AEW Dynamite 7-1-20 - Fyter Fest Night 1

Jericho comes out to join JR, Tony and Ex on commentary in a Canada Day jacket. MJF comes out in a wacky pink robe that needs "A Real Man's Man" for it. MJF talks about the ratings war and MJF being on the frontline is the only way to ensure victory. Jungle Boy storms MJF and wants a rewind rana on the apron, but Wardlow stops it and hits snake eyes on the post. Wardlow distracts the ref and he doesn't see the face tag. I like the plants on the ramp - makes this feel like a bigger deal.

LUCHASAURUS GETS THE TAG AND PUMP KICKS WARDLOW TWICE! Big suplex toss by Wardlow before Jericho yells in Spanish as Jungle Boy dives around. Luchasaurus hits a flip dive and Jericho makes a variety of Godzilla monster comparisons in a debate with Ex. Jack almost gets a powerbombed, but avoids that and an F10 to hit a poison rana. MJF backflip counters a kick and eye pokes Luchasaurus.  SUPER CANADIAN DESTOYER HAPPY CANADA DAY! Jericho is hopped up on all the goofballs. Wardlow hits/misses a big swanton for 2.9. Wardlow definitely evoking Sean 'O Haire, only sane and bigger. MJF almost hits Wardlow with the ring before saying MJF can't do anything right and the faces bonk the ring into his ring and then take out Wardlow! Babyface turn coming for him soon.

AEW Puppy Battle Royale next week after Fyter Fest before Archer and Janela brawl. Shida vs. Ford is hyped up. Shida gets a subtitled promo despite her English being pretty much perfect. Sabian touches Aubrey and she kicks him out. Sabian takes the kendo stick with him and smokes it...okay then. Running knee by Shida leads to a falcon arrow attempt, but Ford evades. Baseball slide and a big knee lift hits hard. Shida misses a corner kick and Ford bonks her into the buckle. CORNER BOOTS BY FORD! Bridging German hits for 2. 

Swinging sleeper by Shida into a pendulum backbreaker stretch. GTS BACKBREAKER GETS 2! Cradle off a falcon arrow gets 2.9! Ford distracts Aubrey with the belt while Kip eats a cane shot and the Cody cutter hits for 2! FORD MISSES THE MOONSAULT AND EATS 2 KNEES! FALCON ARROW HITS FOR 2.9! This is the match of Ford's life. Knockout knee ends it. THIS RULED! Hager's out with his wife Catalina while Jericho hypes up the hashtag contest during the next ad. Cody's out with an OG-GAB font shirt. Tremendous!

Cody the high school wrestler tries to take down the pro MMA fighter. This doesn't go well for him. Cody escapes a Hager ankle lock with a shitty version of his own. Jake goes after Arn and Cody hits a run-up dive to the floor! Nightmare Lock by Cody off a drop toehold. DISASTER KICK! Jake shoves Arn into the barricade before hitting a German on Cody on the floor! UNIQUE HASHTAG TIME and Jake lands a big lariat on the floor.

Arn prevents Cody from being posted by blocking the post before Cody tosses Hager into the post. SLEEPER SUPLEX BY HAGER somehow leads to a Cody pin attempt for 2. Run-up Cody cutter hits! PUMP KICK after he tosses the belt away. Pop powerslam gets 2 for Cody. Super arm drag by Hager gets 2. Hager OVERCOMES THE ODDS when Arn and Dustin get involved, but Jake gets the choke and Cody cradles him to win.

OC comes down and pisses Jericho off a ton by just sitting next to their table. JR says SERENTIY NOW! PNP is out to face Private Party. Ground octopus by Ortiz. Ligerbomb combo into an alley oop and a corner cannonball! Santana boots Quen twice, but Quen avoids the street sweeper! GIN AND JUICE HITS AND IT'S OVER. This wasn't as good as the Bucks match they won, but they've been elevated nicely by booking. Wrong team won, but it furthers the story about Hardy being a big help for them. Jericho's "THIS IS A SHIT NIGHT FOR ME!"

Jericho throws coffee on OC and wants a brawl, but OC avoids it. I like OC being the bigger man here. Dasha interviews Page and Omega and Kenny says he loves the Best Friends, but tonight, they'll beat them. AEW's tag title belts are the best on national TV easily. Next week's card is recapped and this week's card top to bottom is a bit stronger. Private Party gets a tag title shot next week against whoever wins...why not just announce PNP vs. Private Party as a no. 1 contender's match?

Mox vs. Cage was moved to 7/15 at Fight for the Fallen instead of next week. Taz says he and Cage aren't mad about this - all Mox did is buy himself time. Taz says that Tony told him Mox is concerned about everyone's safety - but Mox has been tested at home twice and he's negative on both tests. HE COULD GET TO WORK NEXT WEEK AND GET TESTED AGAIN because AEW doesn't run a sloppy shop and Mox has a case of the chicken shits.

THE BEST FRIENDS COME OUT IN TRENT'S MOM'S VAN! "They were driven to the ring by Trent's mom - THE BEST FRIENDS!" Okay, this is so fun. Page gets a great graphic too. Basic matwork to start including in the ad break. FTR is out WITH BEER and they give Britt one. TEEP KICK RIGH TO THE JAW! Omega is so great. MASSIVE lariat by Hangman, very much like Hansen. MISSILE DROPKICK TO THE NECK! Fisherman buster hits Trent for 2. STRONG ZERO HITS but Omega saves at the last second. Buckshot ends it! Mercifully. Other than the nearfalls, there wasn't much to that match. It was first gear>NEARFALL over and over. FTR offers them all beer and Kenny pours it out because he doesn't drink, leading to FTR getting pissed and the Bucks coming down to smooth things over.