Dustin Rhodes Avoids Retirement, Advances to AEW TNT Championship Tournament Semifinals

Dustin Rhodes announced earlier this week that if he lost his match against Kip Sabian in the [...]

By Connor Casey

Dustin Rhodes announced earlier this week that if he lost his match against Kip Sabian in the opening round of the TNT Championship Tournament, he would retire from professional wrestling. Rhodes' brother Cody sold the stipulation the hardest, worrying that his older brother might end his in-ring career so suddenly. However it was thanks to an assist from another Rhodes family member, Brandi, that Dustin was able to beat the young Sabian and advance in the tournament.

Late in the match Sabian had the referee distracted in the corner after he refused to stop attacking an injured Dustin. Penelope Ford then slid in the ring, only for Brandi to nail her with a spear and toss her out of the ring.

Before Sabian could figure out what happened, Dustin hit the ropes and nailed the Code Red (a running Canadian Destroyer) to pick up the win.

The next round of the championship tournament will see Cody take on Darby Allin (who beat Sammy Guevara earlier in the night to advance) and Dustin face newcomer Lance Archer. The two finalists will meet at the Double or Nothing pay-per-view on May 23, which AEW has confirmed will still take place but has been moved from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.

Odds are Dustin won't put up the same retirement stipulation with his match against Archer, given that the "Murderhawk Monster" hasn't lost a match in AEW yet. Meanwhile this will mark the third time Rhodes and Allin have met one-on-one, with Cody holding a 1-0-1 lead over the young rising star.

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