AEW will present the second annual Fight for the Fallen tonight.
The show will be headlined by an AEW World Championship match as Jon Moxley defends the title against Brian Cage. Taz presented Cage with the FTW Championship last week at Fyter Fest but that title is not on the line. This match was originally scheduled for Fyter Fest but was moved to this week as a precautionary measure after Moxley’s wife, Renee Young, tested positive for COVID-19.
The second title match will see Cody defend the TNT Championship against Sonny Kiss. Cody has made four successful title defenses since defeating Lance Archer to become the inaugural TNT champ.
FTR will face The Lucha Brothers this evening in tag team action. These two teams were on opposite sides of a show-stealing eight-man tag last week.
Kenny Omega and The Young Bucks will team against Jurassic Express, Brandi Rhodes and Allie will be in action, and a Chris Jericho promo has also been advertised.
Our live coverage begins at 8 p.m. Eastern time.
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Excalibur, Jim Ross and Taz welcomed us to the show. Tony Schiavone was pulled from the show for precautionary reasons after his COVID test result was late in coming in.
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TNT Championship match: Cody (w/Arn Anderson) defeated Sonny Kiss to retain the title
They went really heavy with the Four Horsemen teases here. Tully Blanchard was pointed out in the crowd and they cut to camera shots of him several times.
Kiss got a big entrance with the Jaguars cheerleaders. The match was very good but secondary to the teases with Blanchard.
Cody appeared to be taking Kiss lightly at the start. Kiss hit a rolling elbow. Arn Anderson gave Cody a pep talk. Cody used a full nelson. Kiss came back with a headscissors.Kiss missed a leg slice off the top and landed in the splits. Kiss recovered and used a 450 for a near fall.
Cody took control of the match with a vertebreaker. Cody hit a superplex for a near fall. Cody and Arn were both heelish in arguing with ref Aubrey Edwards for a slow count. Cody used a crossface but Kiss forced a break.
Cody exposed a buckle but got sent into it himself. Kiss rolled him up for a two count. They traded strikes.
The finish came out of nowhere as Cody blocked a strike and hit Cross Rhodes for the pin.
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Cody and Kiss embraced and raised each other’s arms after the match.
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The announcers detailed the COVID relief charities they are supporting tonight at aewfightforthefallen.com.
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The announcers previewed the rest of the card. FTR vs. Lucha Brothers is up next.
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FTR defeated Lucha Brothers (w/Butcher & Blade)
They again pointed out Tully in the crowd and talked about him scouting FTR.
This match was very good but not at the level of the eight-man last week.
Pentagon and Harwood began the match. Pentagon and Fenix got some shine early and hit some tandem offense. Wheeler and Fenix got tags and things flipped in FTR’s favor. Pentagon saved for Fenix and Lucha Bros were back in control before a commercial break.
After the break, Harwood got a hot tag and took on Pentagon and Fenix himself. Harwood hit two crazy suplexes and hit a sliding uppercut forearm for a near fall on Fenix. Harwood’s chest was bleeding from some hard chops.
Wheeler got a tag and was immediately cut off. Fenix hit a pop-up splash off Pentagon’s shoulders. Pentagon hit a springboard legdrop for a two count. Harwood tagged in and hit a modified doomsday device for a near fall.
Harwood and Pentagon fought on the top rope. They did a great series of spots where Fenix and Wheeler both tried top rope splashes but their partners got their knees up.
The match broke down into a brawl with all four guys in. Pentagon hit slingblade on Wheeler. Penta teased a destroyer on the apron. Wheeler blocked. They traded chops. Wheeler hit a tornado DDT through the ropes. Fenix hit a springboard splash off the post to the floor.
The finish saw Harwood rip off Fenix’s mask. Fenix covered his face and Harwood cradled him for the pin.
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After the match, the Young Bucks attacked Butcher and Blade and took back the keys to FTR’s truck. Kenny Omega entered with a cooler of beer.
The Bucks gave FTR their truck back. Omega offered to toast and drink a beer with FTR. FTR instead poured the beer on Omega’s head.
Omega went after FTR but the Bucks held him back.
FTR left in their truck.
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Chris Jericho entered for a promo with Santana, Ortiz and Jake Hager.
Jericho said he beat Orange Cassidy in one of the greatest matches in AEW history and won the ratings war last week. He explained that he’s never been beaten in the 18-49 demo and called himself the Demo God. The only thing worse than demo talk on Twitter is demo talk on television.
He said the fans want a rematch with him and Cassidy, the network wants one and Cassidy wants one, but they’re not getting it.
Cassidy entered. Jericho said Cassidy did great last week but proved that he’s too lazy to hang with Jericho at the top level.
Cassidy snapped his fingers and oranges and orange juice fell from the ceiling. Inner Circle was juiced. Ortiz took some bumps in the orange juice.
Jericho called for a towel and someone threw him an Orange Cassidy towel to dry off with.
Not a great segment.
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Alex Marvez interviewed Jurassic Express. Marko Stunt said Jericho was an idiot for getting covered in orange juice. Luchasaurus said after 65 million years he’s finally getting a chance to wrestle The Elite.
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Jericho joined the announce desk, taking Taz’s place. Jericho ranted and raved about being covered in orange juice and his 7000 dollar jacket being ruined. Jericho cut a promo on Stunt.
They replayed the orange juice spot again. Jericho ranted and raved for several minutes.
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Kenny Omega & The Young Bucks defeated Jurassic Express
This was the best match on the show. Very good stuff. I’m sure Stunt getting a lot of offense is going to be polarizing but whatever.
Nick and Jungle Boy began with a great exchange. The highlight was Jungle Boy blocking a facebuster. Stunt and Omega tagged in. They presented that Omega was taking Stunt lightly. Omega gave Stunt a lot of offense.
Luchasaurus and Matt got tags. Things quickly broke down before a commercial break and all six brawled to the floor. Omega hit a terminator dive before the break.
After the commercials, Luchasaurus got a tag and ran wild with a variety of kicks. He hit a standing moonsault on Nick and Omega saved after a cover.
Omega tagged in to face off with Luchasaurus. Omega hit snap dragon suplexes on all three Jurassic members. Jurassic Express came back with the Extinction Level Event on Omega. The Bucks made the save after a cover.
The Elite hit a triple tiger driver on Luchasurus for a near fall. Jungle Boy hit a top rope frankensteiner on Nick. Stunt hit a 450 and covered but Matt saved.
Stunt hit a tower of doom destroyer off Luchasaurus’s shoulders on to Matt for a near fall. That spot was incredible.
Omega started hitting v-triggers. He went for a One-Winged Angel but Stunt blocked and rolled him up for a near fall.
Omega then hit a v-trigger and the One-Winged Angel on Stunt for the pin.
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During the match they showed Hangman Page drinking at a bar backstage. FTR joined him during the match.
After the match, Omega snapped and started pounding on Stunt with right hands. The Bucks tried to talk him down. They’ve teased on BTE that Omega is going to be bringing back The Cleaner character and this is one of the first signs we’ve seen of a more serious edge to him on TV.
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Alex Marvez interviewed AEW Women’s Champion Hikaru Shida. MArvez mentioned that four of the top five ranked women in the company are unavailable for various reasons and asked if that meant Shida was ready for Nyla Rose.
Shida cut a promo in perfect English. She said she is always ready for Nyla but it doesn’t have to be Nyla. She said there are plenty of talented women in the company. She said if you have the passion, step up and show her and challenge her.
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Moxley cut an effective promo. He said things haven’t been great lately but things are better today, because today, he gets to hit and be hit in the ring.
Moxley promised to tear Cage’s surgically-repaired left bicep off the bone and told him to enjoy the hospital.
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The Nightmare Sisters (Brandi Rhodes & Allie) defeated Kenzie Paige & MJ Jenkins
They’re still doing the reluctant partners thing with Allie and Brandi. This time it was Brandi who was more aggressive about blind tagging herself in and such.
This was basically a squash. The finish saw Brandi come to Allie’s aid and hit a spear on an interfering Paige while Allie hit a GTR on Jenkins for the pin.
Dustin raised Allie’s arm after the match and they seem to be telling the story that Brandi and Dustin are starting to come around on Allie.
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Dasha Gonzalez called out Nyla Rose. Rose heeled on Dasha, then introduced her new manager, Vickie Guerrero.
Vicke cut a promo on the entire women’s division. She said when they decide to go after the title that no one will stop them.
She said that Rose will steal every opportunity from everyone in the division and cackled maniacally.
Vickie is great and I’m glad there’s a spot for her in this business.
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Cody defending the TNT title, Hangman Page vs Five from Dark Order, Ivelisse vs. Diamante, MJF in action, Young Bucks vs. Butcher & Blade in a falls count anywhere match and Luchasaurus and Jungle Boy vs. Jericho and Hager were announced for next week.
The main event is next.
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Taz cut a promo before Moxley entered and said we were moments away from Cage’s crowning moment.
Moxley entered wearing a Danny Havoc shirt to honor his friend who recently passed away.
AEW World Championship match: Jon Moxley defeated Brian Cage (w/Taz) to retain the title
This was a good match. They tried to protect Cage on the finish and I think they accomplished that. Cage appeared to be pretty blown up by the end.
Moxley was dominant early. He went after Cage’s left arm as he promised in his promo. He used a variety of holds in attacking the arm. They brawled outside and Moxley continued working on the arm.
Moxley set up a guardrail against the ring and teased a suplex on the rail. Cage reversed andhit a German on Moxley on the guardrail to take control before a commercial. Cage continued working Moxley over through the break.
Cage hit a few different suplexes and used a chinlock. Moxley came back with a clothesline and posted Cage. Moxley used a cradle for a two count. Cage cut Moxley off with a lariat.
Cage went for a moonsault but missed. Moxley hit a double-arm DDT but Cage kicked out. The announcers called this as the Paradigm Shift but it wasn’t the high-angle double-arm DDT.
Moxley hit a superplex for a two count then went to a kimura on the left arm. Cage slid out and hit a buckle bomb. Cage hit a superplex off the second rope instead of the turnbuckle.
Moxley blocked a Drill Claw attempt and rolled into an armbar. Cage kept his fingers locked at first. Moxley slipped to a triangle and back to the armbar. Taz was freaking out on the floor.
With Cage still in the armbar, Taz threw in the towel and ref Rick Knox called for the bell.
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Cage hit a belt shot on Moxley after the bell, then threw a series of right hands.
The lights went out.
When the lights came on, Darby Allin appeared on the top rope. He came off the top rope and hit Cage in the throat with a skateboard. Cage and Taz bailed.
Allin and Moxley faced off. Cage tried to come back to the ring but Taz, referees and security held him back. And that’s how the show ended, with Allin’s music playing.