Kevin’s AEW Fight For The Fallen 2021 Review

AEW Fight for the Fallen

July 28th, 2021 | Bojangles Coliseum in Charlotte, North Carolina

Elimination Match: Dark Order and Hangman Page vs. The Elite

Oh, baby. If Dark Order and Hangman win, they get title shots but if they lose, they don’t. The video package and mixed themes for Dark Order and Hangman was one of the best I’ve seen in wrestling. There was even a “cowboy shit” chant during the video. The Elite came out in Tune Squad style gear complete with basketball introductions. It tried but wasn’t as cool. It was still good though. They teased Page/Omega to start but gave us Anderson/Page instead. We got a big brawl with everyone going at it and tons of expected spots like the superplex onto a crowd. The first elimination saw Alex Reynolds go out before Anderson fell to Fatality to even the score. Grayson and Gallows fought outside and both got counted out before Omega beat Evil Uno with One Winged Angel. That left the three core Elite guys against Page and Silver. They attempted an Indytaker with a dunk but missed the basket and got booed. That helped send Silver packing, leaving Page all alone. Omega was now ready to face him. Hangman withstood the attack and used a double Buckshot lariat to eliminate Matt Jackson. Omega used the title as a weapon but Page kept surviving. However, Omega hit the One Winged Angel and Page stayed down after 25:37. Parts of that match were goofy and some of what makes the Elite so unlikable but a lot of it was fun. Things kept moving and remained exciting. The result was a question mark though. I get a slow burn but you also can’t wait too long to strike while the iron is hot. Page will still get there but he keeps losing big matches and that hurts. [***½]

Backstage, PAC said that the Lucha Brothers had their car from the airport canceled and blamed Andrade. He showed up with Chavo, who said they ordered Penta and Fenix a limo to get to the arena.

It’s time for Ricky Starks’ FTW Championship celebration. He had a band play him to the ring and instead of celebrating, he spent his promo time dissing Brian Cage for his lack of charisma and not being a star. Cage arrived to interrupt and beat up the band as Starks and co. bailed.

GO ACE! Hiroshi Tanahashi appeared on a video to say that he will challenge the winner of tonight’s IWGP United States Heavyweight Title match. AEW got the Ace, so they’ve officially won the war.

FTR (18-1) vs. Santana and Ortiz (5-2 in 2021)

I don’t care what the records say or who holds the titles because these are the two best tag teams in AEW. I’d put Lucha Bros. third. My excitement for this match is high. This turned out to live up to the hype for the most part early. There were cool spots, good tag team wrestling, and some nods from Santana and Ortiz to Eddie Guerrero with Three Amigos and a frog splash. It honestly seemed like we were gearing up for a really good first match in what I would expect to be a series between them. Unfortunately, Cash Wheeler seemed to get injured and Dax Harwood hit a brainbuster to abruptly win in 11:05. That finish wasn’t great but you get the sense they rushed it due to the injury. Still good for what we got. [***]

Britt Baker was interviewed and bragged that she made Nyla Rose tap with a broken wrist. She and Reba keep getting hurt since everyone is gunning for her. She wants to get someone else to watch her back.

Tony Schiavone made the announcement that AEW Rampage will be hosted at Chicago’s United Center for “The First Dance.” Loud “CM Punk” chants for that one. Meanwhile, I just want Rampage to give us more time for the underutilized women’s division.

Sting and Darby Allin were interviewed about the Rampage in Chicago. Darby said he’ll be there and he wants people to prove that they’re the greatest in AEW. Even if you say you’re the “best in the world.”

IWGP United States Heavyweight Championship: Lance Archer [c] (16-3 in 2021) vs. HIKULEO (0-0)

HIKULEO came out to the Guerrillas of Destiny theme, which is the only good thing about them. He also brought out his dad, HAKU! No Jake Roberts this week. HIKULEO is a big boy. Anyway, Archer hammered away to start and you could tell that this would be more spectacle than anything else. HIKULEO never impressed me much in New Japan and it looks like he hasn’t improved a ton but there is a bit more there than previously. During the break, the highlight came as Haku used the Tongan Death Grip. Archer rallied from a short stint of being in trouble and he did the rope walk moonsault, superplex, and Blackout to retain in 7:14. Fine for what it was. Archer/Tanahashi should be dope. [*½]

Cody Rhodes cut another promo in his white suit when Malakai Black attacked him, dressed in all black. GET IT, GUYS? They brawled to the stage where Black laid him out and crouched over him. Other wrestlers showed up and Black took out Fuego del Sol with another kick. If Cody beats Black next week or in this feud, it’s bad business.

Miro hyped about his title defense against Lee Johnson next week. He also said he was blessed as champion and with a double-jointed wife. Oh, baby.

Christian Cage (6-0), Luchasaurus and Jungle Boy (23-7) vs. The Hardy Family Office (0-0)

HFO is represented by Angelico and Private Party. This was a fine tag team match that didn’t get a ton of time. Christian and Jungle Boy did their thing before Matt Hardy got involved and Christian chased him to the back. Luchasaurus got the hot tag and threw Private Party around with the greatest of ease. He even hit all three opponents with a triple German suplex at the same time. It was impressive. In the end, Jungle Boy took out two men with a dive, leaving Marq Quen to fall to a chokeslam and frog splash in 4:41. Like I said, fine tag. [**]

Post-match, Christian Cage was attacked by The Blade with brass knuckles.

A video package aired to hype Nick Gage.

Julia Hart (4-6) vs. Thunder Rosa (20-2 in 2021)

I really need AEW to give the women more than a single segment per week. Thunder Rosa is more over than 75% of the dudes on the roster. Hart is still young but she showcased her athleticism to get the upper hand a handful of times. She waved to the fans, giving Rosa an opening to take her down. Hart got a few hope spots but this was one-sided and Rosa won with the Fire Thunder Driver in 4:02. [**]

NEXT WEEK AT HOMECOMING!

· Cody Rhodes vs. Malakai Black

· Miro vs. Lee Johnson for the TNT Title

· The Bunny vs. Leyla Hirsch in the NWA Women’s Title Eliminator

· Christian Cage vs. The Blade

Jon Moxley cut a promo backstage and said that he’s been using that forbidden door to work NJPW. As soon as he lost his title, now Tanahashi comes out with his “stupid ponytail.” He said Tanahashi has been dodging him and that he sent out contracts to Japan for more people to fight. I could see Moxley/Tanahashi at All Out.

No Rules Match: Chris Jericho (31-11-1) vs. Nick Gage (0-0)

The Painmaker is HILARIOUSLY bad. MJF was out to watch with popcorn. They brawled outside and did a bit of wrestling before going for weapons under the ring. Jericho got a bat and Gage got light tubes. Jericho got the slight upper hand but then Gage used the pizza cutter to cut him open deeper. They immediately went to commercial after that and a Domino’s ad ran, which is perfect. Returning, Gage set up a glass pane across chairs, only to take a top rope rana through that glass. They kept throwing everything at each other from light tubes to chairs. Jericho used mist(!), light tubes, and the Judas Effect to win after 12:45. Some will love this and some will hate it. I was somewhere in the middle as I think it did what it had to. [**½]

A pissed MJF said that the next labour would see Jericho have to win with a move off the top rope. He cut to a clip of them arguing in 2019 and MJF revealed that Juventud Guerrera would be Jericho’s opponent next week.

7.0

The final score: review Good

The 411

This didn’t hit the highs of Fyter Fest but still had a lot going for it. The second hour saw some matches that were average but the opening tag was a lot of fun. Everything clicked to make it a good show that managed to also build for the future.