GREENSBORO — Samoa Joe retained the AEW World Heavyweight championship by submitting ‘Hangman’ Adam Page at AEW Revolution.
Strickland and Page started the match off face-to-face, but Joe smashed their heads together and took the fight to both opponents. Page tossed Joe over the rope and Strickland got his hands on Page. Strickland took out Page, hit the Griddy, jumped outside and knocked Joe down, then hit the Griddy around the ring.
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Joe knocked Strickland out of the ring, then locked in the STF on Page in the ring. Strickland made his way back into the ring and met Joe on the top rope. After a series of false moves, Page and Strickland teamed to powerbomb Joe. Strickland and Page continued to pepper each other with shots, with the latter getting the edge with big right hand shots. Page moonsaulted from the rope and caught Strickland, lifting him and hitting a tombstone.
He lifted Strickland into the Dead Eye, but Strickland reversed and hit a series of suplexes. Joe then went to work on Page and Strickland, knocking Strickland out of the ring before hitting the Muscle Buster on Page. Strickland hit the double foot stomp from the top rope on Joe, then dropped Page with a kick to the back of the head.
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Joe tried to lock in the Coquina Clutch on Strickland, but he escaped, then hit a DDT. Strickland hit another double foot stomp on Joe, but Page grabbed the referee and knocked him out. Page then grabbed the title and hit Strickland. Strickland made his way to his feet on the apron and Page hit him with the belt again. Page turned and hit the Buckshot Lariat on Joe from both sides of the ring. Another referee came running to the ring and counted to two before Joe kicked out.
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Back on his feet, Joe locked in the Coquina Clutch on Page, but Swerve broke it up off the top rope. Prince Nana tried to give Strickland his headband to hit Joe, but Strickland tossed it back. Joe locked in the Coquina Clutch on Strickland, but Page beat up the second ref. Page hit a Buckshot Lariat on Joe, Strickland took out Page, then Joe suplexed Strickland to get his hands on Page and lock in the Coquina Clutch for the win.
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Strickland and Page earned a shot at the title after their No. 1 contender match went to a 30-minute draw. Two weeks ago, Page feigned an ankle injury, followed it up this week by stating he couldn’t compete, then attacked Strickland and proclaimed he’d never become champion.
The championship match is just the latest in Strickland and Page’s ongoing rivalry, with the former winning two of their three previous matches.
