wrestling / Columns

Csonka’s AEW Fyter Fest 2019 Preview

June 29, 2019 | Posted by Larry Csonka
AEW Fyter Fest 2019

WELCOME back to column time with Larry! Today, I am going to discuss and preview AEW Fyter Fest 2019, the second official event from All Elite Wrestling. So today I will breakdown and preview the event. Feel free to make your picks in the comment section. Thanks for reading! It’s wrestling, we love it and will disagree. The only rules are “have a take, be respectful, and don’t be a dick.”

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Michael Nakazawa vs. Alex Jebiley: I don’t care if this a pore-show, or that it’s a follow up to last year or that Alex Jebiley runs the CEO deal; under no circumstances would I air this “match” on BR Live. AEW has great word of mouth right now, a buzz if you will, and this FREE SHOW (in the US) will likely be a tester show/gateway for possible new fans. Are you telling me that THIS is the first match you want them to see? A hardcore match with a comedy guy and non-wrestler with a back-story (basically it’s for shits and giggles) that no one could really care about. Do not air this bullshit. WINNER: No One if They Air It

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Kylie Ray vs. Leva Bates: Kylie Ray is someone with a ton of star potential, and also someone AEW has a lot of hope for to succeed. Leva Bates can be very hit or miss as a performer, and is around more to play her librarian role on BTE. She’s completely expendable, and I fear that this will be more about the bates/Avalon romance angle than Ray picking up an important win; I hope I am wrong. WINNER: Kylie Ray

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SCU vs. Best Friends vs. Private Party: The winning team here moves onto a PPV match at All Out, and the winner of that match will get a bye in the first round of the tournament to crown the inaugural AEW tag team champions. This feels like an overly complicated way of doing things, and like they should just make this match for the winners receiving the bye. Because if you win here and lose at All Out; it feels like you’re just making yourself compete in an extra match with the possibility of no reward, Anyway, SCU & Best Friends are great tag teams and will be heavily featured in the tag division, while Private Party are a team that has been getting some buzz, but are being seen by a larger audience, many for the first time, here. Part of me feels that they need the win here, but I think if you’re setting some one up for a PPV match, that you go with the more experienced teams. But it’s really a toss up as it’s hard to tell how they will be booking the tournament, which I do like and feel is the right call as I previously stated that the tag division will carry this company early on. Anyone can win here, but I’ll go with Best friends to rebound off of the PPV loss and possibly set a match with the Dark Order. WINNER: Best Friends

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Nyla Rose vs. Riho vs. Yuka Sakazaki: These three ladies debuted at Double or Nothing, Rose lost in a four-way, while Riho was on the winning team in the Joshi trios, while Yuka was on the losing team of that same match. Rose comes off as a work in press, and very green to me. Yuka is a crazy and charismatic ball of energy while Riho came across as the most well rounded performer of the three, which is why they want to lock her into a long-term deal. If I am being completely honest here, I think the match will be best served if it’s mostly Riho vs. Yuka, with Rose being used sparingly and for power spots and the like. I think that Riho picks up the win here. WINNER: Riho

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Christopher Daniels vs. CIMA: At Double or Nothing, SCU defeated CIMA and his protégés in a great trios match, and the feud continues here as the veteran leaders of their teams no do battle one on one. Daniels is 49, but can still go and is an extremely smart performer that doesn’t get enough credit for his overall career accomplishments and talents he helped cultivate working in TNA & ROH. CIMA is 41 and a Dragon Gate legend, and like Daniels, is an extremely smart performer with a lot of go still left in his game. These two guys are going to be instrumental in breaking in the OWE guys as well as booking & laying out the matches with them. As a fan of both guys, I am really looking forward to this one and am curious to see what they can bring to the table here. I feel that CIMA wins here, getting some revenge for the Double or Nothing tag loss. WINNER: CIMA

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MJF vs. Jimmy Havoc vs. Jungle Boy vs. Hangman Page: At Double or Nothing, these four were all involved in an angle where Bret Hart was presenting the AEW championship, but MJF arrived to be his usual and glorious douche bag self. He tried to ruin things for Page, leading to Havoc & Jungle Boy to get involved, and that sets up this match here at Fyter Fest. Page is about to challenge for the AEW title against Jericho in August, Havoc is a wild hardcore guy, Jungle Boy is fresh young talent who has been impressive, and MJF is a good heel and an even more amazing asshole. I really like the mix of talent here, and feel that this has the chance to be a ton of fun and very good overall. At the end of the day, Page is challenging for the title in August and while the others need a chance to impress, and will likely get it here, Page should win to maintain his momentum. WINNER: Hangman Page

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Cody vs. Darby Allin: Cody is an AEW founding father, and figures to be a featured performer early on for the company. Darby Allin is a 26-year old who really came into popularity working for WWN and was becoming EVOLVE’s Mikey Whipwreck. He may also go down as one of WWN’s biggest failures as they built him up, he improved, the fans loved him, but they constantly refused to pull the trigger with him as champion despite giving him big wins over Zack Sabre Jr & Matt Riddle. But WWN’s loss is AEW’s gain as Allin has a ton of potential and went from simply a spot guy/daredevil to a good professional wrestler that has constantly improved. But my issue with the match is that I feel neither man should lose here. Cody is coming off of the big win over Dustin and they have a big tag tea match next month against the Bucks, so he should win. This is also Allin’s debut, and while a great performance and competitive effort will look good, a loss pits him in a hole to begin, and he doesn’t have the star power of an Omega to bounce back easily. I think that Cody will and should win, and hope that Allin has enough of an impressive performance that he gains fan support in loss. WINNER: Cody

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Jon Moxley vs. Joey Janela: Once it was announced that MOX was leaving WWE, the Jon Moxley vs. Joey Janela match was one that, many fans wanted to see, mainly for the fact that Janela is a newer/more insane version of Moxley. I was one of those people that wanted the match and we’re getting it here. Moxley is coming off of his first post WWE match, an excellent one with Juice Robinson where he won the IWGP US Title; Moxley looked completely revitalized, in great shape, and ready to deliver and prove doubters wrong. Janela is an absolute wild man, and will not only be looking to impress, but always delivers in big matches. This one will likely get crazy especially with it now being an “unsanctioned match,” and with Moxley about to face Omega at All Out, it makes the most sense for him to pickup a win here. WINNER: Jon Moxley

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Kenny Omega, Matt Jackson, & Nick Jackson vs. The Lucha Bros. & Laredo Kid: This was originally scheduled as The Lucha Bros. & PAC, but then creative differences/covert VISA cover up issues arrived, he was off Double or Nothing, and since they were planning to build to Omega vs. PAC, he’s also off this show. So while AEW didn’t score a “big star,” they grabbed someone that’s really great and can use the exposure in Laredo Kid. While losing PAC obviously hurts, I still think that this will be an absolute banger and steal the show. The Bucks & Lucha Bros have great chemistry, while Omega has worked bangers with both Fenix & Pentagon. Laredo Kid is really good and will be looking to impress here and possibly earn a job. The Bucks just lost the AAA tag titles to Lucha Bros, and have a big match with Cody & Dustin coming up, while Lucha Bros has the big match with MOX coming up at All Out. I think that the Elite’s reunion is a success, and that there is a one winged angel in Laredo Kid’s future here. WINNERS: Kenny Omega, Matt Jackson, & Nick Jackson

– End Scene.

– Thanks for reading.

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The 411 on Wrestling Podcast returns to the 411 Podcasting Network for episode 31. On the show, the good brother, Jeremy Lambert, joins 411’s Larry Csonka; the guys will discuss their reactions to the news that Heyman & Bischoff will be ‘running’ WWE TV, talk about who they have more faith in, discuss the perceived lack of faith in Trip;e H and his team that they didn’t get to run one of the shows, and whether the move actually matters if Vince still has the final say in things. The show is approximately 68-minutes long.

* Intro
* Reactions to the headline “Paul Heyman and Eric Bischoff Named WWE Executive Directors, Will Run WWE TV”: 1:00
* Who do you have more faith in, Heyman or Bischoff?: 23:30
* Does it show a lack of faith in Triple H and his team that they didn’t get to run one of the shows?: 38:40
* Does it matter if they still have to report and get approval from Vince McMahon?: 47:40
* WWE Rumored to Have Several NXT Call-Ups When Smackdown Moves to FOX: 51:20

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