AEW Double Or Nothing: Star Ratings For All 9 Matches

3. Cody Vs. Dustin Rhodes

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From Cody's entrance, to the outlaw execution, to the disgusting buckets of blood, to the visceral emotion, to the astonishing acknowledgement of pro wrestling's past, to the molten heat, to the sheer authenticity, to the nuanced, multi-dimensional character work, to the at-times unbearable, harrowing drama, this was the preeminent anti-WWE match, promoted by the anti-WWE company - and what a stunning, scarcely believable triumph it was.

The storytelling was absolutely superb - a definitive indictment of WWE's road agent system. Cody, going full-on in his d*ckhead heel role, cartwheeled around his older brother to show off the athleticism that deserted him long ago. Only, it didn't; Dustin Rhodes' awesome somersault senton to the outside awakened something ugly within the younger son, who channelled it by opening a sickening hole in Dustin's head. Dustin broke the motherf*cking Muta scale in a disturbing, anxious match that echoed the old school in both its timeless brilliance and regressive ugliness.

But Rhodes showed enough fire to banish those 2004 memories in an audacious and unforgettable performance, and in delivering, somehow, a Canadian Destroyer, he capped off a superb working performance just as it was felt the match had tumbled down into the deepest waters of the shoot.

An ass-spanking masterpiece of emotion and atonement.

Star Rating: ****1/2

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 current Undisputed WWE 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!