putting your finger on why things are the way they are in the endlessly fascinating world of professional wrestling, Michael wraps his own around a hand grinder to explore the world of specialty coffee. Follow Michael on X (formerly known as Twitter) @MSidgwick for more!