Tonight on AEW Dynamite, Ricky Starks returns to not only his home base of Austin, TX, but to the squared circle to challenge for the FTW Title against Brian Cage. Plus, Christian Cage will face his old rival Matt Hardy and Jon Moxley will defend his IWGP United States Title against Good Brother Karl Anderson.
AEW DYNAMITE: FYTER FEST NIGHT 1
July 14, 2021, Cedar Park, TX
Commentary: Jim Ross, Tony Schiavone & Excalibur
MATCH 1
IWGP United States Championship
Jon Moxley (c) (with Eddie Kingston) vs. Karl Anderson (with Doc Gallows)
Eddie Kingston brawls with Doc to start the match as they both battle in the crowd. Karl boots Jon in the corner and the two talk trash to one another. “Moxley” chants as they trade shots. Mox gets the better of it as he elbws the back of Anderson’s head. Anderson chops Mox in the corner. He lariats Karl out as the two opponents make their way up the stage. Anderson suplexes Mox on the entryway.
Mox soon corners Karl before rolling him back in the ring. Anderson knocks Jon off the apron with a shotgun dropkick. Anderson gets Mox back in and chokes him with the boot in the corner. Mox punches back but Anderson nails his Arn spinebuster for a two count.
Mox climbs up top, rakes Karl’s back and bites him before nailing a superplex. Mox gets booted in the corner, but both men go back and forth. A double clothesline downs both men. Both get to their feet but Mox locks in a sleeper. He calls an audible and goes for a piledriver, but Karl hits one of his own for two. Karl hits a cutter off the top for another two.
Mox nails some shot, but Karl hits a Gun Stun. Mox’s nose is bleeding. Karl hits a TKO for a very near fall. Mox catches a leaping Karl after a Gun Stun attempt, he hits a rip chord clothesline and hits a Paradigm Shift for the finish.
WINNER and STILL IWGP United States Champion: Jon Moxley
After the bout, Lance Archer is backstage with Jake Roberts. He then recounts that he’s aiming for a rematch for that IWGP U.S. Belt. He wants to have a second Texas Deathmatch, next week on Fyter Fest Night 2.
Back from break, Andrade El Idolo is looking for the Death Triangle.
MATCH 2
FTW Championship
Ricky Starks vs. Brian Cage (c)
Taz is on commentary and both Hook and Hobbs are at ringside for this family feud. Bell rings and “Ricky” chants are heard from his hometown crowd. Hip toss by Cage. Big gorilla press by Cage before he does a series of Irish whips in the corner. He punt kicks Ricky in the chest up top. Powerslam for a cover, 1-2-3. Starks avoids a running spear in the corner and it allows Ricky to focus on Cage’s arm. He nails a dropkick to Cage up top and we go to break.
Back from break, Ricky nails a crucifix bomb on Cage for a near fall. Ricky goes to the outside and grabs the belt, but Brian get a shot in. Cage pulls him hard into the post.
Back in the ring, Cage goes for a German suplex, he hits a spinning falcon arrow on Ricky who gets his foot on the ropes to break the count. Starks goes for a swinging DDT, but Cage catches him with a superkick for a two count.Starks goes to the apron and he flips over to sit-out powerbomb for a close fall. Starks goes to grab the belt, but Hobbs pulls it from him. Rick is stunned and Cage hits an F5 for a near fall. Cage soon sizes Starks up for a big-time lariat and Hook gets on the apron, that distracts the ref, Hobbs hops up to hit Cage with the title and Starks spears him for the W.
WINNER and NEW FTW Champion: Ricky Starks
A fired up Cody Rhodes walks over to commentary and starts cutting a promo on Malakai Black. He says he’s getting on the mic and in the ring and does so. He tells Malakai Black to answer the call. Malakai appears on the big screen. He talks about how he once saw a man kill a horse. That man saw the spirit out of that horse and when Malakai saw Cody and Arn last week, he saw the same thing. Cody calls Black out once more and then the lights go out. There appears Malakai in the ring. The two men brawl it out before officials (including Jerry Lynn) come to break it up.
Ortiz and Santana accost Tully Blanchard backstage and feign to hit him with a tire iron. They don’t, but tell him to “bring his boys.” Tully plans to.
Tony Schivaone introduces Hangman Page to the live Texas crowd. He gets asked about Kenny Omega. He said since literal day one, he wanted to become World Champion, but he failed. He says The Dark Order is right, he still needs that championship. So he’s here to challe – out comes Don Callis and The Elite. They all take their turn on the stick before a jumpsuited Matt comes out to the canvas to confront the friend who abandoned him. He did it for a bunch of nerds and he can smell the booze still on his breath. A lonely drunk failure. He then calls Hangman the next wrestling tragedy before challenging him to slug Matt. Hangman obliges and as he’s about to get hit from behind by Kenny, out come Dark Order. Kenny and the crew bail as Hangman still wants a piece of him tonight. Kenny propositions for a five-man tag team elimination match. Hangman says that if they win, he gets a World Title shot and Dark Order get a tag title shot. Kenny says they don’t get anything if they win? How about Hangman loses his title shot (and so does Dark Order). He says Adam is afraid of failure. He can’t wait until “Cowboy Shit” turns to “Belt Collector.” Hangman accepts.
Chris Jericho talks about the five labors. He’s going to get what he wanted. He will walk through fire to get through him. He keeps talking and Shawn pears jabs him in the throat with a steel chair. Him and MJF hold him down and MJF tells him that next week Jericho will have to face Spears in singles competition: Spears can use a chair, but Chris can’t.
MATCH 3
Matt Hardy vs. Christian Cage
Excalibur notes that Christian has never beat Matt Hardy one on one. The two men lock up and Christian powers Matt to the outside. They still remain locked up until Christian turns it into side headlock. He sends Matt into the guardrail before he takes to the skies to the outside and on top of Matt.
Back in the ring. He nailsl his reverse DDT and gets a two count. Some patented uppercuts in the corner. 10 punch. Matt elbows free and then drops Christian via a DDT onto the steel steps as he hung over the ropes. Back in the ring, Matt Hardy hits a neckbreaker. Two count. He catapult’s Christian’s throat into the second rope. An elbow drop for a two count.
Back from break, Christian catches Matt with a spear and gets a near fall. He hangs Matt out over the top rope and climbs up top . Frog splash by Christian for a near fall. Christian goes for a tornado DDT up top, but Matt fights him off. Both men are up top . Matt nails a superplex. He covers, but only good for two. Christian nails an inside crdle for two. Matt goes for a Killswitch, but Matt low blows him. Twist of Fate, 1-2-no! Matt can’t believe it. Matt locks in the leech submission and chokes Christian out on the outside. The ref begins the 10 count and answers right at nine. He immediately hits the Killswitch and gets the W.
WINNER: Christian Cage
HFO go to attack Christian post-match, but Jungle Boy and Luchasaurus come out for some back-up.
Miro cuts a promo saying he’s a changed man and the TNT Title was his reward. He is the redeemer.
Tony Schiavone introduces Britt Baker to the ring.. A couple weeks ago, Britt got put through a table, but she’s fine. She came out the baddest bitch on the block. She says you know what’s daunting? Keeping Nyla Rose relevant. Nyla may be at the top of the food chain, but she’s off the menu. She’s in a league of her own. Vickie Guerrero has a last name that will always keep her relevant, but Nyla needs that title to keep relevant. She will always be DMD. Nyla and Vickie are backstage and respond.
Jon Moxley says that he’s not the hunted, but he’s the hunter. Next week, Lance Archer is Texas dead.
MATCH 4
Wheeler Yuta (with Orange Cassidy & Chuck Taylor) vs. Sammy Guevara
Blade and Bunny are shown sitting ringside. Sammy leaps over Yuta and hits a nice dropkick to send Yuta to the outside. Guevara hits a flipping powerslam, but Sammy nails a standing shooting star press. He clmbs up top and Guevara comes off with a shooting star prsss, but Yuta gets his knees up. Sammy arm drags Wheeler down. But Wheeler hits a German Suplex. Big splash from up top but it only gets a one count on Sammy. Shots are traded. Big back body drop by Sammy. He hits a springboard cutter on Yuta. GTH and it’s good for the 1-2-3.
WINNER: Sammy Guevara
MATCH 5
Penelope Ford vs. Yuka Sakazaki
Side switches exchanged. Yuka hits a running dropkick and Penelope Ford bails. Sakazaki goes to the outside with a rope leap cannonball. Back from break, the two women trade shots. Stalling suplex for Yuka. Diving lariat for a two count. Leaping kick in the corner, Spinning diving back elbow from up top on Penelope for two. Leaping springboard splash for the 1-2-3.
WINNER: Yuka Sakazaki
MAIN EVENT
Coffin Match
Ethan Page vs. Darby Allin
Darby immediately goes on the attack and takes off his shirt to reveal a steel plate on his back. Ethan has a surprise of his own as Scorpio comes out of the coffin to attack Darby. During the break, the men find their way to the crowd, but by the time we return, Darby is dropped onto the steel steps which are in the ring. The bottom rope gets pulled of and Darby fish hooks Ethan in the mouth with it. Darby dropkicks Ethan into the coffin and the two foes duke it out in the coffin. Darby bites Page but gets launched on the coffin on the floor. Ethan Page’s head is bleeding. He and Darby battle it out but ultimately, Darby gets Ego Edged onto the prone steps from up top. He drags Darby to the outside, but Darby gouges the eys of Ethan and bites him. He pulls out a skateboard and hops on the back of Page, sending Ethan into the coffin. He closes the lid.
WINNER: Darby Allin
Post-match Darby Allin Coffin Drops the coffin to end the show.
