AEW Fyter Fest: Live Results, Grades, and Analysis
Cody (w/ Brandi Rhodes) vs. Darby Allin
A really creepy promo aired for Darby Allin.
Darby walked out with a body bag that had Cody 1-1 written on it, indicating that he would be the first man to defeat Cody in AEW. Cody made his entrance and got a massive reaction. Allin gave Cody a look of death, and was not at all intimidated by the bigger man. Both men locked up, and Allin was able to keep up with him on the exchange of holds.
Every attempt by Cody to outwrestle him saw Darby swiftly move and avoid any major blows. Cody locked on a headlock takeover, and put his weight on Darby to keep him down. Darby went for a hiptoss, but he couldn’t get Cody over, so Darby went up onto the top rope and flipped over hitting an armdrag. Cody look frustrated on the outside, as he was out wrestled by this smaller man.
Cody got rolled up with a La Magistral cradle, but Cody kicked out and slapped Darby. Cody dropped down and hit an uppercut on Allin, and threw Allin through the middle rope, as Allin flew to the outside after nailing the ring post. That was an incredible spot. Cody locked on a wrist lock and began to work over Darby’s arm. Cody hit a release vertical suplex, but Darby kicked out.
Cody went for a back suplex, but Darby floated over. Cody caught him in a fireman’s carry and hit a reverse Shock Treatment (one of Abyss’ moves), but Allin kicked out. Cody stomped on Allin’s ankle and then locked on the Figure Four Leglock. Cody sent Darby crashing face first into the middle turnbuckle and let the ref try to count out Allin.
Allin, as he came back into the ring, smashed Cody’s left hand and wrist into the ring post. Cody knew he was hurt, so he hit a flat liner and went for a pinfall quickly while selling the hand. Allin kicked out. Cody hit a huge clothesline with his right arm, rather than his left, turning Allin inside out. Allin kicked out again.
Cody tried to lock on a butterfly lock, but Allin got to his feet and Cody couldn’t hold on due to the injured hand. Allin was soon locked in it again, but Cody couldn’t quite keep it held the way he wanted to. Cody hit another throwing suplex, and kept selling his hand. Darby ate a lot of punishment from Cody with Cody’s right hand via punches and chops.
Allin keeps taking everything that Cody has to offer, as Cody went for a stalling vertical suplex. Allin immediately grabbed Cody’s hand and broke free, hitting a corkscrew splash and a wristlock. Allin punched Cody’s hand and headbutted it while continuing to punish the injured hand. Allin hit a suicide dive on Cody after Cody made it to the ropes on the outside.
Cody managed to hit his own suicide dive but continued to sell the hand. Allin rolled over the top of Cody and hit a shotgun dropkick then a Code Red, but Cody kicked out! There were 5 minutes remaining in the match. Allin went to the top rope, but Cody cut him off and hit a super inverted suplex!
Cody went for the pin, but Allin kicked out again! What is it going to take to beat him? Allin bit Cody’s hand and yanked down Cody’s arm sending him to the apron. Darby Allin went for a flying back press off the top rope onto Cody, but Cody dodged and Darby landed right on the apron. Allin slapped Cody, and Cody slapped him back.
Allin fell onto his own body bag, so Cody zipped him up into it and then hit the disaster kick, but Allin kicked out! Allin somehow got up on his feet again, and there was 1 minute remaining. Cody went for a jackknife pin, and Allin kicked out at one. Cody grabbed his weight belt and killed Allin with it twice before going for Cross Rhodes, but Allin hit a flipping Stunner on Cody! Cody grabbed him and hit a Cross Rhodes, somehow, as Justin Roberts counted down the last 10 seconds. Cody literally went for the pin as and got to 2 just as the time ran out.
Result: Draw
Rating: **** (4 stars out of 5)
The story told in this match was excellent. This was something that put Allin over huge as a tough guy.
As the crowd chanted for 5 more minutes, Shawn Spears came down to the ring and nailed Cody with a chairshot to the head. This was an unprotected chair shot, which I am not okay with. Cody was bleeding everywhere afterwards, and MJF and SCU ran down and chased Spears off. MJF, a noted fan of Cody, was the first one there. I like that touch. Dean Malenko came out and helped carry Cody to the back.
Can I say this clearly though: please, no unprotected chairshots to the head. Ever. Please. Cody was bleeding everywhere hard way, and he might have a concussion. We know better than this these days. Careers have ended because of unprotected chairshots.