MJF defeats Cody at Revolution as AEW continues to build their future top heel

The big grudge match tonight for Revolution, emanating from Chicago, Illinois, was Cody’s match against MJF.

Since MJF betrayed Cody at Full Gear in November, Cody hasn’t touched MJF. It was a condition to get the match that he couldn’t lay his hands on his foe. Finally, he was able to tonight.

Cody, sporting a possible neck tattoo, was ready.

When the match started, MJF decided to make Cody wait longer as he ran into the crowd. But eventually, Cody put him back in the ring and was really able to lay into him.

With big Wardlow on the outside, Cody, Arn Anderson, and Brandi Rhodes had a plan to neutralize the big man. Brandi tossed a beer in his face and when Wardlow followed her, Cody hit him with a suicide dive.

It only worked briefly as Wardlow soon hit the American Nightmare outside the ring and tossed him in. This allowed MJF to work over Cody’s left arm for a good while. He also targeted a broken toe on Cody’s right foot, even removing the boot and biting it.

This was a Cody match so someone had to get busted open, though this time it was MJF who opted to bleed like a stuck pig.

Wardlow continued to pay dividends. When he tried to help MJF with a leverage pin, Brandi had enough and tried to deliver a crossbody to the big man. Wardlow caught her. Cody implored the big man to put her down, which he did. The American Nightmare went for a big kick, but the big man moved and Cody nailed Arn instead.

This distracted the referee, allowing MJF a moment to deal a low blow. Of course, that wouldn’t be enough to put Cody and his neck tattoo away.

MJF delivered the Double Cross (his version of the Crossroads) but Cody kicked out. MJF removed his weight belt to whip Cody like he did on Dynamite weeks back. But referee Paul Turner took the belt from him. During this time, it was Cody that delivered the low blow. And now it was his turn to lash MJF.

He grabbed the weight belt and delivered one lash. Paul Turner tried to take the belt away but Cody asked him to give him one more. And Turner did.

The beaten MJF resorted to graveling, but that turned into spitting in Cody’s face. Cody responded with two Crossroads. But when he went for a third, MJF threw a knee and punched him in the face while wearing the Dynamite Diamond ring.

The loaded fist was enough for the win.

AEW has clearly been trying to establish MJF as a top heel. Beating one of their top babyfaces is the way to do that.

You can find all the results for Revolution at the live blog here.