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Free AEW Fyter Fest Gives Young Stars Chance to Make Memorable 1st Impression
June 17, 2019
All Elite Wrestling's Fyter Fest will stream live and for free on Blacher Report Live, giving the upstart promotion another opportunity to reach new fans and highlight some of its brightest young stars.
These names will form a foundation for the promotion for many years and may even fast-track their success based on how they perform in front of a viewing audience tuning in for free June 29 and perhaps getting their first taste of the company.
Darby Allin
The subject of the first episode of Viceland's The Wrestlers, Allin is a frenetic performer who will not hesitate to put himself at risk if necessary. He flies through the air with reckless abandon but also works a style that is cerebral and can be considered story-driven.
A four-year veteran, he is still a raw performer but is a compelling watch with unlimited potential. At Fyter Fest, he squares off with AEW Executive Vice President Cody in a match that could either make or break him as a star.
Allin recently created buzz for himself by wrestling a portion of his match with Jon Moxley while handcuffed. What he pulled off despite his shackles was breathtaking, so imagine what he will be able to do with both hands free and the pressure of a worldwide audience watching him.
It is difficult to imagine a scenario where Allin wins, if only because Cody is slated for such a high-profile match at Fight for the Fallen on July 13, when he and brother Dustin Rhodes will battle The Young Bucks.
While winning and losing will matter more in AEW, at least according to its management team, Allin can score a moral victory by showing up, showing out and ensuring there is no wrestler more buzzed about by night's end than him.
If his highlight reel is any indication, do not be surprised by the heights he soars to send a message to his bosses that they should go, pun intended, all in on him because he will go all out for them.
Speaking of going all out...
"Bad Boy" Joey Janela
Before AEW was even a thought in the minds of Cody and The Young Bucks, Joey Janela was earning buzz for a death-defying bump from the top of a roof, through a flaming table and light tubes, and into the back of a pickup truck.
A ballsy wrestler who could capture attention for his jaw-dropping high spots, Janela also earned recognition as promotor. He presented Joey Janela's Spring Break, home to some of the most unique matches and surreal occurrences in indy wrestling.
Character-driven, Janela has proved time and time again he can captivate with violence but also work a more traditional match when the time calls for it. His unpredictable journey to AEW sets up one of the more intriguing bouts in recent memory at Fyter Fest when he battles fellow Combat Zone Wrestling alumni Moxley.
Janela has already cut a hell of a promo on Moxley, as seen on the second episode of Cody's Road to Fyter Fest YouTube show, clearly motivated by the match and the professional opportunity it creates.
There is a preconceived expectation that the two will unleash a hardcore classic on the wrestling universe, utilizing their creativity to piece together a brawl that will have fans buzzing in its aftermath. What if they swerve us, though, delivering only a bit of that hardcore style while settling down into a more traditional match?
It would be unexpected, yet no one would be surprised because Janela and Moxley have made careers out of doing the unexpected.
Even if they do stay straight hardcore, provide fans with the messy and chaotic contest they expect, one thing is for certain: Janela is going to be an infinitely bigger star leaving the match than he was entering it.
An engaging character, an immeasurable charisma and the willingness to sacrifice his body for the sake of entertaining the fans has gotten Janela to where he is now. Win or lose on the 29th, The Bad Boy will be a name on the lips of all AEW and professional wrestling fans.
MJF, Jungle Boy and Jimmy Havoc
Hangman Page may have won the Casino Battle Royale to earn a shot at becoming the first AEW world champion, but he has to get through three wrestlers who gave him stiff competition late in that match if he hopes to maintain momentum in a Fyter Fest Fatal 4-Way.
Jungle Boy's tenacity and resiliency were on display in the Casino Battle Royale during the pre-show festivities at Double or Nothing.
Jimmy Havoc's unabashed violence was, too, especially after stapling a cigarette to the forehead of the aforementioned Janela. A longtime indy wrestler whose signing was one of the most buzz-worthy, he is sure to have a bright future with the first mainstream company to provide him a grand stage to perform on.
Then there was Maxwell Jacob Friedman, MJF for short, who was the heel around whom that entire bout was built. His loss to Page led to a verbal exchange later in the show before Hangman, Havoc and Jungle Boy fought him out of the MGM Grand Garden Arena.
The unabashedly cocky MJF has the opportunity to right his perceived wrong by defeating Page, halting his momentum and proving he should be the one to compete for the AEW title.
Havoc and Jungle Boy can leave a lasting impression on the audience by scoring the stunning upset.
It is Jungle Boy who has the most to gain via victory. A staple of the Southern California indy scene, and son of the late Luke Perry, he does not have the name brand or reputation of his opponents. A win would catapult him into title contention and leave his opponents reeling.
As much of heartwarming story of inspiration as that may be, this match feels like a showcase for MJF to pick up a win, potentially underhandedly, and continue his crusade for a title shot when the new champion is crowned.
The spoiled brat who does not miss out on an opportunity to remind anyone and everyone that he is better than them, MJF is going to be a major star for AEW. When and how, are the only two questions left to be answered.
AEW Fyer Fest will stream live and FREE on Saturday, June 29 at 7:30 PM on B/R Live. For more information, visit live.bleacherreport.com.