‘AEW Dynamite: Fyter Fest – Part 1’ Review (July 1st 2020)

Welcome to this week’s All Elite Wrestling: Dynamite review, right here on Nerdly. I’m Nathan Favel and we have the code, but do you have the diamonds? I will blow this whole building to Kingdo…sorry, that’s for something else. We’ve got Part 1 of Fyter Fest to go through, which is just fine by me…unless you decide not to give me the diamonds, Kaudalish! I tire of your impudence, you silly littl…sorry, the other thing again. Okay, let’s just get right to it and…good-bye, Amatar Kaudalish! May your arrogance be the dust upon your tomb, you filthy secret ag…sorry, but I was ju…I am the greatest criminal master-mind the world has ever known! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!!

Match #1: The Jurassic Express (Luchasaurus & Jungle Boy with Marko Stunt) def. MJF & Wardlow

The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:

MJF and Jungle Boy went at it right out of the gate! MJF suplexed Jungle Boy. With the ref distracted, Wardlow worked over Jungle Boy. Luchasaurus finally got the tag but the referee didn’t see it so the tag was disallowed. Wardlow emphatically backdropped Jungle Boy! Luchasaurus finally got tagged in and gave a big pump kick to Wardlow, then chopped MJF down to the mat! Luchasaurus knocked down Wardlow with a roundhouse kick and a leg sweep! Wardlow and Luchasaurus exchanged power moves with one another! “It’s like King Kong and Godzilla!” said Chris Jericho. Jungle Boy hit consecutive tope suicidas and then a tope con giro to the outside onto MJF! Wardlow followed up and flew over the top rope and crashed onto Wardlow! The Jurassic Express used a cutter on MJF but Wardlow made the save before the three count! Jungle Boy countered the F-10 from Wardlow and spiked Wardlow on his head with a poison rana! MJF nailed Luchasaurus with a desperation superkick. Jungle boy sprung off the back of Luchasaurus and then off Wardlow to smash MJF with a Super Canadian Destroyer! Marko Stunt jumped off the top rope to assist his friends but Wardlow caught him and then chucked Marko off the ramp onto Jungle Boy down below! Wardlow soared like bomber with a giant senton off the top onto Luchasaurus, but Luchasaurus kicked out! MJF tried to use his Dynamite Diamond Ring but accidentally connected with Wardlow’s head after Luchasaurus kicked MJF’s hand! Luchasaurus took advantage of the opportunity and scored the pin on a dazed Wardlow! “All four men pushed each other on that one to the limit!” said Tony Schiavone.

My Opinion: 3.3 out of 5 – This was a fun opener that had a kooky sort of charm to it that came paired with a nice Pinot (silent “t” and everything). Wardlow was actually the stand-out this time, knocking the whole damn ring around like tissue paper in a tsunami. I wanted more out of this, but the match provided the necessary action to qualify as a grudge match, so I can’t complain too much (I’ll try my best to bitch). I didn’t like seeing big moves get used as transitions yet again, but that’s 21st century wrestling right now. Well, at least this was lively enough to not bore the Buddy Holly out of me.

Match #2: Hikaru Shida def. Penelope Ford (with Kip Sabian) – AEW Women’s World Championship Match

The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:

“Hikaru Shida looks like a star and wrestles like a star,” noted Chris Jericho. AEW official Aubrey Edwards ejected Kip Sabian from the ringside area. Shida delivered a knee to Ford’s face right as the bell rang. Ford ducked more offense from the champ and then rolled up Shida for a near fall! They were off to a hot start! Shida dropped Ford on the ring apron and then gave Ford another running knee! Ford lured Shida into the corner and caught her with a kick. “Penelope Ford is showing a lot of ring savvy,” said Tony Schiavone. Ford got a near fall on Shida after a German suplex! Ford started punching Shida in the face before the ref pushed her away. “Penelope Ford is having the match of her life,” said Jim Ross. “She has to if she wants to dethrone Hikaru Shida,” added Excalibur. The two had a strike fest, slugging it out with one another! Shida ran into a pump kick from Ford. Shida blocked a stunner from Ford and then dropped her with a back breaker! Ford countered Shida’s Falcon Arrow for a two-count! Ford dodged a missile dropkick and then hit a stunner on Shida for a near fall! Ford went outside to grab the championship belt and buy some time. As she did this, and with the ref distracted, Sabian ran in with Shida’s kendo stick! Shida defended herself and caused Sabian to drop the kendo stick. Shida grabbed it and walloped Sabian with it! Shida used two running knee strikes and the second Falcon Arrow of the match but Ford kicked out again! Finally, Shida pinned Ford after another running knee strike! “A tremendous defense of the AEW Women’s World Championship!” said Excalibur. “Shida may have won, but that’s the best match Penelope Ford has had in her career. Amazing!” said Chris Jericho.

My Opinion: 3.5 out of 5 – This worked out really well, thanks to Shida carrying Ford and Ford putting in her best performance so far. You’re not getting one of the best matches of the year, but you are getting a solid, firm fight that made both champion and challenger look like they could compete and compete well. For a match of steady, clever holds with a slap and a slam every now and then, you could do far worse than this fine prize fight.

Match #3: Cody [Rhodes] (with Arn Anderson) def. Jake Hager (with Catalina Hager) – AEW TNT Championship Match

The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:

Hager caught Cody’s boot and powered the champ away to create separation. “Cody is lucky he didn’t hurt his neck on that fall,” said Jericho. Cody shot in for a single leg takedown but Hager stuffed him. Cody wrenched a headlock onto Hager but Hager muscled out. Hager started punching Cody in the corner. “Those are toxic shots right in the kidney section,” said Jim Ross. Hager stalked Arn Anderson on the outside but Cody used the opportunity to jump off the top rope to the outside onto Hager! Cody applied a figure four leglock to Hager, but Hager grabbed the ropes with his long reach. Cody rocked Hager with a kick to the face. Cody went for another but Hager caught him with a counter! Hager went after Arn Anderson again. He began to choke Anderson until Cody came to Double A’s aid! Hager got behind “The American Nightmare” and suplexed him on the outside of the ring! Hager targeted Anderson but Cody rammed Hager’s head into the steel ring post! Back in the ring, Hager put a sleeper on Cody but Cody broke out of it. Cody hit a springboard cutter but Hager kicked out! Cody scooped Hager with a powerslam for another near fall! Unlike Cody, Hager refused to let emotions get the best of him. Hager gained the upper hand after a Hager Bomb from the corner! “We’ve seen a lot of old school moves from both guys,” said Tony Schiavone. Cody climbed the turnbuckles but Hager ran up, meeting Cody there. Hager then sent Cody soaring from up high, using Cody’s own momentum to increase the impact of the fall! Hager applied an ankle lock but Cody grabbed the ropes, causing the ref to break the hold. Catalina Hager slapped Cody as the ref was distracted. Dustin Rhodes ran down to even up the odds. As this transpired, Cody countered Hager’s triangle chokehold, floating over to score the pin on Hager. Hager seemed shocked by the loss and blasted the referee! It was bedlam!

My Opinion: 3.2 out of 5 – This wasn’t bad, but it was slow enough to feel like an eternity. The moves they were putting on each other were the right ones, but no one got wooed enough to go to second base. Did I just use a dating joke in the review? Hager was pretty cumbersome here but he did his job well. For a prize fight that started slow and ended about the same, this is one that will deliver the basic thrills.

Match #4: Private Party (Marq Quen & Isiah Kassidy with Matt Hardy) def. Santana & Ortiz

The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:

“There’s a lot of history between these two teams. Santana and Ortiz were the seniors at the same wrestling school that Private Party trained at,” noted Excalibur. Quen hit a standing moonsault on Santana. Private Party were displaying incredible tandem offense on Santana. Matt Hardy’s mentoring influence was already rubbing off on them! Ortiz got the tag and applied an octopus stretch submission hold on Kassidy. Santana was tagged in and began working over Quen. Kassidy got back in and went over the top with a huge tornado onto Santana and Ortiz! Kassidy crashed onto Ortiz with a swanton for a near fall! Ortiz fought back with a Liger Bomb on Quen! Santana sent Kassidy crashing into the steel barricade. Santana and Ortiz tried to use the stuffed sock madball but Matt Hardy pulled it from their hands! Santana and Ortiz tried to wrap up the match with the Street Sweeper but Private Party countered and won with their Gin & Juice finisher after a flurry of offense!

My Opinion: 3 out of 5 – This was fine, but nothing I’ll remember. PP just isn’t ready for TV yet, but I want them to succeed, so congratulations to them are in order for getting on TV again. S&O worked hard, but they feel like they’ve lost momentum and by the gallons. The action was quick and swift, but not all that thrilling. All in all, this came and went and that’s that.

Match #5: (Main Event) Kenny Omega & Adam Page def. Best Friends (Chuck Taylor & Trent) – AEW World Tag Team Championship Match

The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:

Trent’s adorable mom Sue dropped off Best Friends in a minivan! “Have fun,” she said. Kenny and Chuck traded takedowns and counters with one another. Hangman and Trent tagged in simultaneously for their teams and began exchanging stiff forearms! Chuck was back in and took down Hangman with a shoulder block followed up with a suplex. Kenny came in and used the Kotaro Crusher on Trent and then Hangman connected with the standing moonsault! The champs quickly gained the advantage over Best Friends after this smooth combo. #FTR came out with lawn chairs and beer coolers, scouting the match near the broadcast table. “The winner of this match will face Private Party next week,” said Jim Ross. Chuck Taylor got the hot tag and came over the top rope onto the champs. Trent followed his partner, crashing onto Omega. Taylor grabbed Omega on the floor and suplexed him, sending him into the steel barricade! Hangman knocked the wind out of Trent with the fallaway slam and a brutal lariat! Hangman tagged Omega who followed up with a missile dropkick and fisherman’s buster on Trent! Omega came off the turnbuckles but Trent lifted his knees just in time to meet Omega’s ribs! Trent tagged in Taylor who got a near fall on Omega after a spiked piledriver! The action played out like a highlight reel of cutting-edge offense. Omega ducked a clothesline attempt from Chuck and then used two dragon suplexes onto Taylor and one on Trent! Omega and Hangman were picking apart Best Friends when Trent dodged the Last Call! Best Friends countered with Strong Zero but Omega saved Hangman from the pin! “Hangman escaped defeat there only because Omega interfered to save his partner,” noted Jim Ross. Omega looked for the One-Winged Angel but Chuck countered with the Awful Waffle! Best Friends hugged but Hangman interrupted it with wicked forearms. Hangman hit the Dead-Eye on Trent for another near fall! Hangman clobbered Trent with the Buckshot Lariat and finished it off for the pin! “Man, Page pulled that one out for his team in the bottom of the ninth,” said Jim Ross.

My Opinion: 4 out of 5 – This was a stellar main event that was full of exciting wrestling. Both teams performed well and kept the pace going steady as a foot up my ass (there have been many). I’d call this a very athletic contest of two teams who don’t seem like they would work well together, but they always come through. Plenty of hard-hitting tag spots here to make you see double and that’s alright, as long as you don’t have vertigo or something. Well, that’s all I need to say about this barn-burner of a prize fight.

Final Verdict: 3.5/5

Part 1 was good and I hope Part 2 is even better.