Going into Saturday’s Fight for the Fallen, AEW knew they had to deliver a great show in order to get the fans excited for the upcoming All Out pay-per-view. And deliver they did with a show that left fans salivating for what is to come at All Out.
Last night, AEW put on arguably their best show to date with Fight for the Fallen at Daily’s Place Ampitheater in Jacksonville, Florida. After a disappointing Fyter Fest, Saturday’s event must have gotten a lot of fans back on AEW’s side as they quickly march towards the All Out pay-per-view event to be held in the Sears Centre Arena in Chicago.
Fight for the Fallen was headlined by The Young Bucks taking on the recently reunited Cody and Dustin Rhodes. Kenny Omega faced off against CIMA in the semi main-event in what was a dream match for wrestling fans all over the world. The card also featured the likes of The Lucha Brothers, SCU, MJF, Shawn Spears, Adam “Hangman” Page, Joey Janela, Darby Allin, Kip Sabian among many others.
While most of the matches on the show delivered or at least served purpose that they were booked for, there was also the odd stinker in between that has become a recurring theme of AEW programming since its inception. So without further ado, lets take a look at every match that took place at Fight for the Fallen, from worst to best.
#9. ‘The Librarian’ Peter Avalon vs. Sonny Kiss
Result: Sonny Kiss defeats ‘The Librarian’ Peter Avalon via pinfall.
Grade: C-
The opening match is the best place to be on a wrestling show if you are not in the main-event itself. The match has the very important duty of setting the tone of the show for the night and the competitors involved can rest assured that they will have the full attention of the crowd raring to see the show kick off. Unfortunately AEW has failed badly in this department till now and their Buy In pre-shows have easily been the worst part of their programming till now.
A lot of that is down to the fact that it has heavily featured the dual Librarian gimmicks being played by Leva Bates and Peter Avalon. While both Bates and Avalon are talented performers, their gimmicks have failed miserably and it has effected their matches. Sonny Kiss has also been underutilized by the company.
The match here is a case in point. Both Kiss and Avalon worked hard and put on a decent wrestling match. But at this point of time it is very hard to invest in something that features either Bates or Avalon, and the match suffered as a consequence.
The match failed to get the viewers for the rest of the show and as a result failed to serve its primary purpose. And with its weekly television show approaching fast, AEW will do well to quickly get rid of the Librarian gimmick before it becomes a liability.
#8. Allie vs. Brandi Rhodes
Result: Brandi Rhodes defeats Allie via pinfall.
Grade: C
It is no secret that Brandi Rhodes is not the best in-ring performer in the world and most probably would not even be in AEW if she was not married to Cody. But this match was better than what is expected from someone with the inexperience of Brandi. Of course, it was Allie that dictated the match and the introduction of Awesome Kong into the fold of things also helped the cause.
While the match seemed disjointed for large parts that was to be expected. Brandi played the role of the authority figure heel perfectly, with Kong bailing her out every time it looked like Allie was about to pick up the win.
The finish saw Brandi tapping out to the Dragon Sleeper but the referee was distracted by Kong on the apron. As Allie tried to get the attention of the official, Brandi raked her eyes and hit her with a Bionic Spear for a pinfall victory.
After the match as Awesome Kong was about to hit Allie with the Awesome Bomb, Aja Kong’s music hit and the Japanese legend made her way to the ring. The two women faced off in the ring, hopefully setting up a match between the two at All Out.
#7. Britt Baker and Riho vs. Bea Priestley and Shoko Nakajima
Result: Bea Priestley and Shoko Nakajima defeat Britt Baker and Riho via pinfall.
Grade: B
Don’t be fooled by its ranking on this list, this was a very good professional wrestling match and might even be the best pre-show in AEW’s short history. The AEW women’s division is yet to find its footing but the contenders are slowly getting separated from the pretenders.
It is quite clear that Britt Baker has been earmarked as the top babyface of the women’s division. And if the events following this match are anything to go by then Bea Priestley might very well be her archenemy. The two women brawled after the match which might very well be an indication that the two will face off at All Out with title implications.
Riho also deserves special mention for her performances in all three AEW events till date. Her wrestling ability as well as underdog appeal is for all to see. Despite being the one taking the pinfall on this occasion, the Japanese star has already done enough to become one of the centerpieces of AEW’s women’s division for the foreseeable future.
#6 Jimmy Havoc, Darby Allin and Joey Janela vs. MJF, Sammy Guevara and Shawn Spears
Result: Shawn Spears, MJF and Sammy Guevara defeat Jimmy Havoc, Darby Allin and Joey Janela via pinfall.
Grade: B+
The biggest storyline moving into this match was how Shawn Spears and MJF would manage to co-exist following Spears’ heinous attack on Cody at Fyter Fest. The tension between the two was very clear with neither of them tagging each other and MJF even going as far as mocking his partner in the middle of the match.
But that was not only rivalry between two competitors on the same team in this match. Darby Allin and Jimmy Havoc also fared poorly as partners and it was the dissent between the two that ended up costing the babyfaces the match.
With the match heading towards its climax, Allin decided to tag himself in and ending up getting pinned by Spears. This hopefully set up a incredibly violent match between the two hardcore stars at All Out. AEW’s booking of Spears and MJF in this match also deserves heavy praise. The two heels managed to clash with each other without either of them sacrificing their characters.
The match might not have blown anyone away, it was great storytelling and served its purpose of showcasing some of the best talents AEW has to offer while also setting up future angles beautifully. A win for everyone involved.
#5. Lucha Bros vs SCU
Result: Lucha Bros defeated SCU via pinfall.
Grade: B+
Considering their was zero build up going into this match, it was a pretty good contest. While it was not the spotfest that most Lucha Bros’ matches are, it was a solid effort from both teams.
Following a back and forth bout, the Lucha Bros ultimately managed to pick up the win with a Package Piledriver from Pentagon. The masked brothers then went on to attack the three SCU members with a ladder after the match and issued a challenge to The Young Bucks for a ladder match at All Out.
It was a much needed win for the Lucha Bros as they were yet to pick up a victory in the company. The win also legitimized their claim for a match against The Young Bucks who till now have been unstoppable in AEW. Ultimately it sets up what should be an amazing match between arguably the two best tag teams in the world today.
The match also showed the value of Kazarian, Scorpio Sky and Daniels to the company. They are three of the most consistent performers in all of wrestling and can be counted upon any night to put in a solid performance.
#4. ‘Hangman’ Adam Page vs. Kip Sabian
Result: Adam Page defeats Kip Sabian via pinfall.
Grade: B+
Going into his AEW World Championship match against Chris Jericho at All Out, anything less than a win would have been disastrous for Page. Fortunately he came out on top at Fight for the Fallen with a hard fought victory against Kip Sabian. And while the win helped Page continue his unbeaten run in AEW, a gutsy performance against one of the company’s top stars also elevated Sabian in the eyes of the fans.
The match started out slow with Page controlling most of the early action and setting the pace of the bout. But soon Sabian found his groove and the pace of the match picked up as a result. It was a barrage of big moves from there on and it looked like the victory could have gone to either of the two.
This was not the best performance of Page’s career because he was carrying a knee injury, something that Sabian exploited on multiple occasions. But Page would eventually come out victorious after hitting his opponent with his Right of Passage finisher to get the three count.
After the match though, Page was assaulted by Chris Jericho dressed as one of The Dark Order’s creepers. Jericho hit Page with a Codebreaker followed by a Judas Effect leaving him a bloody mess in the ring and raising the stakes even further for All Out.
#3. The Young Bucks vs. Cody and Dustin Rhodes
Result: The Young Bucks defeat Cody and Dustin Rhodes.
Grade: A-
While there was nothing on the line in this match, AEW managed to keep things interesting by building the storyline on respect. Cody and Dustin Rhodes were teaming with each other for the first time in almost half a decade. But The Young Bucks were not willing to show the two any respect for their past achievements.
The live crowd could feel the tension in the air as the match began with Matt refusing Cody’s offer of a handshake and instead slapping him. The Young Bucks dictated the early portion of the match before Dustin managed to make the hot tag to Cody who introduced his belt to the backs of their two opponents.
The Rhodes then worked extensively on Matt Jackson’s arm, who to his credit did a great job of selling the injury until eventually tagging in his brother. The bout then turned into the all-action, fast-paced spotfest that The Young Bucks are known for, ultimately ending with Cody getting pinned following a Meltzer Driver.
#2. Luchasaurus and Jungle Boy vs. Angelico and Jack Evans vs. The Dark Order
Result: The Dark Order defeated Luchasaurus and Jungle Boy and Jack Evans and Angelico via pinfall.
Grade: A
With a shot at the AEW Tag Team Championships against The Best Friends at All Out on the line, all three teams tore down the house at Fight for the Fallen and everyone came out of the match stronger. The Dark Order’s push as the most dangerous tag team in AEW continued with Stu Grayson and Evil Uno dominating the early portion of the match.
Jungle Boy has been an absolute revelation in his short time in the company as he is slowly becoming its biggest babyface underdog. In various parts of the match it appeared that Jungle Boy was done for before managing to kick out at the last moment. Luchasaurus also continued his excellent run as Jungle Boy’s monster partner by dominating all four other men when he entered the ring. By the end of the match, the two had the crowd eating out of their palms.
Jack Evans and Angelico were also their usual selves, selling their asses off for the others and hitting their own gravity defying moves when they got the chance. Marko Stunt’s cameo was also great as he managed to pull off an amazing top rope headscissors on Jack Evans.
Ultimately, The Dark Order picked up the victory by pinning the tenacious Jungle Boy and will be now challenging The Best Friends, Trent Baretta and Chuck Taylor, for the inaugural AEW Tag Team Championships in Chicago.
#1. Kenny Omega vs. Cima
Result: Kenny Omega defeated CIMA via pinfall.
Grade: A+
Lets just admit it, Kenny Omega vs Chris Jericho at Double or Nothing was a disappointment. It paled in comparison to their first encounter in Japan and fans who watched Omega for the first time that night must have been wondering what the big deal was about the guy who was having 5-star matches for fun back in NJPW.
Those same critics must have been chewing their words last night as Omega blew off the roof from the arena at Fight for the Fallen against Cima, who is a Japanese wrestling legend in his own right. The two men put on a hard-hitting strong style match the like of which has not been seen on American soil very often.
The match started off slow before quickly transforming into a war between two men trying to break each other’s bones into a million pieces. The two competitors pulled out all stops, from Omega’s Tiger Driver ’98 to Cima’s Meteora before the Canadian finally managed to get the pinfall victory with an One-Winged Angel.
Both men came out of the match looking strong and with a 5-star match under their belts. Cima’s performance on the night must have gained him a legion of new fans. On the other hand, Omega got a much needed win and truly announced himself to the AEW fans before his highly anticipated match against Jon Moxley at All Out.