Chair Shots With Killem Faulkner: Fyter Fest Night 1

During a lull in the pay-per-view schedule, AEW delivered a special edition of its weekly programming with a two-week Fyter Fest playing out across both Dynamite and Rampage. Night 1 featured a stacked card with no fewer than three title defenses, giving it the feel of a major show while still being just a regular two-hour weekly show. Was the show worthy of that level of hype, or was it just your average weekly fare? Let’s run down all the best and worst of this week’s show from Savannah, GA.

Best Match of the Night

From an in-ring standpoint, Fyter Fest Night 1 was excellent. In fact, with all due respect to Luchasaurus vs. Griff Garrison (which was a squash match in service of a storyline) and Anna Jay vs. Serena Deeb (which was still good but mainly showcased how good Deeb is and how much Jay has progressed but is not yet on the Professor’s level), all the other matches on the show were worthy of at least honorable mentions, so let’s talk about all four. I’ll start with the only non-title match, which pitted Jake Hager against AEW’s newest signee Claudio Castagnoli, though that isn’t to say that it was any less good than the others. I love that Claudio has basically made it his thing that he’s going to try to end the fight immediately with a Neutralizer or giant swing. The kayfabe logic behind why wrestlers don’t just go for finishers all the time is that they’ve got to wear their opponent down to create an opening for a big, impactful move, but if you knew that you could put someone away with just one or two moves, why wouldn’t you at least try to do just that? All it takes is for it to work once and you’ve saved yourself a lot of time and effort. If it doesn’t work, no harm, just go back to your regular strategy. Maybe give them a trademark shrug and move on. Hager may be a legit fighter and accomplished amateur wrestler, but he doesn’t regularly get the opportunity to show what he can do in a professional wrestling context. Matches like this are a good reminder that he can actually go when given a proper dance partner. I especially enjoyed when he hit a Rock Bottom-esque maneuver – maybe a new signature move for him, maybe just a one-time thing, who knows? I can’t remember him using the gutwrench powerbomb that he used to do as a finisher, which is a shame, but at least he’s still expanding his repertoire in some ways. I like the Ricola Bomb as Claudio’s new (old) finisher, and I will always and forever enjoy Claudio’s version of the 619, which I know is not a name anyone but Rey Mysterio can use, but “tiger feint kick” just doesn’t sound right as a name for such a cool move. I guess in part because it’s not a feint – the person delivering the move does actually kick their opponent – but also it just seems like an oddly technical description. Anyway, I’ve said a lot without saying a lot about this match, but what more really needs to be said? Claudio is great, Hager is good, they have plenty of history and chemistry together, so it ended up being a better than average TV match. No need to cool off Claudio just yet, especially for the (no offense) fifth most important member of the Jericho Appreciation Society (or sixth if you count Sammy Guevara as an official member). Good match, right result, the end.

Wardlow vs. Orange Cassidy may have started out with a lot of schtick (more on that in a bit) that may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but their TNT Championship match eventually settled into the kind of showcase you’d want for two of the most over babyfaces on the roster. OC is the kind of wrestler that you don’t logically expect to win title matches, but he almost always turns in the kind of performance that makes you believe he just might pull it off. Wardlow is obviously as dominant as it gets in AEW right now, so it was refreshing to see him actually pushed in a match rather than simply smashing his foes easily all the time. As entertaining as the powerbomb symphony is, it’s good to see that he can hold up in a more competitive setting. It’s kind of like the transition from Goldberg’s undefeated streak to his title reign. Or, y’know, how that should have gone if WCW had been booked competently during that time period. Cassidy managed to avoid the powerbomb for a good while, frustrating the big man with Orange Punches and dives in addition to his usual shenanigans. One of my favorite spots was when Wardlow caught OC trying to go for an Orange Punch but he still delivered the Kicks of Doom while the Wardog held his fist. Cassidy also demonstrated his own resilience, kicking out of an F10 to his opponent’s considerable surprise. Despite emptying his arsenal on the champ, however, Freshly Squeezed was never quite able to put it away, allowing Mr. Mayhem to ultimately retain with a single powerbomb. This was a good first title match for the champ and did little to cool off the challenger, which is about as much as you’d hope for from a match between two wrestlers as popular as these two guys.

I’m going to be honest: I don’t understand why the interim AEW Championship match was referred to as an “eliminator match” – does that mean if the challenger had won he would have gotten an opportunity at facing CM Punk, or was this match not actually for the title but for a future title opportunity? I mean, the announcers did point out that Jon Moxley had handpicked Konosuke Takeshita for this match after being impressed by his showing against Eddie Kingston on Rampage, so maybe they felt the champ has the right to pick his own challenger while not being allowed to put the title on the line at will, but that could have been explained better. Or maybe I needed to pay better attention. Anywho, I really enjoyed this match despite knowing relatively little about Takeshita coming in, and Moxley has obviously gotten his second title reign off to a good start with matches with unorthodox opponents like this. I like the idea that the company is being less precious with its interim title, though I can’t say they’ve reserved title matches for only the choicest few in the company’s history either. It feels like Mox is pretty much fighting who he’d want to fight more than respecting the rankings so far, which is also in keeping with his character. He’s a rebel, man. He don’t play by your precious “rules” – he’s out there living on the edge. Takeshita wasn’t winning under any circumstances here – even if it wasn’t a title match, a young pup wasn’t going to succeed where a grizzled veteran like Hiroshi Tanahashi recently failed – but it was obvious that Moxley wouldn’t have had this match if it was going to be one-sided. This match was so bonkers that I was still trying to figure out how Takeshita got busted open when I realized Mox was bleeding from his nose too – I have legitimately no clue how either of those happened, and yet it was such a hard-hitting match that I didn’t question it for a second. Takeshita’s sheer drop brainbuster, German suplex, and blue thunder bomb all looked as precise and crisp as you could ask for, and Mox had to push himself more than usual to put his opponent away. I did also appreciate that Takeshita actually tapped out to the Bulldog Choke – I feel like the person passing out in a submission hold to one of the members of Blackpool Combat Club has been overused as a finish since the group formed. I get that the opponent is usually out from a Paradigm Shift or rain of hammer elbows to the head and the submission is just the unnecessary cherry on top of the violence sundae, but I feel like getting an actual tapout should be a more regular occurrence than it is. Takeshita will get to the point where he can tough his way through a submission attempt, but he’s not there yet, and that’s okay – his trajectory right now reminds me a lot of Wheeler Yuta’s before joining the BCC, and whether he continues it in AEW or goes back to Japan, it will be interesting to see where he goes from here and what his standing in the wrestling world is within the next year or so.

If you know me, you’d know what my sentimental favorite on this card was going to be even before it happened – I’m wearing a Keith Lee shirt as I write this, after all. That said, the Triple or Nothing main event pitting the Young Bucks against Swerve in Our Glory and Team Taz for the AEW World Tag Team Championships was not only the emotional high point but also the wrestling apex of the evening as well. The Young Bucks have basically two roles within the company at this point: put on dream matches and give up-and-coming talents the rub. Yes, there is more excitement around their presumptive rematch against FTR, but matches like this three-way against two teams who have been flying under the radar a bit but developing some positive momentum recently are just as important to what the EVPs should be doing for the company. Putting others over doesn’t mean that they don’t get to look good, however – Matt Jackson’s series of northern lights suplexes and an early sequence between Nick and Swerve Strickland were undeniable highlights of the match. Still, the champs were largely content to sit back and let their opponents have a share of the spotlight, playing their usual hits while reserving some of the biggest spots of the contest for the less established teams. That strategy paid off in spades as Hobbs went on a spinebuster rampage and hit an impressive “bullfrog splash” from at least halfway across the ring, Lee absorbed multiple superkicks without losing his footing and hit a massive pounce and dive to the outside, Starks walked the ropes as only he can and delivered one of the nearest falls of the match off a spear, and Swerve used his partner as a springboard to the outside and pulled off the ultimate victory off a top-rope stomp. All three teams also got in their own double-team highlights with the usual Superkick Party from the Bucks, Starks hit an impressive springboard cutter off his partner’s shoulders, and the signature combo strikes and Spirit Bomb/Swerve Stomp from Lee and Strickland were present and accounted for as expected. The result was a great match with a massively cathartic finish with Swerve in Our Glory picking up the win and the titles for the first time in their AEW careers. In a post-match promo that aired on the company’s Youtube channel, Lee explained his cryptic tweets leading up to the show were in reference to one of his best friends being diagnosed with cancer, which made his victory feel even more appropriate and well-deserved. Strickland could easily turn on him (probably to gift the Young Bucks the titles back for their upcoming match with FTR) and spark a feud with the big man that has been in the works almost since they first teamed up, but however long or short their reign, this glorious title win will not be so easily erased.

Best Moment of the Night

Christian Cage may have skewed personal again this week by insulting Brian Pillman Jr.’s late father as average at best compared to a multi-time world champ like himself, but I did particularly love him going after Pillman’s mullet deep in the heart of mullet country. Talk about knowing your audience. Georgians unsurprisingly booed him heartily for daring to insult their cultural heritage. Well, the part that isn’t rooted in exploiting Black people…I mean, states’ rights. That said, there was one moment, or should I say multiple moments strung together, that just resonated with me deep in my incredibly goofy heart. Like I said, I know Orange Cassidy, Best Friends, and Danhausen may not be for everyone, but they are for me, and this is my article, so I’m going to talk about their enjoyable nonsense in the opening match. Before the match began, Best Friends promised to “cheat…a lot” to make up for Wardlow’s physical advantages over their best bud Orange Cassidy, and they certainly did exactly that…albeit in the least effective way possible. After their “lawyer” Danhausen got them managers licenses to avoid a repeat of a few weeks ago when Dan Lambert got them ejected from ringside, Trent Beretta and Chuck Taylor used that freedom to *checks notes* pull off the outer part of the turnbuckle and insert a comically small chainsaw into proceedings that *checks notes again* had absolutely no impact on the outcome and got them ejected from ringside almost immediately. I know, it seems impossible that not exposing the metal ring under the padded part of the turnbuckle and bringing out the kind of mini-chainsaw that would be used in an all-chimpanzee remake of the Texas Chainsaw Massacre would fail to help out in a wrestling match, but I’m here to tell you that happened. Thankfully, however, the Freshly Squeezed one had another ace up his sleeve, as he lured Wardlow to the outside and got him into position next to a certain part of the ring apron. However, Wardog smelled a rat and pulled up the ring skirt to reveal…A GIANT RAT! Oh, that’s wrong. I meant to say Danhausen. Wait, does Danhausen smell like a rat? Maybe I wasn’t being literal about that smelling thing…anyway, with the very nice very hidden curse practitioner revealed, Wardlow’s title reign appeared to be one simple hand gesture away from ending, but it turns out metaphysical curses are less effective than physical muscles as Wardlow effectively intimidated Danhausen into merely patting him on the shoulder, wishing him and Cassidy all the best, and hightailing it to the back so the match could continue uninterrupted. The character work from everyone involved was great, and even if you don’t get into the comedic side of wrestling, these moments highlighted the inherent absurdity of the match itself and provided a fun contrast between the ultra seriousness of Wardlow and the silliness of OC and his pals. Besides, why do I even have to justify enjoying stuff like this? Wrestling is dumb and ridiculous. If you can’t have fun with it, I’m not even sure why you’re watching it. Go sit in your serious chair and watch paint dry or something.

Worst Matches/Moments of the Night

I got nothing here. “Fyter Fest” is still a silly name, I guess. Boom, roasted.

Parting Shots

• Chris Jericho and Eddie Kingston are having a “barbed wire everywhere” match next week with the Jericho Appreciation Society in a shark cage above the ring. I don’t even have a comment on this development. That’s a real thing that is going to happen.
• The House of Black cut a promo on Darby Allin, who has been feuding with Brody King lately. I appreciate Julia Hart’s involvement here, but where was Buddy Matthews? His absence was as conspicuous as it was inexplicable.
• I loved Jon Silver and Alex Reynolds interrupting Adam Page backstage, asserting that they’re disappointed on his behalf and will take on the House of Black this Friday in retribution for Brody King eliminating their boy Page from the Casino Battle Royale. The Dark Order is forever!
• This is a really minor point, but why did Excalibur call Claudio Castagnoli’s submission hold the Scorpion Deathlock instead of the Sharpshooter? It’s essentially the same move – does Claudio have some connection to Sting that I’m not aware of? Otherwise, I feel like his version has always been called a Sharpshooter, so changing its name just felt odd to me.
• The “sandbag” gag in Dr. Britt Baker DMD’s backstage promo on Thunderstorm was funny but I wonder if these jabs at Thunder Rosa are really constructive. It’s fair enough to rib someone for a supposed controversy as long as the person is in on the joke, so I hope that is the case here.

That does it for another week – really good show from an in-ring standpoint, and hopefully next week’s continuation of the Fyter Fest will live up to the high bar set this week. Thanks for joining me once again, and I hope to see you back here for more Chair Shots!