AEW Dynamite: Fyter Fest Night 2 - July 21, 2021
by Samoa Rowe
Live from the Curtis Culwell Center in Garland, Texas. Attendance looks robust on camera. Our hosts are Jim Ross, Tony Shiavone, and Excalibur.
The 5 Labours of Jericho: Chapter 1 - Chairs are Legal for Spears:
Chris Jericho vs. Shawn Spears (with Tully Blanchard)
The fans give MJF a villain's welcome as he joins commentary. Spears starts with a chair, but Jericho reaches over with a forearm smash and gets a hot start. Jericho considers using the chair, giving Spears an opening for token jobber offense. Jericho quickly puts an end to that and sends Spears into the barricade. Jericho then showboats for far too long and springboards into Spears' chair shot. Enziguri by Jericho, but Spears pops up for a superplex. Spears wraps Jericho's arm around the ring post for another chair shot. Jericho dodges a splash and rallies, hitting a flying axe handle. Jericho pops the fans with an avalanche hurricanrana, but Spears drops him with a superkick for 2. Sitout powerbomb by Spears also gets 2. Spears serves another chair shot but gets distracted strutting around, allowing Jericho to apply the Walls of Jericho! Tully prevents referee Aubrey Edwards from seeing the tapout. Sammy Guevara runs in to neutralize Tully. Meanwhile, Spears breaks free wit ha chair and nails the C4 for only 2! Spears attempts a chair assisted C4, but Jericho slips off and wins via Judas Effect at 10:57. This turned into a really good match before it was over. It was great fun to watch Jericho wrestle as a traditional babyface in front of an arena crowd again, ***.Winner: Chris Jericho
MJF accuses Jericho of breaking the rules and announces that next week he will face the sadistic Nick Gage in a No DQ's match. The fans know exactly who Gage is and give him a big time reaction when he appears on the stage in an MDK t-shirt. Jericho looks properly worried as Gage waves a pizza cutter around.
TNT Champion Miro talks to the camera. He plays up his new role as the “Redeemer” and will give anyone a chance to be forgiven.
Doc Gallows (with Karl Anderson) vs. Frankie Kazarian
Gallows recently left Kazarian laying in a heap on Dark Elevation. The fans are not super jazzed for this match, but are polite as Gallows dominates the early going. Anderson cheap shots at ringside to send us to picture-in-picture. They come back with Gallows rocking a chinlock. Kazarian pulls Doc's beard and rakes the eyes to escape. Kazarian hits a back suplex and springboard guillotine leg drop for 2. Anderson breaks up a chicken wing, Kazarian knocks him down, but Gallows hits a thunderous kick and sitout powerbomb to win at 6:30. Okay-ish match that got eaten up by the commercial break, *½.Winner: Doc Gallows
The Good Brothers put Kazarian down with a Magic Killer for good measure. AEW World Champion Kenny Omega and Don Callis make a surprise appearance to gloat. Omega flubs his lines, possibly on purpose, with Don whispering in his ear. Hangman Adam Page comes out with drink in hand to steer the Elite's attention away from Kazarian. Don wonders if Hangman is stupid or drunk for confronting them on his own. Page hands his drink to Don and fights a losing battle, but the Dark Order arrive on cue to clear the ring.
Dasha interviews Brian Cage about Team Taz betraying him in order to move the FTW title to Ricky Starks. Cage invites himself to their planned celebration in Charlotte.
Wheeler Yuta (with Orange Cassidy) vs. Darby Allin (with Sting)
They aggressively lock up and trade athletic counters. Darby stomps the hand (as the camera spots New Japan's Hikuleo in the crowd). Yuta drops Darby's bandaged midsection onto the buckles and applies a modified octopus. Darby elbows out but runs into a German suplex for 2. Darby comes back with a superplex for a breather. Cassidy saunters into a staredown with Sting, and they trade sloth kicks. Darby finds this to be irritating, but manages to hit a stunner and coffin drop to win at 4:22. Decent short match, Yuta is earning his minutes and Darby feels like a star. This could be the start of something bigger between OC and Sting, **.Winner: Darby Allin
The Blade sneaks in to knock Cassidy out with brass knuckles, casting doubt on their schedule match.
AEW Women's Championship:
Dr. Britt Baker © (with Rebel, not Reba) vs. Nyla Rose (with Vickie Guerrero)
Rose counters an Irish whip into a shoulder block. The fans are solidly behind Britt as she hits a fireman's carry into a hammerlock. Rose escapes and nails a back senton. Rebels pulls Britt away from Nyla's flying knee drop, allowing Britt to drive her into the buckles to set up the commercial break. They return just in time for Rose to regain control and hit consecutive backbreakers and then an overhead slam. Nyla misses a running cannonball, Britt hits Sling Blade, the ref botches a nearfall on a backslide pin, and Britt makes a DDT for 2 (the fans are still booing the ref). Britt fetches her glove and waves to the camera, blocks a chokeslam, but can't quite get Lockjaw. DVD by Rose and then the draping flying knee drop. Britt answers with a swinging neckbreaker and low superkick. Nyla finally hits a chokeslam, Britt pops up for a messy crucifix bomb, followed by an equally messy crucifix pin attempt. Britt nails a pair of curb stomps for a good nearfall. Nyla smashes a forearm and they both collapse. Rebel argues with the ref, while Brett pulls an Eddie Guerrero by tossing the title to Nyla and playing dead. Vickie doesn't stand for this, and Rose hits the Beast Bomb for a RED HOT nearfall. Britt rolls into Lockjaw and wins at 12:05! They had the crowd and a great gameplan, but was lacking a bit in execution, **¾.Winner and still AEW Women's Champion: Britt Baker
Earlier today, Tony Shiavone hosted an empty press conference between FTR and Santana and Ortiz. The LAX guys make the case that they lived tougher lives and were tearing it up in AEW while FTR were still playing patty-cake elsewhere. FTR aren't afraid of them and will meet them in the ring at Fight for the Fallen.
Tony Shiavone hosts Andrade El Idolo in the ring. Andrade cuts Tony off and brings out Chavo Guerrero as his new executive adviser (or something, who cares) and the fans give him a warm welcome with loud "Chavo" chants. Chavo says he can't believe all the great talent in AEW, but no one is as talented as Andrade. They're interrupted by the full Death Triangle faction, including the recently MIA Pac and injured Rey Fenix. Andrade tells them off in Spanish, and Chavo translates for dumb old Pac (who only knows one language). Basically, Andrade is a true superstar, and the Lucha Bros. should ditch Pac. Death Triangle argue they are a family and that Andrade isn't on their level. Referees rush in to protect Andrade from a beatdown. This was pretty long winded, but should result in some good matches.
Christian Cage, Luchasaurus, and Jungle Boy talk to the camera. Christian is disgusted by what Matt Hardy's group did to Marko Stunt, and challenges them to a match at Fight for the Fallen.
Alex Marvez talks to QT Marshall and the Factory backstage. He promises to give Tony a proper apology at Fight for the Fallen.
The Blade (with The Bunny) vs. Orange Cassidy
It looks like OC might not make it, but he rolls in from the crowd to surprise Blade. Cassidy misses an Orange Punch and Blade gains higher ground for some stomping. Cassidy fires back with a barrage of punches, Blade fakes a knee injury to buy space. Blade sprints into a running boot, but Cassidy fires back with Stun Dog Millionaire. Blade then hits a sickening gut wrench powerbomb onto the buckles! They cut to picture-in-picture. They return just in time for Cassidy's plucky comeback. Tornado DDT by Cassidy gets 2. Kris Statlander arrives to pull Bunny off the apron, but Blade pulls Kris into harm's way as OC hits a tope suicida. Cassidy shoves Blade into Bunny, knocking her ears off her head. Back to the ring, Blade hangs OC up on the ropes and nails a lariat. Corkscrew Tombstone by Blade only gets 2. Cassidy hits Beach Break, despite a back injury, but Blade kicks out. Bunny passes knucks to Blade, but OC deflects into an Orange Punch to win at 8:46. Good win for Orange to cap off a solid but somewhat long-winded bout, **½.Winner: Orange Cassidy
Cassidy puts on the knucks for one more Orange Punch, theoretically putting a bow on this mini-feud once and for all.
Chris Jericho morphs into his sinister Painmaker persona to face Nick Gage at Fight for the Fallen. They are going to have a total field day.
Cody Rhodes vs. Malakai Black is announced for Homecoming at Daily's Place. This is coming a lot faster than I'd predicted. That should sell some tickets.
IWGP United States Championship (Texas Death Match):
Jon Moxley © vs. Lance Archer (with Jake Roberts)
Moxley is ready and lights Archer up with a kendo stick. Archer pounces Moxley out of the ring and hits a somersault senton off of the apron. Moxley tackles Archer through the rails and they brawl into the stands. Archer uses a (planted) fan as a weapon and throws him at Mox. Moxley counters with a DDT onto some exposed concrete. A bloody Archer crawls back, only for Moxley to stab him with a fork. Cue the commercials! They return just as Moxley pillmanizes Archer's ankle. Archer punches Moxley through a can lid! Both guys are bloody as they slug it out. Moxley drops Archer on his head in a German suplex, but Archer pops up for a strong power slam. Archer looks for Blackout through some chairs, but Moxley slips out for a low blow! Moxley repositions the chairs with the spines together, but Archer chokeslams him right onto them! Moxley powers up (no-sells) for a lariat and Paradigm Shift! Archer sets up and waves double birds, prompting Moxley to lunge at him with the fork. Mox sets up barbed wire boards onto a pair of ringside tables. Archer jabs Mox with the fork and chokeslams him through the wired tables! Moxley is too tangled up in the wire to stand up and Archer wins at 13:22! Big upset and cool win for the hometown hero. You don't see matches this vicious on TV all that often, ***½.Winner and new IWGP United States Champion: Lance Archer
Hikuleo gets into the ring to stare Archer down.
Final Thoughts: Looks like having big, happy crowds in arenas in different cities every week should go a long way to silencing some of the really bad AEW takes across the internet. This show did a lot to set up Fight for the Fallen and Homecoming, while also feeling like an important, consequential show in it's own right. That's the beauty of having short term TV feuds like Cassidy vs. Blade, or having access to Moxley's New Japan history to heat up a match with Archer on the fly. Dynamite was surviving at Daily's Place, and now feels like it's thriving after only 3 weeks back on the road. Final Thoughts: This show makes it feel like the pandemic era never actually happened and was some kind of dream. That's a good thing. Thumbs up.
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