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The first night of AEW Fyter Fest did not disappoint, especially the much-anticipated Coffin match between Darby Allin and Ethan Page. A stacked card on tonight's show also saw Jon Moxley defend the IWGP United States Championship against Karl Anderson.
The second title match of the evening saw Brian Cage put the FTW Championship on the line against Ricky Starks.
We also had a confrontation between Kenny Omega and The Elite with Hangman Page and his friends in The Dark Order. Also on tonight's AEW Dynamite, we had Matt Hardy facing Christian Cage in singles action.
Jon Moxley vs Karl Anderson (IWGP US Championship match kicked off AEW Fyter Fest Night 1)
AEW Fyter Fest Night 1 kicked off with the IWGP US Championship match. Eddie Kingston came out with Jon Moxley while Karl Anderson was accompanied by Doc Gallows. Kingston immediately attacked Gallows and the two of them brawled through the crowd.
Meanwhile, in the middle of the ring, Moxley and Anderson were throwing their best right hands at each other. They brawled out to ringside with Anderson tossing the champion into the barricade.
Back in the ring, Jon Moxley and Karl Anderson were both on the turnbuckle. Moxley bit Anderson and raked him across the back. Mox then hit Anderson with a suplex from the second rope.
Back on the mat, the champion went for a piledriver but it was blocked. Anderson hit back with a Gun Stun but Moxley managed to roll away before the cover could be made.
Karl Anderson then headed to up top to hit a top rope Gun Stun. Moxley blocked it and hit a Paradigm Shift, before pinning Anderson for the win.
Result: Jon Moxley def. Karl Anderson
Grade: B
Following the match, we caught up with Lance Archer and Jake Roberts backstage. Archer, the man Jon Moxley won the IWGP US Championship from in January 2020, challenged him to a Texas Deathmatch next week on night 2 of AEW Fyter Fest.
Brian Cage vs Ricky Starks FTW Championship Match at AEW Fyter Fest Night 1
The tension in Team Taz came to a head in the next match on AEW Fyter Fest as Brian Cage finally got his hands on Ricky Starks. Cage was dominant in the early stages of the bout, with a clear power advantage.
Cage went for a shoulder charge in the corner but Starks sidestepped him and started to work on the injured area. He quickly headed to the top rope and took Cage down with a dropkick before going after the left arm and shoulder. Starks continued working on the arm, using the top rope for leverage.
Brian Cage went to hit back with knife-edged chops but Starks went for a roll-up, getting a two-count in the process.
Ricky headed out to ringside and went to take the FTW title belt. Cage was right behind him and sent his opponent crashing into the ring post.
Back inside the ring, Ricky Starks tried to hit a spinning DDT but Cage blocked it and hit back with a superkick. Ricky replied with a massive sitout Powerbomb but it wasn't enough to put Brian Cage away.
Starks went to grab the FTW title belt as a weapon but Powerhouse Hobbs took it away.
As the AEW referee had his back turned, Powerhouse Hobbs suddenly jumped on the apron and hit Cage with the FTW Championship belt. Starks quickly followed up with a Spear and pinned Cage to become the new FTW Champion at AEW Fyter Fest Night 1.
Result: Ricky Starks def. Brian Cage
Grade: B+
Cody Rhodes called out Malakai Black at AEW Fyter Fest Night 1
Cody Rhodes came down next to the ring on AEW Fyter Fest Night 1 and had a message for Malakai Black. Rhodes slammed Black for attacking 62-year-old wrestling legend Arn Anderson last week. Cody implored Black to answer his call.
Malakai Black then appeared on the big screen with a message for Cody. He told the story of once seeing a man putting down his prized horse when it was no longer good enough.
Black said that the man had wanted the horse to end its time with dignity and when he saw Arn Anderson and Cody Rhodes, he felt the same way.
Cody once again implored Malakai Black to come down to the ring and face him and this time Black accepted it. The lights went out and Malakai Black appeared in the ring opposite Cody Rhodes.
Both men then charged at each other and started to brawl. We saw AEW referees and other backstage personnel come out and separate the two men as we headed to a commercial break as security restrained both men.
Hangman Page spoke to Tony Schiavone at AEW Fyter Fest Night 1
Hangman Page said that he wanted to be AEW World Champion from day one. He added that he had been close to winning the title when he faced Chris Jericho but he failed. However, Hangman said that he still needed the championship and that he was there now to challenge for the title.
Page was cut off by Don Callis who came out accompanied by the Good Brothers, the Young Bucks, Brandon Cutler and AEW World Champion Kenny Omega. Matt Jackson went down to the ring and accused Hangman Page of abandoning them. He then accused Hangman of being a lonely drunk.
Matt Jackson then challenged Page to hit him and the Hangman obliged. He also took out Brandon Cutler with a right hand. Kenny Omega tried to blindside Hangman Page but the Dark Order ran out this time to back him up.
Hangman Page then challenged Kenny Omega to a match. Omega in turn proposed a 5 v 5 elimination match pitting The Elite against Page and The Dark Order. Page agreed but wanted a title shot if they won as well as a tag title shot for his boys.
Kenny Omega agreed but proposed that if Hangman and his friends lost, they would lose their title shots. Page immediately agreed to Kenny Omega's terms.
Chris Jericho attacked backstage at AEW Fyter Fest Night 1
Chris Jericho acknowledged that MJF was a learned man at AEW Fyter Fest Night 1. He added that like Hercules, the Inner Circle leader would overcome the trials of Jericho to get his hands on MJF.
As Jericho was talking, Shawn Spears blindsided him with a steel chair to the throat. MJF was with Spears and informed him that his first match in the Trials of Jericho would be next week against Shawn Spears, and the stipulation was that the Pinnacle member could use a steel chair but he couldn't.
Matt Hardy vs Christian Cage at AEW Fyter Fest Night 1
Hardy and Cage locked up in a collar and elbow and the action spilled out to ringside with neither man willing to let go. Christian tossed Matt Hardy into the barricade before heading back into the ring and climbing to the top turnbuckle. Christian took to the skies and laid out Hardy with a flying double axe handle.
Back in the ring, Matt Hardy wrestled back control and choked Christian Cage against the bottom rope. He followed up with a neck breaker before catapulting Christian throat-first into the bottom rope. Hardy went for a cover but only got a two-count out of it.
Matt Hardy vs Christian Cage at AEW Fyter Fest Night 1 (continued...)
During the ad break, Christian Cage and Matt Hardy brawled at ringside on AEW Fyter Fest. Hardy was pretty much in control at this point as he pounded Cage before rolling him back into the ring.
Christian tried to hit back with a few right hands of his own but Matt Hardy quickly got his opponent in a sleeper hold. Matt Hardy then repeatedly sent Christian face-first into the corner turnbuckles, following it up with a bodyslam.
Matt Hardy then headed to the middle rope, probably looking for a legdrop, but Christian sent him crashing to the mat. He followed it up with a big right hand followed by a strike from the top rope.
Christian tried to set up the Killswitch but Hardy countered it and went for the Twist of Fate. Cage also countered and managed to hit Hardy with a Spear for a two-count.
Christian then headed to the top rope for a beautiful Frog Splash but it still wasn't enough to put Matt Hardy away. Hardy hit back with a massive superplex but only managed to get a near fall off the cover.
It looked like Matt Hardy had the match in the bag as he low-blowed Christian and hit the Twist of Fate but Christian Cage managed to kick out at the last second. Out at ringside, Matt Hardy locked in The Leech briefly but broke the hold after he realized he couldn't get the submission win at ringside.
Christian Cage managed to beat the 10-count and got back into the ring. He caught Matt Hardy slightly off-guard and hit him with the Killswitch for the win at AEW Fyter Fest Night 1.
Result: Christian Cage def. Matt Hardy
Grade: B+
Britt Baker's message for Nyla Rose at AEW Fyter Fest Night 1
Britt Baker said that Nyla Rose had beaten her already but she was in a league of her own now. Baker added that unlike Vickie Guerrero, who'd always be relevant because of her last name, Nyla Rose needed the AEW Women's title belt to stay in the limelight.
Wheeler Yuta vs Sammy Guevara at AEW Fyter Fest Night 1
Wheeler Yuta made his AEW Dynamite debut next against the Inner Circle's Sammy Guevara. Guevara showed off his explosive athleticism early on, avoiding Yuta's offense and taking him down with a dropkick.
Sammy Guevara dominated long stretches of the match and the finish saw him hit a double springboard cutter to Wheeler Yuta. Guevara then hit GTH to pick up what was pretty much a routine win.
Result: Sammy Guevara def. Wheeler Yuta
Grade: C
Penelope Ford vs Yuka Sakazaki at AEW Fyter Fest Night 1
Penelope Ford looked to have started the match strongly but Yuka Sakazaki stopped her in her tracks with a pair of high boots. Ford came back pretty strong, driving Sakazaki throat-first into the top rope. She followed it up with a double knee drop across Sakazaki's midsection.
Ford was in control at this point as she locked in a submission hold. Sakazaki managed to reach the ropes to break up the hold. The Japanese star hit back with a sliding elbow strike followed by a boot to the head. Another kick across the face in the corner and Sakazaki followed up with a spinning elbow strike.
Penelope Ford hit back with a couple of Pump Kicks, but it was not enough to put Sakazaki away.
Yuka Sakazaki retaliated with a spinning slam, sending Ford face-first into the mat. Yuka Sakazaki then hit the Magical Girl Splash to pick up the win at AEW Fyter Fest.
Result: Yuka Sakazaki def. Penelope Ford
Grade: C
Darby Allin vs Ethan Page (Coffin Match at AEW Fyter Fest Night 1)
Darby Allin didn't wait around for the bell to ring at AEW Fyter Fest Night 1 and immediately charged at Ethan Page. We saw Darby had a steel plate tied to his back at that point which he took off and hit Page with a suicide dive at ringside.
Darby Allin went to open the Coffin and Scorpio Sky came out of it and took him out. This led to Sting coming out and The Icon was all over Sky. Sting went for a Stinger Splash in the crowd but crashed into the barricade. However, he recovered and tossed garbage can at Scorpio Sky.
Meanwhile, we saw that Ethan Page had unbuckled the bottom turnbuckle. He then charged at Darby who sidestepped him, causing All Ego to crash over the barricade. The brawl continued through the crowd. Darby leaped at Page, who caught him in midair and slammed him into the railings.
Darby Allin looked to be in a tough spot at this point as Page tossed him to the floor before booting him back into the AEW ringside area.
Darby Allin vs Ethan Page (Coffin Match at AEW Fyter Fest Night 1 continued...)
Ethan Page grabbed the steel steps at AEW Fyter Fest and placed them inside the ring before rolling Darby Allin in after it.
Page then grabbed the steel hook of the turnbuckle and clasped it into Darby Allin's chain before yanking him back. Darby Allin, in turn, used the hook on Ethan Page's mouth and followed it up with a dropkick into the steel steps which sent Ethan Page rolling into the coffin. Page dragged Darby Allin into the coffin and continued by trading right hands.
Back in the ring, Darby Allin hit Page with a stunner. Darby then went for a Coffin Drop but it was blocked. Ethan Page replied with an Ego's Edge from the top turnbuckle into the steel steps.
Ethan Page went to put Darby Allin in the coffin after this but Allin smashed him across the spine with his trusted skateboard. Page rolled into the coffin after his and Darby Allin shut the lid to win the match at AEW Fyter Fest.
Result: Darby Allin def. Ethan Page
Grade: A+
Darby Allin climbed to the top rope after the match and hit a Coffin Drop into the Coffin with Ethan Page still inside.
