Performance Review – AEW Dynamite: Fyter Fest Night 1 (7/1/20)

Overall Evaluation and Achieved Goals

The first ever AEW Fyter Fest held last year was a punch to the gut, a mediocre and sometimes frustrating show that only served as another reminder that AEW probably wasn’t going to live up to its’ promise of a viable alternative wrestling show that showcased both new and old schools, introducing the world to timeless concepts and fresh characters.

Does that sound like too much? It should be. I was excited! A year later, I’m happy to say AEW actually is kind of living up to that promise. On NXT I saw back-to-back good wrestling matches – here, I saw not just back-to-back good wrestling matches but characters I’m invested in and stories I trust might actually pay off. This smoked Fyter Fest 2019 and there’s still another night to go.

Areas of Excellence Within Performance

MJF & Wardlow vs. Luchasaurus & Jungle Boy got to be a little much at the end but I dug it, with MJF vs. Jungle Boy a keeper of a dynamic and Wardlow being there for every wild spot they wanted to pull off. The build to Luchasaurus’ big dive was great as was Jungle Boy’s speed on the baseball slide at the end.

MJF continues to be a talent – the obnoxious pink robe, the promo with the screaming and the one-liners, the kip-up and the strut… welcome back to Jim Crockett Promotions.

Puppy Battle Royal might lead to the next wrestling boom, to be honest.

Uhhhh Hikaru Shida vs. Penelope Ford RULED. Ford I know for her impressive but wacky high-flying moves, but here in a big singles match those wacky moves looked more realistic than most other things on the show. Every spot they hit was delivered not just perfectly but with an added emphasis, and Ford got in a couple believable near falls on a champ that couldn’t possibly be losing so soon.

Private Party vs. Santana & Ortiz was AWESOME. Balls out. Wild. Cool. Loved it.

If I have to read one more thing about how “Kenny Omega doesn’t always have to have great matches!” I might just drop dead, because he’s completely found a groove in this team with Hangman Page having good solid fun tag matches that are way better than a lot of epic matches I’ve seen him have. Their AEW World Tag Team Title defense against The Best Friends was very good – Trent and Chuckie were there for everything and they effectively teased new champs. Kenny took a bouncy piledriver bump that was bouncier than many of the bounces he’s bounced before.

Suggested Areas of Improvement

If you’re not wrestling, wear the mask. Even if it isn’t 100% necessary, it is 99% necessary and you’re on national television. Set an example!

Chris Jericho‘s commentary this week was less fun and more.. loud.

Cody vs. Jake Hager for the TNT Title was no good. Swap Hager for Wardlow or literally anybody. The commentary team was screaming like the New Japan commentators trying to get over the excitement of this being some high level match but it didn’t work. 15-20 minutes of waiting for it to get somewhere, and then when they got somewhere it was too late to go anywhere.

My Favorite Things

3. The Elite vs. Page and FTR Tease
2. Ortiz’ Last Second Miss of the Pinfall Save
1. The Best Friends Enter in Trent’s Mom’s Van

Official Star Rating

4 out of 5 Stars

Related