AEW Fyter Fest 2020: Staff Predictions Roundtable Discussion

Chris Jericho vs. Orange Cassidy

Bryan Heaton: What did I say about the last match? In this house we stan Best Friends and make no apologies for it. Orange Cassidy was the first signing AEW made that really popped me — many of the others were great but kind of obvious, I had hopes for OC but was still pleasantly surprised. I may even have dressed up in a Freshly Squeezed attire for “Character Day” during my school’s spirit week (to be clear, I’m a teacher, not a student).

All kidding aside, Cassidy is legitimately one of the best wrestlers on the planet when he “juices up.” (There’s got to be a better way to phrase that, but I can’t figure it out.) Jericho is kind of bulletproof at this point in his career, and putting over a rising star isn’t out of the realm of possibility. I think Orange Cassidy pulls off a victory here.

Chris Jeter: This could end up being the match of the night. Jericho is Jericho and anyone still wondering if Cassidy is skating by on a goofy gimmick are being willfully obtuse at this point. As for who wins, I’m gonna pick Cassidy to pick up the fall.

Yes, Jericho has rarely lost since AEW launched, but he’s been built up to the point where a surprise loss to someone lower on the card won’t ding him too much. Plus, depending on how it’s framed, a high profile win over Jericho would further establish Cassidy as more than a novelty act.

Jesse Velasquez: How fun will this match be?? Cassidy wanders into the background of a Chris Jericho promo and it slowly starts a boil. Watching Jericho attack him with a bag full of oranges was a classic Jericho maneuver. To see Cassidy retaliate by posing as a cameraman and pummel Le Champion to show more of a serious side was a fantastic touch.

We know Orange Cassidy can wrestle. We also are aware that Chris Jericho can make talents look great. This bout will be highly talked about before and after. I think it will be the best match on either night of Fyter Fest. Cassidy will get elevated in this spot but Jericho will get the victory.

Samantha Schipman: The match we’ve all been waiting for is finally happening. MOTY candidate. The buildup for this match has been great. Closing out Dynamite with a bloody OC (reminiscent of a bloody Becky Lynch) giving his patented thumbs up was gold. I’m glad we got a glimpse into a very intense OC. He is one of the hottest wrestlers right now and putting him with Jericho will push him to another level.

Fans know he can go, but after seeing the Superman Shot that put Jericho through a table, fans wants more of that side of Cassidy. I assume this was essentially the go home show for them. We’re trained to think that this means Jericho will be victorious at Fyter Fest, but I’m going with Freshly Squeezed Orange Cassidy.