AEW Dynamite: Fight for the Fallen Preview and Predictions

AEW Dynamite is back this Wednesday as the promotion presents its Fight for the Fallen card from Charlotte, N.C.

There is a lot going on in AEW right now. While the rumors about the impending arrivals of Daniel Bryan and CM Punk to the promotion have been running rampant, the current roster is having no trouble executing long-term storytelling beautifully on a weekly basis.

The stories of Chris Jericho/MJF and Kenny Omega/”Hangman” Adam Page will be featured on this card and are two shining examples of the way that AEW excels in building stories.

And as good as those stories have been, the short-term ones have been on point as well.

The segments between Cody Rhodes and Malakai Black have had the fans on their feet as the newcomer to the promotion seems to have pumped life and direction back into one of the biggest stars in AEW.

And with Ethan Page and the Blade behind them, respectively, what will be the next challenges that present themselves for Darby Allin and Orange Cassidy? Was last week’s hilarious exchange between Sting and OC a one-off? Or are these groups heading for a rivalry of their own?

One thing is for sure, and that is that AEW is on absolute fire right now. We never know who might show up and that is what is making Dynamite so fun.

Let’s take a look at the match card and what to expect on the Fight for the Fallen edition of AEW Dynamite.

Christian Cage & Jurassic Express vs Angelico & Private Party

With Christian Cage scoring a victory over Matt Hardy two weeks ago, the rivalry between these two seemed to be over.

But apparently, they are not done with each other just yet.

There doesn’t seem to be much left here, and beating Hardy’s henchmen isn’t as impressive as beating Hardy, so why are we getting this match two weeks later?

Well, maybe because Christian isn’t as OK as he has seemed with losing the Casino Battle Royale to Jungle Boy, and thereby losing his AEW World Championship shot versus Kenny Omega as well.

While Christian and Jurassic Express have been aligned the past few weeks, there is no question that the former is more interested in his own goals in AEW than helping Jungle Boy achieve his.

So this is where the alliance ends. Christian will take out his frustrations that have been boiling up internally on the young up and comer during this match, giving the Hardy Family Office the win, and setting up a program between Christian and Jungle Boy at the upcoming All Out pay-per-view. Winner: Angelico & Private Party

Nick Gage vs Chris Jericho in a no disqualification match

The second Labour of Jericho was announced last week to a whole lot of fanfare. While I anticipated MJF using members of The Pinnacle to try to keep Jericho from his coveted rematch, I was a bit shocked as the man known for his success in death matches made his way onto the stage.

That man, of course, is Nick Gage.

While it remains to be seen if Gage is going to be a part of AEW on a consistent basis, the use of him here is genius. Gage has a very loyal following and those who may not have been aware of him were introduced to Gage on a recent episode of “Dark Side of the Ring”.

He was the perfect choice to put Jericho through a brutal match as MJF continues to execute his plan of softening Jericho up, just in case he is able to earn the rematch that he is seeking.

Ultimately, Jericho will win this match.  The only questions will be how much brutality will “The Painmaker” endure at the hands of Gage, and will Gage be impressive enough to earn himself future spots on AEW programming? Winner: Chris Jericho

FTR vs Santana & Oritz

In what very well may be the match of the night, two of the very best tag teams in the world will square off when FTR takes on Santana & Ortiz.

FTR has been impressive since coming to AEW. They have captured the AEW Tag Team Titles, been involved in some superb matches, and have made us all forget about the tough times they had to endure at the hands of the WWE creative team.

Santana and Ortiz have been extremely patient in their stint in AEW. For the majority of their time in the promotion, they have put their tag team aspirations on the back burner for the greater good of The Inner Circle.

But the time has come for the team known as Proud & Powerful to rise to the top of the tag team division.

FTR does not lose tag team matches often, but this is a spot where they need to put over the next AEW Tag Team Champions.

A win over FTR will move Santana and Ortiz into the top five in the tag team rankings and give them time to move up to the number one spot in time for the upcoming All Out pay-per-view and earn a date with the Young Bucks in early September. Winners: Santana & Ortiz

Hikuleo vs Lance Archer for the IWGP U.S. Championship TItle

One week removed from regaining the IWGP U.S. Title by defeating Jon Moxley in a Texas Death Match, Lance Archer will put his newly won title on the line against New Japan product Hikuleo.

This should be a fun match between two very large individuals.

While it wouldn’t be a big surprise to put the IWGP U.S. Title back onto a New Japan product, it seems counterproductive to give Archer a momentous win over Moxley last week, just to halt that momentum this week.

So, we can expect Archer to retain his title this week. Much like Moxley did, if Archer is going to drop this title on an AEW show, it needs to be to another AEW talent.

When the time comes to put this IWGP U.S. title back on a New Japan wrestler, that match should happen in Japan and not on Archer’s home turf. Winner: Lance Archer

The Elite vs “Hangman” Adam Page & Dark Order in a 10-man elimination match

In order for “Hangman” Adam Page to earn a shot at Kenny Omega for the AEW World Championship, he and his Dark Order teammates, Alex Reynolds, John Silver, Stu Grayson, and Evil Uno, must defeat The Elite this week in a 10-man, elimination-style match.

The arc of Page’s character makes this match an absolute necessity. After Page and Omega dropped the tag team titles to FTR, Omega was able to move on very quickly.

Page, however, was not.

“Hangman” struggled to find his place and was a lost soul for a number of months. Only after aligning himself with the Dark Order did Page get his groove back.

The Dark Order members all seem to look up to Page and have played an integral part in helping him rebuild his lost confidence.

So, the fact that the Dark Order will be instrumental in Page possibly earning a shot at Kenny Omega is poetic justice.

The talent of the two teams is definitely stacked in the favor of The Elite. The Good Brothers, Young Bucks, and Kenny Omega have no shortage of main event experience.

But this story simply cannot end with Page coming up short here.

The good guys will most likely find themselves at a numbers disadvantage early, but they will rely on Page to bring them back and earn the victory. This will set the stage for AEW’s resident cowboy to dethrone Kenny Omega at All Out. Winners: Adam Page & Dark Order