Reviews by Dave
Show air date: July 1, 2020
Fyter Fest Night one is in the bag, and it was a good show, but started to drag at points. Which kept it from being a great show.
“Le All Lives Matter” Chris Jericho came out for commentary and pretty soon, I was wishing he hadn’t. He got in a couple of hotlines (Mothra reference, Arn as Wilfred Brimley) but for the most part, it was just him yelling and being a distraction. My least favorite part of the show.
Jurassic Express defeated MJF and Wardlow
They started with a good tag team match between longstanding rivals MJF and Wardlow going down in defeat to the Jurassic Express, with Wardlow being pinned by Luchasaurus after a miscue by MJF. Good TV match with a couple of too-cute spots I could do without, but it’s not AEW without the wrestlers sometimes doing too much.
Preview of Joey Janela vs Lance Archer
Joey Janela tries to get into a fight ringside with his opponent next week, “Murder Hawk” Lance Archer. Only Jake Roberts was laughing harder than me at the concept and watching Janela do a job to that Archer.
Hikaru Shida (c) defeated Penelope Ford for the AEW Women’s Championship
After a good introductory vignette, Hikaru Shida successfully defended her AEW Women’s World title against Penelope Ford. Good match that has continued the recent trend of quality women’s matches they’ve been putting on. Easily the best Ford performance since arriving. The only downside was when Ford’s boyfriend Kip Sabian came down. All that looked bad but…AEW.
Moxley vs Cage in Two Weeks
I love the Technique By Taz vignettes. He was good here and later when he and “The Machine” Brian Cage address Cage’s world title challenge against Jon Moxley being pushed back a week. Both were well done.
Cody (c) defeated Jake Hager for the TNT Championship
In the best pure match of the show, TNT champion CODY beat Jake Hager. All around great wrestling match but again, the finish was overbooked with Hager’s wife Catalina slapping CODY while the ref wasn’t looking. Then CODY’s brother Dustin coming down and slapping Hager (big ass men out there slapping each other, bruh). CODY goes for CrossRhodes, Hager counters into a triangle head and arm choke that CODY counters into a pin. Somehow, Hager, a 14-year veteran, didn’t hear the referee slapping three right beside his ear and thought he won so he gets mad and decks him. Okay. 🤷🏾♂️
Orange Cassidy Joins The Commentary Team (Sort of)
Orange Cassidy comes out to sit at commentary and does a better job at it that Jericho, so Chris got mad and wanted to fight. CJ was hamming it up for real here. Someone in charge needs to tell him to take it down a notch.
Private Party defeated Santana and Ortiz
Private Party–Marq Quen and Isaiah Cassidy, accompanied by Matt Hardy–pulled off the biggest win of their career, beating Santana and Ortiz in a good match but fell short of previous matches between the two. After the match, it’s announced PP will be getting a tag title shot next week. Unless they’re about to do a major rebuild, the Inner Circle is done as a major heel faction.
Main Event: Kenny Omega and “Hangman” Adam Page (c) defeated The Best Friends for the AEW Tag Team Championship
The main event saw the most ridiculous result of the night as Best Friends–Trent and Chuck Taylor–a team that had carried the tag division for months, lose to the champs, Kenny Omega and Adam Page. They had Trent’s mom drop them off and everything and them boys lost.
It was fine but it’s one of those times if you like Omega matches, you liked it. If you think “seen one, seen them all” you might now. I was entertained enough. BF put their best foot forward and looked like guys fighting for their first world titles. Kenny and Adam got all their shit in. After the match, FTR comes down to be nice (they are so turning heel on the Bucks soon) and are rebuffed, which brings out Matt and Nick, the Young Bucks…for some reason.
It was good but not great. Onto NXT.
