Welcome to POST Wrestling’s coverage of AEW’s Fight for the Fallen from Daily’s Place in Jacksonville, Florida.
Wai Ting and I will be going LIVE at 11 pm Eastern with our POST Show for Double Double, Iced Capp & Espresso members of the POST Wrestling Café.
QUICK RESULTS
*Sonny Kiss over Peter Avalon in 5:07
*Bea Priestley & Shoko Nakajima over Dr. Britt Baker & Riho in 15:38
*Shawn Spears, MJF & Sammy Guevara over Joey Janela, Jimmy Havoc & Darby Allin at 13:14
*Brandi Rhodes over Allie in 10:17
*Dark Order over Jungle Boy & Luchasaurus and Jack Evans & Angelico in 15:08
*Hangman Page over Kip Sabian in 19:05
*Pentagon Jr. & Rey Fenix over Frankie Kazarian & Scorpio Sky in 15:04
*Kenny Omega over CIMA in 22:33
*The Young Bucks over Cody & Dustin Rhodes in 31:26
The Buy-In pre-show featured Excalibur and Alex Marvez on commentary.
Peter Avalon and Leva Bates came out to lots of boos and chants of ‘you suck’ began. He was quickly interrupted by Sonny Kiss, who came out with the Jacksonville Jaguars’ cheerleaders.
PETER AVALON VS SONNY KISS
Kiss wore a Jalen Ramsey jersey for the match. Marvez has an amazing amount of information regarding the hours of operation for the local library.
Bates got on the apron and distracted Kiss with her book for a roll-up cover. The audience yelled, ‘reading sucks.’
Kiss won with a straight leg drop off the second rope.
WINNER: Sonny Kiss at 5:07
It was quick, the audience was lively and behind Kiss while booing Avalon. It was impossible to have a strong opinion either way for something so short.
Jenn Decker was conducting the backstage interviews and spoke with Cody & Dustin Rhodes. Cody spoke about the proceeds from the show are going to victims of gun violence. Cody said The Young Bucks are always flying and flipping around with their ‘West Coast offense’ and what happens when they find a body part. Dustin said there is no new school without an old school and will powerslam them so hard their souls will leave their bodies. Cody spoke briefly on Shawn Spears but said he will equal satisfaction beating his friends tonight and proving they are better.
DR. BRITT BAKER & RIHO VS BEA PRIESTLEY & SHOKO NAKAJIMA
Nakajima is the Tokyo Joshi Pro Princess of Princess champion and came out with the title. Priestley came out with the World of Stardom title.
There was a hiccup early where Baker went to the incorrect corner for the tag and the audience called her on it.
Priestley and Nakajima attacked the left arm of Riho and double-teamed her behind the referee’s back in their corner. Once Baker was tagged, she was hit with a missile dropkick from Nakajima but sent Baker into the corner to tag out.
Priestley hit Riho with a head kick prompting Baker to hit a sling blade to Priestley.
The audience cheered when Priestley and Baker were tagged in.
Priestley sent Riho to the floor from the corner but struggled to get Riho over the top. Nakajima landed a dive onto the floor.
Then, they went into near falls including Riho using a Northern Lights suplex onto Nakajima and a double foot stomp from the top that she kicked out from. Nakajima missed a senton from the top, Riho ran out of the corner and was caught with a ‘rana and Nakajima hooked the leg for the pin.
WINNER: Bea Priestley & Shoko Nakajima at 15:38
There was a pull apart involving Priestley and Baker afterward.
The timing was off throughout the early stages and I’m curious if the ring size had anything to do with that.
Once Riho and Nakajima got their timing down, it turned into a good match down the stretch and Priestley stood out for me. The highlight package at the end made this look spectacular.
MJF, SHAWN SPEARS & SAMMY GUEVARA VS JIMMY HAVOC, DARBY ALLIN & JOEY JANELA
Shawn Spears came out with a new shirt that said, ‘The Chairman’ and has Justin Roberts introduce him with the nickname. Janela received a big reaction when he came out.
Janela threw Guevara into the corner with a release German suplex. Spears and Allin were tagged and everyone chanted for Allin, so Spears tagged out and bailed to the floor.
Excalibur brought up the altercation between Janela and Enzo but didn’t identify Enzo by name, instead he called him the ‘scum of the Earth’.
MJF missed Havoc and speared his partner Spears in the corner. Allin came in and hit Guevara with a jumping Diamond Dust and the cover was broken up.
Guevara missed a shooting star off the apron to Janela, landed on his feet and hit a superkick followed by a tornillo over the top. Janela stopped Guevera on the top turnbuckle with a Death Valley Driver onto the edge of the apron.
Spears hit Allin with the previously named Tye Breaker and a Death Valley Driver onto the bad ribs of Allin and pinned him.
WINNER: Shawn Spears (pinned Darby Allin), MJF & Sammy Guevara at 13:14
It was tough to follow all the smaller stories as you had strange partners teaming together. There was a lot of impressive moments in the match, but the focus was meant to be on Spears the new big heel in the company. The audience loved Janela and Allin. Spears mentioned afterward that he was able to pin the man Cody couldn’t at Fyter Fest.
Shad Khan, Calais Campbell, and Private Party were shown in the audience. Alex Jebailey was seated with Private Party and kicked out by Atlas security.
The video package for the women’s match featured highlights from the ‘Road to’ series with Brandi Rhodes and Allie. The promotion of this match was fantastic and took a basic match on paper and gave it so much life through their interviews.
ALLIE VS BRANDI RHODES
As Brandi and Allie shook hands, Awesome Kong walked out as backup for Brandi. Marvez mentioned that Brandi hasn’t wrestled a match this year.
Allie got into Kong’s face on the floor and caught with a dropkick through the ropes. The two exchanged forearms and Allie landed a sliding elbow strike into the corner.
Brandi was frustrated when she went for a cover and was hit with a BSE and Death Valley Driver. Allie went for the cover and Kong pulled Brandi under the rope. Allie applied a Dragon Sleeper and Paul Turner was distracted by Kong on the apron as Brandi started tapping.
With Turner’s back turned, Brandi gouged Allie’s eyes and hit the bionic shoulder tackle and pinned Allie.
WINNER: Brandi Rhodes at 10:17
Kong was about to attack Allie when Aja Kong came out. The audience was more into this faceoff than the preceding match. Aja helped Allie to the back.
This went too long and the final minutes featured all the things people groan about. Brandi played heel throughout with Kong as back up and was confusing given the build-up of this match where Brandi was the sympathetic figure and that aspect wasn’t a focus of the match.
DARK ORDER VS ANGELICO & JACK EVANS VS JUNGLE BOY & LUCHASAURUS
Former WWE and TNA referee Mike Posey was the official in the match.
The winners face Best Friends at All Out for the chance at a bye in the tag title tournament.
Dark Order came out with their ‘Creepers’ and surrounded the ring, the presentation is campy. Marko Stunt is now being grouped with Jungle Boy and Luchasaurus.
Evil Uno started biting the ear of Angelico before he tagged in Jungle Boy.
In the beginning, Stu Grayson looked great with Dark Order in and out with tags. The two double-teamed Jungle Boy with stomps in the corner. They kept Jungle Boy from tagging anyone, including a spot where Grayson yanked Angelico & Evans off the apron when Jungle Boy dove at them. Eventually, he tagged Luchasaurus, who was incredibly popular.
Luchasaurus choke slammed Evans onto Angelico on the floor and Jungle Boy followed with a shooting star press off the apron.
Stunt got involved with a super huracanrana off the top to Angelico. Stunt was thrown off the shoulders of Luchasaurus to the floor. Luchasaurus and Jungle Boy double-teamed Evans and Evil Uno saved. Grayson landed a 450-splash onto Jungle Boy and he kicked out to a big reaction.
Dark Order hit their finish on Jungle Boy with Uno lifting him into a Gori Special and Grayson off the top into a Diamond Dust for Fatality and won the match.
WINNERS: Dark Order at 15:08
This was spectacular and everyone looked great, by the end. To me, Stu Grayson was the big standout and Dark Order needed this performance as the non-wrestling segments have not been a big hit and this was their chance to stand out. Jungle Boy was great as the undersized babyface in peril and Luchasaurus was super popular.
HANGMAN PAGE VS KIP SABIAN
Page is still selling the effects of the knee injury from the angle involving PAC. The announcers acknowledged the injury but didn’t identify PAC.
Sabian landed a suicide dive, leaned over the guardrail and a fan yelled at, so Sabian kissed him.
Page landed a belly-to-belly, a rolling fireman’s carry and standing shooting star press for a two-count. Sabian came back with a springboard into a tornado DDT. The struggle was getting the audience engaged as it was a lackluster respond midway through the match. The announcers noted that the heat had reached 85 degrees.
Sabian spits at Page and was caught with an inside-out lariat. Sabian’s left elbow was bleeding. Page was on the apron from a head butt and Sabian missed with a stomp, so Page caught him with a slam onto the edge.
Page hit a moonsault off the top to the floor and this livened up the crowd. Back in the ring, Page took Sabian and powerbombed him onto the elevated ramp. Page followed with a swinging neck breaker off the top for a near fall.
Sabian hit a springboard huracanrana and went for several pin attempts, ending with Page rolling through and hitting the Deadeye and won.
WINNER: Hangman Page at 19:05
It was technically fine, but the audience wasn’t into it outside of the top rope moonsault to the floor and some of the bigger spots. I would say this was underwhelming considering Page is positioned as one of the top guys.
One of the Dark Order’s creepers attacked Page and hit the codebreaker, revealing himself to be Chris Jericho under the mask. He then hit Page with the Judas Effect and busted Page open. The audience woke up for the post-match attack.
SCU came out in the colors of the Jacksonville Jaguars and cut their usual promo. Christopher Daniels was sweating profusely, and it seems ungodly hot in the arena.
FRANKIE KAZARIAN & SCORPIO SKY VS PENTAGON JR. & REY FENIX
Fenix and Pentagon double-teamed SCU with superkicks to all three members and then started chopping them. Fenix went for a suicide dive, missed Christopher Daniels and hit Pentagon, which allowed Daniels to hit a split-legged moonsault to both. Aubrey Edwards ejected Daniels and he left.
Fenix and Pentagon double-teamed with a monkey flip senton into Kazarian, who was seated in the corner and Sky in the tree of woe.
Kazarian returned with a big German suplex onto Fenix. He hit Pentagon with a backstabber and Sky came off the top with a double stomp. Fenix hit a rolling double cutter to Sky and Kazarian. Sky came back with his own cutter onto Pentagon on the edge of the apron.
Sky pressed Kazarian off the apron into a top rope DDT onto Fenix that looked spectacular and Fenix kicked out. Fenix hit a stomp onto Kazarian on the edge, Pentagon hit a Destroyer onto Sky and he kicked out and they finished by hitting the package piledriver with Fenix coming off the top with a stomp onto Sky and Pentagon got the cover.
WINNERS: Pentagon Jr. & Rey Fenix in 15:04
It was all action throughout the fifteen minutes and the audience was selective in what they reacted for.
After the match, Daniels returned, and a ladder was introduced. They fought off Daniels, Fenix & Pentagon climbed the ladder and called themselves the best tag team on the planet. They challenged The Young Bucks to a ladder match at All Out in Chicago. Excalibur added that the match would be for the AAA tag titles.
KENNY OMEGA VS CIMA
They were pushing the story that Omega is winless in AEW, even though he won at Fyter Fest. Jim Ross later clarified that he hadn’t won a singles match.
Marvez noted that the Greek words on CIMA’s armbands are the names of his wife and daughter.
CIMA hit the Perfect Driver and Omega kicked out after having problems with his nose and playing off the injuries from the Chris Jericho match. Omega hit a V-Trigger to the back of the head in the corner and then tried for a Dragon Suplex off the top. CIMA turned into a sunset bomb sending Omega to the mat. CIMA missed with the Meteora.
They went to the floor, Omega lost his footing and slipped on the mat. Omega was placed on a table, CIMA came off a stage with the Meteora and the table didn’t break. CIMA hit another Meteora off the top rope into the ring and Omega kicked out. He tried another and Omega caught him in mid-air, hit a snap Dragon and V-Trigger for a two-count.
Omega hit another V-Trigger and tried for the One-Winged Angel, which was blocked. CIMA hit Schwein on the edge of the apron.
For whatever reason, this match has a 30-minute time limit as opposed to previously established 20-minute limits.
CIMA goes down to a knee from exhaustion and is hit with a V-Trigger and Tiger Driver ’98 for a big near fall by Omega. CIMA got a fantastic near fall with a cradle and Omega broke free, hit another V-Trigger and the One-Winged Angel for the victory.
WINNER: Kenny Omega at 22:33
It was a fantastic match and the best on the show, so far. The audience was with it for the majority and Excalibur was very important to identify CIMA’s key maneuvers and stood out significantly in this match.
Chris Jericho returned for his promo segment. He pointed out the blood of Hangman Page on his hands, which looked like the work of a pink magic marker. He called the town ‘Jerksonville’, ‘Jackoffville’ and then the ‘White Trash Riviera’. He took credit for all the success of AEW, including the deal with TNT that he mentioned starts in October.
He put over Hangman Page as one of the best prospects he has seen. If he beats Page, it’s just another victory in his illustrious career but if he loses it’s the beginning of the end for AEW and his career. He must beat Page and will prove he’s a ‘little bitch’.
Page stormed the ring to attack and Page attacked the officials. Several wrestlers, Jerry Lynn, and QT Marshall were among those out to separate them. Page’s eye was still busted open from earlier. This was a strong segment to build the All Out match.
THE YOUNG BUCKS VS CODY & DUSTIN RHODES
This match has a 60 minute time limit.
They made it clear that Cody was cleared to compete after the chair shot two weeks ago.
The Young Bucks sent Cody & Dustin to the floor and hugged to mock the brothers.
Dustin hit a reverse crossbody from the top onto Nick and Matt. Cody received the tag and fired up on the Bucks. Cody dove over the top and took out Matt on the elevated ramp. Cody whipped Matt with his weightlifting belt and hit an inverted superplex. The Rhodes’ started to work on the left arm of Matt and grounded him.
Nick finally received the tag, Matt returned and they applied simultaneous sharpshooters that the Rhodes broke free from and they applied figure-fours.
Cody hit a Disaster Kick to the bad arm of Matt and then a double-team Cross Rhodes was hit with Dustin assisting Cody. It broke down with all four engaging in the Frye/Takayama spot and Cody accidentally knocked down Rick Knox.
Cody dove off the top and into a pair of superkicks. In the ring, they hit a double superkick to the back of Cody’s head and Dustin saved. The Bucks hit double superkicks and then Nick hit Cross Rhodes on Cody for a two-count. They hit the Meltzer Driver on Cody and won.
WINNERS: The Young Bucks at 31:26
It was a very good main event and probably the second-best match on the show. The finish lacked drama and the audience started to tire near the end. It was well-worked and was the style you saw the Bucks do a lot in New Japan, especially with Roppongi Vice and Bobby Fish & Kyle O’Reilly. I enjoyed the match. It didn’t need to go any longer than it did.