Tonight’s main event of AEW Rampage was a big match for the TNT Championship between Champion Cody Rhodes and Ethan Page, and Page started out with a body shot but Rhodes was fired up and slammed him down to the mat and then brought him down again into a side headlock. Page got some help from Dan Lambert early on and that helped Page hit a Suplex and go for a pin, but he only got a 1 count. Rhodes did look a little stunned though, and Page kept hammering him with punches until Arn Anderson did some interfering of his own. Rhodes took advantage and hit a dropkick and then hit a big right hand to the top of Page’s head. He then went for the Cross Rhodes but Page evaded it and hit a Flying Shoulder Tackle to send Rhodes hard down to the floor.
Rhodes got some help getting up from someone in the crowd, but Page was quickly on him again. Page shoved Rhodes hard into the side of the ring and hit a chop on the chest before they both got back in the ring. Page taunted a bit before Rhodes evaded a move and hit a Chop Block on the back of Page’s leg, and it worked beautifully.
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Rhodes kept up the attack on the leg, grounding Page and then locking in a version of the Indian Deathlock to further damage the knee and leg. Rhodes would then keep working on Page’s leg, twisting it and locking in another submission, silencing any comebacks, but finally Page got to the ropes to break it. Rhodes did some celebrating with pushups and then put his focus back on Page.
Lambert tried to interfere again but Rhodes wasn’t having it, and then Rhodes locked in another hold that stretched Page’s leg and knee. At this point, Page was crawling on the mat with a visible tenderness in the leg, but he had enough strength to lift Rhodes and slam him down. He would use the ropes to hold him up and even managed to counter a Rhodes shoulder tackle.
Page had some momentum and hit Rhodes with big punches and even reversed a move with a clothesline. He was still limping and caught a kick to the face, but he hit Rhodes with a Back Body Drop before hitting a DDT and going for a pin, but he only got a 2 count.
Page was holding his knees by the referee and that gave Scorpio Sky an opening to attack Rhodes. Anderson came in for the save but then Dustin Rhodes ran in to take out Sky, and that left Cody an opening to hit the Cross Rhodes and go for the pin, but Page kicked out. Rhodes went to tear away the knee brace on Page’s knee, and he started attacking it. He then lifted Page onto the top turnbuckle and went to the ropes but Page punched him and got him on his shoulder. He then on one leg hit a Power Slam but also did some big damage to his knee, and Rhodes ended up kicking out of the pin.
We then traded punches and kicks, and Page went for a move but Rhodes evaded and hit a move off the ropes and covered Page, but Page kicked out right before 3. Rhodes locked in a Figure-Four, but Page reversed it and caused Rhodes to have to break it on the ropes. Rhodes went for a move but Page reversed it and almost pinned him. Rhodes then hit a monster punch to Page’s face but Page returned the favor and then slammed Rhodes hard to the mat from the turnbuckle.
They reversed a few more moves and Rhodes won out with a Cross Rhodes, and then he hit a second one and then hit a Tiger Driver for the pin and the win. Rhodes retains his TNT Championship.
What did you think of the match? Let us know in the comments or as always. You can talk all things wrestling with me on Twitter @MattAguilarCB!
