Twice now, we’ve seen Cody Rhodes fall to Malakai Black. First time, it was a simple spin kick which slayed The American Nightmare. Second time, Rhodes took some vile black mist to the face and was rolled up. Now, Arn Anderson & The Nightmare Family have brought out the killer instinct of Rhodes.
After running off Black to close off Rampage, this could be their most heated encounter yet. How tough is Rhodes now, and how far is he willing to go to beat Malakai Black? Add in that Andrade could be nearby for this one, and we have an interesting situation for sure.
The Nightmare Family vs. The House Of Black
We’d get another awe-inspiring entrance from Malakai Black, who is 6-0 in AEW; and two of those wins were over Cody Rhodes. The others were Dustin Rhodes, Brock Anderson, and Lee Johnson of Nightmare Family and Dante Martin. These aren’t easy opponents aside from the rookie Brock Anderson, and few can say they’ve beaten Cody in AEW twice.
Rhodes would hit the ring and he looked confident – but he looked confident the last two times as well. Arn Anderson was by his side, and Rhodes would dash to the ring and get right into this one. They’d lock up in the middle, and Rhodes tripped Black down into an attempt at the Figure Four. Black slipped free, before Rhodes got him down with a side headlock which didn’t stick.
Rhodes would get taken down with some quick strikes, including a rolling trip and a midkick. A kick to the knee was a prelude to a knee bar, but Rhodes would stomp his way free. Black would be caught with a classic Rhodes style powerslam, before looking for the Figure Four Leg Lock. Rhodes couldn’t get it, as Black gouged the eyes before slipping outside for a steel chair.
He slid it into the ring as Brock Anderson & Lee Johnson came to ringside, trying to keep Black honest. Anderson stole the chair and shoved it under the ring, and Rhodes would use this distraction to apply a Figure Four Leg Lock in the middle of the ring. Black was able to slip free, before nailing a PK to the jaw. A table was pulled out from under the ring, and set up.
Cody Rhodes Came Ready To Fight Tonight
With the table set, Rhodes would go to the apron and set up a Cross Rhodes to send both men through – with himself arguably getting the worst of the fall. He’d stumble up before collecting a bloody Black off the ground before being shoved into the ring post. Arn Anderson was in the ring, and the fans chanted for him to get the glock, as Malakai Black and Rhodes both got checked on as they bled.
Once both men got to their feet and into the ring, this one could continue. Andrade would hit the ramp and signal for his assist to attack Anderson, who took a classic AA spinebuster. Black would hit the mist, and PAC went after Andrade on the ramp. Back to the match at hand, a ripcord elbow and a moonsault wouldn’t do much, before Rhodes nailed Cross Rhodes for a near fall.
Black would hit a kick to the heart of Rhodes, before nailing a diving foot stomp. Rhodes was kicked off the ropes, hit with a knee strike and just as fast nailed with a German Suplex for a two count. He was rocked, he was bleeding, and Black Mass sent him out of bounds. Black sent him outside, but stuck the landing off a moonsault. Rhodes hit a dive, and back in the ring it was Cody-Cutter into Cross Rhodes into a Tiger Driver ‘98 for the win!
A match that was chaotic and messy, with as many run-ins as an AEW main event could handle, truly a trademark of the Codyverse. It was fun as hell, one of Rhodes best matches of 2021. He had to pull out a move from the rule book of Kenny Omega to get the win, and even then it was close. Match Rating: 3.5/5 (*** 1/2)
Was it too early for Malakai Black to lose a match in AEW? Let us know what you think in the comment section down below.
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