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It hurts me to say this, but I think I have to. AEW started off on the right note with Double or Nothing, but every subsequent show was been more disappointing than the one before it.
I wouldn't really say that Fight for the Fallen was a bad show per se, but honestly, I had much bigger expectations from the promotion. There will be 'worsts' not even mentioned in this list, like the show being far too long, a lot of the matches not even having a backstory and sloppiness in almost every department.
The crowd in attendance is still in the honeymoon period and is guaranteed to lap up anything that is served to them. But let me say that as a viewer, there was more than one aspect of the show that I thought was super disappointing.
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#1 Best: The setting and the visual presentation
You often hear about fans not being able to get into promotions outside WWE because of just how shoddy and underwhelming the production is. That will not be a problem for AEW because the promotion obviously believes in creating the best experience for fans from a visual standpoint.
The setup was such that from the word go, the whole thing seemed like a very big deal. The crowd in attendance was red hot from the beginning that this gave the whole event a very 'big fight feel'. Even when I was worn out from watching the show at home, the crowd in attendance was super energetic.
I'm guessing that AEW is going to go even bigger for All Out, and that should be a treat to behold. Unfortunately, the stage was the best thing about the whole show.
#1 Worst: Cringiest botch in history
Dr. Britt Baker has all the tools to be the Charlotte Flair of All Elite Wrestling. She has the looks and the skill to ascend right to the top. Unfortunately, she made headlines for all of the wrong reasons at Fight for the Fallen with her botch.
Teaming with Riho, Baker would go in for a hot tag on the apron. Only it would be on the wrong side of the ring and by the time Baker realized this, the crowd in attendance was shocked at just how big a botch this was. I don't think that I've ever seen a botch of this nature and I've been watching pro wrestling since 1993.
The Buy In, overall, was a very poor affair from start to finish. And I would have to say that this has been the case from the time AEW started putting shows together.
#2 Best: The Lucha Bros tear it up again
Pentagon and Fenix took on SCU in what was probably the best match of the night. The two teams went at it and put on a show to remember, in an entertaining clash. Even though there was no story per se, except to determine who the better team was, the whole clash just flowed organically.
I know that the two luchadors will be facing The Young Bucks at All Out, but I'd love to see them mix it up with SCU again, in the future. What made this match better than the others was just how fluid everyone was, for a match that had no backstory. Honestly, the tag team division is the most exciting thing about AEW at the moment.
Even the three-way tag team match earlier in the night was a decent affair. But it was certainly not good enough to make it to the 'best' portion of this list.
#2 Worst: Technical glitches
Honestly, if I did not have to do this review, I'd have turned the show off during the Kickoff. The Fite TV stream that I was watching suddenly lost signal a few times so I had to turn to YouTube to catch the rest of the action. But that wasn't even the biggest technical glitch during the show.
At a certain point during the course of the Buy In, subtitles started appearing on the screen. And not only were these subtitles inaccurate, but they were also heavily delayed, which just ruined the experience for me altogether. I'd have been content to just read the results on the site, but I soldiered on.
AEW has the potential to become the number 1 promotion in the world if they do things right over the long haul, but this was a pretty poor showing. You guys all know that this will never ever happen on the WWE Network.
#3 Best: The main event
Cody and Dustin Rhodes squared off against The Young Bucks in what was a very emotionally charged affair in the main event of AEW Fight for the Fallen. It wasn't the classic that Cody had against his brother at Double or Nothing, but nevertheless, it was a very solid match indeed.
Moreover, I liked the fact that there was a story to the match, something that a lot of the other matches did not really seem to have. It just made it seem like the contest was a very exciting affair between two teams with a problem.
I'll be honest, I was a little put off by the fact that the emotional moment at the end of the match was cut short by the arrival of the babyfaces. But that aside, it was a great match from an okay night.
So was Omega vs. Cima, but I liked this one better.
#3 Worst: The commentary
Listen, I love Jim Ross. I was recently rewatching a Flair vs. Steamboat match and as good as the contest was, it was made even more special by the fact that Jim Ross was in prime form, providing the soundtrack to the thrilling match with his commentary.
When Jim Ross is on point, he is not unlike Freddie Mercury at Live Aid or even Anthony Hopkins when he's completely immersed in character. He is a master of the game and in many ways, he has written all the rules that the announcers of today follow.
What I'm trying to say is that the man is way past his prime and was floundering at the booth on several occasions. Add to the fact that Alex Marvez is a really weak commentator and you come to the realization that this is AEW's weakest aspect, by far.
Poor showing all around.
#4 Best/worst: Chris Jericho
How many of you did not realize that it was Chris Jericho behind the mask? I think it must be a very small minority because he's done the whole shtick several times in the past. And it was hardly a surprise to see him make this appearance at AEW Fight for the Fallen.
Also, I did not much care for his promo. I mean it was a fine promo, but if you're Chris Jericho, arguably the best promo in the history of the industry, you are expected to deliver better. Jericho just seemed like he was off his game at Fight for the Fallen.
Which brings me to my main question. Did the talent not take this show as seriously because they knew that this was only a pit stop on the road to All Out and little more than that?
Maybe Extreme Rules will be a better show, making this weekend worthwhile.
