Jake Hager Beats Dustin Rhodes at AEW Revolution 2020

In his first official match since making his All Elite Wrestling debut on the first episode of Dynamite, Jake Hager defeated Dustin Rhodes at AEW Revolution on Saturday.

Hager had a few near-wins before finishing Rhodes with a standing arm triangle choke. He got Rhodes with an ankle lock and nailed a gutwrench powerbomb but couldn't get the win until putting his opponent to sleep.

Rhodes held his own and hit Hager with a Code Red, but he ultimately fell victim to Hager's submission.

The rivalry between the two has been months in the making, dating back to the Chris Jericho vs. Cody feud entering Full Gear on November 9. With Hager joining Le Champion's Inner Circle and Dustin fighting alongside his brother, they were destined to mix it up.

That happened on the October 30 episode of Dynamite when Hager slammed Rhodes' arm in a car door at the behest of Jericho, which led to Dustin being written off television for several weeks.

Rhodes continued to go after The Inner Circle once he returned, and he had a pair of matches against Inner Circle member Sammy Guevara with Hager patrolling the outside of the ring.

Guevara beat Rhodes the first time, but Rhodes got revenge with a victory of his own on the February 12 episode of Dynamite, which led to him calling out Hager for not wrestling and challenging him to a match at Revolution.

Both Hager and Rhodes are accomplished performers who achieved their greatest success in WWE under different personas.

As Jack Swagger, Hager was a world heavyweight and United States champion in WWE. He even challenged for the world heavyweight title at WrestleMania 29 when he faced Alberto Del Rio in a singles match.

Hager left WWE to focus on a career in MMA, and the former University of Oklahoma wrestling star has been impressive thus far in Bellator with a 2-0 record, including one no-contest.

Rhodes was an intercontinental and tag team champion in WWE as Goldust, but he has thrived in AEW under the last name that his father, "The American Dream" Dusty Rhodes, made famous.

Hager and Rhodes locked horns on many occasions in WWE, but they were primarily in tag team matches. None of their encounters had the type of spotlight Saturday's bout did, and they rose to the occasion on the big stage.

Given the fact Hager is a legitimate fighter who is on the ascent in the world of MMA, he was the favorite entering Saturday's match, and that held true.

Rhodes didn't need the win at this juncture in his career, but the victory could go a long way toward further establishing Hager as a dominant force in AEW.

Listen to Ring Rust Radio for all of the hot wrestling topics. Catch the latest episode in the player below (warning: some language NSFW).