Author: Jordan Huie

AEW Fyter Fest is in the books and it was if nothing else an extremely varied show. Which is what AEW is all about really. Inclusiveness in every sense of the word. Open to any style of wrestler and any kind of wrestling fan. When you embrace every aspect of this artform, from the technical minutia, to the wild athleticism, to the intense blood feuds, to the brutal barbarism, to the out-and-out wacky, there’s inevitably going to be parts of your show that get some pretty intense criticism. And so that’s what happened. Personally, this is one of my favorite…

#8 – Andrade ‘Cien’ Almas Destiny hasn’t been kind to every NXT Champion. Andrade sure seemed to have luck on his side though. Undeniably talented as he was, unlike everyone else in the lineage, it really seems like he wasn’t meant to become NXT Champion. He was setup to be a fine contender for it, but not one who would quite hold the gold. But an injury to champion Drew McIntyre changed all of that, and he ended up being in the right place at the right time to claim the title. In that situation, most would find themselves…

#4 Seed – Johnny Gargano There’s no other way to say it. Johnny Gargano is the current face of NXT and will be until he leaves. He embodies the scrappy blue-collar underestimated underdog spirit that the brand is built around. He’s a smaller guy with an everyman kind of charisma, even going so far as to hail from Cleveland, a city known for lovable losers. After years of awesome showings and being masterfully booked to get just that little bit closer to the grand prize every single time, Johnny Wrestling finally won the gold this April. The match itself was…

#1 Seed – Tommaso Ciampa That’s right, according to me and my associate’s criteria, clap-happy Tommaso Ciampa is the best NXT Champion ever. Of course, that’s from us; the true result is for you to decide! But indeed, we believe he’s got the strongest case to be considered the greatest in the title’s lineage. And you don’t need to take our word for it… you can certainly just ask him, he’d be happy to tell you. Tommaso Ciampa is one of NXT’s most captivating characters. His betrayal over Johnny Gargano was one of the more beautifully vile moments we’ve ever…

Unsanctioned Match: Joey Janela vs. Jon Moxley After making huge waves with his appearance at Double or Nothing, the time has come for Jon Moxley to compete in an AEW ring. And man is this ever a crazy way to debut someone… going for a dream match for any hardcore hardcore wrestling fan (that is to say, a hardcore fan of hardcore wrestling) right off the bat like this. This one was originally set to be a regular match, but with the promos between the two becoming all the more heated, that was changed. It’s now an Unsanctioned match, effectively…

Cody vs. Darby Allin Between the ropes, this is already a bit of a styles clash. Cody (Rhodes optional) is known for the high calibre blend of technique and physicality that defined the top stars of NWA back in it’s peak. Darby Allin is a flashy daredevil, the type that seems born and bred for ECW in more ways than one. But these comparisons and pigeonholings are the easy route. This isn’t taking place in the Omni in the 80s or Hammerstein in the 90s. This is an AEW match and AEW is nothing if not wholly modern and fresh.…

This… will be absolutely insane. It’s also probably gonna be the main event, though I haven’t heard them say as much. But considering a six-man headlined All In, the Young Bucks have made it clear that they believe tag matches can main event, and this match will see the Best Bout Machine and one of AAA’s hottest rising names added onto this rematch of Double or Nothing’s stellar semi-main, I think it’s a safe enough bet. The Young Bucks & Kenny Omega vs. The Lucha Bros & Laredo Kid Omega and the Bucks are the team that originated the ‘Elite’…

Now isn’t this a unique one… all four of these men were involved in the segment in which Bret Hart unveiled the AEW World Championship. MJF even set out to make an enemy of the Hitman. This positions them all quite high up the totem pole, atleast in theory. Obviously Page in particular is set to square off with Chris Jericho in a match to determine AEW’s first ever champion. Putting the others in the same match as him is certainly a sign that they see something special in each of them. For good reason, as it’s a unique assembly…

I’m sure AEW’s women’s division will get a singles match eventually… actually they’ll be having one at Fight For The Fallen, provided Brandi doesn’t change it last minute. (Or get scared off by Nyla Rose…) And it’s always possible that Bates/Rae actually does happen earlier in the night. Until then, booking the women like they’re in the X-Division has worked out well so far, so hey! Yuka Sakazaki vs. Riho vs. Nyla Rose Yuka and Riho were on opposing sides in the standout Joshi trios match, bringing much of the contest’s color as they’re both rather unique characters. Riho is…

Christopher Daniels vs. CIMA One of the many things to love about wrestling in the modern age is just how much longer wrestlers seem to be able to perform at a high level these days. We’ve already seen that in AEW alone with the 50-year-old Dustin Rhodes putting forth a heroic performance at Double or Nothing, and on that same night, we also saw these two men move like performers 20 years younger than themselves. And no, that’s really not an exaggeration. Daniels and CIMA have a combined 90 years of age between them, and a combined 48 years of back…