For the first time ever, Dustin Rhodes will challenge for the ROH World Title.
Claudio Castagnoli and ROH Pure Champion Wheeler Yuta began Friday night’s AEW Rampage on TNT with a promo in the ring. Rhodes responded quickly to Castagnoli’s Open Challenge for the title. Rhodes claimed they were similar until recently because they had both never won a World Championship. Castagnoli noted that Rhodes is having his best run ever in AEW and claimed to still see the same fire in his eyes after more than three decades. Castagnoli agreed to the match, they shook hands, and the fight was scheduled to to take place on the August 26 episode of Rampage the following week.
Rampage will be recorded from Cleveland, Ohio’s Wolstein Center next Wednesday.
The ROH World Title match on Friday will mark Castagnoli’s second title defence. On July 23, he defeated Jonathan Gresham at ROH Death Before Dishonor, and on August 6, he defeated Konosuke Takeshita to retain the title.
Rhodes took part in the Royal Rampage Battle Royal on July 1, but his final singles match was a defeat to AEW World Champion CM Punk on the Dynamite episode of April 20. Prior to the match with Punk, Rhodes had only competed in two other matches in 2022: a Grudge Match victory over Lance Archer on the March 25 Rampage, and a match for the Interim AEW TNT Title against Sammy Guevara on January 8 at Battle of the Belts I, which Guevara won.
We will keep you informed if there is any new information regarding Castagnoli’s potential defence at AEW All Out on September 4.
Stay tuned to PWMania.com for more. Click here for complete AEW Rampage results.
Here are related shots of Rhodes and Castagnoli on Rampage:
Representing the #BlackpoolCombatClub, it’s #ROH World Champion Claudio Castagnoli here at #AEWRampage! Tune in to TNT right NOW! pic.twitter.com/UlMs8EAq3u
— All Elite Wrestling (@AEW) August 20, 2022
#TheNatural Dustin Rhodes promises to bring the best version of himself to challenge for the #ROH World Championship! Will Claudio accept? Tune in to #AEWRampage on TNT right now! pic.twitter.com/waLACO4Exc
— All Elite Wrestling (@AEW) August 20, 2022
#ROH World Champion Claudio Castagnoli issues an open challenge for the title! Who is going to step up? Watch #AEWRampage on TNT right now! pic.twitter.com/zMDmeMz4MU
— All Elite Wrestling (@AEW) August 20, 2022
It’s set! #ROH World Champion Claudio Castagnoli vs. #TheNatural Dustin Rhodes for the title next Friday at #AEWRampage on TNT! pic.twitter.com/BdVruuRFpm
— All Elite Wrestling (@AEW) August 20, 2022
