Fyter Fest Night 1 featured a hot live crowd in Austin, Texas!
The fire is lit when Jon Moxley retains the IWGP United States Championship against Karl Anderson in a hard-hitting absolute slugfest.
Ricky Starks defeated Brian Cage to become the new FTW Champion
Major highlights include Starks powerbombing Cage off the turnbuckles, Cage lobbing Starks for with a reverse pumphandle slam. This match was hot. So many times Cage would manhandle Starks, but the leaner Starks, who seemed to have the crowd behind him, would slither and outmaneuver the larger Cage. It was impressive to see Starks counter some of Cage’s bigger and more powerful moves into some very close pinfall calls.
Mid-way through, Starks tried to use the FTW Championship belt as a weapon, but was stopped by Powerhouse Hobbs. Cage and Starks moved so impressively well, Cage broke out a few fast paced moves of his own to counter Starks, while Starks would then use his quickness to evade.
In the end, the earlier actions by Hobbs was a fake, as Hook would distract the ref, allowing Hobbs to clock Cage in the head with the FTW belt, allowing Starks to hit a striking spear for the three count win, to the praise of Taz.
Starks has “it.” He’s got skills, got the finesse, the character, and could be the “Next Rock” if continues right.
Backstage: Lance Archer challenges Mox for the IWGP U.S. Championship, next week in a Texas Deathmatch. YES. PLEASE.
Cody Rhodes rushes out a grabs a commentator’s headset and goes nuts over Malachi Black’s actions from last week. Not satisfied, Cody rushes to the ring and goes on the mic, demanding a match, tonight. Instead, Black makes a reference to an old horse, putting it out of its misery. He compares Arn and Cody as two people who “don’t have it anymore.” The lights go out, Black in the ring, and the FIGHT ERUPTS! It is broken up by referees, officials, and staff.
This is how you build an epic feud in short order. Cody is stellar on bringing the emotion, Black is pure blood on bringing the fight. I 100% love how Malachi Black is in Black and Cody wears white. I just love it.
Hangman Adam Page officially challenges Kenny Omega for the AEW World Championship but is interrupted by Don Callis and The Elite. Callis and company try putting him down, slighting him in hopes of bullying him out of his decision. Elite rush the ring but The Dark Order makes the save. Hangman demands a match, but Omega counters with an offer of a five-on-five Elimination Tag Match, but with stipulations. Page wants the Dark Order to get a Tag Team Championship along with his AEW World Championship match should they win. However, Omega has his own, if The Elite wins, they all lose any chance of having a title match as long as they are champions.
Backstage, Santana and Ortiz corner Tully Blanchard threatening to bash him with a crowbar. They strike… with a tap on the head. It’s plastic! Ha ha! They let Tully know they respect their elders.
Also backstage, Chris Jericho talks about waiting for his first challenge but is interrupted when Shawn Spears bashes him with a chair. Guess we know his first opponent, but with the stipulation where Spears gets to use a chair, and Jericho can’t.
Christian defeated Matt Hardy
Color me impressed. We got a solid match. This was a whole lot better than I expected. A lot of close calls and I couldn’t predict who would come out the winner. The commentary team put over Christian finally earning a singles victory over Matt Hardy.
After the match was over, The HFO ran in but was chased off by Jurassic Express. The commentary team pointed out how Luchasaurus put Christian on his shoulder which confused Jungle Boy. I certainly hope this isn’t going to turn south. I did predict an inevitable feud between Christian and Jungle Boy, it seems this is how it will begin.
Dr. Britt Baker promo: In the ring, The Doctor cuts ONE. HELL. OF. A. PROMO. Ripping into Nyla Rose, talking about her losing relevance, and, in my opinion, the line of the night when Dr. Baker tells Vickie Guerrero “you have a last name which keeps you relevant forever.”
Hot damn. She has the best promos in the company. Find it on YouTube. Do it.
Sammy Guevara defeated Wheeler Yuta
Yuta got his moments to shine, including a nice floating German suplex and some crazy aerial counters. He also had one scary bump, Sammy launching him skyward with a back body drop, and Yuta lands it flat. FLAT. I have never seen a bump like that. Yuta impressed, but this was all Sammy. The Spanish God owned the match, and while this was not a complete squash, it accomplished getting Yuta a confident nod in front of a live audience and Sammy gets a push forward.
Yuka Sakazaki defeated Penelope Ford
Yuka just looks so happy, all the time. She’s fast, she’s graceful, and she gets the crowd pumped. Ford does a fantastic job of bringing the heel heat, slows down the match to her level. Doing so allows the crowd to rally behind Sakazaki, which leads to a surprising rally and eventual win with her Magic Carpet mid-rope splash.
I hope we get to see more of her in the coming weeks.
The Main Event of Fyter Fest Night 1: Darby Allin defeats Ethan Page in the Coffin Match
This. Was. AWESOME. This proves one solid, irrefutable fact. You do not need the same people main eventing. You do not need to rely on the same guys to close the show. You can take two guys who bring the star power, give them the final slot, and watch a pay-per-view quality bout. Allin and Page did it. Hell, Ethan page has been with AEW for what, a few months, and he main events Night One of Fyter Fest?! That’s star power. Some real scary spots with Allin being ambushed and thrown into the ring stairs by Scorpio Sky who is then chased away by Sting. Page dismantles the bottom turnbuckle and uses the hook to choke and rip off the neckchain from Allin’s neck. Darby later uses it as a dental appliance by shoving it in Ethan’s mouth. So much intense back-and forth with Ethan simply putting on a display of overpowering Allin, and again, Darby Allin sells everything like death, including a gruesome Ethan’s Edge off the top rope onto the ring stairs.
Allin makes a comeback, leaping off the top rope with his skateboard, sending Page into the Coffin, with Darby slamming the lid for the win.
But wait! There’s more. Allin goes to the top rope and CRASHES through with a Coffin Drop off the top rope to the floor! Good grief!!!
AEW proves their roster is full of star power, and doesn’t need a handful of guys to be in the “top spots.” Just shows any single one of their people could main event a show and close it with a thrilling finale.
Hot damn. Do I love this show.
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