AEW: 5 possible opponents who could challenge Cody for his TNT Title
3. vs. Rey Fenix
The second wrestler originally scheduled for the Casino Ladder Match, Rey Fenix had to withdraw due to injury (replaced by Joey Janela). Reports were that the injury wouldn’t keep him out too long, so here’s to a speedy recovery for Fenix.
Fenix (along with Sky) was someone I identified as poised for a massive breakout. The ladder match may have been that moment, but circumstances intervened. Him making a run to and challenging Cody for the TNT Championship could be that breakout moment.
Fenix isn’t just charismatic; he’s explosively and intensely charismatic. His style is a fluid display of utter athleticism and ferocity. He is among the handful considered to be the best at an aerial style. Even through a language barrier and mask, his facial expressions and body language speak volumes.
Much like Sky, don’t let his placement alongside his brother Pentagon Jr. in the Lucha Bros tag team be an indictment on them. They both can go, with Pentagon Jr. being a former Impact World Champion. To me, however, Fenix has more of that undefinable “it” factor.
He can wrestle pretty much anyone. He’s shown that in pretty much all of his singles matches, but in particular, his matches against Nick Jackson, Trent?, and Cassidy highlight the diversity in styles he’s able to coalesce with in the ring. Cody, with more of his old school style, would serve a great foil to the whirling dervish that is Fenix.
Fenix’s run for a singles championship may hurt the tag division, but it only bolsters the singles division. If both he and Pentagon Jr. embark on singles runs, AEW can rely on two bonafide spectacular performers to carry television and pay-per-view matches with little worry. The two can also work face or heel, so their malleability here would prove a boon for AEW and their booking.
If Fenix beats Cody, you have a charismatic performer with a strong connection to the crowd to carry the championship forward. If he loses to Cody, there can be a story of redemption told through another run for Fenix…or possibly a fellow member of Death Triangle?